Tipco, blend of 32 Fruit Juice and Vegetable, far Cheapper than Leading Brands

I am thinking of buying a Redjuice for my parents and I know it is quite expensive. I have read about many of its benefits, a mixture of 30 fruits and vegetable extracts to be exact.

But the price really is out of reached. A bottle cost around P1, 800, too costly for much of us Filipinos.

Fortunately, there are a lot of other fruit blend juices that are way much cheaper than this Filipino brand. And guest what is Thai, Tipco, 100% vegetable brand and a mixture of 32 fruit juice and vegetables. And you know how much it cost? It cost me just 129 pesos, way below the Redjuice. Tipco, it is a great alternative fruit juice that is much cheaper, available in leading supermarkets in

imported product sections.

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Limited..Handmade Soap Now Available online!!!

 

Handmade SOAP (I made it myself)

Making handmade soap was just a hobby for us, my mom teaches me how to make one and since then I sold dozens. I think handmade soap is a good business since my customers comes asking back for more. I decided to experiment into different shapes and molds and every extract (plant) available and try it first to myself. I hope that these New Year would be bright for me since starting a sideline business involves lots of time and people interaction, but nevertheless the joy of managing your own business however small it seems add happiness to my everyday life. By the way, I’m planning to sell my soaps in the internet if I have a lot of reserved stocks, God willing.

Goodbye Nash (dogs in Kidapawan)

I have a hunch that this would be our last time seeing each other so I take a picture. It is hard leaving home when everyday this creature “Nash” as we call him greets me everyday and wiggles his tail when I am back home.

I remember my first post, it was about him. No, he is not my dog he is just a neighbor’s dog. But what’s different from him is that he is always close to me. He would pass by and go first to our neighbor’s house, 2 houses from us to check the house where he was born then stay with me for a while. At the days end, he would go back to his home.

Quite uncanny and intelligent creature, he is not just friendly to us but all the dogs love him too.

I have left for a while, (about 3 months) and when I return, instantly look for Nash first but he is nowhere to be found. I now felt that he was caught by the City Pound and I am hoping that he is just fine.

My father told me that he is ok and at my neighbor and so I did not bother to find him anymore but he is not there. Weeks have pass and another dog was caught in our neighborhood. Luckily the owners knew about it and together we go to the city pound to check and pay the fine. Although its not astray they still catch them, even if someone from the house saw the dogs they would still get them. These are some of the violations I think they are doing while catching these dogs.

At the city pound, I saw the cage with the caught dogs. Gazing at their lonely eyes, I felt weigh down because I cannot help them. I know for sure they would meet certain dead as if I had visited a jail wherein the prisoners are sentenced to death. Adding to my loneliness is that once Nash had surely been their before and hoping, thinking that somehow, somewhere I would arrive.

No, he is not a stray dog, he is just going to his daily routine, and he is just an adventurer.

Working as Research Assistant

Working as a research assistant is quite a challenge for me; although I am out of school for quite a while I found the work suited for my adventurous spirit. It’s been three months before I left my OJT onboard and adjusting to a challenging job is a bit fun and exciting. But nevertheless, working in a government institution has its downturn. For instance, a project proposal can be approved readily but because of government bureaucracy, materials and equipments requested would not come in time. Just imagine waiting fro 3 months for the materials to come!!! And an office without a working computer albeit air-condition and lot of junk papers. What can I do with it? I just simply shred it to pieces and form into balls, hahaahaha just to make some paper brickets. That’s an output!! Not to mention recycling at it’s best!

Anyway, I have some accomplishments like training mothers how to make soap ( we use our own money just to produce one) tsk tsk tsk. And many more approved proposals but waiting for the materials to come. I hope to come up some ideas just simple ones, know-how like paper bricket, some food technologies and many more. Do you have any idea to share?? I have tons of papers to start a cheap project. Anybody could help or any simple technologies and cheap ones for the third world?? I would glad to hear from you dear readers, lot of thanks.

Once a Steward, MS San Paolo Memories

At last I am back at my own turf, well, it’s a little bit hard to adjust in the dry land and I miss my blog so much, I just live you guys with my experience aboard MS San Paolo. Enjoy!!

SOLAS training

At last I finished my basic safety training in Cavite, just one step ahead to get my seaman’s book. It is an enjoying and exciting training since I only have a basic swimming knowledge and never been in a fire drill before except once in my Boy Scout days. The fun and excitement was cut short by eye infection, maybe cause of to much exposure to dirty air Huhhh, sighhh..anyway the food and accommodation together with the climate makes me feel homesick. Nonetheless my mosquito net reminds me of my sweet bed where I used to sleep and awaken by the purr of my cats. Hehehhehee.

