Michi Photostory

Starting yesterday, we have no more classes. Yehey! Summer vacation here we come but unfortunately, we have no summer plans yet. Waah! Sayang! #teambahay lang peg namin ngayon. Anyway, since summer is near and I know that you are looking for summer getaway, why not check my Facebook page because since March 1, I was sharing “Summer Getaway Ideas” that you can visit. 

Since last month, there was a sudden increase of page views on my Batangas Resort posts so to add more options, let me share with you our Valentine Getaway last month at Pico De Loro Beach & Country Club.

Hamilo Coast Pico de Loro is a Beach and Country Club, before only members can visit this beach resort but now anyone can visit this country club. Non-members can enjoy this country club by renting a condominium or staying at Pico Sands Hotel. So it depends on your preference and budget but we chose Pico Sands Hotel. 

Pico Sands Hotel 

I wanted to visit this resort so four years ago, I've made an inquiry but when I read their reply.

“Please be advised that a Mandatory Consumable Credit per room of Php3,000.00 for the first night, and Php2,000.00 for the succeeding nights will be collected upon check in at the hotel.

Consumable Credit can be used in the following: - Food & Beverage Outlets - The Rain Spa - Sports & Recreation Activities - Upgrade Fees - Late Check Out Charges 

The amount of consumable is applicable only on the duration of stay. The amount is non-refundable, and any unused balance will be forfeited upon check out.” 

I dislike the idea of mandatory consumable credit because I’m forced to spend P3000 para hindi lang masayang yung binayad ko so in short, I did not pursue my booking. So when my husband suggested this resort last month, I was hesitant so I just told him “Bahala ka na”. My husband called the resort to reserve the room and he sent me the confirmation email.

Tip: Make sure that you have an idea of their rate because when my husband called, they gave him a higher rate so my husband mentioned the rate on their website. The staff checked again and then they offered us the promo rate that was published on their website, I think less P1200. 

Our booking was non-cancellable/amenable kasi nga naman, we booked day before our trip. I read the confirmation email and “NO MORE MANDATORY CONSUMABLE CREDIT”. Yey, I did not know when pa nabago but I was glad that there is no more mandatory consumable credit. 

Fast forward to our trip, we left after breakfast to avoid the traffic. Check our video here so you will have a glimpse of Hamilo Coast Pico De Loro. Pico Sands Hotel is located in the tropical Paradise of Pico De Loro Cove. It is really near the Mount Pico De Loro, actually we climbed this mountain when I was in college. 

The Hamilo Coast Pico De Loro property is so huge, in fact, from the gate, it took us 7 minutes drive before reaching the hotel. So I was wondering kung paano makakapasok kung commuters lang ang guests. The guard gave us a “Guest Arrival Form” that we need to present upon check-in. It was past 10AM and the lobby was packed with people so I was expecting na fully booked sila.

My husband gave the form and he was advised about the P1000 incidental deposit. Check-in time is 2PM so our room was not ready yet. They offered a room upgrade for a fee which my husband agreed para daw mas maganda view namin, from 2nd floor namoved kami sa 6th floor. We were given the key card, guide map and wrist tag that we need to wear while inside the resort. I noticed that there are different colors of wrist tag, for Pico Sands Hotel, white wrist tag. 

Pico Sands Hotel Room

Let us have a room tour. The room is well-lit, in short maaliwalas siya. We have two double beds, cabinet, television, coffee and tea area and veranda. Parang Taal Vista Hotel lang yung bed; well they are both under SM hotels naman kasi. 

This is our Lagoon view, binayaran namin yan kaya namnamin. Hehehe! The view is really nice naman, masarap magmumuni at the veranda. 


The bathroom has no bathtub. There are two beach towels inside the bathroom which you can bring with you to the pool or beach. 

The room is still looks nice but there are signs already that it is old and maintenance is needed. They need to replace the door kasi may crack na. They need to change their towels na rin, sobrang luma na and even the beach towels have small holes. The bedsheets and pillow case looks old na rin, nangungutim na and may stain din. If I will consider the rate of the room, nakakadisappoint yung towels and bedsheets. 

There is free wifi but I don’t know why I need to always reconnect. Sometimes nag-eerror pa sa paglogin even I typed the correct password. 

