A Night at Casa Santa with Payatas Kids

It was a beautiful mid-morning when our small group of social media and bloggers went to at Casa Santa within Jardin de Miramar compound, there was an evening of concert with the Payatas kids choir in Antipolo City.

We decided to meet at Araneta Center , Cubao at about 11:00 am and decided to commute via Lrt line 2 going to Santolan station and we took sa jeepney route on our way to the historic Antipolo Church .

The travel was a little bit faster than the usual , It only took us about 15 minutes to reach LRT Santolan station and another 30 minutes ride going to Antipolo . We paid about Php 23.00 each and took our group off near the church .

We walk going to the church and had a brief stop over at several stalls selling Virgin of Antipolo , Nuestra Señora dela Paz y Buen Viaje or Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage. Forgot to buy novena booklet .

suman , mangoes and cashews are some of the most iconic food that Antipolo is known for

After the short visit to the church compound and plaza , we decided to buy some buko juice and ate some cashew nuts bought from nearby stalls.

Cora and Atang Stall

After all Antipolo is well-known for their roasted cashew nuts , suman and kakanins ( rice cakes and native delicacies)  and a visit to the place is incomplete without a visit to the church and marian image.

Although sellers are vocal that there are very few cashew trees and plantations within the area. They usually sourced their nuts from Palawan and elsewhere.

Then we took a tricycle ride going to Jardin de Miramar , Sir Andrei Isidro treated us by paying  the fare which cost Php 40 ( special trip since , there were only 3 of us ) .  It route was barely 1.5  kilometer route from the church to Jardin de Miramar compound.

Payatas children choir

We took some time exploring the compound and everyone enjoyed their short stay and tour at Casa Santa . This was their third year of hosting a Christmas party and a benefit concert , proceeds goes to the indigent children communities of Payatas .  There are dozens of children which were able to go to school because of the project .

Tickets were sold during the event which gave participants unlimited time to explore round the vicinity , meet and greet with santa , some packed meals and participate at the games.

lechon

The buffet meal was catered by Dabiana Catering Services from Cogeo , Antipolo.

We hope that there will be a lot of these types of projects to help needy school children . In our own small way , we took some loose change from our pockets and drop them at the donation box places at the Casa Santa entrance.

 

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Marikina Biyaya Industriya Organismo Expo 2010

Event: Biyaya . Industriya . Organismo Expo 2010

Venue: Marikina Riverbanks- ECOM Building

Date: September 15 to October 15, 2010 with possible pre-Christmas Bazaar extension

Theme: Pagkalinga at Pagpapahalaga sa Kalikasan

Event Venue: Riverbanks Center, the most unique commercial and recreational, one stop family destination in Marikina City. Riverbanks Development Corporation (RDC) established Riverbanks Center to develop the Marikina riverside into an urban center, enhanced by the river, preserving the ECOlogy and promoting people’s love for nature. With this in mind,  the company tag-line is your  ECO-friendly destination came about, “ECO” referring to ECOlogy, ECOnomy and E-COmmerce.

Marikina Riverbanks B.I.O. Expo 2010 poster

Visitor Profile: Riverbanks E-Com building is accessible to the residents of   Libis, Cubao , Xavierville Village in  Quezon City, Pasig, Antipolo, Cainta, San Mateo , Marikina and other nearby communities come in droves to check out the Riverbanks Mall housing popular retail stores, branded outlet stores, restaurants and favorite fastfood chains at ECO-friendly prices. And with the declaration by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) of two of Riverbanks Center’s buildings as information and technology (ICT) buildings, more spaces will be available for E-COmmerce services, restaurants and much more. Parking is not a problem with ample space for everyone.

Riverbanks E-Com building

E-COM Building :

PEZA registered E-com Bldg. of Riverbanks Center with more than 20,000 sq.m. open floor space to offer is now available for business process outsourcing (BPO) firms and other office tenants. Located at the portal of Marikina City, the new building is very accessible to public transportation like the MRT / LRT and the local public utility vehicles terminal. It is also adjacent to the Riverbanks Mall which houses a food court that offers several food choices at very affordable prices, fast food chains as well as restaurants that are open 24 / 7 . Parking and security will not be a problem with the ample covered parking situated just beside the new ICT building plus the presence of a police station within the area.

Vicinity Map Location:

How to get Here:
1. From Cubao, you may take the Jeepney or FX going to SSS, Fortune, Parang, Calumpang and San Mateo.
2. From Cubao, you may also take the LRT and get off at the Katipunan station and take the Jeepney or FX route mentioned above.
3. From UP, Tandang Sora and Commonwealth, you may take the Jeepney going to Katipunan and get off at the corner of Aurora Blvd. and take the same Jeepney/FX route stated above.

