Thursday, April 30, 2009
Free Doughnut & Coffee!!
I got free doughnuts & coffee from Krispy Kreme, thanks to Dina from ePLDT who gave me a coupon for free Chocolate Glazed Doughnut and Coffee. Thanks Dins!!!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Oooops... I Thot this was a barkada pic! (teehee)
I was finalizing my wedding pictures for the final album when I came across this picture:
OKAAAAY. So I admit that for a moment I kinda forgot about being a bride.... Or maybe I thought it was normal for brides to do that with their coin-bearer /inaanak... Or maybe it was an instinctive reaction to my inaanak doing the "Korean peace" thing... Or maybe... maybe I just had to let my hair down and not care if this was normal or not -- I just really felt like goofing around with my inaanak. Hehehe.
Whichever way, this is absolutely one of my favorite shots during my wedding.
Kudos to my photographer's team for capturing this moment. (I guess no matter how hard I try to hide it, i still tend to lose some poise in front of the cam.)
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Strolling along the....huh? Is this the airport?
Take a look at this picture.
This actually reminds me of HK's airport (where my friends and I spend a lot of time waiting)... or Naia Terminal 3 (where my hubby and I spent a lot of time waiting too).
Having in mind that I seem to have a history of waiting (and therefore strolling) through airports, this picture could very well be just one of them. Right?
Wrong. This ain't no airport. This is the newly opened SM Marikina (opened September 2008, they said.)
Yep, see the bottom part of the "airport" facade is a Wall climbing activity by a sports shop, sponsored by Tribu. The partially obscured back of the guy in blue by the pillar is actually my husband, wishing to heck he's one of those climbing those walls.
It even had a Philippine flag, and an SM flag, if you look closely at the first picture. LOL!
I love the high ceiling effect. But the stores aren't that many. It's not that big, actually, and it lacks one important store: DAIRY QUEEN. hmp. Plus, the foodcourt is small! Even less than half the foodcourt in SM Southmall. Of course, the ambiance is nowhere near that of Southmall. Wish they would revamp SM Southmall too. :D
This actually reminds me of HK's airport (where my friends and I spend a lot of time waiting)... or Naia Terminal 3 (where my hubby and I spent a lot of time waiting too).Having in mind that I seem to have a history of waiting (and therefore strolling) through airports, this picture could very well be just one of them. Right?
Wrong. This ain't no airport. This is the newly opened SM Marikina (opened September 2008, they said.)
Yep, see the bottom part of the "airport" facade is a Wall climbing activity by a sports shop, sponsored by Tribu. The partially obscured back of the guy in blue by the pillar is actually my husband, wishing to heck he's one of those climbing those walls.
It even had a Philippine flag, and an SM flag, if you look closely at the first picture. LOL!
I love the high ceiling effect. But the stores aren't that many. It's not that big, actually, and it lacks one important store: DAIRY QUEEN. hmp. Plus, the foodcourt is small! Even less than half the foodcourt in SM Southmall. Of course, the ambiance is nowhere near that of Southmall. Wish they would revamp SM Southmall too. :D
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Wanna Try?
I heart Krispy Kreme! Unfortunately, I have yet to buy the tin can thingie... maybe this coming payday tho...
I especially luuurve their Hersheys Special Dark Chocolate doughnut...
ok that's it, where's the nearest Krispy Kreme outlet here in Las Piñas?!?!??
I especially luuurve their Hersheys Special Dark Chocolate doughnut...
ok that's it, where's the nearest Krispy Kreme outlet here in Las Piñas?!?!??
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
MV Doulos -- Floating Bookstore, Floating Inspiration
" BRINGING KNOWLEDGE, HELP AND HOPE
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD."
"Doulos visits port cities throughout the world, supplying vital literature resources, encouraging inter-cultural understanding, training young people for more effective life and service, promoting greater global awareness, providing practical aid and sharing a message of hope in God wherever there is opportunity."
I was very lucky to have visited MV Doulos last Saturday, 14 March. My brother-in-law just heard about the floating bookstore and suggested we go there the next time we get together (yeah he knew I loved books -- ok, ok, that I am addicted to books). I had no idea how lucky we were at that time, since there were no lines in the entrance. I actually doubted if a lot of people knew about them -- but I was wrong :D
Err... ok.. that doesn't seem like a LOT of people, but that's because I was too excited to browse the books to actually take a good picture. haha! Trust me, the deeper into the deck you go, the more suffocating it becomes... not to the point of fainting of course, but enough to make you sticky and sweaty with all the people pushing everywhere and browsing titles. BUT if you have an insatiable hunger for books (who, me?), you'd hardly notice anything else since your eyes would be rolling from one shelf to the other, looking for familiar titles and prospective reads.
Ok, they were primarily inspirational/spiritual books, a LOT of children's books, and health/diet recipe books. There were also trivia books, Do-It-Yourself books and souvenirs. Plus I found a shelf full of hardbound Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mystery novels, which I am currently seriously regretting not buying. They were just P250/pc! Imagine, a hardbound novel? You could hardly find Nancy Drew in bookstores now, right? Plus, I saw a John Grisham (i think, not really a fan though) hardbound novel for just P500. AAAAAAARGH. stupid stupid me for not bringing more money. Believe it or not, the first book I ever picked up to buy was an inspirational book for my mom & dad. It was in abundance. I would also have loaded myself with disney activity books for P100-P300 bucks -- if only I had kids. It was such a shame I couldn't buy more!!
