Trip to the Seorak Mountains

It was a random and almost careless mention of a plan to go to the Seorak Mountains with a friend, as she browsed on a Korean survival guide book while we were on our way to one of our earlier “cultural travels". We were practically preparing for our next trip while experimenting on one. Weeks after that, I get to hitch to a black sports car of another friend’s officemate. Coooool-ness.


I was still with my usual pre-occupied self on this trip (what's new), even bringing with me my laptop, so I could steal some time typing for work. Anyone would really be annoyingly dragged out of a supposed-to-be enjoyable and stress-free weekend getaway. I know, I know. I definitely am not the best person to be with on any trip with this kind of attitude.

But I remember to have always liked the outdoors and I've always dreamt of long travels, so why ditch this one? Mountains and nature, I certainly love. Hiking is a very common activity here in South Korea, particularly among the elderly and especially during the autumn season. The fall has definitely come (but I am still not old, okay), and I need not miss on the action here.

Seorak-san is one of the pretty famous mountains here in South Korea, and the sports car brought us to the place after four hours of travel from Seoul. We left at around six in the morning and arrived at around ten. The mountain is inside the Seoraksan National Park, which is located in Seokcho City, in a province called Gangwon-do. I remember sleeping inside the car all the way to the place because I haven’t slept the night before, as I finished some kiddie presentation for some cultural class. Oh anyway...

They say that the best season to go to Seorak-san is the autumn, when the leaves change into beautiful, vibrant colors. And well, we were sure welcomed by the lush sight of reds and yellows and greens, as we went to the main entrance of the national park. As expected, picture taking by the trees was a blockbuster.



There also stands by the entrance a huge Buddha, reminding everyone of how nature has always been a vital instrument to the religion and way of living of these Koreans. I sure saw a number of people who bowed at the eighty-foot structure. It was quite a struggle for me though, nearing the statue area, because the smell of the incense was making it hard for me to breathe. Hehe.



Then on to the main activity: The Hike. Our group decided to take the path leading to an area called "Bisondae", for we learned that there's a cave that we can check out there. I've always been fond of caves and instantly thought of bats and stalactites. Four hours later, I found out that the small cave, which looks like a hole in some rocked mountain from afar, is actually a small temple-- a temple with paper lanterns and miniature buddhas in an altar. Maybe I should just work on my picturesque caves back in the Philippines. Not that I didn't like the idea of a "temple in a cave", but like what I said, I thought of bats. I know I am being such a moron, but hell yeah. I 'm sorry, Buddha.



I guess the best and most fun part was the actual journey to that cave. For one, I went hiking with a pregnant lady and her husband who drove the sports car, by the way. Uhuh, quite an exercise for their baby. There were a lot of things for the eyes to feast on, actually. There were of course all sorts of people, rocks and boulders replacing the waters in a dried-up river, squirrels on tree branches, as well as bridges and metal stairs. The metal stairs came in the last twenty minutes of our hike. I think what makes mountain hiking different in Korea are the seemingly engineered trails that hikers can conveniently walk on as they try to reach the peak. In the Philippines, I don't think trails are as sophisticatedly made easier. Well, at least for the path that we took, the way leading up to the cave had metal stairs. I have to say that it was a pretty steep trek, about 75 degrees of incline on metal stairs on the side of the mountain for us to get to the cave. Quite a knee wrecker for me, honestly. I found it so hard to look down for I have this secret fear of heights, hehehe.



All in all, the experience was all-worth it. When we reached the cave, I remember telling my friends to spend a considerable time in that tiny hole to make the hours of reaching it worthwhile. Well, we really needed some time inside for we were so exhausted and we needed to rest. The trek down was way, way easier and felt much faster, but it all the more drained our bodies as we finally ended the day.

On trips like these, you really feel all touchy with your surroundings. You tickle your ears with the leaves that fall on you, you smell your breath as you gasp for air going up, and you stomp your foot real hard on the rocks you step on to continue with your hike. Oh my, how I love mountain hiking :-)

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On Korean Men

I am practically surrounded by Korean men in my workplace, and while my officemates would probably say how they’ve barely managed at least a minute of casual talk with me given such “aloofness” that I exercise inside the office, I must say that I have, and will probably always have in my mind, the most striking conversations with them.

