Travelling does not only involve travel by plane, but for most us who would like to to getaway in the nearby tourist destination like Subic, Ilocos, Bicol Region, we might want to take our car with us. And travelling by car entails a lot of preparations. The used to be BLOWBAG which means Brakes, Lights, Oil, Water, Battery, Air, Gasoline is now upgraded to BLOWBAGETS – Brakes, Lights, Oil, Water, Battery, Air, Gasoline, Early warning device, Tools and Self.

In our car’s engine, oil play a very important role. The US brand Valvoline has introduced the very first Recycled Motor Oil in the industry. This also another first in the region since among the ASIAN countries they have chosen to launch it in the Philippines. We asked Mr. Gil Mariano, the Country Manager of Ashland the reason behind it and he simply said that the Philippines is the most environmentally-conscious country among its neighbors.

Ashland Inc is aleading automobile and motor oil manufacturer in the US and today they launched Valvoline NextGen motor oil, a new line of premium brand oil with environmental benefits.

NextGen motor oil is composed of recycled oil as a result of years of continued research, technology and innovation from Valvoline with the advancement in the oil re-fining process.

“We, at Valvoline are increasingly concerned about the environmental situations that we experience. Thus, we felt that now is the time for us to contribute to the preservation and protection of the environment, which is why we are determined to search for new ways to reduce our carbon footprint and environmental impact. Our long history and proven track record of innovation and leadership puts us in the perfect position to introduce a new game-changing motor oil in the industry. And with the Valvoline NextGen, it is 50% recycled with 100% guaranteed Valvoline protection,” says Valvoline Philippines Country Manager, Virgilio Mariano.

Valvoine uses a modern re-refining techniques that remove contaminants and neutralize and remove any chemically altered molecules. In making new motor oil, used oils are better for refining since used oils have 85% reusable oil, while crude only has 15% usable oil. The new product takes advantage of the latest innovative manufacturing and oil re-refining process that creates 100% new oil from recycling.

In the US Valvoline has a program called “Engine Guarantee” wherein when you used a Valvoline oil and your engine breaks down, Ashland will replace your engine. But sorry for the motoring public in the Philippines, it will not be offered here. But Valvoline Philippines said, who knows it could reach the Philippines very soon.

Back to back post at Digitalspidey.com

I guess almost a hundred percent of the people in the Metro Manila went out of town for the Holy Week break. To unwind probably, to go swimming, to commemorate the holy days. Or simply to getaway the from the city.

I would also do the same the past several years, but this time I chose to stay home. I want to experience how it is when all the vehicles in the metro head to the freeway; NLEX to the North and SLEX to the South.

So on Saturday afternoon, I walked around from my place up to Ayala Avenue to take some photos and to check how the streets of the busiest city in Metro Manila look like.

I have more snapshots and the complete story in this blog post.

Launched in December of 2011, Tune Hotels is now fulfilling its promise to open its branches to the Philippines. The first branched was opened during the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark and very recently, the next branch was opened in Ermita Manila. The Angeles branch
is a 165 room hotel.

Hon. Alfredo S. Lim, City Mayor of Manila did the honors by officially opening Tune Hotels’ first Manila hotel in Ermita recently. Located in Central Manila, Tune Hotel Ermita offers 167 rooms comprising 117 double, 48 twin sharing and 2 wheelchair-friendly rooms.

Tune Hotels is bound to expand its operations in the Philippines with Makati, Ortigas and Quezon City in Manila, as well as Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao within this year and 2013. They are part of Tune Hotels’ aggressive expansion plan in collaboration with its Bangkok-based partner Red Planet Hotels, which also include locations in Thailand and Indonesia.

Tune Hotels is part of Tune Group, a lifestyle business conglomerate co-founded by Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and Dato’ Kamarudin Meranun, who are the Group CEO and Deputy Group CEO respectively of Asia’s largest low cost carrier AirAsia.

Back to back post at Digitalspidey.com

There is a educational center opening up at The Fort in two weeks time. The Mind Museum at Taguig was just an idea in 2006 but it was immediately started in 2007. The 12.5ksqM land area of thrilling exploration is a PhP1B project that is fully funded by private & corporate donors from sponsors, family and individual donors.

