Suggestions for balikbayans

A lot of Filipino friends currently based abroad have been getting in touch with me to tell me that they are planning to visit the Philippines soon and want to know what they can do here. Below are some little suggestions to balikbayans who will be flying over to enjoy what the country now has to offer.

•Visit Bohol. I’d like to recommend surfing in Siargao, but not everyone is sports-minded and so the safest is to go to Bohol. What this island province has to offer is for every type of visitor — whether young or old.

•Hang around in Greenbelt. You can say anything you want about Metro Manila — how polluted it is, how bad the traffic is — but I will not be ashamed to bring foreign guests to the oasis that is Greenbelt. Touring Eastwood isn’t such a bad idea either.

•Tour Mall of Asia. There are so many shops and restaurants to choose from this complex that rose from the sea. It’s best to visit the place late afternoon when the sun is about to set. Shortly after, there should be performances at the atrium that you can catch.

•Return to Savory. Remember Savory chicken? It had been reinvented and is now called Savory Classics. Maybe you can give it a try just for nostalgia’s sake.

Learn more about our heritage in Intramuros. A visit to the past would make you return to your new home base prouder of being Pinoy.

•Hunt for bargains in Greenhills. Even the Queen of Spain, Sophia, was supposed to have been spotted there shopping for pearls. But brace yourself for traffic and I can’t for the life of me understand why this problem remains unsolved.

•Go for even bigger discounts at 168. You can buy even your balikbayan boxes there. The bonus is that there is a huge chance you’ll see Imelda Marcos because she frequents the place.

•Do stargazing in the two major TV networks. Eat, Bulaga! and Wowowee are said to give priority to balikbayan guests. I don’t know how they do it in ABS-CBN, but Eat, Bulaga! (staged at the Broadway Centrum along Aurora Boulevard) only imposes these restrictions: No kid below seven, no food of any sort inside the studio — not even bottled water. The way I understand it, they also have organized studio tours in ABS-CBN. From there, you can repair to any of the restaurants in the area — all offering food at reasonable prices. My favorite there will always be Café Via Mare.

•Go for a buffet dinner at Kamayan. It’s not haute cuisine, but it’s still the best value for your money. What is wonderful about its buffet spread is that it has all the popular Pinoy dishes — from pinakbet and kare-kare to lechon. Cabalen is also a good option. The food there supposedly had been tweaked Pampango style, but everything still tastes Pinoy. If you’re not a heavy eater, go there for the ambience. The atmosphere is more relaxing and formal than in Kamayan.

•Try our different halo-halo. Check out Digman (now available in food courts in malls), Chow King and Razon’s. If you have the budget, splurge and eat halo-halo in style at the Manila Peninsula Hotel lobby.

•Have a massage. It must be the best deal in the world. At only $5, you can have a one-hour massage. What could be a better bargain than that?

•Get your treatments done at Belo Medical Center. The public has this impression that Belo is pricey. The truth is, you are just getting your money’s worth there — and its prices are definitely more affordable compared to those swanky Beverly Hills clinics in Los Angeles. What are the treatments you can have at Belo? Treatments that require sessions are definitely out if you are here only for a short while. But you can have your smart lipo — after you’ve had your fill of lechon, the ever-present pancit Malabon, puto, bibingka and the halo-halo. There is also thermage, which can lift your skin and tighten it. That should hold for at least two years. Now, if you want your eye bags removed, the best is Dr. Vic Lopez. For both lower lids, the whole procedure only takes 20 minutes. Inquire with Belo Medical on how to get in touch with him.

•Visit Flawless. If you’re on a tight budget, but still want to have skin and body treatments, check out Flawless (there is a branch in every major shopping mall). You can have facials at reasonable prices there. And if you have warts (they spread fast — so get rid of them quick), have these cauterized by the doctors in Flawless (painless because of the topical anesthesia). Now, if you can stay for at least six weeks, try the photo-gen package (Belo also offers it) to tighten the skin, contour the shape of the face, lift it and make it smaller. I bet you’ll surprise the people in your office by coming back to work after your RP vacation looking younger. Flawless also offers the best package for hair removal and waxing. Maybe you can request to be handled by the same people who do this treatment to Judy Ann Santos who swear by Flawless treatments. But if you don’t have time for treatments done in sessions, stock up on iSkin products, which may be manufactured in New York, but is formulated for Asian skin. You cannot fail with iSkin, especially if you religiously apply the products. An even better alternative is Even from Switzerland. Yes, it is imported from Switzerland, but in Flawless you only pay for that with our marked-down peso.

Here in the Philippines, your dollars and euros go a long way given our devalued currency — so take advantage of it by visiting and enjoying what’s in the Philippines.