january to february issue 2012

8/3/2019 January to February Issue 2012

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JANUARY ISSUE 2012 VOLUME V NO. 01

A JA L PA RA DIS E! M ore fun in th ePhlippines9;~ ? J s 1 m u t

The Davao d el eg at io n w it h DOT Be ij in g s ta ff a t t he Mar co Pol o P arks id e Ho te l d ur in g th e Davao Cul tu ra l F es tiv al l au nch. B ack row f rom l ef t: R uby Ochoa , D av ao Reg io na l Tou rismCouncil ; Eden David , DOT Davao; Arnold King, Good Fortune Trave l Centre; A lex Div inagraci a, G lobal Wings Trave l &Tours ; Chef Gene Gonzalez, CACS; Warren Pal ac io , DOTBei ji ng . Front row from lef t: Jazmin Esguerra, Touri sm Att ache-DOT Bei ji ng ; Maryann Montemayor, Davao Regional Touri sm Council ; Agnes Gupalor , Cebu-Paci fi c Air Davao; andA rt Bonca to , R eg io na l Di re cto r-DOT Davao . The d el eg ati on a ls o in cl ud ed Len i C as til lo , D av ao Eco -c ra ft s a nd Chamber o f Comme rc e, a nd S te ll a Arna ld o, c ol umn is t o f "Bu si ne ssMir ro r" n ew sp ap er ( bo th not i n pho to ). F or mor e pho to s on t he Davao Cul tu ra l F es tiv al, p le as e l og on towww.visitphilippines.com.cn

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"From Islands to Highlands"was the theme of the recent Davao Cul-tural Festival held at the Marco PoloParkside Beijing Hotel as part of thePhil ippine marketing campaign in thePeople's Republic of China.

Organized by the Department ofTour-ism-Southern Mindanao, the festivalintroduced Beijing residents to the dis-tinct cul tural heri tage and tourism at-tractions of the Davao Region.

"Through this festival, we presented thecolors and rhythms of our ethnic dancesand music, the exciting and refreshingflavors of our cuisine, the quality of oureco-friendly local handicrafts, the en-chanting flora and fauna, and themult i-ethnici ty and natural warmth ofthe Davaenos. All these make up theextraordinary tourism offerings ofDavao which we shared with our Chi-nese fr iends in this capital city of morethan 19 million people," said RegionalDirector Arturo Boncato, Jr., who wasformerly the Executive Assistant Man-ager of Marco Polo Davao Hotel.
http://towww.visitphilippines.com.cn/http://towww.visitphilippines.com.cn/


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Boost for International Trade asThe Marco Polo Parkside is a 315-suite spa hotel located in the nerve-center of Beijing and near the ChinaInternational Convention Center,North Star Shopping Mall, the 'Bird'sNest' Stadium - host to the 2008Olympic Games. Its present generalmanager, Stanley Lau, managed theMarco Polo Davao Hotel, Mindanao'sfirst and only international de luxehotel, for six years before being as-signed to Beijing.

EMIRATESSky Cargo Expands South

American Operation"We also expect to stimulate trade, mainly inpharmaceuticals and automotive parts , be-tween Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires -and with Emirates being the only wide-bodyoperator at both destinations, we are alsobringing enhanced cargo solutions to themarket."According to the Arab-Brazilian TradeBoard, Brazilian exports to countries in theMiddle East totalled US$13.8 billion in2011, representing a growth of 22% over2010. Exports to the UAE reached US$2bil lion, an increase of 19% on the previousyear. Brazilian imports from the MiddleEast also registered a significant increase, to-talling US$9.3 billion, which was a rise of44% on the previous year.

East and Australasia and a further 20 inAfrica , where there is also huge potential ,especially in Angola, a route which will pro-vide considerable traffic in household goodsand consumer products.Brazilian exports on the route are expectedto include chemicals, pharmaceuticals, freshfruits and fish, and will be transported tothe UAE and throughout Europe, to desti -nations such as France, Italy, Germany, Por-tugal and the UK, while Hong Kong andChina will be the key trading partners in theFar East.

DUBAI, UAE- Emirates SkyCargo, thefreight division of Emirates, one of the fastestgrowing international airlines, has increasedits South American operation to meet thegrowing demand for air fre ight between theUnited Arab Emirates and the carrier's globalnetwork.

Filipino Celebrity Chef Gene Gonza-lez and his crew at the Center for AsianCulinary Studies featured authenticDavao cuisine including durian icecream and Davao cheeses as well asother Philippine dishes during thethree week-long food festival. Following the launch of a daily passenger ser-

vice from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro andBuenos Aires on 3rd January, Emirates Sky-Cargo is now able to connect three points inSouth America with trade opportuni ties inmore than 100 destinations.

The Kalumon Performing Ensemblepresented ethnic Davao music anddances during lunch and dinner shows.The ensemble was a special guest per-former during celebrations at the Phil-ippine Embassy for the diplomaticcorps and the Filipino community.

In the other direction, oil and gas spareparts, electronics and their components, areexpected to be the leading commodities im-ported into Rio de Janeiro, mainly from Eu-ropean countries such as Italy, France, Ger-many, Spain and the UK, and from Chinaand Japan in the Far East .Emirates' network is always expanding i twill be further enhanced when Harare andLusaka become its 21st and 22nd Mricandestinations on 1st February, giving it a totalof 120 destinations in 72 countries.

Meanwhile, the Arab-Argentinean TradeBoard said exports from Argentina to theGulf totalled US$ 877 million in 2011(January to September), representing agrowth of 13% on the same period in 2010,while imports from the Gulf totalled US$74 million during these months. Exports tothe UAE rose to US$280 million and im-ports from the UAE hit U$S28 million be-tween January and September 2011.

In addi tion to the belly-hold capacity of the14 passenger flights each week betweenDubai and Rio de Janeiro-Buenos Aires, ital so offer s cargo space on the 14 passengerflights i t operates each week between Dubaiand South America's largest city Sao Paulo.The capacity on these two routes - bothserved by Boeing 777-300ERs - is bolsteredfurther by Emirates SkyCargo's dedicatedfreighter service to Sao Paulo three times aweek, which provides a further 620 tonnes ofcapacity on Boeing 777Fs.

In cooperation with the Davao Tour-ism Regional Council, Davao Eco-Crafts and the Center for Asian Culi-nary Studies-Davao (CACS), theDavao Cultural Festival was co-spon-sored byCebu-PacificAir. The Depart-ment ofTourism officein Beijing led byTourism Attache Jasmin Esguerra as-sisted during travel presentations to theChinese media and travel trade.