But I did manage to buy a couple (okay, 3 of them) of mystery novels -- they were classified as juvenile fiction (read: for teenagers) but the stories were good for me too (yep, I already finished 2 of them yesterday). Plus I got a free MV Doulos eco-friendly bag! a very nice souvenir. For a more personalized souvenir shot, here I am...
...beside one of the lifeboats hahaha! I made sure I knew where they were, and how to use them:
Better be safe than sorry! hahaha, kidding! Oh yeah, pardon the pictures -- I was merely using my phone's camera.
Here's picture of the boat from below:
and here's the view of the... uhrm... chimney-like thingie up there:
Yep, it says there "GBA", which, from their website, used to stand for "Good Books for All". This private, non-profit organization was registered in Germany -- with the intention of spreading the love -- through this boat.
Unfortunately, my officemate recently stumbled upon an article which said that the boat would be retiring in 2010 -- so this may be its last voyage to the Philippines.....
To the MV Doulos crew, kudos to you for spreading hope and love to the world.
May there be a Doulos II in the future.
For those who are interested, MV Doulos is at Pier 13 until the end of this month. They are near Eva Macapagal Super Terminal. Just ask any of the guards at the Pier, they know.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Capistrano - Dueñas Supplier Ratings: Illustrated version!
Dahil Computer Science kmi pareho ni Jon, is will :
* Quad-Core Processor: Excellente! Exceeds , sulit ang binayad kasi ibang level ang powers!
* Core 2 Duo Processor: Very Good! Meets expectations and sulit sa bayad. Performed well, with possible minor glitches.
* Dual Core Processor: Good. Performed as expected with moderate hassles.
* Pentium 4 Processor: Slow, causes delay. Did not perform as expected.
* Pentium 1 Processor: Worthy of the junkyard.
Officiating Priest: Rev. Fr. Arnie Boehme, OCD
Pocket Damage: P10k as of July 2007
Remarks:
The Church was magnificent, as usual. Maaliwalas tlga, with a very very long aisle. The altar is also beautiful. Plus points for the long aisle, and plus points to the non-suffocating surroundings. Plus points for the triquetra symbol (the one used in Charmed TV series) carved on the arc by the altar. Minus points to the echoing sound system that makes the voices sound garbled.
Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo!
***
Reception: Fr. Mark Horan Hall
Contact Person: Ms. Lisa
Pocket Damage: P15k + additional charges
Remarks:
Nagulat lng ako sa additional P2,500 charge samin on the day. Bakit kya kami pinagbayad ng P1,000 for the “excess use of the hall”? Although ung P1,500 for the use of electricity for lights and sounds, nasabihan na kami before, hindi lng nasingil samin nung nag final payment kami. Pero sa excess use of the hall, I’m not sure what that was for… maybe that’s because mga 3:30 pm na kami natapos?. *Shrug* Anyway ok lng kasi basically mura pa din ung rental sa hall.
Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo!
***
Caterer: Eloquente Catering Services
Contact Person: Grace Contante
Pocket Damage: approx P150k for 260pax, Carnation Package
Remarks:
Eloquente delivered more than I expected. The flowers were nice, the entire hall was nice, the amenities were complete, I love the cake, the couple’s table and the backdrop were really prettier than I expected, the VIP tables were gorgeous (parang gusto ko nga lumipat dun eh hahaha). And most importantly, THE FOOD WAS GREAT! Unfortunately, hindi ako mashadong naka-kain, pero I was pleasantly surprised sa feedback of most if not all of the guests I’ve spoken to. Masarap daw tlga ang food, and nabusog daw tlga sila. Waaa buti pa sila! Hehe! So far, all that we talked about with Grace was carried out, medyo nagkulang lng ata ng konti sa styro packaging kya hindi na-pack ng mabuti ung wedding cake. Pero sulit tlga everything sa Eloquente. Ang pinakamaganda nyan, hindi sila mahal, compared to the other accredited caterers ng Hall – or to other caterers in general.
Final Verdict: Quad-Core!! Recommended tlga!
***
Photographer: Jomel Gregorio Photography
Contact Person: Jomel Gregorio
Pocket Damage: approx P60k
Remarks:
Jomel is an artist. He’s young, he has talent, he has the eye, he’s got the potential. True enough, lumabas ang artistry nya when we had our Military-themed prenup pictorial. He also has another talent – Tintography. He prints out a picture in black and white, and then using a special mixture of materials, he paints the picture by hand. This is included in our package, and I’m very excited about it. As of now, I haven’t seen the proofs of the wedding pix, pero I’ve seen previews from his camera after the wedding, and I was amazed with what I saw. Grabe ung shots nya, our posing was so simple yet he was able to do something about it. Ewan ko ba how they do it! Of course wait and see pa ako sa final album, which will be months from now, pero so far, I can give a preliminary verdict…
Update: I have seen (and posted here) the official pix from my wedding, and i luuuuurve them! especially the contemporary photography and the candid moments!
Final Verdict: Quad-Core!!