Around 100 great minds have been working on this project — designers, architects, scientists, engineers, exhibit advisors, student interns, building consultants, and BAFI (Bonifaction Art Foundation, Inc.) employees. The museum’s building floor area is 8,000sqM while the exhibit area is 5,000sqM.

The museum houses 250 hands-on, mind-on interactive exhibits. I’ve noticed most of the touch-screen AIO PC’s were provided by Sony, even the LCD displays. There are 5 Main Galleries – Atom, Life, Earth, Math and Living and Wather theme pockets.

There is also 198-seater auditorium with provisions for 2 wheelchairs, 2 mind pods consisting of a 40-seats classrooms and a 35 seating capacity laboratory. All these are available for rent.

What’s Inside?
Check out our photo gallery right here and have a preview of what you can find inside.

Is it affordable?
Regular entrance fee is P600 for adults and P150 for students. With 250 exhibits inside you pay P2.40/exhibit and you can stay up to max of 3 hours only. Visitors get inside the museum in batches. Anybody can visit the museum for kids ages 6 and adults up to 96 years old.

The Mind Museum master plan was undertaken by Jack Rouse & Associates (USA). National Geographic Channel is also a partner who provided the required footages and stills for the exhibits which also served as an exclusive venue for their science-related events.

We have original photos in our photoblog, check ‘em out right here.

Back to back post at Digitalspidey.com

I was casually browsing Facebook for some streaming updates from different pages I am subscribed when I stumble upon this very familiar Bicolano terminology – Bicol Air Express. No,  I am not talking about the favorite chili-rich dish in Bicol, it is a local airline which was launched in December.

BICOL AIR EXPRESS now can fly you from Legazpi to Virac in Cataduanes and in Masbate. South West Air Corporation makes a breakthrough in the airline industry as they finally started serving tourist who want to visit the island provinces of Bicol Region.

Launching in Virac was held in December 7, in Legazpi City on December 12 and in Masbate on December 15, 2011. The three launches highlighted SWA guarantee of safe and on-time flights for all its passengers. It also promotes the boutique airline’s promise of providing a unique flying experience punctuated with a courteous in-flight crew.

To kick things off, a tropical event was held at Twin Rock Resort in Virac, Catanduanes to celebrate the island’s feast. The resort a prime destination that BAE will promote as the company aids in enhancing the image of Catanduanes as one of the main Tropical Island destinations in the Philippines. Countless guests, including Catanduanes Governor Joseph Cua, turned up in their beach outfits and were treated to an array of local delicacies with non-stop entertainment throughout the evening.

The Legazpi launch, on the other hand, was a different form revelry as guests showed up in their grand cocktail dresses and suits for the party held at South Road Bar in Pepperland Hotel. Highlight of the night was the presentation of the Aircraft, along with footage of the actual successful landing at the airport. The event was well attended as no less than Albay Congressman Al Francis Bichara and Department of Tourism head Nina Revilla with former Department of Tourism Director Nonie Calleja were present. To show his support to the airline, Cong. Bichara encouraged his constituents and all Bicolanos to support the Boutique Airline.

Capping the grand launch was a simple gathering held in Masbate. Despite the BMC conditions not allowing the plane to arrive in the city, the team from BAE managed to successfully push through with the event. A short program was held, which included a ceremonial ribbon cutting led by executives from BAE.

I had an inside info that they are also covering Naga City in March.

Images are all courtesy of Bicol Air Express, via Facebook.

Back to back post at Digitalspidey.com

Global hotel chain, Tune Hotels open its doors in the Philippines. Graced by no less than Mark Lankester, Group Chief Executive Officer, Tune hotels made their way to announce their entry to the Philippines.

Group CEO Mark Lankester

Tune Hotels is part of Tune Group, a lifestyle business conglomerate co-founded by Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Meranun, who are the Group CEO and Deputy Group CEO respectively of Asia’s largest low cost carrier AirAsia.

