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How to Open a BDO ATM Savings Account

May 5, 2013 / One Armed Wanderer

Opening a BDO ATM account is fast and easy. Here are the steps on how to open a BDO ATM account.

Prepare the following BDO ATM account requirements:
- 2 valid IDs
- 2 1×1 ID pictures
- 2,000 Php initial deposit
Visit your preferred BDO branch and proceed to the new account opening section of the bank. Inform the bank officer that you will be opening a BDO ATM account. Submit the requirements except for the initial deposit.
The bank officer will ask you to fill out a number of forms for you new account application.
The bank officer will photocopy your IDs and will ask for your initial deposit.
A cash deposit slip will be handed to you containing your newly created BDO account number along with the amount of your initial deposit.
The bank officer will inform you that your new BDO ATM card will be ready for pick-up in 7 business days. Ensure to bring your IDs and the cash deposit slip when claiming your new BDO ATM card.

Note that BDO Savings Account does not come with a passbook. If you prefer open a passbook account, required initial deposit is 5,000 Php.

The BDO Peso ATM Account (without passbook)
Minimum Monthly Average Daily Balance Requirement 2,000 Php
Service Charge for Falling Below Minimum MADB Requirement Php 300.00
Minimum Balance to Earn Interest 5,000 Php
Interest rate per annum 0.2500%

Whistletop Alabang

April 27, 2013 / One Armed Wanderer

Our friend who lives in Alabang was supposed to bring us at Vivere Hotel’s Sky Lounge. When we arrived at 12 MN, unfortunately, the Sky Lounge is already closed. To our dismay we continued driving around the area to find a good place to spend Saturday night, unfortunately there are only a couple 24 hour restaurants in Filinvest Alabang, one of which is Whistletop.

Whistlestop – 24/7 Since 1977

There’s nothing fancy with Whistletop’s interior except for a few interesting areas showcasing old school cameras, vintage luggages and a wall of vintage posters and logos.

Since we arrived at 1:00 AM, there were only few guests in the area. The place is a bit small and with its limited real estate, I’m wondering what it’s like at Whistlestop during peak hours.

Whistletop Iced Tea – 80 Php

Bearing the name of the restaurant, I didn’t hesitate to order this drink. We were all surprised when it was served in a super tall glass. Not the best iced tea I’ve ever tasted but it was good.

Whistlestopper (Bacon, Cheeseburger, Egg and French Fries) – 210 Php

The name caught my attention while browsing the Whistestop menu. The thick-cut fries is crispy and perfectly cooked. The burger’s tender and juicy patty is delicious but there are parts that are a little overcooked.

Whistlestopper could be something I’d highly recommend if only the burger patty is perfectly cooked.. but it’s delicious nonetheless.

Morning Heavyweight – 165 Php

The super large corned beef is the star of the meal coupled with fried rice. Morning Heavyweight is also served with a fried egg and tomatoes. Intended for breakfast but my friend ordered this for dinner.

Strawberry Margarita – 140 Php

Weng Weng – 140 Php

Buttered Corn – 120 Php

Mojito – 120 Php

Since it’s one of the few 24 hour restaurant in the area, the surrounding is very quiet. A perfect place to chill and indeed spend a Saturday night in Alabang with friends.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Globe and Smart Postpaid Plans

April 27, 2013 / One Armed Wanderer

Android fanatics must be very excited for he most awaited release of Samsung’s flagship smartphone to date – Samsung Galaxy S4. Well, the long wait is over as Samsung Galaxy S4 has finally arrived in the Philippines!

The question is – How much is Samsung Galaxy S4 in the country? To date, below are the price offerings for Samsung Galaxy S4 of the two leading telecom providers in the country.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Smart Postpaid Plans

To apply for a Samsung S4 Smart Plan, visit Smart Telecom’s webpage.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Globe Postpaid Plans

To apply for a Samsung S4 Globe Plan, visit Globe’s online application page.

Based on the price Matrix, I must say that Smart offers more affordable plans. Smart Telecom currently offers Unli Data Plan 1,500 without a cash out for Samsung Galaxy S4.

