Category Archives: Travel

This year is special for us. It’s our 40th wedding anniversary. But it’s also a poignant time, as it marks 25 years since our dear son passed away. To remember both these important times, we’re doing something special: walking the Camino de Santiago. Our hope is to reach the end of our walk on the anniversary of his Angel Date. There, we will pray for all our children and their loved ones, the wonderful blessings we’ve received throughout our 40 years together.

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The article, 16 essentials smartphone apps for travel was originally published at the Manila Times.

During the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) chaos, I had to rely on smartphone apps to make changes in my itinerary, check for airline status or help myself get comfortable while being stranded in an airport. I keep only a bare minimum of apps which have been helpful in my travels. These apps may also be useful in planning for your next trip.

1. Google Trips

Google Trips is like your “all in one” travel assistant because your plans and essential information are organized in one place, making it available even when you’re offline. Google bases the activity suggestions on your current location, travel reservations, flight details, tour itineraries and other information available in your emails from Gmail.

2. Booking.com

I use Booking.com, Expedia.com, and Airbnb.com when booking for accommodations, comparing prices or deals. Booking.com is my preferred app because some reservations do not require a deposit until a few days before the reserved date. I use Airbnb when I book for the family because some hotel rooms can’t accommodate over three family members.

3. Hopper

I normally purchase airline tickets directly from the company’s website because there is no significant price difference from online travel booking websites. Since my schedule has gone haywire, I am now checking Hopper which allows one to book flights and accommodations. The app even advises you if it’s good to purchase now or to wait. It informs or notifies you the dates when it’s likely cheapest to fly.

4. Google Maps

Google Maps are so useful when commuting abroad. One needs an internet connection to search transit directions using this app. Plan before you leave for the transit stops. You can find the list of train and bus departures from certain locations by selecting “transit” as the mode of transportation. Type “OK maps” on Google Maps to get an offline map of any location.

5. Priority Pass

Priority Pass allows you access to airport lounges worldwide. Your credit card company gives this to you or you can subscribe independently. Priority Pass proved useful when I had a 21-hour layover at the Hong Kong International Airport. With a membership card, lounge prices are discounted at half the regular rates. I could sleep on a comfortable lounge chair, get a quick shower, charge my gadgets, and enjoy a sumptuous buffet breakfast and lunch.

If you don’t have a membership card, there is LoungeBuddy for iOS where one can get a list of lounge locations, which you can access for free or for a onetime fee.

6. Flight Aware

Flight Aware allows you to track real-time flight status and tracking maps of any commercial airline anywhere in the world. One can view flights, which have been re-routed to a different terminal or airport. If you check a location, you can view the air traffic.

7. Flio

Before I encountered Flio, I downloaded a lot of multiple airport-related apps. The Flio provides you with a map, a boarding pass scanner, and directions to shuttle buses and booking options. It also allows you to receive updates about boarding times, gate changes and delays.

8. Trip Advisor

I take the reviews of a tourist attraction or accommodations in TripAdvisor with a grain of salt. Positive or negative comments are usually subjective but at least you can manage your expectations.

The Lonely Planet Guides have always been a good resource for travelers even before the days of the internet or travel apps. One can download a city guide for offline use.

10. Google Translate

Google Translate converts words, phrases, and short sentences from one language to another. There are so many features. The “Instant Camera” translation allows you to use your camera to translate text instantly in 38 languages.

11. Air Help

This app may come in handy if your international trip is cancelled, delayed, or overbooked. The laws differ based on where you’re flying. The thing is my airline was not directly at fault so this may not apply to my situation or the others affected by the NAIA chaos caused by the Xiamen Airlines’ crash landing last August 17, 2018.

12. AccuWeather

AccuWeather is great for planning since it features 15-day forecast summaries, 5-day forecasts, and an accurate, minute-by-minute weather forecast for the next two hours with MinuteCast.

13. Coins.ph mobile wallet

An SMS about a temporary deactivation for outgoing services reached me at the airport because I forgot to pay my bill. I could pay from my online banking website but it would take 24 hours for to reflect the payment. Fortunately, I had pesos in my Coins.ph wallet and access to public WIFI. The payment center is linked to the Bayad Center. Within minutes, I received another SMS that my payment was received and 15 minutes later, my line was reconnected. You can pay 80-plus service providers through this app.

14. XE converter

XE is your go-to currency app that provides you with the mid-market rate, thus acting as a benchmark to foreign exchange rate providers.

15. Splitwise

If travelling with friends, the Splitwise app makes it easier to calculate shared expenses. The app keeps a running total over time so you can pay each other back in one big payment instead of a bunch of small ones.