***
Videographer: Reality Wedding Videos
Contact Person: Buddy Gancenia
Pocket Damage: approx P40k, with Onsite video + free projector
Remarks:
To say that Buddy has talent is a definite understatement. Grabe and powers nito, ibang level. This past couple of hours, Jon & I have been watching our Onsite video for several times and we never get tired of it – and Buddy never fails to amaze us talaga. I have no idea where he got those shots, or how I managed to look good in those shots (of course my make-up artist was very good too. Kya lng minsan hindi ako camera-genic eh). How he weaved the videos into a story is a product of vast experience with the 2 largest networks in the Philippines, plus training in editing reality TV with Endemol, the company that brought Big Brother to ABS-CBN. Buddy is definitely recommended!!
Final Verdict: Quad-Core!!
***
OTD Coordinator: Luciole Events Coordination
Contact Person: Sol Ogatis
Pocket Damage: P10k
Remarks:
I love Luciole!!! They really took care of me. I love sol and I owe their team a lot din when it came to the success of the wedding. There were minor glitches, na they were sorry for and they explained to me, pero it was actually not a big deal for me, kasi I didn’t have to worry about the small details sa wedding, they took care of it. Other people may say other things, like hindi daw sila nabigyan ng souvenirs etc, pero I know they’re just a small percentage of the guests. I understand all the things that the coordinators had to do, so things like that, I don’t mind. As long as na-turn over sakin lahat afterwards. Nakakahiya pa nga kasi nag-abono si Luciole ng more than P4k kasi hindi ko naibilin ung balance ko dun sa brownie supplier. So sila muna nagbayad. Buti nlng may cash sila!
Final Verdict: Quad-Core!! Great find to!
***
Florist: Angel of Hearts
Contact Person: Lawrence dela Rosa
Pocket Damage: P11k for bridal bouquet, 4 BM, 3 SS, 6 PS, 4 FG flower baskets with bears & headdress (teddy bears provided)
Remarks:
I’m not a flower person. So I wasn’t particular with what kind of flowers to be used for my bouquet, although Lawrence & I agreed on imported calla lilies. My only specification was the bouquets of my entourage be purple, fuschia pink and orange. The night before the wedding, Lawrence called me up, telling me may kasalanan daw cya, kasi out-of-season na ang calla lilies. Talagang nag super sorry cya sakin, ako nmn, no problem bsta may maipalit cya. Sabi ko, ok lng bsta red/magenta lng ung color. Sabi ko sa knya, “Surprise me nlng Lawrence.” Sabi nya, “Yes ma’am, promise, gagandahan ko tlga bouquet nyo.” So I trusted him and didn’t worry about it na. The next day, when the flowers came, ayun ang bouquet ko… bonggang bonggang Equadorian Roses chorvalu, na may inserts na purple. Wow, ang ganda, sabi ko. Ung red nya prang may lining na whitish. Bsta, maganda talaga! At ung sa entourage ko, as discussed nung nag-mock up. And if I’m not
mistaken, prang may sobrang bridal car bouquet pa nga eh, although provided na un ni Eloquente. Naka-free offertory flowers pa ako, nilagay pa nila sa basket. O ha? Ok tlga kausap itong c Lawrence!
Final Verdict: Quad-Core!!
***
Wedding Ring Supplier: Suarez Wedding Rings
Branch: SM Mall of Asia branch
Pocket Damage: a little less than P20k, with 5 stones for me & 3 bigger stones for Jon
Remarks:
Madali kausap, lalo na mga Cebuana hehehe. Lifetime warranty, customizable everything etc etc. I decided to go with them kasi may branch sila sa MOA hehehe. And dati ko pa din gusto kumuha sa kanila. Mas accessible kasi sa MOA. I didn’t know where the other wedding ring suppliers were based. I also like their lifetime warranty eh, although others may also have that. May lay-away / installment plan din sila, so easy on the pocket. They also delivered earlier than the expected date. No hassle tlga kami sa knila.
Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo!
***
Lights & Sounds Supplier: RejectKrew
Contact Person: Elmer Bautista
Pocket Damage: P6k
Remarks:
Sobrang dali kausap at sobrang galang ni Elmer. We never had a problem with him. We just called him up a couple of days before the wedding pra “kunchabahin” sa surprise dance number namin. During the event, he did a good job looking “innocent” about the unexpected change of music, that even Luciole panicked hehehe!!! His music were on-cue, his lights were great and added to the “hotel-like” ambiance of the Hall. Sila din ung naglagay ng moodlights sa backdrop ng couple's table, kaya ang ganda ng effect! Magaling tlga itong si Elmer & his team!!
Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo! Recommended!!
***
Church Choir: Our Lady of Lourdes Choir
Contact Person: Cheene Geraban
Pocket Damage: P5k
Remarks:
They’re the classmates of Jon’s cousin in Nursing school. Medyo napaisip lng ako kasi hindi pa kami nagkakausap nung group a couple of weeks before kasi may prelims sila. Nagkausap lng kami a little before Christmas. Ok nmn sila kausap, natuwa ako sa acoustic version nila ng “Your Love” by Alamid, which is the favorite song of Jon. Pinakanta nmin during the processional. And my Bridal March was also sung beautifully. Ok nmn sila.
Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo! Talented kids!