EK 247 leaves Dubai daily at 0710hrs andarrives at Rios Antonio Carlos Jobim Inter-national Airport at 1537hrs. Itdeparts Rioat 1723hrs, arriving at Buenos Aires Minis-tro Pistarini International Airport (Ezeiza)at 1930hrs. From Buenos Aires, EK 248 de-parts at 2130hrs, arriving in Rio at 0123hrsthe following day. The aircraft will departRio at 0310hours, arriving in Dubai at2250hrs.

Also, with the new Emirates SkyCargo ser-vice being the only non-stop service fromRio de Janeiro to the Middle East - and the-fastest route to Asia - trade is also expectedto be generated from other South Americancountries.Emirates SkyCargo can connect SouthAmerican businesses to 19 points in the Far

"Emirates' new direct flight will not onlyboost trade ties with the UAE, but also withSouth America's main partners in the FarEast, such as China, Hong Kong and Japan,and numerous points throughout Europe,"said Robert Siegel, Manager Cargo Com-mercial - Europe &Americas.

This well-received Davao activity inBeijing resulted in coverage by Chinesebroadcast media and a cover featurestory in a Chinese MICE Magazine. Afamiliarization trip to Davao for select-ed Beijing tour operators and mediapersonnel follows in 2012 which isbeing organized byDOT Beijing in co-operation with DOT Davao, the DavaoTourism Regional Council and Cebu-PacificAir.

EDITOR'S NOTEThis new linked service to two of the mosteconomically vibrant cities in South Americawill present many new business opportunitiesand reinforces Emirates SkyCargo's commit-ment to the market and to the bustlingUAE-South America trade route," addedSiegel.

Welcome to our New Year issue! 2012 prom-ises to be a fantastic and fru itful year fo r thecountry's tour ism industry. With increas ingv is itor arr ivals (both local and foreign t ravel-ers), hotel occupancy rates on a high, andthe launching of the Department ofTourism's latest campaign slogan, the futureof the Phi lippines asa top t ravel destinationis now full of optimism and vigor.

Great Philippines Expedit ion Travel and Life-style Newspaper, they will be stimulated totravel and explore f irst hand the Philippines'unfami liar , prist ine and untouched touristdestinations. Being an archipelago of 7,107islands, the country offers travelers massiveopportunities for exploration and discovery.A ll drink ing water should be.. .Crystal Clear" In order to atta in our goa ls fo r 2012, we willstrive hard to make GPETLN as educationalas possible; as a vital tool for informationand entertainment as we ll. We will a lso fur-ther boost the quality of our articles; makeour stories more excit ing and reader-friend-ly.

Unlike other local travel and tourism pub li-cat ions which feature conventional and pop-ular tourist attractions in the country andaround the wor ld, Great Phil ippines Expedi-tion Trave l and L ifestyle Newspaper show-cases the unorthodox and undiscoveredtourist spots of various locales. From thevery start, GPETLN's mission is to discoverand promote the Philippines' less-known,untouched and unspoiled vacation spotsand potential tourism power houses.

SAN P AB L O, N AR VC AN , IL O CO S SU R B RAN C H

Great Philippines Expedit ion Travel and Life-s ty le Newspaper k icks-off the calendar yearwith an amazing journey to Narvacan, l IocosSur.This issue, we didn' t miss the chance tosavor Narvacan's delicacies especial ly itsna ti ve versions of bagnet and longganisa .Follow our voyage to spectacular SulvecBeach and i ts env irons, inc luding Paraiso NiJuan, Rocky Shore and the Mar ian Gro tto.We also have a special feature on OverseasFil ipino Workers (OFWs) and the opportuni-ties for them to travel and rediscover theTPhilippines. Enjoy reading!

FOR DEL IV ER IESCALL OR TEXT :MOB ILE NUMBERS :0949 714 1162 OR 0917 891 4520 But, Great Philippines Expedit ion Travel andLifestyle Newspaper is not just travel andtour ism. Each issue, we a lso have diverse

sections tackling various importan t top icsrelevant for travelers, vacationers, holiday-makers, and even for entrepreneurs: l ifestyle(people and events), news feature, specia lfeature ( including human interest art ic les) ,agri-business, and global connect (selectedinternational tourist destinations).

MARWIN CASTANARESOffset and Letter Press Printing

Calling CardBrochuresLetterheadsStickersInvitation

Poster/ FlyersGift Tag

Book and Calendar

Web Page DesignLayout and Design

Full Color Digital PrintingSchool and Off ice Supplies

Risograph PrintingXerox

(black and whi te/ ful l color)(size:short/ long/ A3

Fax

Our main object ive this year is to expand ourhorizons; to reach out not only to locally-based Pinoys but also to overseas Fil ip inos.Our aim is to le t them rediscover the beautyof the Philippines; that through ourpages, they will re-experience thesplendor of our country. We arevery positive that by reading

B - 153I - I I. : \J\ IORSI KO ST. RIZ\1, ~IAKATI CITYHI # 02 728 9114rAX #: 728 42131I ,10Bl l r \ :()S 09106649648 09159076229---------------------------------


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Besides its magnificent tourist attrac-tions, Ilocandia is also renowned for itsdelicious cuisine and relaxing environ-ment. During a recent voyage to Laoagin Ilocos Norte, the Great PhilippinesExpedition Travel and Lifestyle News-paper team astoundingly discovered thediverse flavors and soothing ambianceof the city.

was based on classic 1950s Americandiners. The walls are loaded with picturesof 1950s and 1960s icons like Elvis Pres-ley.We were amazed at the vintage 1964jukebox which is still in excellent condi-tion. The jukebox still churns out sweet ,......,,_-----:--------- ....music from that golden era.The employ-ees were cheerful, attentive and friendly.We checked in at Hotel Tiffany. Thesister company of Macy's, the hotel andthe diner occupy the same building.Hotel guests usually eat at Macy's.Marty's father was very accommodatingand kind. He warmly welcomed us to-Hotel Tiffany. The hotel offers its guestsLaoag, Vigan and Pagudpud tour pack-ages.

Our longing for Laoag's gastronomicdelights and the desire to pamper our-selves somehow got stronger right afterwe left our Ilocos sub-office in Sulvec,Narvacan at 4am Sunday.While travel-ing, we were overwhelmed by the city'scaptivating surroundings and enthrall-ing coastline.

