Food Tripping in Puerto Galera: Tutti Frutti

The sound of the gently crashing waves, the warmth of the sun, the slightly pungent smell of the sea air, and the mouthwatering smell of pizza - our senses were treated to these each time we visited Tutti Frutti. We heard about it from Jerry's friend, Ali, but we didn't really go out of our way to find it. It was thus a pleasant surprise when we stumbled upon this little restaurant right next to Tamaraw Beach Resort.

We had just finished swimming for the night and were enjoying each other's company when the bright lights and the thumping beats of a fire dancer's show caught our attention from a distance. We decided to walk over and see what it was all about. It's a good thing we did - we saw the store and Jerry mentioned needing cigarettes so we headed over. That's when we saw the sign Tutti Frutti and we remembered what Ali was talking about.

It was way too late to have a bite so we decided to go over for lunch the next day. One meal and we were hooked. Their pizza has a thin crispy crust and a very light tomato base. It's not ready made tomato sauce, mind you. You can taste the freshness of the minced tomatoes with each bite!

For picky eaters, you can ask Raphael - the owner of the restaurant - to make a half and half pizza. I like everything on my pizza, Jerry only likes the meat. So each time we ordered a pizza, we had one side bare and had all the other toppings on the other side. The Margherita Pizza captured my heart (or stomach, rather). Pizza prices range from PhP200++ to PhP300++.

If you like adding a little kick to your pizza, forget about the regular hot sauce or pepper flakes. Try their garlic sauce instead - olive oil with garlic and crushed chili peppers.


The Weiner Schnitzel is a must as well. For around PhP300, you get two large slabs of pork and a nice serving of french fries.

Going to Tutti Frutti was not just all about the food, though. Raphael is a nice guy. He sits there and makes conversation with you. He's been in Puerto Galera for 15 years - you'd envy this guy's life! Oh, I shouldn't forget Tutti, Jerry's favorite buddy. Tutti is an 8-year-old monkey that Raphael bought from the natives. I think Tutti and Jerry made a connection - see for yourself.

Monkeys notwithstanding, you should make it a point to visit Tutti Frutti if you ever find yourself in Puerto Galera. Here's Raphael himself inviting you to come over and say hi - and eat his pizza, of course!

Cry For Help: Tito Lito

Filipinos are known to be very close to their families - and we are not an exception. We are perhaps even closer than normal. As such, at this time, when our uncle (Tito Lito) is facing one of the most challenging times in his life, we all come together to help out in any way we could. Hannah, my sister, has already posted an entry in her blog and now it's my turn.

Tito Lito had an angiogram over the weekend and the findings show that he has 5 clogged veins. In fact, there are 6, but the 6th is quite minor compared to the other 5. The doctor recommends that angioplasty be done soon. We would have had it done immediately if we had the means but they require about PhP 1 Million for the procedure!

Our Tito Lito is a government employee, and so is his wife, Tita Arni. We all know how little the government pays. They have three children - Angel, who is in college, Gio, who is entering high school, and Silas, who is in grade school. With the normal expenses that they have, they are barely able to make ends meet.

That is why I am writing this entry. I am writing in the hopes that God will touch the hearts of some people out there. Any form of help would do - prayers and financial, both.

Let me tell you more about Tito Lito. He is, perhaps, one of the kindest people I know. He is dedicated to God and his faith. He is such a hard worker - which is, we suspect - why he has this condition when he has no vices (such as smoking or drinking) at all. If we were to adopt a questioning stand, we would be asking "Why him?" He has lived such a good life. He does not deserve this.

Yet he himself has not asked this question. He stands strong in his faith and believes that "all things work together for good, to them that love the Lord." I do not claim to have the faith that he has but it strengthens me to see how they are dealing with this.

I am praying, as I haven't prayed in a long time. God, please make him alright. Please provide for their needs so that this procedure can be carried out in the soonest possible time. I hope he touches your heart through this post.

In Search of Good Luggage

Though Jer and I may not travel as much as other people do, we have had our fair share of traveling over the past few years. As a result, our trusty pieces of luggage are starting to show the effects of wear and tear. The black carry-on bag Jer normally uses has a broken wheel while the duffel bag I usually carry has torn zippers. It's time to get new luggage, don't you think?

I have been looking on the Internet to see what options we have and Swiss Army luggage has caught my eye. They have a very wide selection - various styles, colors, and sizes. I have to check them out at stores pretty soon before we go on our next trip.

Food Tripping in Puerto Galera: White Beach

Whenever we go on vacation, we always look forward to the food experience. When we go to the beach, we look for (you guessed it) seafood. This is the biggest disappointment for this trip. I don't know why, but seafood is hard to find in Puerto Galera!

The resort's restaurant had tanigue when we first came but one slab cost Php300! After that, they rarely had fish. On our first night, we went to White Beach to sample a more varied fare but all we saw was grilled meat - pork, beef, and chicken - but only a handful of poor looking seafood.

I was determined to find good seafood, though, so we went back the next day. I was in for more disappointment. I had to stick to good old liempo.

