Banzai with the SoMoms

I always get excited when there are new restaurants opening in the Mall of Asia complex.  Aside from living near this area, I look forward to the day when I don't need to leave the area and head to Makati or Ortigas to get great meals.  Traffic is getting worse and with the ongoing road reblocking, even weekends are now affected.

I first heard of Banzai early this year from Carina and Jen.  However, I didn't have the chance to drop by to eat because Stan was exceptionally busy during the 1st quarter of the year.  So when Sheryl Laudico, one of the owners, invited the SoMoms on a dining trip to Banzai, there was no way I could refuse!  

Summer Series 2013: HongKong with Kids

The last of my summer series is our unplanned trip to HK.  I consider this unplanned because when I do trips, I buy tickets months and months ahead of schedule (think at least 6 months ahead!).  MIL had a business trip in HK which required the presence of Mr. Ong and his sister (from Singapore).  Since SIL's kids will be on vacation then, she was thinking of bringing them to HK or dropping them off in the Philippines.  Because I wanted to have a last hurrah, I subtly suggested to Mr. Ong to have a last summer vacation/reunion for cousins.  

hello HongKong

ERGO Review: Performance v. Sport

I purchased my Ergo Performance in Brandsfever Singapore before the brand was brought in the Philippines by Richwell Phils, Inc.  However, when Richwell brought Ergo in, they brought in Original, Organic, Designer and Active.  Performance is not locally available.  Basically, the Original, Organic and Designer all have the same features - the difference is just the material used.  In this page, you can find a technical comparison of the Ergo Original (Standard), Performance and Active.

For this review, I will focus on the specific functions or features that we liked or didn't like about each carrier.  I took the measurements of the body of the carrier. There is a minimal difference - the body of the Performance is a little bit bigger than Active.

width

Summer Series 2013: Cebu Discoveries

The 2nd of our back-to-back weddings was in Cebu for my college friend, Kelie.  Kelie sang my wedding march (in Italian!) and gamely rendered more songs during our wedding reception.  So there was no way I was going to miss his wedding!

Since Stan's mom is Manila-based, we usually stay in hotels when we go to Cebu.  Staying in his house would require a thorough general cleaning - too much work for 2-3 nights stay.  Previously we stated at Waterfront Lahug.  However, during our Christmas 2012 stay, we found that the smoke from the casino permeated the entire lobby.  After breakfast at Cafe Uno, our hair and clothes smelled like cigarette smoke.  

Summer Series 2013: Davao Fun

The first of our back to back wedding weekend was in my hometown, Davao City.  Our college friend, Paolo was getting married to his long-time sweetheart Elle.  I first met Elle when Paolo brought her to my house during Stan's pamamanhikan back in 2006.   Initially, I thought about letting just Stan fly to Davao to attend Paolo's wedding.  However, since Paolo accompanied Stan on that 9-hour non-aircon bus ride from Cagayan de Oro to Davao City about 15 years ago when he was still courting me, Stan insisted that we should be present - in full force.  It was also my chance to visit my hometown so I didn't put up a fight ;)

Summer Series 2013: Boracay Adventures

This summer, the family was busy traveling.  We started our summer with a trip to Boracay in March, stayed in Manila for April then headed to Davao and Cebu in May then will be ending with a trip to Hong Kong in June.  I will attempt (operative word: attempt) to write a post about one aspect of our summer travels for this summer series :)

The last time I was in Boracay was almost 10 years ago when I was a fun-loving singleton.  I have stayed in resorts from Stations 1, 2, 3 and beyond (Diniwid) - luxury and budget.  Stan and I had been to Boracay together before but that was when we were more mobile, out to have a good time and party.  This trip is the first for both kids - our first trip as a family.  

Thanks to a friend, we were able to get discounted vouchers to Shangri-La's Boracay Resort.  Since the vouchers were good only for 2 nights, we booked 2 more nights at a family-friendly resort in Station 1 - Sur.    Staying in Station 2 would have actually been more convenient since it was closer to restaurants.  However, because Boracay was getting more and more crowded, I wouldn't recommend it if you are with young kids.  

