Rogen Inn lights up first Christmas Tree

Like younglings giddy with excitement for the Yuletide Season, the Rogen Inn founders and its team were thrilled to light up their first Christmas tree. It was a cause for celebration for Davao’s newest hospitality establishment.

“We wanted to share the joy we feel celebrating the first Christmas to our guests and everyone who passes by our address at the corner of Mt. Apo and Lopez Jaena streets. This is why we put up the 22-foot Holiday tree in traditional Christmas colors in front of the compound for all to see,” Rogen General Manager Gene Bangayan said. 

Ronald and Gene Bangayan

The evening’s guests were led to the function hall on the sixth floor of the South Wing where cocktails was served. From the gallery of the halls, everyone got a view of the newly-lit holiday tree with the downtown Davao landscape as the backdrop.

Rogen’s Gene Bangayan with DOT XI Director Tanya Tan, Davao City Tourism Office OIC Jennifer Romero, Davao City Councilors Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, Al Ryan Alejandre and Office of the Vice President’s GeneRose Tecson

“We salute you all for withstanding those challenging times. Let this Christmas season also be a reminder to all of us of our resilience. We congratulate and welcome Rogen Inn to the growing list of  DOT-accredited hospitality establishments in our city,” Department of Tourism Davao Region Director Tanya Tan said.

Adding to the festiveness of the outdoor holiday montage are the restaurants in the compound which were decorated for the holidays as well. 

The line-up of dining options is one of Rogen Inn’s pride. Popular homegrown brands comprise the majority of the roster: Rogen Lounge, Marinatuna, Habi at Kape, Boiling Crab and Vines; and favorites Samgyupsalamat and Yo Froz complete the list.

“The options are diverse—Filipino, Thai, Korean, seafood to meat, savory to desserts— and dining service starts as early as 6AM until nighttime. The food scene at the Rogen Inn compound is very exciting,” Bangayan said.

“I would like to share another good news. As we light the Christmas tree, we are also officially launching Elements, a salon and a day spa,” she added.

Rogen Inn opened in the second quarter of this year as the tourism sector was slowly bouncing back, entering the recovery period after the pandemic. With health restrictions easing up, the inn is receiving its target occupancy rate. Bangayan said that the Christmas season’s private functions are a boost to the inn’s sales target.

Within the three buildings of Rogen Inn are 328 Deluxe Rooms uniformly sized per building. Each room is equally well-appointed with tap card access and necessities any business and leisure traveler needs.

“We are extending the room promotions until December 31. It’s P1,850 per room, good for two with complimentary breakfast,” said Bangayan.

Unique Pinoy gifts from Kultura

Discover unique gifts for everyone on your list from Kultura, your one stop shop for the ultimate Filipino Christmas.  There are eco-friendly finds and festive fashion accessories, chic home accents, delicious treats and aromatic personal care items, all beautifully packaged in pandan and kraft boxes. 

Here are some meaningful, special gift ideas you can find in Kultura stores:  

 

• Something Decadent

Say it sweetly while supporting the local cacao industry with a basket full of chocolates from Davao. This bundle includes an assortment of dark and milk chocolates from Malagos, tree-to-bar chocolates from Auro, and Coco low-glycemic variants using coco sugar from Coco Dolce. 

• Something brew-tiful 

Merienda gift set includes Gourmet Farms’ expertly roasted drip coffee from Cavite, a statement mug and Manila Cookie Story’s shortbread cookies in an adorable jeepney tin.

• Something Comforting

Classic champorado, coco and strawberry jams, acacia bowls and plates from Pampanga plus a pair of handprinted napkins make a  delightful gift set that celebrates s Pinoy snack time with a dose of nostalgia. 

  

• Something Precious 

Give the gift of prayers and well wishes for those who share your faith and  make someone’s Christmas more meaningful with these lovely rosary bracelets made from Philippine pearls. 

• Something Sustainable and Eco Friendly

Encourage an eco- friendly lifestyle with gifts from Kultura like this sustainable tote, bamboo and aluminum lunchbox, and a bamboo tumbler mug.  Likewise, Versatile bamboo mugs and cutlery support sustainable living in practical ways while adding rustic charm to your kitchen 

• Something Stylish 

Embroidered fans, jute coin purses, and beautiful shawls all wrapped in pandan boxes. 