Persistent me, I dragged Jer back to White Beach the following day. This time, our efforts were rewarded. Peter's Inn and Restaurant had ONE slab of blue marlin steak and believe me, we snapped it up before you could say blue marlin!

See for yourself:

That's garlic butter sauce on the side - it was good!

A few minutes (ok, maybe longer) later:

Remnants of the steak

I had to have a glass of red wine after that meal! Sad to say, that was the best that we could get for the duration of our stay.

Improving Things at Work

I've always held the belief that you can never stop learning and improving yourself. I am glad that people at work hold the same belief - we are actually creating processes and taking courses to help improve our work flow as well as ourselves in relation to the job.

One of the things that we are looking at right now is Six Sigma Black Belt Training. Six Sigma is one of the most popular methodologies followed by many companies all around the world. One company that seems to hold much promise is Smarter Solutions. They have extensive experience in Lean Six Sigma and offers practical business solutions to their clients.

Nothing is set in stone yet but this is surely a step towards improvement.

Tamaraw Beach: An Island Paradise

You know how you see those small patches of beaches on TV with no people in it? That's what Tamaraw Beach seemed like to me - except for Saturday, that is.

We arrived there on Thursday and stayed till Monday and I can say that we found a keeper! As I mentioned in the last post about the beach, the sand is not really white - nothing compared to Boracay - but the ambiance of the place is something else. Plus, for the price they charge you for the rooms, it is really worth it.

There are two general types of accommodations at the resort - the hotel rooms and the cottages. We wanted the cottages but they were all booked for the weekend so we had to make do with a room on the third floor of the hotel. I was not disappointed, though. The room was big, with two double beds and 2 extra cots. It was obvious that they cater to families but couples will certainly enjoy the extra space. In our room, we had a nice and clean bathroom with hot water (no bathtub though), cable TV, and a personal fridge. The balcony had a perfect view of the beach and the horizon as well. They supply bath soaps, toilet paper, and bath towels.

Our hotel room

Perhaps what took away a little bit from the experience is the service and the price of the food. There is this little hut on the beach where we liked to stay. It is within sight of the restaurant but we hardly got service at all. More often than not, we would have to go to the restaurant and get our own drinks.

Our hangout

The biggest drawback for me is that their coffee was instant coffee - I really missed my brewed coffee in the morning! Their food was quite good - we didn't really eat much there but for our first meal, Jerry ordered a tanigue steak (PhP 300!) and I had pork sinigang (PhP160). I thought it was quite pricey but the servings were huge and we got really full.

For breakfast, we normally had the American breakfast (about PhP180) and a big breakfast (I forget the name) for PhP200. Overpriced, I think as you get only one egg. If you want another egg, that's another PhP55. What I really liked was their fresh fruit platter. For PhP100, you'll get a huge chunk of watermelon, pineapples, mangos, and sometimes, papaya. Needless to say, that's what we had most of the time.

Look at that!

Food and service aside, the beach is perfect for relaxing. Our routine was to get up in the morning, have breakfast, and then go swimming for an hour or so. We would then sit on the numerous lounge chairs scattered around the beach. Most of the time, it was peaceful - Jer would put on some music and I'd read my book. After an hour or so of just lying around, we'd go up to take a shower and then head on to neighboring Tutti Frutti or White Beach for lunch (more about these places in another post).

Reading Robert Jordan at the beach

The water temperature is perfect at this time of the year - we even went swimming at night! One thing I could say about this vacation - I actually went swimming on my own! I don't know how to swim, really, but the water is perfectly safe - no riptides and the depth is just right. There are often lots of waves but they just add to the fun - try riding a big wave and you'll know what I mean.

Swimming at night with Ann

I really like Tamaraw Beach. Their service was kind of redeemed at the end of our stay when, upon checking out, the girl gave us a flat rate of PhP1,500 for our room instead of charging us PhP1,800 for the weekend nights, which is their published rate. We ended up saving quite a considerable sum because of this! I think we'll go back in August with the whole family - they have apartments for rent with kitchenettes where you can cook (more savings!). These fit 10 people max.

If you live in Manila or nearby areas, Tamaraw Beach is perfect for a weekend getaway. You can call Cynthia at 0927-597-5588.

Another Step Towards Financial Stability

I wrote about insurance yesterday and I am proud to say that I am taking other concrete steps towards financial stability. Believe it or not, I am starting with something quite simple and sometimes overlooked - budgeting and planning.

My mom always talked about budgets - creating them and sticking to them. I know all about the theory, believe me, but putting one into action is not as easy as it seems. It takes will power and the determination to stick to your plan. Then again, this is the first step and I am taking it one day at a time.

Looking to the Future

I've never been one to make long term plans - concrete plans, that is. I like to live one day at a time but I realized lately that I should at least have an insurance policy to take care of things in case something happens to me. It is not being morbid, I think. It is simply being practical and planning ahead so that those I leave behind would not have to worry more than they should.

