When God says no, it just simply means he has better plans away from what you have imagined. It may be painful and difficult, but it will surely refine you.
It may leave you wondering but you have to believe that there is a purpose why He allowed it to happen. Trust that it will shape you and will make you the best version of yourself no matter how it may look vague.
Maybe, as of the moment, you have been undergoing testing and you can’t fathom it. Numerous questions have been bombarding your mind. And as much as you try to decipher your situation, you remain oblivious. Totally clueless.
Though you hardly understand it, you have to put your trust to Him and embrace the fact that He has a perfect and right timing. He will reveal it according to His timetable. It may not be too soon, but definitely He will.
We may both do not know when that right time will knock, but we have to keep our faith no matter what. His timetable is never align to our own time; He has his own. Yet, one thing is for sure, He will allow you to fully grasp it when you are ready enough to handle it.
(C) Spiritual Inspiration
For now, you have to remain still and firm. Stay calm. Trust His time. Take it slow. Believe. Don’t rush; be patient.
Because God surely knows what He is doing. He is moving even you felt He’s not. He takes control even you think He’s not. He loves you.
Remember in2 Corinthians 4: 17-18, “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever. So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”
Keep in your heart and mind that it is for a purpose. It will not happen just for nothing. It is never in vain and surely it works for your good.
Keep on moving forward. Take your faith higher. Intensify your prayer. Don’t quit. Keep journeying with Him. In His perfect will and time, He will reveal the purpose and you have to be ready. Prepare yourself for He will only show it once he saw your faithfulness and maturity.
Do not be disappointed. You are in the process. You just don’t know that God is already putting you to the direction He has already planned long before.
His directions will never come in a straight and smooth form; most of the time it is curvy and messy. Nonetheless, despite the twist and turn, all trials and challenges will soon lead to a wonderful destination.
And when you get there, you will finally recognize that it’s not just about the destination, but also about the process you’ve been through.
Keep the faith! Don’t settle. Keep conquering!
Romans 8:12And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
After 6 years of blogging here, I finally moved to my self-hosted site www.heramazingstory.com. Moving to my own site has been my goal ever since I started blogging. (Read the story here) But for some reason, I wasn’t able to achieve it until last month I had the courage to pursue having my own site. I believe this move is kinda challenging at first since I decided to have my new domain name which is her amazing story. That means I have to work extra hard to crawl my new site on search engines and to build my readers again.
I am currently using wordpress.org for my site and it’s also quite different from wordpress.com. So I’m still learning it. Anyway, to all my loyal readers and my community here, I hope you could support me as I moved to an improved platform. Don’t worry, I decided not to delete my account here even I moved some of my posts here to my new site.
I just can’t delete this site that brought so much memories, friendship, experience, and most of all the site that help me find what I really love to do for the rest of my life. I’m getting nostalgic already. Thank you for the love everyone. I’m so grateful that I met the best and crazy people here that turned to be my mentor, constant cyber friends, and supporters. I couldn’t mention all of you but you know who you are.
As corny or dramatic as it sounds, I have to be honest that I got emotional as I peruse my previous stories I posted years ago. I was full of vigor and energy to change and impact the world. Well, it hasn’t changed up until now. But I can see all my wordpress family supporting me through their encouraging comments. I recalled that I posted of being so emotional because I haven’t found any inspiration or push to write again, then bulk of comments came uplifting me to just write. I was 16 back then and all my wordpress followers were encouraging me.
Indeed, Thank you so much for the overwhelming support. (If you have the luxury of time, you can check my previous posts and see and laugh) I also have my facebook page already, I hope you could view it as well and like it. Like it here (www.facebook.com/heramazingstory)
When situations, school loads and others are stressing me terribly, I used doodle to ease the tension and to unwind. I’m not a pro and not even good in drawing. But there’s something on the strokes and coloring the cute creatures on the blank sheet of the doodle art that just simply alleviates my stress and calm my heart.I just can’t explain the feeling. All I feel is that when I color the doodle art, it makes me feel more relaxed.