Discover and delight in local craftsmanship this Christmas at Kultura’s Christmas Market! 

Shop local artistry online at www.kulturafilipino.com Stay updated with new arrivals, sales and more by following Kultura on IG @kulturafilipino and FB @kulturaPH/

'KAON TA, KAIN PA!'

Davao’s Food and Travel Festival kicks off At Abreeza Mall Friday

The three-day “Kaon Ta, Kain Pa! Food and Travel Festival” kicks off on Friday, December 2 at Ayala Abreeza Mall in Davao City.  

This gastronomic celebration aims to position the Philippines as a premiere culinary destination not only in Asia but globally as well. 

With the theme "Food Tripping Christmas", the festival will feature a flavorful spread of local and modern holiday cuisines and local beverages. Visitors can expect lots of food, travel and Christmas. 

Kaon Ta, Kain Pa! will showcase the culinary wealth of Regions 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11,12, 13 as well as from the Cordillera Administrative Region and the National Capital Region.  

"With Kaon Ta, Kain Pa!, the DOT aims to provide a platform for the development and promotion of regional cuisine, farm tours and tourism circuits,” DOT Xl Regional Director Tanya Rabat Tan said.

Filipinos reunite during the holidays and splurge on food to wish for abundance in the new year. Thus, this culinary event will also highlight celebration dishes that are sure favorites in the noche buena tables. 

New Subsea Cable System to boost trans-Asian connectivity

A consortium of telecommunications companies has signed agreements to invest about $300 million for a submarine cable system in Southeast Asia that aims to boost data capacity in the region and upgrade local capacities.

The group is composed of the following:

• China Telecom Global Limited (CTG) of China
• Globe Telecom, Inc. (Globe)
• DITO Telecommunity Corporation (DITO) of the Philippines
• Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel) of Singapore
• Unified National Networks Sdn Bhd (UNN) of Brunei Darussalam

 

The planned Asia Link Cable (ALC) will be approximately 6,000 kilometers in length, connecting Hong Kong SAR China and Singapore as its trunk, with branches into the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam and Hainan, China. HMN Technologies Co., Limited (HMN Tech) was awarded as the system supplier and is expected to complete construction of the ALC by the third quarter of 2025.

 

ALC is seen to provide additional hyper-capacity within Asia and boost resiliency for international traffic. It will have a minimum eight fiber pairs in the system, with 18 Tbps/Fiber Pair minimum trunk design capacity, adding more capacity and diversity to existing networks in the region.

 

Here's what the Co-Chairs/CEO have to say:

“ALC is a great accomplishment of Asian carriers which overcame difficulties of Covid impacts, and it is also the only subsea project with zero face-to-face meetings from the MoU to the C&MA (construction and maintenance agreement) signing in the industry. ALC consortium adopts an open and inclusive principle and will attract more investors in the near future to make it more cost effective, which will reinforce the resilience of interconnectivity in Asia and better serve digital economy in the region."

-ALC Co-Chair Chang Weiguo (CTG) 

 

“We started planning and designing the ALC cable more than two years ago at the onset of the pandemic, having anticipated the inevitable growth in high-definition content consumption, trade and innovation in this region. Despite the challenges presented by safe management restrictions, we managed to come up with a system that will help meet the evolving needs of consumers and enterprises and boost local economies today and in the near future.”

 

-ALC Co-Chair Alan Tan (Singtel) 

“It is a great honor for HMN Tech to team up with the global leading telecom operators to provide innovative turnkey subsea cable solution for the ALC System. This new cable system will provide new impetus for the ALC consortium to establish digital and intelligent networks in Asia and around the world."

-CEO of HMN Tech Mao Shengjiang

An open cable system architecture is adopted for ALC, enabling parties to select and maintain independent line terminal equipment that would suit their customer requirement.

 

With strategic locations and bullish digital growth prospects in mind, there has been increased interest to interconnect the trans-Asian region, enriching the infrastructure for prospective customers. This subsea cable system will help enhance the existing facilities in catering future requirements in the region.

Top 5 reasons to dine at Marinatuna, Rogen Inn Compound

MarinaTuna, your one-stop shop for everything seafood, is now at Rogen Inn Compound, Mt. Apo St.  

