celebraTINg exisTENce: March 2013

OTHER SUGGESTIONS:
MANILA VISITA IGLESIA
BATANGAS VISITA IGLESIA
LAGUNA LOOP VISITA IGLESIA (WITH MAP)

We wanted to do an out-of-town Visita Iglesia this Maundy Thursday and were deciding between going up north in Pampanga area or going down south in Tagaytay area. We chose Tagaytay because we hoped for a cooler weather. I was there three times last November and December (LINKS 1, 2, 3) maybe it was because of those trips I was having hallucinations that Tagaytay is a cooler place and won't be packed on a holy week.

Anyway, picking the seven churches was easy because of my Tagaytay cognitive map and google map's help in Caleruega area but churches seemed really far from each other because of the heavy traffic yesterday. The real sacrifice wasn't the church visits but the heavy traffic in between.

The photos of the relatively shortest day: Parang ang bilis talaga.

This is not to discourage you but to challenge you to visit more churches than we did for your Visita Iglesia. Marami naman tao talaga kasi nasa labas karamihan para maglibot sa churches.

We left home at 8 am and arrived in Paseo before 10 am.

Breakfast round two in Jollibee.

Arrived in Caleruega past noon already.

It was my first time in Caleruega , I didn't know they ask for entrance fees.
Caleruega Church is already in Batangas but not that far from Tagaytay so it's still "in the area." This was the farthest church that day.

As we entered, money they earn from entrance fees are used for maintaining the place.
It's so nice and relaxing in there. They also offer retreat rooms just in case you like to unwind and spend the night there.

I didn't have a picture of just the mountains so bear with my face. hahaha

The altar area of the Transfiguration Chapel.

There are Koi (buhay baboy! they're ginormous!) ponds, picnic area with tents and the hanging bridge we weren't able to go near anymore.

I wanna visit there again for a longer time for some prayers and leisure time... someday when it isn't as packed as it was yesterday.

EDIT: Visited there again on a weekday.
Link: here.

Next stop: Chapel on the Hill, Don Bosco Batulao

You'll pass by this chapel on your way to Caleruega.

View from the Chapel on the Hill

Altar area of the Chapel
The chapel is circular in shape and has 360 degrees view of surroundings.

Next Stop: Monte Maria

Monte Maria parking area

Monte Maria Chapel

Monte Maria Shrine is, I think, still under construction.
It's a pilgrimage center and was founded by Fr. Suarez, a well-known healing priest.

Kain na!!!

See the rain? At the back of Taal.

Sky ranch's Ferris Wheel I have yet to ride.

Edit: Tagaytay's Sky Eye Ride link: here.

We ate at one of the Bulalohan's in Tagaytay which is overlooking Taal but I was so hungy to take note of the name.

Look who's having the most fun... it's sightseeing Betchay on her first out-of-town trip. Gusto niya talaga nakasilip sa labas!

Hello there my Giordano watch c/o BDO.

Next Stop: Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel

St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Station of the Cross area in the Church's basement.

I seriously thought we were able to visit 5 churches but, we only visited 4/7.
Not bad. We went home around 7 PM and arrived at around 9 PM. I was sleeping the whole time during the drive home so I don't know how the traffic was but you'd notice that the travel time was way shorter.

The other three churches we weren't able to visit are:

Pink Sisters Chapel link: here
Our Lady of Manaoag, Tierra de Maria
Ina ng Laging Saklolo Church

Here's a screencapture I got from Google Maps just to give you an idea on where the churches are located.

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I'm fairly new in the Credit Card world, and so far I'd like to believe that I'm doing a good job in managing it except for some impulsive buys pero mawawala na 'yan... self-control, hello!

Here's my Credit Card's welcome gift to me: A Giordano Watch

I am not a watch person and even if I am, I don't think I'd pay thousands for one (unless if I'd become zzzuper rich someday, of course. hehe) Except for some hand-me-downs and gifts, this is my first watch that costs more than a thousand pesos when bought.

Purchase your CVV Sticker here.

I was actually keeping all my charge slips for some Happy Lemon but when they sent me the redeem voucher for this promo, choosing this watch over HL is the wiser decision.

I redeemed this at Watch Republic in TriNoMa after surrendering cumulative charge slips worth P 15,000.00.

Here's my new watch.

Giordano (Turquoise)
P 2,290.00

Up to 15% of the charge slips' worth was reimbursed in the form of this watch. Yey!

P.S. It's a real deal when you're not buying things you don't need just to qualify for the promo. :)

When I didn't have my own card yet, I used to think that owning one is synonymous to allowing yourself to be a slave of debt. But my perspective has changed already, owning one is actually allowing yourself to make more out of your money and purchases (mas convenient pa nga gamitin 'to kasi naka-note na lahat ng binayaran); all thanks to promos like this and their website that keeps me updated
.

The things to remember here are self-control and prayers...

1. Self-control - stop yourself from buying unnecessary things kahit 'yung less than 500 o 100, maliliit na presyo lang pero magugulat ka na sa billing na malaki na pala sila pag sinama. Don't rely on paying purchases with your card without an idea on where you're getting the money to pay for them when the payment deadline comes. Basta, DO NOT OVERSPEND especially if all your purchases are on impulse and not needed. I am not an expert, meron pa rin akong impulsive buys but because of my credit card, I'd like to believe na mas nagiging frugal na 'ko as days pass. Hehehe. SANA!

To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness. :)

2. Prayers - that you'd be the wisest and the most disciplined shopper out there, continuous income so you'd be able to pay your bills on time (laki ng interest! 3% something) and pag may maki-ride sa card mo (na wala pa naman sa'kin so far! buti na lang) e maging resposible enough sila naman to pay you on time para hindi ka maiipit sa interest. Diba? Diba?

Purchase your CVV Sticker here.

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I created this post in 2013 but I am posting an update now, November 2019.

Currently, I am not maintaining my Easy Savers anymore and have switched to the regular debit account but still with BPI Family. I am exploring more about Mutual Funds and UITF and so I've opened another account that has no charges when withdrawing money.

Purchase your CVV Sticker here.

2024 EDIT: Napansin ko na maraming tumitingin ng tungkol sa savings bank na posts ko. Nilagay ko 'to rito almost ten years ago and thanks, everyone, for continuously accessing them but we now have better options if we're talking about the interest that our money will gain while deposited.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to keep the two bank accounts that I wrote about before and stuck with BDO because there's a branch a few blocks away from home making it the most convenient traditional bank for me at the moment. And well, my credit card is still with BDO so yeah.

While the information in this post are still relevant. Digital banks are emerging these days and I made the switch. Here's my review of two Digital Banks here in the Philippines:

Go Tyme Bank and Seabank

Savings Account (Debit) - New Minimum Opening Requirement, Monthly ADB, Amount to earn interest = P 1,000.00
Interest Rate - 0.0005%

However, if you're stilling looking for the account with no maintaining balance. Continue reading below:

I used the money from my accidental picky coin bank to open a new savings account, after a lot of researching about which type of account would fit my banking needs best, I chose BPI Easy Saver.

Bakit kailangan magbukas ng Savings Account? link: here.
Activate Online Fund Transfer to Anyone (BPI Mobile App) link: here.

Purchase your CVV Sticker here.

My reasons why:

1. You can create an account with only P 200.00

2. NO MAINTAINING BALANCE

3. With P 1000.00 in your account, your money would already start earning interest.

I researched the difference of BPI Family and BPI Islands and found out that Family Savings gives bigger interest of 0.500% Per Annum compared to the latter with 0.250% Per Annum. I know that the interest rate is so small but it's better than just hiding your money in some place where it won't earn interest at all, right? And luckily for me, a branch is just walking distance from our home; saves me fare and time.

4. Can also be used as Debit Card using BPI's E.P.S (Express Payment System) in more than 13,000 participating establishments.

Fees:

1. P 50.00 for the Expressteller Card

Easy Saver's Card is just like the regular ET card.

2. There's a fee of P 5.00 for every ATM withdrawal (maybe 11.00 if using different bank's ATM) and P 100.00 for over-the-counter withdrawals.

EDIT: 3. ALL customer- initiated debits are subject to P 5.00 service charge.

4. Be aware of 05SI charge at the end of the month.
05SI is the accumulated cost of withdrawing from a non-BPI Family ATM and it's P 15.00/transaction. Now disregarding what I have written above, a withdrawal using another bank ATM would cost you P 20.00.

---

Requirements:
ID
Picture
P 200.00
P 50.00

It's not the all about the money you've earned but the money you've saved. ;)

Kamusta naman 'yang motto ko. Hahaha. Motto credits to whoever said that first.

To those who prefer the convenience of cashless transactions/spendings/payments that's why you're searching for a suitable savings account. Here's another bank product you can compare this S.A. with: Eastwest Bank Basic Savings Account.

Purchase your CVV Sticker here.

How do you manage your bank accounts? Want to know the differences among Debit Card, Prepaid Card and Credit Card? Click: here.

Everything, in time. 💖

Personal Instagram | Travelling Through Food | Denden's Baking Room

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Aside from my usual fastfood picks, there aren't a lot of choices for cheap and decent food in Bonifacio Highstreet Area. While there are so much decent foods, cheap being a qualifier limits the choices unless you are in the Market! Market! area where more affordable meals are to be found.

Anyway, before going there, I texted a friend who once told me that there's an affordable Korean restaurant somewhere in BGC. She told me thru text the location and the estimate prices of each meal, P 100.00 - P 150.00 is an okay price; that's relatively cheap compared to other Korean Resturants and cheap given its location... until we found out that the menu for Filipinos are really cheaper than the set menu they give to Korean customers. Thanks to the Ate who told us so. Racist much? HAHAHA. I'm not looking at this negatively despite being taken aback at first. At the end of the day, I was able to eat an authentic bibimbap for P 145.00 so what's there to be hurt about? I appreciated them for thinking about the acceptable price range for Filipino but it it's okay to give us a copy of the pricier selections too.

Bibimbap
P 145.00

Seoul Express is an open-air Korean restaurant in the Fort Strip. I wasn't able to take a picture of the place but they only have beach umbrellas to cover you from the heat of the sun. Good thing it was windy and a bit passed noon when we ate there, the sun wasn't a problem at all.

Taste? it's delicious! They didn't scrimp on the ingredients and it's very flavorful albeit being obviously spicy. But the "spiciness problem" is easily solved by drinking a glass of water so kebs.

It's a place I'd also recommend to others who want to try Bibimbap too. I haven't eaten Bibimbap in a while which satisfied me and didn't burn a hole in my pocket. Yes, it's a hole-in-the-wall restaurant but more often that not, the gems are found in those. :)

Thanks, flower boy next door for the bibimbap cravings. -_-The restaurant owner bid us goodbye as we left the place.
아저씨, 자장면 먹어로 다시 올게요.

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Purchase your CVV Sticker here.

Purchase your CVV Sticker here.

Purchase your CVV Sticker here.

Purchase your CVV Sticker here.

Purchase your CVV Sticker here.

Purchase your CVV Sticker here.

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