Davao City Joins Earth Hour

Today, 3.23.13, the world unites once again to mark Earth Hour, an annual event that aims to raise awareness on the importance of saving energy. Davao City has been joining the international community commemorating this occasion and each year, a program is being held solely for this purpose at one of the city's major malls. This year, the event will take place at the Ayala Abreeza Mall to be hosted by model-actress-host Angel Aquino.

Switching off the lights and all other electronic devices even for an hour is a big help to the environment. The savings are enormous when the world unites to observe this Earth Hour.

This year's Earth Hour campaign encourages people to take up the "I Will If You Will" challenge. It invites people to take action to preserve the environment beyond the yearly March event and encourage their family and friends to do the same. 

Launched in 2007, Earth Hour is now on its fifth year. Its first year which was launched in Sydney, Australia attract some 2.2 million participants. Since then, many famous landmarks around the world have joined in such as the Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House, Empire State Building, Petronas Twin Towers, Burj Khalifa, Buckingham Palace, Niagara Falls, Gateway of India and Tokyo Tower to name a few.

So let's join forces once again later tonight and turn off the lights for an hour. You'll be glad you did. It's a great opportunity to relax, experience the stillness of the night and do some stargazing if you want.

Araw ng Dabaw Weekend

The Araw ng Dabaw weekend is here and the city is abuzz with activities relating to the local culture and the arts. Davao City is celebrating its 76th founding anniversary and tomorrow, March 16 is the big day.

The traditional float parade will be day's highlight to be taken part by private companies. We'll see if Kisan Lu Lands, the winner of the 2012 Kadayawan Festival float parade, will again bag the major prize.

The festive mood is being felt now a young and popular celebrities as well as bands are in town again to provide entertainment to the public free of charge. For sure, the major malls here will be jampacked and as much as I'd like to bring my young girl there, I'd rather not because it would be so crowded then.

Of course, bargain sales are everywhere, too. This event won't be complete without the major malls holding weekend sales. And being a fanatic of bargains, I'm now in a frenzy where to start looking for great buys for my kids and hopefully, I can find something worth buying for myself and my hubby as well. I love shopping but I'm not the type to splurge in one go. You can call me a wise buyer.

I'm proud to be living in Davao City which I call my second home. I'm overwhelmed by the progress that it has achieved and continue to achieve. Hopefully, more people will be able to visit here and experience the city's beauty and splendor moving forward. 

Chinese New Year and the Chinese Community

It's 2013 - the year of the Water Snake and today happens to be the eve of the Chinese New Year so Kung Hei Fat Choi!

The Chinese is a major part of the Davao City population. They contribute a lot to the city's economy and to recognize their contribution, a Chinatown has been designated covering several streets in the downtown areas. It is marked by three grand arch ways known as the Arch of Friendship, Arch of Peace and  Arch of Unity situated at both ends of Magsaysay Avenue and at the corner of Sta. Ana Ave. and JP Laurel Ave.

Archway at Magsaysay Ave.

It was then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who issued an Executive Order in 2003 declaring the areas of Magsaysay, Sta. Ana, Monteverde and Leon Garcia as Davao City's Chinatown considered to be among the biggest in the world owing to its area spanning 44 hectares.

Each year normally on two weekends before the Chinese New Year, part of Uyanguren from the Lizada corner going to Magsaysay Park is closed to traffic to give way to a street food festival and bazaar. The street is filled with stalls selling used clothing, bags and shoes or the so-called ukay-ukay as well as food and other household items.

Apart from the Chinatown, the strong presence of the Chinese population in the city can also be seen in the existence of several Buddhist temples. Among them, the Long Hua Temple along Cabaguio Avenue (where the Philippine Sakya Academy is located) is the largest in Davao and the most visited by tourists. Several Chinese schools are also in place and numerous businesses owned and operated by Chinese families.

No place in the country is without a Chinese and no one can deny that they play a significant role in the business community. Hopefully, people will follow their entrepreneurial spirit and their close family ties.

What Christmas is Like in Davao City

The holiday season is a great time to be in Davao City. The city is alive with colorful lights and unique Christmas decorations spread out in different areas. Fireworks are not allowed here but  the show of these bright lights are enough to provide a happy atmosphere throughout the holidays.

Various spots can be visited to enjoy a display of lights and local ingenuity. I'm sharing here the most popular areas where local residents and visitors often flock to.

Mana, the Antique Shop, never fails to wow its visitors every year. For many years now, the owner always hires designers to come up with grand and extraordinary decorations as his way of spreading love and happiness during the Christmas season.

Mana Antique Shop along Bajada (courtesy of Virtual Wanderer)

Davao City Hall along San Pedro Drive also makes it a point to hang lighted parols (lanterns) on the trees in front of the building and other colorful decorations. 

