How to find recommended hotels in Batam

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Batam is one of the largest cities in Indonesia and is a great tourist place. If you love sun, sand and sea, you would thoroughly enjoy your time at Batam. It is a busy island despite being small in size with about a million residents. There are also some exotic resorts at the island city where tourists stay and enjoy. If you are planning to visit Batam but cannot afford to stay in one of the exquisite resorts, you can always check out recommended hotels in Batam.



If you have no prior experience selecting a hotel, read some helpful tips below. There are a few important factors that you must consider before you decide to stay in any hotel.

1. Location – The first and most important factor is the location of a hotel. If you are visiting Batam as a tourist to check out the city life, you should choose to stay in a hotel that is near important tourist destinations. If you are looking to save some money staying in a distant hotel, you would end up paying the same money or a little extra on transportation costs.

2. Amenities – As there are several hotels in Batam, their amenities are not the same. Hotels differ in offering amenities to their guests and visitors. You should check out the list of amenities before you book your hotel room to ensure you have the best hotel experience.

3. Read Reviews – It is necessary to read reviews and testimonials written by previous guests to know about the hospitality and service quality of the hotel. The best thing about reviews and testimonials is that they give you an insight of the hotel which will greatly help you make the prudent decision.



When you have considered the important factors, you can stay in one of the recommended hotels in Batam.

#DutertePalpak: Lockdown in the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The only anniversary not worth celebrating. 1 year lockdown? Tapos wala pa ring usad? Our biggest problem during this pandemic was not the virus, but the government. 

Let me reiterate "The biggest problem during the pandemic is not the virus, but the government."

One year later with more than 600,000 caes and 5,000 new covid cases reported in A DAY.

We clamored for mass testing as early as March 2020 (it should have been earlier, anyare!? 

Endless lockdowns, late closing of borders, parties by high-ranking officials, compassion afforded to the rich and mighty but not to the working class, exploited HCWs... i could go on and on.

365 days quarantined.

No mass testing,

no research-based solutions,

no hazard pay for health workers,

no clear vaccination program,

but billions of dollars in debt.

Anyare?

Sad that we have to suffer and endure this much bc of the government's poor pandemic response.

What's even more frustrating is the fact that some people still applaud du/ter/te's leadership. 

So when he said change is coming, did he mean...this?

Ngayon lang ba natin narealize??????  There's 15b still missing, the country is in economic shambles, activists and journalists are being killed and incarcarated, and it's been almost a whole 365 days since the lockdown started. 

The government distributed Sinovac vaccines to our HCWs despite the lack of data on phase III clinical trials on efficacy and safety and peer-reviewed articles.

Other countries are now slowly reviving their economy. But in PH, we are now studying granular lockdowns because of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases.

We never flattened the curve.

Our vaccine roll-out is so insufficient and inefficient.

Government’s COVID-19 response is a failure.

Duterte’s leadership is undeniably a failure.

His incompetence and misplaced priorities is literally killing us.

Never again!

If you’re turning 18 before May 9, 2022, PLEASE visit and register to the nearest comelec so that you could vote for the betterment of our future. let’s not allow someone to ruin the future they’ll never get to experience. registration ends on September 30, 2021.

Elections matter. It's amazing what can happen when we elect people with political experience & empathy instead of social media trolls.

#DutertePalpak #IsangTaonNa #KwentongQuarantine

#WomenMakeChange: Inspiring Story of a former 4Ps Beneficiary

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Filled with passion, a Social Worker from Brooke’s Point, Palawan has proven that the virus cannot stop a heart who has committed to serve. Instead, it further ignited her desire to give back to her community. With a brave heart, she has continued serving the people even in the midst of the pandemic.

Marecar Gayamo works as a Municipal Link (Project Development Officer II) at the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Municipal Operations Office Bataraza, Palawan. After passing the licensure exam for Social Workers in 2015, she decided to join the government service. As a Municipal Link (ML), her tasks include coordination with key partner stakeholders to ensure efficient, relevant, and timely delivery of services for the 800 household beneficiaries in Bataraza. She is also in charge of monitoring the compliance of the households with the conditions set by the program. Moreover, as an ML, Marecar shall also ensure that proper interventions are given to the households to improve their well-being.

