WATCH: A Music Video for OFWs Made by OFWs: PAL Cares

by George Pontino Jr.

Note: with video of the launching of the PAL Cares held at 63 Hotel Suites last August 1, 2018 

In 1975 until 2000, people experienced the Golden Age of Music Videos, a period which began during the release of the Bohemian Rhapsody. Then the Golden Age of Viral Videos started upon the launch of YouTube in 2005 and still it continues today. Music videos have become essential media to relay one's message across multiple platforms. Now, with added social media apps like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, the reach has become wider. In just a click of a button sharing is so easy like ABC. The trend of creating "short videos that tell a story with impact" is now growing specially of the easy access of social media on mobile and the advent has come for commercial shooting gears to be at par with studio tools. This is where the viral PAL Cares MTV, a music video for OFWs, become a reality.

Last August 1, 2018, PAL-KSA finally launched its music video aimed for OFWs in the Middle East. It all started through the initiative of PAL Country Manager-KSA's Mr. Ricky Pacquing that this special project was born and have seen the light of day. He gathered talented OFWs with creative visions, experience and skills who are based in Saudi Arabia. One of them is singer and composer Gene Juanich who breathe relatable poetic words that could touch OFWs and their families. He finally arranged them with a well-recorded instrumentation and overdubbed a vocal track that has a style and signature of  a momentous OPM ballad.  

The video below is about the launching of PAL Cares MTV held last August 1:

WATCH:
VIDEO DURING THE MTV LAUNCHING

You may visit this DIRECT LINK 
@ https://youtu.be/mTbdO1tBzFw

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FULL VIDEO of PAL CARES - 

Philippine Airlines Music Video/MTV Commercial is here

FaceBook Link of Pal Cares MTV:

https://www.facebook.com/PALSaudiArabia/videos/645772032474558/

Director Jorge Demafeliz, meanwhile, and his equally talented crew brought visual life to the song by being inspired by Pinoy acting style and cinema techniques as a whole. Overcoming the restrictions of shooting in a country that just opened a cinema last year is a feat by itself. Just by bringing DLSR cameras in public can cause a stir with the police in Saudi Arabia, an irony even though there are lots of camera stores in the Kingdom selling high-end videography gears. And this, indeed, is an obstacle for the technical crew. Somehow, in the end, with the goal in mind, they nailed it specially in shooting landmarks for the establishing shots. 

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Filipinos are very emotional people and we value close-knit family ties. And usually,  ad agencies utilize tear-jerker drama moments on their commercials to capture a given demographic or to target a market through tears of joy or even sadness. And it's evident in TV adverts produced by Jollibee and its competition Mcdonalds usually shared during Valentines Day and special events like Father's and Mother's Day. PAL Cares has the same DNA but with a twist. By shooting a real OFW family (and some cameo actors close to PAL), the video becomes more real as if the stars aren't acting at all but they seem to portray authentic feelings and quirky ways of a real family.

As of this writing, the video posted in PAL-KSA's Facebook page has already garnered 45,698 views and counting. 

Indeed, the video's viral success can be traced to the core that it is made by OFWs for OFWs.         

The Cast and the Crew of PAL Cares MTV jingle are: 
Producer - PAL Country Manager- KSA Ricky Solomon L. Pacquing
Director: Jorge Arriola Stohner Demafeliz
Singer / Composer: Gene Juanich
Videographer / Editor: Mhart Mangibin
Hair and Make-up: Ronald Valiao Fernando
Lead Casts: Kimmy Corpuz, Josielyn Corpuz and Kids
Cameo Roles:
PAL-KSA Brand Ambassador Jomil Hynson
PAL-KSA officers

HOMESICK?

PINOY ACTIVITIES IN RIYADH
(click to read)

1. Edge of the World (EOTW) 

2. RED SAND DUNES

3. WADI NAMAR PICNIC
4. TRAVEL TO HA'IL REGION

DO YOU MISS PINOY OR ARAB FOOD? 
(click to read)
1. Jollibee in Saudi Arabia
2. Islas Restos and Grill 
3. Shawarma at Al Bujairi (Al Diriyah)

LOCATION MAP OF PAL-KSA OFFICE IN RIYADH:

Ha'il Saudi Arabia: Travel Guide (6 Places to Visit)

by George Pontino Jr.