Korean men are actually interesting. They may not be the best-looking men (face-wise) on earth, but they certainly are the most-buffed Asians. Their firm bods must be the result of their two years in military service. I am just not a fan of chinky and lid-less pairs of eyes. And I have sworn loyalty to the classic Borgy Manotoc and Leonardo DiCaprio “crush-ness”. Haha.

It is one thing to have a look at what the appearance can offer, it is another thing to spend time and talk with these men. It’s given— they are world-class heavy drinkers and workaholics. But believe me, there’s definitely more than meets the eye.


Conversation #1: Ignorance of Religion

Saturday weekend. A day after I arrived in South Korea. He was helping out with moving in and with buying things for my new house.
Korean Man: Hey, so what are you doing tomorrow?
Me: Oh, I heard that there is a place here in Seoul where Filipinos usually gather so I might check it out. There is also a church there, so I want to hear the mass tomorrow.
Korean Man: Why?!?!
(I’m like, why not?)

Conversation #2: Going Against the "Boy as First-Born" Policy
After-work dinner in a HOF bar with a colleague, in my first months in South Korea.

Korean Man 1 (talking about another Korean Man): His wife is actually pregnant. He is expecting their first child.
Me: WOW! Do you want a boy or a girl as your first-born?
Korean Man 2: I want a daughter. You know why? Because in Korea, when your daughter marries, you practically submit her to the husband and his family. So you are free from responsibilities and expenses by then.

Conversation #3: The Olympic Dream
Lunch appointment with colleagues in a Vietnamese restaurant.

Korean Man 1: If I don’t get married and have a kid, I will adopt a child from Kenya.
Me: Oh really, why?
Korean Man 1: I heard that Africans run very fast, so I will take good care and train a boy from Kenya and make him the best athlete so he can make it to the Olympics.
Korean Man 2: (Slightly laughing) That is what you call investment.

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Hwaseong Fortress

This is my second time to celebrate Thanksgiving Day in South Korea. I remember just staying at home last year, so I don’t think I can still forgive myself if I lock myself up in my room again. I have long been craving for travel that will technically throw me out of Seoul— with a cultural feel at that. And when you are not really sure how culturally blessed a place is, you basically just depend on titles attached to these places.

Like the Hwaseong Fortress. A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. How heavy is that. Teehee.

The place is located in Suwon, the capital city of a province in South Korea called Gyeonggi-do. All it took was a subway train ride with my friend and there we were in a crowded and bustling city, which I think has more signage and billboards than Seoul, clustered together in just one building. You get that instant vibrant feeling that won’t really leave unnoticed. Very near the subway station is a tourist information center, which is a very good sign that we have actually just been to a place visited by everybody else.

We rode a bus then got off at the Paldalmun area, where this oval structure took center stage, prompting cars and buses to circle it just so they can pass through. The oval structure is called the Paldalmun, which is among the major gates of the famous fortress. It sure has that huge, “dynastic” feel with it, except that we can still see crowded signage and hear honking horns everywhere. We then looked for a way to the entrance of the actual fortress, which was quite a challenge as it was way, way nestled inside the city.

It is what I am actually so amazed about South Korea. You feast your eyes on picturesque signs of industrialization and economic progress, yet you feel the air of history and culture that it strongly upholds. They have temples erected right smack in streets full of buildings and stores. Behind this great facade of industrial growth, you discover century-old bricks and walls that shout of kings and the dynasties that they ruled.

It was quite a walk, I must say, and as I trodded along, I even was not sure what to appreciate at first. I mean, there were the usual trees and cemented roads, plus grasses and old-school gates and doors. It took a while before I realized that the path I was walking on and the sturdy walls that lined that long path under the sun's heat are what should be marveled upon- the considerable years, painstaking manpower, and noble resources that were put to build a town-size fortress to protect the nation from foreign invasion.




