Rai and Marc

Posts Tagged ‘marc’

Lok Kawi Wildlife Park

After breakfast, we strolled the city of Kota Kinabalu to see how it looks like in early morning. The streets are quiet and we noticed that even if it was Monday morning, the usual city rush is non-existent. KK is not totally a city yet, but not a rural place either. It the perfect blend of both worlds.

We revisited the Atkinson Tower and had few shots before we left. It is sad to say that a historical landmark such as this is endangered because the local government plans to build a mall (if I am not mistaken) on the same lot where the tower stands. It is such a waste to remove a piece of the city’s history in exchange for a mall, but on the other hand, the tower is such in a degraded state that a visitor like us would wonder why the tourist brochures promote an unattractive structure to the visitors. The local government needs to revisit their priorities because Kota Kinabalu haven’t got many historical places worth visiting.

Bom and the Atkinson Tower

The tower's story

After having our stroll, we took a cab going to Lok Kawi Wildlife Park. It was a 30-minute drive from the hotel and we arrived at around 10AM, just in time for the first tram ride that will take us around the park. I am so glad we decided to take the tram since it spared our feet from further walking around the park.

Bom and some animal's skeleton

The Tram. And Bom.

The Lady and the Tram

First stop. The Javan Deer.

We took a lot of good pictures and the animal show was fun. For the first time in my life, I managed to touch a snake. It was cold but not slimy at all. The host of the animal show also reminded me of Kuya Kim Atienza, a TV personality famous for his nature trivia.

That is how amazing the park map is.

A local flower.

A cat. He's not caged, he's just wondering around the park.

Orangutan Poster

Proboscis Monkeys

Proboscis Monkeys

The park's animal show

This is the first time I touched a snake

At the park entrance

For this trip we spent RM100 for the two-way cab ride, RM 20 for the park entrance, and RM 2.50 for the tram ride.

Home Bound

We went back to the hotel at around 1PM and since we were already in a hurry, we took our lunch to-go and ate it in the hotel. After resting for a bit, we head out to the Filipino Market to grab some pasalubong then off we go to the airport (RM 35). After one last minute shopping at the airport grocery and souvenir shop, we were home bound to Manila.

At the Kota Kinabalu Airport

We arrived at around 9PM and good thing my brother agreed to pick us up at the airport, and I tell you, he rarely does that. Maybe the ‘may pasalubong ako sa ‘yo’ trick worked. Hmm… I should do that more often.

View our travel itinerary here

Total cost for the whole trip:
NAIA Travel Tax = PHP 1620 x 2
NAIA Terminal Fee = PHP 750 x 2
Cebu Pacific Travel Pouch = PHP 350
Cab Fare from Airport to King Park Hotel = RM 35
KFC Dinner = RM 17
Scuba Diving Package for 1 Day (All-in) = RM 340 x 2
Jothy’s Fish Head Curry Dinner = RM 26
McDonald’s Lunch = RM 18
Seaside dinner = RM 35
OTC medicine and ionized water = RM 5
Lobster Dinner and 2 cans of Tiger beer = RM 55
Cab fare from hotel to Lok Kawi Wildlife Park = RM 100
Lok Kawi Wildlife Park Entrance Fee + Tram ride = RM 22.50 x 2
Snacks in Lok Kawi Park = RM 10
Lok Kawi Souvenir Shirt = RM 35
KFC Lunch = RM 15
Pasalubong = RM 200
Cab Fare from Hotel to Airport = RM 35
King Park Hotel = RM 515
TOTAL = ( RM 1823 x 14 ) + PHP 5090 = PHP 30,612

Other places of Interest:
Atmosphere Restaurant
The Green Connection

We woke up feeling sore from the previous day’s diving activities but it did not stop us from taking an early breakfast at the hotel restaurant and exploring KK right afterwards. It was high noon and the heat is really becoming intolerable so after a quick lunch at McDonalds (we wanted to try how their burgers taste like), we head back to the hotel.

McDonald's Spicy Chicken Burger

It was so hot that I blamed the dry heat for the really bad headache and slight fever that I had. Because of that, we decided to sleep the afternoon off in the hotel, wasting the day away. Thinking of the sunset and not getting a decent picture of it was my motivation to get out of the bed and head out to KK’s seaside port and take pictures of the sun and the sea. I managed to take but a few usable photos considering that the deck was so shaky it was virtually impossible to take sharp photos even with a tripod.