When I’m so much stressed, I pour out my heart coloring doodle art. I told you, I’m not a pro. hihi
Doodling Art
But doodling was like an underrated form of art in the Philippines. Most of the time people labeled it as mere of hobby or just for a leisure time. That’s why I was overjoyed to hear that Titus Pens is holding a doodling art competition, Titus iDoodle on-the-spot Ballpen Art Competition Battle of the Champions. I was entirely excited to attend the event to find out what’s in store for the doodling art in the Philippines.
Doodling: It’s More Fun in the Philippines
From a mere hobby, doodling in the Philippines has grown into something – a more respectable form of art. The competition has showcased the talent of thousands young artists in the Philippines. I felt delighted to discover how rich our country with bulk of talented people.
There are groups like the Doodle Art Enthusiasts that features the talents of doodlers in the country. The group also aim to inspire other people through this art and empower every doodler on their talent. If you have the heart on doodling, I encouraged you to be part of their group so you can get to know more with other people who have the same passion on doodling.
Youngest contestant I met on the event. She’s just 8 years old! Very talented indeed.
The theme’s competition is about promoting the Philippines or showcasing why is it more fun in the Philippines. Here’s the best of the bests that caught my heart:
One of the best entries! One way to appreciate that talent of young Filipinos
Promoting the beauty of Cebu through doodling!
Before the time was up for the contestants, I was able to take a shot of some doodle arts of the participants.
Highlighting Filipino values!
The love that never binds the Filipino family
This is my favorite output that I saw on the competition. This is the mark and the heart of a Filipino!
I do hope that this kind of competition will continue for the coming years. Let’s us showcase and highlight what we have. This is also the best way to maximize the talent of young artists in our country. The event will teach you 3 things:
1. Appreciate and love our own
Don’t overlook what’s literally in front of you. Appreciate our own. Our country has a lot to offer, innumerable places to visit, and sumptuous food and delicacies to try. (Read here: Love Local: Marikina’s Best – Food.Shoes.Places)
2. Maximize what you have
If you have the gift and talent, show it to the world. Flex it once in a while. Don’t make it jelly. Put your passion on it. (Read here: The Time is NOW!)
3. Connect to the right people
You can’t do it alone. You need people who will bring out the best in you and will tell that you can do it. Most of the time your fear subsides whenever you find people who have the same interest and passion like yours. Connect to their group and get to know them. Just be careful on what group you’ll join and people you’ll connect. Make sure they are the type of people who will unleash your potentials. (Read here: While You’re Still Young and Amazing)
I salute the Star 360 and Titus Pens for uplifting the Filipino talents through this event.
When you enter the age of young adulthood, responsibilities will welcome you and your priorities will be eventually adjusted. The things that you thought matters highly on your life will suddenly veer from your top priorities. And these changes will allow you to realize what really matters in life.
Like Christmas, the momentous day where the greatest gift of the Father was born -the day that marks our gratitude and the love we received from Him. Christmas is something that you can’t just remove on the calendar. Christmas for some became an avenue to receive numerous gifts and their wishlist, to finally meet Santa and his elves. It became a day for the kids and even a day for sumptuous feast.
But as you embark your journey as a young adult, you will gradually realize what really matters in life – the authentic gift that can never be equated to all superficial things. That all you received on Christmas day and all your properties and material things are just really meaningless.
I can sum up to the three most important gifts in our lives that we must not take for granted this Christmas.
1. The Gift of Family
No one can ever replace your mother, father, and your crazy siblings as much as you want to look for other family. You are there for a purpose and this Christmas why not be grateful that you have your family and your relatives.
Christmas means loving and forgiving. If you have been hurt and still have a hard time to forgive, this is the right time to release all the pain and let go. Remember that just like you, your family is never perfect. Your mom and dad make mistakes just like you, but despite that fact, they are still your parents.
