SINGAPORE TRIP 2011

Singapore was my destination last July 2011 together with my friend. It was my first time to travel overseas, thanx always to Cebu Pacific for their seat sales.

When we arrived in Changi Airport (Budget Terminal), kinuha ko na lahat ng mga brochures and maps (free naman lahat) na pwede kong makuha. Pinaka okay syempre yung map and the brochure called "Your Essential Singapore Guide" by Singapore Tourism Board. You can get it for free sa airport, available in several languages, so get the English version. They also have this in STB website, in pdf version, just go to their site: STB website or for pdf version. They have sample itineraries there for every spot in SG. Everything about Singapore, where to go, where to eat, what to do, they have in that brochure.

If you are coming from Budget Terminal, you need to transfer in Terminal 2 for the MRT, doon kasi naka connect ang MRT. They have free shuttle service to and from Terminal 2, 24 hours ata ito.

For our accommodation, we stayed at Amrise Hotel located in Sims Avenue, in Geylang Area. Geylang is the red light district in SG. But not like in Manila, this red light district is so tranquil, and so safe, you will not know it is a red light unless you know it already, it's not that conspicuously noticeable.

Amrise is a basic hotel. Kung wala ka masyadong hinahanap sa isang hotel, I highly recommend this. They have hot and cold shower in every room, complimentary coffee and bottled water and a nice bed. We got it for 1,900 PHP per night through Agoda. Also the hotel is near MRT station and bus stops. Nearest MRT is the Kallang Station located also in Sims Avenue.

For transportation cost, we used EZ link card, of course, for MRTs and buses. Lahat lahat, S$23 for 4 days ang nagastos ko for transportation, kasama na yung S$5 na cost for the card itself.

First Day:

Universal Studios Singapore and Sentosa Is.
 
To get there, we alighted in HarbourFront station that is connected to Vivo City mall and we transferred to Sentosa Express, a monorail train that serves the whole Sentosa Island . You can use your EZ Link Card in riding Sentosa Express. It costs S$3 unlimited ride for one day. They have three stations sa Sentosa from Vivo City mall--Waterfront (Resorts World, USS), Imbiah station (giant Merlion, luge and skyride, Images of Singapore, iFly, cable car, etc.) and Beach station (Palawan ang Siloso beach).

We spent almost 7 hours sa loob ng Universal, from 130 pm to 8pm.

Giant Merlion at Imbiah Sentosa

Second Day:

Orchard Road (malls) and the Civic District (Singapore Art Museum, Raffles Hotel, CHIJMES, Civilian War Memorial, Supreme Court).

We spent our evening in the Marina Bay.

Nilibot namin yun Marina Bay from Esplanade mall (Theatres on the Bay), yung may durian-like roof, tapos Esplanade Bridge, the original Merlion in Merlion Park, nakita namin yung Fullerton Hotel, then the Marina Bay Sands, Helix Bridge, the Float, etc.

Orchard Road

One Dollar Ice Cream on Orchard Rd

CHIJMES

Singapore Art Museum

Raffles Hotel

Wisma Atria Mall

St. Andrew Cathedral, an Anglican church

Fire Station

Esplanade

The Marina Bay

View of Marina Bay Sands

The Original Merlion, situated at Merlion Park Marina Bay near Fullerton Hotel

Inside Marina Bay Sands Mall

Helix Bridge

ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands

Third Day:

Chinatown and Bugis

Sa Chinatown, dami nyong mabibili na mura, lalo na key chains, hanap lang kayo ng stalls na mas mura ang offer sa inyo.  Mas mura pa nga yung prices ng key chains dito compare pag bumili ka ng souvenir key chains sa mga tourist destinations sa Pilipinas, like in Ilocos or Bohol.

Sa Bugis, dami din ditong mura.  Dito kami bumili ng SG shirts na 3 for S$10 meron din 4 for S$10.

Chinatown MRT

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Bugis

Bus ride in Singapore

MRT Station

MRT ride

Fourth Day:

Mustafa Centre, Little India and the Singapore Flyer

Mustafa Centre is located in Little India, a 24-hour shopping center.  If you want to buy chocolates in SG, this place is worth a visit.  Parang yung isang floor dito halos chocolates ang tinda, sobrang daming pagpipilian, ang tagal namin dito.  May mga cheap perfumes din na tinda dito.  Okay na okay itong shopping centre na to.

Sumakay kami ng Singapore Flyer sa last night namin, mauulan pa nga, kaya medyo maulap.  It costs $S29 for 30-minute ride.

Pero there are combos to choose from para makamura kayo,  combo like Flyer with River Cruise and City Sightseeing on a topless double-decker bus that will cost you only S$49.

Check this site: Duck & Hippo 

You can visit also Singapore Visitors Centre on Orchard Road, or check the brochures available on the airport for more of combo packages sa mga tourist spots sa Singapore.

Street in Little India

The Singapore Flyer

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Inside one of the capsules of Singapore Flyer

View of Singapore from Singapore Flyer

Marina Bay Sands

The Float

Marina Bay

Helix Bridge with the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands

WHERE TO EAT:

There are lots of hawker centres in Singapore that serve Singaporean dishes. You can have a meal that will only cost you S$5. Also, there's Food Republic located in the malls. It's like a hawker centre (food court), but inside a mall. Almost same price as the hawker centres outside malls.

But two days of Singaporean food, you will crave for McDonalds or Burger King. You can already buy a meal in McDO or BK for S$6.

