Launch of Duchess Fine Teas (Pasay City, Metro Manila)

 

Launch of Duchess Fine Teas

Ms. Dee Ledonio, an entrepreneur who dreams big and always goes out of her way to fulfill a dream (with a Masters in Entrepreneurship at the Asian Institute of Management, she embarked on her first business venture at age 21), has added another feather in her cap of full-pledged businesses.  

 

Ms. Dee Ledonio

Already the owner/CEO of CEI Cargo, she is now in a mission to redefine tea culture, opening Duchess Fine Teas last March 27, coinciding with the opening of the World Food Expo (WOFEX) 2025 at the World Trade Center.

 

The handpicked, carefully curated selection of authentic, high-quality teas

Captivated by the aroma, packaging and artistry of a beautifully curated gift set of fine, loose-leaf teas from India she received last Christmas 2024, it sparked a lingering question, “Why is it that, in the Philippines, our tea selection is so limited.” Dee knew it was time to introduce Filipinos to the true art of tea drinking.

 

Savis (Indonesia) Tea Collection

According to Dee, “Tea is more than just a drink – its an experience, a ritual and a connection to cultures around the world. At Duchess Fine Teas, we are passionate about sourcing only the best, ensuring that every sip tells a story.”

 

The Tea Shelf (India) Tea Collection

Aiming to bring the world’s finest teas to homes, hotels, cafes and restaurants around the country, the brand introduces a luxurious yet accessible tea experience featuring a handpicked, carefully curated selection of authentic, high-quality teas. Each tea tells a story and each blend carried the heritage of its origins.

 

Monteaco (Thailand) Tea Collection

A natural, wellness-driven alternative to coffee and sugary drinks, tea, with its centuries-old reputation for healing, relaxation and sophistication, was ready to take its rightful place in the growing health-conscious community in the Philippines.

 

Tea Aroma Wheel

Their branded collection was sourced from the lush tea gardens of India (San cha, Tea Shelf, Dancing Leaf, Goodwyn, Hillcarts, Tea Trunk), the birthplace of some of the world’s most celebrated teas, and Sri Lanka, to the artisanal blends of China (Duchess Fine Teas – own label), Indonesia (Savis), Japan (Ikkyu), South Korea (Nokchawon), Taiwan (JSY) and Thailand (Monteaco).

 

Tea Collection - Monteaco (Thailand), Duchess Fine Teas (China), San Cha (India) and Savis (Indonesia)

The brand, launched through sales channels, online, retail, pop-ups, and partnership with hotels and restaurants, offers both loose-leaf and bagged premium teas, catering to tea enthusiasts and businesses alike, as well as exclusive tea accessories, luxury packaging and educational tea workshops to elevate the tea experience.

 

San Cha Tea Collection (Blush, Bloom, Palace and Splendour)

Duchess Fine Teas: E-mail: dee@duchessfineteas.com.  Website: www.duchessfineteas.com.  Mobile number: (0917) 508-5672.

Resort Review: The Zen Villas Resort (Lipa City, Batangas)

 Date of Stay: February 25 to 26, 2025

 

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: ******

Rooms: *******

Condition and Cleanliness: ********

Staff Performance: ********

Room Comfort: *******

Food and Beverage: *******

Other Amenities: *******

Value for Money: *******

 

The Zen Villas Resort

This Bali-inspired, DOT-accredited and pet-friendly nature haven, formerly the Rose Villas Resort, is centered around an outdoor swimming pool and a garden surrounded by an assortment of leisure amenities. 

The resort entrance

It features A-frame cabins and luxurious private villas with spacious rooms, all with modern amenities such as Smart flat screen TVs, coffee and tea making facility, mini ref and safety deposit boxes. Free wifi (25 mbps) is available.

 

Premier Cabin Suite

Premier Cabin Suite interior

Premier Cabin Suite bathroom

We stayed in two of the three elegant, airconditioned A-frame Cabin Premier Villas facing the garden and swimming pools.  Each had a queen-sized bed (with trundle bed underneath and a private terrace.  The private bathroom has a rainshower head, bidet and free toiletries.

 

Family Suite

Cabin Deluxe

There are also other accommodation options.   The similarly A-frame Cabin Deluxe and Premier Room have shared bathrooms.  