Here are some of the architectural structures of ancient Korea that can be found at the Hwaseong Fortress:

Seojangdae, a famous command post at the top.

Seonodae, a famous platform that is adjacent to Seojangdae. Archers use this post to attack assailants from downhill.

Namporu, one of the major gates in the fortress.

You'll definitely be treating yourself for some hardcore walkathon around the Hwaseong Fortress given the size of the place. But hey, who says there's nothing that can be done with it. Here comes your trolley!

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On Jimjilbangs

Jimjilbangs are a pretty common place to go (or at least try out) here in South Korea. They are public bath houses or saunas that help you keep up with your personal hygiene as you get bored with the same, old bath tub and find it inappropriate for a relaxing, night-time treat. Of course, for a Southeast Asian whose life back in her own country wasn’t much into the lavish “pampering”, it can really be a sophisticatedly cool experience. Then you talk to people and find out that there have actually been dirty connotations on preferring jimjilbangs for bathing, for the simple reason of being the “public” kind.


Bath houses are almost usually traced to the British, having established such places only for the elites back then. The introduction of bath houses into the British culture was primarily a response to the public's desire for increased sanitary conditions, so I don’t really understand where the dirty part comes in. I guess, maybe, as public houses became so popular and common— that they have also been opened up for the “non-elites”, it created a problem as the differences in personal hygienes of the sophisticated and the not-so sophisticated were highlighted. But I am being a bit discriminatory here. I’m sorry.

Bath houses are an ideal sleep getaway here in South Korea, when late night happenings or parties usually make it inconvenient for anyone to go home. Jimjilbangs are abundant in almost all areas, especially in Seoul, so it has always been all-worth it to pay 8,000won to 12,000 won for the first 12 hours to bathe and take a rest for the night.

Of course, there are more to just the usual 3 or 4 cold and hot tubs, plus a shower area per bath house. There are public sleeping quarters, floors and pillows everywhere to doze off. They make it more appealing and conventient for relaxation, as it sets up massage rooms, nail-art rooms, a skin treatment room, an exercise room, a lazy-boy area, a snack bar, an outdoor veranda, and even a smoking area. Skin, nail, and massage services all require a separate fee.



How it typically goes is you pay at the reception and leave your shoes in lockers usually around the receiving area. They will then give you towels and a jimjilbang uniform— either a bath robe or a shirt/shorts combo before you go to the general locker area where you place your stuff. The choices on what you want to do next in a jimjilbang are then boundless.

For a naturally self-conscious person like me, who have always enjoyed private moments in her bath tub, taking showers in a jimjilbang can be really uncomfortable. I remember the first time I went to a jimjilbang with two guy friends. Jimjilbangs separate the men and women’s actual bathing area (for very obvious reasons). Anyway, even if the locker rooms and bathing areas are separate for men and women, there are always common areas in a jimjilbang where men and women are allowed together. There are the snack bars, the lounge and TV areas, and the saunas. So it can still be a treat after all. I heard that there are some Koreans who go to jimjilbangs on dates ;-p

That first time I bared naked in a public bath house with these farer Korean “ajummas” (elder women) was personally quite a stir, for I remember being the only tan-skinned specie in the world of kimchi-bred, whiter skins. I just had to strut along anyway, and tell myself that at least, these women get to see a real, full butt. I rarely saw one. Haha.

You basically just have to get used to the casual atmosphere in a bath house because women walk like they are Eve’s in the garden of Eden. They can always just sit beside you in a bath tub and strike a conversation. Koreans do not really take even a tinge of discomfort on being naked.

Though it is generally a cheap alternative to an overnight accommodation, frequenting jimjilbangs can also get costly. The access of these public bath houses nevertheless re-affirms South Korea as such a convenient place to live in.