NOTE: with video trailer within the texts

Ha'il, a province of Saudi Arabia in the Northwest part, is home to the legendary man named Hatim Al Taaey, a poet who lived in the sixth century CE. He is so well-known in the Middle East and to the Indian Subcontinent that even today, Arabs regard him as the most generous man ever lived. Hatim's extreme generosity and hospitality were well-recorded in the Islamic Hadith and in the classic book Arabian Nights. Today his life is also portrayed in various languages in films, books, TV series and if you ask an Arab about him, you'll surely get a nod for an answer.

The Blue Thobe with Mr. Rasheed Al Oligy

Last September 24, 2018, We, the Blue Thobe travel group, consisted of four Filipinos (including me), decided to explore Ha'il. Amazingly, a stream of generosity and hospitality came to meet us.  We only heard, at first, that the people of Ha'il are well-regarded as very hospitable but when a series of events unfolded during our trip, we were so stoked to see that what we've heard are so real and we were experiencing it first hand. Unplanned, we were accompanied to our travels then we were welcomed in their homes and private farms, ate with them and get to relax as if it's like our home, too. In our two-day stay in Ha'il here are some of the 6 places we visit and we highly recommend it:

(Note: Watch the YouTube video trailer here below and find location maps for some of the places I will mention.)

WATCH
HA'IL in 1 Minute Video Trailer

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Along a highway, there's even a house with gates open for weary travelers who can drop by, drink coffee or eat some food to rejuvenate...all for free. And the great thing? It's open 24 hours. Indeed, the cultural heritage combined with the ways of generosity and hospitality of the people of Ha'il impressed us specially we experience it first-hand. In a very brief stay, we gained a lot of friends who told us that we are always welcome to go back.

AlSamraa Park with AlSamraa Mountain at the background)

Ha'il is also home to many great sites from late stone age to 12th/14th century to the modern era that helped shape Ha'il as a city and a tourist destination. 
And for the destinations, the Ha'il tourism head Khalid Al Saif gave us some tips and location maps via Whatapp on what places we should visit during our short stay. In Jubbah, for instance, through Mr. Al Saif's efforts, we were welcomed there by a staff from Saudi Commission of Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH)  and we were able to tour the site with ease. 
So, I'll share some of these places for you:

Epic drone shot of our travel to one of the many extinct volcano orifices in Ha'il region

1. Extinct Volcanic Orifices
These ancient volcanoes will overpower you literary with its captivating beauty of a landscape. One of the most accessible orifices is called Harrat Hutaymat. An access road will lead you to its mouth where a cliff-like natural edifice will tell you to stop and continue by foot. Harrat Hutaymat is an extinct volcano with a  mouth which approximately 1 kilometer in length. So, if you go down farther you'll still be safe as lava explosions from these volcanoes were long gone hence the word "extinct".

Restored Aarif Fort nestled in a rock mountain in the middle of Hail City

2. A'Arif Fort
In the heart of the city of Ha'il lies a scenic restored fortress atop a mountain. Called A'Arif Fort, this walled landmark was built in the beginning of the 17th century. Built with mud and clay, the rectangular-shaped citadel is 40 meters long and 11 meters wide and occupies an area of about 440 square meters. It had openings and watchtowers to be used by soldiers to sight any approaching hostile elements. It also had prayer places, toilets, warehouses and other facilities that enabled citizens to stay for long periods.
Built on a mountain peak, the fortress could be seen from anywhere in Hail. (Note: the fort is closed to the public during Fridays).

Beautiful night lights at AlSamraa Park

3. Al Samraa Park
This park features a handful or activities for families. It has a lagoon with a boat ride, cozy restaurants with beautiful lighting at night, carnival rides, themed-pool, and a mountain that has good vantage point of the city. Samraa is an Arabic word which means dark. The mountain that overlooks the park has even a tale about a dark-skinned woman hence its name because the mountain is made of dark lava  rocks.  Entrance free for a day is 20 sar.

Those are Prehistoric Ancient Rock you're seeing in the photos. With us are Mr. Rasheed Al Oligy and SCTH (Ha'il Branch) officer Mr. Al Shammary n

4. Jubbah Art Graffiti Heritage Site
Human occupation in Ha'il dates back during Prehistoric times and in Jubba, a sleepy frontier town 100km northwest of Ha'il province, are art carvings of animals and stone age life . Between 9000-6000 years ago this desert landscape was a lush savanna grasslands which supported cattle. Archeologists have found evidence of four major periods of settlement at Jubbah stretching back through the Middle Paleolithic period, 80,000 to 25,000 years ago. The rock art around Jubba at Jebel Um Sanaman covers some 39 sq km. Here can be found remarkable carvings depicting long-horned buffalo, domesticated dogs, camels, horses and human figures dating back 7,000 years.