Mr. Teng said: "Many visitors fromLaoag and neighboring towns and citiesflock to Macy's to enjoy its delicious foodand unique ambiance while numeroustravelers check-in at Tiffany Hotel torelax and unwind. No branch out plansyet, dikit pa rin ang Macy's sa Tiffany;dun kasi kumakain ang mga bisita, that'swhy there are still no plans to open otherbranches."

When we arrived at the capital ofIlocos Norte at 6:30am, we planned toroam around the city's streets to searchfor a place to rejuvenate our tired bodiesand to sample some of Laoag' s famousdishes such as bagnet, dinengdeng, em-panada, sukang iloko, different kinds ofkakanin, kilawen, longganisa and pinak-bet. Our stomachs were grumbling!

seller), C & E's very affordable PowerMeal (1 piece chicken, 1piece pizza andpasta), tacos, pancit malabon, nachos,pansit palabok, French fries, cheeseburger, and different kinds of salad andpasta.

are all professionals: her eldest sister is amarketing consultant in a Manila Bayrestaurant, while her brother is a practic-ing lawyer. Our tummies bloated, we de-cided to unwind, spoil ourselves and havea facial. We went to Vera Cruz Skin,Facial, and Body Care Center. Led byDivina Vera Cruz Basilio, M.D., Sher-win Montenegro, M.D. +and AthenaSamara Vera Cruz-Tagad, D.M.D., thecenter offers different state-of-the-artservices in providing treatment of dis-eases of the skin, scalp, hair, and nails,cosmetic dermatology (LASER treat-ment of acne, melisma, and wrinkles),cosmetic surgery, cosmetic dentistry, sur-gery, and general dentistry.

In the middle of our search, we sud-denly found ourselves at the spaciousMacy's Diner &Restaurant. The Man-ager, Marty Marx Teng, offered us apalate of Macy's specialties: kare-kare(the diner's best-seller), crispy hipon,siging-gising, noodles, buffalo wings ,and fried ice cream.

Only 34 years old, Marty is the eldestson of four children. A manufacturingengineering graduate from De la SalleUniversity (DLSU), Marty became theoperations manager of Macy's Diner &Restaurant and Tiffany Hotel in 2005.His sister took over the family businessfrom their parents in 1998 and managedits operations until Marty assumed hiscurrent position.Our next stop was C&E Pizza Pasta.

The manag e r, Candy Caluya , offered us ataste of their ywnmy specl.alties: PizzaCar bo na ra, B ag ne t D e lig ht (their best

It has five branches, all in Ilocos Norte:San Nicolas, Robinsons Mall IlocosNorte, Caunayan, Batac, SM Savemore,Laoag City, Gen. Luna St., Laoag City,and P.Gomez St., Laoag City.The restaurant personnel were verycheerful, courteous and helpful. C & EPizza Pasta has a very colorful and cozyambiance; the place is generally neat,clean and well-maintained. And most ofall i ts prices are very reasonable and easyon the pocket.

Located at the ground floor of HotelTiffany in Gen. Segundo Ave. comerM.H. del Pilar St., Laoag City, Macy' sambiance is very soothing, cozy, trulyone of a kind. The concept for Macy's

I Vera Cruz Skin, Facial, and Body CareCenter's branches are:UCCP Com-pound, J.P. Rizal St., Laoag City; 2ndFloor, Lahoz Bldg., Jose Singson St.,Vigan City; and 2nd Floor, PastoralBldg., Bangued, Abra

Caluya plans to open C &E Pizza Pastabranches in other booming municipalitiesand other parts ofDocos Norte."Iwant C &E to reach out to ne ighbor -ing areas in n oc an ~" sa id C alu ya. Cus-tomers fr o m n e ig h bo ti ng towns an d

........ -:r I dties come regularly to our restaurant;that 's why I want to expand." Ms. Caluyais th e younges t child in her & m i l y ; .Coming from a d i s t i n g u i s h e d family ofachievers, sh e t ook ove r the b us in es s o fher parents at a n e ar ly age . Her s i b l i n g s

With our faces refreshed and belliesswollent we ended our unusual trip toLaoag full of happiness and wonderfulmemories. Definitely, the GreatPhilippines Expedition Travel and Life-style Newspaper team will be back soonto e x plo re m o r e ofLaoag's culinarydelights an d calming ambiance.-


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Laoag City lies on the northwestern coast ofthe Philippines, looking out over the WestPhi lippine Sea. I t is only a l itt le over 600 kilo-meters to the southeast of Hong Kong, and alittle over 1,300 kilometers of Shanghaimaking us China's closest Philippine neighbor.Direct flights of just beyond an hour flyingtime between the Laoag International Airportand Hong Kong are available six days a week.The city is 488 km. north of Manila, fromwhere the World Heritage City of Vigan is anhour's drive down south while the pristinewhite sand beaches of Pagudpud are an hour'sdrive up north. Baguio City, the country'ssummer capital i s6 hours away.The population of Laoag stands at 102,457 asper National Statistics Office count in 2007consis ting of 21,895 households. Wi th a landarea of 12,747 hectares, the average populationdensity is 10 persons per hectare. This popula-t ion is relatively young, considering the city'sgrowth rate of 1.13%. Of the 21 municipalit iesand 2 cities that comprise the province ofIlocos Norte, Laoag City's share in terms ofpopulation is 18.72%The people of Laoag, commonly known asLaoaguetios, have a rich cultural and historicalher it age. Not to be missed is the 17th centurySt . Wi ll iam's Cathedral. Located just south i sthe equally imposing sinking bell tower, thetower is said to have sunk sodeeply that today,a man has to c rouch to enter it, while in oldentimes a man on horseback can pass through i tsea rthen doors. The Museo Iluko houses his-torical p ieces depict ing the old I locano way oflife, while the Tobacco Monopoly Monumenti s an edi fice with an interest ing his torical s ig-nificance. The well-preserved Laoag City hall ismade of bricks, mortar and lime, a live illustra-tion of the architecture that has been madepopular during the Spanish era.