Pan de Amerikana Marikina

April 20, 2013 / One Armed Wanderer

We were looking for a unique yet homey restaurant around the metro and a friend suggested Pan de Amerikana in Marikina.

This one of a kind restaurant offers a wide array of foods, from their authentic 1950’s Pan de Sal to Filipino, Chinese and Italian dishes.

Apart from this, Pan de Amerikana’s façade is a showstopper in the area. A large Netherlands windmill welcomes guests and the façade itself is really fascinating. The baker statue reminds me of Baker’s Hill in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

There are many things going on with Pan de Amerikana’s interior. Wooden furnitures, antique tables and chairs, traviesa benches, swing, Koi pond, Italian colonnade European ruins, waterfalls, colorful stained glasses, hanging bridge and a life size chess board. Truly appealing!

Pan de Amerikana is a non-smoking and an open air restaurant. Although there are electric fans everywhere, I guess it’s not advisable to dine here during extreme hot weather condition.. unless you’ll bring a hanky to wipe off your sweat. Anyway, there’s also an ample parking space just outside the restaurant that also serves as a smoking area.lol

The place looks expensive but their menu is surprisingly cheap and affordable! It’s weird that with it’s classy restaurant setting, you have to pay right away as you order.

I ordered Carbonara for only 60 Php

Carbonara was okay. There’s nothing special with it and the serving is too small for me. I did not expect too much since the price is very affordable compared to other restaurants.

Calamansi Juice – 30 Php

Sardines Pan de Sal for only 30 Php

My friends liked their pandesal. I must say that it was good and quite special. I guess this is the most favored food in Pan de Amerikana.

Pancit Bihon – 40Php

Spaghetti – 40 Php

Palabok – 40 Php

Me and my friends agreed that with the price, the food is not bad at all. Since we were there for merienda, it’s not fair to say that Pan de Amerikana’s dishes are just okay-ish. Perhaps we should visit the place again for dinner.

The service was superb. The security guard and waiters were all attentive and the front desk/counter was very welcoming. With the visually appealing façade and interior, Pan de Amerikana is a place worth visiting!

By the way, we also enjoyed the hanging bridge in the second floor of the restaurant . 🙂

Pan de Amerikana Schedule

Monday to Saturday 6:00AM to 7:00PM

Sunday 7:00AM to 3:00PM

Bakery: Monday to Sunday Opens at 5:00AM

Pan de Amerikana Locations

Main: #92 General Ordoñez Corner Maroon St. Marikina Heights, 1800 Marikina City
Katipunan Avenue Quezon City
Wilson street GREENHILLS San Juan
Makati Avenue corner constellation St. beside Savory.

Visit Pan de Amerikana Facebook Page.

Pan de Amerikana Menu.

Bulalo at Mahogany Market Tagaytay

April 14, 2013 / One Armed Wanderer

Aside from its cold weather, Tagaytay is also famous for its Bulao – a famous Filipino dish made up of beef shanks and marrow bones boiled with veggies.

If you are looking for an affordable Bulalo experience in Tagaytay, Mahogany Market is the perfect place. Just across the market offering fresh beef is an array of food stalls offering local delicacies including Filipino’s all time favorite and most favored – Bulalo.

We arrived at Mahogany Market at around 9:00 PM and since there are approximately a dozen of food stalls, we tried to look around and find the best food stall in the area. Well, they all look the same and appear to offer exactly the same menu. The question is which offers the best Bulalo? There was a vendor who kept on peddling her Espasol when we arrived at Mahogany Market, we asked her and she recommended Barboza’s Kitchenette.

350 Php – Special Bulalo at Barboza’s Kitchenette in Mahogany Market, Tagaytay

Serving: 5 in our case lol.. but the serving is generous and it’s actually good for 6 – 8 persons

Special Bulalo at Leslie’s and Josephine restaurant – Tagaytay’s famous Bulalo houses are priced at P450 up. Well, that makes Mahogany Market’s Bulalo more affordable.

We also ordered Crispy fried shrimps. A perfect combination with Bulalo’s hot and rich flavored soup. I super loved this dish!

