Aside – JOHNDAPPERCLOSER

Easy Ways to Save-as-You-Shop Big at OFFPRICE Philippines

Still be mindful with our savings without compromising the quality of rewards we give to our hardworking self.

OFFPRICE (formerly TOPS – The Off Price Show) is Philippines’ largest roving outlet sale where premium lifestyle brands are tagged at up to 80% lesser from corresponding online or mall boutique prices.

Premium brands at ultra low prices is indeed a money-saving privilege every shopper desires to experience all year round. But that is just a dream because Offprice only visits key cities in the Philippines once in a year. Thus, when you really want to score big when it roves near your place, you have to be ready. Here are some practical buying tips when shopping at Offprice.

Know when it roves near you. Follow OFFPRICE PHILIPPINES across social media platforms. Knowing the roving schedule helps you to set healthy budget for shopping, schedule specific amount to be saved months before its opening and check which piece in your closet needs a new one or list new stuff you now need to own.

Some of the best deals I got from Offprice 2017 in Davao. A Parker fountain pen which still keeps on writing big-ticket deals until now (Top Left). A Zara white shirt with thin blue stripes (Top Right) and a French Connection green shirt with thin white stripes. Both favorites for office dealings or weekend escapades.

Offprice in fact, helps us to still be mindful with our savings without compromising the quality of rewards we give to our hardworking self.

Be there on the opening day. (You know well how the cliché means.) Offprice usually stops for only three (3) days in every city, usually on a Friday until Sunday. It has specified inventory on each branded piece. It is not for everyone to own. It is only for the early birds. Thus, be there at 11AM or even earlier. On the first day. Register for your lifetime membership card at the entrance for rebates from accumulated purchases (That is an additional savings).

Compare sizes. Most apparels follow a US size measurement. Check first if the Medium still snugly fits you or you might be fit to the Small. There are also Asian sizes though. Thus, check the sizes in every premium brand you hop in.

Hoard first. Don’t rush queuing to the fitting room with only a handful. Get baskets and hoard pieces at your size. You come in early. You deserve the dibs!

Fit. The Offprice staff are good at assisting you. Be kind to them. They group your choices into 4 to smoothen the fitting. If it does not fit well, let it go. Stains and tears are not really concerns with Offprice items, but it still pays to check. When you just love that particular item which is too loose for you, get it. Your tailor would still charge you far lesser than the brand’s real selling price.

Pay. Cards are accepted – Enough said.

Owning premium brands through Offprice does not make you a money splurger. Offprice in fact, helps us to still be mindful with our savings without compromising the quality of rewards we give to our hardworking self. Save as you shop!

HOBO CODES | GLAN, More than just the SarBay Fest

Glan would just keep on glistening.

Two scenarios. First, you are one of the Sarangani Bay Festival goers. After the 2-night beach party, the 360-degree view of the beach venue, Gumasa, had teased you so intensely which triggered you to give in and discover what is more in Glan. What is one sunset to extend the trip that culminates your summer?

Second, you did not make it for this year’s biggest beach party in the Philippines. But the itch still persists – You have heard your office mates talking about Glan. Your friends have uploaded marvelous photos geo-tagged to Glan or yet, you just finished reading this travel post all about Glan.

Discover the glistens of Glan!

The southernmost municipality of the Sarangani Province, Glan owns the Earth’s deepest cove with the horizon featuring the Celebes sea, heritage structures and that grilled chicken the locals love to eat with a homemade condiment. It is forty-five minutes via van away from General Santos City (the nearest airport).

Apart from the scenic cove after cove view, there is that unique charm when you are able to feel the spatial stimuli of exactly where a historical event took place.

CONDIMENT

The Chicken-Ala-Bukid is marinated from the inside out by injecting a special sauce made from the cooked spices and herbs. These ingredients are those which are just typically found in a townsman’s backyard.

It is your choice. The chicken could be fried or grilled. Then, it is eaten with “Dabo”. It is the locals’ favorite condiment when eating the Chicken Ala Bukid. It is a sweet and spicy dried fish with tomatoes, garlic and onions. One of the locals told that it is an Indonesian recipe. It resembles the Escabeche. You will love the succulence especially of the grilled version of the Chicken-Ala-Bukid, as you partake it with freshly steamed rice slathered with the chili oil from the Dabo.

Head over to “Freddos Chicken Ala Bukid” at the town’s Poblacion to try this. This is 20 minutes from Gumasa Beach where the Sarangani Bay Fest is held.