Part of it is now a nature tourism site for sand-boarding and off-road vehicle adventures.Other than an a lluring place for tourists, LaoagCity isthe commercial trading hub of the Provinceof I locos Norte as well as the adjo in ing provincesofIlocos Sur,Abra and Cagayan. The central busi-ness dis tr ic t of the city i s l ined with shopping cen-ters and arcades, department stores, banks, moneylending inst itutions, drugs tores, beauty shops,hardware stores and other retail stores. Even inareas that have been traditionally used as residen-tial areas, business establishments are sprouting.With its moniker as "Sunshine City and theNorthe rn Ga teway of the Philippines", the c ityembarks on i ts b id to be globally competi tive dueto the presence of the Laoag International Airport ,the only in ternat ional airport in the northern par tof the Philippines, i ts strategic location, the avail-abili ty of uti li ties as well as tourist-related facil i-t ies, i. e. a 5-star hotel which is the Fort I locandiaResort Hotel and Casino, Plaza del Norte andConvention Center and Java Hotel .Laoag Ci ty , a vibrant and dynamic growth centerin the North, is a truly unique destination offeringsurprises, panoramic sand dunes, lush vegetation,scenic beaches, highland lures, as well as historicaland heritage sites. It prides itself as a multi-award-ed local government uni t. The 2011 Seal of GoodHousekeeping Award proves its outstanding per-formance. I ts Pamulinawen Fest ival was recog-nized as the No.2 top fes tival in the Philippines bythe Department of Tourism and the Association ofTourism Officers in the Philippines. Itis also rec-ognized as one of the Top 20 Cities in Competi-t iveness by the Asian Insti tute of Management.The trend in the city isi ts unstoppable growth. Theestablishment of the new Laoag City GeneralHospital with its sta te-of -the-art building andmedical equipment; housing developments such asCamella Homes Laoag and Robinson's Homes;the influx of malls such as SM Savemore, PuregoldSupermarket , Robinson's Department Store andWilcon Depot; 24-hour food and conveniencestores; business process outsourcing (BPO) sites;CCTV cameras a t stra tegic places; just to name afew. Clearly, Laoag City is on the verge of un-leashing it s emerging power among local econo-mies. The possibilities are endless as the futureshines bright.

The La Paz Sand dunes, located 7 kilometerswest of the cent ral bus iness dis tr ic t, i s identi-f ied as one of the Nat ional Geological Monu-ments or s igni ficant geological formations inthe Phil ippines by the National Commit tee onGeological Sciences. Wi th i ts dramatic land-scape, the sand dunes is a popular site forshooting films such as Himala, Panday andeven segments of the Hollywood films, MadMax and Born on the Fourth ofJuly.

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MESSAGETo "awaken Laoag City from the doldrums"

was the greatest challenge that confronted meupon assumption to office asCity Mayor in

2004. And my immediate response was" Let 'smake it happen". The wheels of developmentwas then immediately put into motion.

Having set the pace, the challenge when I wasre-elected in 2007 was to sustain the pace goingor even surpass our accomplishments during myfirst term. "Move Forward Laoag" became theby-word that buoyed up our energy and s timu-lated greater effor ts to make Laoag City an ideal

place to live in.Wi th less than two years remaining in my las tterm asCity Mayor , I can honest ly yet humblysay that, under my stewardship, we have not

only awakened Laoag Ci ty from i ts deep s lum-ber and cont inued on our crusade to build anideal city but we cont inue in "Making our vi-sions fulfi lled to create valuable future" for each

and every Laoagueno,Proudly we say. .. Laoag City offers a better

alternative to those seeking new prospects . .. forbusiness or for fun.

MICHAEL V.FARINASCity Mayor


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M R. M ARW IN C ASTAN ARES STO RY''Not Destined to be Poor Forever, But to be Rich for Life"This art ic le i sa t ri bu te t o Overseas F il ip ino Workers (OFWs)

who endur e t he h ardship s a nd r is ks o fb ein g f ar away and h av e un-der taken such noble sacri fi ces for t he ir famil ies. In addit ion, t heyare very much in-demand globall y primari ly because of t he ir ski ll s,commi tment, pat ience and hard work despi te t he g loba l f inanci almeltdown.I int ervi ewed aformer seaman who l ived nearourhome. He i sMr.Marwin Casranares, a nat ive ofDau , Capiz ; t he middl e chi ld off ivechi ld ren of a photographer and housewi fe . Now a successfu l bus i-nessman, he owns aprinting press. He was born to apoor family onMarch 14,1 962. H e r ec al ls th at a s a chi ld , h e u sed to f et ch wa te ri n th e moun ta in f ou r time s a d ay .H e a ls o g a th er ed f ir ewood in th emount ai n, for t hem to cook the ir food every day .

Marwin wa s unemp loyed for 4 y ea rs a ft er h e g ra du at ed i n co l-lege. To help his famil y on the ir expenses, he t ri ed buying ands ell in g goa t m ea t a nd r an a poppe rs b all ( li ke end in g g ame) . I n1983, he became a photographer of a pol it ic ian i n t he ir home-town a nd was p aid P5 ,000 - a huge amount of mone y at thatt ime. He used his earnings ascapital and started a beer distribu-tion business. He bec ame a supplier of Gold Eagle Bee r intheir are a; he had a stoc k of 70 to 80 beer ca ses pe r week. Butafter one year1 the business he was bankrupt because some cus-tomers didn't pay him back. So he decided to trade all theemp ty bott le s a nd s av ed money wor th P3,OOO.He u sed t hisamount ashis means to travel to Manila.

He l ived wit h his dis tant rel at ives i n Las Pinas and Sta . Mesa.He worked as"boy"or helper in his relat ives'business - a storeMarwin r emembe rs : "Af te r I g ra du ate d f rom h igh s choo l, I w en t t o s ell in g d rie d f is h ( da in g) . F or h im , h e r e fu se d to e at f ood t ha t h e

Mar it im e Academy i n 1982. I r en te d abo ardin g hou se . I a ls o d id not work for . H e a ls o b ec ame a c rew a t Ol ympic Bowl in g- . .. , -- -- -. - a h el pe r in v ar io us s to re s a nd e at er ie s w it h t he h el p o fmy Cen te r i nS t a. Mes a. H e r ec al ls th at his relat ives told him "You

b ro th er s. I g ot my deg re e i n BS- Mar itime T ranspo rt a- c an li ve h er e f or f re e, b ut you h av e t o lo ok for you r own food."H e a ls o sol d i ce buko in an o ld mov ie hou se in S an Juan.I n 1985, Mr. Marwin was emp loyed a t H el le ni c Shi pp in g. Heworked h er e a su til it y b oy for f re e b ec au se h e h ad d re am s andhe wanted to pursue his career as s eaman. He remembers hisl ife before he became a seaman - ful l o f hardshi p. H is s tomachwas a lways empty and he oft en wai ted for t he s ta ff of Hel leni cs hip pi ng t o f in is h e at in g, th en h e w il l w hi sp er p ra ye rs f or th es taf f to h ave leftovers f or him to eat. He also tried to eat dogfood f rom a r es ta ur an t' s le fto ve rs . He a ls o r ec al ls th e time h eh ad onl y two pai rs o f p ants a nd a p ai r o f s h oe s. T ho se wer e th et hi ngs t ha t mot ivat ed h im to s tr ive more. And he bel ieves t ha th ewa s not d es tin ed t o b e poo r f or ev er b ut to b e r ic h for l if e.

