BPI Get Out More

BPI brings back the "Get Out More" promo for the second time. this time a chance to find something Whoa! in Boracay, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea and China through BPI online transactions. i believe banking can't be more exciting than this.

beyond the benefit of 24/7 access online, hassle-free, no queues, and efficient secured online banking transactions, BPI gives that chance for a trip for two with allowance to these exciting destinations. 

all you have to do is to follow these three easy steps:

1. Enroll your existing BPI account to BPI Express Online 24/7. just click here.
2. Start your online/mobile transactions. just click here.
3. Gain more electronic raffle entries. know how to earn more here.

the more transaction, the more chances of getting that Whoa! experience. to make it more exciting, BPI has launched a dedicated Get Out More site, where one can soon share your own Whoa! experience. 

Rewards/Raffle Prizes:
- One trip for two to Boracay, Philippines. includes round trip airfare care of Air Asia, 3days/2nights stay at The Pearl of the Pacific and pocketmoney of P24,700.

(Bill Payment Cut-off: August 31, 2013; Raffle Draw: September 12, 2013)

- One trip for two to Seoul, Korea. includes round trip airfare care of Zest Air, 2nights stay at The MBiz and pocketmoney of P24,700.
(Bill Payment Cut-off: September 30, 2013; Raffle Draw: October 14, 2013)

- One trip for two to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. includes round trip airfare care of Zest Air, 2nights stay at The Ibiz Hotel and pocketmoney of P24,700.
- One trip for two to Shanghai, China. includes round trip airfare care of Zest Air, 2nights stay at The Kai Bojia Hao Hotel and pocketmoney of P24,700.
(Bill Payment Cut-off: October 31, 2013; Raffle Draw: November 12, 2013)

- Three trips for two to Hong Kong, Hong Kong. includes round trip airfare care of Air Asia, 2nights stay at The Regal Oriental Hotel and pocketmoney of P24,700.
(Bill Payment Cut-off: November 30, 2013; Raffle Draw: December 12, 2013)

Travel period for the raffle prizes is January 1, 2014- June 30, 2014. Cash prize (pocket money) will be credited to winner's account number upon awarding of the raffle prizes. 

promo runs from August 1 - November 30, 2013. Check out detailed promo mechanics here. 

Take complete control over your finances and transactions with just few clicks through BPI Express Online. what you can do over a BPI branch can be done online 24/7. 

Targus Sports 26L Backpack - Backpack Review

i got my first Targus TS052 backpack in 2003 which which i'm still using today. Targus has been known for backpacks which are compact and specially designed to store office gadgets while travelling. recently, i got the new Sport 26L laptop backpack. here's a quick look at its features.

[1] a special audio cord on its shoulder strap

usual gadget-friendly backpack would just provide a audio cord inlet on its top portion but with this, Targus included a special cord on its right shoulder strap. this eliminates the cord being tangled. this for me is one of my favorite add-on feature to backpacks. 

[2] a gadget pouch
in line with the special audio cord, this backpack has a gadget pouch. this helps you easily find your gadget and at the same time provides a good support instead of the gadget being anywhere inside the bag. the pouch can hold Apple IPhones, IPod Touch, Samsung Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3 Mini or MP3 players. 

[3] a dedicated tablet compartment
again the usual backpack would include a laptop compartment but the Sports 26L included a dedicated tablet compartment. this minimizes vibration of the tablet and at the same time a more organized way in storing your tablet.

[4] built-in pockets and pouches
the inner compartments holds the larger gadgets while the outer compartment includes small pockets and pouches. here, i would usually place my business cards, camera accessories, and other smaller items. the larger pocket comes with a zipper.

[5] padded back and shoulder strap
with some gadgets and books being heavy, it is important that the back portion is padded to make it comfortable and breathable. equally, the shoulder straps are also padded. this also reduces vibration.

overall a great backpack for organized storage and gadget-friendly features for traveling. the Targus Sport 26L comes in two color variations Black and Gray. 

other features includes:
 - designed to fit 16" laptop
 - two bottle mesh compartments on two sides
 - compartment strap lock
 - key holder on the outer compartment
 - foam top hand grip


for more Targus product updates check and connect with them through:
www.targus.com
https://www.facebook.com/TargusPhilippines
https://twitter.com/TargusPhl

bikeph maarat trail

one of the best thing about adventure in the Philippines is we get a variety of recreational activities no matter the season. the bike trail of Maarat Rizal comes best even over a rainy season. the rough muddy trails, i believe is a great add to this particular trail.

the only requirement for Travel Factor's new offering is just for one to know how to bike. the rest you learn through the orientation provided by Team BIKEPH. the idea was to treat the bike as a partner. thus the importance of knowing the basics of mountain bikes before hitting the trail.

the orientation covers the basics of mountain biking: 

 - familiarizing the bike parts
 - knowing the difference between an ordinary bike and a mountain bike
 - changing gear/crank
 - proper way of mounting and dismounting a bike
 - proper way of stopping and setting down the bike

each participant are the provided the following:
 - mountain bike
 - the head gear
 - mineral water

recommended gears for this activity:
 - trail/bike shoes or sandals
 - shorts (not too loose)
 - arm warmer
 - shades

the trail began with a warm up swift descend along a paved road with lined pine trees. reminded me so much of Don Salvador Benedicto in Negros. not far and we started to hit the rough road with a slow ascend.

it was a sunny day but the day before this rained hard making portions of the trail slippery but good enough to make the trail exciting. with a mountain bike, even on a descend with a right gear setting, one can actually go fast but safety should be kept in mind.

we had several quick stop after each long run and took the right pacing for each trail. cool air and the shaded secluded trails made it refreshing to move at any pace. one stop even offered a buko juice break. 

the great mix of trail types on this route made me love this activity and the province of Rizal. there's just too many to explore. something i'm looking forward as Travel Factor offers more trails soon.

the last part of the trail was this long zigzag road descend to the entrance of Timberland Sports and Nature Club. one can reach to about 60kph over this  Maarat-Timberland trail is a biker's haven as we were on trail with other bikers.   

photo above from: www.facebook.com/bikeph

the Bike Maarat highlights:

 - the great mix of trail types of Maarat-Timberland 

 - the level of the trail is just right. the only requirement is you know how to bike

 - the view that comes along with the bike trail

 - the company of other bikers

on trail with:
cool radio DJs Chloe and Ingrid of Mellow 94.7 had a great time. they gave two thumbs up to Bike Maarat and definitely wanted to do it again. their favorite part of the trail are the downhill swift and the rocky portions of the trail.

check out their regular from Mondays to Fridays 10:00am to 2:00pm. plus the weekly special Travel Factor Thursdays as Cedric Valera joins the tandem for travel stories and discussions from 12:00nn-1:00pm.








BIKEPH is a great add to the long list of active and adventure trips Travel Factor is offering. it offers both urban and adventure bike trails. as month comes more bike trails will be added including Ifugao and soon on the Southern areas.  



upcoming BIKEPH activites:
Aug 10: Bike Nuvali (Sta Rosa, Laguna)
Aug 11: Bike UP (Diliman, QC)
Aug 25: Bike Maarat (San Mateo, Rizal)
Sep 15: Bike Maarat (San Mateo, Rizal)
Oct 5-6: Bike Ifugao (Banaue, Ifugao)



for more updates connect through:
TRAVELFACTOR BIKEPH
FACEBOOK/BIKEPH