m/v doulos

m/v doulos: the floating bookstore

website: http://www.doulos.org/

some facts and trivia:
> the largest floating bookstore in the world
> the world's oldest active ocean-going passenger ship as per Guinness Book of World Records
> was constructed in 1914
> had sailed under four distinct names and serving various purposes:
a. Medina -> for freighting goods
b. Roma -> for transporting emigrants
c. Franca C -> for cruises
d. Doulos -> as a vessel to bring knowledge, help and hope to the people of the world
> *total number of countries visited: 103 countries
> *total number of visitors: more than 20 million
> *total number of books purchased on board: more than 14 million

* (as of march 2008)

pamangkins and i were able to visit m/v doulos before it left the philippine shore last month.

it was around 2PM and the sun was grinning eat-to-ear, when pamangkins and i joined the crowd lining up and waiting to board the ship.

entrance fee:

> General Admission: PhP10 (but it seems that 10 UNITS is a standard fee)
> FREE, for senior citizens and those below 17 years of age

operating hours:
Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 to 22:00
Sunday and Monday: 14:00 to 22:00

items are priced on a per unit basis, where 1UNIT=1PhP.

items include the following:
> wide range of books - children books, self-help books, reference books and religious books
> doulos souvenirs/memorabilias - bags, pens, cds, id necklaces

the cheapest item that i saw and actually bought was for PhP10, a small activity book (color and color the picture, connect the dots, word puzzles, maze, etc.) for kids.

aboard the ship, visitors can also:
> have their hands painted with a doulos ship icon
> join the games organized by the crew volunteers
> take a tour on some parts of the ship

national musuem: museum of the filipino people

National Museum: Museum of the Filipino People

Address: P. Burgos St. (behind the National Museum: National Art Gallery)

The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10:30AM until 4:00PM.

Admission:
> PhP100 per Person
> PhP30 for Students (with valid School ID)
> PhP80 for Senior Citizens



Unfortunately, I and pamangkins weren't able to visit this museum and have a look of their collections.

However, the exhibition directory did indicate the following:

Ground Floor:
> San Diego Wreck Site Diorama (San Diego is a Spanish galleon that sunk in Philippine waters after a collision in 1600)
> 23rd National Visual Art Competition (2009-2010 PLDT-DPC Telephone Directory Cover)
> Ifugao House

Second Floor:
> Five Century of Maritime Trade
> San Diego History
> San Diego Treasures
> Linnaeus and the Linnaeans

Third Floor:
> Pinagmulan (Origin)
> Kinahinatnan (Filipinos Today)
> Kaban ng Lahi (Archaeological Treasure)

Fourth Floor:
> Sites of Stone (Philippine Lithic Tradition)
> T/Issue (Southeast Asian Traditional Textiles and Their Complications)



For Advance Booking or Group Tours, you may call +63 2 5270278 from Monday to Friday, during Office Hours.

national museum: national art gallery

National Museum: National Art Gallery

Address: Finance road corner P. Burgos



The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10AM until 4PM.

Admission is FREE.




how we got here:

I and pamangkins rode the LRT-Line 2 (Santolan-Recto) and alighted at Recto Station, which is the last station. From there, walked along Quezon Avenue, going to Quiapo Church. From Quiapo Church, took a jeep bound for Manila Hotel.
(If I'm not mistaken, you can take a jeep bound for the Pier, Kalaw or Harrison-Mabini.)



What's instore for you:

When we visited this last month, we saw the following:

First Floor (where the entrance is):
> Paintings and Portraits by Juan Luna and Felix Hidalgo
> J. Luna's Spolarium
> F. Hidalgo’s La Tragedia del Gobernador Fernando de Bustamante y Bustillos
> Old Pictures and Masterplan of Manila
> Manunggul Jar (Burial Jar) and other religious artifacts including a wooden altar from Bohol
> Tau-Tao Exhibit, from the Bagobo mythology


Second Floor:
> Hall for Contemporary Arts
> Hall of National Artists for Visual Arts
- Napoleon Abueva
- Benedicto Cabreras
- Vicente Manansala
- Jose Joya
- Carlos "Botong" Francisco
- Guillermo Tolentino
- Arturo Luz
- Victorio Edades
- Fernando Armosolo
- Abdulmari Imao
- Cesar Legaspi
> Bones and Skeletons of Different Animals:
- horse
- carabao
- cattle
- sea cow
- bat
- deer
- monkey
- tarsier
- stegodont
- tortoise
- rhinoceros
- sperm whale (which suffered from osteoarthritis)
- lancelet
- giant great white shark
- hammerhead
- tiger shark
- marlin
- sea catfish
- stone fish
- porcupine
- barracuda
- toad
- frog
- crocodile
- monitor lizard
- hawksbill
- crow
- heron
- chicken
- lemur
- flying squirrel
- bearcat
- anteater
- small-clawed otter

negros museum

cameras are not allowed ... so B and I settled for the museum's majestic pillars.