Some Hawker Centres:

Lau Pa Sat. This is near Raffles Place MRT station. Already an institution in Singapore.

Makansutra Gluttons Bay. Hawker centre near in Esplanade or in Marina Bay area. You can eat here pagkatapos nyong libutin ang buong Marina Bay, this is just beside Esplanade Theatre.

Maxwell Food Centre. This is where to eat when you are in Chinatown area.

Tekka Market. A hawker centre in Little India

Lau Pa Sat

Inside Lau Pa Sat

Satay (skewered barbeque meat) area in Lau Pa Sat

Makansutra Gluttons Bay

Makansutra

Makansutra


A S$5 Meal in Food Republic

Durian Stall on Sims Avenue

FORMER SEN. ROXAS, A TROUBLESHOOTER -- WHAT A CRAP...

President Aquino announced that he will appoint former Sen. Manuel Roxas, his running mate last 2010 election, as government's chief adviser and "troubleshooter." The president's justification for this appointment was that he is not Superman and he cannot run the government alone. So what is the use of his cabinet? I thought he appointed his cabinet members to help and advise him. Kulang pa ba? In the first place, he should not run for president if he needs Roxas for the reason that he is not Superman. I don't think that if Roxas was the one who ran for president and won, he will need Noynoy to become his troubleshooter.

Some say Noynoy should ask help from Binay instead because he is the vice-president. Well that is not correct if the only reason is because he's the vice-president. In our presidential system, the Vice President is not the assistant of the president, he is just the president-in-waiting, the first in line in case of succession. His prime responsibility is to replace the president in case of death, resignation or incapacity. In other words, he has really no real function unless the President appoints him in his cabinet. Kaya nga it is a practice in our country to appoint his vice president with a position to the cabinet. Kaya nga it has also been said that the vice-president is the most boring position...

NEVERTHELESS, the President has his cabinet. Kaya nga the president appointed secretaries to different executive departments and head of some minor agencies to help and advise him to different matters concerning their respective departments. Collectively, they are known as the Cabinet.

So again, Roxas being troubleshooter by June this year I BELIEVE IS NOT NECESSARY. Anong silbi ng cabinet? Kaya some sectors in our country do not want Aquino to appoint Roxas as troubleshooter but instead to appoint him in an existing cabinet position that have a defined parameters of power. Kulang pa ba ang cast ng pelikula, kaya kailangan pa mag-create ng isang character. Being a chief adviser/troubleshooter is an additional position that needs to be created that the duties are undefined and it seems to have a power as vast as the president.

If Roxas is not a replacement of Ochoa in June, then it seems that we will have two Executive Secretaries, and remember Executive Secretary is the "Little President" the alter-ego of the President. ES possesses great power 'almost' the same as the president.

Come to think of it, by June, perhaps we will have two executive secretaries or perhaps TWO PRESIDENTS, a "de facto" president and a "de jure" president, since the de jure one "seems" to be "incompetent."

PLDT CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS

PLDT Customer Service sucks, WHY?

1. You cannot pay your bill through cash in their business offices. You have to make your payment through their PLDT payment machine where you will drop an envelope enclosing your payment. This would take time to post as they would check this a day after you pay (payment after 3PM), and would take some time to be posted. You can also make your payment to different bayad centers, but this also would take time since it is a third party. You can pay to their business offices through credit card but may oras eto, sometimes wala hindi pwede dahil offline or wala cashier.

2. If your phone gets temporarily disconnected, expect that after you made payment, you will still wait for days, even a week for them to restore your connection. Even if you call 171, it is useless. Ang sasabihin lang sayo ay "ii-endorse na lang po namin yun complaint nyo, antay na lng po tayo ng 24 hours to 48 hours." Pero lalagpas pa rin eto ng 48 hours.

3. PLDT's system-generated is so slow. Most reasons, if not all, you get from CSR are because they are system-generated, kaya mag-antay nalng.

4. Some CSR in their business offices are not customer friendly. Some do not possess good customer service qualities.

Here is my experience with PLDT Customer Service.

My phone has been temporarily disconnected since Thursday and until now (Monday) it has not been restored even if I settled the whole balance on the same day (Thurs) that my phone was disconnected. They will say that it will be restored 24 hours to 48 hours after you have made payment or after it gets posted. The problem is the posting usually takes 1 or 2 days after the payment because it is SYSTEM-GENERATED.

I made several calls on their 171 hotline to inquire about the reconnection status, but to no avail, because wala silang magagawa but to endorse my problem because again it is system-generated. One more thing, last Saturday, they also cut my DSL line, to think I have made payment two days before.

I went to their business office in Megamall. I talked to their CSR whose name is "John" or "Jean Behasa" (he was the CSR on duty that time, October 3, 2010, 7PM, counter #4). He is so arrogant and walang qualities ng pagiging isang customer service rep. Hindi man lang mag-greet ng good eveninng or what. Iba pa ang tono ng boses mag-sasagot sa mga inquiries ko. Dapat hindi siya sa customer service , dapat nasa backrooom siya nag-wowork because he cannot handle customer complaints. Tanong ko, bakit matagal ang pag-restore ng line to think Thursday pa ako nagbayad, and he said " Wala tayo magagawa dyan kasi system-generated yun, tapos wala daw kinilaman ang payment ko sa tagal ng pag restore ng line." Pano yun, sana hindi na lng ako nagbayad ,wala pala kinalaman yung payment." Hindi man lang mag-apologize sana dahil mabagal ang pagrestore ng line nila.

Inefficient and incompetent customer service. That is PLDT (Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company).