2013 Travels

Today is the last day of 2013. It's just a few hours to go before 2014. This year, I was able to visit new places and revisit other places too. Here are these places I've been to this year.

Bontoc, Mountain Province

My first visit here was in January 26 for the first meetup of GDG Halsema. It was a twelve-hour bus ride but we were able to see the Banaue Rice Terraces from the bus. The meetup was held in Mountain Province State Polytechnic College. We weren't able to explore much of the place except for the Rizal monument and a nearby church because we already went to Baguio the afternoon after the meetup.

We went back to Bontoc on April 13 for Celine's Google Apps Training for the Department of Education Mountain Province Division Office. We stayed in Archog Hotel & Restaurant. The food there, especially the vegetables were fresh and delicious!

The trainees with the trainer [Photo from Celine's Facebook Account]

Baguio

After the GDG Halsema meetup last January 26, we rode a six-hour bus going to Baguio. It was my first time to be there too. We had dinner at Good Taste Cafe & Restaurant then hailed a cab to Hotel Elizabeth. The day after, we went to Good Shepherd Convent, Mines View Park (where I tried the strawberry taho), Mansion House, Wright Park, and Baguio Museum. We had lunch at O' Mai Khan before going to the bus terminal to go back to Manila.

On our way to Bontoc for Celine's Google Apps Training there, we opted for Manila-Baguio and Baguio-Bontoc bus rides. We arrived in Baguio early morning of April 12 and had breakfast at Cafe by the Ruins before going to the GL Lizardo Terminal to ride a bus going to Bontoc.

We went back to Baguio on March 2 for Celine's Google Apps for Edu Training at Berkeley School Baguio. This time, we checked in at Azalea Residences. After the event, we bought food at 50s Diner for dinner. The next day, we had lunch with Reymart of GDG Baguio and Vince of GBG Baguio at Cafe by the Ruins. We also tried dimsum at Central Park Restaurant before going back to Manila.

On August 2-4, we were back in Baguio for GBG Baguio's Women 3.0 event (August 3). We had dinner at O Mai Khan and desserts at PNKY Cafe. After the event, we had dinner at Green Pepper in Ketchup Food Community. On our last day, we went to Good Shepherd. Vince toured us around the Cemetery of Negativism, Bell Amphitheather, and the Bell House.We had lunch at Canto in Ketchup Community before going back.

Our last visit to Baguio for the year was during the GDG DevFest Cordillera-Baguio and gDayX North Luzon on November 9. Celine and I arrived in the afternoon of November 8. Celine treated me to lunch at Solibao (Session Road) and we visited the Baguio Cathedral and Botanical Garden.

Cebu

Celine and I went to Cebu last February 22 for the Google Apps Training at Center for Excellence in Cebu Normal University. After the event, we met with Jerome and had dinner at The Original AA BBQ. The next day, we met with Kreigh for lunch at Hang Guk Kwan Korean Resto. We also dropped by at CebuInIT in University of the Philippines for the Google Maps API and Google+ Seminar-Workshop. We also went to Fort San Pedro, Magellan's Cross, and Basilica del Santo Niño.

[Photo from Ruben Licera]

We went back to Cebu on April 19-21 for the Google Apps for Edu training in University of San Jose-Recoletos Basak Campus (April 20). After the event, we had ramen and gyoza dinner at Kamekichi Ramen Noodle House, and desserts at CMYK Dessert House. The next day, we attended the 10:00 AM Cebuano mass, had lunch at Sunburst Ayala Center Cebu, and had desserts at the Dessert Factory before going to the airport.

Ilocos

From May 17 to 19, Celine and I, along with her high school best friends Deci and Lik, went to Ilocos for a weekend tour. We were able to try the authentic Vigan empanada, Vigan Longganisa, Pinakbet Pizza and Poque-Poque (an Ilocano eggplant dish) Pizza. In Ilocos Sur, we visited Calle Crisologo (Vigan), Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad/St. Augustine Parish (Bantay), and Baluarte (Ilocos Sur). We visited more places in Ilocos Norte: Marcos Museum and Mausoleum (Batac), Paoay Church (Paoay), Malacanang of the North (Paoay), Museo Ilocos Norte (Laoag), Tobacco Monopoly Monument (Laoag), Sinking Bell Tower (Laoag), Cape Bojeador Lighthouse (Burgos), Kapurpurawan Rock Formation (Burgos), Bangui Windmill (Bangui), Kabigan Waterfall (Pagudpud), Patapat Viaduct (Pagudpud), Bantay Abot Cave (Pagudpud), Blue Lagoon (Pagudpud), and Paoay Sand Dunes.