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Korean 'Masaji'

I first cried over a severe back ache that started with a stiff neck back in January of this year, enough for my housemates to rid themselves of such an unbearable face, as they finally brought me to a nearby massage place when it has reached my lower back. It was mainly brought about by the double wham of the very cold weather and the stress at work during that time. Seven months later, and I am at it again. Except that this time, my body seems to have gotten used to it. My back has been getting a great deal of beating lately, and I am afraid that the pain is becoming bearable. My body is forced to get used to the pain, especially when my mind is more occupied with deadlines and crammed reports everyday. Practically, there’s just no time to feel it. But when you finally steal a minute of relaxing and not thinking too much, you suddenly get overwhelmed by the weight of such pain in the back that has seemed to have temporarily muted, since there was just no space in your brain to process the pain. That’s exactly what just happened to me.


Anyway, I splurged on an afternoon massage today. I may actually recommend a massage service as a good business idea here in Korea, especially if you place it in such a fast-paced, competitive, and highly-stressful area like Yeouido where most of the securities firms abound. They can really give you the long hours of work that will make you sit on your chair as early as seven in the morning until midnight. If that is still not enough to strain your back as you sit the whole time through, then it’s never too hard to extend more. Haha.

Okay, I know how massage services may instantly connote more than just the plain massages, but apart from the underground business that may arise, there are actually a lot of ‘decent’ massage services here in South Korea. Koreans are such health buffs, if I may just tell, and they will always be willing to spend on anything that will make them always pretty, healthy, and in shape.

And so those with entrepreneurial minds who have grown tired of being corporate slaves to offices and manufacturing firms then think of learning a skill that they like and will make money from. Pretty much like a certain Baek Jaimun, who runs Healing Hands, a massage center in Itaewon.

I remember still calling him over the phone despite being just down outside the building where it is located, simply because I didn’t look up to see its name at the 3rd floor. So he obviously knew it was me who just called when I entered the place. I was immediately served tea as I waited for just a short five minutes before I was called to go to one of the rooms to take my clothes off and change on the shorts that the massage center provides.

The place is pretty decent in size, with two major divisions for the massage areas. Each division has two beds that can always take in couples who go together for a massage. They are of course up for solo customers like me. The furniture was pretty simple and neat, with just the right blend of the needed atmosphere in a massage center. It would be easy to remind you though, as you look outside the window, that you are in a crowded area like Itaewon.

Anyway, all that shuts off when you start getting the massage. I’ve experienced both Swedish and Thai massages before, so it was pretty hard to tell what exact type of massage I actually got (if it was a combination of both or a slight variation of either massage types, or a completely different kind of massage). One thing that I can say is that it was all good, and just what I REALLY needed. Baek Jaimun was very professional in doing it, and he was pretty cool in conversations, too. I might forgive him already for calling my back a “Korean ajumma’s back” (Korean old woman’s back), since he was very nice in talking to me as his first-time customer.

I chose a massage package for myself, which includes a 70-minute full body massage, plus a 20-minute hot stone massage. All in all it costed me 80,000 won (around 3,000php). It would've have been pretty hefty in value for me had I not needed it so badly. I must say it was all worth the price, since I really felt relaxed afterwards.

Healings Hands also offer foot massages and a tanning booth. I might try getting a foot massage the next time.

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My Own Hallyu Fever

Talk about the Hallyu fever, I was once a sucker for Korean dramas in the Philippines, and they have been the dubbed versions to my native language. As to Korean pop music, it was not that expansive two years ago in my country, so there was really no chance for me to get hooked to it. I guess I had other priorities, then. Teehee.

I am now here in South Korea, in a place where Asian teenagers would probably die to be in just to experience the real Hallyu craze, yet there seems to be little time (and interest) for me to get it on with them. I guess I still have other priorities in life. Haha.


But of course, I am still aware of the famous girl group, Wondergirls and their danceable “Nobody” song, which is so popular in the Philippines right now. I am also aware of Sandara Park’s comeback to the Korean entertainment arena after her failed showbiz career in the Philippines. I may not be that updated, but I think I still got the basics covered.