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Farmland in the middle of Nafud desert

5. Agricultural Farms within the Desert 
The farms in H'ail are wonders in themselves. Situated in Nafud desert, farmers were able to convert desert lands into productive agricultural area where they get to produce veggies and fruits. Most of this agricultural farms are also rest houses by their owners. Some get to build pools and living rooms that's even better than hotels. Situated in the northwestern of Arabia, Ha'il has a climate that's so friendly to plants and fruits. That's why dates and olive farms are abundant in the area.

Mr. Rasheed shows his room during his childhood days. The ruins lies abandoned. 

6. Traditional Mudhouses
Mudhouses can still be found within Ha'il city. Thanks to its owners, who are now living in big modern homes, they still wanted to save their heritage homes where they left some unforgettable memories. Though most of these houses are already abandoned, the ruins are still full of interesting facades which conveys hidden tales. If you get to know one of the mudhouses owners, they will surely welcome you and tour you around. Like our newfound-friend Mr. Rasheed Al Oligy, he proudly showed his bedroom during his childhood days in one of the mudhouses. He also showed us how they collect water through a well just beside the homes.

Location Map
Aarif Fort

Jollibee: Loved Around the World (With Video and Location Maps)

by George Pontino Jr.

Note: In this blog: a YouTube Video clip and Maps of Jollibee branches in Riyadh

When I watched the Jollibee short video feature opening in Manhattan I can't help but smile as customers were so joyful specially when it finally opened its doors to the NYC public. The clip also shows a guy, who camped out for 20 hours, just to be the first customer during the store's launching day. And he's not even Filipino. 
This, I consider, a Pinoy phenomenon, where in Jollibee with its Chickenjoy, Aloha Burger, Yum with TLC, Jollispaghetti, and more food line have become part of people's lives in many countries. 
In the end of that clip, It's so nice to see the tagline that sums it all up -- Loved Around the World. (seems to be a direct answer to its nearest competitor's tagline: I'm Lovin' it.)

The author lets his officemate, a Yemeni, tries to eat Jollibee 

for the first time at Sulaimaniya Branch in Riyadh.

The video I was talking about shows a creative globe made of Chickenjoy pieces and one can see some branches in many countries that were highlighted. One of the highlighted countries in the map is Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  Indeed, the Kingdom has become a home for many Jollibee stores, thanks to KSA's Nesma United, Ltd., it brought joy to many OFWs and their families while away from their "real" home.

Villagio Mall foodcourt in Al Batha, Riyadh

As a leading brand in the Philippines, Jollibee found ways to conquer the world, albeit, slowly yet with impact. Thanks to word-of-mouth, documentary taste tests, food vlogs, viral advertising and more media that the brand has reached the city that never sleeps that is New York. Many Foreigners are curious on how to eat halo-halo or a chickenjoy with its amazing sauce. Some of them are surprised why the spaghetti is sweet and why an Aloha burger has a bacon and a slice of pineapple on it. And of course, many of these experience were recorded and posted in social media channels like YouTube.

WATCH A VIDEO
 JOLLIBEE KIDDIE PARTY 
HELD IN SAUDI ARABIA:

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Nesma is involved in many industries  that includes airlines, retail, internet and food. It started its first Jollibee branch in Jeddah in 2008 and back then many OFW families from Riyadh travel 9 hours by road to just to let their children embrace the Jollibee culture and for them to feel at home at a Jollibee's Jeddah's store. Most of them even brought home some take away food back to Riyadh. Alas, in those days, those who can't afford risking their weekends by traveling to Jeddah were wishing for a Riyadh branch to open.

Kiddie Birthday Party

Finally, many wishes were granted when it opened its first branch in Riyadh at Al Batha Pinoy Market area (2nd floor of Al Mawasim grocery store), a place frequented by Filipino expats. Soon, Nesma expanded the franchise stores by opening a store at Sulaimania, 2nd Industrial City and in Villagio's Foodcour (also in the Filipino market in Batha). There are also stores in Dammam, Al Khobar, Jubail, Taif and Yanbu. By now, there are more than 12 branches  of Jollibee  around the Kingdom. Recently, Nesma also  opened a Chowking branch in Villagio Mall. (SEE GOOGLE MAPS OF BRANCHES BELOW)




Pinoy kids who were born in KSA get to experience the Jollibee way of having a birthday party through its Sulaimania branch. Aside from estraha (rest houses), the branch in Sulaimania is the usual venue for kid's parties where a Jollibee mascot, like in the Philippines, surprises kids.  He dances and pose with them too for photos. This confirms the tagline "loved around the world" as kids feel more happy when they see Jollibee mascot.