Vigan empanada [Photo from Celine]

Ozamiz

Celine and I went to Ozamiz last May 24-26 for a two-day Google Apps training for La Salle University Ozamiz. The first day of training was for the faculty. At lunch time, we went to Royal Garden Hotel to check-in and eat at Hukad Sa Golden Cowrie. After the afternoon session, we went back to the hotel, visited the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral, had early dinner at the nearby Mooon Cafe, bought water at the Shoppers Plaza, and had cake slices at The Coffee Lounge. The next day, we had breakfast in Jollinee then went back to the campus for the second day of training (non-teaching staff). We had lunch at Big J Grill House. We had dinner with Jerome,Miss Leslyn and Sir Harold at Hukad Sa Golden Cowrie and cakes at The Coffee Lounge.

Our dinner at at Hukad Sa Golden Cowrie[Photo from Celine]

Cagayan de Oro City

Celine and I went to CDO last July 27-28 to join the 6th Monthsary Meetup of GDG CDO. Paul, our former officemate, picked us up at the airport and suggested we go to the Divine Mercy Archdiocesan Shrine. We had breakfast at Panagatan Seafoods Restaurant before checking in at Mallberry Suites Business Hotel. We walked to Mindanao University of Science and Technology for the meetup. After the event, we had dinner at Thai Me Up. We also went to Vjandep Bakeshop to buy pastel.

[Photo from Celine]

Bicol (Legazpi City and Naga City)

Celine, Wayne and I were invited to be one of the speakers for the Bicol Youth for Technology Exposure (BYTE) 2013. The event is on October 19 at Capitol Convention Center (Pili, Camarines Sur) but Celine and I went to Legazpi City on October 18 first to see Mount Mayon. We went to Lignon Hill and Cagsawa Ruins. We also went to Daraga Church (Our Lady of the Gate Parish) before going to the city proper. We went to the St. Gregory the Great Cathedral for a few minutes before having lunch at Red Continent Diner & Cafe. We had pinangat, bicol express, tinapa rice, and chili ice cream (ube flavor). Afterwards, we rode a tricycle to the Naga-bound van's terminal.

View the Photosphere of Mount Mayon here

We arrived in Naga and checked in at Naga Regent Hotel. We met up with Wayne there. On our way to Casa Moderna to meet up with Miss Aileen, we walked to Plaza Quince Martires before hailing a tricycle. The palabaok, mama, toasted siopao and pancit were all delicious! Afterwards, we went to SM Naga and had dinner at Bigg's Diner. The next day, we had breakfast at the Oyster Villa before going to Capitol Convention Center, Pili, Camarines Sur for the Bicol Youth for Technology Exposure (BYTE) 2013. During lunch, we went to Camarines Sur Watersports Complex. After the event, we had dinner with the organizers at Red Platter. The next day, we explored a bit of Naga City. We walked to the Rizal Park, Monument of Bishop Jorge Barlin, Metropolitan Naga Cathedral, and Our Lady of Penafrancia Basilica of Naga.

Zamboanga City

We went to Zamboanga last December 13, 2013 for the first GDG DevFest Zamboanga. We went straight to Alavar's Seafood Restaurant for lunch. Afterwards, we went to Centro Latino, Paseo Del Mar for the event. Before going to the airport, we had dinner in the nearby Distrito.

Pangasinan

We had our last event and last travel last December 26-28, 2013 in Pangasinan. We checked in at Bangsal Suites, and had lunch in Rudy & Jing Seafood Restaurant before going to Malong Conference Room in the Capitol Complex, Lingayen for the Google Code-in meetup organized by GBG Pangasinan and GBG Dagupan. fter the event, Celine, Reymart and I went near the capitol building and walked to the beach area. JR toured us inside the capitol before we go back to the Malong Building. The next day, we toured Bolinao, Alaminos. We had lunch at Adora's Restaurant then visited the St. James the Great Parish. We went to the Enchanted Cave and the Cape Bolinao Lighthouse before checking in at Punta Riviera. The next day, we went back to the town proper and market, had lunch at Bolinao London Grill & Cafe, and went to the bus terminal to return to Manila.

Our lunch at Rudy & Jing Seafood Restaurant[Photo from Celine]

Aside from these travels, I was also fortunate to travel to two places outside the country: Yogyakarta, Indonesia and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Yogyakarta, Indonesia

We were invited to attend the Search Summit 2013 in Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta in Indonesia from June 20 to 22. We arrived around lunch time. We checked in immediately, took a bath and changed into our national costumes. The summit lasted for three days.

On the afternoon on the last day of the summit, the GDG SEA leads with Chelle, Uttam and Van went to Borobodur Temple. We then went to Ikan Bakar Jimbaran for Balinese dinner.