***
Hair & Makeup Artist: Pam & Allan (Franck Provost)
Contact Person: Pam Pangan
Pocket Damage: P10k, bride + 2 heads
Remarks:
Pam was my classmate back in highschool, which is why I’m very very proud of her talent. From the trial makeup for Meenah’s wedding to my actual makeup during the wedding day, tlgang approved na approved ng relatives ko. My mom was very happy with her makeup din, hindi nag-iba ang fez nya. Recently kasi nagpa-makeup cya sa parlor, nag-iba ung fez nya eh. With Pam, hindi. She uses all MAC etc etc. Hindi nalulusaw ang makeup and kahit 6:30 a.m. nya ako minakeupan, maganda pa din makeup ko as of 10:30 pm. I love the falsies that she gave me, prang ayoko na nga tanggalin eh haha! I sooo luurve this girl! Allan, who does the hair, again worked magic on my hair. Ewan ko ba, ang bilis lng nya ginawa, pero complicado ang itsura ng buhok ko altho prang effortless lng sa knya. Medyo nahirapan lng ata cya sa bangs kong pasaway. Otherwise, my hair was gorgeous. Prang isang supot ng hairpin pla ang ginamit nya sakin kya pla kahit tumalon-talon ako hindi natanggal
buhok ko. Dynamic Duo ito!
Final Verdict: Quad-Core!!!
***
Invitation: Do-It-Yourself (Layout)
Contact Person: J-Fav Printing Haus c/o Jemmi Trinidad
Pocket Damage: Pro Bono! c/o Jemmi Trinidad
Remarks:
Jusko nmn ang dugo’t pawis ko sa pag layout ng invitation na ito. I really wanted a fun and colorful invitation, something unique and unlike the usual wedding invitations. Every element, every flower, border, background etc. found on the invitation was done by manual layout through Adobe Photoshop. I’ve been doing the invitations as early as September, and I finished around first week of December. My close friend Jemmi offered to print and produce the invitations as her wedding gift for us. So I just sent the JPG file of the pages of the invitation for the printing, cutting, folding and pasting done by Jemmi’s contact. Thank you Jemmi!!
Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo for the production of the invitations. (I refuse to rate my own design eh hehehe. See for yourself nlng :D )
***
Couturier: Anthony of Divisoria
Contact Person: Anthony Agudo
Pocket Damage: approx. P25k for bridal gown, 1 MOH, 4 BM, 3 SS, 4 FG
Remarks:
Anthony’s reputation for being a good gown maker so far remains untarnished as of the moment. My gown was beautiful, the fitting was wonderful, the beadwork was better than I expected tlga. My ento gowns were really beautiful!!! Wala dapat beadwork un, but Anthony put beadwork on it and it was very very pretty! Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect from the ento gowns, since I just decided on the color on my own, without any basis nor picture. Other people criticized me for having Tangerine bolero paired with Fuschia belt. Eh maganda ang kinalabasan, and a lot of people liked the color and contrast of the gowns, so I feel so vindicated haha! Malaki din ang effect nung dinagdag ni Anthony na beadwork, which was just added without additional cost ha! Grabe. The measurements were tricky, though. Most of the measurements done by Anthonny were on the dot. But for the others with measurements done by other mananahi and just passed to Anthony, medyo may
problem ung iba. The usual hassle lng of having gowns made, especially those with measurements done by other modistas. But the over-all effect was fab! I really loved my ento gowns!
Final Verdict: Quad Core!!! Anthony will do everything to make your gown look nice tlga!
***
Emcee: Ms. Cecille Lardizabal
Contact Person: Ms. Cecille Lardizabal of ABS-CBN News & Public Affairs
Pocket Damage: Pro Bono!!!
Remarks:
Ate Cecille was really nice!!! She was obviously experienced in hosting (haller, mas mahirap pa nga ung ginagawa nya everyday on tv) so we had no doubts that she could pull off the program. Napaisip lng kmi at first if she could take time out from her busy schedule to emcee on our wedding. When she gave us her confirmation, nakahinga na kami ng maluwang. And she did great! No below the belt side comments, pero may mga adlib cya kaya hindi boring :D
Final Verdict: Quad-Core!!!
***
Brownie Supplier: Golden Doors Enterprises
Contact Person: Iona Perez
Pocket Damage: approx P8k for 200 pcs. c/o Kuya Gerald
Remarks:
Masarap!!! At maganda packaging!!! In fairness, we found them sa Wedding Expo in PICC forum, and we were surprised na mura lng sila! Buti nlng and they delivered without hassle… and nabayaran sila ni Luciole kasi nakalimutan ko ibilin ung pambayad (oooopsie) hehe.
Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo!
* Quad-Core Processor: Excellente! Exceeds , sulit ang binayad kasi ibang level ang powers!
* Dual Core Processor: Good. Performed as expected with moderate hassles.
* Pentium 4 Processor: Slow, causes delay. Did not perform as expected.
* Pentium 1 Processor: Worthy of the junkyard.
Suppliers
Church: Mt. Carmel ShrineOfficiating Priest: Rev. Fr. Arnie Boehme, OCD
Pocket Damage: P10k as of July 2007
Remarks:
The Church was magnificent, as usual. Maaliwalas tlga, with a very very long aisle. The altar is also beautiful. Plus points for the long aisle, and plus points to the non-suffocating surroundings. Plus points for the triquetra symbol (the one used in Charmed TV series) carved on the arc by the altar. Minus points to the echoing sound system that makes the voices sound garbled.
Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo!