Facials for Pregnant/Breastfeeding Moms

Among the top concerns of breastfeeding and/or pregnant women refer to beauty choices - is it ok to have a perm while breastfeeding? is it ok to have a tattoo? is it ok to have a facial? and so on and so forth.  I usually refer moms to the relevant websites of La Leche League or Kellymom as both have comprehensive information on what treatments are safe for moms. I used to have regular facials when I was a singleton but this stopped when I became pregnant with N.  First of all, I had a really difficult first trimester.  When I was up and about, I was concerned with the ingredients used since I continued to breastfeed N.  I also did not know that it was possible to use natural ingredients for facials.

At the DermaPro Clinic

Thus, when Candy invited me to visit her new clinic, DermaPro and try out their all natural facial, I got excited.  It had been more than 5 years since I had my last facial, after all.  I met Candy during one of the warehouse sales I organized. Aside from being a breastfeeding mom, Candy also cloth diapers her toddler, Maisie.  Candy is also a dermatologist by profession and opened her clinic with her partner Feliz, who also incidentally breastfed her only child.  Thus, when they were discussing the services to offer their patients, they decided to include an all-natural facial to respond to the needs of patients with sensitive skin as well the pregnant and breastfeeding moms.

Menu of Services

What I like most about DermaPro is that the clinic is divided into individual spaces for the clients.  Unlike those huge mall centers where beds are laid out one after the other, patients from Dermapro are ushered into a private cubicle, allowing them to enjoy their treatment piece.  The clinic is also regularly staffed by a dermatologist - either Candy or Feliz. Now on to my treatment. Since I was still breastfeeding E, I opted for the all-natural facial.  I had researched that breastfeeding moms can have facials but must avoid products containing petroleum, formaldehyde, parabens, retinoid or salicylic acid.  I also read that facials consisting of chemical peels or use of any products that have a pH under 5.5 or over 10.5 should not be done by breastfeeding or pregnant mothers. To assuage my concerns, DermaPro shared the steps and ingredients of their all-natural facial service.

Facials usually consist of key steps. Cleansing, toning to degrease the skin and allow better absorption of subsequent ingredients that are found in masks, creams, and serums that could be applied during a facial, steaming to open up the pores, vacuuming and extraction of clogged oils and blackheads, high frequency to close the pores, and mask & cream application to moisturize the skin. After cleaning with a soapless cleasner, an alcohol-free toner was used. It contains chamomile flower extract, pot marigold flower extract, horse chestnut seed extract, panthenol, and aloe vera. The mask used contains water lily extract, green tea extract, and chamomile flower extract. Finally, the cream used contained safflower seed oil, hazel seed oil, panthenol, and aloe vera.

I had my facial on a Saturday morning.  I was a bit worried because I had heard of horror stories about people having red peeling faces after the procedure.  Happily, the all-natural facial had a great effect.  In fact, after my facial, I had lunch with friends, attended Moms on the Floor and had dinner with the family.  A girl friend even remarked that she thought I was glowing ;) You can visit DermaPro at 200 Wilson St., San Juan Metro Manila.  Call them at 2341354 or 09178328399.  You can also visit their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter for updates and tips on skin care.

Setting Direction to this Blog

Sometime in May, I won a coaching session from Mommy {T} Coach through a giveaway from My Mommyology.  My entry was

Jenny O:  What still is my biggest challenge is to decide whether to concentrate on being a WOHM or WAHM – concentrate on my full time job or on MBL plus the blog/advocacies and family!!  Doing all 4 is driving me nuts!

VitaPops: Candy or Health Supplement?

One of the activities we attended last August was the launch of an innovative product from Unilab - VitaPops - the first & only pop rocks Vitamin C.  The event was held in Active Fun, Global City and was hosted by Donita Rose. Another guest was Daphne Osena-Paez, who like Donita, was an endorser of VitaPops. The theme of the event was "Pop Rockin' Field Trip".  I loved how the organizers included activities for the kids, to allow the moms to participate and listen to the speakers and main activity.