The next day, Reymart's friends, Bella and Titis, toured us around. We went to Universitas Gadjah Mada and Taman Sari Water Palace, had lunch at House of Raminten. Our last stop was in Malioboro, a shopping street.

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

+Celine, Mama +Chelle, +Wayne,  Mitch, +Svetlana and I went to Kota Kinabalu last November 16-18 to help GDG Kota Kinabalu in their first GDG DevFest.

+Lorna picked us up from the airport and brought us to King Park Hotel. The morning after, we had breakfast at King Park Cafe and walked to Wisma Bandaraya for the DevFest. After Mitch's talk, she, Svet, Loretta and I walked to Centre Point Sabah to exchange money to Ringgit (and for me to buy an adapter and a local sim for mobile data). After the event, Mama Chelle, Wayne, Mitch, Svet, Marcus, Loretta, Marc, Celine and I had dinner at Welcome Seafood Restaurant. We also went to Centre Point Sabah to buy some things, Pasar Malam Sinsuran to buy keychains and other stuff, and Secret Recipe to eat some cakes.

The next day, we had breakfast again at King Park Cafe then went to Gaya Street Market, had lunch at Kedai Kopi Melanian 3, bought bread at Butterfly Bakery and food at KFC, then visited Wayne at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. We also went to Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu (where Mama Chelle is checked in) and swam in the pool. We bought food at KFC to try their curry crunch chicken.

On our last day, we had lunch at Seng Hing Coffee Shop, went to Prince Phillip Park and to the beach at The Waterfront Kota Kinabalu, had dinner at Toscani's Italian Restaurant, bought pasalubong at Pasar Buah Buahan Tempatan, and went to the airport.

I am hoping I can travel to more places next year.

2013 Personal Apps

2013 has been another busy year at work, in events, and in other activities. But I did find some time to work on a few personal apps.

Boto Ko Android App

I started working on Boto Ko in April for the 2013 National and Local Elections (May 13) and released another update for the 2013 Barangay Elections (October 28). With Boto Ko (Boto 'ko or My Vote in English), you can list the candidates you want to vote and update it anytime. Also, you can share your list anytime with ease via SMS, email, and many more. This removes the need to list it down on paper and erasing it or making a new list when you need to update it.

Sweldong Pinoy Firefox OS App

I applied in Mozilla's Firefox OS Phones for App Ports and received a Geeksphone Keon Firefox OS developer preview phone. I wasn't able to port my HTML5 app within 31 days but I was able to port Sweldong Pinoy before the year ends. It is now available in the Firefox Marketplace.

Apps Updates

• Sweldong Pinoy Web App Redesign
  • Made the app responsive by using Twitter Bootstrap
  • Adding night differential and overtime pay computations
  • Updating computations based on new tables
  • Adding social media icons
  • Improving layout and design
• Sweldong Pinoy Android App
  • Use of Action Bar Sherlock for action bars on devices whose OS version is lower than Android 3.0
  • Adding night differential and overtime pay computations
  • Updating computations based on new tables
  • Hiding the night differential and overtime input field and adding checkbox to show them
• GDGPH Android App
  • Adding Posts and Events
  • Adding navigation drawer for posts, events, and chapters
  • Cleanup and removal of unused codes
• Pinoy Jokes Android App
  • Use of Action Bar Sherlock for action bars on devices whose OS version is lower than Android 3.0
  • Adding tab for favorite jokes
  • Making the loading of favorites and jokes list faster
  • Bug fixes and optimization

Hopefully, I will have more time for apps development this 2014: for developing new apps and for updating my other apps.

Pangasinan Trip

We had our last event and last travel last December 26-28, 2013 in Pangasinan. On December 26, GBG Pangasinan organized a meetup for Google Code-in and we went there to help out. Celine, Mama Chelle (and her family), and I left Cubao, Quezon City around past 06:30 in the morning. We alighted in Socony then rode another bus to Bangsal Suites, where we'll be staying. After unpacking our stuff, we went to Rudy & Jing Seafood Restaurant for lunch.

Our lunch (Photo from Celine)

We went to Malong Conference Room in the Capitol Complex, Lingayen for the Google Code-in meetup. Celine, Mama Chelle, Reymart, Miss Vanj and JR talked to them about the program and helped them register online. After the event, Celine, Reymart and I went near the capitol building and walked to the beach area. JR toured us inside the capitol before we go back to the Malong Building to get our stuff. We then went back to the hotel and had some milk teas from I❤️Milktea. Because we were so full, we slept a few minutes after.

The next day, we were supposed to go to the Hundred Islands but the weather did not cooperate. JR hired a jeepney for us and toured us to Bolinao, Alaminos. We had lunch at Adora's Restaurant then visited the St. James the Great Parish. We went to the Enchanted Cave and the Cape Bolinao Lighthouse. Then, we checked out different resorts and chose Punta Riviera.

The next day, we walked in the beach area then had breakfast. We cleaned up ourselves, packed our things, and went back to the Town Proper. We went to the market to buy some food to bring home. We had lunch at Bolinao London Grill & Cafe before riding the 5-Star Bus going back to Manila.

Our breakfast (Photo from Celine)

Sweldong Pinoy Firefox OS App

Sweldong Pinoy is a salary calculator for Filipinos in computing net pay, withholding taxes and contributions to SSS, PhilHealth and PAG-IBIG. It has been available on sweldongpinoy.com, on Google Play Store, and on the Chrome Web Store. And now, it is now available in the Firefox Marketplace: https://marketplace.firefox.com/app/sweldong-pinoy.

---

Originally published at the Sweldong Pinoy Blog

Zamboanga Day Trip

We went to Zamboanga last December 13, 2013 for the first GDG DevFest Zamboanga. I arrived past 12 noon in Zamboanga International Airport and was picked up in the airport by Sven and Medz from GDG Zamboanga. We went straight to Alavar's Seafood Restaurant. Albert, Grace, Mitch, Jerome are already there for lunch. It took a while before the food arrived. Jerome and I went first to the venue (Centro Latino, Paseo Del Mar) because we will be the next speakers to talk.

Yolynne is halfway in her talk about GDG Philippines when we arrived. I was the next to talk and I discussed Android Design and Development. Most of the attendees are students and they are interested about Android. Below is the slides I used in my talk:

The speakers after me are Jerome Locson (Google Apps and Apps Script), Mitch Santos (Mobile Trends and Globe Labs APIs), Grace Sojor (Google Map Maker). After the event, we packed up our stuff. We had dinner in the nearby Distrito before going to the airport.

Kota Kinabalu Day 1

+Celine, Mama +Chelle, +Wayne,  Mitch, +Svetlana and I went to Kota Kinabalu last November 16-18 to help GDG Kota Kinabalu in their first GDG DevFest.

All of us, except Mama Chelle who went to KK earlier, arrived in Kota Kinabalu International Airport around one in the morning. +Lorna picked us up in the airport and brought us to King Park Hotel where we stayed for the night.

We wake up early in the morning and had breakfast in King Park Cafe. The venue for the DevFest, Wisma Bandaraya, is just two blocks away (around five minutes walk) from the hotel. We met some of the organizers there. I found out about the Ingress Sabah. They have a great cross-faction relationships there. I also got updates about the Shard in KK.

The event started with a speech from the Sabah State Minister of Resource & IT Development and the keynote by Sebastian. Mitch is the first from us to talk. Her topic is about Mobile Trends. After her talk, Mitch, Svet, Loretta and I walked to the nearby mall (Centre Point Sabah) to exchange our money to Ringgit. I also need to buy an adapter and a local sim for mobile data. I bought a Digi sim and loaded some credits to it. The cost for the unli data was a bit expensive than in the Philippines but I think it was worth it.

We went back and Celine's talk about Google Apps for Education is already finished. I sat inside for +Marc Tan's  Google ADK/Arduino talk. It was the last talk before lunch. In the afternoon, there were two breakout sessions: App Engine on PHP (by Lorna) and Chrome Extensions. I discussed the basics of Chrome Apps and Extensions development. Below is the presentation I used in my talk.

After that, +Loretta talked about HTML5 Game Development. Lorna then had the closing speech after a few short talks about GSA and Ingress Sabah. Over-all, the event and the food were great!

Mama Chelle, Wayne, Mitch, Svet, Marcus, Loretta, Marc, Celine and I had dinner at Welcome Seafood Restaurant. We enjoyed the different seafood dishes. Because some of us needed to buy shorts and slippers and other things, we went to Centre Point Sabah. We then went to Pasar Malam Sinsuran to buy keychains and other stuff. Afterwards, we had cakes at Secret Recipe before going back to the hotel to rest.

Baguio Weekend

Celine and I went to Baguio last November 8-10 to celebrate her birthday and to help out in GDG DevFest Cordillera-Baguio and gDayX North Luzon on November 9.

We arrived in Baguio around 2:00 in the afternoon of November 8. We checked in first at Azalea Residences to unload our stuff then went outside to eat. Celine treated me to a lunch at Solibao (Session Road). After eating, we went to Baguio Cathedral to pray (and hack some Ingress portals). We then decided to go to Botanical Garden before going back to the hotel.