Kota Kinabalu City Sunset

Kota Kinabalu City Sunset

Kota Kinabalu Sunset

Kota Kinabalu City Sunset

When the sun finally sets in, we grabbed a bite at one of the nearby restaurants and we ordered local favorite Nasi Lemak and cola to go with it.

Nasi Goreng by the bay

After the dinner, we walked around city passing by a lot of restaurants. If we had more space in our guts then we would have tried some of the dishes in the restaurants. I still have that bad headache but then I thought I must have been dehydrated since I was not drinking enough fluids since we arrived at KK. We scored a pain-killer (a pill by the name of Panadol) and a bottle of ionized water, it feels that I was getting better. My diagnosis of the cause of my headache was so right. I swear I could have become a great doctor if I had taken Medicine instead of Engineering.

Anyway, a scroll further down led us to the Filipino market, but it looks like it was already closed. It was a breezy night we don’t mind the long walk along the roads of KK, seeing the locals do their thing and often hearing Tagalog language being spoken by those who seem like Filipinos. After we had our fun, we head back to the hotel passing by the Atkinson Tower, one of the historical places in KK.

Atkinson Clock Tower

Eh.. park?

Walking made us hungry so we stopped by the local seafood market-slash-restaurant, otherwise known as “paluto” in Filipino. We met a friendly Filipina waitress and gave us good price for two medium-sized lobsters cooked in garlic and butter (RM45 lobster and paluto).

Fish tanks with live seafood

Fish Tank at Seri Selera

Oysters

Lovely shell. Is it edible?

Seri Selera Paluto Resto

It was indeed a relaxing night munching on a buttery lobster while watching Robocop on TV. Good times.

Lobster in Garlic and Butter and Tiger Beer

Beginner Lessons in Dive Down Below Center

Woke up at 7AM. Free breakfast at the hotel. Had a quick shower, and got ready for the diving tour in Gaya Island care of Dive Down Below. The package includes hotel transfer so we just waited for the shuttle at the hotel lobby. We arrived at the port for a jetty transport that took only 10 minutes, then the diving briefing followed.

The view from Room 1101

Jettys

Leaving for Pulau Gaya Base Camp

After signing a few papers and getting our equipment, we had a diving crash course with Gavin Chin, the divemaster assigned to our group. We were three in the group, with a nice French lady, whose name escapes me at the moment. The crash course was quick, then we had our test dive in the shallow waters for a few exercises before heading out into the deeper waters.

After the exercises, which were fairly easy, we went to the deeper part of the sea, where we will have our first dive. I had trouble with my body because I kept being swept by the current, and I can’t keep my body balanced underwater. Gavin said that he had to hold on to us so we will have easier time moving underwater. My BCD is not my best friend during those times. But still, it was fun seeing some [dead] corals underwater. After the first dive, and a few pointers from Gavin [I thought he was pretty much annoyed at us at this point], we headed back at the base camp for lunch.

In between dives

The lunch was okay, a tad better than what I expected. After a few minutes of rest, we head back to the sea for our final dive for the day.

Pulau Gaya

The second go was a bit scary because we have to do a backroll entry and I was so afraid I thought I can’t do it. I have to keep asking the other divemaster (Gavin and Bom are already in the water) if I am holding my regulator and mask correctly, fearing that it might fall off when I hit the water. And nothing scares me more than losing my regulator. Luckily enough, I thank the heavens for our safe entry. That was the best part of the dive for me because I think the sea and I had a connection when I did that backroll. <3

Then we went for the final dive, and the most difficult dive because my ears won’t cooperate and it keeps hurting the more we get lower. But at least there are fewer dead corals, and more fishes compared to the first dive. Tough luck, no barracudas or turtles. Though I enjoyed the last dive, Bom thinks otherwise. He had problems with his mask because it kept fogging up and he can’t get rid of the water inside. We have to resurface twice so he can put on his mask properly. Bummer, yes I know. But we still enjoyed the quick dive.

Around Pulau Gaya base camp

With Gavin Chin, our divemaster

With Gavin Chin, our divemaster

When our twenty minutes was up (time flies when you’re having fun), we headed back to the base camp, showered and changed. Took a few last photos of the place and rode the jetty back to KK. After a quick rest in the hotel, we headed out to search for dinner, and as if we are not tired enough, we have to scour the Api-Api Center in search for Jothy’s Fish Head Curry Restaurant.

Waiting for the jetty to take us back to Kota Kinabalu

And that's me!

