Good news for everyone this June 12. Metro Rail Transit (MRT) will be offering free rides from 7AM to 9AM and 5PM to 7PM.

Get the scoop on:
Inquirer - MRT giving free rides on Independence Day

The annual Earth Day Jam will start at 7PM tonight at Tomas Morato in Quezon City. The street will be closed to traffic and two stages will be set up - Fire-Air and Earth-Water - so that audience can enjoy music from over 20 bands performing for free. Tents will also be set up around the area to promote environmental awareness and issues. Check out the round up of artists playing at the event from GMA News

Manila’s Ocean Park will now be open at night. The program, called “Sleeping With the Fish” will be held every Friday from April 25 until the end of May and will start from 6:30 PM until 7 AM the next day. Tickets will be at P1,000 for adults and P750 for children and will include unlimited entrance for that period, dinner, a midnight snack and breakfast.

Inquirer - Ocean Park opens facility to overnight visitors

Good news to all Manila travelers: there is now the perfect map to help you get around. And I do mean get around. As per the recommendation of city cicerone Carlos Celdran, I am buying a Groovy Map ‘N’ Guide of Manila, as should all other tourists and accidental travelers. What is it exactly? Let’s see what the official website has to say:

Designed as an ‘executive brief’, the Groovy Map N Guide has everything you need to get the most of a city in a short time. With clear maps and independent reviews, we’ll lead you to the best in the city. Guaranteed.

We list and locate places on the map in five categories: Groovy Dining, Groovy Bars & Pubs, Groovy Shopping, Groovy Culture, Groovy Clubbing. Leave the guidebook at home — and go out and enjoy a “city made simple”.

Chris Mitchell summarized in his Travelhappy blog: With a map, you don’t want a lot of information - you want the best information, efficiently organised to let you look at it and understand it rapidly - and that’s precisely what the Groovy Map does.

Mr. Celdran himself offers a quick review:

I assure you that it has NONE of the useless crap, advertising and flagrant product placements that the other city maps have. Filled to the brim with useful information about dining, sightseeing, gay and straight bar hopping, and shopping, the map gives you the insider’s view of what to expect as seen through the eyes of someone who you assume is as groovy as you might be. The choices are also rather progressive, the map features underground insider secrets like Fat Michaels, Filling Station, the Evangelista flea markets, and the fantastic Cubao X art scene among many others (like yours truly). Best of all, the map is printed on super thick lamination paper so that it wouldn’t rip or get soggy on the streets steamy ol’ Manila. Be sure to pick one up before you arrive in the city. Or if you are a resident Manileno, just buy a whole bunch to give to visiting friends who wish to independently explore Manila in a fast and funky way. No surprise, that the Groovy Guide was the 2006 Winner ‘Best Tourist/Free Map’ Award from the International Map Trade Association (IMTA) and a recipient of a 5 star rating from Amazon.com.

Groovy. Get one so you can get around.

Apple what?

Last Thursday in Prince of Jaipur at The Fort, Dell Philippines launched its award-winning XPS and Inspiron laptop computer systems for the consumer segment.

And what an arrival it was! In a dazzling display of colors and artistry – featuring a stunning glow-in-the-dark pantomime performance and an enthralling capoeira number – Dell offered possible in-store buyers a vibrant peek of the beauty and power of its Consumer Brands. “Experience Inspiration,” went the tagline.

For the first time in the Philippines, Dell will be making available through retail partners the award-winning XPS M1330 and the Inspiron 1420 laptops, as well as the Inspiron 530 and slim-build 530s desktops. These were on display during the launch, and then later raffled off to lucky guests, which of course did not include me.

In a statement, Dell Philippines Country Manager Barry Bunyi said: “This is an important initiative for Dell and a great way for us to connect with the Philippine customers we may not have reached in the past. We have had strong success in the corporate segment and the time is right for us to allow the general populace to experience what Dell has to offer.”

For more information, visit www.dell.com, or to communicate directly with Dell via a variety of online channels, go to www.dell.com/conversations. To get Dell news direct, visit www.dell.com/RSS.

Photos by Nykko Santos.

A transport strike has hit the metro since midnight today and hundreds of commuters are already stranded. The strike by the public transport sector includes jeeps, buses, taxis and other forms of transit that are calling for a unification of traffic ticketing (which is being pushed by MMDA but opposed by some cities like Makati). 

Local news is reporting hundreds of commuters stranded along Taft in Pasay and Commonwealth in QC. Number Coding was lifted today by the MMDA to help motorists who might get affected. Public schools and Government offices will have work however universities like UP and PUP have already suspended classes.

More information:
Inquirer.net - Metro-wide transport strike pushes through
ABS-CBN News - Metro-wide strike to paralyze 100% of public transport
GMA News - Transport strike to hit Metro; AFP, police offer free rides

Are you a fan of jazz? Are you a fan of music?

If you are, then prove it by joining the biggest musical festival in the country this year: The Philippine International Jazz and Arts Festival 2008, which started last 29^th of February in Manila and runs until the 15^th of March. Featured international artists include Lee Ritenour, Kurt Elling, Omar Sosa, Sara Gazarek, Chico and the Gypsies, and Incognito. From local shores we have Johnny Alegre, Bob Aves Group, Toti Fuentes, Gerard Salonga, Manuel Baldemor, and the Brass Munkeys, among others.

The event this year is made more special because the organizer, P.I. Jazz Foundation, is now involved with UNICEF. Efforts are being made to bring jazz to the youth through development programs such as school workshops in Far Eastern University and the University of Santo Tomas, summer music training courses, a talent search contest, and mall tours featuring our top local musicians.

The real reason why I am all hyped up about it, however, is the phenomenal Raul Midón. You’ve simply got to see him! The blind New York City-based singer-songwriter and guitarist will be down at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza to give a free workshop on March 12. And on March 13, he’ll be featured in the main concert with Montreal-based jazz pianist Lorraine Demarais.

For more information, visit the official website at http://www.pijazzfest.com.

“Kayo ba’y naniniwalang may bukol ang NBN-ZTE Deal?”

As I write this, Rodolfo Jun Lozada is delivering a speech at an ongoing interfaith rally in Makati City. Lozada is the star witness in the national broadband network scandal who claimed that Arroyo’s husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, and her political and business allies were behind the overpricing of the project that eventually went to China’s ZTE Corp.

Among those leading the rallyists are former president Joseph Estrada, Brother Eddie Villanueva, and Archbishop Oscar Cruz. Estrada’s spanking red sneakers are hot.

For updates, read the breaking news courtesy of Inq7.net.

It appears that there are too much crocs at Manila Zoo (about 40 or so crocs) and Manila Mayor Lim wants to exchange 20 of the crocodiles for other animals. Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn is among those who are willing to exchange the animals. Now if they can only do the same for congress?

Inquirer.net - Manila Zoo problem: Too many crocodiles

Metblogs Islamabad has front line reports of what’s happening right now with the apparent suicide bomb attack that killed former Prime Minister Benazi Bhutto. Check out Islamabad Metblogs for the latest updates.