Pop Danthology 2013 Music Mashup!

Are you ready to say goodbye to 2013 already? Here in Metro Manila Directions, our year is not complete if we don't hear the popdanthology of 2013 songs. Here you go - looks like an awesome party song for 2013!

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2014 Official Philippine Holidays

Almost 2 more months to go and we're gonna be welcoming 2014 already. So before the year ends, why don't you plan already your 2014 vacations!
Here are the official Philippine holidays for 2014:  

Regular Holidays

• 1 January (Wednesday) – New Year’s Day 
• 9 April (Wednesday) – Araw ng Kagitingan 
• 17 April – Maundy Thursday 
• 18 April – Good Friday 
• 1 May (Thursday) – Labor Day 
• 12 June (Thursday) – Independence Day 
• 25 August (Monday) – National Heroes Day 
• 30 November (Sunday) – Bonifacio Day 
• 25 December (Thursday) – Christmas Day 
• 30 December (Tuesday) – Rizal Day  

Special (Non-Working) Days

• 31 January (Friday) – Chinese New Year 
• 19 April – Black Saturday 
• 21 August (Thursday) – Ninoy Aquino Day 
• 1 November (Saturday) – All Saints Day 
• 24 December (Wednesday)
• 26 December (Friday)
• 31 December (Wednesday) – Last Day of the Year

25 February (Tuesday), EDSA Revolution Anniversary will be a special holiday for all schools 

Note that: observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eidul Adha shall hereafter be issued after the approximate dates of the Islamic holidays have been determined in accordance with the Islamic calendar (Hijra) or the lunar calendar, or upon Islamic astronomical calculations. 

Regular holidays = employee gets paid in full even if he/she doesn't report for work. Double pay if employee goes to work.
Special holidays = same rule but instead of double pay, employee is only entitled to 130% of daily equivalent pay

Expect number coding to be suspended during the regular holidays. Special non-working holidays are on a case-to-case basis but historically, number coding has been suspended due to obvious practical reasons.

Makati Back in 1993 (20 Years Ago)

Have you ever wondered how Makati looked like twenty years ago, in 1993?

Yes, you - Makati professionals who just go through the usual grind every day. Or those who frequent Ayala and Makati Avenue on weekends! Or those just curious about how this city looked like before.

Just to give context on the path that the car took: the car is obviously coming from Fort Bonifacio via McKinley Avenue and about to cross EDSA. It then traversed Ayala Avenue then took a right to Makati Avenue, drove a bit further (crossing Gil Puyat/Buendia), then took a U-Turn. It then traversed on Makati Avenue then took a right to Pasay Road until it reached Pasong Tamo/Chino Roces Ave.

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Don't Drive Here in Metro Manila

Don't Drive Here.

The show's title tells us everything already. Andrew Younghusband, host of Canada's reality TV show Don't Drive Here, has only one goal: to handle a jeepney just like a local without breaking any traffic rule.

In order to accomplish that, he had to learn first how to drive a car, a motorcycle, a tricycle, a cab, and a stretched limousine (didn't know we had one here!). He also tried being an MMDA enforcer. The first minute and a half minutes already got us hooked and as the episode unfolds, we learn (or remember) how harsh Manila's traffic is for both drivers and pedestrians.
(See video below).

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