CONQUISTADOR

Antonio Pigafetta is actually Ferdinand Magellan’s on-board travel blogger. I would recommend reading some of his historical accounts especially the part where they have reached the Sarangani and Balut (Candigar) Islands in 1521. Read it before your Glan trip. If not because of his epic diaries, Philippine history is not as vivid as it seems written in our grade school textbooks.

Besides the Sarangani Bay being a witness of several voyages, Sumbang Point, which is about 45 minutes from the SarBay Fest venue, is reportedly the forced landing site of the fourth expedition in 1543 lead by Spanish conquistador, Miguel Lopez de Villalobos. His team failed to sail on to Mazaua to look for food because of the low-winds.

Apart from the scenic cove after cove view, there is that unique charm when you are able to feel the spatial stimuli of exactly where a historical event took place. Not just then for the beach lovers, Glan, with the Sarangani Bay and the Sumbang point, is also an ideal destination for educational trips for History and Anthropology.

Stay at the villas of Belimac. It is exactly along the shores of Sumbang point.

COMMONWEALTH

You could choose either or both the heritage houses at the town’s Poblacion or the 80-year-old ancestral house of Don Juan at the Hacienda Don Juan Resort.

Carved window frames and ceiling moldings as old as the Commonwealth era are still so defined among the neighboring heritage houses. These details make Glan’s heritage houses unique from those found in Vigan. Indeed, a living architectural museum.

The ancestral house at the Hacienda Don Juan offers a distinct kind of antiquity from those found at the Poblacion. The vintage spirit of the interiors and the sea breeze through its wide windows make you feel like basking your vacation days at your own grandparent’s home. You will love to stay for a while here. Explore the whole resort with their uniquely designed cottages too. The resort is 30 minutes away from the heritage houses which are at the town center.

COVE AFTER COVE HORIZONS

Glam is one of those quaint places where picturesque views of the horizon are omnipresent throughout your trip – from the dawn of your day 1 until the dusk of your departing day.

The enchanting blues of the beaches. The flavors of the townsmen’s food. The juxtaposition of the heritage and recent structures. The dissociative charm of modern existence in an unsophisticated daily dealings. – All a tourist would wander for. I am happy for you if you can make it for SarBay Fest this year, But if unfortunately you can not, Glan would just keep on glistening.

DATES TO VISIT

OCTOBER : Lubi-Lubi sa Glan Festival I APRIL : Mahin Festival I MAY: Sarangani Bay Festival

HOBO CODES | Plantation Life at Hijo Resorts Davao

A vast playground every hardworking Yuppie deserves for rest, active lifestyle and leisure.

If you have been really working hard, I am certain that by now, in this coexistent life of the online and offline You, you already have acquired that skill of gleaning unique, instagrammable yet reasonably priced getaway to achieve a work-life harmony.

Have you tried spending the weekend at a plantation? How is it living inside the breathing banana plantation of Hijo Resorts Davao?

An hour shuttle ride from Davao City, Hijo Resorts Davao is a tourism estate in Tagum City, Davao del Norte. Besides the robustly functioning 177-hectare banana plantation, the expanse also stretches through a 92-hectare coconut plantation, 60-hectare forest and 4.5-kilometer river.

Indeed, such a vast playground every hardworking Yuppie deserves for rest, active lifestyle and leisure.

YOGA AT THE HEART OF DAVAO GULF

This is the most relaxing thing I tried here. Tuned up my soul, enjoying the resort just light and slow. Taking in, breathing out as naturally rhythmic as it should be. You can either take a refreshing cold tea after or a short dip at the infinity pool. Absolute relaxation on the first morning.

BANANA PLANTATION TO BANANA DESSERTS

The guided tour inside the banana packing house is one of the “only in Hijo” memories. Bananas are picked and transported manually to the packing house. Then, are checked for export quality, packed and loaded directly to the refrigerated trucks waiting at the tail of the packing cascade. All, in less than four hours.

Hijo is the first Philippine-based grower to export Cavendish banana in Japan. Impressively, you too are assured that every banana served while staying here is of same universal quality. Try some of the banana and coco sugar made desserts served at the Banana Beach restaurant after the plantation tour.

MORNINGS AT THE PLANTATION HOUSE

You may choose either the breezy ecstasy of the Banana Beach Casitas or the American colonial embrace of the Tuason Family’s ancestral house – the Plantation House. Every morning is just serene here. You are woke up with the chirping of the birds. Grab a book. Get a cup of coffee and ask some coco sugar. The poolside is the spot.

The interiors from the lanai to the rooms are adorned with paintings from the famous artist Kublai Milan. These are pieces depicting the merry living of Mindanao tribes like Maranao and Bagobo.