16. Skype

With the number of messenger apps, communication is faster. However, when I need to call the mobile or landline number of any customer support, a Skype credit or subscription is useful. Some Skype subscriptions allow you to text any mobile phone worldwide. The downside is that the recipient can’t text you back on Skype but on your mobile number.

The best apps for travel are the ones that give you convenience: real-time information, advice, insights, and warnings. Downloading the right apps will make your travel experience less stressful, smoother, and enjoyable. Bon Voyage!

This was originally published at the Manila Times on August 26, 2018

Travel is an adventure, I thought. However, when I had an eye-opening experience of a cancelled flight followed by a boarding delay of several hours, I could best describe it as “Noemi’s Chaotic Adventure”. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) runway closure due to Xiamen Air flight MF 8667’s crash landing exposed major weaknesses in NAIA’s operations. NAIA has four terminals but it could only use two runways, one plane at a time. Its closure led to the cancellation of several flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at the NAIA terminals or various airports around the world. I was one of those stranded, irate passengers. My “tale of inconvenience” from the flight cancellation and delays is not as bad as the stories of my fellow travelers on Cathay Pacific flight CX 902 bound for Amsterdam Schiphol, originally scheduled for August 17, 2018.

My plans covered traveling with my sister and visiting my daughter in Europe, complete with train tickets and accommodations. When NAIA announced on its Twitter account that the runway would open at 12 noon but eventually moved the schedule to 4:00 pm of August 17, I felt optimistic that I could still leave on time at 8:00 pm. The Twitter account of Cathay Pacific, including the flight status in its app, didn’t update the passengers of status changes. I arrived at Terminal 3 before 4 p.m. only to hear another announcement that the runway would reopen at 7 p.m.

This 7 p.m. timetable was moved to 5 a.m. on August 18. Bad weather conditions or pilot error could have caused Xiamen Air flight MF 8667 to crash-land at NAIA Terminal 1’s runway. This is an issue that needs a separate investigation. Miguel, a Twitter user, questioned NAIA: “What were the bases of their previous announcements? The fact that the runway opening has been postponed so many times in the last 24 hours simply meant that NAIA management had no plans in place with no knowledge of what they are doing!”

 

What annoyed me is that NAIA didn’t seem to have a crisis plan to remove the 43-ton Chinese aircraft that was stuck on the runway. NAIA thought it could remove the Xiamen plane with their equipment — but the soil was too soft. Crisis management covers any plane stuck in the mud or concrete runway.

 

While re-booking on the same flight for the next day had no extra charge, the Grab car ride back home took another three hours. What about the passengers who came from the provinces? Did they have accommodations? I enabled account notification for the @MIAAGovPH and @cathaypacific to alert me of any updates. Sure enough, it alerted me that the 5 a.m. departure was changed to 12 noon. I also observed that many social media-savvy passengers openly complained to whoever would listen on their Facebook or Twitter accounts. Searching for #NAIA horror stories were enough to make me appreciate that I would only have to miss one day of my European vacation, or so I thought.

After three hours of queuing at the Cathay Pacific counter, I finally got to check in. I hoped that the plane would leave on time so I could catch my connecting flight in Hongkong but someone told me that there was a long queue of planes trying to land at NAIA. I confirmed that there were planes going around in circles above the NAIA terminal from the Flight Aware app, a flight tracker and flight status app.

When I arrived at 3:30 a.m. on August 19 at the Hong Kong International Airport, I made my way to the Transfer Desk. Majority of the passengers in our flight had to re-book their connecting flights. A seaman had to return to the Philippines because his ship would have left by the time he arrived at his destination. A woman in a wheelchair lamented that she missed her group bound for Madrid. My sister and I could not get another flight to Amsterdam until 21 hours later.

Cathay Pacific did not want to compensate me with lounge access but instead provided HK$450 meal vouchers. The customer service representative at the counter said it was Manila’s fault. While the meal vouchers were useful, a place to take a nap other than public seats was an immediate need. Fortunately, I had two memberships with access to airport lounges: Dragon Pass (given to Citibank Premiere Miles cardholders) and Priority Pass. The latter was more useful because the former did not reflect my credit card purchases. In the airport lounge, I took a nap, had my shower, and ate buffet meals.

Lounge access is an added cost, including non-refundable expenses such as paid accommodations and train tickets. Will I ever recover some of these expenses? A quick look at my travel insurance, a requirement for a Schengen visa, did not look promising for flight cancellation and delays because “causes of delays” only covered: (1) delay caused by severe weather conditions; (2) delay due to strike or other job action by employees of the airline on which the insured is scheduled to travel; and (3) delay caused by the equipment failure of the aircraft on which the insured is scheduled to travel.

