MABUHAY VINYL CORPORATION AT BATAAN WHITE CORALS

This year March 27 and 28, 2010 the annual outing of  Mabuhay Vinyl Corporation is at Bataan White Corals in Morong Bataan. There were about 40 people who joined the outing, together with families and friends of Mabuhay Vinyl employees. My wife, Evelyn, two children, Leni and Arnie, my grandaughters, Gela and 6-month old Elaine joined me. A private bus was rented for the occassion -- the Crystal Bus. We left early morning from Makati and travelled for about more than 3 hours to Morong, Bataan.

Upon arrival taken outside our designated rooms

It was almost lunchtime when we arrived at the Bataan White Corals resort. Because it wasn't checkout time yet, most of the group waited outside the rooms until the other guests have checked out and for the staffs to clean the area. Lucky enough, the room assigned to us is already available and we occupied the room 1 of the Tatay building. The aircon in our room is working perfectly well. There are two beds, and because we are six of us (including the infant) we asked for additional mattress. There were enough blankets and towels for us. We were also provided with soap and shampoo. There is a small cabinet to store two of our travelling bags. However, We kept the other bags on the floor.  Well, the bathroom was small and without hot water (there's no use for it anyway in summer). There is no shower curtain but there is a hook and towel rack to hang our clothes after taking the shower. The problem is, there is no clothes line to hang our wet clothes. We also have to keep most of our toiletries outside the bathroom because unfortunately there was no space inside the bathroom to place them.

Leni and Elaine outside our room

The Mabuhay Vinyl group

After we dropped our bags and freshened up a bit we proceed to one of the Pavillons assigned to us for our two-day stay. Our lunch, dinner, breakfast and 2 mirienda were served here. The food was generally ok but not so good. Its frustrating that the fried rice served for breakfast on our day 2 was spoiled and they replaced it with white rice after somebody complained about it.

Breakfast at the pavillon

Bataan White Coral Resort is appropriate for our team building activities because of its spacious playground area covered by green grass. Our main activity there was the mini sportsfest. There was so much fun and camaraderie among us. There are two teams competing, the red and blue teams. The social & sports commitee prepared various games such as the cheering competition, baloon relay, pinoy henyo, eating contest, the great obstacle relay and finally the water filling contest. Tents were set up in front of Fernando's restaurant to cover us from the summer heat.

Most of Mabuhay Vinyl's guest under the tent during the mini sports fest

The red and blue teams

The hardest to eat during the contest - spaghetti without the sauce

The great obstacle contest

The competing red and blue teams took a respite after the great obstacle relay to prepare for the final contest,
the water filling contest.

Taking a break after the obstacle relay 

 
The red team emerged winner in this competition. But the blue team put up a good fight. The cash reward for the winning team is P4,500 and to us the blue team got P2,500!!!

And the winner is the RED team

The 1st runner-up, the Blue team! Yeheeey

After the mini sportsfest we explored the whole Bataan White Corals Resort. There are 3 nice pools to enjoy with, the salt water pool, the fresh water pool,  and the kiddie pool. The salt water pool is nearer the beach and the kiddie and fresh water pool are nearer the rooms. There is also a nice, big public shower area located a little distance before the salt water pool.

The salt water pool

The fresh water and kiddie pools

The public shower area

The Bataan White Corals beach is good and clean. There is always a lifeguard. Not so many people though are swimming maybe because of the heat of the sun. One can enjoy kayaking and boat riding. There is a floating cottage where you can take a break if you grow tired of swimming and still enjoy the water. There is a beach volleyball suitable for group activity.

Bataan White Corals beach

Floating Cottage

The lifeguard

Beach volleyball

The other amenities of Bataan White Corals: the Fernando Restaurant, a billiard table, basketball court, 73 guest rooms, and free WIFI connection.

Fernando Restaurant

The guest rooms buildings

The basketball court above and the billiard table below

National Geographic: RP one of best new travel destinations in the world

The National Geographic Magazine had named the Philippines as “One of 25 Best New Travel Destinations in the World in 2010” and the country’s ancient cultures, structures and biodiversity were cited as key reasons to visit the archipelago.

The magazine said in its November 2009 Adventure issue that the Philippines has “as many islands as the Caribbean and some of the most spectacular reefs on the planet,” adding that travel organizations have “finally gotten wise.”

National Geographic presented the “25 brand new adventures, all of them just right for right now.” The list is directed at “travelers who want their dollars to do more – for others, for the planet and for themselves.”

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy Gaa said the inclusion of the Philippines in the list shows the global community is “taking note of the natural and cultural wonders in the country as well as the efforts to protect and preserve them.”

According to the article, Wilderness Travel is organizing a trip to the Philippines in May 2010 which will “lead clients high into the 5,000-foot Cordillera Central then deep into the world’s most biodiverse marine environment.”

Wilderness Travel members are mostly travelers who got reviews of tourist spots from other members that include naturalists, authors, ecologists, archeologists, art historians, teachers and mountaineers.

The 12-day trip to the Philippines costs $3,300.

The group’s website www.wildernesstravel. com described the Philippines as a country, which boasts of breathtaking hiking routes through ancient rice terraces and scenic mountain landscapes, cultural encounters with the Ifugao people, and world-class snorkeling in the “Coral Triangle.”

Wilderness Travel said the Philippine journey explores “the emerald world” of the Ifugao tribe who have transformed the precipitous mountainsides of their homeland into steeply contoured rice terraces, complete with 2,000-year-old indigenous irrigation system.

The trip will take travelers to Cabilao Island in the Visayas to view stunning coral reefs that are part of the famed “Coral Triangle,” the world’s greatest concentration of marine biodiversity.

The Philippines has been promoting its cultural and natural wonders as preferred travel destinations for global tourists. The Philippine embassy in Washington works closely with the National Geographic in raising awareness on the importance of sustainable development and ecological protection.

President Arroyo spoke at the National Geographic headquarters in Washington last August and appealed for international support for preserving, promoting and protecting biodiversity in the Coral Triangle.
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