Picture Feature(d): Vigan Plaza Hotel

Excerpt from “Spanish Colonial” by Ces Rodgriquez for SEAIR InFlight February – March 2010

“Once an ancestral home owned by politician Chavit Singson, the hotel has been sympathetically updated, preserving its colonial character. The three-floor hotel has a large sala or living room on the second floor, cooledby breezes from the large open capiz windows fitted with a ventanilla, a sliding panel located below the window and protected by wooden balusters. Next to the sala is an open balcony lit by Spanish style wall lamps.”

Vigan Plaza’s standard room

InFlight's InRoom section page. Designed and layout by Jocas A. See

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Picture Feature(d): Kusina Felicitas

Excerpt from “Filipino Delight” by Ces Rodgriquez for SEAIR InFlight February – March 2010

“Kusina Felicitas has a low ceiling with original beams, marble flooring, 18th century brick walls adorned by an exuberance of folk art, dark wood tables and Spanish-style chairs and a long deli counter filled with pickled onions, sugarcane wine, honey and preserves of caramay (a tart fruit that looks like a small pumpkin), pineapple, kondol (white gourd melon), mangoes, langka (jackfruit), kamias (tree sorrel) and singkamas (jicama).”

A cozy Filipino interior, from the folk art paintings, 18th century bricks, hardwood chairs, to the bamboo placemats

Pork belly in rolls with stewed vegetables

InFlight's Filipino Delight feature page. Designed and layout by Jocas A. See

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Picture Feature(d): Oh My Gulay!

Excerpt from “Oh My Gulay!” by Chip Childers for SEAIR InFlight February – March 2010

“OMG! (Oh My Gulay!) is up five flights of stairs to the top floor of Azotea Building, with its high ceiling, cave-like entrance, a stage to the left, several dining nooks, a kitchen to the right. The stage comes alive on weekends so check out the restaurant’s message board. An added attraction is the view of the Baguio cityscape and lights.

The restaurant serves vegetarian and organic food, anything from salads to sandwiches, pasta and other dishes that will make you feel like you did something good for yourself.”

OMG!’s interior

InFlight's Oh My Gulay! feature page. Designed and layout by Jocas A. See

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Picture Feature(d): Batanes

Excerpt from “Batanes: A Guide to the Wild, Wild North” by Lei Chavez for SEAIR InFlight February – March 2010

“If you like the beaches, check out Nakaboang, Chadpidan, White Beach, and the famous Valugan rocky beach.

The famous Valugan rocky beach

InFlight's Ins & Outs section's opening page. Designed and layout by Jocas A. See

“From the main town of Basco, you can visit the House of Dakay, a UNESCO heritage stone house in the town of Ivana…”

House of Dakay

“Drop by nostalgic and eerie Songsong Ruins, the only remnant of a seaside town struck by tsunami in the 50s.”

The nostalgic and eerie Songsong Ruins

InFlight's Ins & Outs section's second page. Designed and layout by Jocas A. See

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Author’s Note:
Batanes is one of my dream destinations long before I became part of the editorial team of SEAIR InFlight. I can only see Batanes and its mysticism on local travel TV channels and as the program ends, back to day dreaming Batanes, so as the drooling and the salivating ends as well.

When I got the news that I’ll be flying over to the Northern Paradise together with the other dispatch team for an assignment in 2008, (Luckily, SEAIR is “the only” airlines that flies to Batanes daily.) I can’t help myself wondering what will I do the moment our plane touched down and set my foot on Batanes grounds? Would I act like Neil Armstrong the moment he landed on the moon? Would I kiss the ground? Would I kneel down to the ground with open arms and shout out: “Batanes, I’m here!”? Or would I shed tears of joy? It’s a sweet emotion to me, actually. I just can’t believed myself that I was in Batanes.

It never came across in my mind that I’ll be in Batanes one day. Now, I’ve been there twice already. The second trip was last year for a fishing assignment and I hope God permits me to be there again and again.

Batanes will always be in my travel list.

Picture Feature(d): A Manileño’s Manila

Excerpt from “A Manileño’s Manila” by Oggie Ramos for SEAIR InFlight February – March 2010

“The 58-hectare Rizal Park, named after Philippine national hero Jose Rizal, who died defending his patriotic belief and immortalized in a monument erected in the park, is a favorite weekend place for Filipinos wanting to spend time away from the malls. The park, or Luneta, stretches from Taft Avenue to the seawall of Manila Bay, and has gardens, plazas, a stadium observatory, open-air concert hall, light and sound theater, fountains, playgrounds and food outlets. History buffs will appreciate the “Lights and Sounds of Rizal”, an audio-visual and three-dimensional diorama of Rizal’s execution, with life-sized sculptures by Eduardo Castrillo. There’s also an open air theater presentation, “The Martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal”, featuring a 30-minute dramatization of Rizal’s final hours.”

The Chinese Garden at Rizal Park

InFlight's February-March Insider's Guide page. Designed and layout by Jocas A. See

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