Healthy Nerve System and Prolonged Quality Life with NEUROBION

 Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company which invests in innovative Research and Development. Through the years it has created many blockbuster drugs and has pioneered the development of many new drugs. Overtime the company has displayed dramatic success and excellence. I'm quite familiar with the company as it was our previous case study topic in my Strategic Management subject we had to dissect.

So Merck has been active in Philippines since 1977, one of its creation is the people nourishing and nerve protecting drug Neurobion available in Germany, Spain, Finland, Chile, Mexico, El Salvador, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India and Indonesia, and in Philippines. 

And just recently, I attended the Neurobion Neuropathy Awareness Movement event, a campaign to raise awareness about the prevalence of Neuropathy (nerve damage), its condition and the need for early intervention.

 There were pica-picas and mint tea drinks served generously to delight the guests waiting for the event to start,...pondering what Neurobion is and why there is a need to take care of the nervous system.

As a frustrated doctor wannabe, let me give you a little info to why there is a need to maintain a healthy nerve system. 

The nervous system–the network of nerves and cells is just like the internet, it's a highway for information to travel at a speed that is too fast for most of us to fathom. This system of our human body carries messages from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. It is a complex system that requires attention and care. Without the nervous system, it would be impossible to feel pain or any other kind of sensation, and a damage nervous system would mean a barrier to our daily choices which if not given the attention and prevention could lead to neuropathy.

 Numbness, tingling and burning sensations, mostly felt in hands and feet are common signs of nerve damage or condition called Neuropathy. At an early age, I have had felt and encountered the said signs. And sometimes I go into a momentary petit mal seizure, a trait I got from my grandmother. What a horror, these are obvious signs I've got damaged nerves! 

 Not wanting to be demented with damaged nerves, I gave my full attention to the talks and presentations. The first one to enlighten the attendees was Dr. Gio, he stressed out the importance of maintaining a balanced diet, active lifestyle and taking B-Vitamin Complex Daily.

But the thing is, in this day and busy lifestyle we have, people tend to take for granted their health. So the campaign is goaled to encourage consumers to incorporate the taking of B Vitamins in their daily health regimen.

  And the answer to all our worries and nerve damage threats is Neurobion.  The effectiveness of its combination of vitamins B1, B6 and B12 linked to the nervous system is clinically proven to help nerve fibers work well and relieve the symptoms of damage to the nervous system (neuropathy).

 There were fun games and good looking ambassadors present to spice up the  event

 The event was enlivened with energetic dance performers

Wowie DeGuzman and Jeff performed their classic 90's dance

 'You shouldn't let nerve damage slow you down or keep you from doing things that you normally do.'says Neurobion Brand Manager Eloisa Dy Buncio.

 To reach out to a younger market and more people, the brand engaged ambassadors for raising awareness. This includes director and producer Paul Soriano and TV actress, singer and celeb mom Zsa Zsa Padilla.

 A selfie with Direk Paul

 The ambassadors and the people behind the campaign

DJ Karen :)

Wouldn't it be nice if all events and marketing are created and launched like this? 'Twas fun and engaging! At the same time it made me gain essential knowledge and insights. 

For more information on Neurobion and the Neuropathy Awareness Movement, visit www.facebook.com/NeurobionPhilippines.

Gabbys in Dumaguete

My night could have been almost perfect given the best company and the romantic place. But I had the wrong choice of food :( Anyways, I like dim light places like this, looks like Count Dracula would turn up any moment to have a charming conversation with you.

I repeat, the place we went to was grand. It looked like a little corner of Italy and Madrid, and I like the vertical climbing plants on white painted architecture, classic!

I fell in love with the place at first sight I got excited to see the menu

Their pesto chicken was sticky :( It was not pesto olive oil based and even the chicken was unpalatable. I wanted to cry but my mates loudly busied themselves in conversation.

