Avenue Plaza Hotel in full blast

Before I retire, I just want to say that the Avenue Plaza Hotel in Naga City is already in full blast. You see I noticed that much of the traffic of this blog the past days was brought about by the heightened interest of some people about the said hotel. By googling it, these people were led to this blog.

Anyway, allow me to share also that a few weeks ago I went back there in Naga City and stayed in the hotel for three nights and four days with the invitation of Mr. Allan Cu, president of G7Holdings the developer of the hotel and Ms. Gwen Cu, the managing director of Avenue Square. I must say the hotel is really a cut-above-the-rest. Rooms are indeed fine and first-rate. And the bed is really, really nice. The service is superb too! I even told myself that I found another secret of a really good night, albeit short, sleep and that is a very good bed and pillows that seem to hug you in the most comfortable way. Bicol's first world-class and three-story gym that is attached to the hotel is also already up and operational now.

Go, experience them yourself if you are in doubt of what I just said.

At any rate, it is really good for Naga City and the entire Camarines Sur that we finally have a four-star hotel that we can all recommend, without hesitation at that, to our guests, friends, and family members especially those coming over from other places every time they need a place to stay while in the locality. Now the tourism industry is also booming, apart from real estate which I am now in, an inventory of good hotels is a prerequisite for a certain city or province to be competitive in terms of attracting tourists and events that will, in turn, bring in many people from all over the country and even from other countries - and in the process, cashing in from this industry boom.

A few weeks ago, I chanced upon Mr. Frank Mendoza of the Office of the City Mayor in Glorietta 4 and we had a chat. In the course of our discussion, he told me about the city government's efforts to bring in more events to the city so that a reawakening hotel industry that we are seeing in the city nowadays could be supported and sustained for the long-term progress of our local economy in Naga and in Camarines Sur. It was good to hear that, and I pray that all initiatives coming from different fronts, not just from the private and public sector, be well coordinated and strategically integrated or harmonized to bring about genuine synergy for development through tourism. I also hope that the relationship between the city government and the provincial government becomes better so that the two could finally work together and achieve more gains and positive results. As the new slogan of G7Bank goes, "Together, we're better", the two government units can potentially become the tag team to beat in the entire country when the said wish comes true. Imagine, the accomplished Robredo-led Naga City team working together with the promising Lray Villafuerte-led CamSur group, both progressive-thinking, for the benefit of the entire province. It could have been a great thing for many Bicolanos, could it not? But until that time comes, we work and dream and work again.

Good night.

Move over Lea, Lani, and Regine, here comes Charice Pempengco

I was supposed to blog about something less pleasant, but I changed my mind - at least for the meantime. Instead, let me just focus and blog about something really good, refreshing, and heartwarming for many of us in this, well, already bad-news-stricken nation. And as the title goes, it is all about Charice Pempengco, the latest Filipina that has been taking the entire world's breath away with her exceptional and hair-raising talent. For me, even if we take away her being a Filipina, I am still going to rave about her just because she has really blown me away and made me spring from my seat with delight and admiration. And she achieves that NOT JUST for being a great singer, but for being an awesome and charismatic young performer on the rise. You see, there are a lot of singers out there, many really good ones in fact who can hit those high notes just like this girl, but only a handful have that special gift of being able to really reach out to his or her audience, touch their souls, and warm their hearts to the point of throwing open floodgates of emotions that crash and run over you in a heartbeat or a drop of tear.

That's charisma for you. That certain magnetism and charm that can effortlessly shake a sluggish emotion to its full awakening, move one to action, and draw people towards the charismatic one and whatever direction he or she decides to go. And since charisma can not stand alone to be really earthshaking, one should back this up with genuine talent, competencies, and/or greatness in attitude, principles, style, etcetera, to be acknowledged as a "complete package". Some may argue that Charice is not yet there, but I believe she is well on her way. And seeing this pretty 14-year old girl sing with all the feelings, power, and passion that are unbelievably in perfect harmony with one another and with the song since her Little Big Star days, I can not be blamed if I would always wonder just from where does this girl unsheathe all those emotions; while holding off my jaw from completely dropping to the ground.