Deluxe Room

Deluxe Room interior

Deluxe Room bathroom

The spacious 21 sq. m. Deluxe Room has one king sized bed and sleeps two.  The 23 sq. m. Family Suite (1 queen bed and 3 full beds) accommodates up to the 8 guests while the 25 sq. m. 2-Bedroom Suite (1 king bed, 1 queen bed and 2 full beds) can accommodate up to 10 guests.

 

Swimming pool

Sun loungers and seating area by the pool

Outdoor patio furniture

The well-maintained, rectangular swimming pools (adult and kiddie) have sun loungers and sitting areas.  Around it are a number of covered gazebos with additional seating.  

Roots Farm to Fork Restaurant

Pork sisig

Chicken burger

Its onsite Roots Farm to Fork Restaurant, offering a beautifully presented, a la carte menu of Filipino and international cuisine, serves fresh, locally sourced ingredients from Batangas. 

 

Gazebo

Gazebo

It also offers daily housekeeping, free parking and limited room service.  The resort is a little bit off the beaten path as it is located 3.8 kms. from Plaza Independencia, 3.9 kms. from San Sebastian Cathedral, 4 kms. from Claro M. Recto Park, 4.4 kms. from The Farm at San Benito, 5.6 kms. (a 20-min. drive) from SM City Lipa and 8.9 kms. (a 25-min. drive) from Club Malarayat Golf and Country Club.

 

The resort's Reception Area

Overall, we had a pleasant and very relaxing overnight staycation at the resort. The Cabin Premier Villas we stayed in was very nice.  However, with the trundle bed out (we were three in the room), it was very difficult getting around to the bathroom.  Will try the more spacious Deluxe Room next time.

 

Fountain

Bridge

The staff was very friendly and accommodating.  The restaurant offerings were very tasty, the servings were generous and the prices were reasonable.  The high-speed wifi was consistent and good.  The garden was very nice but, as with most places with lots of plants, mosquitos are ever present and there’s no helping that. 

 

L-R:Jandy, the author, Grace, Beth Espinosa and Reden Espinosa

The Zen Villas Resort: Purok 6B, Brgy. San Jose, Lipa City, Batangas. Tel: (04) 773-3149.  Mobile number: (0956) 736-0719.  E-mail: zenvillasresortph@gmail.com. Website: www.thezenvillasresort.com.

MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy Second Commencement Exercise (Dasmariñas City, Cavite)

MMMA's second commencement ceremony

 

Last February 18, MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy, in Dasmariñas City, Cavite, a merchant marine academy jointly operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Magsaysay Maritime Academy, Inc., held their commencement exercises celebrating the achievements of MMMA’s second graduating class of 282 students (134 deck cadets and 148 engine cadets) who completed the entire curriculum, including shipboard training. About half of the graduates will work on board MOL Group-operated vessels as third officers and third engineers after obtaining their maritime licenses, working their way up to captain and chief engineer.  The other half will serve on ships from principals of Magsaysay.

MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy

Senator Manny Pacquiao congratulating one of the graduates

The second class and some of the inaugural class of students attend. Excluding those who were on board due to schedules, a total of 63 from the second class and 66 from the inaugural class (who were unable to attend last year’s graduation for the same reason) attended the ceremony.

 

MOL Executive Vice-President Mr. Toshiaki Tanaka

President and CEO of A. Magsaysay, Inc. Ms. Doris Magsaysay-Ho

About 530 people were on hand, including members of local and Japanese media and special guests, former senator and boxer Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao and Japanese ambassador to the Philippines Mr. Endo Kasuya as well as Ms. Doris Magsaysay-Ho, president and CEO of A. Magsaysay, Inc., MMC’s shareholding company, and Mr. Toshiaki Tanaka, MOL Executive Vice-President.

 

Press conference - L-R: Mr. Mitsuhisa Tanimoto, Mr. Toshiaki Tanaka, Mr. Michael C. Morales, Ms. Doris Magsaysay-Ho and Mr. Martin Rono.

In his congratulatory address, Mr. Tanaka told the graduates to “Make the most of the knowledge and experience you have gained while in the academy and play an active role in the vessel’s safety operation.” He added, “By pursuing safe operations, I hope you will protect the lives of people around the world as the topmost priority and also ensure the safety of cargo, and the environment, and contribute to global development.”