If there is one thing surprising that actually happened to me in regard to the chances of me liking K-Pop, it’s the fact that somebody has actually made me like one song and even memorize its lyrics. And for the record, I am even making a separate post for it. And it has nothing to do with me liking the song nor the singers themselves, it just so happened somebody liked it, and so I liked it, too. What's up with that? Haha.

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Korean Temple Stay

My housemates and I alloted a weekend for a temple stay experience. Our apartment at the seventeenth floor happens to be good friends with a Buddhist at the nineteenth floor, and he opened up the idea of a trip to Gangwha-do, where a meditation center is located. Mr. Lee, the Buddhist who is also a Taekwondo instructor, along with his two kids, drove us to the place as soon as we finished our Saturday lunch, and the weather joined us in our relaxed mood as we hope for an escape from the stress of the city.

It’s been quite a while since I breathed in fresh air in South Korea, and I should thank the wonderful atmosphere that the temple area provided as soon as we arrived an hour and a half later.


Temple stays are a favorite among tourists because the experience speaks loudly of a deeply-rooted culture and religion. Temple stays let us take a peek at the monastic life of Buddhist monks-- the so-called “free loaders” of the economic society, the dormant players of life whom we go to anyway when we have been filled up by the "unfulfilled" demands of living. I recently learned about how Koreans generally regard temple stays. I was told that Koreans who usually go on a temple stay are either students who are reviewing for an important examination, or parents who would pray hard for their children to qualify for that school examination. Now talk about such demands of living. It actually makes me think now of how Filipinos use their faith as well, much more when they are in distress than when they are being showered with bliss. Our actions and the outcome of these actions, I believe, are all driven by our intentions.

Anyway, upon getting off the car, we immediately went to our rooms which were almost barren except for the mattresses, pillows and blankets that were prepared. Boys and girls are asked to go to separate rooms in a temple stay, so there’s no way a couple could use it to have some bonding time in bed. Teehee.

After settling our bags in our assigned rooms and switching to our gray uniforms, which is actually part of the whole temple stay deal, we finally got the first-time feel of being inside an actual Buddhist temple as the Russian monk officially welcomed us and facilitated the orientation. Instructions and reminders were given, along with the activities that were laid out for their set of observers for the weekend. After the orientation, we had the whole afternoon finding our own quiet spot in the place to do some personal "thinking".

Then came the dinner at 6pm. I now know why monks are a bit shorter in height and are skinny, and all look like I can carry them all up in one hand to toss them around. Oh okay, so the last part was a bit exaggerated. But really, I don’t think I can live eating just potatoes and bean sprouts everyday. Though of course, I am fully aware on how being a vegetarian can save anyone's life more.

The highlight of the day came when we had our meditation. This time, it was a Swiss monk who welcomed us and meekly spoke about how to do proper meditation, and why monks find it very important to make meditations a part of their lives. Then came his stories on how his fellow monks would actually spend fourteen— yes, 14 straight hours of meditation, which they usually do in the mountains. Meditation sounds more sophisticated than how it is actually done. It’s not a joke to sit and close your eyes for that long of a time as you work on clearing your mind from such “worldly impurities”. I must say that doing it for just a teeny-tiny fraction of any monk’s regular time was quite a struggle already, hurting my back and letting my legs experience some cramps. And the goal to actually “THINK OF NOTHING” can be a bit confusing, because I work my way to telling my mind to think of nothing, yet I feel like the fact that I am letting my mind work on not thinking anything is still thinking. Did you get me with that? Haha. Oh well.

We had to sleep early at 9pm to get up for the 3am prayer chant the next day. Hearing the bell as it signaled the start of the activity and walking my way through the dark path to the temple, since the sun was not yet up at that time-- it honestly gave me the feeling of a day that was started out right. The monks were of course in their typical bald heads and brown cloths strapped diagonally over their shoulders like a sash in a pageant. Since most of us were still a bit groggy having been forced to wake up a bit earlier than usual, standing straight and keeping quiet were the most that we could offer. The monks and the other active Buddhist men went on with their chants which were in the Korean language. There was no single phrase or even word that I understood, but the same fact that I did not understand anything made it more mysteriously appealing.