Caldereta

Pinapaitan – An exotic Filipino dish made up of cow or goat innards. I never tried this dish since I’m not really a fan of this exotic delicacy.

affordable place to eat in tagaytay city

At 900 Php, we had a sumptuous dinner at Barboza’s Kitchenette, Mahogany Market

1 Special Bulalo

2 Crispy Shrimp

1 Caldereta

1 Papaitan

12 Rice (We’re only five lol)

1 1.5 Coke

Barboza’s Kitchenette also offers unlimited banana to its diners.

Jatujak SM North EDSA, Thai Food

April 1, 2013 / One Armed Wanderer

Jatujak, pronounced as cha-tu-chak is the largest weekend market in Bangkok.

This Thai restaurant is located at the 4th Level of SM North EDSA The Block. The restaurant itself is small and the interior is simple and a bit modern showcasing a number of Thai displays on it’s main counter.

Thai Iced Tea – 85 Php

Surprisingly, at 85 Php, the Thai iced tea is served in a very tall glass. It tastes like milk tea and I really liked it! This is a must try at Jatujak!

Fried rice with shrimp (Kao Pad Goong) – 175 Php

serving: good for 2

Although a bit watery for me, this Thai fried rice was good. It surprised me that this rice with tasty and juicy shrimps is coupled with a Calamansi.

Chicken with cashew nuts – 210 Php

Serving: good for 2

This dish was my friend’s choice. There’s nothing special with the chicken but the sauce along with my favorite cashew nuts makes this dish special.

Stir fried kangkong (Pak Boong Fai Deng) – 105 Php

Serving: good for 2

Kangkong is perfectly cooked. I’m pretty much sure that the sauce is not the typical soy sauce (not salty at all) and something Thai. I just can’t describe the taste but it was really good.

Since I opted for safe dishes, I’d definitely dine again at Jatujak for their iced tea and to try some Thai noodles and appetizers.

Visit munchpunch for Jatujak Menu – SM North EDSA.

Crocodile Farm Tour in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, travel

March 30, 2013 / One Armed Wanderer

Palawan’s Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center was the first stop of our Puerto Princesa City tour. Founded in 1987, this Puerto Princesa tourist attraction well known for its Crocodile Farm and Nature Park.

Palawan Wildlife and Conservation Center in Puerto Princesa

Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (Crocodile Farm) Location

This interesting tourist spot is located in National Road in Barangay Irawan, Puerto Princesa City and just 30 minutes away from Puerto Princesa city proper.

Crocodile Farm Entrance Fee

Basic Tour (30 mins.)

Child – P 10.00

Adult – P 40.00

Privileged – P 20.00 (senior citizen, disabled, students)

Group Tour – P 20.00 (min. of 20 pax)

Crocodile skin and skeleton welcome guests and visitors at the lobby.

Crocodile skin at the lobby of Crocodile Farm Puerto Princesa

Crocodile skeleton at crocodile farm in Palawan

Crocodile farm tourist guide shares info about the farm. The guests also learned from her that croc skin used in bags and purses are usually that of younger crocs.

The tour continues and guests were taken to the “Hatching House” of the farm.

Guests are busy taking pictures of baby crocodiles

tourists strolling and taking pictures at the crocodile farm

Baby crocodiles.. Aren’t they cute?

Hatching house is where baby crocodiles are born, bred and taken care off until they become adults. I was a bit disappointed that we did not witness live crocodile egg hatching. lol

The tourist guide advised us not to put our fingers on top of the croc dens. Even baby crocs can be aggressive and cut one’s fingers off.

After the hatching area, guests were then taken to the adult crocodiles. There’s a metal bridge approximately 20 feet above the crocodile den.

We crossed the bridge and we were able to check out these huge and scary adult crocodiles

Perhaps the largest crocodile in the farm is “Valentino”, 16 foot and 500 Kilogram a male saltwater crocodile captured on Valentines Day of 2012 in Bataraza, Palawan.

Valentino, a 16 foot crocodile in Palawa, Philippines

Right after the exciting ‘crossing the bridge with huge crocodiles below’ part of the tour, guests were headed to a photo opportunity with a young crocodile. There’s a professional photographer and you may have your picture taken and printed for only 150 Php. Apart from this, you can also have your pic taken with your own camera for free.

