Parenting Archive

My thoughts on parenthood, and what it's like to be a mom in the Philippines.

5 Kid-Friendly Locations Near Manila

Manila is a great city to live in or visit, and there are endless family attractions to see. Sometimes though, the stressful and chaotic urban environment can be a bit too much. Everyone needs a break sometimes, especially parents who usually can only dream of a relaxing day on a sunny beach. Fortunately, the Philippines offers so many amazing locations that the only problem is choosing where to go.

Also must read: Fun Time with Kinder Joy

Going out on a day trip or even staying somewhere overnight can be a great bonding experience, where you and your family can create long lasting memories together. There is, however, also the risk of unexpected complications – we all know travelling with children can be nerve wrecking at times.

These top 5 destinations near Manila are the ones most likely to provide a positive experience. They are all extremely close to the city, helping you avoid the long exhausting drives. All locations are also well developed and tourist oriented – so you are guaranteed to find good hotels, restaurants and plenty of child-friendly activities.

#1 Corregidor island
How to get there : Sun Cruises has a daily ferry departing at 8 AM. The trip takes slightly more than an hour.

Budget : 2550 per adult and 1500 for child between 3-11. Adults pay 200 extra on weekends and holidays.

Things to do : Day tour and free lunch buffet, view the historical sites and visit the museums, add other optional activities to your tour such as kayaking, zip-line or sunset viewing.

Travel tips : This guided tour is a great learning experience, but it’s better suited for older kids who can appreciate the rich history and diversity presented before them.

More information : http://www.corregidorphilippines.com/

#2 Batangas
How to get there : At least 6 different bus companies run lines to Batangas, from all terminals in Manila. If you want to get to Lian or Nasugbu you can also take the bus bound for Tagaytay.

Budget : Bus ticket costs between 130 and 200 – depending on the company and your exact destination in Batangas. Other than that, it’s really up to you how much to spend there.

Things to do : Popular beaches such as Laiya or Nasugbo, more secluded white sand beaches on tiny nearby islands, Lighthouse at Calatagan and the churches of Lipa.

Travel tips : if you travel with kids aged 8 or older, consider going to Anilao where they can learn how to dive – it’s one of the best places for beginners in the country. Anilao also has some very good resorts for those who want to stay the night, but the downside is the beaches are a bit rocky and not as nice as other parts of Batangas. You can still spend your time in the swimming pool, so it can be just as nice.

More information : https://www.pehpot.com/2012/10/weekends-tagaytay-batangas.html

#3 Puerto Galera
How to get there : take an hour long ferry from Batangas Pier.

Budget : Ferry ride costs 330 per person. Puerto Galera is more of a weekend destination than a day tour since it takes 4 hours or so to get there from Manila. Beach resorts in White Beach or Sabang, the most popular areas are very accommodating to large families. Rates can go as low as 600 per night, depending on your standards.

Things to do : Spend your time at the beautiful beaches, go island hopping, snorkeling or scuba diving. Discover one of the 30+ less known beaches and enjoy a private beach experience. Kids would also love the watersports and extreme rides, they are perfectly safe and a lot of fun. You can also visit Tamaraw Falls for another relaxing, beautiful adventure.

Travel tips : If you avoid the 2 popular beaches, hotel rates drop significantly. In any case, try and book as early as you can and avoid holiday seasons if possible. There are a lot of travel agencies offering tour packages, which can help you save even more and enjoy group discounts.

More information : http://www.philippinestravelpackage.com/puerto-galera/

#4 Subic Bay
How to get there : There’s a Victory Liner bus bound for Olongapo leaving every 30 minutes. You can catch the bus at either EDSA pasay or Cubao. Getting to Subic will take between 3 and 4 hours, depending on traffic.

Budget : Depends if your’e interested in a day trip or planning an overnight stay. The bus ride costs 235 and you’ll also need to find a ride from Olongapo to the bay area. There are many family hotels in Subic, and some of them are very affordable. Beach resorts tend to be a bit more expansive, but if you book an hotel in Olongapo instead you can find extremely low rates.

Things to do : Both Ocean Adventure Park and the Zoobic Safari are great ways to spend the whole day. Kids will absolutely love these – there are many shows and animals everywhere. If you are looking for a nice beach, check out Baloy beach or White Sand. Of course, you can also just drive to Nagsasa Cove (35-40 minutes away).

Travel tips : Some of the nicest beachfront resorts are actually found in Camayan island, right next to the Ocean Adventure park. With so many hotels, the competition is fierce, so there are promos and deals to be found all the time. If you are staying for the night, try to fit in a tour at the Pamulaklakin forest as well.

More information : http://www.metrodeal.com/catalog/?q=subic

#5 Laguna
How to get there : Many different buses, depending on where exactly you want to go. JAC and JAM liners are the best companies to check. The bus ride will take 3 to 5 hours, based on your location of choice and traffic.

Budget : Laguna is perfect for a day trip, so you can easily make this trip happen even on a tight budget.

Things to do : visit the lakes of San Pablo or the Cavinti underground river. Take the kayak tour to Pagsanjan Falls. Calamba has some nice water sports and beach activities such as wakeboards for example. There are also hot and cold springs resorts scattered all around Laguna – this could be a really relaxing way to pass the day.

Travel tips : it’s probably better to head back to Manila at night, and not bother with Laguna hotels. If you do decide to book a night there, don’t expect much. Hotels are fairly basic, so just look for one which is clean and has a nice swimming pool.

More information : http://www.philippinestravelpackage.com/manila/

10 Back-To-School Tipid Tips

A few days ago, I had my first ever radio guesting! And not just on radio but DZMM’s teleradyo. I had the chance to share some Back-To-School Tipid Tips on DZMM’s SAKTO show.

