I know it's been so long since I've posted, and I'm sure you've been wondering what's been going on =)
Well, I am still in the Philippines and unfortunately, we are currently in another lockdown! This pandemic has really put a damper on everything that I have planned since early 2020. But hey, there's nothing that I can do about it, so I just wanted to let you guys know what I, and/or we've been up to!
I started cycling a lot lately, and this mostly goes in part that I started a new youtube channel that requires me to create content with a bike, not all the time, but enough to keep me busy. Arlene, my fiancé also started a youtube channel in which she has just started to be more active with it. In between both of our new projects, we have been trying to focus on staying active with our workouts. If you are in one of my online groups either on facebook or via the BOD app, you will see our posts as we have not been posting regularly on public social media.
And of course, Baby Pippa is growing bigger and getting smarter than ever! The only thing that stinks is this darn pandemic which doesn't allow us to take her to the playground, and do other activities like we used to. The one thing that we have been doing almost daily is swimming. Right now, it's been so hot in the Philippines, and if I'm not mistaken, this month (April) and May are the two hottest months in the Philippines, and trust me.....I FEEL EVERY BIT OF IT, especially when I'm out on a bike ride! =)
Anywho, this is just a quick update on what we've been doing. If you would like to join us in trying to stay active despite our busy schedules, then please feel free to contact me to join one of our groups. There is no requirements other than allowing me to be your Free Coach in the process, other than that, it's up to you.
Hope you all have been safe and are doing well, and I hope to see you all sooner than later!
While my family and I were looking for some investment properties in Tagaytay City, we stumbled upon this place called Brewed Awakening.
We originally pulled over to the side of the road because we saw this place called Collete's, a "pasalubong" shop. But upon entering and trying to look for a parking space, we entered a back parking lot area and BOOM....we saw this amazing view of Taal Lake and Volcano.
Wikipedia: Pasalubong (Tagalog, "[something] for when you welcome me") is the Filipino tradition of travellers bringing gifts from their destination to people back home.[1]Pasalubong can be any gift or souvenir brought for family or friends after being away for a period of time.[2] It can also be any gift given by someone arriving from a distant place.[3]
As we continued to pass the pasalubong shop to the left to look for a parking space, we were greeted by I guess you can call them, "waiters" or "servers". What ended up looking like a Taal Lake View Point, ended up actually being a restaurant with a view. The view point had a cluster of traditional filipino Nipa Huts where you had the option to either dine in a hut, or inside one of the restaurants overlooking the same view. We did not plan to eat dinner in Tagaytay as we were actually on our way home, but once we saw the view and the little nipa huts, we decided that this would be a good idea, and something to definitely experience, so we did! =)
It seems like the restaurants all had their own share of huts. Once you see a hut that you like, the one you feel has the best view, the restaurant who owns that set of huts will then accommodate you with their gourmet service. In my opinion, the further down you go, the better the view. There is a little open patch of grass land where you can see a "better" view of Taal Lake and Volcano, great for photo and video opportunities, so if you are planning to dine here, make sure to go all the way down and look for that open patch of grass for a better viewing experience.
Once you are seated in your nice little nipa hut, a menu from a restaurant is presented to you. In our case, it was Brewed Awakening. Unlike other places like this, it didn't seem like there was a minimum order. If you go to other Nipa Hut Restaurants down the street, EX: like the one right in front of the Wind Residences (the 5 Big White Towers), there is another Nipa Hut Restaurant and the minimum order is $1500php or $30 USD, not bad...but what if you just want to enjoy the view with a beer or something? With the place that we ended going to, there didn't seem to be a minimum, so you could enjoy the view and order some beverages without having to spend a lot of money.
The menu from Brewed Awakening had a lot to offer. A good selection of filipino dishes in which you could either order a la carte, or in sets. We decided to go for a set which was good for 3-5pax. Our meal set included: Bulalo (a must try in Tagaytay), Pork Sisig, Tawilis, Kare Kare, Ginataan Kalabasa with Sitaw. Our meal set also included a pitcher of some fresh brewed Iced Tea and of course some service water, and it only set us back about $1800php or $36 USD, not bad for the experience at all! The food was delicious, service was great, and the view was spectacular.
After dinner, we finally stopped by Colletes's Pasalubong Shop and bought some souvenirs, and a couple Buko Pies. It was another great day with my parents in the Philippines! =)
Here's a quick video of our dinner in Tagaytay, and thank you to Brewed Awakening for the great experience, we will definitely be back!
Brewed Awakening - Tagaytay City // Taal Lake and Volcano
I can't believe that my Baby Penelope (Pippa) is already ONE YEARS OLD!
It seems like it was just yesterday that Arlene and I were at the Birthing Home in Buhi, Bicol Philippines where Pippa was born. Fast forward one year later and we are having her very first birthday in Cavite Philippines with about 60 people including my parents who arrived a few days ago from the USA.
The whole day went so fast just like the year prior, but I just wanted to share a quick video of our Baby Penelope's Birthday from Kinder City. The staff at Kinder City were so accommodating and we had such a great experience. The kids has so much fun!
Thanks for visiting my blog, and if you are ever in the Philippines, feel free to message me if you want to get together for some coffee or lunch. Have an amazing day!!
Kinder City Birthday Party Package Prices - Click here!
Oh boy, it seems like I am always playing catch up ha ha!
Ternate Beach Resort
A few weeks ago, I took my girls to Ternate Cavite to check out this beach resort. Before checking out this local beach, we headed to Arlene's sisters "Mother/Law" and celebrated her 85th birthday, WOW!!! She was so cute =)
Anyways, sorry for not posting on a regular! I've been slammed with video projects, but it's been super fun and challenging. I promise to try to post more =)
I always get a lot of questions about what I do, and the easiest thing to tell people is that I am an Entrepreneur.
