Michi Photostory

School field trip or educational tour is one of the activities in school that allows students to go out the campus. It provides opportunities to students to see and visit new places, try and learn different activities and apply what they have learned in class.

When I was young, I love joining Field Trip because that is my chance to visit new places. But as far as I can remember, hindi uso sa mga pinasukan ko yung Field Trip so I only joined four field trips, one in preschool, two in elementary and one in high school. And until now, I can still remember those trips.


Now that I’m a mom, I’m not fond of field trips because I always consider the fee, the places and safety of my son. My son has been studying for 6 years already and we did not join all the field trips. Whenever I received a letter, I always ask myself “to go or not to go”

Nursery 

We did not join the field trip because when I checked the itinerary, we’ve already been there. It so happened that we joined my nephew’s and nieces Field Trip when he was two years old so napuntahan na namin ang iba like Philippines Science Centrum.

Pre-Kinder 

Gardenia Plant Tour 
Alice in Wonderland
Manila Ocean Park 

When I saw the list, I was hesitant to join because we’ve been to Manila Ocean Park na tapos ang mahal ng field trip fee, multiply to three. But since this is the first field trip experience of my son, we joined.

Kinder 

Ocean Adventure 
San Guillermo Church 
Duty-Free Shops

Again, I was hesitant to join because we’ve just visited the Ocean Adventure 8 months prior to his Field Trip, only one chaperone is allowed so I don’t know kung kakayanin ko na kami lang mag-ina and it was also my son’s birthday so sa field trip kami magcelebrate? But since, I already paid his field trip and this is my last chance to accompany my son, we celebrated his birthday in Subic.

Grade 1 

SOS Children’s Village 
Rave of Pasig 
Repertory Philippines
PAF Museum 

I already paid the field trip since this is part of the tuition but my son doesn’t want to join when he learned that no chaperone is allowed. I can’t blame him because he is not used to it. And I’m thankful also that he did not join because I know na maloloka lang ko kakaisip. Read the story here.

Grade 2 

PHILVOCS 
Philippine Science Centrum 
Manila Boystown 
Exploreum

Last school year, my son doesn’t want to join because he was still scared to join without a chaperone but I persuaded him to join because I already paid for it. Nung grade 1 hindi na siya sumama, every year na lang ba masasayang bayad ko. Lol.

I convinced him to join the field trip but I’m still a paranoid mom, I don’t know if my son can manage without us. So I bought cellphone so we can call or text him and nagconvoy din kami. He did not know na susundan namin siya so he was really surprised when he saw me at the PHILVOCS. Read the story here.

Grade 3 

Shakey’s Pizza at SM MOA 
Dolljoy Gallery & Museum 
PAF Museum 
Shrine of Jesus, WTL 

If you remember my previous post, I was surprised when I learned that I need to pay Field Trip fee. For the last three years kasi included na siya sa tuition so I have no idea na hindi na pala siya kasama, to think na 5-digits ang increase ng tuition this school year. But my son wanted to join their field trip.


Kung ako lang masusunod, I will not allow him to join because I don’t like their itinerary. My son knows how to make pizza na, he did this many times already, sa bahay at sa Kidzania. You can check the video here. Then PAF Museum, again? This is part of the itinerary when my son was in Grade 1, good thing my son did not join that field trip so bago pa sa kanya ngayon.


Second, I will always be a paranoid mom, sa dami ng mga dinudukot na bata ngayon, nakakatakot ipasama anak ko sa Field Trip. But my son wanted to go and my husband approved it, ako lang magiging kontrabida. So I let him joined and paid the fee.

Yesterday was my son’s field trip. Ang dami ko bilin.

1. Don’t talk to strangers.
2. Follow the teachers and tour guide, wag kung san-san nakatingin at baka mawala.
3. Be with your partner always.
4. Don’t leave your bag unattended and wag mo aalisin ang body bag mo sa katawan.
5. Inform us kung nasan na kayo.
6. Don’t forget to take pictures.
7. Have fun.

If last year, nagconvoy pa kami, this time wag na daw kami sumunod. Oh no! I have tweenager na talaga. Hatid at sundo na lang daw siya. My son took some pictures but I find it funny kasi blurred naman iba, so sa konti ng pictures niya, I will just share kung ano yung maayos.



He bought a stuffed toy at Dolljoy Gallery and Museum and he took home the pizza that he made at Shakey’s. My son enjoyed his Field trip and I’m glad that he came home safe and sound. Next year, I know that I will ask myself again, "to go or not to go".

How about you? Do you allow your kids to join Educational Tour or Field Trip?