Photo taken from my iPhone. A friend helped me since I couldn’t carry the croc with two hands. I just realized that I was holding the croc on its neck (I’m sorry).

After the photo op with the croc, guests can freely stroll around the Nature Park.

The shy Palawan Bear Cat.

Palawan Binturong that smells like “Pandan”. You may also have your picture taken by a photographer with this cute, love, tame friendly Binturong. Printed photo costs 150 Php.

White Bellied Sea Eagle

There’s also a mini zoo in the farm but we decided to leave after a short walk since we still have to visit Mitra’s Ranch and Baker’s Hill that day.

Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center is a must visit! I super enjoyed seeing crocodiles of all sizes. I loved Palawan Binturong, very friendly and good smelling creature.

Baker’s Hill Puerto Princesa, Palawan

March 29, 2013 / One Armed Wanderer

Baker’s Hill is one of the tourist attraction in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Baker’s Hill is literally on top of a hill where a number of bakers work together to offer deliciously baked goodies for tourists and visitors.

Baker’s Hill Location Map
Mitra Road, Barangay Sta. Monica, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines.

View Larger Map

Tourists and visitors say that Baker’s Hill Hopia is a must try. In fact, it’s one of the bakery’s best seller. Small box of Hopia costs only 40 Php.

Since I’m not a fan of Hopia, I opted to taste their Spanish bread instead. It was delicious!!

Apart from the freshly baked breads and snacks, you can also stroll around the area for free. This privately owned parked is open to the public. Thanks to the extremely generous owners.

Huge modern houses welcome visitors of Baker’s Hill.

Statues of Marilyn Monroe

Baker’s Kitchen – Restaurant in the heart of Baker’s Hill

Baker’s Hill Restaurant menu

Beautiful floating local flower petals are everywhere.

A mini playground for kids

Baker’s Hill garden is a perfect place to simply sit and relax.

There are also several birds in the garden including Myna, Peahens and Peacocks. Well, the latter is my favorite!

My Take on Baker’s Hill

Reviews say that Baker’s Hill is a theme park. I just don’t get its theme. There’s a bakery, then beautiful huge and modern houses, not so Filipino statues, a Filipino restaurant, a relaxing garden with a number of lovely birds.

Anyway, Baker’s Hill is still a perfect place to eat, relax and take pictures. The area is very clean and well maintained. Well, at the end of the day, there’s no place like Baker’s Hill in the Philippines – bakery with delicious breads plus a park with beautiful garden! What more can you ask for?

4 Fingers Crispy Chicken at SM City North EDSA & SM Mall of Asia

March 29, 2013 / One Armed Wanderer

4 Fingers Crispy Chicken offers Korean-style fried chicken is located at the ground floor of SM City North EDSA and at the at the Entertainment Mall Ground Floor of SM Mall of Asia. Founded by 4 friends, this one of a kid fast food is originally from Singapore and is currently serving crispy chicken in Southeast Asia.

Aside from the tasteful ‘soy garlic’ and ‘hot & spicy’ crispy chicken flavors, the New York subway inspired interior makes 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken interesting.

(Photo from 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken’s Facebook page)

4 Fingers Crispy Chicken Menu & Price

A budget 150 Php to 300 Php is good for one meal

4 Fingers Crispy Chicken Meal (6pcs. Wings/Drummettes Soy Garlic/Hot/Mix)- 229.00 Php

Includes a small soda or iced tea and fries/rice

Chicken Drumsticks Meal (3pcs. Soy Garlic/Hot/Mix, includes) – 229.00 Php

Includes a small soda/iced tea and fries/rice

1 Pc. Drumstick Rice Box Meal (Soy Garlic/Hot/Mix) – 99.00 Php

Includes a small soda/iced tea

2 Pc. Drumstick Rice Box Meal (Soy Garlic/Hot/Mix) – Php – 149 Php

Includes a small soda/iced tea

Katsu Chicken Sandwich Meal – 199.00 Php