So I've been based here in the Philippines here since January 2019, and although I say that, I can't really say that I live here because I am constantly traveling for work and video projects. But when I am here, I tend to try to relax and focus on my family. Sometimes we get all caught up in wanting to be successful for our families that we simply forget to spend quality time with them.
Starting a family here in the Philippines has been wonderful! A lot of times I would rather not plan anything and just spend quality time with my girls at home, and we do this as much as we can =)
A typical day living here is Cavite is pretty laid back unlike living in the city of Manila. Where we live, it's like being in the province. It's definitely a lot slower here, and that's just perfect for us!
I have a lot of friends who are Digital Nomads or have their own online businesses, and I always tell them that living in Southeast Asia is perfect because the cost of living is very low, which enables you to save more, and invest more in your business. I do this quite often where Arlene and I will have our set budget weeks or days, and we try to keep things as minimal as possible. Doing this helps me do more for my business, and helps me organize my finances better.
(Ask to join my Free Online Health & Fitness Accountability Group)
Here is a quick video of a typical day living here in Cavite, Philippines. It's not quite the same everyday, but it's pretty close. When we are not staying home and budgeting, we're pretty much out exploring, and the Philippines has a ton of places to get lost in!
Enjoy our quick video, and if you ever make it to Southeast Asia or the Philippines specifically, feel free to message me, I'll be happy to show you around! =)
On September 14th, 2019, I spent the day in this very disadvantaged community in the city of Manila called San Andres Bukid. A few weeks ago I posted in a facebook group which catered to people who were interested in volunteering in the Philippines, and here is a screen shot of my post:
Immediately after my post, I started getting flooded with messages in my inbox, I was so very excited!
Project Bantu Philippines was among the first organizations to message me. I decided to reply after taking a quick look at their page. I really liked what they were doing with the children so very quickly, we set a date to film one of their classes right in the middle of San Andres Bukid.
When I film charity based organizations, the one thing that I always look for is if the organizer really cares about the mission, or if they are just in it for the wrong reasons, I've seen this many times unfortunately.
My first impression with Jaime Benedicto was that he had a big heart and was really passionate about his work. Jaime is the Project Director and Founder of Project Bantu Philippines, and he's been changing lives for over 6 years now! I spent a good 5 hours filming and getting inspired by him, and the teens who were actually also teaching the other children who once before, were in their shoes. It was nice to see the progression and the success that was happening in this organization.
Arlene and Baby Penelope also came along with me for the support, and they had a blast playing with and watching the children. It was a family affair, and something that I want to continue doing as baby Penelope gets older. I hope that she will one day get inspired to help others just like her Daddy =).
Editing the Project Bantu video at home with Baby Pippa =)
So back to Project Bantu =)
Jaime and the organization are currently in the process of trying to build a new center for Project Bantu Philippines. As of now, they are hosting their classes in a community building. If you would like to assist them with this project for opening a new center, or would like to support them in any way, I will include the links below.
Here is the video that I created for Project Bantu Philippines, it is just my way of giving back to the community. If you are reading this, and you run a non-profit, please feel free to contact me for consideration of my Free Video Production services, I look forward to hearing all about it!
*Arnel is a Independent Filmmaker with OCRTUBE.com, Adventure Traveler, Crypto Enthusiast, Online Fitness Coach/Influencer, and devoted Family Man. Connect with me here!
I've been creating video content for over 8 years now, and I was encouraged by some friends of mine to share my video services on this online marketplace for freelancers called Fiverr.
WHAT I DO:
I WILL CREATE AN AFFORDABLE, PROFESSIONAL AND HIGH QUALITY PROMOTIONAL VIDEO FOR AS LOW AS $20
Of course when you actually visit the Tel Aviv based online marketplace Fiverr, you can get overwhelmed by the thousands of services from freelancers all over the world, I know that I did. I've been using Fiverr for my online businesses for a few years now, and although I love it, it is just difficult to find the best person for the job. It's literally like searching for a needle in a haystack! Sometimes you have to go through a number of gigs to find out which works for you!
Anyways, I thought that I would also post my Fiverr Gig here on my personal blog because most of the people reading here have known or followed me for years, so they know about my experience, and for me that's important.
High Quality Promotional Videos Exclusively on Fiverr!
- I use Final Cut Pro X for editing
- I have access to a digital library which has thousands of video clips, music, graphics and more. All licensed and ready for use in your project.
- I am more of a minimalist videographer/filmmaker, so I do not favor fancy graphics. I keep my promotional videos that I create simple, impactful and to the point.
This video service is perfect for: corporate, small business, cryptocurrency, health & fitness, MLM, business opportunities, social media personalities, hospitality industry, financial, real estate, and product promotions.
Video Platforms: Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter
For more information on this video service and to order for fast delivery, visit my Fiverr Gig here: ORDER NOW
Contact me if you have any questions, looking forward to
*Please note that this video service is separate from my videography services for the obstacle course racing, destination weddings and non-profit organizations. For other videography services, please contact me directly here.