The complementary toiletries are all organic, fresh from Hijo’s farm. You are asked to choose which bath soap you would love to use during your stay, choices derived from the various parts of a coconut.

FOREST TOUR WITH “DUYDUY” AND FRIENDS

Such a paradise for ecologic coalescence, Hijo actually preserves an endemic family of monkeys. Along with local wild boars, these natural inhabitants inside Hijo estate are considered part of the hospitality team. Stop over at the Monkey avenue and take a photo with “Duy-duy” and friends. He snubbed me at first try.

TRIBAL CUISINES AFTER THE RIVER CRUISE

You appreciate topography on a different angle when you behold it from a body of water. This is what this experience taught me. After several tours through wheels, I only had the whole virtual map of the resort clearly displayed on my spatial memory during the river cruise. You have to experience that too.

Just after the peaceful cruise through the Madaum river, break the day to halves with a Halal lunch spread at The Spot. I have always been an evangelist for Pinoy local food and Tribal cuisines. The spectrum of palate memories from the Kalagan and Mandaya cuisines is actually the most memorable for me. The Ipasagan Pagkalagan na Manok has a taste that lingers.

We have all been tired from work. But not all have truly rested from that exhaustion. How rested are you?

The plantation life is easy yet fun. It is light yet satiates.

Book a life here https://www.hijoresortsdavao.com/

4 Unique Gifts for Him for a more “Vivo” Valentine’s Day Couple Pic

V-day gift giving game is not anymore about how expensive the gift is. It is now more of which is a more unique kind of present. Here are four not-so-common, yet still love-evoking gift ideas for him this Valentine’s season.

With social media helping to broadcast your love to your significant other this Valentine’s Day, the V-day gift giving game is not anymore about how expensive the gift is. It is now more of which is a more unique kind of present. Here are four not-so-common, yet still love-evoking gift ideas for him this Valentine’s season.

A Pot of Herbs

Your man may not be comfortable receiving flowers from you. Hence, a pot of herbs would be equally thoughtful yet longer lasting. Basil, for example, can be really savory when one is cooking a pasta for dinner (even instant noodles) or a therapeutic tea for cough and colds. How would you feel, he prepares a meal for you the next time you visit his place using these? Other herbs could also be mint, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, or oregano.

ALTERNATIVE: Cactus or Bonsai for his office desk or study table.

Wine-infused Chocolates

Sprinkling a more masculine appeal to a classic Valentine’s Day gift, opt for spirit-infused chocolates. This twist is just as tasty as its after effect. Even non-alcohol drinkers will enjoy the succulent flavors made even more romantic with booze. Whiskey and Bourbon infused chocolate bars are the most popular, but so are the subtler ones like Red Wine and Chocolate Kahlua.

TRY: Dark cherry rum chocolate from Tina’s Treats

Grooming Kit

You love your man well groomed every time you strike a couple selfie! Thus, a grooming kit for him is such a useful gift. A basic grooming kit usually contains a high-quality wooden comb, a pot of pomade perfumed subtly with musk, and a vial of beard oil which works wonders when your man is contemplating growing a neat beard. Fragrances are also in the kit and even a small bottle of shampoo to complement the comb-pomade essentials.

ALTERNATIVE: A membership card on a high-end barber shop like the CHOI DEAL CARD.

Travel Tickets for Two

You will love more your photos with the hashtag relationshipgoals! The Philippines has a lot of breathtaking destinations as backdrop for you couple photos! Air fare is affordable too!

TRY: Book a trip to Hijo Resorts Davao in Tagum City, Davao or to the beaches in Glan, Sarangani Province.

“VIVO” Valentines Vibe

For all your adventures and milestones, make Vivo V7 a part of it. Vivo V7 proves that big things come in small packages. The V7, much like its predecessor, the equally dynamic V7+, reinforces Vivo’s leadership in selfies with its 24MP front-facing camera, which produces above-quality selfies—perfect for those romantic date nights. By keeping true-to-life color and contrast and a clear background at all times, V7 allows users to express themselves practically anytime, anywhere at their whim. The V7’s smart photography algorithms generate crystal-clear, natural-looking photos. To complement the V7’s powerful camera feature, the Beauty 7.0 feature brightens up selfies and creates a more even complexion, even in dimly-lit environments. Portrait Mode in the V7 adds background blurring for sharper contrast and visual appeal to generate stylish selfies equivalent to those from DSLR cameras. But that’s not all. The V7 also rocks a 5.7” all-screen display with an 83.6% screen to body ratio that would normally house a 5.2-inch screen, offering 12.5% more visual display area compared to traditional 16:9 screens. This V7 feature enhances consumers’ visual experience, a perfect element to satisfy this generation’s very visual demographic. Lastly, this smartphone’s security spec is super secure with its revolutionary finger-print lock feature.