***
Reception: Fr. Mark Horan Hall
Contact Person: Ms. Lisa
Pocket Damage: P15k + additional charges
Remarks:
Nagulat lng ako sa additional P2,500 charge samin on the day. Bakit kya kami pinagbayad ng P1,000 for the “excess use of the hall”? Although ung P1,500 for the use of electricity for lights and sounds, nasabihan na kami before, hindi lng nasingil samin nung nag final payment kami. Pero sa excess use of the hall, I’m not sure what that was for… maybe that’s because mga 3:30 pm na kami natapos?. *Shrug* Anyway ok lng kasi basically mura pa din ung rental sa hall.
Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo!
***
Caterer: Eloquente Catering Services
Contact Person: Grace Contante
Pocket Damage: approx P150k for 260pax, Carnation Package
Remarks:
Eloquente delivered more than I expected. The flowers were nice, the entire hall was nice, the amenities were complete, I love the cake, the couple’s table and the backdrop were really prettier than I expected, the VIP tables were gorgeous (parang gusto ko nga lumipat dun eh hahaha). And most importantly, THE FOOD WAS GREAT! Unfortunately, hindi ako mashadong naka-kain, pero I was pleasantly surprised sa feedback of most if not all of the guests I’ve spoken to. Masarap daw tlga ang food, and nabusog daw tlga sila. Waaa buti pa sila! Hehe! So far, all that we talked about with Grace was carried out, medyo nagkulang lng ata ng konti sa styro packaging kya hindi na-pack ng mabuti ung wedding cake. Pero sulit tlga everything sa Eloquente. Ang pinakamaganda nyan, hindi sila mahal, compared to the other accredited caterers ng Hall – or to other caterers in general.
Final Verdict: Quad-Core!! Recommended tlga!
***
Photographer: Jomel Gregorio Photography
Contact Person: Jomel Gregorio
Pocket Damage: approx P60k
Remarks:
Jomel is an artist. He’s young, he has talent, he has the eye, he’s got the potential. True enough, lumabas ang artistry nya when we had our Military-themed prenup pictorial. He also has another talent – Tintography. He prints out a picture in black and white, and then using a special mixture of materials, he paints the picture by hand. This is included in our package, and I’m very excited about it. As of now, I haven’t seen the proofs of the wedding pix, pero I’ve seen previews from his camera after the wedding, and I was amazed with what I saw. Grabe ung shots nya, our posing was so simple yet he was able to do something about it. Ewan ko ba how they do it! Of course wait and see pa ako sa final album, which will be months from now, pero so far, I can give a preliminary verdict…
Update: I have seen (and posted here) the official pix from my wedding, and i luuuuurve them! especially the contemporary photography and the candid moments!
Final Verdict: Quad-Core!!
***
Videographer: Reality Wedding Videos
Contact Person: Buddy Gancenia
Pocket Damage: approx P40k, with Onsite video + free projector
Remarks:
To say that Buddy has talent is a definite understatement. Grabe and powers nito, ibang level. This past couple of hours, Jon & I have been watching our Onsite video for several times and we never get tired of it – and Buddy never fails to amaze us talaga. I have no idea where he got those shots, or how I managed to look good in those shots (of course my make-up artist was very good too. Kya lng minsan hindi ako camera-genic eh). How he weaved the videos into a story is a product of vast experience with the 2 largest networks in the Philippines, plus training in editing reality TV with Endemol, the company that brought Big Brother to ABS-CBN. Buddy is definitely recommended!!
Final Verdict: Quad-Core!!
***OTD Coordinator: Luciole Events Coordination
Contact Person: Sol Ogatis
Pocket Damage: P10k
Remarks:
I love Luciole!!! They really took care of me. I love sol and I owe their team a lot din when it came to the success of the wedding. There were minor glitches, na they were sorry for and they explained to me, pero it was actually not a big deal for me, kasi I didn’t have to worry about the small details sa wedding, they took care of it. Other people may say other things, like hindi daw sila nabigyan ng souvenirs etc, pero I know they’re just a small percentage of the guests. I understand all the things that the coordinators had to do, so things like that, I don’t mind. As long as na-turn over sakin lahat afterwards. Nakakahiya pa nga kasi nag-abono si Luciole ng more than P4k kasi hindi ko naibilin ung balance ko dun sa brownie supplier. So sila muna nagbayad. Buti nlng may cash sila!
Final Verdict: Quad-Core!! Great find to!
***Florist: Angel of Hearts
Contact Person: Lawrence dela Rosa
Pocket Damage: P11k for bridal bouquet, 4 BM, 3 SS, 6 PS, 4 FG flower baskets with bears & headdress (teddy bears provided)
Remarks:
I’m not a flower person. So I wasn’t particular with what kind of flowers to be used for my bouquet, although Lawrence & I agreed on imported calla lilies. My only specification was the bouquets of my entourage be purple, fuschia pink and orange. The night before the wedding, Lawrence called me up, telling me may kasalanan daw cya, kasi out-of-season na ang calla lilies. Talagang nag super sorry cya sakin, ako nmn, no problem bsta may maipalit cya. Sabi ko, ok lng bsta red/magenta lng ung color. Sabi ko sa knya, “Surprise me nlng Lawrence.” Sabi nya, “Yes ma’am, promise, gagandahan ko tlga bouquet nyo.” So I trusted him and didn’t worry about it na. The next day, when the flowers came, ayun ang bouquet ko… bonggang bonggang Equadorian Roses chorvalu, na may inserts na purple. Wow, ang ganda, sabi ko. Ung red nya prang may lining na whitish. Bsta, maganda talaga! At ung sa entourage ko, as discussed nung nag-mock up. And if I’m not
mistaken, prang may sobrang bridal car bouquet pa nga eh, although provided na un ni Eloquente. Naka-free offertory flowers pa ako, nilagay pa nila sa basket. O ha? Ok tlga kausap itong c Lawrence!