With our baby Penelope's First Birthday just around the corner, we've been looking for places that would be the perfect place to celebrate. I think we found a place =)
The Kinder City at Vista Mall General Trias, Cavite is an indoor playground with all kinds of activities like rock climbing, jumping on trampolines, slides, and more. We were interested in this place because the facility was quite large and very clean! They also have a Kinder Cafe for quick bites, and they even have restrooms inside the play area so that you don't have to leave the facilities like the other smaller indoor playhouses.
Although the birthday packages seems a bit pricey, you actually get a lot more than you think. We inquired about what was included in the 25,000 php price ($500 USD) and this is what is included:
Kinder City Birthday Package:
- Rate is for 60 people (30 kids and 30 adults)
- Meals for 60 which included one round of Iced Tea
- Party room and play area for 3 hours
- Sound system
- Printed and online invites
- Gift bags for all the kids
- Birthday Cake
- Gift for the Celebrant
I've included more specific graphic
details below.
HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON THE KINDER CITY BIRTHDAY PACKAGE:
If you live near a Kinder City, I highly recommend that you purchase what is called a Kinder City Kiddie Passport. The Passport costs about $1500 php ($30 USD) and is good for one year. The passport gives you a 10% discount on all visits, and even gives you a couple free entries, as well as a frequent customer stamp card where you can get more free plays for the kids. And guess what, if you are planning a birthday party, you can use the 10% discount on your party package, so instead of paying 25,000 php, you would pay 22,500 php (about $50 USD in savings).
Now of course if you will not be visiting Kinder City all throughout the year, it probably won't be that good a deal for you, so you might as well just spend the 25,000 and have a great time!
We purchased the Kinder City Passport about a week ago and took advanta
ge of one of the FREE visits. You can see our quick video here:
To all of the parents near the General Trias/Dasmarinas Cavite area, I hope that you found this post helpful. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to ask me any questions. I'll post our daughters Birthday Party video here soon! =)
*Arnel is a Independent Filmmaker with OCRTUBE.com, Adventure Traveler, Crypto Enthusiast, Online Fitness Influencer, and devoted Family Man.Connect with me here!
Fire Show at Riverwalk Exotic Resto Grill - Davao Crocodile Park
I've always wanted to go to Mindanao since my first time visiting the Philippines as an adult in 2014. One of the main reasons for me was to hike the highest peak, which is Mount Apo.
First time in the Philippines in 2014 - Banaue Rice Terraces
Fast forward to 2019, five years later, I now have a small home in Cavite about an hour away from Manila. I started a family, and guess what, I still haven't been able to pursue my goal of hiking Mount Apo.
And then came an opportunity to film an event in Davao City on August 25, 2019. I booked my tickets right away from Manila, and took my family with me. The only thing was, I would not be able to hike up Mount Apo with an infant, so the only option was to just take a tour to Mount Apo Natural Park and get a view of the highest peak. I know it isn't the same as trekking up, but we decided that we would wait until Penelope got a little older, and the view point would just be a taste of what would come at a later date.
One day I will hike Mount Apo, but having a family now, the decision making process is a little more tricky =) At any rate, I think that it would be much more fun to do it with the family, what a great adventure that would be! I don't think Mount Apo is going anywhere, so when we are ready, we will conquer it together!
Dhen Yhos Place - Mount Apo View Point
When we finally arrived to Davao City, I had to first film an event called the Dayaw OCR. What was cool about this is that the Dayaw OCR was the first obstacle course race in Mindanao, so that in itself was pretty cool to be a part of. The event was a success, the people were awesome, and I again helped the sport grow in a different place, so mission accomplished! =) If you want to watch the video that I created for Dayaw OCR, you can watch it here:
The next day was dedicated to family, so I booked a private tour with a gentlemen by the name of Kuya Joey Davao with Davao Tour Package with Kuya Joey Davao. Now, I'm pretty sure that his last name isn't really Davao, but it makes for a catchy business name. We chose him first because he was almost 50% less expensive than the other tour companies. Traveling solo for many years, I really never went on tours because it was always better, and cheaper to do it on your own. But now having in infant, for me it's just much easier to have a professional tour guide to take us to some places so that we can focus on whatever baby Penelope needed, and not worry about getting lost. It definitely was a wise decision to hire a local to take us around.
With Kuya Joey Davao - Dhen Yhos Place
With Kuya Joey Davao, it was just us and no one else, and that is what I preferred. The day was totally customizable, and he made us feel like we were just like friends hanging out versus some corny tour with random people. We also wanted to go on our own versus with a group because if we needed to stop or rest, we could do that anytime, and not worry about holding the group up and getting off track with time. With Kuya Joey Davao, our schedule was on us, no time limits, we could take our own time and really soak in the sights without any pressure. It was such a great time.
I also wanted to point out that it was Arlene and Penelope's first time flying on a plane, so it was cool to see them experience something new. We flew via Cebu Pacific.
Of course we did not see everything that we wanted to see in Mindanao, but what we did see was enough to say that we'll be back for more.
Here is a quick video of our trip to Mindanao, and if you ever visit, give Kuya Joey Davao a call, he will take care of you and I promise you, it won't break the bank! =)
*Arnel is a Independent Filmmaker with OCRTUBE.com, Adventure Traveler, Crypto Enthusiast, Online Fitness Influencer, and devoted Family Man. Connect with me here!