Resting after the dive

Jothy’s Fish Head Curry Restaurant, Api-Api Center

When we walked in to the restaurant, we find it a very casual place, and no need to wear fancy outfit so we can relax because we were only in out shirt and shorts attire. Nonetheless, we were treated with a smile from the very friendly waiter. I was really craving for their chicken biryani but I was told that it was already sold out so I ordered prawn sambal (RM 10) instead while Bom had fish curry (not fish head curry, RM 6).

Fish Curry

Both dishes are really good, and the seafood was fresh. We both liked how the fish was done because the cooking was even and the fillet was tender but not over-cooked. The flavor was really good, just enough to my liking considering that Indian cuisines tend to be strong in flavors. I loved the sweetness of the shrimp curry, and I think that fish curry is a bit too spicy. Nevertheless, dining in Jothy’s was a pleasant experience and would definitely visit again.

Bom reading the city map at Jothy's restaurant

Cola. And Bom reading the city map.

On our way back to the hotel, we walked by the bay and see if we can stumble upon restaurants worth visiting. And not to forget, I cashed in on a new Starbucks City Mug (Sabah). That’s one mug more to my collection.

Seafood Village

For our honeymoon trip, we decided to give Kota Kinabalu a try and it was a thrilling adventure!

We arrived safely in Kota Kinabalu, a city in Malaysia’s Sabah state, and as usual we almost missed the plane. It’s like a blessing before leaving home, if we are not late, something bad is bound to happen. So in short, we should be almost late in order to have a pleasant vacation. Or at least that’s what I think, if that made any sense at all.

The clouds as seen from Cebu Pacific plane

Anyway, the flight was pleasant except for a few shakes, but if I had a choice, I would rather arrive at around noon or early afternoon. Unfortunately, the available schedule leaves just before 4PM and we arrived in KK at past 6PM. It was raining – the kind of which you would not want to get caught in – so we phoned the hotel to send a shuttle to pick us up at the airport. Bom kept asking me if I confirmed the airport pickup, which of course I did not because [here comes the blame game] Booking.com’s website says King Park Hotel offers free airport pickup so I was confident that they can do it if we call them upon arrival. We found a phone and called the hotel, only to find out they don’t do airport pickup. Bummer. I was hoping we could save a few bucks but we had no choice but to take an airport cab to the hotel.

We took an airport taxi to save precious time, and fortunately it’s not so bad for RM35. When we checked in, the nice lady at the front desk informed me that there are no non-smoking rooms available for the night, when I specifically instructed Booking.com that we wanted a non-smoking room. Sigh. Got no choice anyway so we took the room, settled in, and it was only after a few minutes when I began to smell the stench of cigarettes wafting through the air. And how I hate that stale smell of cigarettes that seem to cling on clothes. I decided that I want a different room the next day.

King Park Hotel Room

Bom trying to separate the camera filters that got stuck

It was still raining when we checked in, so instead of taking a short night walk around KK to find a decent restaurant, we had dinner at KFC next door (RM17) . We were surprised that the chicken does not come with rice, like what we have here in Manila, but rather with fries. And they don’t give spoons! You have to ask for one, or eat with your hands. I am not too squeamish about eating with my hands, I can do it well, but not without a decent hand washing first. Luckily, I am also very skilled when it comes to attacking breaded chicken with a plastic fork. No problem. Then we went back to the hotel for a good night sleep. Or so I thought.

A quick stroll around the city lead us to this...

Misty hotel window

It was 3AM. I was woken up by a dripping sound caused by the air-conditioning unit. I have to get up and grab towels to cover the couch to muffle the dripping sound. I was so sure that I want a different room and I won’t take no for an answer. Went back to sleep.

To all Caleruega couples out there, please join our little niche in Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Caleruega-Couples/175892809119288

Ohhhh-kaaaay, here I am. Finally, I am starting to realize that I need to journal the events that have transpired on our wedding day. Too much has happened, especially the nerve-wracking prep months, where we went through all the fights, decision-making and rushing. But there is no need to tell you that, they’re boring plus I don’t want to tell you how our little trip Divisoria went, or how that Dapitan Arcade seller did not tell me that she do not have enough kokeshi dolls to supply me – that is just plain non-sensical. So I am going to start off this long, long story of our journey to the altar with the day before the wedding. So here goes.

November 5, 2010.