I cannot imagine myself today going to another vocation and job, meeting new people and trying new things again makes me wonder if I would love to have this job. But for now I love the work, the fire drill, the group life saving drills and the life saving courses makes me appreciate and value the work and courage of those who work at sea.

It would still take at least a month to get my seaman’s book and complete my requirements to board the ship. Maybe I would have to get a temporary job just to get by my daily needs. Thank you for all those who pray for me and for those who believe in my dreams. Life is always beautiful.

Hold on by 33miles-And my Parting Prayer

This song means so much for me when I felt cheated and left behind, deprive of happiness and left in the dark I know that Jesus is always there holding me. I know I made a lot of wrong moves, tons of mistakes and unwise decisions that left me sad and that add up to my loneliness and desperation.

My prayer :I have serve you LORD for many times and I am happy to have a chance to serve you but I hope that you are always by my side and teach me the path that I would be going to take. May you bless my plans and choose only what is good and completely reject what is wrong. Help me in my indecisions and control my temper in times that I would burst in anger to the extent that I might physically hurt other people.

Thank you for my parents for guiding me in my path and decisions to take, their prayers always helps me in time of need and feel your gentle whisper that draw me closer to you. I am ashamed to admit that I have not proven myself as a worthy Christian to all my friends and humbly ask for your forgiveness.

As I am going to take another career in my life, bless the people O Lord that means so much to me- my parents. It is with a heavy heart that I would leave my hometown church and would sorely miss the Sunday services we attended daily ever since I was a child. May you use other people with their talents to help build my community church and inspire other youths to have a life fearful to you.

I know you would never leave me nor forsake me, I humbly asked to bless all my plans and acknowledged you so that it would be done according to your will. Through Jesus Christ my Only LORD and Savior all glory and honor. Amen.

Kidapawan- Mindanao’s richest town

Surprise! Surprise! Kidapawan City in North Cotabato emerged as Mindanao’s richest municipality, with only 12.46 percent poverty incidence.Other areas that made it to the list of “Mindanao’s 10 richest municipalities” are General Santos City, with 13.98 percent poverty incidence; Polomolok, South Cotabato, 14.29; Davao City, 14.94 percent; Tagum City, 15.42 percent; Cagayan de Oro City, 15.50 percent; Koronadal City, 16.18 percent; Digos City, Davao del Sur, 18.22 percent; and the towns of Padada and Hagonoy, also in Davao del Sur, with 21.99 percent and 22.60 percent poverty incidence, respectively. -

Link here

Tora-Tora

The T-28 Trojan was a piston-engine military trainer aircraft used by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. NavyPhilippines as Tora-Tora seen in the skies above Makati during a coup de etat used by the rebel soldiers to ouster the then President Aquino. It is also used as not just as a training aircraft by he Philippine Air Force but is used as a dive bombers to attack the rebel positions in Mindanao. If I am not mistaken I remember one in Sta. Felomina in the town of Makilala, circa 1988. We heard and counted 12 successive bomb explosions and afterwards a trickle of indigent people walks coming down from these places. They are not rebels of course but people who are caught in the crossfire. Fast-forward today, there are now so few communist rebels that the air force focus its war on Muslim insurgents, this time in north Cotabato, 2 hours away from Kidapawan using OV-10 planes, I hope to touch one next time.(inset: that’s my brother wih his flight controller trainee friends)

Water Falls Adventure

  We arrive at crossing old  Bulatatukan and started to walk immediately for about 45 minutes to Sitio Darapuay. A 4km, walk of rugged terrain. As we arive at the Sitio center, we found to our dismay that the place seems to be deserted, fortunately, the sitio kagawad gives us some help and encourage his reluctant son to help us find our way.    

After a gruelling hour an a half walk, we are greeted by an awesome waterfalls, not to the extent that is very big but the clarity of the water, the stillness of the place, and the undiscovered beauty of the nature gives you a feeling of fantacy and glee. We immediately get to the business of swimming and turning our turns to jump at the waterfalls. Much to my surprise it is much deeper than what I have suspected and the water is purely clean.

After an enjoying dipped, we ate our unch and shared it to our guides, and began to explore the upper part of the waterfalls and discovered that there is still another small falls. We carried our gadgets and began taking pictures of the awesome sight.