IF DEAD THEN DEADMr. Marwi n was f ir st emp loyed a s s eaman i n wa r ships whicht rave led t oIran and Iraq i n 1986. He l ef t h is des ti tu te l ife i n t hePhi li pp ines t o work asd i shwasher i n one of t hose shi ps . He re-c all s t ha t o ne t im e wh ile w ashin g t he d is he s; h e s ta rte d t o c ryb ec au se h is h ands we re swo ll en . Bu t h ed id not w an t t o go b ackt o t he Phi li pp in es , s o h e endur ed a ll th e s uf fe ri ng s t ha t h e en-count ered i n t hose shi ps . He doesn 't want t o exper ience pover tyagain."Even if our war s hip was bombe d, and I didn't die or g et in-j ur ed , I 'll s til l g o b ack t o th is w ar s hip ," Marwin s ai d. " Fo r me,i fI 'm dead t hen I 'm dead, b ut ifI'm sti ll alive then I'l l sti ll workin w a r s h i ps ."

Ma rwin had a lot of dr eams. He hones tly con fess ed that heenvied his o ther co-workers who had bet te r l ives i n t he Phi li p-p ines . He oft en cri ed when he saw his co-workers i n t he Phi li p-p ines dri vi ng the ir own cars, whi le hewas i n a bus .He promi sedto t ha t someday he wil l have his own car .BACK TO THE PHILIPPINESAfter his f irst boarded a ship, he went back to t he Phi li pp inesand got marri ed i nyear 1988, and was blessed wit h four hea lt hychil dr en . H e d ec id ed to eng ag e i n th e buy and s ell b us in es sagain. His wife back then was a low rank employee of theBureau ofInt erna i Revenue (BIR) ." I r em embe red I bough t c lo th es a nd f ro zen foods li ke h am andhotdogs then sel l i t to the market, and neighbors," Marwin said.He rea li zed t ha t engaging in t he buy and sel l busi ness would bea more s tabl e source of income and away tokeep l if e intact forher family, especial ly for his chi ldren. But l ike before, i twas veryha rd collecting payments fr om debtors. So he dec ided tochang e h is t yp e o f bus in es s a nd s ta rt ed an o ff ic e s upply bus i-ness. However , h is earni ngs were exact ly enough for h is famil y:he s ti ll was not content ed wit h i t because h is cap it al o ri gi na tedf rom a loan. He left the cou ntr y an d decided to boar d sh ipsa gain, bu t this time in cargo ships. He wor ked here for twoyears and promoted asMast ers Quart er even though he was notlicensed.PROMISES ARE NOT MADE TO BE BROKEN WITHGOD'S HELPMr. Marwi n was r es ol ut e to h av e h is own bus in es s w ay b ack2001; h e bui lt h is own p ri nt in g p re ss wi th j us t a P20 ,0 00 c ap i-tal .The Revive Printing Press provides affordable, fast and qual-i ty pri nt ing servi ces. One of t he ir c li en ts i sHuawei Tech. Phi l-i pp ines , and before t hey a lso got a chance t o offer t he ir servi cesto Kris Aquino and Mar vin Agustin. His company hit it bigwhen APC became the ir c li en t.Even if he was hesitant in start ing that business, with a smallcap it al and l ack of exper ience, but s ti ll he persevered. " If you 'rep as sio na te i nwha t you 'r e d oi ng and you b el ie ve t ha t God is o nyour side, you won't break down," he said.His persi st ence pai d off when hewas abl e t o bui ld house for h isf am il y i nMaka ti. H e bough t h is f ir st c ar a nd s en t h is c hi ld re nt o a reput ab le and exclusi ve school. He adopt ed some rel at ivesand neighbors and helped them byprovid ing jobs i n h is pri nt -ing press.H is formula for success was based on a verse i n t he Bib le :JOB 36:11"I f they o bey an d se rve him, they will spen d the r est of th eirdays in prosperi ty and their years in contentment."Mr . M arwin underwen t ma ny ha rdships in his life; a fte r 15y ea rs o fb ei ng s eaman he made h is d re am and h is j ou rn ey c ametrue but his j ourney hasn' t ended . Whi le he humbly says t ha t hedoesn't consider himself successful, he hopes that he can provet ha t t he Fil ip ino are not i nt en t t o be poor forever .


6/10

arvacan, Ilocos Sur is the"Gateway to the Cordilleras" andthe "Heart of Ilocandia." A 1stclass municipality, it is one of theIlocos Region's fastest-growingtourism destinations due to itsstrategic location, tranquil sur-roundings, beautiful beaches, pic-turesque sceneries, and of course,the bagnet.Just recently,the Great PhilippinesExpedition Travel and LifestyleNewspaper team set out on ajour-ney to rediscover the distinctmouth-watering flavor of thetown's famous bagnet and toattend the Bagnet Festival duringa food and sight-seeing trip. Nar-vacan offers the finest, tastiest andcrunchiest bagnet in the country.Besides the celebrated and de-lightful bagnet, Narvacan alsopro-duces the finest quality ofVirginiaand Burley tobacco in Ilocandia. Afertile area, it is mainly an agricul-tural town; its major products arerice, cotton, sugarcane, onion,indigo, corn and different varietiesof vegetables and fruits. Fishing isalso a major industry in the townaswell asweaving and tourism.Narvacan was discovered in 1576by Spanish Captain Juan de Sal-cedo. His expeditionary force wasshipwrecked along the town'scoast.When they were being res-cued by the inhabitants, the Span-iards asked the natives what wasthe name of the locale.The inhab-itants' chief replied in an Ilocanodialect by asking the Spaniards"Nalbakan"? (Are you ship-wrecked?).The Spaniards thoughtit was the answer to their question,and from then on, the area wascalled Narvacan. It has been saidthat when Salcedo discoveredNarvacan, the very