GIFT OF FAMILY. Christmas with my relatives. Nothing beats the bond and fun with them
This is the time to be grateful to your family and to give them some token of appreciation. Why not treat them to a spa or in a hotel? Or just have a short but quality vacation. This Christmas let’s not take for granted our loved ones and spend quality time with them.
2. The Gift of Time
In the era where everything can be bought, there is an essential gift that no one can ever buy: the gift of time. It is a gift that no one can steal and turn back. It is the gift the most busy family and individual are in hunger and yearning for.
GIFT OF TIME. A year was added to me and I’m no longer a teenager. Grateful for the gift of time for it makes me have a quality moment with the special people in my life.
This Christmas let’s appreciate the time we spend to our family. The time we spend for ourselves and the time we spend for Him. Let us reflect on our goals, achievements, failures and how it gave us a remarkable lesson in our lives.
There are people out there whose days are already numbered so don’t waste your time living just like yesterday. Take your time to achieve your dreams and to conquer your fear. Go to an extreme adventure that you have never done before!
3. The Gift of Giving
Do not treasure things where moths live. Learn to give. Share how God has blessed you. Give back to your parents who were more than willing to sacrifice just to provide for you and give you the best. Take away that “kuripotology” that stinginess in your inner self. It’s never healthy at all.
GIFT OF GIVING. A treasured moment with the Lola on the Home for the Aged of Anawim Foundations. I greatly learned from all the lolas. I will surely comeback
One of the most priceless reward to receive is when there are people who are grateful for having you because you were able to help them and give to them not just in the means of money but in the means of love, time, advice and motivation.
This Christmas share what you have!
Christmas may be over on the calendar but it’s never too late to appreciate and realize these 3 gifts in your life that you may have overlooked for years. You can still seize these gifts for the true spirit of Christmas is not just on December 25, but it’s on our everyday lives. Like on the lyrics of a Christmas song, Christmas must truly be on our hearts.
You might have been bombarded with pressures, deadlines, and circumstances lately and you are still pondering where to go. Give yourself a break and include these 2 hotels on your next staycation trip.
1. Hotel Kimberly
If you are on a budget yet you still want to embrace tranquil ambiance, and quality service and facilities, then you should go to Hotel Kimberly. The Hotel is just close to Robinson’s Ermita and LRT Pedro Gil Station. Perhaps you are familiar with their hotel in Tagaytay but if you’re sick having long trips, you can still have their hotel experience at their Manila Branch.
I love their interior!
Their staff are very welcoming and they even invited us for a dinner but since we are running out of time we opted to decline and will just look forward for another invitation from them.
Cafe K found just on the side of their lobby. Its ambiance is so cozy.
The following pictures are their rooms from Superior room to executive rooms. Their room rates are vastly affordable.
This is their smallest room or the Premier room that they offer. The space is well maximized that you can really feel relaxed upon checking-in on the room.
Deluxe Family Room. The room is certainly perfect for family.
Superior Room
Executive Room. Their rate for their biggest room is budget-friendly indeed. Regular rate is worth 5,900 per night but they have promo rate now worth 4,425, 25 percent off!
To check their budget-friendly rates, visit their website here
2. Miramar Hotel
An old hotel that has a lot of stories to tell. Built on the year of 1930, Miramar is classical and historical hotel perfectly located on Manila’s cultural hub and even facing the Manila Bay. The hotel is located along UN Avenue just beside the Bayview Park Hotel.
From inside to outside look. Photo grabbed on Miramar’s website
What caught my attention is their wonderful paintings and artsy design wherever you go.
Attractive indeed. Found in the Cafe Bar of the Miramar just beside the lobby
Small details and artsy craft have always attract me. Of course, a good and cozy rooms are already expected to a well-established hotels so I make sure I look for other details that hotel would stand out from others.
