17th Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

It's now the time for the most anticipated weekend of everything that flies. Now on it's 17th edition, the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta will be held from February 9-12, 2012 at the Clark Freeport Zone (formerly Clark Air Force Base) in Angeles City, Pampanga.

Since we were not able to join the event last year, me and Hunny will surely go up north and watch some balloons fly this year.

Below is the schedule of activities for this one-of-a-kind festival of sorts that will surely attract not only aviation enthusiasts but also the whole family.

2012 PHILIPPINE INTERNATIONAL HOT AIR BALLOON FIESTA
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
Feb 9 Thursday	First Fiesta Day
5.00-5.45 am	Philippine Flag jump
5:50-6:00am	PAF High Speed Opener and SF260 Fly By
5.45-7.00 am	Hot Air Balloon flight
5.45-7.30 am	RP / Malaysian / Spain/Australia Paragliding Exhibition
7.30-8.30 am	ACFC Ultralight / Microlight Aircraft Formation Flights and Flour Bombing
8.30-9.00 am	Meynard Halili Aerobatic Show
9.00-9.30 am	AFP/PNP/Brunei/Malaysia Sky Diving Exhibition
9.30-9:45 am	Radio-controlled model aircraft demonstration
10.00-11.30 am	AOPA-P Light aircraft balloon bursting competition
11.30-12.00 nn	KAP / KTP Kite Flying Exhibition
12.00-12.30 pm	Airlink / WCC / Omni /Aviators/ Alpha flyby
12.30-1.00 pm	Radio-Controlled Model Aircraft Demo
1.00-1.30 pm	Skydiving and Tandem jumping Exhibition
1.30-2.00 pm	Ultralight Flour bombing demonstration
2.00-3.00 pm	AOPA-P Light aircraft balloon bursting competition
3.00-3.30 pm	FEATI/PHILSCA Rocketry Demonstration
4:00-4:30 pm	Philippine Air Force Silent Drill and SPOW Bomb Sniffing Dog Exhibition
3.30-4.00 pm	ACFC Ultralight/Microlight aircraft formation flights
4.30-5.00 pm	Meynard Halili Aerobatic Show
5.00-5.30 pm	RP / Malaysian / Spain/Australia Paragliding exhibition
5.30-6.00 pm	Hot Air Balloon Fly-In
Feb 10 Friday	Second Fiesta Day
5.00-5.45 am	Philippine Flag jump
5.45-7.00 am	Hot Air Balloon Flights
7.00-7.30 am	RP / Malaysian / Spain/Australia Paragliding Exhibition
7.30-8.00 am	ACFC Ultralight/Microlight Aircraft Formation Flights and Flour Bombing
8:30-9.00 am	Meynard Halili Aerobatic Show
9.00-9.30 am	Sky diving exhibition
9.30-10.00 am	Radio-Controlled Model Aircraft Demonstration
10.00-11.00 am	AOPA- P Light Aircraft Balloon Bursting Competition
11.00-11.30 am	KAP / KTP Kite flying exhibition
11.30-12.00 nn	WCC / Aviatours / Omni / Aviators/ Alpha/Leading Edge / flyby
12.00-1.00pm	German aerobatic glider flight
1.00-1:30 pm	Skydiving exhibition
1.30-2:00 pm	Jet Turbine Radio-controlled modeller demos
2.00-3.00 am	AOPA- P Light Aircraft Balloon Bursting Competition
3.00-3.30 pm	Car Drifting Display
3.30-4.00pm	FEATI/Philsca Rocketry demonstration
4.00-4.30 pm	ACFC Ultralight/Microlight Aircraft Formation Flights
4.30-5.00pm	Meynard Halili Aerobatic Show
5.00-5.30 pm	RP / Malaysian / Spain/Australia Paragliding Exhibition
5.30-6.00 pm	Hot Air Balloon Fly-In
Feb 11 Saturday	Third Fiesta Day
5.00-5.45 am	Philippine Flag jump
5.45-7.00 am	Hot Air Balloon Flights
7.00-7.30 am	RP / Malaysian / Spain/Australia Paragliding Exhibition
7.30-8.00 am	ACFC Ultralight/Microlight aircraft formation flights and flour bombing
8.00-8.30 am	Tandem Skydiving exhibition
8.30-9.00 am	Turbine RC flying display
9.00-9.45 am	Meynard Halili Aerobatic Show
9.45-10.30 am	Helicopter flight display
10.30-11.00 am	Philippine Coast Guard Rescue Demonstration
11.00-12.00 am	PT13 Stearman / AOPA-P Flyby
12.00-12.30 pm	WCC / Aviatour / Omni / PPA / CIA / Orient / flyby
12.30-1.00 pm	Radio-Controlled model aircraft demonstration
1.00-1.30 pm	Winch-launched German aerobatic glider flight
1.30-2.00 pm	KAP / KTP Kite Flying Demonstration
2.00-2.45 pm	AOPA-P Light aircraft balloon bursting competition
2.45-3.15 pm	Skydiving Exhibition
3.15-3.45 pm	CIAC Fire-fighting demonstration
3.45-4.30 pm	Meynard Halili Aerobatic Show
4.00-4.30 pm	ACFC Ultralight / Microlight aircraft formation flights
4.30-5.00 pm	FEATI/Philsca Rocketry Demonstration
5.00-5.30 pm	RP/Malaysian/Spain/ Australia Paragliding Exhibition
5.30-6.00 pm	Hot Air Balloon Night Glow
Feb 12 Sunday	Fourth Fiesta Day
5.20-5.30 am	Philippine Flag jump
5.30-7.00 am	Hot Air Balloon Flight
7.00-7.30 am	RP / Malaysian / Spain/ Australia Paragliding Exhibition
7.30-8.00 am	ACFC Ultralight / Microlight aircraft formation flights and flour bombing
8.00-8.30 am	Tandem Skydiving Exhibition
8.30-9.15 am	Meynard Halili / Aerobatic Show
9.15-10.00 am	Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue Demo
10.00-11.00 am	Wings Over Asia / AOPA – P Light Aircraft Balloon Bursting Competition
11.00-12.00 nn	CIAC Fire-Fighting Demonstration
12.00-12.30 nn	Radio-Controlled Model Aircraft Demonstration
12.30-1.00 pm	Car Drifting demonstration
1.00-1.30 pm	PT13/ WCC / Aviatour / Omni / Leading Edge/ Airlink flyby
1.30-2.30 pm	KAP / KTP Flying Exhibition
3:00-3:30pm	AFP / Civilian Skydiving Exhibition
3.30-4.00 pm	ACFC Ultralight / Microlight aircraft formation flights
4.00-4.15 pm	PT13 Stearman fly by
4.15-5.00 pm	Meynard Halili aerobatic Show
5.00-5.30 pm	RP / Malaysian / Spain/Australian Paragliding Exhibition
5:30- 7:30 pm	Hot Air Balloon Night Glow And Fireworks