Food Trip at Pico De Loro Beach and Country Club 

On our way to the resort, there are only few restaurants that I’ve seen so if you stay in Pico Sands Hotel, you have no choice but to eat at their restaurant because cooking and bringing of foods are not allowed. But don’t worry, foods and drinks are not that expensive but don’t expect fastfood rate, walang value meal price dun. They have several restaurants inside the resort so you won’t have any problem. You can check my food review here. 

10 Things to do at Pico De Loro Beach & Country Club 

Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club is not an affordable resort but if you have an extra budget, I can suggest this because there are so many things that you can do inside the resort, actually, one night stay is not enough to enjoy the different activities. Aside from the confirmation letter, we also received a Map, Spa and Sports and Recreation Rates (Weekday and Weekend) so I already have an idea on their FREE and PAID activities prior to our trip. 

As I’ve said, the place is big but don’t worry because there are free shuttles that you can ride, if you want to explore the area. 

Shuttle Service Hours: 
6AMt o 8PM (Sunday to Thursday)
6AM to 10PM (Friday to Saturday) 

1. Swimming pool 

The pool is a few minutes away from the hotel, mukhang nag-check-out na mga guests because I’ve only seen few people at the pool. They have pool for toddlers, kids and adults. Proper swimming is required and they are very strict on that, madami din ko nakita na pinagsabihan na alisin ang cover-up nila. There are lifeguards around the pool area. 




2. Beach 

On our first day, we rode the shuttle so we can check the beach but we found out na pwede naman pala lakarin. Though it was a long walk pero morning exercise na rin namin, we did this after we ate breakfast, from lagoon we walked to the beach. 

Since this is a cove, the beach are very peaceful so hindi ka matatakot na matangay ng alon. Same sa Canyon Cove Resort which is also located in Nasugbu Batangas. It is nice to try some beach activities like kayak and paddle board. What I like in their beach is you can really see the fishes, you don’t need to snorkel, kitang-kita siya kahit knee-deep lang yung tubig. What I don’t like is, may jellyfish so be careful. My husband's foot was stung but no redness or rashes naman. 

The following morning, the lifeguard informed us about the jellyfish so if ever daw madikitan, lumapit lang sa kanila for first aid. So my son stayed at the sand sa takot. We left the beach when I saw the jellyfish approaching me. Hehehe! I don’t know what is the jellyfish season because I know Camayan Beach Resort has jellyfish issue too. At the lobby, you can see a note about it. “Today’s beach condition: Beware of jelly fish, sea urchins and others” 

Other activities that you can do at the beach are 
Free: Volleyball, Football and Frisbee 
Paid: Banana boat, Jet Ski, Kayak, Paddle Board, Skim Board, Snorkeling, Water Taxi, Windsurfing, Aquabike and Fishing. 

3. St. Therese of the Child Jesus Chapel 

Prior to going to the beach, we dropped by the chapel. Ride the shuttle kasi nakakahingal pag nilakad. At the chapel, you have a nice view of Pico De Loro Cove. 

4. Lagoon 

They have a lagoon so it is nice to explore this during sunrise or sunset. How I wish pwede magboating. You can also feed the koi fish here for a fee.

Summer vacation is near, tomorrow is the last day of my son’s final exam so school year 2017-2018 is officially over. Yey! No more lessons, quizzes and monthly exams for the next few months. And because of this, I have more time to finish my backlog.

If you’ve read my February posts, you know for sure that we had a Valentine Getaway at Hamilo Coast Pico de Loro. So if you are looking for a summer getaway, you can add this to your choices. You can check here the other resorts that we have tried in Batangas. Let me start with our food trip. 



Hamilo Coast Pico De Loro is so huge, from the main gate it took us more or less 7 minutes drive to reach Pico Sands Hotel. It so far, so tatamarin ka na kumain sa labas. Cooking and bringing of food are not allowed too so we have no choice but to eat at the resort. If you are staying at the condominium, you can cook your own food but if you are lazy, you can take advantage the different restaurant around the resort. You can choose from the following. 

A. Lagoa
B. Lagoa Pool Bar 
C. Sun Coral Cafe (Members Only) 
D. Pico Restaurant 
E. Pico Bar 
F. Reef Bar 
G. B&B
H. Grab N’ Go 
I. Beach and Pool Bar 
J. Brisa Bar 

With all of these choices, there are no reasons for you to get hungry, budget na lang ang kulang. Prior to our visit, I read reviews, forums, and blogs and according to what I’ve read, “Mahal daw ang food sa Pico De Loro” so I was expecting that the rate would be similar to 4-5 stars hotel. But I was happy because when we went there, hindi naman ganun kamahal. Yes, it is expensive pero hindi tulad sa iba na softdrinks pa lang, almost P300 na. 