The next day, we woke up early then had breakfast before going to the opening sessions of DevFest and gDayX at Azalea Residences. In the afternoon, I was at DevFest in Berkeley while Celine was in Azalea for her gDayX talk about Search and Google+ for Education. This is the first GDG DevFest organized by GDG Baguio and also the first GDG Baguio event I have attended.

There are three break-out sessions in DevFest Baguio: Web, Mobile and Cloud. I was the second speaker in the Mobile Track and my talk is about Google Play Services.

Photo by GDG Baguio

Here is the slides I used in my presentation.

Naga City Trip

We arrived in Naga and checked in at Naga Regent Hotel after our quick trip to see Mount Mayon. We met up with Wayne there. On our way to Casa Moderna to meet up with Miss Aileen, we walked to Plaza Quince Martires before hailing a tricycle. The palabaok, mama, toasted siopao and pancit were all delicious! Afterwards, we went to SM Naga and had dinner at Bigg's Diner.

The next day, we woke up early and had breakfast at Oyster Villa. We went to Capitol Convention Center, Pili, Camarines Sur for the Bicol Youth for Technology Exposure (BYTE) 2013. We went to Camarines Sur Watersports Complex and had Bicol Express, Laing Pizza, Pork Barbecue, and Java Rice for lunch. After the event, we had dinner with the organizers at Red Platter.

[Photo from Celine]

The next day, we explored a bit of Naga City. We walked to the Rizal Park, Monument of Bishop Jorge Barlin, Metropolitan Naga Cathedral, and Our Lady of Penafrancia Basilica of Naga.

Bicol Youth for Technology Exposure 2013

+Celine , +Wayne, +Vince, Miss +Aileen, +Jerome  and I were invited to be the speakers for the Bicol Youth for Technology Exposure (BYTE) 2013.Organized by Ateneo de Naga ICTC (Information and Communications Technology Center), it aims to bring together high school and college students, teachers, and technologists to help enthusiasts demystify emerging technological trends. BYTE 2013 was held last October 19, 2013 at Capitol Convention Center, Pili, Camarines Sur and was attended by more than 900 participants.

The program opened with the National Anthem and a prayer. The Dean of Ateneo de Naga and Miss Aileen gave keynote speeches. The first talk was about Google Search Tips and Tricks by Celine. After that, the talks were Overview of Google Apps for Education (Aileen), Gmail, Contacts, Tasks, and Calendar (Celine) and Google+ (Aileen). After the Google+ talk, we had lunch at Camarines Sur Watersports Complex. The food for the attendees were not delivered on time though.

Miss Aileen during one of her talks

Celine during one of her talks

Jerome, who arrived late because his flight was rerouted to Legazpi City, started the afternoon session with his talk about Google Drive, Google Docs, Spreadsheets and Forms. Celine followed and talked about Google Sites. Afterwards, I talked about the basics of Android.

Jerome talking about Google Drive, Google Docs, Spreadsheets and Forms

Me talking about Android(Photo taken by Celine)

Here is the slides I used in my presentation.

After my talk, Wayne discussed Google Maps, Google Maps API and Google Map Maker. The last talk was Vince's Google Communities. During his talk, there was even a power failure. He showed the Google communities like GDG Philippines, Google Student Ambassadors, Google Business Groups and the new Google Educators Group.

Wayne talking about Google Maps, Google Maps API and Google Map Maker

Vince talking about the Google Communities

After Vince's talk, we had a panel Q&A where we answered various questions from the attendees.

Legazpi City and Mount Mayon

Celine, Wayne and I were invited to be one of the speakers for the Bicol Youth for Technology Exposure (BYTE) 2013. The event is on October 19 at Capitol Convention Center (Pili, Camarines Sur) but Celine and I went to Legazpi first to see Mount Mayon.

Photo of Mount Mayon from the plane

Our Cebu Pacific plane arrived 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Lignon Hill was our first stop. The base of the hill is a tricycle ride from the airport. With our bags in hand, we walked up the hill for around thirty minutes. It was still early in the morning so it was not yet that hot. It even drizzled a bit so we wore our jackets.

We had a few stops before reaching the top. When we reached the top, we enjoyed the view and started to take pictures. Using my phone, Celine took a Photosphere of Mount Mayon from the Lignon Hill.

View the Photosphere of Mount Mayon here

We rested at the top for a bit and bought water (and chili keychains) before going down. Going down took us longer because it's already starting to get hot. We had fresh coconut juice at the base of the hill before going to our next destination, Cagsawa Ruins.

Photo of Mayon from Cagsawa Ruins (Photo taken by Celine)

It was already hot when we arrived in Cagsawa. We didn't stay that long there. After buying water and a few stuff, we already went to Daraga Church (Our Lady of the Gate Parish) and stayed there for a few minutes. Afterwards, we rode the jeep to Legazpi City proper. We went to the St. Gregory the Great Cathedral for a few minutes before having lunch.