Location: Old Provincial Capitol Building, Bacolod City 6100, Negros Occidental, Philippines

Museum is open from 9:00AM to 6:00PM, Mondays to Saturdays



When B and I visited around lunch time, we were told that we need to wait at around 1:30PM. It was worth the wait because we were lucky to have the services of the head museum guide, Raymond Alunan. He had so much to share about the history of the people of Negros. Be keen and try to jot down the trivias.

On a personal note, these are some of what not to be missed:
>> m. montelibano's textile collection featuring clothes and fabrics with intricate designs, coming from different parts of the world ... negros museum is temporarily housing 1/4 of her collection but these will be moved to la salle's museum.
>> listening to an old player ... "i love you but i don't like you"
>> m. montelibano's famous toy collection ... coming from more than 60 countries ... you'll be introduced to nene and totoy.



Musuem Entrance Fee:
>> General Admission: Php50
>> Senior Citizen: PhP40
>> Student/Children: PhP20

If you want to visit on a Sunday:
>> Need to set an appointment
>> Entrance Fee: PhP100

For tour booking and inquiries, you may contact:
The Negros Musuem
Tel. No: (034)4334764, (034)7085080, (034)4319451
Email Address: negros_museum96@yahoo.com
Websites:
http://www.negrosmuseum.freewebspace.com/
http://negrosmuseum.multiply.com

NOTE: if you want to take pictures inside the museum, you need to send a letter to their office, asking for permission at least one week before you plan to have your visit.

balay negrense

sharing some of the pictures B and i took when we visited negros occidental last month.

BALAY NEGRENSE - Don Victor F. Gaston Ancestral House

Address: 5 de Noviembre St. Silay City, Negros Occidental
Contact Number: (63) 34-52263



Entrance Fee:
>> Adult: PhP40
>> Negros Resident: PhP40
>> Senior Citizen: PhP35
>> Students with ID: PhP20
>> Children: PhP20

These amounts would help in restoring and maintaining the museum's collections.





How to Get Here:
>> From Robinson's Bacolod City, B and i rode a passenger jeepney bound for Silay City. We told the driver and his assistant that we are going to Balay Negrense and to drop us off somewhere near the place. Don't worry you won't get lost. Once you see you enter Silay City, watch out for the El Ideal Bakery (on your left), Oxy Bakery (on your right), Silay Public Plaza (on your right), these signal that you need to alight from the jeepney and start walking.

>> Balay Negrense cannot be seen from the main road (one straight highway from Bacolod). If I'm not mistaken it is just two (2) blocks away from the highway, relatively a short walk, roughly a five (5) minute walk.

Fare: Less than PhP15 per person from Robinson's Bacolod (can't remember if it's exactly PhP13). Travel Time is around 15-20 minutes.

chin swee cave temple

**how to get to chinswee:

once you're in genting highlands, there's a FREE shuttle in one of the hotels there...i think the bus can be found across the parking lot fronting genting hotel ... just ask from the hotel's staff.

the bus ride is around 10-20 minutes, winding down the mountain's slope. during our visit, it was very foggy ... we even experienced occasional rain showers.


sharing some of the pictures during our visit last october 2008.

**TAN SRI LIM GOH TONG Hall Marker**

**Happy Buddha**


**GOH TONG Hall Door**

**Paintings and Carvings**


**Journey to Enlightenment**



**Donation Box**

pasig river cruise: structures

some of the structures on the riverbank.

*Manila's Post Office Building*


*Guadalupe's Housing Project*


*Tanks at Seaoil Depot*


*Tower Cranes going to URC Area*


*Noah's Sugar Refinery*


*Old ... Worn Out Building*


*Escolta Station*


*FEATI University*


*Cardinal Sin's Village*


*Isetann Department Store*