All of Bom’s relatives have arrived, so we are all set to leave Manila for a 3-hour trip to Tagaytay. Life has a way of kicking your ass when it comes to time-sensitive matters (like our pre-wedding day preps) because everywhere there was traffic. Like it was destined that every bus and jeep will collide on the same road as we are. And it’s not light traffic – it was sleep-and-you-will-wake-up-still-on-the-same-spot kind of traffic. But we managed to get through all of that and we left at around 2PM. Then it started to rain. Heavily.

I thought that we our offering to St. Claire’s Monastery and St. Jude Thaddeus was not enough because it was raining so hard it could stop a wedding. We even thought that there was a storm coming but when we arrived at Yellow Coco at around 5 in the afternoon, the caretakers said that there were no news of storm that day. It was comforting to know that despite the heavy rains, it will not turn into a storm. Too bad we were not able to visit Fr. Allen in Caleruega for a quick acquaintance meeting because of the heavy rain. The road was too slippery, the fog is so thick we cannot see the road in front. I asked Bom to turn around and head back to Rosemont for the fear of the superstition that soon-to-weds are more prone to accidents. Back at Rosemont, I thought that the worse is over because the rains have finally stopped. Or so I thought.

I was left by Bom alone in Rosemont so he could attend to his family in Yellow Coco so I decided to burn the CD’s for next day’s husband-wife and brother-sister dance. I slapped on my vitamin C facial mask on and turned on the water in the tub for my warm soak before hitting the sheets. After 30 minutes, I checked back to see how the water in the tub was doing and to my confusion, the water was yellowish. I thought it could only be rust stuck in the pipes so I flushed the water and filled the tub again. After 30 minutes, the water is more yellow with bits of dark solids in the tub and to my shock, there is no water in the house!

I panicked and called Bom to let him know of the situation and asked him to come by. I went down to the caretaker’s room in the basement, and asked him to come up and check the water. He did, and told me that there should be water already. I waited for 30 minutes, still no water. I was already crying because it was already 11PM and I am alone stuck in the house with no running water. I called Bom again and after yet another 30 minutes, he arrived. I was really furious at him and at the situation. Luckily enough, there was one available villa in Yellow Coco so we took it. After settling in, I had a cold bath at 12AM and I knew I will have a huge dark circles under my eyes for all the troubles that I went through. Slept at around 12:30AM and woke up at 3AM to get ready for our wedding.

Our wedding adventures continue at the wedding day.

Wedding Chapel: Transfiguration Chapel of Caleruega, Nasugbu, Batangas
Officiating Priest: Fr. Allen de Guzman, O.P.

Package Deal: Chapel and Priest (Flowers, Red carpet, choir/musicians not included)
Package Price: Php15,000 + Stipend for Fr. Allen

The Good

We fell in love with chapel the first time we saw it, and got engaged and married in the same place. The place is a bit far from the main road, but that is the reason why the place is so serene and romantic, perfect for weddings. The guests raved about how solemn the church ceremony was, and how pretty the chapel is, inside and out, not to mention the cold morning air.

When made our booking, we had no trouble submitting our requirements because Ms. Jackie replies to my text inquiries and very easy to communicate with. They are also easy on the chapel rules, so we have Liane, our dog, in the chapel. Most churches I know wouldn’t approve of that.

Fr. Allen is the popular priest of Caleruega – and he witnessed how great he really is! The ceremony, especially the homily, was perfect from start to finish. The guests kept asking us if we know him because he knows our love story very well and used it together with the Gospel to produce a very entertaining and spiritually-filling homily.

And how can we forget the best gift of all, that is Fr. Allen’s gift. Before the homily ended, he made his own cover of Ariel Rivera’s “Minsan Lang Kitang Iibigin”, changed some of the lyrics, and made it ours. He made me cry so much! And why the best gift of all? Marc and I don’t have a theme song, but now we have one, big thanks to Fr. Allen who made our wedding so very memorable.

The Bad

None.

The Ugly

None. The chapel is perfect!

Heart Ratings

Service (Pre and Post Wedding): (10/10)

Service (Fr. Allen de Guzman): (10/10)

Product (Chapel and Amenities): (10/10)

Bang for the Buck: (10/10)

Overall Satisfaction: (10/10)

Rai and Marc’s recommendation: As Fr. Allen suggested, we vowed to return to Caleruega every month and have our renewal of vows on our 10th anniversary in the same chapel where our love story began. If you don’t mind having a destination wedding in the south, we recommend Caleruega!