This is my woeful story about how it took almost three days to reach my destination. How will other passengers who missed work, events, and vacation plans recover from lost income or opportunity? Will Xiamen Airlines pay for the damages? Should our airline have been more helpful? Should NAIA also take responsibility? Will the travel insurance company cover the NAIA runway closure as a cause of delay or cancellation?

“This incident served as an eye-opener — a reminder for us to take a second look at the processes, procedures, and protocols of concerned agencies, as well as airlines, so that we may all improve in the future,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a statement after the NAIA runway was reopened after a 36-hour closure.

This “incident”, the term authorities will describe my chaotic adventure, is an eye-opener for everyone. These people-in-the-know possibly followed an agreed-upon process that would protect NAIA and the airlines from costly litigation. The government owes it to every passenger to make sure that “this case of chaos” does not happen again. Don’t allow the “Xiamen crash landing” to become a standard in NAIA crisis management.

“As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.” – Ezekiel 1:28

What do you do when a rainbow graces its presence upon you? Well, my first instinct is to take a photo. A year ago, my sister and I travelled all the way to Tagaytay to meet up with my brother over the weekend. There were slight rains that day as we sipped coffee at the Bag O Beans.  Such a beautiful day to be together. I just wanted to hold that moment and enjoy the company of my siblings and the chilly breeze at the veranda.

It is not often that my brother is in the Philippines and we took this opportunity to just have small talk and gaze at the view of Taal lake.  Earlier that day, we had breakfast by Taal Vista where we had the view of the other side of Taal Volcano.

The first rainbow photo I took was when I was with my daughter in Tasmania in 2011. I believe rainbows mean blessings. “A Rainbow is one of the most beautiful artistic creations that Nature herself can paint for us. When we are given the opportunity to view a rainbow ,  we become mesmerized and enchanted by the breathtaking beauty which appears in the untouchable distance; a Beauty which comes to us directly from the paintbrush of Divinity.”

This rainbow photo was taken during a bus ride from the airport to our hotel in Tasmania shortly after lunch. Now that my daughter is in Europe, I treasure these memories of our travels.

A year ago , it was amazing to spot this rainbow while strolling with my husband, one rainy afternoon in Vienna at around 5:00 PM.

I moved closer to get an uninterrupted view of the rainbow. Pretty soon,  some bystanders took photos as well.

I will never forget this afternoon walk with my husband. We really didn’t know where to go in Vienna so we just strolled aimlessly until we spotted this rainbow. It just felt romantic being there at the moment.

An unforgettable rainbow experience  was after visiting the grave of my son in 2000.  Looking down at my son’s gravestone, I asked my son to give me a sign of hope. As I left the park that afternoon..behold the rainbow. I was not able to take a photo of that rainbow moment but looking at it gave me hope, that I could achieve a new normal after the death of my son. It is said that “God gave us the rainbow as a symbol of the trustworthiness of His promises – as a symbol of hope in Him.” If you believe in God, this is just heartwarming.

Nevertheless, beholding a rainbow is a gift . As I encounter its beauty, I take this opportunity to be grateful for all the gifts in my life.

You might want to ponder over the potential messages of the rainbow:

1. Is it time to take a fresh look at the opportunities available to us?

2. There is always another way. What other options can we see?

3. Are we prepared to move into a new light, and see things with a new perspective?

4. Are we ready to cross over from one phase of life to another?

5. What kinds of promises have we made in our lives, and are we honoring those promises?

6. Likewise, what kinds of promises do we expect from others? Are they reasonable? Are they being upheld?

7. What’s the condition of our connection (bridge) to our Higher Power (the deity of our understanding)?

8. Are we ready to be initiated into a new dimension of living?

When I eat lechon manok, I ponder… how was this roasted? What seasonings went into this chicken? Why does it taste so yummy? It never occured to me that a Lechon Manok went through a long chain of process from the farm to the table until I visited my hometown  Cebu for a Familiarization (fam) Tour of the Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc (BAVI) facilities.  BAVI is the second largest broiler integrator “in the Philippines and the dominant market leader for roasted chicken.  It operates close to 1,200 company-owned rotisserie stores under 3 brands: Chooks to Go, Uling Roasters and Reyal.” I am sure you are familiar with these brands. I use Bounty Fresh Chicken for my cooking needs at home.

If you are familiar with Bounty Fresh Chicken, then you will be interested to know more about their integrated operations. BAVI is a poultry integrator company and a member of the Bounty Fresh Group of Companies. The company is fully supported by hundreds of broiler contract farms, dozens of hatcheries, feed mills, poultry processing plants and processed meat plants.