The Bangayan family, who owns the newly-opened Rogen Inn, added the MarinaTuna brand to the roster of home-grown brands at the compound, that are set to provide Rogen Inn guests a variety of flavors. 

Here are the top 5 reasons why MarinaTuna at Rogen Inn Compound, should be at the top of your tuna and seafood destination list.

1. Location

MarinaTuna Rogen Inn is located in the heart of the city. It is actually right in the middle of the bustling streets of Torres, Ilustre, and Quirino Avenue. If you have businesses along these areas, then you need not brave the traffic just to fill your tummies with delicious food.

2. Wide Parking Space

Everybody needs some space (no pun intended) especially during chow time! No need to worry even if you need to find a gastronomic destination in a crunch because MarinaTuna Rogen Inn is located in an area with a wide parking space.

3. Buffet Breakfast

Marinatuna Rogen Inn serves buffet breakfast which includes your favorite day starters like eggs, sausages, corned beef, a selection of breads, rice, Pinoy Kakanins, fresh fruits in season and coffee.

Bestsellers: Tuna Panga

Bestsellers: Kare-Kare

4. Lunch Buffet

MarinaTuna Rogen Inn serves buffet lunch every Friday and Saturday for P549.00 only.

Bestsellers: Bihod/Tendon

Bestsellers: Crispy Buntot

5. Experience the 10 ways of serving tuna

MarinaTuna Rogen Inn serves the famed 10 ways of serving tuna, including Tuna Sashimi, Tuna Kinilaw, Bagaybay, Bihod, Tendon, Kare-Kare, Crispy Buntot, Tuna Panga, and Tuna Head with Eye Paksiw.

How do you serve tuna? Let me count the ways...

There are actually more reasons to go to MarinaTuna at Rogen Inn Compound. Aside from the seafood specialties, it also serves other dishes to non-pescatarians like Fried, Buttered and BBQ Chicken, and Beef dishes cooked in many different ways.

Bestsellers: Tuna Sashimi/Kinilaw

Surprise, surprise! MarinaTuna Rogen Inn has a special menu consisting of Japanese Cuisine selections like Gyoza, Kani Salas and Okonomiyaki for appetizers, Japanese Miso Shiro Soup, and California Maki.

MarinaTuna Rogen Inn
Address: Corner Mt. Apo and Lopez Jaena Streets, Davao City
☎ 317-1004
📱 0917-623-3576

Experiencing Ford: Destination Zambales

 

DatelineDavao on the wheel of the NextGen Ford Everest with PR Works' Mafe Barcelo and Brigada's Jhen Solis

Tough. Rugged. 

These words come to mind when you think about what makes a Ford, a Ford. It’s no surprise that the brand has become synonymous with machismo, that insatiable male pride. Imagine how surprised we were, an all-female crew for the Next Gen Ford Ranger and Everest Media Drive, the first time we touched base with these vehicles at the basement of the Swissotel Clark at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

(L-R) Lovely Carillo (DatelineDavao/eNews.PH), Doris Mongaya and Christ Gesultura (PR Works) and Julien Guanzon (iNewsPH) during the Ford Media Drive briefing at Swissotel

it turned out that this was no ordinary event because the moment we arrived and settled at the hotel, Ford AVP and Head of Communications EJ Francisco, and PR Works’ Doris Isubal-Mongaya with Chris Gesultura, rushed us to the basement for the first activity dubbed as the “Exercise”. It was no zumba though, because they had a different kind of exercise in mind, the one which left our mouths gaping as we chorused with the oohhs and ahhhs as we experienced first-hand some of the assist features of the Next Gen Ford Everest. 

The NextGen Ford Everest's Reverse Brake Assist is a practical feature as it detects rear hazard and automatically breaks for you

This vehicle is loaded with sensors that can detect hazards behind you. Even if you are an expert in reverse parking, you have to admit that it helps to have an extra eye at the back to take care of those blind spots. With Ford Everest Reverse Brake Assist, your car detects if there is an object, person, or even another vehicle at the rear. And if you don’t react in time, it will automatically brake for you. It also comes with the Active Park Assist feature which comes in handy if parking spaces are tight but you want to squeeze in. While it’s easy to be in awe of the park assist feature, you will find the reverse brake assist more practical.