Seda Abreeza Hotel is just across Abreeza Mall so when my husband told me that he will call me after dinner, I was expecting that they will just eat at the mall. But an hour had passed and I haven’t received any call. I asked him where he is and he replied “Taxi”. I was surprised so I called him. 

Me: Bakit ka nasa taxi? Akala ko magdinner lang kayo. 
Hubby: Dinner nga sa Luz Kinilaw. 

I’m a paranoid mom and paranoid wife so as much as possible ayaw ko siya lumalayo especially na ang dami nangyayari sa Mindanao. But he assured me na parang wala Martial Law sa Davao and dun din kumakain si Digong (President Duterte). I said, “May bodyguard yun noh! Ikaw wala”. 

Anyway, Luz Kinilaw Place has been in the food business for almost five decades, it is really popular that even Mayor Estrada and President Rodrigo Duterte already dined in this simple restaurant. My husband compared it to “Manokan Country.” in Bacolod, ganun daw ang ambiance. It is like a carinderia but it can accommodate a lot of customers.  

They are popular with their classic kinilaw and tuna na panga dish. My husband and his colleagues order Grilled Tuna and Tuna Eggs. I can’t believe na Tuna Egg yung isang dish, ganun kalaki egg ng tuna? 



Price is reasonable and sulit naman daw ang pagdayo nila. It is 15 minutes away from Seda Abreeza Hotel, it is near Magsaysay where they bought their pasalubong. So if you are a going to visit Davao, you can add this to your “Must Try Restaurant” or Where to Eat in Davao" list.

Read: 3 Days in Davao
Lola Abon's
Pasalubong from Davao

Luz Kinilaw Inihaw Place 
Salmonan Quezon Blvd, 
Poblacion District, 
Davao City, Davao Del Sur

I’m very familiar with Seda Hotel because I always see that hotel in Nuvali. My husband just went back from Cebu and Davao business trip and he mentioned to me that Cebu City Marriott Hotel is under renovation and after the improvement, the hotel will be named Seda Hotel.  So it seems that Ayala is adding more hotels nationwide. 


They had an event in Davao and he stayed at Seda Abreeza Hotel which is just across the Abreeza mall so it is an advantage for the guests because they have more options for food, transportation is accessible and if they want to shop, they can just walk across. If you are a tourist, this hotel is 20 minutes away from the airport and an hour away from seaport where boat departs for Samal Island’s beach. 

Read: 3 Days Trip in Davao 

The room was not yet ready when my husband arrived so he and his colleagues went to Magsaysay to buy pasalubong before their 2PM event. 


The deluxe room gives a warm ambiance because of the earth tones. The room still looks nice but according to my husband, the hotel looks old and shows signs of aging so I guess they need to improve it because the rate is not cheap. 




The bathroom is small and there is no bathtub. 


Since my husband book for one person only, I noticed that there is only one bathrobe, slippers, and mug. 


The hotel offers e-lounge, gym and swimming pool.

For buffet breakfast, the buffet spread is just okay. My husband compared it to Radisson Hotel in Trondheim Norway, which I agree when I saw the photos. You can check my review here and here.




My husband only stayed for 3 days and he said, the service is good. So if you are looking for a hotel in Davao, you can try this. 

Read: Lola Abon’s 

Seda Abreeza 
J.P. Laurel Ave. 
Bajada Davao City 
8000, Philippines

My husband was back in Cebu last week, last year he stayed in Cebu City Marriott Hotel but this hotel is now under renovation and soon it will be named Seda Hotel. And because of that, he stayed at Cebu Parklane International Hotel. During their first night, they ate dinner at Isla Sugbu Seafood City and while waiting for their order, he sent me some pictures. And I asked myself, “Bakit hindi ko alam ito?” How I wish I knew this restaurant when we went to Cebu almost two years ago.

Read: Isla Sugbu Seafood City Venice Piazza


Cebu is famous for Sutukil and they have a lot of restaurants that offer this 3-way style of cooking seafood. Su for sugba (Grill), Tu for tuwa (stew) and Kil for kilaw (raw seafood with vinegar). During our trip, we ate at The Original AA BBQ in Lahug branch but you need to pay per order but Isla Sugbu Seafood City is “Paluto All You Can”. So you can enjoy unlimited and fresh seafood for P749.

Read: Where to Eat in Cebu



This restaurant reminds me of our experience in Kota Kinabalu Malaysia pero itong sa Cebu, level-up. Just look at the interiors and may aircon pa. According to my husband, from the entrance, there are already wait-staffs who will guide you. This staff will usher you to the aquarium and counter, where you can select and choose your seafood. Instruct them on how do you want to cook your food, grill, stew or kilaw?