I have started looking into various kinds of insurance policies - believe me, there are a LOT out there. From variable term insurance to term insurance - you can find just about any policy to meet your needs. I think that this is a concrete step to being a more responsible adult, don't you?

Destination: Puerto Galera (Tamaraw Beach)

I had my doubts about going to Puerta Galera for this vacation but time and financial constraints didn't leave us with too many choices. As it turned out, it was one of the best vacations we've ever had!

We stayed at the Tamaraw Beach Resort - found it on the Internet and was subsequently recommended by friends. The beach is located in between two other beaches - White Beach (the more popular location in PG) and Talipanan Beach. The sand is not white, but neither is it black - let's say that it has a brownish hue. The waves were relatively huge, especially when compared to Boracay and Baras (in Guimaras). The resort itself, though, is something to be quite happy about. (more about this later)

First view of Tamaraw Beach Resort

So how did we get there? We took a bus in Cubao - the bus station is behind Ali Mall. Christene, a friend from work, suggested taking the bus line Alps. It took us directly to Batangas Pier and the bus ride took about 2.5 hours. It would be faster if you had your own car - they have secure parking at the pier. The bus ride cost us PhP153 per head.

Upon arrival at the pier, we were quite surprised at how nice and modern (relatively) it was. It actually rivals some of the provincial airports that we have! Unfortunately, there does not seem to be much of a difference when it comes to keeping to the schedule. We had to wait for about an hour for our boat. It wouldn't have been so bad had we not been starving (we left at 5.30am and the boat didn't leave till 10.30am).

On the boat

If you want to go to Tamaraw Beach or Talipanan Beach, you should take the boat line we took (Commandos) as they can take you there directly. The other lines go to White Beach only. I liked how everyone got off at White Beach, leaving only Jer, myself, and another girl - in my mind, that meant no people at Tamaraw! (As things turned out, we made friends with that girl -again, more about this later). By the way, the fare is PhP250 per person, one way. They can also pick you up at the same beach for the same price, just let the people at the resort's reception area know.

(More on the resort in the next post)

On Alcohol

One of the hardest things in life is to admit that we have a problem and to take steps towards solving that problem. I came to this realization over the weekend as I spent a lot of time reading (yes, on the beach!) and one of the characters in the book struggled with a problem regarding drinking. I know full well that it was but fiction, however, I couldn't help but realize that this thing is happening in real life as well.

How many people are suffering from this kind of problem? How many are aware of it? More so, how many are doing something about it and actually seek alcohol rehab?

It's an unsettling subject - not an ideal one for relaxing, but sometimes, you can't get away from the realities of life, can you?

Welcome Back To The City

The past 5 days have been spent in a newly discovered paradise. For many, I think Puerto Galera is not an attractive place to visit anymore. However, the place we went to for our summer vacation was, for the lack of a better word, great. We have just gotten back home so I will put off writing about the vacation later on when I have settled down - I have TONS of material for blog posts!

Anyhow, what I wanted to write about is the huge difference between the city and the province. We never had a stressful moment at the beach - even with the vendors bugging us left and right and more than one person trying to rip us off. On the other hand, we hadn't been in the city for more than several hours when we had one of the most stressful encounters with a cab driver (of course, what can I expect?).

Here I am dreaming of the beach again...

Going Open Source

Every one and their mom seem to be going open source these days - and why not? Open source applications are very feasible alternatives to the astronomically priced proprietary software in the market. Even our office is slowly migrating to open source solutions.

People like Ron Bongo are making it possible for companies to make huge savings while increasing efficiency with his company, Corratech. The company used to be a partner of Microsoft .Net, but when they realized the potential for the open source community, they shifted directions.

If you have not considered going open source yet, you might want to think about it. You just might be surprised at the savings that you can make!

A Day At The Manila Ocean Park

I have been meaning to write about our little family trip to the Manila Ocean Park for more than a month now - just didn't have the time to do so until now. I was told not to expect much by Livi. She went there with her husband and baby daughter and said that it was just "ok." I still thought a trip would be nice, especially since not one of us had ever been to an ocean park - with the exception of Jerry, of course.

So how was the experience? I have to say that the park itself was nice. It is true that the fish were still small. The sharks were quite disappointing, actually.



Still, Silas and Sam were awed by the whole experience so it was worth it.


Isn't that beautiful?


My beef is this - the park has absolutely NO system when it came to touring the premises. They just let people in in droves. As a result, we were all squished and pushed like sardines in a can. I hope that they will do something about that. We just might go back for a visit when there are more sea creatures on display and when the sharks get bigger.

Give Me Motivation, Please!

It's summer time and we all know what that means - time to hit the beach! We are actually going to the beach for a week (that's why you may not see updates for the next few days) and since we started planning the trip, I have been telling myself to ride my exercise bike every day. I got this elliptical bike months ago but it has not been used much lately.

Ellipticals are much better than the regular exercise bikes because they are easier on the joints. For me, though, it is not the comfort that is the problem - it's the motivation. Even going to beach didn't seem enough to push me! Help?