 

Cadet interview -L-R: Mr. Clifford Quisto, Ms. Alissa Jean Evasco,
Ms. Shaina Moriones and Mr. Jeramil Dela Cruz

MOL, headquartered in Tokyo, is a leading shipping company with the world’s second-largest fleet of about 900 vessels (including dry bulkers, LNG carriers, car carriers, container ships, and tankers) and the largest LNG fleet globally. It is developing various social infrastructure businesses, technologies, and services centered on marine transport to meet the ever-changing needs of society, such as environmental protection.  In addition to the traditional shipping business, it is also developing to the graduation social infrastructure businesses such as container terminals, logistics, and offshore wind power, as well as well-being life businesses such as real property, cruises, and ferries. 

 

MV Spirit of MMMA

MOL has been serving marine transport to the Philippines since it opened a Japan-Philippines route in 1928. At the time, MOL transported passengers and cargo, but now it specializes in cargo and is involved in a wide range of Philippine imports and exports, including container transport, automobile transport, bulk cargo, and chemical tankers. MOL is proud to be an indispensable presence in Philippine trade. 

ME-C Engine Area

Meantime, excellent seafarers are essential to the operation of the vessels that transport these goods. Approximately two-thirds of the seafarers on MOL vessels are Filipinos nationals. As such, Filipino seafarers and their home country, the Philippines, are indispensable to MOL’s business operations. 

 

Auditorium

Classroom

For this reason, MOL operates a maritime academy, named ‘MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy’ (MMMA) in Cavite to train younger Filipino cadets for future’s professional seafarers, and operates training centers for the seafarers to upgrade their skills for higher ranks.

 

Lifeboat and Davit Area

MMMA, sitting on a 13.7-hectare campus inaugurated on September 12, 2018, was built with state-of-the-art facilities.  It offers Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT), leading to a profession as a Marine Deck Officer to Master, and Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering (BSMarE), leading to a profession as a Marine Engineer to a Chief Engineer.  

Full Mission Bridge Simulator Room

It prepares cadets for their professional careers in the maritime industry. In this way, both MOL and the Philippines are very important stakeholders. A premier maritime higher education institution in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region, it produces globally competitive and outstanding maritime professionals through relevant, progressive, and unparalleled education founded on the virtues of excellence, discipline, and service.

 

Mooring and Windlass Deck

After the graduation ceremony and lunch, a press conference was held with Mr. Tanaka, Mr. Mitsuhisa Tanimoto (MOL Chief Safety & Quality Officer and Director-General, Headquarters of Safety Operations), Dr. Michael C. Morales (President of MMMA), Ms. Doris Magsaysay-Ho and Mr. Marlon Roño.  After the press conference, we also got to interview four of the graduating cadets, Mr. Clifford Quisto, Ms. Alissa Jean Evasco, Ms. Shaina Moriones and Mr. Jeramil Dela Cruz.

 

Diesel Generator Area

Our day was capped by a campus tour (training center) were we visited the five-storey MV Spirit of MMMA, their "ship in campus" (the first in the country), which houses a Lathe Machine Workshop; the ME-C Engine Area (housing a two-stroke electronic engine diesel main engine, MAN BMW); the Lifeboat and Davit Area; the Mooring and Windlass Deck; the Physics Laboratory; the Auditorium; the Welding Workshop; the Engine Control Room and Main Switchboard Laboratory; the Diesel Generator Area; the ECDIS Simulator Room; the Electrical-Electronics Room; the Olympic-size swimming pool, the Chart Room, and the Radar Room.

Olympic-size swimming pool

It also houses a Full Mission Bridge Simulator Room as well as two Ship Handling Simulators which houses Konigsberg full and mini mission bridge simulators that provide students with real-life working environments.  The academy also has a student complex, an academic center and a dormitory.

 

Student dormitory

MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy: Brgy. IV, Carlos Trinidad Avenue, Salitran, Dasmariñas City, Cavite.  Tel: (046) 481-4800. Mobile number: (0917) 809-3278.  E-mail: admission@mmma.edu.ph.

Hotel and Inn Review: PSU Golden Lion Hotel (Lingayen, Pangasinan)

 

Date of Stay: February 14 to 17, 2025

 

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: *******

Rooms: ********

Condition and Cleanliness: ********

Staff Performance: ********

Room Comfort: *******

Food and Beverage: *******

Other Amenities: *******

Value for Money: *******

PSU Golden Lion Hotel

The last time my family and I visited Lingayen was way back in 2018 and now I am back to this historic town with my wife Grace and son Jandy, this time staying at the five-storey PSU Golden Lion Hotel, the only state-of-the art training hotel in the heart of the provincial capital.  