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first food which the local inhabit-ants servedhim and his entouragewas the bagnet.While traveling, we noticedNarvacan's breath-taking sur-roundings and fascinating back-drops. Located near the westerncoastline of the island of Luzon;the town is nestled in a valleysur-rounded by magnificent moun-tains. The municipality has a totalland area is 12,057.37 hectares.On the way to Barangay Sulvec -a coastal area situated in the east-ernmost part of the Municipalityof Narvacan, we had to stop andalight from our vehicle when wesaw the enchanting SulvecBeach.The seaside view was truly spec-tacular! Located in BarangaySulvec, the beach is an attractivecoastline, unspoiled and trulymagnificent.The rocky shore of Sulvec is a fa-vorite stop overof commuters andlocals aswell. Located within theshoreline of Sulvec Beach is theParaiso niJuan - a popular touristspot in Narvacan because of itsunspoiled crystal clear waters andwonderful seascapes.The Paraisoni Juan leads up to the Grotto ofthe Virgin Mary. Located atop arock,many local and internationaltourists and religiouspilgrims visitthe grotto. It alsoservesas favoritespot for travelers to hang out andenjoy the cool sea breeze. Wedidn't miss the opportunity. Weclimbed the stairs, went to thegrotto and prayed while enjoyingthe view at the same time. Thelandmark rock called Immaga-mang is several steps away fromthe shores of the famed Paraiso niJuan. It is a well-known solitaryrock situated in the shoreline ofSulvecBeach.


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Next on our itinerary was the BagnetFestival. The festival attracts thousandsof visitors every December and is thehighlight of Narvacan's week longfounding anniversary and fiesta celebra-tions. During parade day,we were mes-merized by the numerous colorful andvivacious floats accompanied by youngstreet dancers clothed in flamboyantcostumes, merry and lively street danc-ing, exciting games and surprises, cook-ing competitions (with bagnet as mainingredient), and group dance contests -allwith the bagnet as the central themeof the festival.Led by its young and dynamic mayor,the Honorable Mayor Zuriel S. Zara-goza, the municipal government hasstarted the formulation of the town'sTourism Investment Plan (TIP) for theoverall transformation and swift ad-vancement of the community.Mayor Zaragoza said: "This is the ray ofhope that gives us the guiding light andpassion to vigorously pursue our aspira-tions. May this TIP inspire every Nar-vacaneo here and abroad to cope upwith the tides of time onward to the21st century. Having a robust and re-warding vision, Narvacan will directitself in reaching greater heights andachievements. I hereby encourage andinvite everyone to come and invest yourvast resources in Narvacan. This willsignificantly boost not only the localeconomy of our town but to make thespirit alive."

Our craving for the town's popularbagnet somehow got stronger after theparade. As we meandered around thetown' s streets salivating for a taste ofbagnet and other town delicacies suchasNarvacan longganisa (sweet and saltybut less spicy ascompared to others), wediscovered why the town's version of thebagnet is more flavorful and crispier -the cooking technique, which wasshared to us by Calo, owner of the leg-endary Calo and Indang's Bagnet.Calo offered us a taste of his tastybagnet. While enjoying our meal, he re-vealed to us the secret

Treasu re r

I M E L D A L A U R E TABookKeepe r

G E R A L D G O M E ZSKCha i rman

of Narvacan bagnet's unique flavor andtexture. Calo pointed out that other townsusually boil the pork in water then fry it inoil. But in Narvacan, the technique is toboil fresh pork chunks in a mixture oflardand water for about three hours until thewater evaporates and only the oilfrom thepork is left.Next, we asked him what makes Calo &Indang's Bagnet the best in the IlocosRegion. He noted that there are manybagnet-makers in the whole region; com-petition from Narvacan, Vigan and otherpart of Ilocos Sur is tough. But whatmakes Calo & Indang's Bagnet a best-seller is because of their cooking method.Calo said: "Madaling lutuin ang bagnet;hindi na kailangan ng marinade. Pero angdahilan kung kaya kakaiba at napakasarapng aming bagnet ay dahil sa paraan ngaming pagluluto. Dahil yan sa amingmethod of cooking, kaya ang bagnet nagawa namin ay lutong luto at malutong;hindi tulad sa iba, isang salang lang angpagluto, sa amin dalawang beses angsalang."Calo and Indang has three children. Theywere able to send their kids to school be-cause of bagnet production. A formersales clerk and former market vendor (heand his wife sold pork), he also had hisstruggles as a businessman; he also wentdown. But with the help of his siblings, hewas able to raise capital and invested inbagnet-making. During the annualBagnet Festival, Calo and Indang arealways featured in the festival's various ac-tivities. As an entrepreneur, he has signifi-cantly contributed to the economicgrowth of Narvacan due to the excellentperformance of his bagnet business.As our Narvacan journey ended, wepromised ourselves that we will be backsoon to rediscover more of the town'ssights and sounds, and of course, its culi-nary delicacies. I know that more will beadded to our lists. We just can't getenough of Narvacan. Right now, we arestill salivating for a taste of the town'sbagnet.

MR. and MRS. MAU RO C O RRAL ES


8/10

CHINESENE"Year of the Water Dragon"My First Time!