VJ Janine Ramirez hosted the launching, the evening ushered in the arrival of Tune hotels by literally making guests stay in tune through a rockeoke challenge led by local act, Semipro. The evening also gave lucky guests a chance to experience Tune Hotels’ services and amenities by raffling off six of 3-nights stay in any Tune Hotels of their choice.

Tourism ASEC Domingo Ramon Enerio III was also present and a couple of reps from DOT to show the government support for investors like this.

Since Tune Hotel is a budget hotel, they already put up a promo for the hotel goers in the Philippines. To celebrate its arrival in the Philippines, Tune Hotels will be offering a Php 188 promotion for its Ermita, Cebu and Angeles city hotels. Starting December 6 to 16, 2011, guests can book rooms at Tune Hotels in Ermita, Cebu and Angeles for only Php 188/night. Staying period starts from each hotel’s respective opening date up to November 30, 2012. The promotion is offered exclusively online at www.tunehotels.com.

Tune Hotels currently operates ten hotels in Malaysia, two in Bali, Indonesia and one in London, England. Apart from the Philippines, Tune Hotels has aggressive expansion plans in Thailand, Indonesia, the UK and Malaysia. In December, Tune Hotel Hat Yai in southern Thailand will open, followed by Liverpool Street in London (January 2012), Pattaya in Thailand (February 2012), Ipoh in Malaysia (March 2012) and Pasar Baru in Jakarta, Indonesia (March 2012).

Some useful links:

• TUNE Hotel FB Page
• TUNE Hotel Twitter
• Photos from the launch
• TUNE Hotel website

Enchanted Kingdom, the country’s first and only world-class theme park is celebrating its 16^th year of bringing MAGIC to families and friends. Happy 16^th Birthday EK!

Check out this month’s activities for EK’s 16^th Anniversary celebration.

Sweet 16 Birthday Celebrants Promo (Wednesdays to Fridays from October 1 to 31)
A birthday treat for you! Free RDP tickets await park guests who turn 16 in October, plus 20% off on tickets purchased by the celebrant’s companions, maximum of 10 persons.
Student Sembreak Anibersaya Promo (October 12 to November 13)
An anniversary treat for students of ALL levels! Every purchase of one EK Day Pass for Php350.00 shall entitle you to one hotdog on a stick and 12 oz. Pepsi drink.
Enchanting Sweet 16 Merchandise Promo (October 1 to 22)
Get the chance to win EK merchandise treats! Simply claim your raffle coupon at the Eldar’s Tent and drop in the designated drop box. The Enchanting Sweet 16 raffle draw will be held on October 22 during the Asian Sky Wizardry Fireworks Competition.
16th Anniversary Sale (October 1 to 31)
Eldar the Wiz treats one and all to a 16% discount on selected premium EK merchandise, including Eldar’s Hat and Crystal USB.
Take Me Home Eldar Doll (October 1 to 31)
Park guests who avail of a Regular Day Pass will be entitled to a 25% discount on any Eldar toy! Simply present your ticket or wrist tag and bring the magic home with your very own cuddly Eldar.

Enjoy PEPSI for 16! (October 1 to 31)
A special anniversary treat from Pepsi! Park guests may purchase food items from any EK cart or kiosk, and Amazon Grill and Launch Time restaurants. Upon purchase, guests may avail of the P16.00 discount on the 16oz. size Pepsi.

PARK SCHEDULE:
Starting October 1, 2011 to December 16, 2011, EK is CLOSED from Monday and Tuesday.
Weekdays: Wednesday to Friday
Time: 12:00 NN to 7:00 PM

Weekend: Saturday & Sunday
Time: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM

SM TICKETS Partnership
With its recent partnership with SM TICKETS, you can now purchase your Enchanted Kindgom Tickets in all SM TICKETS outlets located at all SM Cinema branches nationwide.