I anticipated to taste a bitter sweet tiramisu and I imagined I'd be humming while the mix of coffee and rum slowly gets into my tastebuds. But no, the generous amount of cream was so sour, it was like I was eating yogurt. Please change the name to yogurt not tiramisu!haha

International Dumaguete

Pizza Baguette was perfect. It has the right crunch, the right smell and flavor! A nice shot of coffee could have compensated my ruined night. But there was no coffee! Too much of my could-haves

Pasta and beer? hehehe I wanted to eat my friend's pasta instead. :( But that would be rude so I just kept quite.

Weng weng at Spicy fingers

They say weng weng iz strong. Well I am not an expert to this and I didn't want to go home wasted so I ordered Tequila Sunrise :P

I couldn't determine the difference between weng weng and tequila sunrise, they both looked the same! Out of curiosity I had a sip of my friend Ren's weng weng and there I concluded, I still don't know haha. You wouldn't be able to know just with a single demure sip.

I ordered a cocktail just for the sake of having a drink on my table but yeah I just played with it. But I'll tell you what, spicy finger has great cocktail mixes and shots.

Their nachos is very cheesy and I must say perfect for my taste.

I haven't had dinner so I ordered a carbonara to share with my friend ren

My girl friends

Mi chicas

Miko miko

We came across a restaurant in Lucena with the name Miko Miko. The interior design of the place quite suggests of contemporary publike theme. And pictures and frames of London are hanging on the wall, so maybe the owner is from UK but when we looked at the menu, it didn't  have any English dish.

The restroom's exterior is designed like a London Telephone Booth

And there's a construction print reading

Here are their offers which are good for beers and a little chitchat with friends. But not for satisfying your food adventure.

I ordered Malaysian satay, the skewer lacks the real and authentic taste of a Malaysian dish. And the presentation should have been more Malay like. Satays are originally served by wandering street vendors, it is strips of meat woven onto skewers and has become one of Indonesia's best-loved delicacies which extended further to Malaysia and Thailand.

Koreans love eating quality beef and beef has always been expensive in Korea so having it on the dinner table makes the meal time special. My friend ordered spicy korean beef, and when it arrived it looked like shredded chicken oozing with sauce. This would have been more presentable had they put some garnish on top.

Anyways, I'll just give it a second chance next time.

Ramen House in Lucena

I used to hate it when my mom eats noodles with slurping sound, and would even convince me to do just the same as it is the the right way to show appreciation of a dish, according to her. Maybe that's just how old Japanese descendants are. They love noodles, soups and fruits. She even used to brag about Roico noodles her favorite local brand that dad used to buy for her.

But every time I eat Ramen, I catch myself being unaware of almost making a slurping sound. I figured out, you don't really do it purposely, you become unaware you're already uncontrollably making a sound, simply 'cause it tastes ecstatically delicious.

Ramen is a Japanese noodle soup dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or (occasionally) fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as sliced pork, dried seaweed or nori, kamaboko, and green onions. Nearly every region in Japan has its own variation of ramen, from the tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen of Kyushu to the miso ramen of Hokkaido.

A wide variety of ramen exists in Japan, with geographical and vendor-specific differences even in varieties that share the same name. Ramen can be broadly categorized by its two main ingredients: noodles and broth.

Shōyu (soy sauce) ramen typically has a clear brown broth, based on a chicken and vegetable (or sometimes fish or beef) stock with plenty of soy sauce added resulting in a soup that is tangy, salty, and savory yet still fairly light on the palate. Shōyu ramen usually has curly noodles rather than straight ones, but this is not always the case. It is often adorned with marinated bamboo shoots or menma, green onions, kamaboko (fish cakes), nori (seaweed), boiled eggs, bean sprouts and/or black pepper; occasionally the soup will also contain chili oil or Chinese spices, and some shops serve sliced beef instead of the usual chāshū.

The joy of eating authentic ramen noodles for just a few bucks plus you get to eat on porcelain plates of Chinese design.

Ramen House is located near Tong Ho School, Lucena City.

Gilligans, a resto not the movie

Gilligans is a budget type worth eating at restaurant. It is impossible to leave the resto not feeling full as they serve delectable Filipino food. If we are to trace the origin of the word Gilligan, it is of Celtic origin and it is predominantly used in the English language. The name means 'small boy'. Gilligan also is a fictional character played by Bob Denver on the 1960s TV show Gilligan's Island and its many sequels.

The restaurant has amazing pirates, ships and island-suggesting decors

Wanna eat for less than Php 500.00 without unequivocally disappointing your tummy?

Lechon kawali

baked oyster

Buddys the flavor of Quezon

When I was a young, I used to call Buddys as Buddy Pizza. Being a picky eater this was one of the few places mom and I like to eat at. I especially love their pizzas and halo halo that we always order every Sunday after mass.

Their pizzas didn't change much overtime. They were able to retain its unique cheesy taste and smell.

Fried Chicken on Fried Noodles. My dad also prepares such by frying noodles available in the local market.

Buddys is known for its themed interior decor similar to Pahiyas Festival. Every branch has chandelier-like colorful kiping which adds to the uniqueness of the place. 

Hardinera is the version of english meatloaf. This originated in Quezon Province and is considered as a special dish often served only in special occasions such as town fiestas and other important gatherings. But in buddy's it's always a time for festive.

Bulalo  is a beef dish with light colored soup that is made by cooking beef shanks and marrow bones until the collagen and fat has melted into the clear broth. Filipinos love it but only a few restaurants cater it.

Sans rival bistro in Dumaguete

Back in my first trimester of graduate school, we were required to pass our Tourism Planning subject by drawing the map of Philippines complete with labels of city, province and region, and regional capital. (Including Spratly Island) Starting from a blank piece of paper, you'll realize how Philippines is so fragmented, gives me irritating feeling how I prioritized exploring other Asian countries rather than my home country. Drawing the map would have been easier had I the familiarity of each destination. Much more if I've been there, I'll know it by heart.

Last December, I had a travel breakout. One was in Dumaguete in the Philippine province of Negros Oriental. It is the capital, principal seaport, and largest city of the province. I got invited by my friend staying there, who is not a Filipino but is proud of the beauty of the place. Makes me guilty how a foreigner  persuaded me to explore parts of Philippines instead of me doing such.

One of the highlights of the hip and urbane Dumaguete is Sans Rival Cakes & Pastries. It has a separate place for buying pasalubong like the famous silvannas, and a bistro restaurant offering countryside menu.

The menu offers are continental meals which fit the tastebuds of tourists and other nationalities who prefer to stay in Dumaguete. The inside of the restaurant was incredibly homey and posh at the same time. I was starstrucked I forgot to take a picture.

We chose to dine outside to feel the breeze. It was one of my most spectacular mornings even if I was not feeling well due to lack of sleep and headache.

Why do I feel like I'm in Mexico?

Sans Rival Cakes and Pastries

#3 San Jose St.,Rizal Blvd Dumagete City

Negros Oriental, Philippines

Contact No.: (035) 2254440

(035) 4229482

Banapple at Market Market

Can't believe I've been hoarding these pictures in my draft file for years already. It's hard to be working, taking up graduate school and going out for foodporn with your besties, all at the same time. Anyways, before when Banapple has just started, I've always craved for it at work. I look at its menu offers over the internet and search if they offer delivery. Sadly, that time they weren't. 

So one time in the the year of the horse, my bestie Maan asked me out to try Banapple in Taguig Market Market. The place looked cool but I didn't get comfortable with the design of their round tables. The surface is not even due to the dots design. I was worried my glass of water would spill at any instance of a clumsy move. 

I couldn't remember the name of this pastry. I think this is cranberry cheesecake with almonds on top.

Their pastries and pastas were good and I am looking forward for an afternoon snack here again with my bestie