Jollibee booth during the Pink October event at the King Faisal Specialized (Takasusi) Hospital

in KSA, Jollibee also joins and supports some events in some institutions. One time I attended an event in one of the hospitals in Riyadh. It was called Pink October 2018 where many booths were engaged in selling stuff from bags to perfumes to jewelry and to delicacies. In one corner, a Jollibee booth was attracting a lot of hospital staff and visitors with most of them asking for a Chickenjoy. Not only did I witness Pinoys waiting for it to arrived, but also Malaysians who get to love and learn the Jollibee  taste and fun culture.

HOMESICK?

PINOY ACTIVITIES IN RIYADH
(click)

1. EDGE OF THE WORLD 

2. RED SAND DUNES

3. WADI NAMAR PICNIC
4. TRAVEL TO HA'IL REGION

WHERE TO FIND JOLLIBEE STORES IN RIYADH (CENTRAL REGION):

Al Sulaimaniyah Branch

Al Batha Branch

2ND INDUSTRIAL CITY BRANCH

WHERE TO FIND JOLLIBEE STORES IN THE
(EASTERN PROVINCE):

AL JUBAIL BRANCH



AL JUBAIL DAMMAM



WHERE TO FIND JOLLIBEE STORES IN JEDDAH (WESTERN PROVINCE):

Wadi Namar: A Man-Made Haven for Outdoor Recreation

by George Pontino Jr.

Featuring: HAGOD Group Filipino Visual Arts Group 

Wadi meaning a valley, ravine, or channel that is dry except in the rainy season.

One of the most visited parks in Riyadh, KSA, Wadi Namar, offers you the closest picnic spot from the city center where you can relax by an wide artificial lake. It's a family/kid friendly semi-natural setting that's only 15 minutes drive from Olaya via King Fahad road. It is where you can refresh yourself and beat homesickness during weekends. Expats and locals love the place that it gets to be congested at around 3 pm. 

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 WATCH: 
WADI NAMAR SHORT VIDEO

by the author 

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Wadi Namar, located in the south of Riyadh, stretches from west to east until meeting Wadi Hanifah. A wadi is a valley, ravine, or channel that is dry except in the rainy season. The vicinity is a lake dam with a 2 kilometer corniche. It is a rocky valley with overlooking cliffs that offer a panoramic vista. Recently, a man-made waterfalls, a machine driven one, has become an added attraction to the public. But that area is off-limits for visitors as the authorities seems to be aware of making visitors safe. Aside from rocks, accidents do happen specially when you deal with mechanized water installations.  

Wadi Namar, along with Wadi Laban, is rehabilitation project carried out by the Riyadh Development Authority. Its aim is to rehabilitate Wadi Hanifah tributaries, which serves as lungs for Riyadh. Through the Saudi government's initiative, the area now attracts many kinds of migratory birds. Always present are the numerous ducks and doves that feed on fish which are now abundant in the reservoir. Insects like dragonflies can be seen roving around the vicinity.

The corniche or the waterfront of the park is a place full of shade, it's where 520 rows and columns of date palm trees are planted. The area is a no bbg or shisha zone but one can do these activities under the tree just beside the cliffs, away from the pavilion.  

Helpful Tip: If you plan to rest below shade of trees by side of the rocky valley, be careful for possible falling rocks or landslides.

At Wadi Namar, you can rest and relax, breathe fresh air, watch ducks and birds fly by, play skateboards or some ball sports, do some photoshoots, shisha smoking, art session, plein air painting, cook some bbq, walking, drone flying, enjoy the view and do more activities. There are also inflatable playgrounds for the kids set up by some business-minded individuals.

The site can accommodate 800 vehicles and the best time to go there is early in the morning, as the roads and parking lots will be congested by 3 p.m. The corniche can get crowded too as families come in droves. Amenities like rest rooms, food trucks, pedestrian walkways and paved parking lots abound. At night, the area has lamp posts and ambiance lighting.