What's in your juice? A Tipco Juice Announcement

Before we had kids, Stan and I had the luxury of traveling backpacker style.  Our most memorable trip was when we traveled to Thailand, leaving Manila at 12mn on Egypt Air then staying at a dirt cheap hostel along Khao San Road.  We also took a 10-hour land trip on dirt roads to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Our entire 2-week trip just cost us P30,000 pesos including air fare, food, lodging and transportation.  Now, our travels are more carefully planned and budgeted as they now include our 2 kids (plus yaya, sometimes).

Anyway, if you are thinking of going to Thailand, TIPCO Juice Philippines has an ongoing promo - Tripaway 2!  This was launched during the TIPCO event last July 21, 2012 which I missed due to very strong rains! However, the local distributor Transaxion Unlimited was kind enough to still send me their press kit which included several TIPCO juices plus more!

What's in your baby's toiletries? Learnings from the Johnson & Johnson Event

I was a Johnsons baby.  I remember growing up and choosing from the different scents of Johnsons' baby cologne.  The No-Tear yellow shampoo was also a staple in our bathroom.  Then I became a mom and became aware of the Cosmetics Database.  I read about the dangers in our cosmetics and to watch out for certain ingredients - dirty dozen, which includes parabens, phthalates, SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and SLES (sodium laureth sulfate or sodium lauryl ether sulfate).  These are considered skin and/or eye irritants or endocrine disrupters.

Painting at Home and Happy 7th Month E!

For E's 7th month pictorial, we finally executed the lay-out that we had long wanted to try - paints!  Aunty Helen of Hatch and Latch had gifted E with The Originally Natural Safe Finger Paint Tottle Set from Wee Can Too.  What makes it different from other finger painting brands is that Wee Can Too an edible art supply.

Our signature product and winner of the 2012 Cribsie Awards!  Fantastically Fun Edible Finger Paint, created in 2007 with babies in mind, adhering to a baby safe ingredients which are Organic! VEGAN, no wheat, no sugar, no preservatives!  Save enough to eat, Fantastic Finger Paints come in 5 colors!  Purple/Blue with REAL blueberries, Red/Pink with REAL beets, Orange & Yellow with REAL pumpkin and green with REAL spinach!  CPSIA Compliant.  Made from Organic Fruit & Vegetable powders, rice cereal and rice flour! If they can eat the can paint!  Paints come in 6 oz. convenient tottle bottles which have powder in them.   

Paint comes in powder form (as seen here).  You just add the water, shake and create.  Makes over 12oz. of paint per bottle (refill bottle with water and get more paint).  Must be refrigerated after water is added.

Praises for the Freestyle

As a working mom, expressing milk is a regular part of my daily routine.  Unfortunately, I never learned to efficiently hand express milk-  hence, my reliance on electric pumps.  For my previous nursling, I used an Ameda Elite at the office and a Lansinoh pump at home.  For this nursling, I was able to purchase my Freestyle as a special deal from the exclusive Philippine distributors - MedelaMoms - and I have to say, this product is my top favorite pump! Honestly, I don't agree with the marketing ploys and strategies of Medela - particularly Medela USA.  However, I have to say that Swiss technology is indeed superior and the Freestyle pump rocks!

just pumped

tiny Freestyle at work

Since I bring the pump to and from the office, what I love most about it is its portability.  You can see here that the pump fits on the palm of my hand.  Although it is small, it packs a lot of power in terms of stimulation and suction.  I love Medela's 2-phase expression, too.  The two-phase expression mimics the suction style of babies - from fast short sucks to encourage milk flow to slower, gulping sucks once the milk has started flowing. 

packing my liquid gold for my hungry E

As with most Medela pumps, the Freestyle comes with its own bag - in utilitarian black plus a small bag with blue cooling element and 4 storage bottles.  Since I pump four times a day, the 4 bottles are enough to hold my expressed milk at the end of the day.  Also, I live close to work (15-20minutes away) so I don't really maximize the use of the cooling element.

getting ready to go home

What I don't like about the Freestyle? The noise!  It is definitely a machine and you can hear the "rrr, rrr, rrr" sound it makes especially when I'm at the highest speed or suction setting.  I usually put it inside the bag or cover it with my nursing cover (when not in use) to drown out the sound.

