Go Raw!

A lot of people believe that raw food is the healthiest way to go. This practice is also known as Raw Foodism or Rawism. Like the name implies, this is a practice of eating only raw foods such as raw fruits, grains, and raw vegetables. Food items in a raw food diet should be uncooked and unprocessed. Usually, these are what most people call organic foods. This is said to be a much healthier of eating food as heating the food causes loss of nutrients. There are also some studies that prove how cooking can make the food harmful for a person. A raw food diet will ensure that a person will eat food that are safe to eat and with all its vitamins and nutrients intact.

Some people choose to go on raw food diet for three possible reasons.

• Weight loss
• Better health
• Environmental causes

Does Raw Food Diet work?

Although the nutrients of food items usually found in the raw food diet, there are usually questions about this diet being a good one for weight loss. There are also questions about the suitability of such diet for people with busy schedules and for people who are always in a hurry. Instead of using the microwave, food preparation is usually done using blenders, dehydrators, and food processors. These are processes that are as quick as when microwave ovens are used, yet produce healthier dishes!

People who go into raw food diet have a good chance of losing weight. The fact that food items in this kind of diet contain low calories, low sodium, low fats, and high fiber makes it a lot better when measuring these against what they eat before this diet. These food items are usually rich in vitamins and nutrients too. This is perfect for busy people to keep them in shape and in their best condition to work and perform their daily tasks.

Monday is Laughday!

While most people, including me, back then, hate Mondays, I realized that it's time to be more positive for the week ahead! With that, I decided to hunt the most infectious "happy" photos in the World Wide Web and these are what I found. Have a Happy Laughday Monday and may these photos make you smile!

Photo from Planting Peace

Make others happy by being happy! Make your happiness so contagious that people around you will feel like smiling too! Be the fountain of happiness in your home, school, workplace, and just about anywhere!

Photo from PR Log

This one says "Gotcha!" or it could be the biggest smile that one can ever see on a Monday!

Photo from Your Billboard

This cat's happiness was made to appear greater by the contrasting intense seriousness of the other cat. Be the happy cat!

Photo from 3 BP

This is perfect for those who prefer to have a "demure" laugh.

Photo from Funny Fun Fun

According to Medical News Today, people can lose weight through laughing!

Photo from Huffpost

That's just pure delight!

Now, it's your turn to make someone else smile today!

Huskisson Accommodation - Make Memories Even More Precious

Huskisson Accommodation offers services that will make tourists enjoy their vacation as much as possible! It puts the tourists' needs and preferences in consideration so it can find the best accommodation for the guests.

There are numerous rooms that Huskisson Accommodation offers. It helps tourists find rooms near the remarkable sandy beach of Jervis Bay so the guests will enjoy the beautiful view that this beach offers. It takes tourists to perfectly and uniquely designed which ensures fulfillment of the guest's needs and preferences. It makes sure that the room provided has complete amenities starting from wood log fires or gas, spa, and a complete cooking facility. These rooms are perfect for couples, family outings, groups, weddings, and different functions. These are brilliantly decorated with delightful color schemes, photography, and various hand made furniture. 
These are some of the gorgeous rooms that the best Huskisson Accommodation offers:

• The Bungalow – This type of accommodation is ideal for family or group that has four members. It has a beautiful fenced garden behind the house where in guest can have a wonderful breakfast with the parrots and kookaburras that visits the garden. The guests can relax as the sound of waves lull them to sleep.  Facilities of this room include griller, gas, CD player, cooking devices, DVD, heaters, iron and ironing board, laundry devices, microwave, and many more. This accommodation is also perfect for long stay. This room costs $120 per night and guests should stay for at least two nights.
• Huskisson Barefoot Retreat - This beautifully renovated house has three great bedrooms, one queen-sized bed, one with a double-sized bed and a master bed room with one queen-sized bed and single beds that can accommodate a large family or group. This room has two perfectly designed bathrooms. This type of room is perfect if the guests wants to have a quiet place to stay  and have an easy access to the fantastic Jervis Bay. This room includes griller or gas, DVD, internet access, complete kitchen and laundry facilities, heaters, television, and an amazing patio. This room costs from $170 per night and guests should stay for at least two nights here. This is a great place for the best accommodation in Australia.
• Anglesea Lodge – This room can accommodate up to 5 persons. It has two perfectly designed bedrooms. One of the magnificent features of this accommodation is its salt-water pool that the guests will definitely enjoy. It has 24- hour reception as well. All rooms are air conditioned. It has complete kitchen and laundry facilities, griller or gas, telephone, and television. If the guest is fond of canoeing and kayaking, this accommodation is perfect for them since this is located only 5 minutes away from canoeing and kayaking facilities. They are welcome to bring their own canoe or kayak or they can rent one. This room costs from $165 per night and guest should stay at least two nights here.
• Beachfront Reserve Apartment- This type of room can accommodate up to 9 persons. It has four perfectly design rooms, two bathrooms, large living room, kitchen, and an underground parking. However, this type of accommodation does not include linens or bath towels. The guests should bring their own. This accommodation offers a wide fenced yard. The yard is a perfect place for kids to play in. The Beachfront Reserve Apartment has easy access to the town’s beautiful attractions and to the sensational Jervis Bay. This room costs from $361per night and guests should stay for at least two nights. This is one of the best Huskisson Hotels.