Hotel Lobby furnished with  La-Z-Boy lounge chairs

Front Desk

The grand piano was a nice touch at the lobby

This fairly new hotel, inaugurated last December 2, 2022, not only offers quality hospitality service to local and foreign guests but also serves as a practical laboratory for hospitality students of Pangasinan State University (PSU), allowing them to be more equipped in the fields of both hospitality and tourism management.

 

Twin Deluxe Queen

The very spacious ensuite bathroom

We stayed in a very spacious. airconditioned Twin Deluxe Queen Room (Php3,500), one of 42 well-appointed, non-smoking rooms with electronic key lock, telephone, a 42” Smart flat-screen LED TV, mini ref, work desk, coffee and tea making facility, iron and ironing board, and plenty of closet and drawer space.  It even had a counter where we could conveniently unpack our luggage.  Our equally spacious bathroom had a bidet, hair dryer and complimentary toiletries. 

Executive Suite

Presidential Suite

Living area of Presidential Suite

Their other comfortable and spacious accommodations include the Queen Deluxe Double (Php2,000), Junior Executive (Php3,000), Executive (Php4,000), Suite (Php5,500) and Presidential Suite (Php10,000).  Free high-speed wifi is available throughout the hotel.

 

The brightly-lit and cozy Golden Lion Restaurant by Jowtoo

Beef Salpicao

The hotel has two food and beverage outlets.  The Golden Lion Restaurant by Jowtoo, its fine dining restaurant (open from 7:30 AM to 8:30 PM), can seat 120 patrons.  It offers Filipino and international (pizzas, maki rolls, etc.) cuisine plus expertly brewed coffee and a selection of shakes.  

9 Star Bar and Cafe

9 Star Bar and Cafe

The 9 Star Bar and Café, with a panoramic view of the university campus and Lingayen Gulf, can seat 64 patrons. You can also take your drinks, up a stairs, to the roof deck where you can watch the setting sun.

 

View from bar

The hotel also has four different venues uniquely designed to cater to a wide range of events such as weddings, conferences and corporate events. The 30-pax Ylang-Ylang Hall, a boardroom, can be rented for Php5,000 (3 hours). The 100 to 120-pax Kalachuchi Hall, an event room perfect for intimate gatherings, can be rented for Php10,000 (5 hours).

 

Aseana Hall

The Sunflower Hall, which can comfortably seat 100 to 120 guests, can be rented for Php12,000 (5 hours).  The Aseana Hall, a spacious 250 to 300-pax function hall that can be rented for Php30,000 (5 hours), can be customized, from the layout to the décor and everything in between.  All are equipped with state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems.

 

Third floor lobby

It also has a 24-hour Front Desk, an elevator, luggage storage facility and basement parking.  The hotel, walking distance to the Provincial Capitol Building, Sison Cultural and Heritage Center and Lingayen Beach, is located 1.9 kms. (a 5-min. drive ) from the Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum, 2.2 kms. (a 5-min. drive) from the Cathedral of the Epiphany of Our Lord, 5.3 kms. (a 10-min. drive) from the Church of Our Lady of Purification (Binmaley) and 17 kms. (a 30-min. drive) from Robinson’s Place Dagupan. 

Check out "Provincial Capitol Building," "Church of Our Lady of Purification," "Sison Cultural and Heritage Center," "Cathedral of the Epiphany of Our Lord" and "Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum"

 

Hallway

We had a very pleasant stay at the hotel made more so by hotel General Manager Dr. Jerry L. Ceballos, Jr. (hailing from Batangas, he is also a former dean and a professor of International Hospitality and Tourism Management at PSU) who still gave us a complimentary extra bed for Jandy. The staff, from the Front Desk down to the security guard, were also very friendly and respectful.  The food at the restaurant was also delicious and very affordable.  At the moment they only accept payment by cash or Gcash.

 

L-R: the author, Grace and Jandy

Golden Lion Hotel: Alvear St., Capitol Compound, Poblacion, 2401 Lingayen, Pangasinan.  Tel: (075) 510-3673 and (075) 540-0925.  E-mail: goldenlionhotel@psu.edu.ph. Website: www.goldenlionhotel.psu.edu.ph.