Final Verdict: Quad-Core!!
***
Wedding Ring Supplier: Suarez Wedding Rings
Branch: SM Mall of Asia branch
Pocket Damage: a little less than P20k, with 5 stones for me & 3 bigger stones for Jon
Remarks:
Madali kausap, lalo na mga Cebuana hehehe. Lifetime warranty, customizable everything etc etc. I decided to go with them kasi may branch sila sa MOA hehehe. And dati ko pa din gusto kumuha sa kanila. Mas accessible kasi sa MOA. I didn’t know where the other wedding ring suppliers were based. I also like their lifetime warranty eh, although others may also have that. May lay-away / installment plan din sila, so easy on the pocket. They also delivered earlier than the expected date. No hassle tlga kami sa knila.
Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo!
***Lights & Sounds Supplier: RejectKrew
Contact Person: Elmer Bautista
Pocket Damage: P6k
Remarks:
Sobrang dali kausap at sobrang galang ni Elmer. We never had a problem with him. We just called him up a couple of days before the wedding pra “kunchabahin” sa surprise dance number namin. During the event, he did a good job looking “innocent” about the unexpected change of music, that even Luciole panicked hehehe!!! His music were on-cue, his lights were great and added to the “hotel-like” ambiance of the Hall. Sila din ung naglagay ng moodlights sa backdrop ng couple's table, kaya ang ganda ng effect! Magaling tlga itong si Elmer & his team!!
Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo! Recommended!!
***Church Choir: Our Lady of Lourdes Choir
Contact Person: Cheene Geraban
Pocket Damage: P5k
Remarks:
They’re the classmates of Jon’s cousin in Nursing school. Medyo napaisip lng ako kasi hindi pa kami nagkakausap nung group a couple of weeks before kasi may prelims sila. Nagkausap lng kami a little before Christmas. Ok nmn sila kausap, natuwa ako sa acoustic version nila ng “Your Love” by Alamid, which is the favorite song of Jon. Pinakanta nmin during the processional. And my Bridal March was also sung beautifully. Ok nmn sila.
Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo! Talented kids!
***
Hair & Makeup Artist: Pam & Allan (Franck Provost)
Contact Person: Pam Pangan
Pocket Damage: P10k, bride + 2 heads
Remarks:
Pam was my classmate back in highschool, which is why I’m very very proud of her talent. From the trial makeup for Meenah’s wedding to my actual makeup during the wedding day, tlgang approved na approved ng relatives ko. My mom was very happy with her makeup din, hindi nag-iba ang fez nya. Recently kasi nagpa-makeup cya sa parlor, nag-iba ung fez nya eh. With Pam, hindi. She uses all MAC etc etc. Hindi nalulusaw ang makeup and kahit 6:30 a.m. nya ako minakeupan, maganda pa din makeup ko as of 10:30 pm. I love the falsies that she gave me, prang ayoko na nga tanggalin eh haha! I sooo luurve this girl! Allan, who does the hair, again worked magic on my hair. Ewan ko ba, ang bilis lng nya ginawa, pero complicado ang itsura ng buhok ko altho prang effortless lng sa knya. Medyo nahirapan lng ata cya sa bangs kong pasaway. Otherwise, my hair was gorgeous. Prang isang supot ng hairpin pla ang ginamit nya sakin kya pla kahit tumalon-talon ako hindi natanggal
buhok ko. Dynamic Duo ito!
Final Verdict: Quad-Core!!!
***Invitation: Do-It-Yourself (Layout)
Contact Person: J-Fav Printing Haus c/o Jemmi Trinidad
Pocket Damage: Pro Bono! c/o Jemmi Trinidad
Remarks:
Jusko nmn ang dugo’t pawis ko sa pag layout ng invitation na ito. I really wanted a fun and colorful invitation, something unique and unlike the usual wedding invitations. Every element, every flower, border, background etc. found on the invitation was done by manual layout through Adobe Photoshop. I’ve been doing the invitations as early as September, and I finished around first week of December. My close friend Jemmi offered to print and produce the invitations as her wedding gift for us. So I just sent the JPG file of the pages of the invitation for the printing, cutting, folding and pasting done by Jemmi’s contact. Thank you Jemmi!!
Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo for the production of the invitations. (I refuse to rate my own design eh hehehe. See for yourself nlng :D )
***
Couturier: Anthony of Divisoria
Contact Person: Anthony Agudo
Pocket Damage: approx. P25k for bridal gown, 1 MOH, 4 BM, 3 SS, 4 FG
Remarks:
Anthony’s reputation for being a good gown maker so far remains untarnished as of the moment. My gown was beautiful, the fitting was wonderful, the beadwork was better than I expected tlga. My ento gowns were really beautiful!!! Wala dapat beadwork un, but Anthony put beadwork on it and it was very very pretty! Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect from the ento gowns, since I just decided on the color on my own, without any basis nor picture. Other people criticized me for having Tangerine bolero paired with Fuschia belt. Eh maganda ang kinalabasan, and a lot of people liked the color and contrast of the gowns, so I feel so vindicated haha! Malaki din ang effect nung dinagdag ni Anthony na beadwork, which was just added without additional cost ha! Grabe. The measurements were tricky, though. Most of the measurements done by Anthonny were on the dot. But for the others with measurements done by other mananahi and just passed to Anthony, medyo may
problem ung iba. The usual hassle lng of having gowns made, especially those with measurements done by other modistas. But the over-all effect was fab! I really loved my ento gowns!