With that comes questions about how I make money.
Firstly, this post is not about bragging or making myself look good. "I'm No Rockefeller" =) Just ask any of my friends or people who know me, and they will tell you that money is the LAST THING of importance to me. So why become an Entrepreneur you ask? Well, because I love to create experiences with my life and if I can make enough to support my family, travel, and give back to the community through charity projects, I'm happy with that. At the time is the post, I am happy to say that I give back more than half of what I make.
So let's get into the why you may be reading this post, how many ways do I earn? As an entrepreneur, it's about creating multiple streams of income. Not every stream will make you millions! Some gigs may be just enough to help you buy groceries or put a tank of gas in your car, and some may bless you enough to pay for amazing vacations and maybe your kids college tuition! If you're lucky, you may have a stream that even pays residuals.
Here are some ways that I earn and a ball park figure on what I can potentially make:
1. Youtube - I currently have 3 channels, but only one channel is earning google paychecks every month or two. I can make about $100-500+ per month. My main channel.Family Channel
2. Stock Video Footage - I have a small digital library that I've been working on and I am working with a platform that distributes my work to about 5 stock imagery websites. I can make up to $100 per video clip sold.
3. Video Production (Videographer) - I have a small video media production outfit where I create videos for extreme sports, weddings, restaurants, corporations, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and just about anyone who needs a video. I can earn up to $2,000+ per video project.
4. Fiverr - This is a freelance website where I host some of my video projects. This is still new to me and I can earn $5-$100 per video gig. My Fiverr Gigs
5. Patreon - This is for people who support my OCRTUBE media project where I film obstacle course racing events to benefit charities around the world. I can earn $1-$500 per patron. This isn't really an income as 100% of the donations get funneled back into the project to do good in the world. Become a Patron.
6. Cryptocurrency - I am a crypto enthusiast and still learning and having fun with it. I can earn 1-1000% commissions per crypto trade, and $50 per referral affiliate commissions. Contact me about how I trade crypto.
7. Social Media Fitness Influencer - I work with a California based health and fitness company and share my organic active lifestyle through my networks. I can currently earn up to $2,000+ per week. Contact me to learn how to become a Fitness Influencer
8. Blog - I have a general blog where I have affiliate links. My blog is about health/fitness, travel, family, and entrepreneurship, pretty much the story of my life as it happens. I can earn pennies to thousands per year via google ads and affiliate commissions. My Blog
UPCOMING PROJECTS:
- Restaurant/Cafe
- Gaming Internet Cafe
- Airbnb Experiences, I once managed my family's airbnb business. I may delve into experiences soon.
So this gives you an idea of what I do on the daily basis and how I juggle work and family life. Now I cannot give you an exact number of how much i really make and that would not be something that I would share anyways, but from this, you can get an idea of how much I hustle day in and day out just to ensure and build a better future for my family.
If you have any questions, or if you are interested in any of these side hustles, feel free to message me and I can help you to the best of my ability. I love to see people succeed in life, so if you are looking for something more, maybe I can help share what I've learned and we can make a better life together! =).
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! =)
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!
I wanted to take my fiancé Arlene to Venice, Italy for Valentines Day, but that didn't happened. But I did end up taking her to the Venice Grand Canal in Taguig, Manila Philippines =)
Here's a quick video of what we did, and why I decided to take Arlene to this special place. I hope that you all had a Happy Heart Day. If you're ever in Manila, I recommend checking out this place!
If you want the whole boat to yourself, you would have to pay for 4 people.
- Special Occasions like Valentines Day, the rate was 400 php per person. We did the Valentines Special for 2000 php which included: Gondola Ride, Crudite and Champagne, Balloon and Rose, Candle Light Dinner for Two. Definitely was worth it!
Before checking out the Venice Grand Canal, we had breakfast at this place called the Coffee Project. It's by far one of my favorite coffee shops in the Philippines. It's a bit pricey for the Philippines, but the portions and the quality of the food is bar none! Highly recommended =)
One day my daughter was sleeping on my chest, and the next thing I know, she's turning 20! Where did the time go? It doesn't matter though, because no matter where she is, or how old she gets, my daughter Lauren will always be my BABY GIRL! =)
Here is a quick video that I made of my day with my daughter Lauren on her 20th birthday.
HAPPY 20th Lauren, from Daddy!
Calling all fathers with daughters! Let's continue being the REAL men that our daughters need us to be, feel free to comment or connect with me, I'd love to hear about your great relationships with your daughters!
My family and I just recently got back from Gatlinburg, TN. We were there from November 21 - 25th, 2016, and just missed the wildfires that devastated the city of Gatlinburg and parts of Pigeon Forge. It was pretty sad to know that the places that we visited on the video were damaged, and some completely destroyed. I pray for Gatlinburg...
My family and I were happy that we were able to experience this beautiful place before it was destroyed. If you would like to see how beautiful the Smoky Mountains are and parts of Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge is, take a gander at our family video, and let's pray for a quick recovery.
Banawa Family Smoky Mountain Getaway - Gatlinburg, TN
Starting my morning off right with Shakeology - Hiking all day!
Alpine Ski Mountain Coaster - Full Video (Ober Gatlinburg)
Spent a week in Stowe, Vermont with some family, and had an absolute blast! Feel free to check out the family video that I made, I can't wait to go back =)
Banawa Family Getaway - Stowe, Vermont 2015
My fitness journey began with the Beachbody Challenge, now I want to help you =)
