Weekend Getaway at Dalitiwan Resort in Majayjay, Laguna

Weekend getaways can be more enjoyable when amidst nature. Lush greenery, mountains, rocks, hanging bridge and waterfalls are quintessential accompaniments to unwind. To be able to at least go far away from stressful and hectic work life, me and my office mates have organized an outing. 

Last May 23, 2015 Saturday, we went to Dalitawan Resort in Majayjay, Laguna. My colleagues left Manila at 3:30 AM and was able to pick me up at Southwoods Exit at 4:00AM. We reached the resort at 7:00 AM. We almost ran out of cottage to rent as the place is full of people already when we get there. 

Dalitiwan Resort attracts many tourists with its surrounding serenity and cascading appeal. The area is surrounded by lush greens and captivating views. My daughter enjoyed walking on the hanging bridge. She also cannot seem to wait to dip in the cold spring water the moment we get there. Below are some of the pics taken at Dalitiwan Resort.

Itinerary
3:00 - 3:30AM - Meetup 
3:30 AM - Departed Mandaluyong City
7:00 AM - Arrived at Dalitiwan Resort
11:00 AM - Lunch
3:00 PM - On our way to Isdaan Restaurant
4:00 PM - Isdaan

Entrance Fee: 
Adults - 80 pesos
Kids - 70 pesos

Cottage:
500 pesos to 1000 pesos

NBI Clearance Payment Confirmation No Match Found

So, this morning I applied for NBI Clearance for local employment. Below are the steps that I have taken:

1. Since I am a new applicant, I accomplished the sign up form that can be found at http://clearance.nbi.gov.ph/
2. After signing up, I was redirected to the NBI Clearance application page and provided required information. I selected the NBI - Mandaluyong City Hall - Maysilo Circle, Mandaluyong City.
3. I then opted to pay through BDO - over the counter bills payment. I paid 140.00 pesos. My friend opted to pay though BPI, which cost her 190.00 pesos.
4. After payment has been made, the next step is to confirm payment online.

When trying to confirm payment of 140.00 pesos online, I always get the error "No match found. Make sure you entered ACTUAL amount deposited. We will process this manually at end of day."

My schedule is this afternoon so even I was not able to confirm payment, I still proceed to my preferred NBI Branch for finger print and image/photo capturing. Since I went there at 1PM, it is too hot and crowded that I feel like I am in hell. After a few minutes falling in line, I showed my receipt/machine validated deposit slip to the assigned NBI office staff. Of course, when validating my reference ID, it will appear as UNPAID as I was not able to confirm payment online because of the error that I keep encountering. 

The NBI staff told me to check with BDO and just come back again when the status is PAID. I get upset that even if you have proof of payment, you still need to wait until the status changed from UNPAID to PAID on their system. I do not want my day to be wasted. I want my NBI Clearance application to be processed so I called Dragonpay hotline (02) 3586012 and not BDO.  The two guy staffs in that branch seems unfriendly so I didn't just go for their recommendation to check with BDO. I called Dragonpay hotline instead. As expected, it took me around 30 minutes before my call was attended to. 

I stated my case to the CSR. She asked for a copy of my payment slip. Good thing I emailed support@dragonpay.ph already with a copy of my payment slip and so she have my case forwarded to finance department as she said. The status was changed to PAID in just a few minutes and so my NBI clearance application was processed. While my friend got her NBI Clearance easily, mine is scheduled for release on the first week of June. I felt sad as I will be back in that place again. Oh well, lessons learned include: 

1. I will not opt for BDO - OTC again when paying bills like this. I might encounter the same hassles as what I have experienced today. BPI may cost more but offers smoother transaction. 

2. My other friends said they encountered no problems by paying through Bayad Centers. So, this could be another option for me than BDO - OTC payment. 

Spending My Birthday at Classic Savory SM Muntinlupa

I have a good dining experience at Classic Savory SM Muntinlupa last February 2015, so I decided to celebrate my birthday there with my mom, dad and daughter. The place is not that spacious but since it is a weekday, it is not filled with diners.

I am not happy with Classic Savory's Lechon Macau last time, so I did not ordered it again. My daughter wants Buttered Chicken but she suddenly realized that we've been eating fried chicken much the past days so, we thought of trying out something new.

We ended up ordering Fish Fillet with Tofu Tausi Sauce (225 php). The food is nicely prepared so I expected that I would be delighted by it. At first, I thought it was only me who thinks that the food is too salty until my dad joked that it seems Classic Savory has a lot of salt in its kitchen. Yes, indeed, it is too salty!