When the pandemic came, Marecar felt the need that she must go beyond what is required from her duty as an ML. “Ang dami pong nawalan ng trabaho. Lalo na sa mga benepisyaryo po natin. Madami po ang nangangamba kung paano na sila. Sinimulan ko po ang pagkilos, sumunod po sila. Kahit natatakot, kailangan kumilos”. For the 40-year old Social Worker, helping the beneficiaries of the program is more than a job she needs to perform every day. With or without the pandemic, Marecar is determined to continue what she has started as she wants to give back to her community.

A test of courage and determination

Marecar was 20 years old when she married Oliver. Since both of them were not able to finish school, it was hard to look for a stable job that will be enough to financially support their four children. Her husband works as a commission-based tricycle driver. From the Php 8.00 fair for every passenger, Oliver needs to pay a fixed Php 350.00 daily boundary (rent) for using the vehicle. “Minsan Php 50.00 na lang po ang naiuuwi niya”.

The mother of four clearly recalls how hard it was for them. There were times that only rice topped with soy sauce and cooking oil were served on their table. “Hindi ko po lubos maisip kung paano namin nairaraos noon. Man-Toy nga ang favorite ng mga anak ko. Mantika at toyo. Saka tubig at asin na ulam”, jokingly said by Marecar.

Until in 2011, the family of Marecar became a beneficiary of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Aside from the conditional cash grants, the program provides different activities and interventions to the beneficiaries. “Noong benepisyaryo pa po kami, may mga pagkakataon na pinaghihinaan ako [ng loob]. Pero kapag umattend po ako ng FDS, nagpapalakas sakin [ito]. Kahit sa asawa ko po malaking tulong ang bawat topic. Napakahalaga ng FDS.” According to her, the Family Development Sessions (FDS) has greatly stirred what her heart desires — finish school, and be like the ML who handles them. “Sa kaka-FDS ko po, halos mga topic e women empowerment. Kaysa magmukmok at intindihin ko ang problema, kailangang kumilos.” She realized that instead of waiting for an opportunity to come, she must create a door to possibilities.

Paving the way towards a better life

Marecar firmly believes that education can change the fate of her family. Thus even if unsure of how they can financially support her education, she pursued college. “13 years ako nahinto sa pag-aaral [at] 30 years old na po ako nag-aral ng college. Noong nagkapera po, pinambayad ko po agad sa tuition. Nag-enroll ako sa BS Social Work.” However, the couple knows that they must not rely on what they receive from the program.

Marecar and her husband have doubled their efforts to further support what their family needs. “Nakiki-boundary po ang asawa ko. Alas-tres [ng umaga] umaalis na po s’ya, tapos ala onse na umuuwi [ng gabi]. Naglalabada naman po ako sa classmate ko kapag walang klase. Kahit naka-uniform po ako. [‘Yung] mga project at contribution sa school minsan sinasagot na ng kaklase ko. Utusan ng mga lakad-lakad. Pasa-buy.”

According to her, it was hard to keep up with her dreams. But Marecar is determined to finish school. Until in 2015, she finished her Bachelor of Science in Social Work and passed the licensure exam the same year. “Napatunayan ko po na ang pag-aaral ay hindi binabase sa edad ng tao. Kahit 35 na po ako grumaduate…kung may pangarap ka, kikilos ka.”

For Marecar, the ‘man-toy’ is a reminder that she must continue dreaming for her family. She said that, now, the word ‘man’ in ‘man-toy’ no longer means ‘mantika’ (cooking oil), it means being a super wo-man — determined to succeed despite limited resources. On the other hand, ‘toy’ that stands for toyo (soy sauce) symbolizes a person who stays to-ugh in the midst of life battles and keeps up with her dreams. She believes that one must stay grounded and if you want to succeed, you must believe in y-ourself and work extra miles to reach your dreams. Because dreaming is for all — no age, no gender, and no race.

As of this moment, Marecar supports her younger sister’s education who is now in her final year in college, taking up a Bachelor of Science in Education. She also volunteers in church every Saturday and does charity work during her free time.



Captions:

Photo 1: Marecar finished Bachelor of Science in Social Work at the age of 35.
Photo 2: Marecar performs her usual day-to-day tasks as a Municipal Link of Bataraza, Palawan and ensures that proper interventions were given to the 4Ps beneficiaries.
Photo 3: With the support from her husband and four children, Marecar is determined to succeed in life despite the challenges along her way.
Photo 4: ‘Man-Toy’ remains a reminder to Marecar that challenges may come along her way but with her determination, nothing will stop her heart in achieving her dreams for her family.