Final Verdict: Quad Core!!! Anthony will do everything to make your gown look nice tlga!
***Emcee: Ms. Cecille Lardizabal
Contact Person: Ms. Cecille Lardizabal of ABS-CBN News & Public Affairs
Pocket Damage: Pro Bono!!!
Remarks:
Ate Cecille was really nice!!! She was obviously experienced in hosting (haller, mas mahirap pa nga ung ginagawa nya everyday on tv) so we had no doubts that she could pull off the program. Napaisip lng kmi at first if she could take time out from her busy schedule to emcee on our wedding. When she gave us her confirmation, nakahinga na kami ng maluwang. And she did great! No below the belt side comments, pero may mga adlib cya kaya hindi boring :D
Final Verdict: Quad-Core!!!
***Brownie Supplier: Golden Doors Enterprises
Contact Person: Iona Perez
Pocket Damage: approx P8k for 200 pcs. c/o Kuya Gerald
Remarks:
Masarap!!! At maganda packaging!!! In fairness, we found them sa Wedding Expo in PICC forum, and we were surprised na mura lng sila! Buti nlng and they delivered without hassle… and nabayaran sila ni Luciole kasi nakalimutan ko ibilin ung pambayad (oooopsie) hehe.
Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo!
Monday, November 24, 2008
UST Hospital's Billing Department: BAD Customer Service
Please see below my entire email to UST. I dunno if it will fall on deaf ears, so I'd rather share this with my friends.
November 24, 2008 sent to medicaltourism@usthospital.com.ph:
I want to file a complaint against one staff in your Billing Department, assigned in Window 7. She's an aged lady with a permanent frown on her face. This incident happend last Saturday, November 22. (Kindly check who was in Window 7 on the afternoon of the said date.)
My fiance was diagnosed with Stage III Dengue and has been confined in your hospital since Wednesday afternoon, November 19. Last Saturday, November 22, I wanted to make sure his Philhealth requirements were complete, so I went to the PHilhealth window of your Billing section. The staff there told me I needed to retrieve several documents from our office (my fiance & i are officemates)in order to process his PHIC requirements in time for the billing. The staff in the PHIC window suggested that I could have the remaining documents faxed and I just have to pay them. I frantically called up the office and pleaded with our accounting supervisor to go back to the office and fax documents to the billing section's fax number.
Our acctng supervisor texted me that she already faxed to the said number. I POLITELY asked the lady in Window 7 if she knew where that certain fax number was, because there was an fax for Philhealth. With a sour expression on her face, she got up, checked the fax and handed me 2 pages. I paid for it and then confirmed with our supervisor if it was just 2 pages. She said it was 5 pages, and that the person who answered the fax confirmed having received 5 pages. So I again politely asked the lady in Window 7 if there wasn't any other pages left, and she irritatedly looked at me and said, "Wala na nga eh, yan lng tlga ung andon." I just said thank you and again pleaded with our supervisor to re-fax the 3 remaining pages.
(By this time the pressure on my part was great because our office was already supposed to be closed by this time -- I was the only reason why they couldn't close up.)
Then our supervisor texted me that the billing department's fax line is busy, so she couldn't get through. I approached the lady in Window 7 to supposedly ask if there was another fax number. I barely got the words, "Mam, ung fax po..." when she looked at me and cut me off, "Pra san ba yang pinapafax mo?!" I was stunned and told her, "for Philhealth po." It turns out that the staff in the Philhealth window was talking to someone over the fax line. The lady, assuming that the Philhealth guy was talking to MY office, told me sharply, "Eh un na nga ung kausap nung tga Philhealth eh!! Galit pa nga ata opisina nyo eh! Yun na oh!" she said, her nguso pointing irritatedly to the fax machine. I was barely able to tell her what our company name was when she said , "Oo nga! un nga eh!" so I scrambled out of her window. Confused, I called up our supervisor and asked her if she was on the fax line with UST, but she told me, "Hindi ah, busy nga eh, hirap maka-connect." The lady in window 7 really did not bother to check, she just thought of me as a nuisance, when in fact I used all politeness and pakikisuyo when dealing with her. Despite having a long line, I just made a request to the Philhealth staff to give me a new number, all this time causing delay in our office also.
I would just like to remind you that at that the fact that people are there in the Billing section preparing Philhealth requirements means that someone close to them was/is SICK. Sick enough to get confined and file a claim through Philhealth. Most, if not all, are dealing with paying large sums of money, and so the last thing that we need is MORE STRESS FROM YOUR VERY OWN STAFF -- the very same people who are supposed to guide us on what to do.
For sure, there are some people who may not be as educated as I am who will be asking questions from them, because NOT EVERYBODY IS PRIVY TO THE PROCEDURES OF HOSPITALS. I hate to think what this lady does to other people who seek her help.