This reminds me of a similar post regarding another emotion-shattering performer here, but for heaven's sake, we are talking of someone just in her early teens! Imagine what she would be like a few years from now. So forgive me if you find the title of this blog trite and funny, but it actually alludes to an unforgettable title of another article found in the book I gave to a colleague during his birthday. Allow me to digress for awhile but let me just share, the said title says, "Move over Niño, here comes Sheryl Cruz". It drew the heartiest laugh and the biggest smile from this associate of mine that night when I showed it to him after forcing him to open my gift right there and then. He even blogs about that here. Therefore, "in honor" of that said title, I decided to borrow the line from it for this particular post.

Anyhow, going back, some of us may find the title of this post frivolous, but make no mistake about it, this could turn out to be the most straightforward, correct phrase to encapsulate and describe the possible future of this young Pinay. Mark my word, this diminutive songbird is a real deal in the making. She has what it takes to step up from being a "little big star" to a true big star in the coming days. So move over Lea, Lani, and Regine, here's our next international Filipina singing sensation;

Charice, at 9 years old, already singing like a pro:



Then, Charice here, at 12, topping countless wannabes with her rendition of a Whitney Houston classic that won for her a Swedish recording contract after producers saw this video in Youtube:



Then, the youtube video that catapulted her to international 'stardom' and probably brought more Koreans into the country:



(By the way, don't you think the subtitle is as sensational as well? Hmm.. =P)

Here, the face-off with another young diva which I believe is a rout in favor of Pempengco:





Then, the American media debut:



Next, Ellen Degeneres took notice and sent a rare, urgent call or panawagan for her and for anyone who can "bring her in":



And finally, Charice was found, whisked to the States, and able to electrify and wow Degeneres like the rest of the waking and dreaming world, watch:



Bravo! Bravo! Galing!

Mabuhay ka Charice!

Continue to make us proud and sana'y ganap kang maging magandang halimbawa at inspirasyon sa maraming kabataan ngayon!

So many things to quack about; so little...

Ah if only I were like some people who can sleep for only a few hours a day in so many consecutive days and still operate well, I could have gone blogging more the past days, weeks, and even months where a lot of things have happened to me. I could have even gone reading more books, working more on my current business ventures, or talking to more people. But unfortunately, I can not do that. I always say if I were a boxer, I am much older than my age because of the many battles that I fought in. I am not as strong as, say, a few years back, or am I just out of shape? Perhaps, and I suspect that also. However, be it as it may, I feel better when I get to sleep for at least six hours before waking up and hitting the road again. Of course, there were and there will still times when I will have to sleep for a slimmer period than that, but I do not expect to experience it protractedly. Thus, the inability to do more things and achieve even more each day. It reminds of an email from a friend that contains pieces of advice from religious leader and inspirational speaker-cum-author Bo Sanchez on how to better manage your time so that one may live a happier and a more rewarding life. But that can be discussed in another post.

Writing and its digital twin blogging are two of my hobbies that are shoved off for some more urgent tasks at hand. My still-being-developed fecundity does not help as well, especially during those few times when I found myself free and in front of the monitor but could not, for the life of me, come up with a word. But usually THERE WERE so many things hovering inside my brain and throbbing inside my heart; I just could not set them free.

And so, I trudge on - recognizing that there is a whole world of sentiments and ideas inside me that's always athirst to be unleashed just for the heck of it, if not for the outside world to read, to sympathize about, learn from, disagree with, or comment on; while going through the almost gnawing feeling of not being able to let them out; and retreating to the sunset with a vow to return and fight another day.

I have no choice.

I know that someday, somehow, I have to empty my heart and mind or else I might go mad like the great romantic poet Lord Byron once feared as well.

Dae man lugod.