If you’re into classical ambiance, then you can have your staycation in Miramar. But if you’re more into budget-friendly room rates and a relaxing ambiance, go to Hotel Kimberly. And if you’re still looking for more extreme relaxation than just staying on hotel, you can go hiking! Read my extreme adventure here
The tour was made possible by Ermita Malate Business Owners Association during their thanksgiving event #EMBOAHandogPasasalamat
The key to wealth is being generous; the more you give, the more you receive. – Robert Kiyosaki
Being rich means giving back. If you just keep your money for you own, it is just useless. You need to have a driving force to reach out other people.
But being financially free is never an instant. It will cost you and demand something from you. And for you to get there, you need not only passion but also practice. Action sets the difference to make your dreams come true.
Robert Kiyosaki during his talk at the National Achievers Congress 2015 last November 30. (C) Rappler
During the Robert Kiyosaki Live in Manila last November 30 at SMX, Mall of Asia, the Masters of Wealth (MOW) including Robert Kiyosaki have shared advice, motivation, and insights to all the entrepreneur and businessmen who were there to witness the National Achievers Congress 2015 brought by Laurus Enterprise and Success Resources.
Here are the following advice coming from MOW:
Robert Tiopel, top international trainer, emphasized the importance of working smart and reminded the delegates to be authentic and remain who they are. From Tiopel:
1. Shift your mindset from working hard to working smart. Freedom will not come from working eight hours a day, but working smart and taking risk to embrace opportunities and venture new things.
2. If you have passion, you will do something no matter what Not pursuing your passion is just so bad. Life is short not to do craft that you really love. Take away that fear and pursue your passion
Mario Singh, Asia’s No. 1 forex coach, followed after Foxx and discussed how forex works and how we can generate money through it. From Singh:
Thousands of entrepreneurs seeking for more advice and learning at Robert Kiyosaki Live in Manila (c)Peng Joon’s Facebook Account
3. Success is a decision Are you committed to succeed? It is in the moment of your decision that your destiny is being shaped. You have to decide to succeed!
4. System will set you apart from the other Remember 97% of people fail because they don’t have system. Success is not about how good you are but how good the system is.
The No. 1 wealth coach, J.T. Foxx mentored entrepreneurs and shared the reasons why people fail like fear, procrastination, lack of funds.
5. Results will always do the talking It is not how much you say but how much you do.
6. You need an accountable partner Who are going to be your pusher? Who are going to encourage you when you badly want to give up? Stop thinking you can do everything on your own
Foxx humoring the crowd during Robert Kiyosaki Live in Manila (c)Rappler
Foxx added that for you to succeed, you need these 4 keys: 1. Right Strategy 2. Right System 3. Right Information 4. Right Coach
Andrew Matthews, illustrator and international speaker first took the stage to emphasize how we can have a happy life – that happiness is never an accident; it is how you carry your situations in life.
7. Happiness is a choice Happiness is how you respond to your situation. Happy people enjoy and embrace the problems. The joy is always on the challenge
8. You can do the impossible when you change your thoughts Be positive and be grateful. Focus on what you currently have.
“You don’t find happiness in the absence of problems. You find happiness in spite of problems.” – Andrew Matthews
The leading authority in wealth creation online, Peng Joon shared how we can maximize the internet to generate income.
9. People fail because of information overload For you to avoid information overload, you have to create a step by step process. System matters!
Peng Joon sharing his story of success. Disclaimer: I do not own the photo
10. The best investment is constant learning Learning is priceless!
And the most-awaited speaker of the conference, the author of the bestselling book Rich Dad, Poor Dad was the last to give his insights.
11. People are poor because they are not taught to be a good entrepreneur. Study things that will help you to be a good entrepreneur.