With the whole temple stay experience, I bring with me a higher level of appreciation to the simpler way of things in life, the uplifting struggles to achieving a lighter sense of being, and the spiritual complacence to our "sentient" beings. It may be hard to completely embrace the ways monks live the life according to Buddha's teachings, but I sincerely appreciate the essence of them all.

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Boryeong Mud Festival

It’s amazing how South Korea has suddenly become a melting pot of foreigners— of Americans and Westerners, at that. Korean’s huge appetite for learning the English language has definitely opened doors for these native speakers, and they’ve all swarmed and created their own communities in the country.

Festivals have always been a great way to group foreign people in South Korea, and one of the highly-awaited events during the summer month of July is the Boryeong Mud Festival held in Daechon Beach, in the province of Chungcheongnam-do. The place has been made famous by the mud that can be found in its beach, perceived to offer good skin benefits due to its mineral contents. But more importantly, the festival has been regarded as the grandest way to pool international people together— anyone who just want to enjoy and play it cool during the summer season.


I had the chance to participate in the 12th Boryeong Mud Festival, and it’s one of my best experiences ever. It was a weekend spent with Filipino friends and Korean housemates, just among the few planned trips that the group had.

We stayed in a hostel room which was a couple of kilometers away from where the main event was held, but if there was anything positive that we have gotten from the long walk that we had to do, it was the chance to enjoy the beach scenery and feel the fresher air that we will surely not get in the city of Seoul.

We knew that we were nearing the main area when we were already bumping into people all covered gray and black with mud. We saw them strut confidently with the mud, and the more we craved for the “feel” of it.

There was a “self-massage zone” in the beach area— sinks and a hose that can be used to spread mud onto one's body. It was the first thing that we saw, and so we went ahead and played with it ourselves. It actually feels great on your skin, being the “smooth” mud that it is, definitely not the typical kind of dirt that you would get on any rainy street alleys.

The main event area was expectedly full of blondes and of chest hairs, of board shorts and of bikinis. They’re of course a common sight in the summer season except that these white people are now smothered with mud. Then you’ll see them walk around with beer bottles, ready to either drink on it or splash to anyone they bump into, just for the heck of it.

There were a lot of fun activities that they put up for everyone to experience mud. There were mud slides, mud wrestling, and even a mud prison, while a grand stage housed party music from several performances. Anyone can actually take their own pace in trying all the activities with friends while gearing up one-liners with strangers on the sides.

It’s of course a good opportunity for all to hit up on anyone (haha), and probably create little conversations with people, since its all part of the package of the event. If you’re even daring enough to take part in the mud wrestling, you’d give yourself a favor of being tripped over and hugged afterwards. You can even ask somebody to give you a lift (which I actually did! LOL), just so that person can throw you off to the ground the next.

Then there's the fun part of walking up the streets with your mud-covered body and passing on the mud to anyone you bump into, especially on those whose mud has turned hard white on their skin. You shout with them, take pictures with them, and practically goof around with people you probably won't ever see again.

Restaurants sure raked it a lot of money from these foreigners, and it is something to note that most of the eating places in the area serve sea food. It actually rained that day we went out and 'mud-partied' with people, but the rain drops just made it more fun to stroll and eat and drink... I think :-)

Here's to the fun and the experience of being all-muddy:

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Filipino prisoners honor Jackson with 'Thriller' show

CEBU, Philippines (CNN) -- Amid the tropical heat of a Philippine prison, convicted murderers, rapists and drug dealers on Saturday paid tribute to Michael Jackson with a reprise of their YouTube dance hit, "Thriller."

A rendition of Jackson's 1980s smash hit by prisoners at the Cebu Detention and Rehabilitation Center in the central Philippines garnered more than 24 million views since 2007, when prison supervisor Byron Garcia first uploaded it to the video-sharing Web site.


The prison has since posted other dance videos, including performances to Van Halen's "Jump," Queen's "Radio Ga Ga," and Phil Oakey and Giorgio Moroder's "Together in Electric Dreams."