And of course, compared to other pumps, the price of the Freestyle is higher.  I would think that this price tag comes with the portability and the digital design of the Freestyle.  If you are a stay at home mom or a work at home mom, you don't really need to pump frequently, so you can choose different, less expensive pump.  There are also other pumps which are also suitable for working moms - which are not as expensive - but are also not as portable.

To be honest, I had long wanted to buy the Freestyle.  However, I had issues with Medela USA especially on marketing strategies.  They had just introduced the Calma at that time and I wasn't too happy with how it was marketed.  Don't get me wrong - I love the products - E uses a Calma nipple!  It's just the marketing ethics that I had issues with.  Medela Philippines is actually a different company from Medela USA and I am happy that the MedelaMoms are doing their own projects and activities to promote breastfeeding and not just their pumps.  I previously did a post on The Medela House which needs an update in view of the increased activities/projects they now have such as a milk bank and seminars, among others.

Ok, I digress - as a pumping and working mom, I use my Freestyle 5x a day from Monday to Friday and once a day on Saturdays and Sundays. Plus, with my experience with N, I expect to pump at work for at least 2 years (of course, with reduced frequency). Hence, I definitely need a sturdy and durable pump.  When I stated this concern to MedelaMoms Maricel, she assured me that the Freestyle was most definitely a workhorse and could keep up with my pumping demands.

So far, I have been using the Freestyle for 3 months and it is serving me well.  So would I recommend this pump? Most definitely yes to a full-time work out of home mom!  It is small, very portable, easy to use and efficient.  But if price is an issue, there are other pumps that a working mom can purchase so she can still continue giving breastmilk to her child even if separated for more than 8 hours a day.

To purchase the Freestyle, email Medela Moms or contact them at 09175614366.  From Medela Moms mailer: Our products are suited to the Philippine setting of 220v, 60Hz.  Don't unduly tax your motor or suffer through sub-optimal pump performance with power sources that are 110v, 50Hz.

Giveaway: Marshmallow Mama's Milkin' Cookies!

Congratulations to Cyrene Ng and Michelle D Boras for winning the giveaway!

Early this year, fellow lawyer Joyce contacted me and asked me if I wanted to sample her milk-making goodies.  Joyce previously posted as guest on this blog while I was on extended vacation in April.  Joyce shared how she decided to move from being a full time lawyer to a full time mama.
Joyce has now ventured into a new business - baking - and has been making Mango Malunggay Milking Cookies since October 2011.  She has asked her breastfeeding friends to sample her products and was met with success!  Her friends reported that their milk output increased after 2 days of eating 3-4 cookies per day.  The main star of her cookies is the local malunggay, instead of the usual fenugreek and brewer's yeast.

Dwell Studio Stamp Set

In late August, N got an unexpected gift of a Dwell Studio Zoo Animals stamp set.  It came in a pine box with 2 ink pads, several pencils plus about 6 stamps.  My crafty little girl loves it and has been using it to make greeting cards for relatives, friends and classmates!

A Happily Ever After Story

*This is not a parenting or breastfeeding related post! :D

Last Wednesday, I coerced Stan to drive me and we braved Juaning to attend the book launch of Samantha Sotto-Yambao's Before Ever After.  Thanks to OCMominManila, we were lucky to be able to meet her at Cibo, Glorietta 4 before the crazy launch in National Bookstore in Glorietta 5.

photo from Manilamommy

Talk about 6 degrees of separation.  Turns out that Sam was married to The Painter's Wife's college friend who was the brother of my college coursemate!  Anyway, being the good students that we were, Manilamommy and I had finished the book before the coffee meet-up AND had a list of questions we wanted to ask Sam.

On using soapnuts plus a giveaway

Soap what?!! This was also my reaction when I first heard about soapnuts.  From Wikipedia, soapnuts or soapberries are called such because their fruit pulp is used to make soap.  The insides of the nuts contain saponins, a natural surfactant.  I had been looking for an all-natural laundry detergent to use for N's clothes, as part of the eco-friendly changes that I am trying to do in my household.  Saw these soapnuts at Sunday Legaspi Market and purchased a trial pack for P100.  The soapnuts were from Chlorophyll and if you can't get to the Sunday Market, check out their details below.