12.The reasons why poor people are poor is because they practice being poor Act and practice like a successful and rich person
13. The best way to learn is by doing Study. Practice. Apply
14. Study what will help you to be rich and successful “If you want to be an employee, go to school. If you want to be rich, you don’t need school” – Kiyosaki. Study subjects like selling, marketing, advertising, public relations etc.
15. Buy assets first and let it pay your liabilities You can buy your dream car if you work on your assets first and let it pay your dream car. Train your brain to get what you want.
16. You need a team You can’t do it alone. Don’t hesitate to ask for help.
If you want to be financially free, there are a lot of things you can try. Think like an entrepreneur and successful person. Sell product in the internet, go to forex, ebay, and amazon, build your business etc.
Masters of Wealth after the National Achievers Congress 2015 (c)Cashflow Club
Study things that will make you rich. Just bear in mind that it takes time to be financially free so you must constantly work smart and be persistent on your goal.
Never get tired to solve problems. Continue to solve problems! Remember you are born to succeed! Unleash the potential within you.
The business conference was also brought by Light Network.
From a little caterpillar to a full-blown butterfly, your amazing blogger turned 20! I’m nostalgic in a way realizing how time flies. Now that I’m out of teenage years, I am overjoyed to say that I had the best teenage years.
One thing I’m thankful on my road to 20 is that I succeeded to face my fear and intimidation. Without conquering it, I would not be able to meet amazing and best people who mentored me and encouraged me to unleash my potentials.
To all the teenager and young at heart out there, don’t be afraid to try something new. Pursue your passion and fight for your dreams. Never look down on yourself just because you are young.
These are the things I learned and made my 20 years of existence more meaningful.
1. Meet new people and learn from their experience
Never get intimidated to start a conversation to people you just met for the first time. Know their stories and learn from them.
Whenever I attend an event, I’m usually part of the young people or sometimes I’m the youngest on the audience. Naturally, it’s intimidating to talk with professional people knowing their expertise. But along the process, I managed to overcome my intimidation and was able to talk with successful people from different fields. Who would have taught that I can have a constant communication with CEOs? I never even imagined it. The only key is to have that innocence. Just be genuine and makesure you are really enjoying the conversation.
Sometimes it’s good to be innocent or clueless about the background of the people you are talking with. There was the time that I didn’t know I was talking to the bassist of Eraserheads and I only found out that he was the bassist when I googled his name at home.
Meeting new people is always amazing. You learned a lot from them and you learn from their mistakes. So you need to take away that fear and appreciate the beauty of each other’s stories
A year ago, I have a huge gratitude to Light Network for discovering my blog which led me to seize more opportunities
Meaningful conversation with the OMF authors! They are one of my inspirations in writing
My internship family at Manila Bulletin – Balita during my mentor’s birthday celebration
Meeting new people from our neighboring countries! Some delegates of 42nd Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP) during their visit at Gawad Kalinga Payatas Community.
2. Experience extreme adventure
Come out from your comfort zone! Try something new and extreme. Though it will cost your physical strength, it will all be worth it at the end. Don’t limit yourself. Sometimes you’ll never know that you can do it until you do it. Go hiking, snorkeling, bungee jumping, eat local. Perhaps, life is too short for you not to enjoy it.
I always love to challenge myself that’s why I love to go extreme adventure. Besides, nobody wants a dull life! Just like recently I went hikingwith friends. Read it (here)
I just touched the sky! Hiking at Mt. Balagbag, Licao Licao Bulacan
3. Go out alone Contemplate about your life. Go out alone and go to a serene place. Think about your dreams and goals and write about it. It’s essential that you pause sometimes and regenerate your energy so you can be more focused after evaluating everything.
Going out alone is my favorite rejuvenating time. I usually go to milktea house just pondering and writing about life. It’s like a relief to me whenever I remind myself with my goals, dreams and things that I should be grateful for.
Me time at my fave milktea house: Serenitea!
4. Take Risk and Face your Fear
If you know how amazing your destination, you will never have second thoughts to take risk. You will face your fear no matter how it looks difficult for you know that your dreams are at stake.