Ford Philippines Managing Director Michael Breen 

It turned out that the basement rendezvous was just a preview of more exciting things to come for the morrow. We were expecting to do a typical test drive. You know, the one where you maneuver the car out on the street, with a guide in tow, for a few minutes and then head back? But Ford had another thing in mind.

Destination Zambales

The road less traveled. George Ramirez explains the Ford Media Drive route  from Swissotel in Clark, Pampanga to Mapanuepe Lake in Bgy. Aglao, San Marcelino, Zambales 

The final briefing by Team Ramirez gave us the goosebumps. They gave us a glimpse of what awaits us at the end of our journey for the Ford Media Drive—a chance to visit a secluded camping area known as the New Zealand of the Philippines. But to get to paradise, we have to drive for hours and pass through the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), onto a long bumpy, narrow, and lahar-laden route. Before the “Ride and Drive” experience we were told to just sit through the ride as passengers if the drive and track were outside our comfort zone.

Team VisMin before the final briefing on D-Day

Team VisMin at the lobby of Swissotel. Ready for the Ford Media Drive

For someone who defines her driving comfort zone as a hatchback, small compact car, there are only two words to describe driving an SUV (Ford NextGen Everest) and a pickup truck (Ford Ranger)—WILDEST DREAMS! I was ready to enjoy the ride as a passenger until circumstances forced me to take the wheel of the sleek, black NextGen Ford Everest. We were car No. 15 which means we were the last one of the 16-car convoy, the last one being the sweep. Steering the SUV out of the basement parking of Swissotel and onto the highway was a breeze, with Jhen Solis of Brigada at the passenger seat trying to operate the radio and listen to the lead’s instructions, and Mafe Barcelo of PR Works at the backseat who kept telling me to put the pedal to the metal. 

Would have loved to explore Subic but we were just passing through as we were  following a tight schedule for the Ford Media Drive. No joy riding here as our lead driver kept telling us to move fast.

Achievement UNLOCKED!
Driving the NextGen Ford Everest from Clark, Pampanga to Subic 

Driving along the SCTEx at a minimum speed of 70 (as instructed by George over the radio), and most often reaching the maximum allowable speed of 100 got our adrenaline going. Was egged on to speed up else we would be left behind by the convoy, since we were already at the expressway and had to deal with big trucks and other vehicles cutting into the convoy. But there’s just no way this Davao-trained driver would break the speed limit. They found it hard to believe that we in Davao, were in fact, following the speed limit. Well, Durianburg has its own share of stupid and reckless drivers who soon enough found out that they were no match for the traffic enforcers’ speed guns.

Lady Ford drivers (l-r) Mafe Barcelo of PR Works, Jhen Solis of Brigada, Lulu Fajardo of Panay News and Juliene Guanzon of iNews

This time with Jhen at the wheel

The road to Subic was uneventful, except for the need to speed up to catch up with the convoy. A toilet break and driver change along the way gave us an opportunity to enjoy the view and the fresh air. First time to see an airconditioned toilet in the middle of nowhere, though. Got on the driver’ seat again from Castillejos to San Marcelino, Zambales. This was the bumpy and edge of cliff ride part, but now more relaxed thanks to Jhen’s playlist. It was easy to sync her phone with the vehicle’s user-friendly 12-inch touchscreen thanks to the Ford Everest’s wireless smartphone integration system. It was at this point when Mafe sounded off at the back since her phone was losing its juice. No problem because it also comes with a wireless charging pad in front and a USB charging port at the second row.

Maneuvering the Everest amid a narrow bumpy road with lots of incoming lahar-hauling trucks was smooth. It was a bit challenging, but bearable thanks to the music playing in the background and a scenic view of a long stretch of lahar land before us. 

The rough road going to Bgy. Aglao in San Marcelino, Zambales was no match for the Next Gen Ford Everest. Unbelievable how this SUV took us for a smooth ride even through the lahar river

We survived the Ford Media Ride and Experience drive from Clark, Pampanga, and arrived safely in Aglao, San Marcelino, Zambales. 

UP NEXT, the road to Rodriguez Ranch, the New Zealand of the Philippines and the eerie Mapanuepe Lake.