School Rants

With the proliferation of all sorts of schools in Metro Manila, I find it really difficult to sort out the bad apples from the good ones. Last year, Stan and I were hunting for a school for Naima near our place. We found a supposedly international school in Malate with tuition at P150,000. Honestly, tuition WAS steep but given its proximity to my workplace and my mother-in-law's house, we thought that we could work out the tuition and just tighten our spending on unnecessary shopping.

So off we went to the school for a school tour. First danger sign - the school was not at all associated with Harvard University but upon entry, there was a huge sign of "HARVARD" in the foyer. Apparently, the directress studied in Harvard - though I wasn't sure if she studied Masters or just took some certificate course (like Sen. Miriam). But I really found it in bad taste for the school to be plastering "Harvard" signs when it was not at all accredited with that school. Next, during the school tour, the directress was in school but she never met us. It was just a receptionist (with bad English at that!) who took us around the school. Third warning sign - I was able to get their brochure and noted how they were affiliated with about 5-6 international organizations. One of the organizations was based in Cavite so I called this organization and asked if XXX school was appreciated. The organization was shocked because it was the first time they heard of that school and they confirmed that the school was not a member.

Acting on my suspicious, I emailed another organization (listed on the Malate school's website) based in Washington, D.C. and the organization replied that the school was not at all accredited! But I wanted to give the school a chance since I really wanted to put Naima there. So I emailed the directress to seek a clarification. No reply - so scratched that school off my list.

Next school rant - this time, it's a school in Mandaluyong City. I had a relative who was diagnosed as a high-functioning Asperger's individual. He was about to enter grade school so we were trying to look for a school he could go to. I suggested this school in Mandaluyong because it was highly recommended by friends. So late last year, we did school tours and obtained details on application. Early this year, the dad asked the school again if they were still accepting applications for special students. He was informed yes and the student will be assessed if he will be suitable. We were also informed that the school has an attached preschool and students from that school will be given priority for entry into the grade school. However, he was assured that applications were still being accepted. So off we went to complete the requirements, doing several tests and evaluations, on hearing, from the developmental pedia, recommendations from his old school, etc. etc.

After completing the requirements, the dad submitted them to the school (in mid-February) along with the P500 application fee. A week after, the dad followed up the schedule for assessment and was informed that the directress received the application and wrote "QUOTA FOR SPED IS FILLED FROM XXX PRESCHOOL". We were surprised since the dad had confirmed that slots were still available. I asked a friend to intervene and this friend emailed the directress. The directress told her that the student did not pass the initial assessment. Again we were surprised since this was different from what the admissions office told the dad when he followed up.

So I wrote an email to the directress with the following excerpts:

Anyway, I just want to emphasize my concern. My concern is not that STUDENT was rejected or what but the reason for rejection. You see, non-acceptance because the student was not qualified v. non-acceptance because the slots are filled are two different things.

If you had written on the application form that STUDENT did not pass the initial assessment, then that would have been crystal clear that STUDENT was not made out for THIS BIG SCHOOL. Instead, however, you wrote "QUOTA FOR SPED IS FILLED FROM AFFILIATED PRESCHOOL".

This was why I was dismayed. It appears then that even if the quota is already filled, you would continue to accept the applications and P500 payment - because apparently, the quota is really not filled but instead, STUDENT just did not make the cut.

I do believe it would've been crystal clear to us if you had instead written that STUDENT did not make the initial cut, rather than writing down that the "Quota for SPED is filled."

The directress replied, excerpts below:

After reading his report, we determined that he was not qualified to be a candidate to meet the quota for SPED students for the Prep program.

There are currently 5 SPED applicants from AFFILIATED PRESCHOOL. As I wrote, there may be at the most, 3 slots for children with SPED needs in PREP. That number is determined by the number of sections in the Prep program. We may have 2 or 3 sections next school year. Currently, the 5 SPED children from AFFILIATED PRESCHOOL are more qualified than STUDENT. Also, only 2 or 3 of those children will be accepted in THIS BIG SCHOOL. (emphasis supplied)

However, I still was not satisfied so I requested for a clarification by sending a follow-up email:

Saying:

"After reading his report, we determined that he was not qualified to be a candidate to meet the quota for SPED students for the Prep program. "

has a different meaning from:

"QUOTA FOR SPED IS FILLED FROM AFFILIATED PRESCHOOL".