-Ciuaron F BaquiranWhile writing this article, I must confess it was a bi tembarrass ing for me to nar rate my unforgettable expe-r ience in Binondo. I treated it asa memorable event be-cause it was my first time in Manila's Chinatown, al-though I l ived in the c ity in 1990.Saturday, January 21, 2012, 10:00 am.1his date will beunforgettable for me because it was my first time tocome to Binondo. When I was child, my aunt told me Ican buy many things such as Chinese medicines inChina Town and jewelries in Ongpin Street.My thri ll r ea lly got h igh a fter al igh ting f rom the t ra inin LRT Carr iedo Stat ion because my co-worker Pau ltexted me to meet him and Sir Rod at Sta. CruzChurch. When I went near t he church, I noticed thatthere was a store full of people falling in line. That s torei s a feng shu i s to re . Feng Shui i s so popular e special lyduring Chinese New Year because i t guides us on howto improve our lives for the New Year.I noticed Chinesedrug stores side by side; indeed it was a fascinatingsight. Lots of Chinoys were too busy in buying luckycharms, Chinese figurines and t ikoy or Chinese ricecake.When I got to the church, When Paul met me outsidethe church and asked me to en te r i t, I was sohes it an t todo sobecause to tell you honestly, that was also the f ir sttime I'll enter a Catholic Church because I am a full-blooded INC (Igles ia Ni Cri sto) member. I was soner -vous and tense when I came in the church but I toldmyself "don't worry nothing will happen justobse rve. 'When I sat down, I was fa sc inated and got anopportun ity to scr ut in ize the inter io r of the church.Si nce this it was my first time in a Cat hol ic church, Ican say that there were a lot ofdifferences between INCchurches and catholic churches. I 've also seen a confes-sion room in the two sides of the church and also astatue in f ront of the church.When we went out of the church, we executed our ma ingoal - to get part ic ipan ts (sponsors ) fo r our up comingChinese New Year Special Feature.While wai ting for KuyaJoey - our wr it er, my bos s (S irRodel), Paul, our creative officer and we tried our luck ina Chinese drug store owned by Ms. Cheng Sy.We en-couraged her to have an adver tisement ofher drug storein our newspaper . Thanks to her s taff , they helped usbyinterpreting our messages to Ms. Sy.Oh yes!We got ourf ir st client. Paul took a picture of her products.Dur ing lunchtime, we found ourselves in a res taurantnea r Avenida (Rizal Avenue) and the LRT CarriedoSt ation. Jonah Delima, manager of Prince DinersNelro's Restaurant held a fusion of Filipino andChinese-st yl e set menu lunch at the rest aurant. Ms.Jonah offered us a palate of their appetizing specialties :kilawi ng tanigue, goat, and an assortment of pancitdishes.Guests enjoyed their other delicious specialties such askilwaing bangus, chami, sate beef, crispy pata. The res-taurant also offers r ice all you can meals , s izzling mealswi th rice , and unl imi ted r ice toppings. Pr ince DinersNelro's Restaurant offers its patrons affordable reason-ably-pr iced dishes and drinks. The ambiance iscozy andinformal, where guests can really relax and feel at home.The staff is friendly and accommodating. Therestaurant's beautiful waitresses were the big attractions!Wearing sexy a tt ire , short ski rt s and spaghet ti st rapswith Chinese style motif, they are indeed stunningcome-ons.

"Panghatak name ng customers ang aming mga sexywaitresses," said Delima. "Araw-araw iba iba ang designng mga uniforms nila pero sexy pa rin ang mga damitil "a.Oh what a hearty and satisfying lunch!One of the buildings that I can't forget was a hotel thatlooks like heaven when you enter it. The theme of theho te l i s Gr eek a rchi tectur e. From the f irs t floor, we tookthe elevator up to the ma in r ecep tion a rea. We were mes -merized by the staffs' uniform - like angel s who fromheaven . But we didn' t have achance todeal with them be-cause their manager left already.I 'm a f ir st-t imer in Binondo. Even ifmy legs were hur tingbecause of an injury; I took the chance to go inside EngBee Tin, the home of best hopia and tikoy. The owner ofthe store i s a lso the owner of M r. Ube and Cafe Mezza-n ine. He is al so helping h is communi ty in providing fi retrucks (painted with purple color).Josephine Shiu, general manager of the original PresidentGrand Palace Restaurant, held a Chinese-s tyle set menudinner atthe res taurant. She offered usa tas te of their suc-culent specialties: spinach soup (with egg whites andshrimps); Three-Way Duck (Goose ) - minced duck withlet tuce , duck with momo wrappe r, and duck with g inge ronion sauce; s izzling spicy oyster, s teamed eel with tausiand chili, and calamares."Fami ly bus iness namin i to - f rom the cook, market ing,e tc. l ahat ay fami ly , hands on karn ing lahar, " sa id Shiu .' 'Ang mga pr esyo namin ay pangmasa; ang ambiance aymaaliwalas, where guests can feel at home. "The big and spac ious r es tauran t has an o ld style Chinesedesign - emphasizing the colors of an old Chinese dy-nasty and imperial palace: yellow (emperor), red and black(royal colors) . The waiters and staffs were very attentive,kind , and entertaining . The comfort room was c lean andc om fy ,There a re many things I won 't fo rget during my t rip to Bi -nondo: the facade of Sta. Cruz Church decorated withChinese Lanterns and the fountain in front of it, livelyOngpin Street and its environs bustl ing with activity; andthe people - tourists taking pictures, families, lovers, shop-pers, and vendors selling balloons, fruits, wine, jewelry andtikoy. I won't ever forget the sights, scents, and sounds ofChinatown.Kung Hei F at Choy!Thi s popul ar Chinese New Year greet ing means "Congra tu la -t ions and wishi ng you prosper it y. "1he sal ut at ion ref lect s t he im-por tance ofChinese New Yearand the Chinese-F il ip ino commu-nit y as a whole t o our cul tu re . Chinese New Year i sa very s igni fi -c an to cc as io n for o ur f ell ow Ch inoy s in th e Phil ip pin es a nd i nother c ountr ies . Th e Chinese believe that the n ew luna r yearbrings new opt imism and guidance; to have a product ive andhappy l ife i n all aspec ts . That' s why they s tret ch t he ir budgets andpreparefor t hi s occas ion wit h much fervor i n order for t hem to a t-tr ac t lu ck . T he Chi ne se c ale nd ar i s a ss oc ia te d wi th 12 zod ia canimals . Chinese mythology has many stori es about t he ori gi n ofthe Chinese Zodiac.A popul ar s to ry n ar ra te s h ow th e Lord Buddh a c al le d f or a ll o fth e p la ne t' s a nim als to come to h im befor e h e d ep ar ts f rom t hiswor ld . B ut o nl y tw el ve anima ls c ame to s ay goodbye to t he LordBuddha. As a t oken of appreci at ion, he named each year aft er t henames of t he12 animals i n t he ir order of arr ival .A no th er f amous t ale menti on s th at th e anima ls w er e in vit ed t op ar tic ip at e in a r ac e and a s a r ew ard for c ro ss in g th e f in is h l in e;t he f irst 12 animals would appear on the Chinese Zodiac. The f irstt o cross t he f in ish l ine was t he rat , fol lowed bythe ox, t iger , rabbi t,d ragon, snake , horse , sheep , monkey, roost er , dog and l as tl y, t hep ig . T hi s i s th e r ea son why th e Yea r o f th e R at i s t h e f ir st a nima lin the Chinese calendar.