After a couple of hours, we started our treckked back stopping at our guides farm to eat some coconut and langka. We really enjoy each others company and have a lot of fun. Not to mention that we spend only around a a hundred pesos each.

My buddies Lifhjohn and Sherryl never get tired of exploring another waterfalls and to our delght, Kidpawan had plenty to offer. Follow our adventure at Lifh’s blogsite at  http://dahonline.blogspot.com/

Mt. Apo, Dare the Challenge

   As a true blooded Kidapaweño, one has to conquer Mt. Apo, the Philippines highest at 10, 311 feet above sea level; the mightiest surge of a long mountain range that extends from Cotabato, Davao de Sur and Davao City to Agusan and Misamis Oriental in Mindanao.

That moment came when the five of us classmates in medical transcriptions hastily decided to climb Mt. Apo last Dec.08, 2007. With no physical preparation and lacking equipment we decided to go on and registered at Kidapawan Tourism Council. We bought second hand jackets and mountaineering gear the night before the climb.

Starting early, we passed by curios onlookers and children with a staring glance. How on earth they decided to climb? This is not a climbing season and for sure it is deadly cold up there, not to mention that there would be no other climbers who dare to climb. Finally, we arrived at Brgy. Ilomavis and look for a porter and guide.

We started the long trek at 10am in the morning, passing bright dainty wild flowers and orchids clash with the forest green; there is also an orange field of flowers as a welcome sight to all who pass bye.

After an hour of steady climb, we got dog-tired and gulp the whole contents of my mineral water. We occasionally stop to gaze with awe the huge moss-covered trees, pitcher plants and the strange sounds of forest animals. Following continuous trekking for 5 hours, the climate becomes colder giving the forest a misty fog and a lingering feeling that someone is watching. There are a lot of rumors of those diwata or forest dwellers who sometimes play tricks on the hikers just like what happen to the 11 boy scouts who lost there way and did not survive way back in the 80’s.

 Using flashlight we continue to go our slow trek to Lake Venado, our first stop since we did not want to sleep under the forest.

A strong gush of wind welcomes us to Lake Venado; we immediately put up our tent and started to build a fire. Luckily we have a very good guide and in half an hour we where resting around the bonfire. After a heavy dinner we enjoy playing cards and end it up with a bottle of tequila.

I woke up early in the morning to catch a glance of sunrise on the lake and got awestruck on how magnificent the mountains, the serenity of the lake and the towering grandeur of trees. Past 10 in the morning when we started our trek to the peak, passing sweet wild berries yours for the picking and after 3 hours of trekking we finally arrived at last.

We linger a while and took pictures. Unfortunately we did not saw the vastness of Mindanao, Davao City and Cotabato since everything is covered with fogs. From that point however you could see the whole of Lake Venado and realized how diminutive and lowly you are compared to God’s creation. A glancing tear is just my response to how stunning and wonderful everything around me.

We decided not to go further down the extinct volcanoes mouth since our food supply is a little bit low and a trickle of rain started to come down adding to our dilemma the biting cold that started to give us a beating. Temperature goes down as low as 3 degrees Celsius so we hurriedly go down to Lake Venado under a heavy rain. I decided to go barefooted since it is too slippery. With our mission accomplished, we excitedly dried ourselves in our midnight bonfire and rewarded ourselves with dozed of sleep remorseful that we did not bring two bottles of our tequila.

The next morning we started early our downward trek to the jump-off point at lake Agco passing trough the same winding, knee-deep and swift-flowing Marbel river hugging the rocks and boulders, jumping from stone to stone to make a total of 13 exciting crossings from a single river. At this time, I decided to walk again barefooted and occasionally use my ordinary slippers abandoning my shoes.

Finally, at Lake Agco and back at civilization we had our first bath for 2 days. A hot sulfuric dipping pool soothes our tired and aching bodies sending our last night in the tent. Having had our share of adventure we reported the next morning in the tourism office to get our very own certificate of climb and bottles of free soft drinks.

This was the end of our one day plan and preparation in climbing the Philippines highest mountain proving that constant determination and trust to each other could make a very big difference considering that my companions are first time climbers, with a limited resources and a weather that is against us could not get in the way to the impossibilities.

Beyond doubt, it is not a record to hold but a constant reminder that you can do the impossibilities if you think you can.

Note: All pictures are copyright and own by Amos Gene M. Ladia

Mukha Ko (My Portrait)

Well, I cannot think of anything to blog for now. I just make a collage of my favorite possess. My favorite                          is with a toy gun. Hehehe, quite provoking huh.