I wanted to emphasize to the directress that their admissions procedure was very UNCLEAR and I really felt that my relative had been fleeced of the P500 application fee. If there were more than enough students from AFFILIATED PRESCHOOL for the SPED quota of BIG SCHOOL, then why did they still accept applications from new students, along with the P500 application fee?

I'm really frustrated with my experience with these 2 schools. I've also heard and read about other horror stories from other parents. And this makes me wonder if DepEd is regulating schools in the Metro, given the high charges and fees that these schools charge parents. There should really be a consumer hotline for parents to report unethical practices of schools!

*Please private message me if you want to know the names of these 2 schools.

We Love DwellStudio!

I first discovered DwellStudio at Kidsteals and purchased the Chocolate Dot backpack for Naima. At that time Naima just turned 2 and had been in playschool for 1 month. In choosing products for Naima, I make sure that they are safe and non-toxic. Which means much as I want to get those Cath Kidston bags, I've held off as most of them are PVC-coated (read HERE about the dangers of PVC).

From DwellStudio's FAQ, the products are "made of the highest quality cotton and linen available. DwellStudio prints are all low-impact fiber-reactive dyes. They contain no heavy metals or other known toxic substances, are AZO free and formaldehyde free, and meet all criteria for eco-friendly pigments." Although not all DwellStudio products are organic, the products are free from toxicity from chemical finishes. If you're not too concerned about the toxics/chemicals in our homes, read this CNN Special Feature.

What I love about DwellStudio are their fun prints and the fact that the items are really well-made. I would think that Naima (or I) will tire of the items first before they get broken or torn.

DwellStudio is locally available through Quirks Marketing Philippines. I've been wanting to complete Naima's Chocolate Dots collection for sometime now but find DwellStudio quite expensive. Happily, I was able to take advantage of the DwellStudio Sale early this year and purchased several pieces in preparation for our long-haul vacation this summer! I also got her a Scribble Kit in Paper Dolls (not pictured) for plane and car use.

KidzBox - one of the products I'd like to buy from DwellStudio.  Placemats made from silky food grade, hand silk-screened silicone that's free from BPA, lead, latex, phthalates and other harsh chemicals 

There are still several pieces that I'd like to purchase but I'm still waiting for the next big sale! I do believe that Quirks Marketing Philippines initially started with DwellBaby and has now expanded their line to include kitchen and beddings from DwellStudio.

*DwellStudio is available locally through Rustan's, Gymboree (Cebu), Toys @ Work (Banilad Town Center and Ayala Center Cebu) and Baby & Beyond (San Juan).

*This is not a paid post and I purchased all products listed either through online shopping or through the DwellStudio sale. I'm not employed or compensated by Quirks Marketing Philippines or DwellStudio.

*All photos taken by Stanley S. Ong.

Review: Veggies and Meat Delivery

*Update 6/26/2012 - I've change the title to just Veggies and Meat delivery since not all of the vendors in the list offer organic items.

I've become more conscious of what food to cook/eat ever since Naima lessened her milk intake and started eating more and more solids. Unfortunately, the area where we live at has no accessible wet market and I usually end up shopping in SM Hypermart or Shopwise or S&R. S&R's produce is fresh - for Hypermart/Shopwise, I'm able to get fresh items if I go on delivery day. However, I don't think their produce are organic.

Sometimes, I'm able to go to Salcedo or Legazpi markets to buy vegetables (which I hope are organic because they're quite expensive!). I am constantly on the look-out for companies that deliver fresh organic veggies and was happy to have found a couple that do!