For guests who want to bring their pets during their vacation, the Bungalow and Huskisson Barefoot Retreat are pet friendly accommodations. All of these accommodations provide excellent customer service to ensure guest’s satisfaction and convenience.
Huskisson Accommodation finds hotel rooms near the famous Jervis bay so guests have an easy access to enjoy the fabulous sandy beach or bask in the the sensational gorgeous view of Jervis bay. The Bungalow is close to a golf course and to a whale-watching site. Huskisson Barefoot Retreat is 50metres away from Jervis Bay National Park where guests can enjoy on-site bird watching and learn more about local birds. Some of the accommodations are located by the lake. These are ideal for those who want to have a quiet and relaxing vacation.  Huskisson Accommodation can help tourists find any type of accommodation that absolutely suits all guests’ preferences to ensure 100% guests’s satisfaction while enjoying a luxurious, comfortable, and memorable vacation.

The Bridges of Stotsenburg

The Bridges of Stotsenburg

A lot of people are fooled by the name of our street – Stotsenburg st. Indeed, it sounds like a street inside a subdivision. From what my uncle told me, it was taken from the last name of an American Officer, a pilot, if I remembered right. However, when I was born in 1982 and while I was growing up, how the place looked is definitely far from how it sounded like.

Stotsenburg st. is not fully concrete. Actually, it should have been called Stotsenburg half street. Half of it is concrete while the other half is a creek. People who have their houses on the opposite side of ours have to build wooden bridges so they can cross to the actual street. In these bridges, the creativity and resourcefulness of the people living in each house are seen. I can still remember my Ninong Cris’ bridge which is perhaps the safest. It is made of two planks of wood, each wider than most of the bridges in our place. I can also remember Mang Juanito’s bridge which is a bit narrow. We have to brave it so we can buy his one peso Indian mangoes and ask him for additional “bagoong” or shrimp paste. I can also remember Aling Victoria’s bridge. It is the second widest bridge next to Ninong Cris’. Of course, I will never forget Aling Lilia’s. It was a tiny one which is attached to Aling Victoria’s bridge. It shows how practical Aling Lilia is.

The creek played a major role in each resident of Stotsenburg St.’s life. One has to fall to the creek before he or she is recognized as an official “batang sapa” or child of the creek. We call the falling process “baptism”. This happens in random – at the right place at the right time. No one knows when they will be “called” by the creek. A friend experienced it when her jump fell short. A cousin experienced it when we were running in the streets one evening and I stepped on his slipper. I experienced it when I was playing tag with my friends and somebody shoved me out of his way while we were standing on Mang Juanito’s bridge.

These bridges served a lot of purposes aside from the obvious. It was also used as the finish line of swimming races whenever it rains too hard and floods. It also served as a gigantic toilet for little kids. I know some people who were “baptized” while doing their “dirty” business.

We lived in a two-storey wooden house. On the first floor, there is the living room which features the black and white tube television which has its own wooden house. Our “sari-sari” or variety store is also there. It also holds the dining room, separated from the living room by a wooden divider which holds diplomas and wood laminated family pictures. It also holds our bathroom with a large blue drum inside, or was it green? I can also remember that the shower works.

