nature's twins, they sure are

Jaq Lozada, a friend since high school who is currently managing the Broadmoor Hotel in San Francisco recently went to Pebble Beach, California for a work-related group outing...seeing the pictures she took of the place (photo below)...

...truly reminded me of one of the best work environments that i've ever had the opportunity to be in and this is at Puerto Azul Beach Resort and Golf & Country Club in Ternate, Cavite...

you see, Puerto Azul is situated in a 3,300 hectare nature reserve only 90 minutes away from Manila by car, with a unique 27-hole Gary Player designed championship golf course amidst a breathtaking view of mountain greenery and clear blue waters fronting the southern entrance of Manila Bay...i particularly enjoyed learning how to play golf (as seen in the photo above) at the Pebble Beach-inspired course as it has a great view of several coves and nearby islands from numerous vantage points... the course, known to avid golfers as very very challenging, had been home to many prestigious tourneys such as the Johnie Walker Classic and the Presidential Cup to name a few...

incidentally, today, April 18, marks the usual tournament date of the Dr. Rebecco E. Panlilio Memorial Cup which brings a rather significant trip down memory lane for me...i've co-organized several of the late Dr REP's invitational cups (he's the well-loved chairman and president of Puerto Azul who became an icon in the Philippine tourism industry for establishing the first Filipino-owned hotels & resorts chain - the Grand Hotels & Resorts Group)...looking back at my stint with the group made me realize how lucky i was because no matter how tedious special event preparations were, they all provided me with a constant room for enjoyment i always completely forgot it was indeed part of the job...

photo above shows REP, myself and invited guests on board the company-owned 336-seater state-of-the-art twin-catamarran on the way from Manila to Puerto Azul...i specifically preferred it by sea as it only took 45 minutes to get there - definitely the most comfortable way methinks :-)

last photo was during the rounds i did with mural artists showing them suitable spots around the complex where kiddie art workshops were best held...