9/10

in the

C e b u M e t r o p o li t a n C a th e d r a l i s t h e e c c le s ia s t i -cal seat o f t h e M e tr o p o li t a n A r c h d io c e s e o f C e b u .T h is h is to r ic t h ic k -w a l le d B a ro q u e - s ty le c a t h e -d r a l w a s a lm o s td e v a s ta te d b y A l l i e d b o m b in g sd u r i n g W o r ld W a r I I . O n ly t h e f a ca d e , b e l l t o w e r ,a n d w a l ls r e m a in . T h i s p ro m in e n t c a th e d ra l w a sr e b u il t a f e w y ea rs a f t e r t h e country's liberation

f r o m J a p a n e s e o c c u p a tio n .

The Philippines is the onlyChristian nation in Asia. About95% of the people in the countryare considered Christians, morethan in any Asian state. TheConstitution of the Republic ofthe Philippines assures freedomof religion. Each Filipino canselect which organized religionto Jom. Muslims, Buddhists,Hindus, and members of otherminor faiths can openly practicetheir beliefs and have the libertyto worship in the country.Most Filipinos are Roman

Catholics. About 83% of the na-tional population, the religionwas introduced to the natives bythe Spanish colonizers in the16th century. Majority ofVisayans practice Catholicismdue to the fact the first churchesin the Philippines were estab-lished in the Visayan group ofislands. The inhabitants are alsoknown to have a deep devotionto the Child Jesus or the SantoNino. In fact, Cebu is one of theoriginal centers of Christianityin the country. Cebu was estab-lished as a diocese in 1595 andwas elevated as a metropolitanarchdiocese in 1934.Statistics from a survey con-

ducted in the year 2000 showsthat Roman Catholics made upthe bulk (86.53 percent) of thepopulation of Western Visayas,followed by Aglipayan (4.01percent) and Evangelicals (1.48percent), while 7.71 percent be-longed to other religious affilia-tions. Roman Catholics alsocomposed 92 percent of thehousehold population in theCentral Visayas Region, fol-lowed by Aglipayan (two per-cent) and Evangelicals (one per-cent).

The remaining five percent be-longed to other religions that in-cluded United Church of Christin the Philippines, Iglesia NiCristo and other groups.ForEastern Visayas, 93 percent wereRoman Catholics (more thanthe total household population),followed by Aglipayan (two per-cent) and Evangelicals (one per-cent). The remaining 15 percentwere IglesiaNi Cristo,Baptist,Seventh Day Adventist, Islamand other religions.Being a predominantly Catho-lic country, the Philippinesboasts of numerous beautifulBaroque and Gothic-stylechurches and cathedrals spreadall over the archipelago, especial-ly in the Visayas in Central Phil-ippines. Baroque churches sig-nify a synthesis of Europeanchurch design and local con-struction methods and embel-lishments. Their exact featuresinclude a separate bell-tower andsturdy defenses to resist rebel-lions and endure destructive ty-phoons and powerful earth-quakes common in the regionand in countries lying on the Pa-cific Ring of Fire. Gothicchurches feature an architecturalstyle associated with cathedralsand other churches whichthrived in Europe during thehigh and late Middle Ages.Visayan culture can be clearly

defined as celebratory, historical-ly-conscious and religious. It isin the Visayas where festivals arebestowed with such spectacleand pomp. Catholics in theVisayas hold annual religiousfestivals as a way of givingthanks to God and to honor thepatron saint of a specific prov-ince in the islands as well.


10/10

Popularly known worldwide as KK andApi Api byits inhabitants, the breathtaking cityof Kotl l Kinabalu is a we -loved to rism get -away in Malaysia. Forrnetly knowrl asJesselton,it is strategically located on the northwest coastof the tropical islandif Borneo. Kota Kinabaluis the capital of thepate of Sab~, which is oneof t he two states of East Malays~a. )A major touri st destinat ion and a renownedgateway f~travellers visiting Sabah andBorne9( it faces the South China Sea andTunku Abdul Rahman Park on one side, withthe majestic Mount Kinabalu asits background.This astounding "Nature Resort City" stretchesfor miles along the shoreline and towards theinland with extensive beautiful beaches, stun-ning rain forests, well-preserved coral reefs, andpicturesque islands.Named after the imposing Mount Kinabalu,KK has a population of 462,963, while thelarger urban area has an estimated population of900,000. Itis the biggest metropolitan center inSabah and the sixth largest in Malaysia. One ofthe fastest growing cit ies in the country, KotaKinabalu is also one of the most dynamic andbooming industrial and commercial hubs inSabah and East Malaysia. I ts main industr iesare palm oil production, agriculture and fishing.The city also hosts many national, regional, andinternational trade fairs, conferences and eventseach year, including the United Nations Con-ference on Trade and Development(UNCTAD), Asia Pacific Tourism Conference,the biennial Sabah International Expo andmany others. The city is home to one of Asia'sbeloved and prestigious Jazz Festivals, theannual KKJazz Festival.

)tolillaJUANB EAC H RESO RT

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-HISTOI7YThe year was 1881. Kota Kinabalu began asa tiny British settlement during that periodon Pulau Gaya - the largest of fiveislands di-rectly across the bay from the present -daycity/In 1897, rebels led byMat Salleh clashedwith the British colonialists and scorched theisland settlement. The British transferred tothe mainland in a small fishing village locatedat Kampung Gant isan. In 1899, the Brit ishnamed the new settlement "Jesselton," afterSir Charles Jessel, the Vice-Chairman of theBritish North Borneo Chartered Company.During World War II, the Allied Forces

bombed and totally demolished Jesselton inorder to liberate North Borneo from Japa-nese occupation. The British North BorneoChartered Company was forced to renouncetheir land rights over North Borneo to theBriti sh Government due to the high cost ofpost-war rebuilding. North Borneo became aBriti sh Crown Colony on July 15, 1946. Atthe same t ime, Jessel ton was designated asthe new capita l of North Borneo, replacingSandakan, which was also devastated duringthe war.Sabah became a state whenNorth Borneo, together with Sarawak, Sin-gapore and the Federation of Malaya, formedthe Federation of Malaysia in 1963. The newstate retained Jesselton as its capital; and wasrenamed Kota Kinabalu on September 30,1968. Itreceived official city status from theMalaysian government on February 2, 2000.

january to february issue 2012

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