On the second floor, there are two bedrooms separated by thin plywood. It also holds a stock room. I love the stockroom. It is like a Filipino version of an American attic. It is like a big treasure chest although it smelled of rust and papers. I can still remember how I felt when I found a bike. It does not have wheels, it was rusty, and there are some broken parts. I convinced my father to fix it for me and he did! It became my best friend for quite a while and I was told that it belonged to my father, passed on to his younger siblings when they were kids. My aunt, their eldest, never had time for it.

Every morning, when I wake up, I would call my younger cousin and we would go to Aling Cora’s. Aling Cora sells a wide variety of breakfast. Sometimes we would try the porridge or the macaroni soup but more often, we buy the two-peso champorado. If we have money, we add a peso for extra milk. We never bought pancit bihon, pancit canton, spaghetti, or palabok. We believe that those are for old people since those are expensive. Each order costs five pesos.

What I love most about our place is how everybody is united. I remember how a burglar was caught by one of the residents. He shouted and every man from each house went out to help. They captured the burglar and he was turned in; not before he got a punch or two, though. When the stealing started, a lot of those men lost sleep because they had to stay up to catch the perpetrator. He must have known that he had it coming.

I also remember Fiesta, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve – Stotsenburg Style. Without much preparation, some of the well-to-do residents would go out and host some games for the kids. They host some games for the adults too. I remember that it was here where I first witnessed the beer drinking game for moms – using a drinking straw. The beers were not cold too. I can just imagine how it tasted. Then, everyone would bring out tables and food and we would eat together with all our neighbors. Of course, drinking will follow and it makes dancing a lot easier and more fun!

Aside of being a “batang sapa”, I was also a “batang kankaloo”. Kankaloo means “Kalookan” which was how the city name was spelled before Rey Malonzo was elected and changed the spelling to Caloocan as his first official action as a mayor. One of the highlights of being a “batang Kankaloo” is witnessing the Flores de Mayo of the Stars. Each year, the Kalookan City government hosts a Flores de Mayo wherein the participants are celebrities. I remember watching the parade for the first time and seeing Manilyn Reynes, Janno Gibbs, Kristina Paner, Cris Villanueva, and a lot of other celebrities. I remember being star struck when I saw the Reyna Emperatriz who is Cristina Gonzales and the Reyna Elena who is no less than Ms. Dawn Zulueta.

Back then, Caloocan City had Ever Gotesco as its mall. I remember the good old days when they would have a mascot show outside the mall, on a platform outside the second level of Ever a few days before Christmas. My family would go there and my father will let me sit on his shoulders so that I will be able to see the show. I also remember my aunt working there as a saleslady. When we went there to buy my school bag, she was assigned to be the bagger in one of the counters and my mom took me there to pay for the bag. When I called her “miss” as my mom instructed me to do, she put her finger on her lips as if to shush me off and then winked at me. I do not understand why she did that even now.

After a few years, Ever Gotesco Grand Central was built. It also played a big role in the lives of Caloocan City Residents. I remember the McDonald’s with stools inside a bus, in the middle of the restaurant. I remember the Penshoppe boutique where I usually buy my clothes and the Blowing Bubbles boutique where I saw Ruffa Guttierez and Zoren Legaspi on its opening day. I remember Gift Gate where I used to buy trolls and Kero Keroppi items. Inside it is a shelf full of Swatch watches that I dream of owning. I remember A&W restaurant where my cousin celebrated her 7^th birthday. I remember the 40-peso movie tickets where I watched my first movie, Fido Dida, with my father.

Before the new millennium, the Asistio brothers, with Boy as the mayor and Baby as the congressman provided funds and the creek was turned into a road – a higher and wider one. It marked a new age for our street. The creek was gone. No one will be baptized as a “batang sapa” anymore.

Kalookan is now Caloocan. Mayor Boy Asistio appealed for a recall election. It was approved but Rey Malonzo emerged as the rightful mayor. The park in front of Caloocan City Hall is gone. It was replaced by commercial spaces.

Ever Gotesco lost its glamour when Ever Gotesco Grand Central opened. My cousin and I still went there once a week, after school, as if paying respect. Now, it was turned to SM Hypermart.

Ever Gotesco Grand Central was burned down just a couple of years ago. When I went back for a visit, I was deeply saddened as I remember the times I spent there with my family and with my friends.