DZMM Sakto is a magazine talk show hosted by Amy Perez and Marc Logan. The show talks about latest topics and hottest issues, family matters, and interesting human stories. Family matters like tipid tips and because malapit na mag back-to-school, SAKTO featured me for some back-to-school tips.

Thank you for my TBDM Mommy Club for this photo! The best talaga ang mommy group na ito!

Here’s a video of my guesting from DZMM Youtube Channel:

Bitin yung video eh, may pabati portion pa yan for my kids. And I also mentioned a few more tips. I can’t remember though kung ilan nabanggit ko. Let’s close the number to 10 para mas sakto.

10 Back-To-School Tipid Tips From A Mom of 4 Students:

Make a list of the things you need to buy. I always start my tips with a list. Make a list. It’s the most crucial part of planning. Ask your school for the list of items that your kids need. Also take into consideration other stuff aside from school supplies. Bag? Shoes?
You don’t have to buy it all. Recycle! Check your kids’ notebooks, meron pa ba? pagsasamahin mo yung walang sulat and use their diary or journal. Pwede rin “drawing notebook” o kaya naman “scratch notebook”. Even with bags, uniforms, shoes, and socks, you don’t have to buy new sets every year.
Uniform tipid tip. I always buy a size higher/ bigger or longer for my kids. Nilulupi ko na lang muna and then next year pag tumangkad na sila, tatastasin na lang. Also, from my experience, it is best to buy uniform for the whole week.
School shoes tipid tip. Buy a brand that would last at least for a year. Always ask your mommy friends which brands ang tested na nila. Also look for the soles, dapat nakatahi yan at hindi nakadikit lang. Don’t indulge too much naman, 1000-1500 Pesos is good enough. After a year naman lalaki din ang paa.
School socks tipid tip. Buy a brand with quality din. Stretchable ang socks, so pang matagalan talaga sya, siguro it can last up to 3 school year. Buy 6 pairs at least. Better if same color para mas tipid sa paglalaba.
School Bags tipid tip. When it comes to knowing what school bag to buy, you have to trust me. I already bought a few to know which one can last long enough. A usual budget for a school trolley bag is 3000-4000 PhP. It’s not a small amount but it’s worth it. Trolley bags at this amount can last for more than 5 years.
Buy in bulk. Buy in boxes too. Buy bond papers in ream. Buy pencils in boxes. Buy permanent marker in boxes. Even ball pens, buy in boxes too. This also applies in pad papers. Based on expereince, these 5 school supplies are the hottest, aka, laging nawawala!
Buy twistable crayons. Notices how I did not include crayons on the “hottest” list? Mommy Levy mentioned that twistable crayons is better dahil hindi madali maputol. Hindi rin walain kase medyo malaki sya. Mas mahal nga lang but in the long run, mas sulit na din.
Use self adhesive plastic cover for books. This is the best invention ever! Last year, I discovered this magic and I am never gonna use other kinds of plastic cover again. The self adhesive plastic cover makes it easier to cover books, less time pa!
Buy in one-stop-shop for all school related merchandise. Ito ang pinaka effective na tipid tip sa lahat. Kung bibili ka din naman ng sapatos, bag at school supplies, look for a mall/shop that offers it all, like SM Stationery. Makakatipid kase isang labasan na lang, isang lakaran na lang. Makakatipid ka na sa oras, makakatipid ka pa sa pamasahe/ pang gas at pati na rin sa pagkain.

And if you are going to buy school supplies in bulk, here’s a smart move that I am going to share with you.. this year ko pa lang ito gagawin eh. Pay for the school supplies in retail! So kung kailangan ng pad paper, bayaran mo in retail price yung kukunin mo sa stock mo. O di ba, naibalik mo na yung pinambili mo, tumubo ka pa which you can use pandagdag sa school supplies nila next year.

Travel Essentials For Big Family

Sometimes I wonder where I got my packing skills. Traveling with 5 kids is not an easy task as I always say, but I will never give up the joy of being with my kids on the road.

Also must read: Fun Time with Kinder Joy

We have amazing stories while traveling. We have good laughs while on the road and really really have fun memories to places we have been. I am listing down 5 travel essentials for a big family like us.

5 Travel Essentials of a big family

Travel Essentials #1 Extra change of clothes. Aside from the usual number of clothes that we bring (must read: Travel tips and planning your OOTD), I always ask my kids to pack an extra. You’ll never what can happen, an extra night perhaps? Or a sudden side trip to La Union on the way to Baguio? Or biglang uwi muna ng Nueva Ecija before heading back to Pasig.

impromptu check in at Harvest Hotel Cabanatuan

Travel Essentials #2 First Aide Kit. This one I cannot leave home without. A must on our kit is thermometer, pain reliever for me and the kids, a menthol (vicks and tigerbalm), petroleum jelly, alcohol, and of course vitamins for the kids.

Travel Essentials #3 Snacks while on the road. Because kids gets are always hungry, I made sure to pack a box of biscuits (one box per kids!haha). Sometimes, I bake cookies in advance or cupcakes that we can baon. We’re planning on bringing cooked food and stopping in a park or something and eat there. You know, tita travel diaries, letting the kids expereince that. Maiba naman.

this pic is 9 years old already!

La Union 2009 (one day pregnant with Sofi!)

swimming at Widus Hotel, Pampanga

swimming at Acropolis North, Cabanatuan (paki notice ang face na namumuti sa sunscreen haha)

swimming at Kimberly Hotel, Tagaytay

Travel Essentials #4 Sunscreen Lotion. Because we love going to La Union and the kids love to swim, a sunscreen lotion is a must. Sa sobrang a must niya, hindi ko na inaalis ang sunscreen lotion sa maleta ko.