Daraga Church (Photo taken by Celine)

We walked to Red Continent Diner & Cafe for our lunch. Our orders include pinangat, bicol express and tinapa rice. Too bad the pili butterscotch shake was unavailable. The pinangat and bicol express tastes good! For desserts, we had the chili ice cream (ube flavor). I liked the spicy after-taste of the ice cream.

(Photo taken by Celine)

After having lunch, we rode the tricycle to the terminal of vans going to Naga.

Google Cloud Developer Challenge 2013

Google recently launched the Google Cloud Developer Challenge 2013. Google Cloud Developer Challenge (GCDC) is a "contest designed to motivate and reward entrants who develop applications that are based on Google's Cloud Platform that are original and relevant to the region in which they live."

GDG Philippines is also organizing a series of workshops called GCDC Workshop Wednesdays this month. These includes Google App Engine (October 2), Usability/Accessibility (October 9), and YouTube API (October 23). For more details about these events, check the blog post and add GDG Philippines in your Google+ circles.

Aside from events like these from Google Developer Groups and other communities, the organizers are also conducting various hangout sessions. The playlist of these videos and recorded Hangout sessions can be found here.

Submissions for the first round will start on October 22 and will end on November 21. For more details about the rules, prizes and updates about GCDC, check www.google.com/events/gcdc2013

Two of the winners last year are from the Philippines: Collabspot Notetaker and Events KIT. It would be great if for this year, both winners will be from the Philippines. I'm also hoping I can submit at least an entry to join the competition.

GDGPH-GSA Android CodeLab @ DLSU

GDG Philippines and the Gooogle Student Ambassadors from DLSU organized a MapUp and an Android Code Lab at De La Salle University last September 28, 2013.

It was a whole-day workshop. Wayne was in charge of the MapUp and I handled the Android Code Lab. In the morning, I taught the basics of Android and Android Studio. Here is the slides I used during the Code Lab:

After lunch, I had a quick talk about the different kinds of views they can use and how to move from one page to another. We tasked them do to anything that they can finish in less than two hours. I roamed around and helped the participants with their questions. After the coding, they were asked to demonstrate their apps and we gave special swags to the apps who found to be promising. I encouraged them to continue developing their apps and to publish it to Google Play later on.

[Photo from Celine]

Baguio Weekend: GBG Event and Anniversary Celebration

Celine and I went to Baguio last weekend to help out in +GBG Baguio's event (Women 3.0: Women Entrepreneurs Online) and to celebrate our anniversary.

After having breakfast at McDonalds Greenbelt, we went to Baguio in a van with +Aileen Apolo, +Chelle Gray, +Jerome Locson, +Reymart Canuel and +Maricar Dabao. I was asleep most of the time. We met +Allan Paolo Medrano  and had lunch at Max's in SM City Rosales. When we arrived in Baguio, we went straight to Azalea Residences and rested. We then went to Burnham Park and watched the dancing fountains. After that, we had dinner at O Mai Khan. After dinner, we walked to PNKY Cafe for Desserts.

[Photo from Celine]

Chocolate Fondue and Ube Crepe [Photo from Celine]

The next day, we woke up early and had breakfast in the hotel then walked to the event. After the event, we had dinner at Green Pepper in Ketchup Food Community. I also had avocado shake.

Our dinner [Photo from Celine]

On our third and last day, we went to Good Shepherd to buy food to bring back home. We then went inside Camp John Hay. +Vince Tabor toured us around the Cemetery of Negativism, Bell Amphitheather, and the Bell House. Afterwards, we had lunch at Canto in Ketchup Community. I had this half-slab ribs with mashed potato and salad. The ribs was great! Celine also ordered Chili Burger and Taco Salad. I also ordered Avocado Shake.

[Photo from Celine]

Cagayan de Oro Quick Tour

Celine and I went to Cagayan de Oro (CDO) City last July 27 to 28 to join the 6th Monthsary Meetup of GDG CDO. It was our first time in CDO so we're really looking forward to this weekend. We arrived in Laguindingan International Airport (LIA) at 08:20 in the morning (the ETA). Paul Labis, our former officemate from O&B who is now home-based in CDO, picked us up at the airport. It was a long way to the city proper. Paul suggested we go to the Divine Mercy Archdiocesan Shrine. Celine and I walked the stairs and have read about the dancing sun and other miracles. It started to rain so we got back to the car and continued our travel.

Photo from Celine's Foursquare Account

Based from Paul's recommendation, we had late breakfast at Panagatan Seafoods Restaurant for a late breakfast. It was a restaurant by the sea side and the view is quite good. Our order include seafood noodles, baked scallops, calamares and fresh buko juice. We were so full that it also served as our lunch.

Photo from Celine's Foursquare Account

After eating, we went to Tunes Hotel but apparently only a floor has been opened yet so there are no more rooms available. The receptionists there were so kind they helped us book a room in Mallberry Suites Business Hotel. We took a cab to the hotel but it took us more than sixty minutes to get the room (because the previous occupant just checked out and the hotel staff still need to clean it)

After dropping our stuff, we walked to Mindanao University of Science and Technology for the GDG CDO meetup. This event is to celebrate their sixth month and their inclusion in the Google Developers Group directory as an active chapter. It was a full house event and it was good to be a part of it. Romar Mayer Micabalo of Caelum Techlogic talked about the Yii Framework, Celine talked about Google Apps for Education, I talked about Android Design and Josan discussed HTML5.

After the event, we joined Josan and the CDO IT Group in their planning about the upcoming GDG DevFest in CDO, which will be the first GDG DevFest in Mindanao. Josan, Paul, Celine and I then went to Thai Me Up for dinner. We also we went to Vjandep Bakeshop to buy pastel before going back. The next day, we woke up early for our flight back to Manila.

Our dinner at Thai Me Up (Photo from Celine's Foursquare Account)

Takbo.ph RunFest 2013

taken from http://www.takbo.net

Last July 14, I joined in the 10k category of Takbo.ph RunFest 2013 at Bonifacio Global City. RunFest is a run being organized by Takbo.ph and Leadpack. The last time they had a RunFest was in 2011 where I had my first 16k. This year, they only have 3k, 5k, 10k and 21k. There was a personalized bib too so I registered early for this run.

Takbo.ph RunFest 2013 Personalized Bib

I finished the run in around 75 minutes according to the unofficial results. I was unable to beat my best record again but I'm already happy that I finished the run despite the lack of practice and rest and sleep the days before (We had events on Friday night and the whole day of Saturday). After the run, I also got my third finisher's medal.

10k finisher's medal

Indonesia Adventure

We were at Indonesia last week for the SEARCH Summit 2013. Most of the time we just stayed at Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta, the venue of the summit and the hotel where we are also staying. It was a great hotel and we had a good time there.

On the afternoon on the last day of the summit, the GDG SEA leads with Chelle, Uttam and Van went to Borobodur Temple. Borobodur Temple is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in the world and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was a long trip and we arrived at least an hour before closing. There were a lot of people (mostly tourists) climbing the stairs and taking pictures. It was good that we were there during sunset because it is no longer that hot.

Photo from Celine

After the long trip, we went back to the hotel and had a few minutes rest. We then went to Ikan Bakar Jimbaran for our Balinese dinner. We have banana leaves as plates and we ate with our hands.

Photo from Josan

The next day is our time to see the rest of Yogyakarta. It was great that Reymart have friends nearby, Bella and Titis, who not only gave us a tour but also drove us around. Our first stop is Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). Bella and Titis are still students there. They had this sunday morning market where you can find lots of different stuff. They also have a mosque inside the campus.

Photo from Josan

Next, we went to Taman Sari Water Palace which used to be the residence of the Sultan. There were pools which was said to be where the palace chooses his girls. We looked around inside the changing rooms inside. We stopped to buy refreshments then walked to Masjid Bawah Tanah underground temple. We then had late lunch at House of Raminten. We were seating on the floor and had tried different Indonesian food that were not available in Hyatt. The food there tastes good and affordable too.

Photo from Keshan

Our last stop was Malioboro. It is a shopping street in Yogyakarta. There are a lot of stores there. We then went back to the hotel afterwards.

This was also my first time to be in Indonesia and it was great to be in Yogyakarta. I am hoping I can be back there and also other places in Indonesia too.

Search Summit 2013

We were invited to attend the Search Summit 2013 in Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta in Indonesia from June 20 to 22. The SEARCH (South East Asia Outreach) Summit is a conference to bring together the Google communities across South East Asia: Google Business Groups (GBGs), the MapMakers, the Google Student Ambassadors (GSAs), and of course the the Google Developer Groups (GDGs). It was the first of its kind and it was a great experience to be a part of it.

Taken from http://www.seaoutreachsummit.com

On the afternoon of June 19, we went to the airport, along with the other delegates from the Philippines. While waiting for our flight, the GDG managers (Celine, Josan, Anne, Reymart, Theo, Ruben and me) started our plans for the DevFests in the country for 2013.

Photo from Celine

After the four-hour Cebu Pacific flight to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Low-cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT), we went to the Plaza Premium Lounge to stay for the night. Our flight to Yogyakarta is at nine in the morning the next day. We arrived in Yogyakarta Adisucipto International Airport around noontime of June 20 and a shuttle picked us up to the hotel. It was around one in the afternoon already . We only had a few minutes to prepare and have lunch because the keynote starts at 2:30 PM. We checked in to our rooms, took a bath and changed into our national costumes.

Me in barong with the Android tarp

In the first day of the summit, there were talks from different countries sharing about their communities. After that, we were separated into our own track. The best session was Dan Franc's GDG Wisdom. After dinner, we had drinks with the GDG SEA leads, Chelle, Uttam and Van.

(Photo from Josan Dometita)

On the second day, we joined the GBG leads for Dan Franc's Community 2.0 session. In the afternoon, we had talks about Dev Updates from Google I/O, Google for Entrepreneurs, HTMl5, App Monetization, and Diversity. Then there was a cultural show near the poolside during dinnertime. The GSAs had their different presentations. After that, Josan, Anne, Celine and I went for a swim before sleeping.

In the third day, we had GDG managers sharing their experiences: Samdy from GDG Phonm Penh (keeping the community engaged), Ruben from GDG Cebu (collaboration among communities), Louis from GDG Singapore (PlugFest), and Josan from GDG CDO (Student Dev Day). After the talks, we had swags exchange and GDG tattoo session.

GDG SEA Leads in the Summit (Photo from Josan Dometita)

Cebu Weekend

Last weekend (June 15-16), Celine and I went to Cebu for another USJR Google Apps Training. On Friday night, we had dinner at Tokyo Tokyo Greenbelt 1 and had difficulty hailing a cab. We still arrived in NAIA but found out our flight will be delayed by around an hour. We arrived in Cebu around one in the morning and went straight to The Center Suites to sleep.

On the morning of June 15, Lora picked us up at the hotel and we went to USJR. The attendees of the training were both teaching and non-teaching staff.

The trainees

After the training, we had dinner at Koa Tree House (cheese sticks and fries) and La Bella Napoli (pesto and Diabola pizza).

After dinner, we went back to the hotel, watched a few TV shows then slept early. The next day, we went to the airport at around four in the morning and had breakfast (pork steamed rice) at Tsim Sha Tsui Dimsum & Tea Bar.

Ozamiz Weekend

Celine and I went to Ozamiz last May 24-26 for a two-day Google Apps training for La Salle University Ozamiz. There were only a single flight to Ozamiz so we had to go early morning of May 24. The Ozamiz Airport was a bit small and the claiming of baggages is manual. We went straight to the campus after seeing Miss Leslyn from LSU.

The first day of training was for the faculty. At lunch time, we went to Royal Garden Hotel to check-in and eat at Hukad Sa Golden Cowrie. Our lunch was Baked Scallops, Bicol Express, and Tuna Sticks. Afterwards, we went back to LSU for the continuation of the training.

After the afternoon session, we went back to the hotel to have a few minutes rest. We visited the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral and had early dinner at the nearby Mooon Cafe. I ordered Spaghetti ala Gambas while Celine had Quesedilla Vera Cruz. We then went to Shoppers Plaza Ozamiz City, a grocery to buy water before going back to the hotel. At the hotel, we had Red Velvet and Sinful Chocolate cake slices at The Coffee Lounge. After that, we slept early. At around eight in the evening, most of the stores are already closed so it's dark outside.

Our dinner at Mooon Cafe

The next day, we had breakfast in Jollibee then went to the LSU campus for the second day of the training, which is for non-teaching staff. For lunch, Miss Leslyn and Sir Harold treated us in Big J Grill House. Jerome also arrived in the afternoon.

Our lunch at Big J Grill House: Grilled Fish and Chicken

After the second day of training, we went back to the hotel for a quick rest before dinner. The two-day training was a great training experience for Celine. She even say that it has been her best training (yet). We waited for Miss Leslyn and Sir Harold and we had dinner at Hukad Sa Golden Cowrie. We had so many food for dinner! After dinner, we ordered cakes at the Cofee Lounge: Rainbow Cake, Red Velvet Cake, Sinful Chocolate, Black Forest, Ube Cake.

Our dinner

Counterclokwise: Rainbow Cake, Red Velvet Cake, Ube Cake, Black Forest, Sinful Chocolate

The next day, the LSU service picked us up at the hotel. We went to Jollibee to take out breakfast and then went straight to the airport. The checking of baggages is being done manually so there is a long queue of people. Cebu Pacific checkin counter is also in the other building on the right. The next security check before going to the boarding room is also manual. There, we ate our breakfast while waiting for the plane.

Ozamiz is a small city and yet we weren't able to tour most of it. I'm hoping we can be back there to visit those places soon.