A lot of changes took place. However, when I visited Stotsenburg St., it’s as if nothing has changed. I saw the same smiles, I heard the same laughter, I saw the same twinkle in the new generation kids’ eyes. There was a lot of chatting. There were lots of embraces. There was the usual teasing. I still felt the warmth. It is still my home no matter where I go.

Coffee Cut

Jackie Chan meant it when he said, “Coffee is a language in itself”. Since the 16^th century, coffee continues to be a part of people’s lives. It is some people’s “Good morning!” Coffee is some people’s “It’s time to relax.” Coffee is some people’s “I miss you!” Coffee is some people’s “Everything will be alright.” Each cup of coffee conveys a message that some people fail to say directly. However, its warmth, its bittersweet taste, its seductive aroma, and its rich flavor are enough. It feels like a friend’s warm hug, a mother’s touch, and a lover’s kiss.

Nowadays people can get coffee anytime they want to. At the press of a button, one can get their cup of freshly brewed coffee. According to the National Coffee Association of USA, 83% of all Americans drink coffee. This explains the sudden increase in number of different Coffee shops not only in America but all over the world.

In the Beginning: Brief History of Coffee

Coffee drinkers are forever indebted to goats. People may think that goats are only good for milk and meat but a special herd of goats actually paved the way to the discovery of coffee in the 6^th century. It happened one day when Kaldi, a goat herder was watching over this particular herd, he noticed that the goats became restless. He figured out that it was because of the unidentified berries and leaves that the goats ate. He tried the berries himself and was pleasantly surprised by its invigorating effect. The monks who witnessed how Kaldi danced with the goats tried to figure out the best preparation for these berries and coffee, as people know it now, was born.

Why Drink Coffee?

No one can deny the charm of coffee’s taste and aroma. However, aside from satisfying a person’s sense of smell and taste, it has a lot of other benefits.

•  Drink coffee for long life. Studies conducted in 2008 and 2009 prove that coffee drinkers who suffer from different chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease had longer lives that those who do not drink coffee. In addition, those who drink four cups of coffee a day or more even had longer lives than those who drink less. Three more studies show that people who drink up to three cups a day have 10% lower death rate while those who drink more than three cups have 12% lower death rate.
•  Drink coffee to boost energy. Charge up with caffeine which is the most popular psychoactive substance that people around the world love to consume. Right after drinking, this energy booster flows with the person’s blood and goes to his or her brain.
• Drink coffee to boost mind functions. Once in the brain, caffeine blocks the Adenosine which causes hyperactive firing of neurons resulting to memory enhancement, lighter mood, alertness, more energy, and more efficient thinking process. 
• Drink coffee for healthier reproductive system. While prostate cancer and ovarian cancer as the most frequent gender-exclusive causes of death, a lot of people would try anything to prevent such illnesses. Fortunately, there is no need for expensive supplements and treatments as coffee is the answer to this quest. A study conducted in 2011 shows that male coffee drinkers who drink at least six cups of coffee a day have 20% lower rate of having prostate cancer. On the other hand, women who drink at least four cups a day have 25% lower chance of having ovarian cancer.
• Drink coffee to prevent cancer. Studies prove that coffee drinkers have lower chance of having different kinds of cancer such as lung cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, endometrial cancer, and colon cancer. The coffee is able to provide protection against cancer because of its chlorogenic and caffeic contents.
• Drink coffee to get rid of fat. Different fat burning products have one thing in common – caffeine. This is because caffeine is an effective fat burner. Numerous studies prove that caffeine raises a person’s metabolism rate by at least 3%. In addition, it increases the rate of fat burning to at least 10% for obese people and at least 29% for others. These are observable on new coffee drinkers.

What’s the Difference? Brewed Coffee VS Instant Coffee

Some people may not recognize the difference between a cup of brewed coffee and a cup of instant coffee. However, for avid coffee drinkers, there are a lot of differences between the two. More coffee drinkers prefer freshly brewed coffee over instant coffee.

• Cost. Instant coffee is definitely more affordable than brewed coffee. It may be bought in bottles, in cans, or sachets. From its name, “instant coffee”, this powder is just added to hot water, sugar and creamer may also be added, stirred, and drank. On the other hand, brewed coffee will require a coffeemaker. However, brewed coffee drinkers swear that it is definitely worth the price difference. 
• Content. Acrylamide was discovered in 2002. It is a toxic compound measured in PPB or parts-per-billion. Apparently, instant coffee has more PPBs of Acrylamide compared to brewed coffee. As an example, Nescafe has 471 PPB while Classic Roast has 13 PPB only.
• Detoxification. Coffee is popular for its antioxidant contents. However, it turns out to be the result of the roasting process. Therefore, instant coffee has a lot less antioxidants than brewed coffee.
• Caffeine. While people turn to coffee to stay awake and alert, instant coffee cannot give them what they need. If an instant energy and mood booster is needed, this need can only be fulfilled by brewed coffee. As an example, 8 oz. of instant coffee has a maximum of 173 mg caffeine while brewed coffee of the same amount can have a maximum of 200 mg caffeine.

Certified Pre-owned BMW: Everyone’s Dream Car is now within Reach

Nowadays, it is hard to find pre-owned car dealers that a customer can trust. This industry has been great and a lot of businessmen jumped in the bandwagon and started selling certified pre-owned BMW.


Sometimes, dealers tend to forget about learning more about the buyers in order to help them decide what kind of vehicle they really need. Pre-owned vehicle dealing is not a cold, profit-focused business. To be a trustworthy dealer, the dealer should have mastery of the vehicles’ features, patience, some skills in asking probing questions, an eye for details, can build rapport with the customer, and can offer the best quality customer service possible even after sales. There are a lot of ways on how to identify if the seller of certified pre-owned BMW is trustworthy enough, customer should observe if the dealer is asking significant questions, if they are honest about the possible problems that may arise with particular vehicles in relation to the customer’s needs, and if they are making suggestions that do not depend on how much they will make but based on which vehicles will serve its purpose best for the buyer. Certified pre-owned BMW dealers should also take time in speaking with the customer. This will show the customer that it’s not just about the sales but finding the right BMW for the buyer. These are the qualities of Chicago Motor Cars that makes them the most trustworthy pre-owned vehicles dealer. Chicago Motor Cars have a vast collection of different vehicles including a number of certified pre-owned BMW that will certainly catch the interest of car buyers. This pre-owned vehicles dealer is committed to honesty where vehicle details are concerned.


They believe that the customer should know what they are exactly getting, valuing the long-term relationship over one-time profit. This is definitely appreciated by their customers. They have friendly customer service representatives that know everything that they need to know about each car available in their showroom. This gives them the edge because they are able to give an expert’s opinion if the customer needs it. The information that these representative gives about the vehicles including every certified pre-owned BMW can even be cross-checked with the authorities and it is guaranteed to be nothing but the truth. A lot of their previous customers were turned into loyal customers and are willing to testify about the how Chicago Motor Cars is different from the rest of car dealers especially when it comes to honesty and personalized customer service. Their pricing is another positive point of this dealer. A lot of their customers were surprised about the cost of the vehicle that they were buying. Even those who bought a certified pre-owned BMW were expecting that the price will be so much higher. Chicago Motor Cars is not only customer-friendly, it’s pocket-friendly too! Aside from the actual vehicles, they are also offering different vehicle accessories for a surprisingly low price. All the vehicles that they are selling are guaranteed to be on their best working condition. Most of these vehicles had only one owner before it was turned over to Chicago Motor Cars.


This will be apparent in the mileage and may also be cross-checked from the records of authorities as done by other previous customers. Its vast inventory seals the deal. No matter what kind of vehicle the customer is looking for, Chicago Motor Cars surely have it!

Boracay Odd Venture

Boracay Odd Ventures
Ma. Angelica Maghinang – Domingo

“I don’t want to be a squatter in my own country.” This is a sentiment shared by Filipino investors in Boracay including Boracay Foundation, Inc. Board Member, Mr. Lowell Talamisan. In search of answers on how this is viewed by both foreign and local investors, I started a quest for reality. “It’s a very, very bad, bad, bad, bad situation for foreigners”, Mr. Johan Philip Van der Tak, a Dutch National, said in a low voice. I scrutinized the scenario and noticed how our profound conversation looked out of place against the picturesque backdrop which made me want to find a beach bed, put some sunblock on, get a good book, order a Cosmo and lie on my back.

I had a hard time focusing on the conversation with the scene, people’s laughter and the sound of the crashing wave on the shore tried to haul me away from my pleasurable duty. The name of the place, “Ambassador in Paradise” was perfect since just being there made me feel like I was somebody eminent. I closed my eyes for a moment, and then I got on with my task on hand. “How long have you been in business here in Boracay?” I asked Sir Joop, as he was fondly called by his employees.

“September 2007,” he said. “We bought this lot in 2002.” He first set foot in the island of Boracay in 1993 when the land was not yet developed fully. He was wearing a shirt that almost had the same shade as the sand. With his glass of beer in front of him, I decided to start asking some possibly hot questions. “What do you think about the limitations set by the Philippine Constitution about real estate and business ownership of foreigners here?” “I think that there are lots of foreign investors who will not invest because foreigners cannot own land (here) because when you come to my country, you can buy whatever you like to buy. It should be (like this), you can buy there, and I can buy here. That’s how it’s like all over the world except for this country,” he answered with a shrug. “Corporations, 40 – 60, it’s a very, very bad, bad, bad, bad situation for business because 60% are dummies. Yes, you have your anti-dummy law but (still) 60% are dummies. It’s not fair. It means that they can cheat. It’s the first part of the corruption in this country,” he added referring to the “40-60” business ownership requirement that necessitated corporation – owned businesses to have a maximum of 40% foreign ownership and 60% for Filipinos and raised his right hand to his lips as if to zip it. I asked him about the foreign businessmen’s relationship with the Filipino ones. “I have an impression that they are jealous.” He answered without further elaboration as his daughter; a tall, leggy blonde with a lovely, angelic face gave him a pat on the shoulder as she walked by.

“How do you see your business in 10 years?” I asked. He took a swig of his beer leaving the glass half – empty, and stood up to pull his chair again, sat, then crossed his legs. “It depends, those are my daughters (points to them) and if they will allow, I can put up (a) business,” he said adding that it would greatly depend on the government, if President Noynoy Aquino will be able to stop corruption.” His other daughter, equally lovely as the first one that I wondered if they were twins, passed by but not without touching her father’s cheek and touching his head affectionately. After that endearing sight, the Dutch National asked, “Do you know how many times I got threats of being kicked out of this country?” I looked at him and silently urged him to go on. “I don’t know what’s wrong with these people. It’s like they want to steal my money. Yes, I have a good feeling about this administration but I also had a good feeling with the Arroyo administration before but…” and he shook his head.

“Do you think that foreign investors will flood in if the limitations that I mentioned would be lifted?” I asked. “Of course, I know some other people who could invest their money but they don’t want to invest their money because they can’t own the land. The situation is very bad for the industry because some people do not realize what the Filipinos do, some of the Filipinos do to foreigners. They go to business with them, and then they (Filipinos) cheat them. It’s a very messy situation. I hope I could meet the President. I would really love to have a chance to talk to President Aquino,” he said. “Don’t you think that your concerns would have better chances or more possibilities of being heard if you and other foreign investors would have an organization? Or do you have an organization of that sort here in Boracay right now?” I inquired. “None that I know of, there are lots of other foreigners with same sentiments as mine but of course their keeping it in the low. There are some who would talk to me and I tell them that if you want to invest, you should first come to me so that you would not be cheated like how people cheated me and still want to cheat more,” he said and then took another sip of beer.

I thanked him for his time but he said, “Is that all? C’mon, you can ask me more questions – anything!” So I asked him what his thought are if he would be to compare businesses owned by foreigners and by Filipinos and he told me about what he do with his business here and in Europe. “There is an exchange of employees. I take Filipino workers to work for my business in Europe and I take a Dutch National to work for me here in the Philippines. This is a beautiful country. If more foreign investors would come, billions of people would benefit. For example, my secretary – Rina, are you happy that you work here?” he asked. Rina who was really accommodating to us, was wearing a pink tank top, with her hair in a bun and a bejeweled head band. She was smiling when she answered, “Yes.” I asked him about their guests, “Do you have more foreigners or Filipino guests?” “Well, we have very rich and famous Filipino guests, I won’t mention names but I focus on putting up really huge ads on European newspapers because I think bringing in European guests is important. The government is not doing it so I just do it.” He asked if I wanted to see the ads and when I said yes, he excused his self and stood up to get the newspapers.

He returned with the newspapers and showed me an editorial written about him and Ambassador in Paradise with a big picture of him and his friends, one of which was in sitting in the bar during the interview. The picture was taken in front of his business in Europe. Being journalists, he asked us for a favor, “Do everything that you can to stop corruption,’” he said and we closed the interview with firm handshakes.

The sun shone brightly for a moment in between downpours. We were talking over egg sandwich with tomatoes and orange juice. It was like a summer day in July. “Is it true that most of the business establishments here in Boracay are owned by foreigners?” I asked Mr. Lowell Talamisan, owner of Lion’s Den Resort which looked anything but a lion’s den with lush greeneries, tranquil ambiance and an inviting hammock that promised a gratifying slumber.

“Well, the owners are mostly Filipinos. Though there are some who are married to foreigners, like our president in Boracay Foundation” he said. Technically, this is true since foreigners are not allowed to acquire real property here in the Philippines and would only be allowed to have a business here only if they would get into a corporation with the 40 – 60 set-up as mentioned earlier. With what the Foreign Investments Act of 1991 stated, a minimum amount of $200,000.00 or more or less Php 8,800.00 is required as capital for foreigners who wanted to get into a corporation and have a business here in our country ensuring that the businesses owned by foreigners were bigger than the ones owned by ordinary Filipino Businessmen.

When asked about the Filipino Businessmen’s relation with foreign ones in the island, he replied, “Actually, at present, and ever since, there wasn’t any conflict. I know this, being with the Boracay Foundation, Inc.” “How about the law about land ownership for foreigners? What do you think about it?” I asked. “Land Ownership? Ako, pagdating sa land ownership, gusto ko Filipino eh, dahil I don’t want to be a squatter in my own country. That later on, it would be the foreigners who rule over us. That would be pathetic. That will be sad.” He said and shook his head.

“Some foreign investors think that it is unfair why Filipinos are allowed to acquire properties in their land and it is not, here in ours. What can you say about that?” I asked. He smiled sideways, and responded, “Well, we have to protect our interests. Unlike other countries, the well developed ones, they can give this privilege because on their own, they can stand. Whereas, Filipinos, if we do that, then we will be at the mercy of these foreigners, unlike in the States or in Europe where the government is stable so they can give this privilege, but not in the Philippines. We have to bear in mind that up to the present, third – world country pa rin tayo. Ako ayoko eh, bakit i-a-allow natin, nakikita na natin? Imagine, if all foreigners will be given the chance to own a land (in Boracay), eh lahat na ito, kaya nilang bilhin. Then what would happen? Eh ngayon nga lang yung Koreans eh, we are at the mercy of some Koreans which shouldn’t be the case. We should all be equals. That’s why we should show them. That it’s us who have the rights. What happens is that our government is so calloused. Calloused in the sense that they are indifferent with our sentiments, with what we feel, with our problems when they should be the one in front of these. Like right now, how many resorts are in the beachfront that are owned by foreigners? What happened is that they got most of them when they only have dummies. What the government should do is to be critical. How can these foreigners acquire those properties if not for dummies? They (the government) should prosecute these people.”

“What can you say about the swelling of the figures of foreigner-owned businesses in Boracay?” I inquired. “Well, that’s a welcome sign - a sign that shows that the island is getting attention. What we’re asking for is that it should be regulated so that there would be balance because if there would not be any balance, ultimately, and eventually, what would happen is that all the places here will be owned by foreigners,” he answered.

“How about the Boracay Foundation, Inc.? What is the organization about? I asked. “Well, I can say that I am one of the incorporators of Boracay Foundation and we are the umbrella organization of all the other organizations here. We make the issues in the island known to the local government and we make the endeavors of the government known to the people,” he replied.

 “Do you have members that are foreigners? I asked. “Well, majority are Filipinos both in members and in the board. In the board, we only have a foreign member who says, “I’m not a foreigner. I am a Filipino”,” he responded. When asked about how he sees his business in 10 years, he said, “I hope that it’s still doing good like it did 10 years ago.”

When I reviewed these conversations, I found more common points than conflicts. Both were not satisfied with the government – one because of its “unfair” limitations, and the other with the implementation of these laws. Both were aiming for Boracay’s prosperity. With these, I will leave you something to ponder upon. Do we need more foreign investors to boost the island’s income or should it remain a home, something that we can call our own?