*Credits to the the official website for the pictures and schedule of activities you may visit http://www.philballoonfest.net for more details.

It's more fun in the Philippines

In its effort to further boost tourism here in the Philippines, the Department of Tourism (DOT) released today their much anticipated new logo and tagline, which for all we know will replace the catchy "WOW Philippines".

While pundits pointed out the similarity with that of Switzerland in 1951, however, I am giving my all-out support to the DOT this time. As explained by DOT Secretary Jimenez, the tagline is based on the thought that the Filipinos are the happiest people on Earth in spite of all the tragedies and hardships that come and go.

Maybe to cast all doubts aside, we will just have to prove to the world that we are #1 for fun. "It really is more fun in the Philippines".

Pinoy Big Brother House

The Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) is the Philippine adaptation of the reality TV show Big Brother, wherein contestant (called housemates) are required to live together in a house for at least 100 days without any news of the world outside Big Brother's House, unless of course, Big Brother himself provides such news.

Pinoy ako Pinoy....ipakita sa mundo...

The first Pinoy edition started in 2005, of course, it became an instant hit to telenovela crazed Filipinos.

While we usually pass by Big Brother's House since we live near the area, we really never dared to take the opportunity to take pictures in front of perhaps the most famous house in the entire Philippines. It actually is an attraction in itself.

So when our niece Chinggay showed eagerness upon seeing Big Brother's House, me and Hunny decided to finally go with the flow. I bet, more of our relatives and friends would ask us to have their pictures taken in front of Big Brother's House once they see our pictures.