Like the Fish Fillet with Tofu Tausi Sauce, Classic Savory's Long Life Pancit Canton (215 php) is also too salty. I craved for this Pancit Canton but it only disappointed me that it is not as good as the last time I ordered it.

It is only the Yang Chow Fried Rice (195 php) that is not salty. It is good in taste but we still have leftovers as the Fish Fillet with Tofu Tausi Sauce made us lose our appetite.

It is good we ordered something sweet. Classic Savory's Turon is not bad to have a price tag of 65php. It is fine in taste and neatly prepared. I would want to order Turon again if I will be dining again at Classic Savory SM Muntinlupa. With our dissatisfaction with the salty Long Life Pancit Canton and Fish Fillet with Tofu Tausi Sauce, I am not sure anymore if we will go back there again.

My Not So Good Lunch at Classic Savory Robinsons Forum

Today, the 5th of March, my daughter has no classes so, she decided to come with me at work. We had our lunch at Classic Savory Robinsons Forum. Because we loved the taste of Savory Classic SM Muntinlupa's buttered chicken, we both thought to have it as our lunch. But this time, we tried the Affordable E-Meals 119php promo.

My daughter go for E-meal No. 2 (Buttered Chicken, Pancit Canton, Rice and Iced Tea) while I have chosen E-meal No. 4 (Buttered Chicken, Sweet and Sour, Rice and Iced Tea), upgrading my rice to Yang Chow Fried Rice for an additional 20 pesos.

We were both excited to eat but got disappointed with the taste of Buttered Chicken and Pancit Canton. Savory Classic SM Robinsons Forum's buttered chicken is not as good as that of the SM Muntinlupa branch. It is neck part also sliced in tiny pieces so, my daughter is not really happy with her lunch. The Pancit Canton is too salty and the Iced Tea is tasteless.

The Sweet and Sour Pork that comes with my E-meal is a little hard that it is difficult to chew. The Yang Chow Fried Rice is fine. Customer service is not that good too. I asked for water for me and my daughter but was given only a glass of water, which took about 10 minutes to be served. Our foods were also served after 20 minutes, it is why we were really unhappy with our lunch. My daughter even told me that we should have just had our lunch at KFC.

Hainanese Delights

Yesterday, I went to Robinson's Forum and had my lunch again at Hainanese Delights. This time, I tried their Pork Chop meal 99 pesos promo, which comes with Iced Tea and unlimited rice. Of course, I also ordered my favorite Take the Cake. 

Pork Chop - 99php

Take the Cake - 90 php

However, I am not that satisfied with their today's fried radish cake. It seems to me that it has been fried two or three times already. It is very greasy.

Classic Savory Restaurant at SM Muntinlupa

Last February 7, 2015 Sunday, I went to SM Muntinlupa with my family. I heard Classic Savory Restaurant has opened its doors there, so we checked it out since it is one of my dad's favorite restaurants. The place is a little small though and almost all tables are already occupied that day. 

Savory has a lot of tasty offerings, ranging from soups to rice and noodles. Chicken is its signatured dish but instead of trying out the classic one, my daughter preferred to give "Buttered Chicken" a try. So, I ordered half and also tried "Lechon Macau."

Half Fried Buttered Chicken - 245php

Me and my daughter were delighted with the taste of Classic Savory's "Buttered Chicken." We will definitely come back because of it. 

Lechon Macau - 295php

I kinda do not like the "Lechon Macau." It is not that tasty and tender. I will try "Sweet and Sour" pork next time than this one. 

Savory Fried Rice - 215php

Savory Fried Rice is fine and could have been better if it has more bits of Chinese sausage. 

Long Life Pancit Canton - 215php

We all enjoyed eating Classic Savory's "Long Life Pancit Canton." This festive braised noodles is worth the money. 

•Classic Savory Restaurant, GF SM Center Muntinlupa National Road, Barangay Tunasan, Muntinlupa City

Fried Radish Cake: Hainanese Delights' Take the Cake

QUICK THOUGHTS

Hainanese Delights

Today, I craved for fried radish cake so I went to Hainanese Delights at Robinson Forum in Mandaluyong City. It's been so long since I last visited this place. For me, the restaurant ambiance is fine. While it has the same atmosphere as any usual fast food chain, Hainanese Delights serve exceptional specialties.

 Take the Cake - Fried Radish Cake

So far, the prices of foods are still budget-friendly. Take the Cake is still worth 90 pesos. Next time, I will try their Tofu with mixed veggies or Laksa soup.