At 4p.m., when the man-made waterfalls start to operate, you may go to the upper side cliff of Wadi Namar, where you will be treated with a panoramic view of the corniche and a great bird's eye view. Plus, if you like chasing sunsets, the park atop Wadi Namar is where the setting sun can be viewed  at its most grand and beautiful exit. Meanwhile, if you plan to have a photo just inches by the falls, it is actually strictly off limits as park guards wanted to avoid accidents. They warn people from possible falling rocks. If you worry about kid's safety, the observation deck has fences to protect kids and visitors from accidental fall.

MORE ABOUT SAUDI ARABIA:

Restaurant Feature:

Islas Resto and Grill Boodle Fight
Faterat Cheese Shawarma Fast Food

Places to Go on Adventure:

Red Sands Dunes Al Haeer

Edge of the World Tuwaiq Escarpment

 WADI NAMAR LOCATION MAP

My Ghostly Past with WaxWorks: V - PART 1 (A Virtual Photo Exhibit)

Words and Photography By George Pontino Jr.

NOTE: NO PHOTOSHOP MANIPULATION OR EFFECTS APPLIED IN ALL PHOTOS

Every culture has its folklore and undying urban tales about encounters of the other kind. Every All Souls Day or All Saint's day, we get to hear these stories from circle of friends who love the excitement of being scared from gripping details of a visit by a multo (phantom) or a fateful meeting with a kapre (a tree-dwelling monster that loves to smoke). Even the TV networks pumps up Halloween season annually by interrupting their usual broadcasts in exchange for a night of scare fest. The usual suspects they feature are the white ladies, aswang (mananangal), lost souls, haunted houses and roads like Balete Drive or an unexplained phenomenon where WWII soldiers can be heard marching in a certain spooky place. 

"Murto" Model: Dianne Valerie Galvan

Perflab Behind the scenes

Some of you may have elders who have lots of bedtime stories that could make you awake all night, cringing in fear. The headless phantoms, sound of chains, crying babies or tyanaks, tiktik, witch, or the infamous "Tenyete Gimo aswang" could be their mere inventions to make us sleep early or to behave well. But we took them by heart and these became a rural heritage that we just can't forget and pass on another generation even in we're in an urban setting. Well, our dreams turned into nightmarish hell thanks to our elders imaginative minds.

"Bagat" (Ghostly Road Encounter)  Model: Michael Amante

"Sota" of Mt. Kanlaon (Mediator between entities and humans) - Model: Adam Henoch Riolo

In 2009, I was invited by Fundador Tipon to interpret the paranormal entities into a series of photographs to be used for Perflabs Waxworks V: Km13 (Kilometrahe Trese) as promotional materials. So, with my camera gears and lights, I took the creative plunge, met the group at the Negros Museum and with few hours of photography session, we nailed it successfully. Thanks to the actors, actresses and the entire Perflab group, everything was seamless. The effort of the whole group is commendable and shooting became so smooth for me because of their sheer professionalism in acting, makeup, preparing props and costumes.

"Sota", Murto and Bagat

White Lady

Through Waxworks, the urban legends were given new twists and the Negrese audience had the change to experience it virtually through a trip around the Museum-turned-haunted-place during the week pre-All Saints Day. It's a sort of a horror room but with that artistic discipline. A group of willing individuals move from to place to place and get to experience "bagat" as they pass through each themed area. The whole thing is an interactive exhibit complete with creative lights, creepy props, haunting performance, storytelling by wax-like folklore creatures, makeup and sound effects. The characters were Murto (Ghost) from the spanish word Muerto which means a dead person, Sota of Mt. Kanlaon, the mediator of the entities and humans and finally Bagat (Ghostly Road Encounter or apparition along pathways) 

She can't Rest in Peace

After our successful photoshoot session for the first theme

Bagat, a Hiligaynon term for ghostly encounter, is a Filipino culture that's a very popular urban legend. Waxworks V was heavily inspired by this notion and that's why, that year,  the group called it Kilometrahe Trese. Trese being a play on the number 13, an unlucky numeral and Kilometrahe of course is a measurement and in Philippines, is usually a landmark for the travelers." Indeed, traveling alone at night may well be a curse for anyone who meets the paranormal...well, he's just an unlucky one. WATCH OUT FOR PART 2 SOON

LOCATION MAP OF NEGROS MUSEUM: