Places for Retirement in the US and in the Philippines

Marinduque Island Snrise

The choices we make in life speak volumes about us!!! I received this e-mail from a friend in the Philippines. I can not stop smiling after reading it. I hope you can smile with me after reading this. Enjoy!

You can retire to Phoenix, Arizona where...
1. You are willing to park 3 blocks away from your house because you found shade.
2. You've experienced condensation on your butt from the hot water in the toilet bowl.
3. You can drive for 4 hours in one direction and never leave town.
4. You have over 100 recipes for Mexican food.
5. You know that "dry heat" is comparable to what hits you in the face when you open your oven door.
6. The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

OR
You can retire to California where...
1. You make over $450,000 and you still can't afford to buy a house.
2. The fastest part of your commute is going down your driveway.
3. You know how to eat an artichoke.
4. You drive your rented Mercedes to your neighborhood block party.
5. When someone asks you how far something is, you tell them how long it will take to get there rather than how many miles away it is.
6. The 4 seasons are: Fire, Flood, Mud, and Drought

OR
You can retire to New York City where...
1. You say "the city" and expect everyone to know you mean Manhattan.
2. You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Columbus Circle to Battery Park, but can't find Wisconsin on a map.
3. You think Central Park is "nature."
4. You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language makes you multi-lingual.
5. You've worn out a car horn. (If you have a car).
6. You think eye contact is an act of aggression.

OR
You can retire to North Dakota where...
1. You only have three spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup.
2. Halloween costumes have to fit over parkas.
3. You have seventeen recipes for casserole.
4. Sexy lingerie is anything flannel with less than eight buttons.
5. The four seasons are: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road repair.
6. The highest level of criticism is: He is different, she is different or It was different!

OR
You can retire to the Deep South where...
1. You can rent a movie and buy bait in the same store.
2. "Y'all" is singular and "all y'all" is plural.
3. "He needed killin" is a valid defense.
4. Everyone has 2 first names:> Billy Bob, Jimmy Bob, Joe Bob, Betty Jean, Mary Beth, etc.
5. Everywhere is either "in yonder," "over yonder" or "out yonder".

OR
You can retire to Colorado where...
1. You carry your $3,000 mountain bike atop your $500 car.
2. You tell your husband to pick up Granola on his way home and so he stops at the day care center.
3. A pass does not involve a football or dating.
4. The top of your head is bald, but you still have a pony tail.

OR
You can retire to the Nebraska where...
1. You've never met any celebrities, but the mayor knows your name.
2. Your idea of a traffic jam is three cars waiting to pass a tractor.
3. You have had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" on the same day.
4. You end sentences with a preposition: "Where's my coat at.

OR
You can retire to Florida where...
1. You eat dinner at 3:15 in the afternoon.
2. All purchases include a coupon of some kind -- even houses and cars.
3. Everyone can recommend an excellent cardiologist, dermatologist, proctologist, podiatrist, or orthopedist.
4. Road construction never ends anywhere in the state.
5. Cars in front of you often appear to be driven by headless people.

OR
Finally, you can retire to Manila where...
1. You can have a full time sexy nurse or nurses at your side, over or under you.. 24/7
2. You will have more friends and relatives than you can dream of. Just get your wallet handy because you're going to be the Santa Clause all year round
3. Everyone can recommend an excellent cardiologist, dermatologist, proctologist, podiatrist, dentist or orthopedist....who also will try to sell you appliances on the side.
4. Your local congressman never works because he's either in the boxing ring or rehearsing for a movie or scheming how to con the tax payers.
5. Jeepneys will take you and drop you anywhere...just get the hang of walking with a hunchback.
6. Massage spa everywhere, 24 hours open for lotion, motion and sensation.
7. You friends will likely be called: Bing, Ting, Ping, King, Ding, Ging, Jing, Ling, Sing, or Bok ...easy to remember names for the Alzheimer's retirees.
8. Get ready for the unhealthiest food in the world, loaded with salt, sugar, vinegar and MSG and others.
9. Fly local domestic Spirit of Asia Airline....you will come back as a 'spirit'.
10. The only country with a Pawn Shop at every corner.
11. Typical golf outings, not with a caddy but with an armed body guard.
12. You will never suffer receiving traffic ticket violation, just say to the traffic police, "Pare, ito ang pang cafe"...(with a smile).
__._,_.___

Posted by: Nelson Villamor


Postcript: OR you can retire in Marinduque, and enjoy the sunrise as seen in the photo above!

marinduque rising: New York Times: Political Mischief in the Philippi...

 The latest on the political mischief in the Philippines. An excellent summary and a must read for all Pinoys in the whole world.
marinduque rising: New York Times: Political Mischief in the Philippi...: Political Mischief in the Philippines The New York Times ,  AUG. 28, 2014 The New York Times Building ...

Be Proud You are a Pinoy!

I received the following article in my E-mail today. There was no author, but as a Filipino-American, reading this makes me very proud of my ancestry and roots.

WE HAVE TO KNOW THIS AS FILIPINOS. FILIPINOS DESERVE TO KNOW ALL OF THESE AND BE PROUD TO BE A FILIPINO

1. In the Philippines, Filipinos were introduced to the English language in 1762 by British invaders, not Americans.

2. What is the world's 3rd largest English-speaking nation, next to the USA and the UK?.... The Philippines.

3. The USA bought the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam from Spain in 1898. Los Angeles, California was co-founded in 1781 by a Filipino named Antonio Miranda Rodriguez, along with 43 Latinos from Mexico sent by the Spanish
government.

4. What antibiotic did Filipino doctor Abelardo Aguilar co-discover? Hint: Brand is Ilosone, named after Iloilo -- Erythromycin.

5. The one-chip video camera was first made by Marc Loinaz, a Filipino inventor from New Jersey.

6. This son of two Filipino physicians scored over 700 on the verbal portion of the Standardized Achievement Test (SAT) before age 13 - Kiwi Danao Camara of Punahou School, Hawaii.

7. Who was the Filipino-American dancer who scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT?.....Joyce Monteverde of California.

8. Who invented the fluorescent lamp? Thomas Edison discovered the electric light bulb and the fluorescent lighting was thought up by Nikola Tesla - a Filipino. But the fluorescent lamp we use today was invented by Agapito Flores (a Cebu man named Benigno Flores of Bantayan Island, according to the Philippine Daily inquirer), a Filipino scientist. Americans helped then-Philippine leader Ramon Magsaysay to develop it for worldwide commerce.

9. Yes! Many foreigners have noted that the Filipino population has Asia's highest rates of inventors and international beauty queens. Two Filipina beauties, Gloria Diaz and Margie Moran, were chosen as Miss Universe in 1969 and 1973.

10. Pure- or part-Filipino celebrities in American showbiz include Von Flores,Tia Carrere, Paolo Montalban, Lea Salonga, Ernie Reyes Jr., Nia Peeples, Julio Iglesias Jr., Enrique Iglesias, Lou Diamond Phillips, Phoebe Cates
and Rob Schneider.

11. The first Filipino act to land a top hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in the 1960s was the group Rocky Fellers of Manila.

12. Sugar Pie de Santo (father was from the Philippines), The Artist formerly known as Prince (according to the October 1984 article "Prince in Exile" by Scott Isler in the magazine Musician), Jaya, Foxy Brown and Enrique Iglesias followed.

13. Besides gracing fashion magazine covers, this international supermodel from Manila had walked the runways since the 1970s for all the major designers, like Calvin Klein, Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix,
Donna Karan, Gianni Versace and Yves Saint Laurent - Anna Bayle.

14. Who is the personal physician of former U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton? Eleanor "Connie" Concepcion Mariano, a Filipina doctor who was the youngest captain in the US Navy.

15. Founded in 1595 by Spaniards, the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, Philippines is older than Harvard and is the oldest university in Asia. University of Santo Tomas in Manila, established in 1611, is Asia's second oldest.

16. Who was the first Asian and/or Filipino to snatch America's Pulitzer Prize?- Philippines Herald war journalist Carlos P. Romulo in 1941.(He was also first Asian to become UN President.) The first two Filipino-Americans to garner the same award 56 years later were Seattle Times' Alex Tizon and Byron Acohido, who is part-Korean.

17. Filipino writer Jose Rizal could read and write at age 2, and grew up to speak more than 20 languages, including Latin, Greek, German, French and Chinese. What were his last words? "Consummatum est!"("It is done!")

18. "What's still most impressive to me about the Philippines is the friendliness of the people, their sense of humor." wrote Honolulu journalist John Griffin in a 1998 visit to Manila.

PASS THIS ON TO OTHER FILPINOS/FILIPINAS

Marine Wild Life of the Philippines

A Whale Shark

One of the many tourist attractions of the Philippines is its marine wildlife. The Philippines Marine wildlife is one of the most diverse in the world. The Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park teems with 300 coral species, 46 coral genera, 7 sea grass species, 71 algae species; large marine life, dolphins, marine turtles; and seabirds. It was honored by UNESCO as the First Natural Site in the Philippines to be inscribed in the prestigious World Heritage List.

The Turtle Islands are South East Asia's only remaining major green turtle rookery and a vital nesting ground for the hawksbill turtle. Pamilacan Island in Baclayon is considered a critical marine mammal habitat in the Philippines. Palawan is home to the “dugong” or sea cow, the only herbivorous mammal today, while Donsol, Sorsogon is home to huge, gentle whale sharks which the locals call the “butanding”.

Marinduque Island has a number of diving and snorkeling sites to see this diverse marine wildlife.

Come visit the Philippines and Marinduque Island's and enjoy its marine wild life.

2014-2015 Rental Rates: Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort & Conference Center

2014-2015 Rental Rates at Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort and Conference Center

As of this writing Date, the dollar to pesos exchange rate is about 1 to 43.9

1) CONFERENCE HALL

Day Rental: P7000 up to 300 persons additional P1000 per 100 above the 300

Night Rental: P8000 up to 300 persons additional P1000 per 100 above the 300

Add P1000 for Garden or Beach Wedding Ceremonies or one Night stay at the Beach House for 1-2 persons


2) BEACH HOUSE

TOP FLOOR: Circulating Fans, hot water shower, microwave oven and small refrigerator

1-2 Persons= P 3000 or its Dollars Equivalent
3-4 Persons= P 4000 or its Dollars Equivalent
5-6 Persons= P 5000 or its Dollar Equivalent ( 4 Adults and 2 Children)

BOTTOM FLOOR: Air conditioned, dormitory style with bunk beds, hot shower and Kitchen

4-5 ADULTS for only P 4000 or its Dollar Equivalent

This room can served as a small meeting room for 30 people ( 30 chairs and 3 round tables.

There is an adjoining 18 square meters Patio with Ocean Views and Two Marble Tables

TO HOLD A RESERVATION: MINIMUM DEPOSIT OF P1000 or its Dollar Equivalent IS REQUIRED. Minimum of 4 days stay required. There will be a 10% discount for 5 days or more stay if rental is prepaid two weeks before arrival.

CONTACT PERSONS: SIONY JAMBALOS –(Boac) 02-332-1754
EDWIN LARIRIT ( AMOINGON)-02- 332-1338
DAVID B KATAGUE (US)-916-961-3365

http://chateaudumer.blogspot.com or http://engrvv.wix.com/chateau-du-mer
e-mail: tagaboac@comcast.net or tagajaro@comcast.net

marinduque rising: Last fight vs pork barrel, dynasties, PCOS fraud

A must read article for all Filipinos all over the world!
marinduque rising: Last fight vs pork barrel, dynasties, PCOS fraud:  Convenors of the Abolish Pork Movement urge other groups to join the anti-pork barrel rally set today at the Rizal Park.  GMA News ...

The Diving Sites in Marinduque

Image from asiadivesite.com

Here's the latest update on diving sites in Marinduque. The following video was filmed by the provincial government department of tourism. It is a short video, but shows you do not have to go far to enjoy scuba diving in Marinduque. Baltazar Island is one of the three islands in the group called Tres Reyes Island-Three Kings Island-a marine sanctuary.
Diving in Baltazar Island

Our province is mostly known worldwide because of the Moriones Festival. However, it has recently been in the news due to interests of divers all over the world to explore the diving sites in the island and in the vicinity. Among the diving sites are:

1.Natanco- north of the island has good walls and drift diving. Corals are abundant. Close by is the wreck of a Japanese torpedo boat

2.Baltazar-west of the Island-one of the Tres Reyes Island Chain- has a cave 20m worth exploring. Stone fish may be a problem.

3.Elephant Island-now known as Bellarocca- private resort with good walls, coral formation and and several varieties of tropical fish. Currents could be strong, but conditions for photography good.

4. Torrijos- canyons and fissures to explore. Can expect to encounter grouper, barracuda, tuna and shoals of tropical fish.

5.Maestro De Campo Island-southwest of Marinduque- a wall on the west side and a wreck of a ferry boat, MV Mactan on the east side

6.Banton Island- farther southwest – amazing corals and an array of fish. Dolphins, sharks and sting rays may be seen. From February to May are the good months for scuba diving

7.Sibuyan Sea- outlying areas to the south and east of Marinduque are fairly unexplored. Puerto Galera, Mindoro is the place to organize this tour if you are adventurous.

Other excellent diving sites in the Philippines are in Sogod Bay, Southern Leyte as illustrated in the following two videos.

Night Fishing in Marinduque, Philippines

Fishing is one of the major occupation and livelihood of rural folks in Marinduque. The island is mostly coconut plantations. The island has only a small area of land for farming (rice and vegetables), thus a majority of the natives are either full time or part time fishermen. They would fish at night and return early in the morning before or just after sunrise.

One of my activities during early summer morning is to watch the fishermen unload their catch. I would purchased a few kilos of fresh fish at a reasonable price and of course, I would buy the best variety of fish. "Bingaw" a specie of red fish is my favorite fish. It taste almost like pork and has no fishy smell. It is as expensive as chicken or pork on a per kilo basis. But it is worth your money. It is however seasonal and you can not buy it every day.

The cheapest variety of fish (tulingan) could be purchased for less than a dollar per kilo during the summer. During the tulingan season, I will purchase about 5 kilos of fish and sun dry( bislad) it for future use. Sun drying preserved the fish. The fishermen catch is sold to the fish dealers who in turn sell it in retail in the downtown markets of Boac and Gasan, If there is a big catch, the fish is packed in ice and transported to Lucena, Quezon and even to Manila sometimes.

One of my other favorite activity is watching the fishermen prepare for their night fishing expedition. They start as soon as the sun sets (middle photo). As the night grows dark, they open their fishing lights. This would attract the fish to their nets. The top and bottom photos show only one light. Often times, there would be more than 50 to 100 lights. The ocean would look like Luneta Park in Manila. The lights look like fireflies with the dark ocean as background. It is a sight to behold and remember!