Whatever happened to your mission to "provide the best quality healthcare possible, especially to our less fortunate brothers and sisters..."? If that lady in your billing section does not have the patience to deal with a polite and educated person like me, then we can certainly expect she will barely have patience to answer basic questions from those who barely know what to do.
I'd like to turn the tables on her, see what she would do if one of her loved ones got really sick and the hospital billing staff SNUBS her face off and REFUSES to assist her.
I look up to UST Hospital as an institution who will take care of our needs. I was born there, in fact. I hate to lose my respect for it just because you have a dragon lady in your billing department. But unfortunately, it's experiences like these that we tend to remember. Instead of remembering how your nursing staff were prompt in attending to our needs, I'd remember how your billing staff made life hard for me. Yes, I'd remember, and would likely NOT forget. See how important customer service is?
I know I came quite close to losing my fiance, 1 month before our wedding. But I most certainly do not need any further stress from the hospital which saved him.
A very disappointed customer,
Eva
November 24, 2008 sent to medicaltourism@usthospital.com.ph:
I want to file a complaint against one staff in your Billing Department, assigned in Window 7. She's an aged lady with a permanent frown on her face. This incident happend last Saturday, November 22. (Kindly check who was in Window 7 on the afternoon of the said date.)
My fiance was diagnosed with Stage III Dengue and has been confined in your hospital since Wednesday afternoon, November 19. Last Saturday, November 22, I wanted to make sure his Philhealth requirements were complete, so I went to the PHilhealth window of your Billing section. The staff there told me I needed to retrieve several documents from our office (my fiance & i are officemates)in order to process his PHIC requirements in time for the billing. The staff in the PHIC window suggested that I could have the remaining documents faxed and I just have to pay them. I frantically called up the office and pleaded with our accounting supervisor to go back to the office and fax documents to the billing section's fax number.
Our acctng supervisor texted me that she already faxed to the said number. I POLITELY asked the lady in Window 7 if she knew where that certain fax number was, because there was an fax for Philhealth. With a sour expression on her face, she got up, checked the fax and handed me 2 pages. I paid for it and then confirmed with our supervisor if it was just 2 pages. She said it was 5 pages, and that the person who answered the fax confirmed having received 5 pages. So I again politely asked the lady in Window 7 if there wasn't any other pages left, and she irritatedly looked at me and said, "Wala na nga eh, yan lng tlga ung andon." I just said thank you and again pleaded with our supervisor to re-fax the 3 remaining pages.
(By this time the pressure on my part was great because our office was already supposed to be closed by this time -- I was the only reason why they couldn't close up.)
Then our supervisor texted me that the billing department's fax line is busy, so she couldn't get through. I approached the lady in Window 7 to supposedly ask if there was another fax number. I barely got the words, "Mam, ung fax po..." when she looked at me and cut me off, "Pra san ba yang pinapafax mo?!" I was stunned and told her, "for Philhealth po." It turns out that the staff in the Philhealth window was talking to someone over the fax line. The lady, assuming that the Philhealth guy was talking to MY office, told me sharply, "Eh un na nga ung kausap nung tga Philhealth eh!! Galit pa nga ata opisina nyo eh! Yun na oh!" she said, her nguso pointing irritatedly to the fax machine. I was barely able to tell her what our company name was when she said , "Oo nga! un nga eh!" so I scrambled out of her window. Confused, I called up our supervisor and asked her if she was on the fax line with UST, but she told me, "Hindi ah, busy nga eh, hirap maka-connect." The lady in window 7 really did not bother to check, she just thought of me as a nuisance, when in fact I used all politeness and pakikisuyo when dealing with her. Despite having a long line, I just made a request to the Philhealth staff to give me a new number, all this time causing delay in our office also.
I would just like to remind you that at that the fact that people are there in the Billing section preparing Philhealth requirements means that someone close to them was/is SICK. Sick enough to get confined and file a claim through Philhealth. Most, if not all, are dealing with paying large sums of money, and so the last thing that we need is MORE STRESS FROM YOUR VERY OWN STAFF -- the very same people who are supposed to guide us on what to do.
For sure, there are some people who may not be as educated as I am who will be asking questions from them, because NOT EVERYBODY IS PRIVY TO THE PROCEDURES OF HOSPITALS. I hate to think what this lady does to other people who seek her help.
Whatever happened to your mission to "provide the best quality healthcare possible, especially to our less fortunate brothers and sisters..."? If that lady in your billing section does not have the patience to deal with a polite and educated person like me, then we can certainly expect she will barely have patience to answer basic questions from those who barely know what to do.
I'd like to turn the tables on her, see what she would do if one of her loved ones got really sick and the hospital billing staff SNUBS her face off and REFUSES to assist her.
I look up to UST Hospital as an institution who will take care of our needs. I was born there, in fact. I hate to lose my respect for it just because you have a dragon lady in your billing department. But unfortunately, it's experiences like these that we tend to remember. Instead of remembering how your nursing staff were prompt in attending to our needs, I'd remember how your billing staff made life hard for me. Yes, I'd remember, and would likely NOT forget. See how important customer service is?
I know I came quite close to losing my fiance, 1 month before our wedding. But I most certainly do not need any further stress from the hospital which saved him.
A very disappointed customer,
Eva
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