Whenever I managed to face my fear and take risk, I always bear in mind that I’m getting closer to my dreams and to my mind-blowing destination.
I was able to conquer the crowd and was able to share my love for writing.
Metamorphosing to a wonderful butterfly is extremely amazing. There may be pain and challenges along the road, but all these circumstances made my road to 20 more meaningful. It made me more equipped to face more challenges.
I’m heading towards my transition from being a student to a young professional – making myself ready for the big leap. Thank you everyone for being part of my amazing journey. For more amazing years to come!
Due to unwavering and insistent public demand, General Admission ticket is now available for Robert Kiyosaki Live in Manila! For 2,000 Php only. Hurry and get your ticket (here)
A lot of people have been asking me through my facebook and e-mail if there’s still available ticket for the most-awaited financial conference in the Philippines. But as of now, VIP, Gold and Silver slots are already sold out.
Nonetheless, don’t worry because General Admission slots are now open! (Note: This is a limited slot only. Better to reserve your ticket ASAP)
You still have the chance to see and learn from the masters of wealth and Robert Kiyosaki! Aside from Kiyosaki, who are you looking forward to see on the conference? What’s your expectation then? I would love to hear your thoughts! Just comment it below!
If you are the kind of person who is waiting for the ‘right’ thing to happen, you might wait for a long time. It’s like waiting for all the traffic lights to be green for five miles before starting the trip. – Kiyosaki
If you are looking for extreme adventure while witnessing the awesome and priceless beauty of nature, then hiking is just one of the best options.
Mt. Pulag, Mt. Apo, Mt. Pico De Loro, Mt. Banahaw, Kanlaon etc. These are just some of the eminent mountains that hikers come over for their extreme adventure.
But for a budget-friendly and hiking destination just close to the heart of Metro Manila, you can try Mt. Balagbag at Sitio Balagbag San Isidro, Rodriquez Rizal
Mt. Balagbag is just about 1-2 hr ride from Manila. You can ride a bus heading to Tungko. From Tungko, ride a jeepney going to Licao-Licao and the last stop of the jeep will be the way to Mt. Balagbag. Fare just cost round 200-300Php from Quezon City.
Because of the almost one-week holiday caused by APEC 2015, my friends explored some possible activities we can enjoy over the long vacation. After the long deliberation, we came up hiking at Mt. Balagbag.
Arrival at the foot of Mt Balagbag. I felt like we were in Baguio.
We planned to reach Balagbag at 6am, but since we left our friend’s house pass 7am, we reached Balagbag pass 9am already.
Upon arriving at the foot of Mt. Balagbag, we were already stunned on its view. The scenery from the foot is just a motivation to finish the hike.
Trekking going to the registration
Before the trekking, we need to register first. We thought that the registration is just minutes away from the starting phase, but to our surprise, it took us 30 minutes to get there.
Trekking began going to the registration. We conquered the muddy and the rocky side. The locals told us that it will take us just 10 minutes to get there. But since we are first timers, stop over is so inevitable specifically that we don’t have any preparation and enough sleep for this.
Once you see the Sitio Balagbag’s Health Center and its primary school, then you are on the right track for the registration. Locals there will tell you that it will just take you half an hour to get there at the summit.
The view from the registration
Going to the summit, we were with other hikers. We encountered a 7-year-old guy hiking as well and he already hiked 8 mountains (Just wow!)
7-year-old yago who already climbed 8 mountains. Amazing!
It took us one and a half hour to reach the summit. The trip going to the summit wasn’t really easy especially for beginners. There is a cost before you see the majestic view at the top.
Conquered. Mt. Balagbag’s summit point
I just touched the sky!
The scenery just took away all the muscle pain, gasping of breath, sun-scorched heat that we endured. Worth the hike!