For inquiries about Vivo, visit the Vivo website at http://www.vivo.com/ph I Check out their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.

After Stephen Curry, VIVO introduces fresh influencers for Philippines

Loisa Andalio, Inigo Pascual, Maris Racal, and Chienna Filomeno : VIVO Philippines

In the Philippines, Vivo places as third most popular smartphone brand with at least 1.1 million users and 5,200 stores and counting nationwide. Globally, Vivo boasts 200 million users and growing.

It has been a “wow” in the smartphone industry last September 2016 when NBA superstar Stephen Curry signed as Vivo’s biggest ambassador. To further push as the top smartphone choice in the Philippines, Vivo introduces four brand celebrity supporters from famous network ABS-CBN. Actress, Loisa Andalio, talented teen heartthrob Inigo Pascual, and television personality Maris Racal, and model-actress Chienna Filomeno.

Loisa Andalio : Loves Vivo V7’s FACE ID feature

Loisa Andalio, 18, (LEFT) came into the limelight when she joined the 5th regular season of Pinoy Big Brother where she was dubbed as the “Talented Darling of Paranaque”. Loisa is currently a member of an all-girl group G13 formed in 2013. The talented Loisa, known as an influential millennial celebrity with a vast social media following, currently has 1.17 followers on Twitter, 2.7 million followers on Instagram, and over 600,000 followers on Facebook.

Loisa loves her Vivo V7+ because of the phone’s Face ID feature. Futuristic enough, Vivo offers this feature which is a surely-safe security access to one’s smartphone, where phone unlocks with mere facial recognition. The Face ID feature enables the V7+ to “wake up” with the user simply picking up the phone, raising it in portrait mode to unlock it and it is ready to go. As a dancer, Loisa is also thrilled with the V7+’s fully-upgraded AK4376A Hi-Fidelity audio chip supports the latest sound technology and levels up mobile audio technology, enabling any music lover to enjoy rich and full rhythms.

Maris Racal : Loves Vivo V7+’s powerful 24MP CAMERA, FACE BEAUTY feature

PET_0550 — Maris Racal, 20. She first came to fame after placing second in Pinoy Big Brother All In and was later signed up with Star Magic as a member of popular all-girl group Girltrends and just last year as a member of an all-girl sing and dance group BFF5. Maris was paired up with fellow Vivo influencer Inigo Pascual where they are collectively known as MarNigo which now has a strong fan base. Maris’ popularity on Instagram has risen in a short time, now with 2 million followers. She has over 700,000 followers on Instagram and more than 200,000 fans on Facebook. Maris makes a perfect Vivo influencer for her talent and her status as an iconic millennial. Her love team with Inigo Pascual is also one of the most famous and important power pair of recent years.

Maris loves Vivo V7+’s powerful 24MP and Face Beauty feature which produces perfect selfies each time, a perfect selfie-taking companion for celebrities like herself with a strong social media following.

Inigo Pascual : Enjoys Vivo V7+’s 5.99 all-screen Display with an 84.4% screen to body ratio, Smart Split 3.0 feature and Hi-Fidelity audio chip

Inigo Pascual, actor and recording artist. The son of premier actor Piolo Pascual, Inigo has established his own name in the industry with his good looks and talent. He is the artist behind the 2016 hit single Dahil Saýo, the first number one song on Billboard Philippines’ Philippine Top 20 chart. Inigo is quite popular on social media, no wonder Vivo signed up the young influencer to push the brand. Inigo’s Instagram followers are 2 million strong, with a Twitter following of over 700,000 and a Facebook fan base of over 300,0000.

Inigo is happy with the Vivo V7+’s 5.99 all-screen Display with an 84.4% screen to body ratio, providing a more exciting and enhanced game and visual experience. Its Smart Split 3.0 feature allows Inigo to check his messages, mails, among other things without interrupting the current running app—perfect for very busy smartphone users on the go like him. As a singer, Inigo also appreciates the phone’s Hi-Fidelity audio chip which rocks above par mobile audio technology making music clearer and crisper to the ear.

Chienna Filomena: Thanks Vivo V7+’s 24Mp FRONT CAMERA and FACE BEAUTY feature

Chienna’s popularity on social media is continuing to rise with 1.3 million Instagram followers, over 200,000 fans on Facebook and more than 300,000 following on Twitter. Chienna’s vast Instagram followers can be attributed to her gorgeous selfies, thanks to Vivo V7+’s 24Mp front camera and Face Beauty feature which produces only the clearer portraits. The phone’s all-screen display is also something Chienna appreciates about the Vivo V7+ as it allows her to appreciate her photos better.