Call SM Customer Care at 470.2222 for inquiries and reservations.
TICKET PRICES

REGULAR DAY PASS-WEEKEND
Php 500
REGULAR DAY PASS-WEEKDAY
Php 400
SENIOR REGULAR DAY PASS-WEEKEND
Php 358
JUNIOR DAY PASS-WEEKEND
Php 320
SENIOR REGULAR DAY PASS-WEEKDAY
Php 286
JUNIOR DAY PASS-WEEKDAY
Php 250
CAROUSEL SPECIAL
Php 150
SENIOR CAROUSEL SPECIAL
Php 108

You can still purchase your tickets at EK Makati Sales Office, Monday to Fridays, 8:30am to 5:00pm at G/F The Biltmore Condo, 102 Aguirre Street Legaspi Village, Makati City (at the back of AIM Building, near Greenbelt 1)

Useful Links:

Enchanted Kingdom’s website

EK’s Facebook page

Follow EK on Twitter

SM Tickets website

SM TIckets Facebook Page

Last Friday, on a suppose to be busy day for the Metro the guys at Ford Philippines invited us for a Lunch Break to Tagaytay to get a hands-on experience on the all-new Ford Fiesta S. We all converged to Ford at Fort Bonifacio at 10:00AM, five of us bloggers were greeted by five different colors of Fiesta S. DigitalSpidey was privileged to take the wheel of the Chilli Orange. (This color is only available on the 1.6 5-door top-of-the-line model.) 

It was a convoy of five Ford Fiesta S, a real head turner in the highway! Few sub-compact cars competing with the Fiesta S tried to overtake us while on SLEX.  Let’s get it straight. Driving the sub-compact Sport Series Ford Fiesta will make you smile! It gets you to 140km/hr speed and the car yet this little baby still run stable.

Earlier this year DigitalSpidey and Calvinshub were able to test the Sedan model of Fiesta. We took it to Sta. Rosa for a day of fun at the Enchanted Kingdom on their 15th Anniversary, and I personally used it in the city in the next couple of days and one thing I noticed is the fuel efficiency. It was delivered to us full tank, stayed with us for about a week and we returned it still half the tank. The Sedan model has 1.6L and 1.4L variations.

The actual experience.
On to the Fiesta S model, this one is different sporty & techie ride which will be liked by many young professionals, students and probably Mommies on the go. There is one comment I would like to make though, the arm rest and the controls are really made for an average Asian, smaller than Pinoys. You should see for yourself and decide. But, other than that – the ride, suspension, the hands-free voice control technology via Bluetooth, the Hill Launch assist which will not require you to engage the handbreak on inclined scenario, are all superb.  Another feature I noticed is the wheel stability, the faster you drive the car the more stable the steering wheel, you will never feel that you are driving a sub-compact car. On a slower speed, you get to experience the real power steering which helps you maneuvering specially in a very challenging parking lots.

I tried the hands-free feature of the car, Anika (AVP for Corporate Comm of Ford PH) helped me paired my Blackberry to it and on the way back to Manila, I excused myself to my passenger and started making calls to my clients while driving. It was one of the cool features of the car.

According to the guys at Ford Philippines, the new Fiesta will be available in three models: Style, Trend and Sport. The three trim options are offered in the following configurations: Style is in a 1.4L 4-door manual transmission, while the Trend trim is available in both a 1.4L and a 1.6L engine in both 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback, and the Sport model boasts of a 1.6L 5-door hatch back body with 6-speed PowerShift automatic transmission.

All of these will be built in a new USD 500-million passenger car facility at AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT) in Rayong, Thailand.

Pricing.
The Ford Fiesta line-up still starts at a P670,000 for the Style in 1.4L 4-door sedan with manual transmission.

The 1.4L Trend models are priced at P685,000 with a choice of either a 4-door or 5-door in manual transmission, while the 1.6L Trend models touting Ford’s 6-speed PowerShift automatic transmission, standard ESP and Hill Launch Assist are also available in either sedan or hatchback with a price tag of P766,000.

The Ford Fiesta Sport variant is priced at P816,000. coming equipped with a 1.6L 6-speed PowerShift automatic transmission as well as SRS airbags on both passenger and driver’s side and the In-Car Entertainment package of Voice Control with USB Connectivity and Bluetooth.