Since we only stayed for two days and one night, we only tried two restaurants which are Lagoa and Pico Restaurant. After our checked-in, we went straight to Pico Restaurant to eat our lunch. According to their Guide Map, this restaurant is open 24 hours so I was surprised when they told us na 12NN pa daw. They gave us the menu, we can order daw pero 12NN pa daw mag-open. Woah! 

It was quarter past 11AM and we have no patience to wait anymore because we are all hungry or should I say hANGRY. hehehe! So we went to another restaurant which is Lagoa.

Lagoa

Lagoa is located at Pico De Loro Country Club, it is near the swimming pool so you won’t miss it. It serves Filipino, Asian and American foods, you can order a la carte and I think they also offer buffet meals because during our last day, they offered it to us but we chose a la carte because it is cheaper. 



Operating Hours 
6AM to 10PM (Friday to Saturday) 
6AM to 8PM (Sunday to Thursday) 

Lunch 

They offer starters, noodle, soup, main course, desserts, side dishes, and beverage. For main courses, the price range is P260 - P550++. They have Batangas Favorites Menu which is much cheaper because the dishes are good for sharing, the price range is P260 - P780 ++. They also have Kids Menu the price range is from P220 - P375 ++. 




We ordered Pinakbet with Bagnet P390, Pork BBQ P220 and rice. The Pinakbet with Bagnet is good for two, we’re satisfied with the taste and serving. My son’s Pork BBQ includes two mini sticks, vegetables, and rice. 

Lunch 




After our check-out, we went to Lagoa to eat lunch before going home. We ordered King Prawns and Baby Squid Adobo sa Gata P430, Mini Sliders P300 and rice. We were surprised when we saw our order kasi ang konti lang nung shrimp and squid so bitin siya for two persons. We thought, marami din serving kasi yung pinakbet marami e. Anyway, my son was very happy with his burger and fries, I thought hindi niya mauubuos but he finished his meal. 

Pico Restaurant



Pico Restaurant is located in the lobby of Pico Sands Hotel. This restaurant offers food delivery service for hotel guests and condo residents too. It serves Spanish Mediterranean and Filipino Cuisines.


Operating Hours: 24 Hours

Dinner 

For dinner, we went to Pico Restaurant. It was past 6PM and thank God they are ready to serve dinner. 



They have starters, sandwiches, pasta, pizza, appetizer, main course, dessert, Batangas favorites and drinks. Checking their menu, it is more expensive compared to Lagoa because main courses are good for one person only. Good thing we’re on a diet, we don’t eat that much pag dinner. 




We ordered Inihaw na Liempo P380, Pepperoni Pizza P380, and rice. The grilled liempo has side dish pa (ensaladang talong and salted egg). My husband and son ate the pizza, I haven't tried the pizza but according to my husband "Okay lang" lasa. 

Buffet Breakfast 

Our room package has complimentary buffet breakfast for two and half-rate for my son. Buffet breakfast was served at Pico Restaurant too. The buffet spread is not that grand but it is enough to satisfy us. They have bread, cereals, soup, salad, fruits, main course, and drinks. There is omelet station near the garden. Food and service are good.










Read: Pico De Loro Weekend Getaway
Watch the Pico De Loro Getaway video here. 

Update: Meralco has migrated to a new system, Meralco Online Beta so if you want to access your account, you need to register via desktop or download the app and register. Click here to learn more. 

Seven years ago, I saw the Meralco staff left our electricity bill at the gate so I went down to check the bill. I was surprised when I saw the bill because it is not our bill so I called my son and we chased the Meralco staff just to inform him that he gave me a wrong bill. Hiningal ako nun ng sobra because I was carrying my 2 years old son while running.

I posted this on my Facebook and one of my friends mentioned that I can view my Meralco bill online para hindi ko na daw habulin si Meralco guy. So I checked it online but because of my slow internet connection I gave up, hindi ko matapos-tapos.

Then three years ago, I have not received my Meralco billing statement and I know my due date is near, good thing it came before our due date. I remember what my friend told me so I searched the internet again so I can enroll my account online but to my surprise, I could not find the link anymore. My husband even went to Meralco office to enroll our account online. They gave him a reference number and he was advised that he will receive a confirmation email. Until now, we have not received any email. My husband doesn’t want to go back anymore, it is just a waste of time. 