Jackson, known as the "King of Pop," died Thursday in Los Angeles, less than two weeks shy of the first in a series of comeback concerts in London, England.

When he heard the news, Garcia, himself a fan of the 50-year-old pop icon, organized a free tribute performDancing was introduced at the prison in 2007, as a means of rehabilitating prisoners at a facility once notorious for its gang problem.

Every able-bodied prisoner must dance. If they refuse, they lose privileges, mostly conjugal visits. According to Garcia, the dancing occupies up to five hours a day. However he rejected claims he's abusing the prisoners' rights by forcing them to dance so many hours a day.

He said it gives them a renewed sense of worth and confidence, breaking them of their violent ways. He is convinced his prison is a model for prison authorities everywhere, an example of how to crack the plague of violent prison gangs.

"It brought back their self esteem. We have happy inmates now -- we don't want to go back to the old jail where we had mad, sad inmates," he said.

In searing temperatures, 1,400 men in bright orange tracksuits performed the 15-minute "Thriller" routine perfectly. They rehearsed for 10 hours the previous day, finally stopping at 3 a.m. to rest ahead of the show.

The superbly-choreographed moves, energy and obvious enthusiasm of the prisoners had the audience -- swelled by journalists from around the world -- captivated the audience. Several inmates even invited people from the crowd to dance with them.

"I never thought I would ever find myself dancing with a prisoner," one excited local said.

A local journalist even described the performance as Asia's best way of paying tribute to Jackson.

Garcia, who says the prison has witnessed no violence in three years, paid tribute to the performers. "I'm so proud of them," he said. "They got the dance exactly right."

Although it was "probably wishful thinking," he added that he had actually wanted Michael Jackson to come to Cebu to dance and play the role himself. "Now it's not going to happen," he said mournfully.

Convicted robber Mavin Cabido, 23, said: "I feel so sad as we idolize him really. The moonwalk is my favorite -- I like that."

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I Miss Good Ole Jollibee!

Cheers to my ever-jolly orange bumble bee! Amid the global slump, Jollibee as an enterprise has definitely proven that it can whether the economic storm. I guess when a business has more importantly become part of a culture, there is no way that it cannot stand even the most adverse of situations. Filipinos will never have second thoughts of shelling out their hard-earned money for a hearty, quality time with the family at their favorite fast food chain.



Jollibee Captures Top Spot in Philippines
How Fast-Food Chain Fought Back Against McDonald's and Plans to Expand Further Overseas; Strength During Global Downturn

In the Philippines, consumer-related companies rule the roost in good times and bad. This year, Jollibee Foods Corp. again wins the top spot in the Philippines' portion of the Asia 200 vote, thanks to the fast-food outfit's skill at extracting pesos from Filipinos' pockets.

Jollibee's consistently strong showing over the years, at or near the top of the most-admired list in the Philippines in the Asia 200 survey of subscribers of The Wall Street Journal Asia and other businesspeople, presents complications for the contest: There is a challenge to finding fresh ways to detail the company's success. Last year's story, for instance, focused on the company's innovations -- from dollops of pink salad dressing in the top-selling Yum! Burgers to around-the-clock hours to feed Filipinos working all night in the country's call-center industry.

An earlier story detailed the expansion of the chain, including the 500th Jollibee store, opened by founder and Chief Executive Tony Tan Caktiong on the island of Basilan, formerly the lair of the feared Abu Sayyaf group. Some U.S. military officers cite the restaurant as proof of success of their anti-terrorism mission there to help the Philippine army root out Islamist militants in the country's troubled south.

Jollibee's strong showing in this year's survey can be tied to the world's economic slump, which hasn't hit the Philippines as badly as some of its neighbors but still has a big effect. Filipinos are continuing to spend -- even if they are finding cheaper things to buy.

"Jollibee is a barometer for the Philippine economy," says Luz Lorenzo, an economist with ATR-Kim Eng Securities Inc. in Manila.