Some useful links:
Ford Fiesta FB Page
Ford Fiesta webpage
Digitalspidey’s Photo Coverage

The Philippines’ largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific (CEB) slashes fares from Clark to Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and Bangkok in a seat sale from now until May 9, 2011 or until seats last. This is for travel from July 1 to September 30, 2011.

Guests from North Luzon or outside Metro Manila can travel via Clark to some of CEB’s most popular international destinations at the same giving you cost and time-efficient travel options!

Buy seats for as low as P799 from Clark to Hong Kong, Singapore and Macau. Our Clark-Bangkok seats are also available for P1,999. Meanwhile, domestic seats from Manila to Catarman, Cauayan and Tacloban are yours for only P699.

For those coming from Bangkok, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore, Clark is a golfing and gaming haven with a distinct cuisine perfect for food lovers.

Avail of CEB’s Prepaid Baggage Allowance upon booking, to save as much as 63% on domestic flights compared to buying baggage allowance at the airport. Take advantage of our web check-in services so you can avoid the long lines at the airport.

South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) recently announced that it will launch its first domestic jet services from Manila to Cebu on July 1, 2011 and Manila to Davao on July 2 as part of the SEAIR-Tiger Airways Partner Airline Programme.

Special starting fare offers will be for as low as 499 PHP one-way to/from Cebu for travel on July 1 to October 29, 2011, and 999 PHP one-way to/from Davao for travel on July 2 to October 29, 2011. Passengers can now buy tickets online at FlySeair.com and tigerairways.com, or call +63 2 849 0100, the SEAIR Hotline for domestic and international flights.

SEAIR will have up to 10 daily flights to and from Cebu and up to six daily flights to and from Davao from its jet operations base at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) domestic terminal.

Cebu and Davao are the major tourist gateways in the Philippines for Visayas and Mindanao, respectively. Cebu, the “Queen City of the South”, also known locally as Sugbo, is the capital city of the island of Cebu and the oldest city in the country. Its popular tourist attractions include the Magellan’s Cross Shrine, an important historical landmark that signalled the beginning of the Spanish occupation in the Philippines, and the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño (Minor Basilica of the Santo Niño), which houses the Santo Niño de Cebú (Holy Child of Cebu), the oldest Catholic relic in the Philippines.

Apart from exploring the Spanish side of Cebu, nature-loving travellers can discover rich marine life at scuba diving spots in Moalbal, Malapascua, and Pescador Island, or hop on a ferry to its island neighbors, Bohol and Negros, for dive safaris in Cabilao and Apo Island.

The largest city in the country and the premier hub of Mindanao, Davao is home to some of the country’s top beach and mountain resorts, most notably the Pearl Farm in the secluded island of Samal, just 45 minutes off the coast of the city. Adventure-seekers can sign up for a two-day climb at Mount Apo, the Philippines’ tallest mountain at 9,692 ft located just 40 km northeast of Davao, or sample durian, “the king of fruits”, which, due to its unusual flavor and odor, have aroused intense passion in some and dislike in others. The annual week-long Kadayawan Festival in August, the biggest of its kind in Mindanao, is celebrated during the peak season of durian and mangosteen (another fruit) as a thanksgiving celebration for the bountiful harvest of flowers and fruits that Davao is known for.

The Cebu and Davao flights are the first domestic flights under the SEAIR-Tiger Airways Partner Airline Programme, which allows SEAIR to distribute its seats through the established online booking system, www.tigerairways.com. SEAIR is the first Tiger Airways Partner Airline in the Asia Pacific region.

“SEAIR’s great value fares and this expanded network will offer travellers even more value-for-money destinations to choose from, together with worry-free bookings. The introduction of high frequency domestic jet routes will also drive the creation of new jobs as well boost tourism across the Philippines,” said SEAIR President and CEO Avelino Zapanta.

SEAIR is the second oldest airline in the country. It has the reputation of having pioneered commercial flights to the country’s fastest growing tourist destinations including Boracay, Batanes, and northern Palawan. Now on its 16th year of operation, it has expanded its reach regionally with jet services to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau.