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A Birthday Lauriat, Two Sisters, and a Sister’s Pabaon

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Yesterday (Saturday), we celebrated our sister Luisa's belated 87th birthday, or Isang, as we fondly call her, at Friendship Garden Restaurant in Angeles City, Pampanga. Doc Bubut hosted the celebration, which the four of us siblings attended, along with our birthday celebrant, Ate Isang; her husband, Koyang Jun; their children, Emil and Karen; their grandson, Noah; and some nephews and nieces. It was a Chinese lauriat, so naturally, there was plenty of food. We started with assorted cold cuts, followed by creamy soup. They served the Peking duck in three ways: crispy duck skin with hoisin sauce and wraps, stir-fried duck meat with salt and pepper, and minced roast duck served in lettuce leaves. We also had fish fillet with tausi sauce and bean curd, mushroom with vegetables, Chinese-style beef tenderloin with red sauce, steamed lapu-lapu, birthday noodles (I suppose), eel prepared in two ways, prawns with cold fruit salad, and fried rice with salted fish. My brother Katoy chose th...
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The Birthday Tour Continues: Business & Bites with the Maginoos

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The birthday celebration train keeps rolling! Just last week, my Cuatro Cantos group took me out for my birthday at Mamacita, that new Mexican spot in Molito. Naturally, the fiesta couldn't stop there. Round two was with my second group—the Maginoos , composed of Robert, Orly, and Joel—and this time, we set up camp at Nara Thai, also in Molito. Keeping up with the golden tradition of both my groups: the birthday celebrant eats for free! Before we could dive into the food, though, it was time to handle business. I reserved the mezzanine area at Nara so we could talk shop without ruining anyone else's dining vibe. Here’s the setup: Joel’s son-in-law works with an Australian family-owned business that designs and constructs light-gauge and structural steel framing. His boss wants to tap into Philippine steel factories that can meet their standard specifications. Given my export background, jumping in was a no-brainer. Plus, as a crew, the Maginoos have all the bases covered—Orly i...
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Musings of an EV Novice: Paella, Small Cars, and Big Questions

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  A month ago, our regular get-together group—Cuatro Cantos—met for lunch at Delgado 112 in Westgate, Filinvest Alabang, to celebrate Pedy's birthday. It’s a brand-new Spanish-Filipino spot with a nice setup. We ordered paella negra and valenciana and bone marrow sisig; the food was okay, nothing spectacular. Pedy said he doubted he’d come back, and I can see why: to bring a customer back, a restaurant needs a true signature dish that makes you crave a return visit—like going to Talabar when you have a specific craving for fresh oysters. Over lunch, Chito brought up electric cars. He reckons a pure EV is better than a hybrid because, according to his son-in-law's experience, gasoline sitting unused in a hybrid tank eventually goes stale. After lunch, Chito had to head back to Makati to work, leaving Pedy, Roman, and me chatting outside. Since Pedy is interested in EVs, I pointed to the new VinFast dealer right beside the restaurant and suggested we drop in. We checked out their...
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Our Sunday Date: Tapas, Gelato, and BGC Discoveries

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  October 11 was Sunday—our designated date day! After attending the anticipated Saturday evening Mass, we had the whole day ahead of us. I suggested we start our morning with coffee and sandwiches at our usual Starbucks. We ordered our standard two tall cappuccinos served in ceramic mugs. I chose my favorite egg, cheese, and chorizo sandwich, while Cynthia went with her trusty chicken, cheese, and pesto. Good food, warm coffee, and great company—it was the perfect, low-key start to our day. Back home, I encouraged Cynthia to rest and recharge while I plotted our next move. I had a lunch idea brewing: instead of sticking to our usual neighborhood haunts, why not explore somewhere new in Bonifacio Global City? By 11 a.m., we were on the road. Before the drive, I asked Google Chrome for a few restaurant recommendations. The algorithm clearly knows my soft spot for Spanish and Mediterranean flavors. It pointed us toward three solid options: Bar Pintxos , Bueno Tapas & Wine , and F...
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A Birthday Reunion — and Why We Keep Meeting

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  Last night, I celebrated my belated birthday at Mamacita in Molito. It was my second time there. The first was with my wife, when we had tacos. This time, I was with three friends, and as always, we followed our little tradition: the celebrant chooses the restaurant, and the friends cover the bill. We all liked Mamacita’s lively Mexican atmosphere—the colorful paintings, little figurines, and cozy corners. The servers were attentive, and the food was good. We ordered quite generously: tacos, ceviche, chicken wings, quesadilla, steak fajitas, and rice for our designated rice eater. One of us even said he didn't really like Mexican food, but judging from how much he ate, I think he may have changed his mind!  It was happy hour, so we started with Corona beers and somehow went beyond the “happy hour” limit. When the bill came, my friends proved they were not only good friends but generous ones, too.                     ...
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SUNDAY IS OUR DATE DAY

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Sunday is our date day. Usually, my wife and I leave the house around 3 p.m. without much of a plan. We simply decide on a direction—sometimes Molito, sometimes Alabang Town Center, or another spot south of Manila we haven’t explored yet. We walk around, check out the shops, and do a bit of shopping—or, more often than not, just window shopping. By 5 p.m., the main event arrives as we ask the essential question: Where are we going to eat? Today, we found ourselves at Molito, where a large poster of laksa on the glass window of Thomson Bistro caught my eye. I thought, why not? I’ve eaten laksa during past trips to Singapore and Malaysia, but I honestly couldn't recall the exact taste. So, in we went. Jack, our waiter, welcomed us and handed over the menus. We decided on the laksa and siomai. The restaurant presents itself as Singaporean, though I couldn't help noticing the A5 Wagyu prominently displayed in a glass case. Whenever I see A5 Wagyu, my immediate thought is: this is ...
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Pampanga Floods: Can the Arguing Stop? Time to Work Together.

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  Pampanga Floods: Can the Arguing Stop? Time to Work Together. A day ago, I was YouTube channel-surfing when I came across a segment titled, “PBBM, Pampanga officials debate on proposed Candaba impound system as flood solution.” Thinking it was current news, I watched it attentively. Then I realized something that surprised me. The debate was actually from 2023—three years ago! In the discussion, they considered using 200 hectares of the 2,000-hectare Candaba Swamp as a water-impounding area. Pampanga officials strongly opposed the idea and preferred dredging the rivers. President Marcos was not convinced that dredging alone would solve the problem. He argued that heavy rains bring not only enormous amounts of water from the highlands but also silt, which can eventually fill the rivers again. I am no engineer, so I cannot say who is right. But three years have passed, and Pampanga is still suffering from serious flooding. So I began wondering: What happened during those three year...
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