The meat, vegetables, fresh and live fish, and crustacean vary per day, it depends on their catch. Yes, the restaurant does not only offer seafood, you can also eat meat, vegetables, and dessert. Drinks, desserts and premium seafood like tiger and bamboo lobsters, mud and king crabs, sea mantis, grouper, and stonefish are charged separately.





The food will be served on your table, make sure that you can finish your order because if there are leftovers, you need to pay P1450. All paluto meals cannot be taken out. My husband was busy eating his meal so I have no more pictures of the cooked meals aside from the shrimp.


If you are not a fan of buffet meals, you can also choose from their SUTUKIL packages. They offer 4 Sutukil Packages, from Package A to Package D, each package includes appetizer, dish of the day and rice platter for P1600 nett good for 4 persons.

This Seafood City restaurant is walking distance from Cebu Parklane International Hotel. Hubby said na worth it daw sa price so  If ever I will go back to Cebu, I will definitely try this restaurant.

Read: Cebu's Lechon

Isla Sugbu Seafood City Rates 

Adult P749 Leftover Rate P1450
5 yrs old - FREE
6 - 11 yrs old - 50% off
Plus Service Charge

Update: October 2018

My husband went back to Cebu last October. It was only an overnight trip so he did not waste his opportunity to eat at Isla Sugbu Seafood City. From P749, the rate is now P779 plus service charge. Mukhang nasulit naman niya ang rate sa dami ng kinain niya, I was shookt when I saw these photos, paano kaya niya naubos? :)







* Diners can avail Paluto All You Can promo for a discounted promo price of P779 per head (Original Price is P1200) from July 26, 2018 to October 26, 2018.

Opening Hours
Lunch 11AM - 2PM
Dinner 6PM - 10PM

Open from Monday to Sunday

Isla Sugbu Seafood City
Ground Floor, Grand Convention Center Of Cebu Archbishop
Reyes Avenue, Cebu City 600

P.S. May Isla Sugbu Seafood City Mckinley Branch na 
Read: Isla Sugbu Seafood City Paluto All You Can at Venice Piazza

My son celebrated his 8th birthday at EDSA Shangri-la Hotel and had a blast. If you still remember my post, he mentioned that we need to visit other Shangri-la hotels so he can earn more badges. So when I saw the Wonderful Weekends Promo of Makati Shangri-la, I immediately bookmarked it. I asked him if he wanted to spend his 9th birthday at Shangri-la and he said yes. 


Since my husband has an erratic schedule we did not book early. Five days before our trip, my husband called the hotel and was advised that there was no promo rate due to high occupancy. We already promised our son that we would spend his birthday in Shangri-la so we still booked the wonderful weekend at regular rate kahit mabigat sa bulsa.  



When I received the confirmation, I immediately read the details and I saw the registration link. When we stayed in EDSA Shangri-la, we just registered on the day of our stay but in Makati Shangri-la, there is a link where you need to register. There are FREE activities for kids and adults. 

For 4-12 years old kids. 

1. Cookie Decorating Class 
2. Cupcake Decorating Class 
3. Wonderful Weekend Collage 

For Adults 

1. Yoga 
2. Definition Bootcamp 
3. Core and Body Conditioning 
4. Spinning 
5. Zumba

I only registered for my son. My husband and I did not want to do any activity kasi staycation nga, papagurin ko pa ba sarili ko. Lol But if you ask me now, I will join one activity because it is one of my goals this year, “to be fit and healthy”. If you have the budget, you can also register their PAID activities like Wine Tasting and Date Night at Sage Bespoke Grill. 


Fast forward to our trip, we were there as early as 9AM. If you stay in Shangri-la, make sure you have enough budget or credit limit because I noticed that the deposit amount is x2 of the room rate. Check-in time is 10AM but they gave us our room key as early as 9:15AM so when we went to our room, wala pa yung welcome fruits. Hinabol na lang. 



While checking the room, I saw the note “Makati Shangri-la’s Ballroom will be the venue of local TV network’s annual ball”. Now I know, why there are a high occupancy and no promo rate, wrong timing pala ang pag-book namin, nandun ang mga celebrities. 

Watch the video here. 


Here is the Deluxe room, there is Tipi tent that is too small for us so pangbata lang talaga siya. Sa liit kong ito, masikip siya sa akin or mali yata pagkabuild because I saw some pictures kasya pati daddy e. 

The mini fridge is so cute, ang sarap iuwi but you can only take home the snacks and drinks. There is a separate mini bar for adults but of course, you need to pay for the drinks and snacks. 