In taking first place for most admired, Jollibee moved up from No. 2 in the prior contest. The prior overall winner was Ayala Land Inc., a publicly traded real-estate-development unit of wide-ranging conglomerate Ayala Corp. Ayala Land dropped to No. 3 overall this year as its parent moved up to second place.

The Philippines' strongly consumer-oriented economy is proving much more resilient to the global slump than, say, Malaysia and Thailand, where exports make up about 70% of the economy. In the Philippines, exports contribute 30% of gross domestic product. That means the bulk of the Philippine economy is driven by consumer spending -- and a lot of its takes place in Jollibee's stores.

As a result, economists generally agree that, as Jollibee's sales expand -- they were up 18% in the fourth quarter compared with the year earlier -- the Philippine economy also will continue to grow this year while Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore face sharp contractions.

That said, people are reducing their spending. Of Philippines-based respondents to the Asia 200 survey, 17% said they will significantly reduce their spending this year, and 45% said they will spend somewhat less. About 30% said they won't change their spending patterns, while 7% said they will spend more.

That isn't necessarily bad news for Jollibee and some other consumer-focused business in the Philippines. Hans Sy, president of SM Prime Holdings Inc., the Philippines' largest shopping-mall operator, says Jollibee is benefiting as people trade down from more expensive restaurants to dine at Jollibee's chains of burger, pizza and Chinese eateries. Mr. Sy would know; Jollibee is one of SM Prime's biggest tenants.

Ordinary consumers say the same thing. "I used to go to Starbucks for coffee and maybe a pastry for breakfast," says Raymond Gomez, a clerical worker in Manila's financial district. "But now most days, I pop into Jollibee where I can eat breakfast for half the price or less."

Ms. Lorenzo, the economist at ATR-Kim Eng, goes as far as to say that last year's spike in inflation was a bigger problem for Jollibee's bottom line than the global slowdown, because the restaurant chain is less able to pass on higher raw-materials costs. Its fourth-quarter net profit of 661 million pesos ($14 million), on sales of 16.56 billion pesos, easily surpassed its income of 480 million pesos in the first quarter of 2008, when both Jollibee and the Philippines in general were struggling with significantly higher food prices than they are now.

The seeds of Jollibee's success in tapping the spending patterns of some 90 million Filipinos were laid in 1975, when Mr. Tan, then a chemical engineering student, opened an ice cream parlor in Manila. He happily scooped vanilla and chocolate ice-cream, but noticed that he got more customers when he began offering sandwiches, burgers and fried chicken to the lunch crowd. Jollibee -- a bumble bee dressed up in a chef's outfit, and a symbol of what Mr. Tan says is his ideal state of happy industriousness -- was born.

In the early 1980s, Mr. Tan ran into a big threat. McDonald's Corp. entered the Philippine market and threatened to sweep all before it. The U.S. company's stores were bigger and its marketing more sophisticated. Mr. Tan fought back with his own expansion plan, and started hiring local film and television stars for his marketing efforts. Also working in Jollibee's favor: the burgers themselves, prepared with a dash of soy sauce and pinches of salt and sugar, which satisfy many Filipino palates.

In addition to its signature, cheery yellow-and-red burger joints, Jollibee's other brands including Greenwich Pizza and Chow King, bringing the company's total number of restaurants in the Philippines as of February to 1,515, with another 289 overseas.
The company's draw is so powerful that Filipino politicians routinely buy Jollibee food to serve free at campaign events to attract prospective voters, typically adding a few percentage points onto the company's sales during election years (the next is 2010).

Recently, Jollibee has ventured overseas, launching stores in places such as Vietnam while buying up local food chains in China and applying Jollibee's logistical and marketing expertise to them. Ultimately, Mr. Tan wants to generate half the company's revenues outside the Philippines. Another potential growth area: Filipino-rich parts of the U.S.

Prospects there look good. Jollibee already operates several stores in California and Nevada. A Jollibee store that opened in Queens, New York, earlier this year "practically inspired riots of joy" among local Filipinos and Filipino-Americans when it first opened its doors, New York's Village Voice newspaper reported.

excerpt from a WSJ article

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