1. Shusaesh Farms, Inc. [Update: February 2013 - Shino has stopped deliveries :( Scroll below for other options]

In early 2009, I was quite happy to find a company that delivers fresh organic veggies. An officemate shared their number. The company is called "Shusaesh Farms, Inc." formerly "Francisco-Shinozaki Farm Inc." and is based in San Jose Patag, Santa Maria, Bulacan. I emailed Yasutaka Shinozaki for details on ordering and he sent me the following information about his farm:

"We develop farm from soil, no pesticides, no weed-killers, or no chemical fertilizers at all, take out insects, caterpillars and worms by hands every day, use smoke of natural leaves, branches and grasses, sometime spray vinegar or calamansi with garlic, even deploy fine nets to protect our vegetables, and use compost and other natural materials only. Our fowls are grown up in open area or rice field, never been kept in small cages all long, eat all natural stuff, like rice-bran/dusts, beans, corns, potatoes, greens, fish, seaweed, and our organic vegetables and fruits, and drink deep well or natural water only, running around or swimming around about 2,000 square meter area, we don't use anti-biotic in principle, unlike broilers, which are usually over-dozed with special hormones to grow"

You can read more details about the farm here. I started with vegetable delivery from them in May 2009. Shortly thereafter, delivery stopped because Shino's farm was affected with Ondoy - and this meant no deliveries for the whole of 2010!!

Early this year, Shino texted me and said that they were ready to receive orders again and I was happy to note that they did not increase their prices from 2009.

I put in my first order for the veggies (invoice on left) and requested Shino to adjust the amount of certain items e.g. squash (which I wanted less of) and lettuce (which I asked to be increased). I chose the small basket for P450 plus P50 delivery chip-in. The big basket is P650 and you get 1.5 more veggies compared to the small basket. Aside from veggies, you can also order eggs, chicken, duck (wild or white), goose and turkey. They also have fruits and other vegetables available which can be added on top of your basket order.

Shino admits that their vegetable prices are more expensive than ordinary but he justifies this as they put in more care towards the production and their harvest ratios are less. We used to correspond via email and he emails the harvested items for the week. However, since Ondoy, their internet connection has been spotty and he recommends contacting him via SMS - 0917838-8081 instead.

Check out my veggie delivery from Shusaesh Farms:

2. My Personal Farmer

This company was referred by a friend when Shino stopped delivery. However, I found the prices quite expensive maybe because the produce was packed and flown in from Bukidnon. From what I gather, this company is quite popular with the expat community in the Philippines, though. My Personal Farmer is based on Village Supported Agriculture and designates a "village mother" in Metro Manila where you can pick-up your weekly delivery. You can read about their farming methods here.

Technically, there is no delivery straight to your home but you can choose a pick-up place near your home. You can choose from full box (P1600), half-box (P850) or couple's box (P800). Multiply those prices x 4 and that's the amount you need to pay to sign-up, because you need to commit to 4 deliveries - this was why I was quite hesitant to try their delivery.

In early January 2011, I was excited to stumble upon a Beeconomic Deal offering a half-box of produce at P425. I purchased 2 coupons and tried the January 26-27, 2011 delivery. For that week, my half box contained 1kg of carrots, 300g each of broccoli, green cabbage, celery and pak choi, 600g of squash, 200g each of cherry tomato, baguio beans and spinach, 400g of pechay, 200g of lettuce mix (butterhead and red wave), 175g of organic herbs (parsley, oregano, chives and lemon grass) and a 1.5kg pineapple!

Check out My Personal Farmer delivery:

The veggies were fresh and very-well packed. However, I do have an issue with the pick-up. The village mothers are clients who have been designated as pick-up points. They are not employees of My Personal Farmer and coordination plus patience is necessary for a successful pick-up. In my case, the village mother nearest to me lived in a restricted area so I had to deal with arrogant security guards before I could pick up - I don't think I want to deal with this every week.

Verdict:

Check out the vegetables delivery I had from Shinozaki (with radish) and My Personal Farmer (with broccoli and pineapple):

Except for the tomatoes, squash and lettuce, the box contents were quite different. So if you have the budget, you can opt to have weekly deliveries of half-box from Shino and another half-box from My Personal Farmer (with pineapples straight from Bukidnon!). However, given the huge variance in price, I will probably continue with Shusaesh Farm, especially since they deliver straight to my home.