Being a food technologist graduate, I worked in manufacturing plants but never in  chicken processing . It felt like the good old days, wearing a white gown, boots , mask and cap at BAVI facilities. Let me give you the top 6 highlights of  the BAVI fam tour.

I think it’s  important for all of you to get a good grasp of where our chicken originates and of the processes involved in getting it from Farm to Fork.

1. The company-owned Hatchery located in Sitio Pilapilan, Dawis Norte, Carmen, North Cebu

It was a beautiful sunny day when we reached the hatchery . I  did not expect so much biosecurity procedure  before entering the premises and even the blue colored office.  Our van got sprayed with some liquid disinfectant. To help prevent the introduction of infection to the hatchery  or transfer from one building to another,  biosecurity procedures are put into place and adhered to at all times.

Slippers were provided but I still had to wade in the disinfectant footdip, containing a broad spectrum virucidal disinfectant solution.

I wasn’t ready to take a shower which was needed to observe the hatchery itself but  I got an overview . The hatchery has 16 machine units and at full utilization, it  can produce Day Old Chick (DOC) at the output of up to 392,112 weekly (24,507 each units) and/or 1,568,464 monthly (98,029 each units). Wow, that’s a lot.

2. Over 400 contract growers

I did not get to visit the contract growers due to limited time but I want to put this here to complete the chain. There is a combination of conventional open sided houses and modern closed  or controlled environment farms.

3. Inoza Feed Mill Plant at North Cebu

Located in Sitio Bali-Bali, Brgy Cogon, Compostela, North Cebu, the feed mill is owned by INOZA a sister company of BAVI, and  operated by Mr. Jerome G. Cinco referred to as Feed Mill Toll Operator .

I didn’t need to take a shower to check out the feed mill but for biosecurity reasons, I had to wear a white lab gown, hard hat and mask.

The feed mill has a capacity of 3,200 bags of feeds daily production, expandable up to 6,400 bags .

I often wondered why the taste of eggs differ among the suppliers. I discovered that the taste of the egg is affected by the quality of the feed. Feed is carefully formulated by BAVI for the optimal protein levels for various chicken ages.

4.  Daily Fresh Foods, Inc. at South Cebu

This Toll Poultry Processing Plant (or Dressing Plant), located in Brgy Inayagan, Naga City, South Cebu is owned and operated by Ms. Herminia Dayon.  The capacity of the plant is a line speed of 2,100 birds or broilers per hour or 16,800 birds for 8-hours dressing, expandable up to 24,000 birds dressing a day .

This is the first stop when the chickens are stunned before they are killed and dressed.  The chickens are hung and de-feathered by an automative process.

“Safety first” is plastered all over the plant.

I had to wear white boots this time with hair net, mask and white gown.

Before entering the processing plant, I went through the handwashing and wading through the footdip.

This is where I observed how the chickens are segregated as to size and weight.

Some are marinated and most of these are  used for the Chooks-to-go brand which is marketed as the only roast chicken that can be enjoyed without sauce (masarap kahit walang sauce).

Chooks-to-Go offers oven-roasted chicken in sweet and pepper roast flavors. Fried Chooks is chicken that is fried after roasting, creating a deep flavoured taste.

Fresh Chicken, Chicken Cut-Ups and Marinado are available under the Chooksie’s brand.

5. Uling Roasters in Mandaue City

After visiting the hatchery, the feed mill and the dressing plant, it is now time to taste the final product.  The catchy tagline ‘Di ‘raw’ masyadong masarap pero pwede na.’ amused me.

Mr. Ronald Mascariñas, President and General Manager of Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. explains:

That tagline started as a joke but that joke stuck. Every time we shared the joke with various groups people are always amused. We eventually saw that as an opportunity to differentiate given that all other brands have various claims that they are the best or # 1 for so and so reasons. Nobody is making a claim that they are second best…The sloppy tagline encouraged trial, boosted name recall of the brand Uling Roasters and more importantly same store sales went up significantly with the wild re-branding. This tagline may be here for long.

I love the inasal flavor. I wished there are more stalls in Metro Manila.

BAVI is extremely lucky to create a niche in  the oven roasted chicken . I can see they will soon become a dominant market leader in the roasted chicken industry.

6. Giving the people the best so they can be the best 

What I love best about the Cebu Fam tour is knowing that they value the people behind BAVI . Mr. Ronald Mascariñas,  ” saw the wisdom and benefit in the Toastmasters system of developing leaders through mentoring in writing and speaking.”

He said, “I want to develop their potentials, so they can be of help to one another. I will not allow my employees to miss this opportunity.”  I can see it aligns with their company values by giving professional and personal development.

The BAVI fam tour enlightened me on the journey of the chicken adobo, roasted chicken, tinolang manok on the table, from the farm to my fork.