Davao City Hall facade (courtesy of Images Philippines)

People's Park along Camus and Palma Gil Streets boasts of its own unique Christmas display each year. The fountain area is a popular attraction inside the park.

People's Park Fountain Area (courtesy of  Skyscapercity)

I'm glad to be here in Davao City as I get to experience this great Christmas atmosphere each year. I hope you'll spread the word and I wish you all a fruitful 2013! 

Malling in the City

The Manila String Machine Quartet at SM Lanang Premier

People in Davao City have various options when it comes to spending their leisure time. They can spend it close to nature such as the beach, at inland resorts with swimming pools or they can go malling.

Malling is one of the top leisure activities of Filipinos. It is for this reason that almost every city in the country has a number of malls.

Here in Davao, new and more modern malls have sprouted in the recent years. Back in 1997 when I first settled here, I only knew of Victoria Plaza, Gaisano Ilustre and Gaisano Mall which just opened at that time. Of the three, Gaisano Mall was the most modern and the biggest then.

Eventually, SM city also came in. It was then followed by the construction of the NCCC Mall in addition to its main department store along Uyanguren.

A year ago in May, Abreeza of the Ayala Malls became the biggest and world class shopping mall in the city. This complex is a collaboration between the Floirendos of Davao and Ayalas of Manila. The mall's opening gave Davaoenos an opportunity to experience a shopping center in the same level as that of those in Metro Manila. And it made the locals here truly happy.

But that's not all there is to it. The management of SM Supermalls decided to set up a second mall this time in the Lanang area called SM Lanang Premier. This complex competes closely with Abreeza in terms of size but boasts of more advanced features such as its IMAX Cinema. Also, this SM mall has an SMX Convention Center considered the second in the country after Metro Manila. And unlike its SM City buildings that normally have the same architectural design, this one is different as it features a sky garden and dancing fountains.

SM Lanang Premier opened last September 28 and now, Davaoenos have a new mall where they can spend their time strolling and shopping. And as this is very near my place, I have been there many times already since it opened. I actually do most of my financial transactions (pay bills and bank transactions via BDO) there too. I'm sharing a photo I took during the opening day featuring the Manila String Machine Quartet.

Malling doesn't have to be an expensive activity. You can just go window shopping and be entertained there by visiting artists and the new movies at the cinemas. As long as you don't let yourself go hungry, malling can be a fun experience for people of all ages.  

Excited for the Opening of SM Lanang Premier

Just like everybody else here in Davao City, I am so excited for the opening of our new SM Lanang Premier this Friday, September 28. This is the second SM mall in the city but is definitely a high-end and world-class one unlike the first SM City Davao situated along Quimpo Boulevard in Matina.

There's so much to look forward to this major mall that stands on a 10-hectare lot that used to be the Lanang golf course. The architectural design alone is different from the usual SM City malls and I learned this is a green building having utilized eco-friendly materials and construction procedures.

Secondly, it has a Sky Garden that will feature a concert area and dancing fountain. It is also here where some fine dining restaurants will be located.

Thirdly, SM Lanang Premier will have an SMX Convention Center which is the second in the country. The first is in Pasay City, Metro Manila.

The IMAX Cinema is another thing Davaoenos are excited to experience. IMAX boasts of the world's most powerful film experience, a far cry from what people are used to in the past.

What I'm most happy about is the fact that this new major mall is very near my home. It's just one tricycle ride away, a 5-minute drive by car and can actually be reached by foot if you're not in a hurry.

And what I'm sure about is that I'll be there on the opening day and in the coming days to experience this new SM Premier shopping complex. I also look forward to watching entertainment shows with my kids there.

Life is good and truly, life is here in Davao City! I couldn't ask for more.

Green Movement in DC

Davao City is one city that's strongly supporting the green movement. Proof of this is the strict implementation of waste segregation among all communities. This is in addition to the ongoing efforts of certain groups to plant trees in the different districts of the city.

I'm happy to see that homeowners and local residents in general are now taking action to segregate their wastes at home, in school and in the office. It's a relief to see that people are cooperating towards achieving a common goal which is to preserve our environment.

One positive development I'm also very glad to see happening is the use of paper bags by a growing number of business owners in the city today. Some of the major chains have started doing it. These are Goldilocks, National Bookstore, CDR King and McDonald's.

Personally, I love the look of these brown paper bags. When printed with the company's logo, they appear attractive and of course environmentally, they're a great benefit.

Kudos as well to SM City and Abreeza Ayala Mall for their monthly recycling fair. This is one great opportunity for people to dispose of their unused stuff the right away and even earning from them. I've taken part in Abreeza's recycling fair early this year to turn over some electronic appliances and accessories no longer in use. Check out the Facebook pages of these malls to know their schedule.

Hopefully, more businesses will follow this effort. And I truly hope there's no going back to the plastic once they've started using these paper bags.