Event Brief:

B.I.O. stands for Biyaya , Industriya , Organismo a term used for the expo which will showcase the bounty of nature , industry and organism will be held at the Marikina Riverbanks E-Com Building . This bazaar trade fair will be held from September 15 to October 15, 2010 . The expo is a major event which caters primarily to showcase some of the country’s top producers from health and wellness products, agriculture , orchids, ornamental plant wholesalers, retailers, pet animals such as reptiles, dogs, cats, insects , fishes , pet accessories, leather , fashion , lifestyle ,travel, handicrafts, landscape artists , food , native products, environment friendly products and services, Non-Government Organizations , Cause – Oriented Association , Advocacy groups , Environmental Advocates.

Trade Fair and Exhibit

Exhibitors and company can join for a minimum period of 15 days and a maximum of 30 days . With its unique feature of different themed sections from petting zoo, reptile center , handicraft area, landscape theme gardens , eco -friendly products and services, organic produce , food section , an activity area and an interactive secretariat , Expect that there is something new every month !

Trade Show Partners and Exhibitors:

Reptiles Amphibians and Pet Center one of the event partners will showcase several exotic and rare pets such as reticulated pythons, tarantulas , caimans, turtles and several unique kinds of pet.

Mandaluyong Garden Club was formed more than 20 years ago when a group of garden enthusiasts formed a group that would educate the people the basics of gardening, plant appreciation and to nurture the environment . through several villages , subdivisions and condominiums within Mandaluyong City. Some of these villages include Wack- Wack, East  Greenhills, Acropolis and some high  rise condominium units. The trend of gardening on condominiums is also encourage by the group.

Metts’ Plant Art – Professor Serapion Metilla will have a landscape exhibit on the venue. His unique tray landscaping styles had earned him numerous awards and commendation from local and intentional  garden , ikebana and ornamental clubs.

Stella Blu – is a catering service with a mix fusion of Asian and Italian style of menu with branches located in Mandaluyong and Makati.

Planet Earth – a company known for their quality t-shirt and glow in the dark -t shirt.

Buy and Sell Philippines– Asia’s first Free Ads newspaper and Philippines #1 Free Ads newspaper will release a pre-event and a post event write-ups.

People’s Tonight – One of the Philippines largest English tabloid will help cover the event.

Manila Bulletin – One of the country’s leading newspaper

Tulay Newspaper – one of the leading fortnightly digest that caters the Filipino- Chinese community . This bi-monthly digest is part of the World News .

NBN channel 4 – a government station will help televised the event.

Pinoy Exchange Forum– One of the leading forum sites in the Philippines

World Vision Philippines – World Vision is a Christian development, relief and advocacy organization dedicated to
working with children, families and communities worldwide to reach their full potential by addressing the causes of poverty and injustice.

Philippine Science Centrum – Located adjacent to the B.I.O. Expo .

RK Fashion Design – Quality Philippine made fashion accessories with  international awards and recognition for its designs and the use of natural and organic materials and components.

Trade Show Committee:

This trade show was organized by Design Concept and Event Management for Marikina Riverbank Company . This event company started as a small venture 3 years ago which handles corporate functions, event coordination, trade shows , bazaars and exhibits .

Contact Details:

Ms. Erika Ramirez, Mr. Dan Del Rosario , Mr. Louie Rivero – Event coordinators
Telephone # 468-9277
Cellphone # 0916-402-3572

Mr. Ramon Calado orchid and ornamental farm in Antipolo

This is the simple yet well-maintained production area and farm of Mr. Ramon Calado

rows of Dendrobium hybrids seedlings

Mr. Ramon Calado is a well-respected orchid and plant breeder for over 35 years and had bred several hundreds of registered orchid hybrids from different genera . Aside from orchids, he also mass produce several varieties of ornamental plants varieties from the ordinary ferns to mutant varieties .

Mr. Ramon Calado

Some of the country’s top farm producers sourced their orchid hybrids and ornamental plants from Mr. Calado . Most of his orchid hybrids are highly sought after by local and even foreign collectors  due to their superior flower forms and quality plants.

orchid seedling on flask

He also had a laboratory facilities were seedlings of orchids and other ornamental plants.

collection of native ferns

For appointments :

Mr. Ramon Calado

(02) 782-64-45

Meralco Management & Leadership Center Foundation

MMLDC is short for Meralco Management & Leadership Development Center located in  Kilometer 27 Sumulong Highway in Antipolo, Rizal province.

But to thousands of others that have benefited from its programs, there is so much more to the 10-hectare expanse.

MMLDC started as an internal training facility for the 6,000- plus workforce of Meralco, including contractors, partners and managers. The utility was then undergoing a spate of transformation coming out of the 1980s and 1990s.

Before , Meralco conducts  a lot of out-of-town training; practically every week we were doing team building, living out of our suitcases . Then the management decided to  set up our own center to make it more convenient for the employees and the participants.

Manuel L. Lopez tarpaulin

On August 9, 1999, MMLDC was formally established, with the Academic Hall as the first structure to be opened. By 2000, the buzz was out about the new training center, with people from other companies requesting to rent the venue for their own training activities.

group photo

Social responsibility
As an educational foundation, MLDC’s stated vision is to create a brighter future through institutions and individuals who manifest and promote social responsibility through its five advocacies: ethical leadership, quality management, technical excellence, environmental stewardship, and safety and wellness practices.
In 2006, the corporate training and academic services programs were beefed up to complement the teambuilding programs, considered the centers bread and butter.

The big compound had old mango trees with huge Platycerium grande, bromeliad, tillandsias , orchids mounted on living trees in landscaped garden setting.

There were a lot of exotic bird  collection like parrots, budgerigars , peacocks, pigeons . There is a (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), or Hyacinthine Macaw or Hyacinth Macaw which is reputed on e of the rarest bird in the world which is endangered in the wild .

author with a common green parrot

The Hyacinth Macaw is an endangered species due to over collection for the cage bird trade and habitat loss. Annual grass fires set by farmers can destroy nest trees, and regions previously inhabited by this macaw are now unsuitable due to cattle-ranching, forest destruction , pet trade etc…

There was a short bird show which was duly reserved for the visiting POS members . The captive parrots and their trainers entertained the visitors . At the end of the bird show – the handlers let the visitors handle the parrot.

The group also went to a small museum and a gift shop within the compound.

The foundation is ideal for social functions like seminars, filed trip, corporate parties etc…

tranvia replica

Contact information:

Location : Km 27 Sumulong Highway , Antipolo City , Rizal

Telephone  632-8111/696 -3051

Telefax 696-1027/26

PACEM Eco-Park

PACEM is a short acronym for Peace And Care For Earth Ministry . The PACEM Eco-Park was established  in 1994 inside Assumption College in Antipolo City as a place for retreat and a rescue center of both animals and plants.

Assumption College – Antipolo entrance arch

There was an aviary and eagles were on the ground not in a cage! There was even a big bird,the Cassowary, monkeys,deers , bantam chicken , silky chicken, native chickens, Kabir chicken, parrots, parakeets, snake ,  pigeon,  bear cats  a walk through  butterfly garden.There’s also an herb garden, a big fountain and fish pond with kois in it.

It has a trail that you have to go to in order for you to check the whole place and the animals can be pet like the snakes , rabbits and exotic  birds. It was a breath of fresh air in the city after a nights work in an enclosed work place confined to a cubicle, talking to people half way accross the globe….

collection of preserved beetles

There is also a fine collection of mounted butterflies from different parts of the globe , shell collection, insect collection like mounted walking sticks, beetle, moths , flies , dragon flies etc… According to the guide this was mostly donated by private individuals, DENR Region IV rescued animals, who donated their collections to the center. The center served as a rescue center for all the live plants and animals.

collection of butterflies from Asia

There is also an audio visual center where a short film regarding nature was shown to the group.

stick insect

The staffs and the crew were very friendly and had given the members of the Philippine Orchid Society  tour group a special discount  when the group visited the place last September 19, 2009

geese

In return the organization through POS president Mr. Carlos Valeriano C. Lazaro donated a healthy Aerides quinquivulnera to the manager of the center.

The center had a small  Orchidarium area where various orchids like Dendrobium anosum, Dendrobium aphyllum , Hoyas , native ferns , Cattleya hybrids, Dendrobium hybrids , Vanda Hybrids are gown and nurtured by the staffs. The center accepts donated plants and  orchids.

Various components of PACEM Eco-Park, such as the Eco-Center, the Wildlife Sanctuary, the Butterfly Garden, are open for visits as follows :

From Monday to Friday, from 8.00am to 3.30pm
On Saturdays from 8.30am to 12.00noon.

For inquiries pls write or call:
********PACEM*********
Center for Peace and Ecology
Assumption Antipolo

Sumulong Highway, Antipolo City
Tel.(+63-2)696-3274 or 697-2354