Valentines Day Ideas During the Pandemic

For me, this time is important. It's been almost a year since we've all got locked in our homes and of course Valentines day is fast approaching. What do you do in a situation like this? I've done the legwork of putting these things together of some really good stuff hotels and brands are dishing out this February 14. Truth be told, there are really good ones out there and if you ask me, it's okay to dine out just as long as you follow strict health protocols. You're not just helping yourself in the process but also the businesses and employees.

 Dining

 Sheraton Manila Bay

 

 Sheraton Manila Bay just recently opened their Pacific Lounge. If you want to celebrate Valentines day at home or this hotel, you can have a romantic fine dining dinner with you. They have "Love Picnic To Go" which costs Php 2,188 net. It's a 3-course Dinner package for your and your loved one. They also have a Valentines Grazing Box & Country Baguette which costs Php 2,488. You also get a complimentary bottle of wine with it, which is good considering that price. Call them via +632 5318 0788, 0917 583 7294,  0917 583 7326 for reservations. You can also email them via sh.mnlsb.fnb@sheraton.com. A 24 hour advance order is required so they can prepare it for you. If you opt for a romantic dinner under the gazebo, the 5 course dinner and wine with grazing box would be nice.That costs Php 9,888, but I love how exclusive it is so get that if you have money to spare.

 They also have a Pre-Dinner Cocktail Buffet for only Php 988 which includes house wine, local beer, chilled juices, fresh juices, iced tea or soda. It only happens every Friday, so take advantage of that if you can celebrate early.

Sofitel Manila

 

Sofitel's got your romantic date while the sun is going down, or covered while dining out under the stars. They have a new food truck which they aptly call The Food Truck by Sofitel. Aside from the usual international food they do so nicely, they've got aphrodisiac-ish items such as Foie Gras Sliders, Beef Brisket, Chicken Gyro, Sizzling Gambas and your hubby or boyfriend's favorite, unlimited beer! For the more classy ones, they also have wine and sparkling wine to make you a little woozy. It costs Php 4,000, but well worth it. You may inquire with this form https://bit.ly/VDayatTheFoodTruck. Make sure you also do reserve ahead of time so you can go there without hitches!

You can also opt for the romantic valentines day at home by ordering Spiral at Home. The best dishes, all well planned and thought about to make sure your special someone enjoys it for that occasion. They're serving Truffle Roasted Poulet Jaune, Burrata Salad, Cheese and Charcuterie, their Chef's Sushi Selection and a dessert treat of Framboise Chocolate Crunch Gateaux with macarons. That truffle dish is already making me salivate, plus the dessert OMG. Go and check the rates via this form and inquire about it https://bit.ly/RomanticDinneratHome.

 

Savoy Hotel

 

 

This is my personal favorite hotel to stay in when I'm going in and out of Manila. It sits right outside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport 3 and you can even walk there by foot from here. They currently have good breads including Ube Cheese Pan de Sal offered at the Savoy Cafe. They also have really good ala carte offers which is composed of Western and Asian dishes. They also have really mean salads and sandwiches too, so if you're up for a breakfast meet or snack, this would be a nice place to do it.

Belmont Hotel Manila

 Part of the Megaworld Group of hotels, Belmont Hotel Manila also has regular dining options. Aside from that, they've got a good bar that serves cocktails from their in house bar. I'd suggest you call (02) 5318-8887 or email dine@belmontmanila.com if you want to have a fun night with friends and close family, with health protocols observed of course as they have their own Stay Safe campaign. They even share their cocktail recipes via B Sessions which they post on their Facebook page. I'd like to have a dry Martini or frozen Margarita with a few ladies please!

 

Shopping at Shopee

 Since most of us can't go out or choose not to really be outside our homes, shopping must be done online. There are a few things in Shopee that are good for you or your loved one. We still need to remain active even at home right?

 

Track your workout efforts with this Xiaomi Mi Band 5. Know your heart rate, steps you take and the calories you burn. Get one here

https://shopee.prf.hn/l/7YEjaG9

For girlfriends that adore beauty products, Vice cosmetics has this Kavogue Everyday Palette. She will look pretty in this, and it's also on sale! Get it here

https://shopee.prf.hn/l/7DBebgw

Now celebrating valentines day need not just for parents, you can have your kids dressed up with these Sesame Street themed sleepwear. Too cute!

If your boyfriend always says he didn't have batteries and could not text you back, this signals you to buy this Pineng Powerbank. It's on sale too so better get this on your cart! Get it here

https://shopee.prf.hn/l/7oo1MBJ

If your boyfriend is muscular, or athletic, this Gun massager is used by NBA greats. You can use this on him for a night of relaxing massage without having to do it all by hand. Get one here

https://shopee.prf.hn/l/rpOlbNk

The day after, it's also nice to brush together. Get this Bamboo toothbrush. Cheap too! See it here

https://shopee.prf.hn/l/7Evk1O2

These Cowin Wireless Sweatproof Earphones would be good for those who run, buy two if you want to join in the fun!

Get it here https://shopee.prf.hn/l/7YELNa2

Wash up with this Cerave Renewing SA Cleanser. It pays to be clean! Check it here

https://shopee.prf.hn/l/KjL3lkB

For a fun desk, KDrama and KPop lovers should get this Bling Light 3D Night Light, because it doesn't need to be bright, on a romantic night hehe. Get one on this shop

https://shopee.prf.hn/l/rGEnkgO

Shopee also has some of these up to 90% discount, and free shipping too. You don't have to go out and buy stuff because almost everything is here!

Now don't worry about the pandemic, we're all going to be fine as long as you follow strict health guidelines set by experts and the government. Take time to make her feel special, your family, your friends, because at the end of the day, valentines day is all about LOVE and you are part of that. You have to still make it special and memorable for her, she deserves the nice things, you too. Get her a nice dinner, small gifts, and who knows, she might give you the same too.

 

Happy valentines day!

Cardinal Santos Medical Center: The Good Things About Minimally Invasive Surgery

I am part of the population of Filipinos who would  never want to undergo surgery. It creeps me out, and those medical series produced in the US doesn't really help especially if there are very graphic images which I'm sure real doctors are quite used to. They're real heroes, even at the time of the pandemic they're at the hospitals and are making sure the medical needs of Filipinos are sufficiently given. It's a noble profession.

 With the advancements in technology, we now have a choice. The Cardinal Santos Medical Center earlier held a webinar and press conference to tell us about the wonders of Minimally Invasive Surgery. In the past, it would take a lot of effort to operate on people especially in the torso. Hospitals across the country already use this technology but not all have been educating ordinary joes. CSMC knows how it is vital to inform the public of the procedure as it is better than the old ways. This webinar was entitled as "Why Less Is More: 10 Things To Know About Minimally Invasive Surgery."

 

 Distinguished men and women who spoke at the webinar include Dr. Alfred Allen Buenafe the Executive Director of Cardinal Santos Philippine Center for Advanced Surgery (the prime MIS training center in the Philippines) , Dr Zenaida Javier-Uy who is the Chief Medical Officer, and Dr. Jaideep Raj Rao the Senior Consultant and General and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon of Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital in Singapore.

Dr. Buenafe pointed out the goodness of doing laparoscopic surgery and says “It helps diagnose a wide range of conditions that develop inside the abdomen or pelvis. It does it through direct visualization of the affected organs​. Surgical procedures like removing a diseased organ like a gallbladder, or collecting tissue samples for testing or biopsy can now be easy.”

Dr. Rao supported this and says "Doing minimal invasive surgery gets similar or even better results. The trauma on the human body is less so recovery is much faster." 

During the event, several patients who have undergone the procedure also gave their testimonies, of which mostly all healed faster than what is predicted. Cardinal Santos Medical Center wants this to be more accessible to Filipinos, starting with the Philippine Center for Advanced Surgery Training Center so more people can have access to world-class training here in the country.

To know more about the procedure or training, visit their official site cardinalsantos.com.ph.

You Can Choose Your BL Star in "Pa-mine Pare"

This is interesting. An upcoming BL Movie is about to unfold but first things first, they have to pick who will star in this film. Your choices are Gian Wang, Ali Abinal, Eian Rances, Tan Roncal and Shoichi Oka. Boys Love is definitely something that kept audiences in the country sane during the pandemic and now YOU have the choice of who you would like to see in this project called Pa-mine Pare. Now seriously, who would you choose?

Ali Abinal

Eian Rances

Gian Wang

Shoichi Oka

Tan Roncal

 The plot was explained to us earlier. They will be straight rough guys who will suddenly find themselves feeling something romantic with their partner. I asked them some really uncomfortable questions, to hopefully see how they would handle the role if they get picked in this competition. They're very competitive!

 

Up until February 25, you can choose who will be the lead stars of this film. Vote via KUMU when they stream or KTX.PH because you have the power to see who will be part of the cast, which hopefully will include your favorite stars so you can stream them soon.

They're all good looking, and I can't wait to see who will be on the title role for this project!

Why I'm Itching To Try CIGNAL This Year

 

 

 Honestly I have said that statement in the last couple of years especially when my cable connection gets a little sporadically unusable when it rains, or just plain randomly. Cignal has been consistently growing their user base year-on-year and this 2021, they're coming out with more promos and content. For starters, they've amped up programming in their home grown channels (if you read my other articles you would have known by now). 

Cignal just got crazy. If you are currently on another provider, they are urging you to get their best plan yet. Imagine, they can give you 3 FREE MONTHS of subscription, waived the activation fees (that's already 1,5K) if you subscribe now through Cignal's Plan 520 and up. Just show them your previous bill and they'll accommodate you, but this promo will only be until September 30, 2021 (which gives you ample time to decide eh?). Cignal also has monthly loading options so you don't have to worry too much about it once its installed. Their Ultimate HD Kit is now priced at Php 1,990 from its original price of Php 2,790. That's a lot!  If you've already got a satellite dish at home, you can get it for Php 1,490, then on top of those offers, Cignal will hook you up with a Buy 1 Take 1 Month Free load offer. See? Unbelievable no?

New Content

 

Blue's Clues and You, have fun spotting and putting paw prints all over the house as you learn pre school things and values on Channel 77 via Nick Jr.

NBA fans would have a grand time watching the games via Channel 262 NBA TV Philippines

If you want to see Chicago PD, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Tap Edge has them all

Your volleyball hero Gretchen Ho and Roby Alampay takes you to a rundown of the day's top stories via The Big Story. It's all on One News at Cignal Ch. 250 HD.

 They also have Cignal Play so you can watch everything anytime of the day. If you see yourself appreciating this show and about 119 other channels they have on Cignal, give them a call via 8888-5555 or their official site www.cignal.tv. You can also message them via www.facebook.com/cignaltv and their reps can point you in the right direction.

I'm thinking about it now. :)