Now, it happened again. Since last week, I’ve been waiting for our Meralco Bill. I have Bill Tracker so I know that I haven’t paid our electricity yet. I asked my friend if she already received her bill and my husband even asked our neighbor if they received their bill and both of them said “yes”. My husband even checked our CCTV kung may nagdeliver ba while I checked “How To View Meralco Bill Online” And finally, I saw the link of Welcome to e-Meralco Bill.

** e-Meralco Bill will be moving to a new home. To continue having easy and convenient access to your bill, register on Meralco Online, available soon, or just update your e-bill profile details on or before March 31, 2018 to be pre-enrolled in Meralco Online. 

O ayan na naman, may deadline ulit so before mawala, register na. Registering is so easy, I’ve registered, viewed, download, and paid my electricity bill (online) within 20 minutes. Mas mabilis pa siguro kung mabilis ang computer ko. 

How to Register your Meralco Account Online

1. Of course, you need to have an online account first to view your Meralco bill. Get your latest Meralco bill because you need to enter some information. 
2. Click this LINK and Click NEW USER. 
3. Read the Terms and Conditions and click I agree button. 
4. Then you need to fill out the form. Enter your Account number, SIN (Service ID Number), Bill Date and Total Current Amount. Click Enroll.
5. Then enter your details in another form, User Information and Login Information. Click enroll.
6. You will receive a note “You have successfully enrolled” and you will also receive a confirmation email. Then after that, you can return to login page. 

How to View your Meralco Bill Online 

1. At the login page, Enter your LOGIN NAME and PASSWORD. 
2. Click Account Number
3. Click SIN 
4. Click Invoice No. 
5. Download and Save or Print your bill. 

Yey, finally, I can now view our Meralco bill online. No need to wait for the billing statement anymore. I really need to pay my bill on time because I already refunded my Bill deposit a few years ago. And one of the conditions is paying your bill on or before due date. 

“We encourage you to continue paying your bills on or before the due date to maintain your good credit standing and avoid having your bill deposit re-imposed."

Read: How to Refund Meralco Bill Deposit 

Hotel Mulia Senayan is not only known as an award-winning hotel but they also boast in their award-winning restaurants. They promise that you will experience a world-class dining experience. This hotel has 5 restaurants, one lounge, a bar, and cake shop. Guests who are staying at Mulia Executive Room and The Suites have exclusive access to Bleu 8 and The Mulia Executive Lounge. 


Hotel Mulia Senayan restaurants offer different cuisines so whether you are an Indonesian or a tourist, there will no problem with food choices. You can choose from the following restaurants. 

1. The Cafe - this is an all-day restaurant, yes they are open daily for 24 hours so there is no reason for you to be hungry. Checked-in guests can eat their complimentary buffet breakfast at this restaurant. It offers Asian, Western and other international cuisines to satisfy their guests' palate. Kids corner is also available if you have kids in tow. 

Breakfast at The Cafe

My husband ate his breakfast at The Cafe and it has a wide variety of dishes. Check the photos. 





Dinner at The Cafe

He also ate here on his third night because he no longer has discounts and vouchers so ala carte meals na lang sa The Cafe, para tipid. He ordered Hainanese Chicken. 


Breakfast: 6 AM - 10 AM
Lunch: 12 noon - 2:30 PM
Dinner: 6 PM - 10:.30 PM 
Afternoon Tea: 3 PM - 6 PM 

2. Edogin is a Japanese restaurant. It is a buffet restaurant that serves your favorite sashimi, sushi, tempura, noodles, robatayaki, and teppanyaki. It has live cooking stations where you can watch the chef while eating. It offers ice cream and desserts to complete your buffet experience.


My husband loves Japanese foods so he once tried Edogin and he really enjoyed his buffet experience here. But the rate is expensive so even if he like the food here, he eats at other restaurants. So when the staff told him that he has IDR500,000 discount at Edogin, he was so happy. They give a discount because my husband is a returning guest. 


On his first night, he went back to the lobby and asked the staff if he really had a discount at Edogin and the staff said yes. Then he went straight to Edogin but before ordering, he asked again the staff if they were aware of the discount. The staff said yes, just charge the bill to the room and they will apply the discount. 

February is my favorite month because there are so many special events in my life. One of those events is my Blog Anniversary. I don’t usually write blogversary post but this time I will because this year is my 7th year blogging anniversary. Yey! I can’t believe that I’m blogging for years because, to be honest, it is not easy to maintain a blog.