For inquiries about Vivo, visit the Vivo website at www.vivo.com/ph or check out their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.

Five-star Office Space for the more “business-ready” Davao | Skynora Corp

Statistically and spatially, Davao City now coddles a more corporate society. The question now is, HOW YOU WOULD WANT YOUR OFFICE TO LOOK LIKE?

Keeping clients is as important as creating new clients. This is why having a space for the after-sales care activities is essential. No matter how “online” corporate mechanisms are done these recent years, you are “in” the market when you have an offline facility you and your empire could call as your “church of loyalty”.

May it be a single desk where your partners could air out their clamor or a private office where they can tag along a referral, an office facility is where they feel that they are heard. Not at the cafe nor via phone, neither on a chat box. You and your client deserve an office. And Skynora Corporation wants that office to be haute. May your company be a start-up or a unicorn, Skynora’s premium space and services help maximize the client’s benefits and minimize the cost at the same time.

SEAT LEASING SERVICES
Best for IT-BPO companies, the seat leasing services and rental options save yourself from the hassle of legal papers.

PRIVATE OFFICE
Ideal for satellite office inclusive of internet, pantry access, meeting room and boardroom access and lounge. Mailbox and parking available for lease.

CO-WORKING SPACE
Biggest in Davao with over 150 seats on monthly or daily rate. Meeting room, conference room, pantry, coffee bar and multipurpose room are available.

Not at the cafe nor via phone, neither on a chat box. You and your client deserve an office.

Existing in the marketplace is not just having a Linked-in, a Facebook page or a website. An office will always be an imperative to assure the consumers that you will always be there to hear them physically. A part of the criteria to be called a reputable competitor if not a market leader, in the corporate world.

SOURCE: THRIVING WORKSPACES : An Overview of Davao City’s Office Space Market by Prime Philippines, November 30,2017, Volume 1, Issue 4, Page 6

Statistically and spatially, Davao City now coddles a more corporate society. The question now is, HOW YOU WOULD WANT YOUR OFFICE TO LOOK LIKE?

HOW?

Book an office space tour now. (+63) 082-287-5761 I www.skynora.com

The Usual Barber Chair to an All-in Grooming Throne in Davao| Your CHOIce

Your first CHOI CUT experience proves that you have been scammed with the pampering standards you believe you deserve all these years. That you are settling for less. That you are being less thoughtful to yourself.

Who wants to be known as an all-in achiever but unkempt than being a 100% achiever yet sleek?

A decisive man knows this so well – the demand to be a “better him” surges as he set a loftier goal after every achievement. The exhaustion from these efforts no matter how smooth we may execute it, takes a toll on our look. THAT LOOK which whether we like it or not, becomes a suffix to our honorable name. An appeal which becomes part of our reputation. This is when you realize that you have to be thoughtful to the emperor himself. Who wants to be known as an all-in achiever but unkempt than being a 100% achiever yet sleek? It is your CHOIce.

My Choice : The usual barber chair to an all-in grooming throne

Climbing up the corporate ladder demands sleekness. I always value both the credible first impression appearance and the winning presence of a won negotiation. Prospects crave for “that look” during the meet and greet while colleagues (competitors most of the time) capture that smirk the moment another lucrative deal is closed.

Exists only for the gents who always give all-in to his craft, CHOI provides an all-in grooming service every barber appointment you make. If you are used to settle that a cut ends with a blow-dry, your first CHOI CUT experience proves that you have been scammed with the pampering standards you believe you deserve all these years. That you are settling for less. That you are being less thoughtful to yourself. The CHOI experience bundles a relaxing massage and hot towel to the trivial barber routine, which revitalizes your zeal to success instantly after that last soothing wipe of lukewarm towel. The moment you look back at yourself in the mirror, you see a more vivid greatness in you.

Ever since my first CHOI Cut, I have always been assured that pampering myself is something I can now doubt-free delegate. A semi-monthly appointment with your CHOI barber is a reinvigorating part of your work-life ratio. This propels the emperor in you to keep growing your empire.

You are already winning. You just have to be more thoughtful to yourself.

Planning to reserve a Barber’s Chair? No!

Own a time being seated on your pampering throne.

That is the premium CHOIce.

(082) 327 3153 I custexperience.choibarbers@gmail.com I FB: @choibarbersph