We liked the bathroom because there is bathtub + bath salt. +1 lagi pang may bathtub ang bathroom. There is a bidet and emergency phone inside the bathroom. They also have room slippers for the kids but it is too small for my son. 



The hotel is just a few minutes walk from Glorietta so we had our lunch there. After lunch, we went to the pool. There are two swimming pools, one for adult and one for kids. There is no one assisting us so we went to the staff to ask for towels. When we experienced that, I remember what my friend said, “Ayoko sa Makati Shangri-la, di okay ang service dun, nagkakandarapa sila sa pag-asikaso sa foreigner pero sa amin, hindi man lang mabigyan ng towel”. I was sad to hear about his experience but I was thinking baka isolated incident lang yun but I was wrong, it happened to us. 



It is true that nobody cares to give us towels, kami pa lalapit pero kapag foreigner and celebrities ang dumating. Super asikaso, may bitbit na agad na towel and iaassist pa sa pagkuha ng beddings at aayusin ang pwesto nila bago umupo o humiga. We went to the pool twice and kami talaga lumalapit sa staff. May discrimination ba? We did not experience that in Shangri-la Mactan and EDSA Shangri-la, once the staffs see you they will immediately give you a towel, sa Mactan nga maski lilipat kami ng pwesto, mag-offer pa sila na buhatin bitbit mo sa lilipatan mo. 



Anyway, let’s move on. My son attended the activities for kids, there are only 3 activities unlike in EDSA Shangri-la na 9 activities ang meron. The class started late because they did not know where are they going to hold the class. Maybe because of the Star Magic Ball, nagkagulo na sa venue. My son ate the cupcake that he designed, buti na lang nakunan ko pa. But the staff was generous to give him another cupcake. 

After the class, we went back to our room. We have P1,200 F&B credit so we decided to eat our dinner in the hotel, box office din kasi pila sa elevator sa dami ng artista. We ordered as early as 5:30PM and we were advised that it would take 45 minutes and we said okay. Forty-five minutes came and no food yet, so we followed up. After numerous follow-ups, our food came at 7:17PM. Almost two hours of waiting and when you check the food, kulang sa presentation yung sinigang. Take note, the hotel’s foods and drinks are not cheap pero ito na yun. 


While eating, the doorbell rang and they gave us a complimentary cake for my son. When my husband reserved the room, the staff asked him kung may occasion daw ba? And he said, yes, my son’s birthday, why? The staff said, "surprise na lang daw". They totally forgot about the birthday surprise for my son, naremind lang sila nung may nakausap na supervisor si hubby and tinanong siya kung may problem ba. Of course, he said "wala pa yung dinner namin and namention niya na may birthday surprise daw pero wala pala". Then after a few minutes, dumating na ang dinner and cake. Thank you! 


The following morning, we woke up early so we could eat our complimentary buffet breakfast at Circles. They have a buffet corner for kids but more on sweets. As expected, they offer a sumptuous buffet spread, and they have different stations that serve different flavors and cuisines. Of course, I chose Filipino cuisine. 



We had our lunch outside and when we went back to the hotel, my husband called me “Hon, bilisan mo si Daniel Matsunaga pauwi na”. I’ve been seeing a lot of celebrities in the hallway, pool, lobby, restaurant, and elevator. As in everywhere, we go, meron artista pero deadma lang. Pero iba pala pag crush mo so nagpapicture ako. Ang hirap pala magpicture sa artista, mabilisan. Good thing, dalawang pindot asawa ko kung hindi blurred ang kuha. Hehehe! Si Jericho Rosales lang talaga ang di ko naabutan, nagkakasalisi kami. 

Anyway, my son joined the last activity before we check-out. We took home the cookies that he designed, I forgot the flavor but it was yummy. 


It took me a long time to blog about our staycation because I was a little bit disappointed with the service. The service was not that bad but since we tried other Shangri-la hotels we are expecting Shangri-la hospitality. We are expecting that they will serve and treat all guests equally and they will make sure that your stay will be worth it. 

Read: Shangri-la Mactan Resort and Spa 
EDSA Shangri-la Hotel 
Shangri-la Hotel Jakarta 

Wonderful Weekend Inclusions 

- buffet breakfast for two adults and two kids under 12 years old. 
- F&B credit worth P1,200 nett per day (cumulative and non-refundable) 
- one set of complimentary weekend minibar for kids 
- tipi tent play area for kids inside the room 
- confirmed early check-in at 10AM 
- late check-out at 4PM 
- access to kid’s activities within the hotel. 
- second room for the same family at fifty percent discount.