Fond Duty Free Shopping Memories With My OFW Dad in the ‘90’s

One of the things I fondly remember as a kid was the thrill of going to the NAIA airport and waiting to be reunited with my dad returning home from working abroad. It was also exciting because one of the benefits we were looking forward to was shopping privileges at the Duty Free Outlets. In the 90's, the biggest Duty Free store was located just across NAIA 1 along Ninoy Aquino Road (connecting Sucat Road). It was called Fiesta Shopping Center.

Sometimes we would come here the day after my dad arrived from the airport. If he's not too tired, we sometimes head straight to the Fiesta Shopping Center for Duty-Free shopping, which is conveniently located just minutes away from the airport.

This mall was exciting because it sold only imported brands. Items such as liquor, perfumes and cosmetics, fashion accessories and apparel, electronics, sporting goods, chocolates, confectioneries, home furnishings, housewares, and grocery items were on display. My favorite sections were the toy section and grocery section, where we would buy our favorite chocolates and snacks. It was also a unique experience to see every item priced in US dollars. We expected the duty- and tax-free items to be significantly less expensive than purchasing them elsewhere. Those times, though, I just had to worry about placing what I wanted to buy in our shopping cart, more than the price tag.

The new Duty Free Philippines Fiesta Shopping Center. The old location is now Gold City condos.

1997, Fiesta Shopping Center relocated to a larger location just across the street, where it remains today. The shopping experience became bigger too, with more items on display (and more things to buy).

Every time I get a chance to pass Duty Free along Sucat Road, I remember these fond memories.

Wendys Dona Soledad is Finally Open!

After the long, suspenseful wait, Wendy's Dona Soledad is now open!

Hooray for us who live in Barangay Don Bosco, Sun Valley and Moonwalk! Tara! Let's go mga kapitbahay!

Wang Fu is Now Open at SM Bicutan

We spotted just before we left Dona Soledad last Sunday that Wangfu was open already. It's one of the restos we've been waiting to open at SM Bicutan. It's the second full restaurant that opened on Building C (first one was Old Town). We immediately planned to visit and try it out. 

Wang Fu Chinese Bistro has a number of branches across the metro. They offer a fushion of Chinese, Malay and Singaporean dishes. What struck me the first time we went was the interior of the resto. It reminded me so much of the food street at Changi Airport. It felt like we were transported to Singapore (especially with the ceiling fans!). 

The menu provided a huge variety to choose from. You can either go for ala carte meals that can be shared, bento meals, or rice meals. The menu reminded me a lot about the offerings at Singapore's Food Republic and a bit of Kim Gary*. Beverage options were also much like what they offer in Singapore and Malaysia. 

We were hungry when we went, so we each ordered a bento meals. I had the sweet & sour pork with lychee. I know I used to have it a lot in Singapore, but can't remember where I used to order it (maybe Kim Gary?). Jay had the black pepper beef which is one of the dishes he frequently ate while we lived in Singapore. Miggy got the salted egg chicken and he said he felt nostalgic after eating it. 

I wanted to try their HK milk tea, but the staff said it was phased out already (boo!). We all ended up having Nanyang white coffee (hot and cold). It was good. I'm just really sad they didn't have milk tea anymore. It would have matched the food perfectly. 

We went on a weekday and it was way past lunch. We immediately found seats, but the resto was busy even at odd hours. The staff were very nice and efficient, so we'll definitely visit again soon.  

*Kim Gary - a resto in Vivo City in Singapore we used to frequent. It unfortunately closed during the pandemic.

**After some research I found out the owner of Wang Fu is Richard Yap. Of course, I'm happy to support a fellow La Sallian :)

Free Mass Micro-chipping of Dogs and Cats in Paranaque

The Paranaque City Veterinary Services Office has announced the schedule for free micro-chipping for dogs and cats of Paranaque residents. You will need to show proof of residency to avail of the service.

Below is the schedule:

September 27 - Robinson’s Townville, BF 

September 28 - Ayala Malls, Manila Bay 

September 30 - “Yours in Public Service” Caravan in San Isidro (venue to be announced) 

October 2 - “Yours in Public Service” Caravan in Sampaloc Site, BF 

October 4 - Pet Blessing and Microchipping at Goodwill 2 

October 6 - Pet Blessing and Microchipping at Merville Park 

Oct 12/13 (date to be finalized) - Paw-ctober Pets-tival of Barangay BF 

The Veterinary Services Office will also announce the list of partner microchip private vet clinic stations. 

For more information, please follow or call the Paranaque City Veterinary Services Office:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/paranaqueveterinaryservicesoffice

Email: paranaque.vso@gmail.com

Landline: 02-88130813

Paranaque, No Classes on September 3, 2024

No classes in all levels in both public and private schools once again on September 3, 2024, Tuesday due to inclement weather. Local government offices are also closed except for those related to basic social services and emergency response. See list of local government offices that will be open below:

Paranaque, No Classes on September 2, 2024

No classes in all levels for both public and private schools in Paranaque City as announced by the Paranaque City Information Office.

Keep safe and stay dry everyone!

Old Town (White Coffee) Now Open at SM Bicutan!

We heard from a friend that "Old Town" is now open at SM Bicutan. Old Town (White Coffee) was one of the cafes we frequented in Singapore and Malaysia. We usually went to the branch in Kallang Mall (just beside the stadium). In Malaysia, I would usually hang out at the KLIA branch while waiting for my flight. I usually also got a box or two of their coffee and milk tea. Eventually though it was available in groceries, getting the beverage at the store was still much better. 

Anyway, we visited the branch at SM Bicutan. The crew said it was just their 4th day of soft opening. It was quite obvious since service took a long time and the shop still smelled very new (a.k.a. construction fumes). We were excited though and ordered some breakfast food. We certainly missed the peanut butter on steamed buns and the soft boiled egg. They serve light soy sauce though, but you can request for dark soy sauce which they will indulge. 

I'm happy they have an extensive menu for this branch. Here's a glimpse of their menu:

They said they will soon be available on Grab/FoodPanda. We hope they'll also eventually sell their beverage packets (good for rainy days when you can't go out!).