Other vegetable delivery options:

I came across Emporium Antipolo (FB Page), a store in Antipolo that also delivers fresh produce. However, I was not able to try them yet as I'm still waiting for the response to the 2 emails I sent last week. Not too reliable, huh?

Another option to consider is Herbana Farms. According to their website, their produce is available at Mercato Centrale and Salcedo Market. I was able to get a flier for the Community Supported Agriculture Program but find the prices quite steep. You need to pay an annual membership fee of P1000 plus at least P1,200 for a box of veggies. Contact Gian Carandang at 09228180215 for details. A tip from a friend - text Gian on Thursday to order veggies then just pick them up at Mercato/Salcedo Market on Saturday. See flier for CSA below:

*I love Picasa's slideshow! I like using it rather than pasting my photos on the post. As you can see, I can't figure out how to arrange the inserted photos properly. :(

*Disclosure: All vegetables were purchased and paid for. :D

*Update - 02/01/11: Thanks to Rowie, I was able to add another veggie delivery option to my list - GoodFoodCo. I emailed them this morning and got a response this afternoon! Charlene gave me the following details:

What we're basically doing is a community-supported agriculture program where stakeholders in the city, like yourself, commit to purchasing a season's worth of vegetables to support the livelihood of small organic farmers in Tarlac and Zambales. What we offer in return is a basket of 3.5 kgs of fresh, seasonal organic vegetables every Saturday from Feb 12- April 30 which you can pick up at one of our designated pickup points (Loyola Heights, Valle Verde 5, New Manila and San Juan) between 9.30 am- 1pm.

Each basket is P400 and you need to commit to 12 weeks delivery. Check their blog for details.

*Update - 02/02/11: Found another CSA program - OrganicManila through the PinoyOrganics blog. The farm is located in Benguet and you need to pay a one-time, assignable and refundable fee of P1000 to purchase a share and participate in the program. Boxes range from P600-P1,950 and there are pick-up points in Makati, Quezon City and Pasig - none near my residence though! Visit their site for more details.

*Update - 04/13/11: Dainty Mom also wrote an article for smartparenting.com listing 10 Organic Food Sources.  Also found another organic vegetable delivery through Facebook - The Green Grocer.  Check them out!

*Update 07/28/2011:  Found another weekly vegetable delivery from Down to Earth.   Prices are quite reasonable!  Plus they have grassfed beef, pasture raised pork and chicken! Check them out:

Regular	Box of 3-4 kilos	P2,000/mo.; 1 box/wk for 4 wks.
Medium	Box of  5-6 kilos	P3,400/mo.; 1 box/wk for 4 wks.
Large	Box  of 9-10 kilos	P6,400/mo.; 1 box/wk for 4 wks.

*Update 08/15/2011:  Check out Down To Earth's blog post - "Eat What you Sow".  They also list down several sources of real food in Metro Manila.  Several are from the South, though.

*Update 09/29/2011: Here's another CSA Program - Organic Manila based in Pasay City.  Their veggies are sourced from Majayjay, Laguna - the Costales Nature Farms which you can book for farm tours.

*Update 10/10/2011: Another organic produce delivery based in Bulacan with a Makati office, as shared by Pat Grace - Green Earth Heritage Foundation.  I saw from the website that each bag of organic produce is P45 only!! That's cheap!  Let me know if you've tried them.

*Update 10/18/2011: Free range meats available via phone orders! As shared by Michelle.

*Update 6/26/2012:  Available from The Farm Organics - fresh organic grass fed beefs.  Call 0927-741-2660, 0947-939-6598, 4039130

*Update 7/30/2012: Found a Cebu-based organic vegetable farm who delivers - Tanny's Organic Farm.   Visit their Facebook page for details.

*Update 2/13/2013: Green Earth Heritage Foundation is a member of the Organic Farmers and Processors Association of the Philippines.  They deliver medicinal and local greens.  You can also visit their farm in San Miguel, Bulacan.  

Do leave a comment/feedback if you've tried any of the listed vendors. Thanks!

*Update 4/21/2013:

Photo from Balik Bukid Davao Facebook page

You can order organic produce in Davao City!  Visit Balik Bukid in Calinan.  Details in their Facebook page.  To order Balik bukid organic produce call louella at +639173021208