Catering: Juan Carlo the Caterer

Package Deal: Customized Package plus Colossian Garden reception venue
Appetizers: Nachos with Dip, Bruschettas, Sushi Bar (Half of the sushi rolls were served during cocktail hour)
Non-Alcoholic Cocktails: Tahitian Punch (Upgrade)
Entree: Beef Tenderloin Steak with Mushroom Sauce (cooked on the spot), Vegetable Tempura (cooked on the spot), Chicken Breast in Piri-Piri Sauce, Roast Pork in Prune and Walnuts, Pink Salmon in Tequilla Cream Sauce, Plain Rice
Pasta Bar: Juan Carlo Vermicelli Special, Penne Carbonara, Angel Hair Puttanesca
Dessert: Swan Puff, Blitz Torte, Fruit Tartlets, Caramel Custard with Macapuno

Package Price: Php175,000++ for 160 pax + Php22,000 for venue rental

The Good

The dishes served by Juan Carlo are very good and not the ordinary stuff that you can find in restaurants. We decided that the food that we are going to serve will not be the ordinary dishes (lemon chicken, breaded fish, beef broccoli… well, you get the picture) so we chose Juan Carlo for that. I highly recommend their Pink Salmon in Tequila Cream Sauce, by the way. Anyway, we are also pleased that the Colossian Garden is exclusive with them so we booked the caterer and reception at the same time.

It was also nice that they are flexible with menu plans as we made our own menu while working within our price range. Our account executive, Joyce Castillo, was also accommodating to our requests to extend the menu plan so we can fit more types of desserts and appetizers without additional charges. The waiters are courteous, especially for the VIP guests. One ninong commented that the waiters are so mabait that they keep coming back to offer him the vermicelli dish because he kept refusing. They also agreed to hang the paper lanterns we brought to the reception, and even agreed to take them down after the reception.

The table setting of Juan Carlo, though really nice, is nothing to rave about. Their pretty table settings and backdrops displayed on their website and catalogs are available but only as an upgrade, maybe I should have persuaded Joyce more to give the upgrades for free. And of course, we chose not to get the upgrades so we can save more bucks.

Colossian Garden also is a really nice place to hold a wedding reception at with their lush green garden and ready tent, but some plants need a bit more attention. Just be careful of the flying bugs that look like mosquitoes, but it’s nothing that a citronella candle can’t take care of I think.

And not to forget the food – the guests raved about how good the food was, and one guest was really impressed that we booked Juan Carlo for our catering. Apparently, when he learned that we got Juan Carlo, he already knows that he’s going to have a very delicious and filling lunch that day. Nothing beats that. The guests also loved the sushi bar and the complaint we received was the guests are too full to enjoy the mobile bar!

PS: Friends who have plans of getting married or have relatives/friends in planning stage often ask me who our caterer was. I guess if they did not like the food served, they would not recommend JC to their friends

The Bad

During the reception, some guests complained that the wasabi and sushi sauce came late after serving the sushi rolls. Though not a big deal, but some guests just can’t wait for their sauce and wasabi to arrive.

Our AE, Joyce, is a really sweet person, but it takes centuries, if not decades, for her to reply to my text messages. And sometimes, I have to reiterate the instructions just so we are clear.

Their table setting options are also limited, so if you are really particular with the colors of tablecloth, Juan Carlo might not be your best option.

The Ugly

Before the wedding, I asked Joyce to put a curtain on the south part of the reception tent because the sun shines directly on that area at around 3PM. As the wedding program goes, I noticed that there were tables that are directly under the sun because Juan Carlo placed about a yard of white cloth as a curtain. And obviously, it only covered about an eighth of the length of the tent and not enough to even cover a table. Fortunately, the coordinators moved the tables forward to avoid the heat of the sun and for the comfort of the guests.

Heart Ratings

Service (Planning): (7/10)

Service (Waiters and Supervisors on Wedding Day): (9/10)

Product (Appetizers and Cocktails): (9/10)

Product (Entree): (9/10)

Product (Pasta Bar): (7/10)

Product (Dessert): (7/10)

Product (Table Setting and Venue Arrangement): (7/10)

Product (Colossian Garden): (8.5/10)

Bang for the Buck: (8/10)

Overall Satisfaction: (9/10)

Rai and Marc’s recommendation: Juan Carlo serves really great food, and they are popular for that. But only fair when it comes to their table and venue setting options. You might want to hire a separate stylist or upgrade your package if you need more oomph to your venue.

Wedding Photography Services: Jayson and Jo Anne Arquiza

Package Deal: 3 Photographers (including Jayson and Jo Anne), 40 Pages 11×14 Magnetic Album, On-site Photo Slideshow, 16×20 Blowup Portrait
Package Price: Php55,000 + Reimbursement of gas and toll fees (Out of town charges)

The Good

We love Jayson and Jo Anne! The couple have talents, and they know how to do their jobs without being too bossy about it. We had a morning wedding so they arrived early, like 4:45AM early so it is a definite plus. When they arrived, they made it sure to introduce themselves, so during the entire day, it feels like we know them (Jayson, Jo Anne, Jonathan and Jay Pee) like they’re long time friends, except for the other guys whose name escapes my memory (sorry!).

They really showed an effort to make it easy for us to smile and project to the camera, even if it feels like 100 degrees under the sun. And the photo slideshow showed how good they are at their profession. Everyone loved the photos because it really captured the moment. Most of the shots were not staged at all, very real, lively colors and needs only a little bit of editing, if none at all. We can feel the emotions of the photograph because of their “decisive moment” photography, which is the style that I prefer for our wedding.

At the end of the wedding program, they waited for us and said their goodbyes before leaving, and we have a photobooth picture to prove that!

The Bad

I remembered during the photo shoot after the ceremony, one of the primary sponsors (let’s call him Ninong A) asked one of Marc’s cousins to take pictures of the the primary sponsors while they were signing the marriage contract because no one from Jayson’s team was doing so. It was not really a big deal for me, but apparently, it was for Ninong A. We also forgot to ask them to take our pictures inside the beetle limo, again, no big deal.

And for some reason, we don’t have the raw wedding pictures yet. Paging Jayson!

The Ugly

None.

Heart Ratings

Creativity: (6/10)

Service (Full Wedding Photography): (9/10)

Product (Same Day Edit Slideshow): (9/10)

Product (Full Wedding Coverage): Pending

Product (Magnetic Album): Pending

Product (Blowup Portrait): Pending

Bang for the Buck: (8/10)

Overall Satisfaction: (9/10)

Rai and Marc’s recommendation: They have a mid-ranged price for photography services but worth every cent. Highly recommended!

Engagement Session and Wedding Photography: Val Bunao of Digital Vikings

Original Package Deal:
- Photo and Video Coverage
- Engagement Photo Shoot
- Guestboook, Photo Gallery, Magnetic Album, 16×20 Blown-Up Photo in Frame, 2 Mini Albums, Childhood AVP in DVD, Save the Date Video, Same Day Edit Video in DVD, 30-minute Wedding Highlight in DVD, Full video coverage in DVD.

Stripped Down Package:
- Engagement Shoot
- Guestboook, Photo Gallery, 120 pcs small Thank You cards, 24 pcs large Thank You cards, Childhood AVP in DVD, Same Day Edit Video in DVD, Wedding Entrance video, 30-minute Wedding Highlight in DVD, Full video coverage in DVD.

Original Package Price: Php58,000
Stripped Down Package Price: Php45,000

The Good

Val is a good talker, always agrees to what his clients want and it is for sure that the service packages he offers are cheaper than the latest price trends in the market.

The Bad

You get what you pay for. Cheap service for cheap price.
- The photo gallery he was so proud of is the pre-nup pics printed on photo paper pasted on illustration boards. I can do something better.
- The Thank You cards that he promised were handed out on the wedding day, when we asked him to provide them beforehand so we can use them as gift tags.
- Not to mention that he is not so creative when we were shooting the wedding entrance video that I have to show him a draft of my ideas before we were able to make a story out of the shoot.
- He also used a different (slow) version of the song for the SDE video.
- The videographers that worked with Val does not care about the details of the subject, and I mean they do not have an eye for the little details. There is a portion of the SDE that my hubby’s bowtie was up his neck and the man shooting that video did not even bothered to tell Marc to fix his bowtie. Watch the SDE video above and slide to 1:15 and see how nasty the bowtie was but the videographer kept shooting anyway, without saying a word to Marc.
- When he used the correct (rock) version of the song, the motion of the edited SDE video was too fast that my relatives complained that they get headaches from watching it. Then there’s more. Read The Ugly.

The Ugly

1. Unprofessional attitude for a ‘professional wedding videographer’.

His team was late to arrive on the wedding day, when they showed up at around 6am and it was Val himself who said that their call time was 5am. The suppliers who arrived before them said to me that Val did not even introduced himself to the other suppliers, and just barged in to the house without even saying hi to me or to the people who were already there. I was kind of expecting that somehow he will be nice to say hi since he already knows the we got different vendors for the video and photo, so it should not be hard building rapport among them so they can both produce great photos and videos. And I think I know who the hardest supplier to get along with was. All of the suppliers greeted me with a big smile when they arrived as early as 4am, but it was only Val’s team who I did not even get their names because they never introduced themselves. They were not smiling during the shoot, and I bet they don’t even know my name (except for Val, of course). I could also notice the arrogance exuding from Val during the shoot, as he is not as jolly as the photographers. He was just barking directions all over the place instead of just being nice and doing so politely.

2. Unorganized and kept clashing with the photographers.

During the preps shoot, Marc and I kept repeating the same poses at least twice a few minutes after we are done (i.e. I’m sitting on a bench, photographer then asked me to stand up and walk, Val interrupts and asks me to sit on the bench again. Then asks me to stand up and walk.) I can feel the tension that time but I prefer to smile because I won’t let anyone rain on my parade, or we can say, wedding. Val could have asked the photographers to hold the next pose so he can shoot, but no. He kept interrupting the shoot and we kept repeating the poses so that he could get his shot that should have been taken a few minutes before. If he could have just introduced himself to the people he’s going to work with, then it should not be hard for him to communicate with the other suppliers.

The pre-nup shoot was sort of a failure also because he does not have any idea how correlate our costumes together with our theme. He made me do those awkward poses that does not fit into our theme, nor does not look like it will pass for a magazine editorial. All shots were taken far away that the people who saw our guestbook say that they don’t recognize us in the photos because most of our faces are hidden.

3. Delinquent with deadlines.

This is the single most hated attitude brides like me don’t want to see in a vendor. And Val should be given the gold medal for being the most delinquent supplier we ever booked. He did our pre-nup shoot so it was expected that we will get our photos before the wedding day, hence the name pre-nuptial shoot. I texted him asking for the edited pre-nup photos because I need at least one to use for our photo booth and I believe that he promised to provide them before the wedding. He replied saying that we will get the edited photos during the wedding, not before. So I panicked and since I somehow know who to Photoshop photos, I just asked him to provide the RAW instead. So we drove all the way to the place he’d want us to meet (Cash and Carry Makati coming from Ortigas, and it’s a long drive since we’re from Mandaluyong). I can’t say no to the meeting place considering that we were already in Ortigas that time but had to drive from Mandaluyong to Makati then back to Mandaluyong again because that was four days before the wedding and we don’t have any pre-nup photos to use. Big hassle.

When we got the photos, I knew it was time to book a separate photographer. Every single usable photo is in need of serious editing. We can only be recognized in a few selected shots, which is difficult because we need a close-up shot for the photo booth layout. This must be the reason why Val needs so much time editing the photos. Good thing I was able to convince my husband that we should prioritize photographers rather than videographers and to stretch the budget so we can book a better photographer, or else our memories are at the mercy of this sorry vendor.

Another delayed delivery is the DVD’s of the full wedding coverage. This one needs a long story-telling so please bear with me.

Part 1.

During the wedding reception, I gave the coordinator Php10,000 for his services. The contract stipulates that the amount to be given during the reception is Php25,000 but because I was so disgusted by the results of the pre-nup shoot and the delay of the delivery that I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. Gen, my coordinator, then approached me after the wedding program saying that Val is having an issue with the amount he was given. So I talked to Val, and he was already furious, I mean he is almost screaming at me! He said that I should not have done that, to which I admit was my fault, and claimed that I should have informed him. He even pointed out the payment sheet and said that I paid more to the photographers than to him, and it was an insult to his talents. And I quote:

“Bakit yung mga photographers mo ang laki ng binayad mo tapos sa akin eto lang? Insulto naman yan sa sa akin!”

I mean, WTH!? Why in the world should he compare the amount paid for this services to that of the photographers? Does he have the right to do that? It was very, very unprofessional of him to say that. And I laughed when those words came out from his mouth because he was acting like a child whose candy was stolen by a bigger boy. My answer to his question?

“Eh sila Jayson yan eh.”

It was later that night when I realized that those words added more injury to the insult. Ahahahaha!

Anyway, going back to the story. I asked Val to wait since we have to go to Yellow Coco and check out the rooms. When we came back, he was gone, and he left the money to Gen. I asked Gen if he left the SDE and wedding video, Gen said she did not receive any DVD from Val. So I took the money, and texted Val to ask where they are so I can give the agreed payment (Php25k). At around 10pm, he texted back and said they were already in Manila.

Part 2.

Monday after the wedding, November 8th. I texted Val and asked if we can get the SDE and wedding entrance DVD in exchange for the Php25k payment. He claimed that he will not give the DVD’s unless we pay the full amount. Because I lack trust in him, I refused to pay him without getting anything in return, so I said that I can wait for the SDE and I will only pay him the full amount if he will give the full set of video coverage. That’s only fair trade, right? So he agreed to give all the DVD’s in exchange for the full payment. We met next Wednesday, November 10th, and we handed him the full amount. We gave three DVD’s: (1) DVD containing the pre-nup photos (should have been called post-nup photos), (2) copies of the SDE, AVP and 30-minute highlights, all combined in a DVD with menu. I asked for the full coverage video because the contract stipulates that we will get the full wedding coverage.

He said that all the wedding coverage files are over 80Gb in size so we have to give him an external drive to copy all those files. He even showed us the files in a directory, and they look like a bunch of 20-second videos. So we said yes to his stupid idea, not realizing that we were, once again, fooled by this scammer to think that he does not have to put all those files together because we can do it for him. Realizing this mistake, I texted him and asked him if he can combine all those mini-videos into one film that we can watch. He agreed and said that he will give it to us, including the wedding entrance video.

Then two weeks of texting and calling him followed, to which I have not received a response. I even remembered call his number more than ten times without getting an answer, not even a text back. I kept on asking when we will get the remaining sets of DVD’s but he refused to reply to our texts. It was then when we talked to our auntie who is a lawyer to help us with our trouble with Val. Yes, this is already so serious that a lawyer is already involved.

Part 3.

November 22nd, Val called Marc and said that he is ready to turn over the remaining items, I guessed that auntie must have contacted him and asked him to give the videos. The funny thing is he mentioned that he will only meet with Marc, and not me. I wondered why? Maybe he does not want to deal with me anymore because I kept nagging him about the DVD’s? Or maybe something else. I don’t care. So, Marc agreed to meet him on November 26th, the same day that we will be leaving for Malaysia for our honeymoon. Marc said that he will meet Val at 10am. Unfortunately, Marc had to be with his parents so he was not able to meet Val. Again, the delinquent Val texted Marc at around 1pm, the same day, asking him “when and where” to meet. Marc was not able to text back because we were already on our way to the airport. Why did he text at 1pm when he should be texting before 10am if he is serious to meet with Marc?

Part 4.

December 4th. We texted Val to follow up on the long delayed delivery of the DVD’s. He replied (we were using Marc’s phone) that he will send it thru LBC because he is already too busy to meet us. I replied back, sarcastically saying “Sorry at naaabala ka naming mga nagbayad mong kliyente.” No replies followed. He should have gathered his nerves to meet us personally so he can at least try to redeem himself by explaining the cause of the delays, but no. He chose to remain hidden, like a scammer does.

Part 5.

After talking to our lawyer auntie again, we agreed to send a demand letter to Val’s home address through her, this was December 6th. I mentioned to Marc that this cannot go on any further and if we need to file a lawsuit against Val, I am willing to do so because I refuse to let someone get away with something like this. December 11th, we received an LBC package from a certain Tony Montanilla. Too bad, we have to proceed with our lawsuit because the first DVD is corrupted, and the package does not contain the wedding entrance video. I also made a quick run through of the DVD’s and found out that he took the RAW coverage literally, I can hear him barking orders from the background, and we were supposed to hear that while we are watching. I don’t think he even took time to mute the unwanted background sounds.

To be continued…..

Heart Ratings

Creativity: (2/10)

Service (Pre-Nup Shoot): (5/10)

Service (Wedding Coverage): (2/10)

Product (Pre-Nup Photos): (2/10)

Product (Same Day Edit): (2/10)

Product (Childhood AVP): (7/10)

Product (Wedding Highlights): (3/10)

Product (Guestbook): (8/10)

Product (Photo Gallery): (1/10)

Bang for the Buck: (5/10)

Overall Satisfaction: (1/10)

Rai and Marc’s recommendation: The stress is not worth the discounts you get. If it’s too good to be true, then it is. We do not recommend Val Bunao to any bride who wants a stress-free deal with vendors.