With my friends and the summit view on the back
And since we wanted to make the most out of this adventure, we “tried” to go to Maranat. Most of the hikers that we met encouraged us to go to Maranat after reaching Mt. Balagbag’s summit.
The idea sounds wonderful for us, so we asked the local about the way to Maranat from Mt. Balagbag’s summit. We understand the way going to Maranat from them, but they suggested that it is best to have a tour guide. Despite their suggestion, we decided to go to Maranat with just our instincts and the local’s instruction.
Trying to go to Maranat. Going down with this kind of course was pretty challenging
But as we are on our trip to Maranat, we are unsure if we are heading the right way, so we just decided to come back on the summit. And going back to the summit, we met other hikers going to Maranat as well and they told us that we are on the right trail.
We just resolved to push our Maranat escapade to our next travel since we are running out of time going down to reach the 6pm and last trip of jeep. We went down by pass 4pm with our legs literally in pain.
Going down from the summit
When we reached the registration once again, we decided to ride a tricycle which we just trekked going up to send us to the Jeep’s Terminal.
Pass 5pm view at the foot of Mt. Balagbag
Riding a tricycle is still extreme! We felt like we were riding on a roller coaster with the sudden ups and down due to the course road.
Hiking is a stress relieving adventure. But despite its fun, there are still reminders that you should consider before trekking particularly for beginners. (I learn this the hard way!)
PREPARE YOUR BODY before the hike.
PACK THE IMPORTANT THINGS including drinking water, sunblock, extra clothes. Don’t underestimate your drinking water; it is the first thing you’ll look when you wanted to just go back from the start. hihi.
EXERCISE,JOG, and have LONG WALK. PREPARE YOURSELF
If you are not familiar with the way up, better get a tourist guide to help you. It will save time from discussing with your fellow what trail is right or not
TALK WITH THE LOCAL PEOPLE and you will learn a lot from them. Don’t be snob on them.
Met this determined little girl going down the mountain.
Angelica Ambrocio, 9 years old, is just one of the kids I encountered while hiking. Despite her petite figure, she still managed to walk religiously for her class everyday. You can never hear any complains from her. She’s already in her 4th grade, but she looks like a 5-year-old little kid.
Very adorable little girl!
I want to know more her story. The journalist inside compels me to come back. I hope the local government and NGOs will extend their hand for Sitio Balagbag particulary the children here.
Don’t just hike for fun, learn from locals there and get to know more with their stories.
Love Local – the other way to tell everyone to love our own. Love our very own Philippines.
And if there’s someone who should patronize our local product or “Gawang Pinoy / Tatak Pinoy“ that should be us, Filipinos.
Let’s show our support to local craftsmanship and to all the raw talent of Filipinos behind the local product by patronizing our own. Like the annual Sapatos Festival 2015 of Marikina which started last October 26 and will last until December 30 of this year only.
Love local!
Known from durability and high quality footwear, Marikina is currently handling the the annual Sapatos Festival 2015.
The event will not only promote world-class shoes but will also promote the hand-made bags and other local products from the Shoe Capital in the Philippines
Why you should go to Sapatos Festival 2015?
You will witness MEGA SALE of shoes of locally made brand shoes.
You can contribute to the local shoe industry of the Philippines and appreciate the craftsmanship of Filipinos
These local products are perfect gifts for your loved ones
So two weeks ago, I was invited by the Marikina Public Information Office with the help of my friend to be part of the Marikina Grand Tour.
Through the grand tour, I got to experience the best of Marikina including its historical landmarks, shoe factories, and food establishment.
With my fellow bloggers and Mr. Brian Tenorio, renowned shoe designer.
I was with other bloggers and was ushered by none other than Mr. Brian Tenorio, renowned fashion shoe designer. Here are our destination:
Valentino Shoes
Valentino stores are located at Marikina Shoe Gallery, The Landmark, Shoe Mart – Valenzuela, and Marikina Shoe Trade Fair . Photo by: Queenie Vinluan
Valentino Shoes Inc started way back 1932 but it was registered as family owned corporation 0nly on 1973. The third generation of the Family is currently handling the business.
Ms. Dolora Dela Paz, head of the operation of Valentino Shoe Inc, admitted that their sales slackened over the years as imported brand of shoes penetrated the country.
Valentino only have 65 employees and can only produce at least 3000 shoes a month
Aling Alita Morez, Valentino worker
Aling Alita, 58, is one of the 65 employees of Valentino Shoe Inc. She’s been working in the factory for 28 years already.
Though she admitted how her work is affected on the struggling shoe industry, she has no option but to remain on the factory since that’s the only job she’d grew up with.
“Hulmahan” in Valentino’s factory
3. Gibson’s shoe factory
Gibson is known for its military shoes. It is the supplier of military footwear products of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
This is just one of the shoe branches of Gibson’s
Gigantic machine from Gibson’s shoe factory.
Gibson’s is one the successful local shoe brands and they are also importing to our neighboring countries! (Proud Pinoy here!).
From my observation, the key factor of their success is their hunger to innovate their product and being a risk taker to bid and sell their brand.
They maximize their strength and were able to saturate different agencies and private companies for their product.
3. Marikina Shoe Museum
Welcome to Marikina Shoe Museum!
Inside the Marikina Shoe Museum
The museum features the world class shoes of Marikina. The Different types of shoes from designer, stiletto, sandals, doll shoes, wedge, and other shoes worn by celebrities, politicians, and other influential personalities can be seen in the museum. It also showcased the hundreds of shoe pairs of former first lady Imelda Marcos.
Shoes worn by influential personalities
Some pairs of shoes of Former First Lady Imelda Marcos
You can visit the museum from Monday – Sunday 8am to 5 am with an affordable fee of Php 50.00. It is located at J.P Rizal St. Marikina near Our Lady of the Abandoned Church.
To wrap up our tour, we experience Marikina’s cuisine with the help of Industriya Marikina
Cozy ambiance and scrumptious food that’s what Industriya Marikina will offer you! Photo by: Ms. Kara Santos of http://www.travelling-up.com. Visit her wonderful travel and adventure blog.
Inside the Industriya Marikina
Industriya Marikina’s Chef made their marikina recipe for us. Take note: These food are not on their menu.
Love Local: These are the main course
Their very own bibingka!
Appetizer!
You can also have your event here at Industriya Marikina. Here is their sample venue
More than the beauty of Marikina and its rich history, the tour allowed me to see how we can boost the local shoe industry of our country. If you are aware enough on the news about how our shoe industry has struggled over the past years due to the competition of imported shoe brands and shoes that are made in China, you then know what I mean.
If all imported shoe brands will continue to penetrate our country, our local shoe industry will soon die down. But of course, we won’t allow that unfortunate event to happen. I know I’m not alone with this effort to promote and love our own.
Because if that happens, the livelihood of Filipinos depending on this industry will be affected. Like the photos below:
Aling Alita Morez, Valentino worker
Our local shoe industry has a GRAND POTENTIAL to make it once again be on the top market. But how will this happen? It needs COLLECTIVE EFFORT. The government can’t do it alone neither the local brands. We need each and every one.
Let’s run a campaign to boost our local shoe industry. Let the government, Filipinos, media be united for this. If you are one with me, let’s start this campaign.
It’s a slap on me if I didn’t contribute something. This experience helps me to put up a blog focusing on promoting our very own – loving local.
Let’s love our own 💝
P.S: The idea of putting up a blog about loving local or our own is still on the process. If you are willing to collaborate and help, shoot me a message at airamaeguerrero@gmail.com
I know you are amazed with the qualities of the photos. Most of the Photos came from my friend, Queenie Vinluan, a very talented photographer/ layout artist. Check her Instagram account (@kweeeni)
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