The ANZA Manila membership fee is often a topic of discussion amongst all of our stakeholders, particularly our members and executive committee. We have come to a decision to move away from the one size fits all membership and migrate to a variety of access and benefit membership levels. You will begin to notice these effects come into place very soon. Here are the key takeaways:

Multi-Level Membership

Our member base is diverse in their own structures. Some are individuals, some our couples whereas others are companies or organizations. Individuals typically like to participate in our events and get discounts through our partners whilst the companies like to leverage our reach in the community, so it seems foolish to not create options for all.

So moving forward, we will have four membership options. Individual, Couple, Pro Business Sponsor and Elite Business Sponsor:

Individual – ₱2,000

This is almost identical to our current level of membership. You will have continued access to our partner discounts and special offers, complimentary and discounted access to events, access to our private Facebook and Whatsapp group, submission of articles to our platform and contribution to the running of ANZA and the charities we support.

Couple - ₱3,500

This level offers exactly the same as the individual membership but allows for two members at a discounted rate.

Pro Business Sponsor - ₱10,000

Aimed at small businesses, 5 members can be included with all the benefits of an individual membership plus inclusion of advertorials, brand exposure on our website, social media posts, inclusion in our monthly newsletter, corporate charity opportunities and a fancy framed certificate.

Elite Business Sponsor - ₱40,000

Aimed at larger businesses, 15 members can be included in the membership as well as all the benefits from the Pro Business Sponsor but in far increased quantity.

Full details of all the inclusions across four membership levels can be seen here:

Increased Base Fee

You will have noticed that our membership fee for an individual member has increased by 25%. Whilst 25% is a significant increase when displayed as a percentage, in real figures this works out at around 14AUD/15NZD per annum or around 4 cents per day.

There are two drivers for the price increase:

• 1.       Increased platform fees from Wild Apricot

Wild Apricot is the platform that hosts our website, members, events, blogs and financials. They focus on non-profits and have just increased their fees.

• 2.      Incorporation of a direct donation into our membership fee

We felt it was important for members to feel the contribution to one of our supported charities every time they renew their membership. That’s why there is a percentage of our member fee, across all four levels, that is a direct donation to one of our charities.

We hope you support us in the adoption of our new membership structure. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at president@anzamanila.org

My wife Daisy and I moved to Manila from Perth in January 2017. The below image was taken one Friday afternoon, within a month of our arrival, and I immediately we knew our decision was a good one.

Fast forward to May 2021 and a lot has changed, but we are still thankful to live in the Philippines and blessed to have the many opportunities of domestic travel in our adopted home.

When times were simpler, Daisy and I would plan a long weekend away from Manila once a month. My memories of this time are fondly held for many reasons, pre-pandemic, pre-children, and freedom was relatively limitless. Affordable domestic carriers with lunch time flights departing for locations like El-Nido, Siargao and Boracay gave us the possibility to pack a back pack each, an early knock off on a Thursday/Friday, and providing we made it past the uncertainty and ambiguity of Terminal 4 departure lounge, we could have our feet in the water and a beer/G&T in hand by sunset of the same day.

Depending on our location our first day away would typically involve arranging a motorbike, a trip to the beach, massage and then hydrate after a day in the sun. The freedom of riding a motorbike without any rental agreement, exchange of details or time limits was refreshing, trusting and was only matched by the freedom of wind in the face driving down Nacapan Beach to find a secluded location.

Island hopping around El Nido, Coron, Siargao, Mactan, Bohol, Dumagetee, has left us with amazing memories of swimming through caves, turtles, clean water, high visibility, fish and in some cases temporary hearing loss from poorly sound proofed bunkers engines. The friendly bunker captains have always been accommodating and have operated with a smile. On occasion in El Nido we took a private boat which can be arranged at a little extra cost and gave complete autonomy and was a nice luxury.

We found food and drinks to be hit and miss on the islands and encountered varied levels of quality which added to the excitement of the destination. We found Siargao, home of a relatively large French expat community, to have a great selection of restaurants, cafes and bars. Even when we encountered a dish or two that wasn’t the best, the view of a sunset over the water with a cold drink, only an hour or two away from Manila, was a memorable experience.

Reflecting on our 4.5 years in Manila we are so grateful to have been able to travel to and experience the beauty of the islands to our South. Whether our intent was to surf, island hop, relax, diving, food and drink we were always able to find a location which provided us lasting and enjoyable experience. While there are many expats in Manila who have greater travel experience, over a much longer term than us, I would be very happy to provide more details on our experiences to anyone interested.

Finally, Daisy and I have visited Boracay a number of times upon re-opening. In November 2020, in the first few weeks of reopening, we got to see Boracay in all its glory. After some years of closure for various reasons we experienced Boracay with no tourists, no pollution, pristine beaches and unmatched beauty.

Your Author 

Mick is a Civil Engineer and the COO of Prime BMD in The Philippines. He’s a Brisbane boy originally and has lived in the Philippines with his wife and son for over 4 years.

It feels as if perhaps the art of black comedy should make a comeback. Life seems so overwhelmingly & relentlessly serious (Groundhog Day anyone?)

And of course, it is serious: we are in the midst of a pandemic which is hopefully the major event of our lifetimes.

But it doesn’t mean that the pressure can’t be relieved with a bit of dark humour. I’ve personally been re-watching the Monty Python classics: “He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy!”

One problem is that jokes don’t really work on Zoom. They need a reaction — something that is lacking if everyone is on mute, with their cameras off and only half listening because they are juggling work with home schooling. Is anyone else drinking wine out of a tea mug too?

That’s not to say that videoconferences can’t be funny. It’s hard to forget the guy whose children so memorably gatecrashed his tv interview or the lawyer stuck behind a zoom filter who had to explain to the judge that no, he wasn’t a cat.

Something that has helped me is finding funny people online amid the doom scrolling. If you haven’t seen them, I would highly recommend, among others, the hilariously on point @hurrahforgin, @loic.suberville who never fails to crack me up and the fantastic people singing cover versions of popular songs in the new pandemic context including @officialchrismann & @randyrainbow

Humour at its best is resilience. And it connects us — even though we still aren’t able to stand around joking together at parties, we can at least laugh together online. So I’m off to do a family lockdown boogie (link: https://youtu.be/G-ugfNXYcDg) & pray for school to go back ASAP ⭐️

Your Author 

Kimberly Fisher Horan is an Australian Fashion Editor, Stylist & Writer based in Manila Philippines. Co-Founder of Sitara Vintage & founder of TPNW shoes

Check out The Perfect Nude Wedge and Sitara Vintage to see Kimbo’s designs.

Chin-ups were never an issue for me before. And now, I can barely do one. I could beat myself up all day for letting myself go but that would not help me get up - literally and figuratively.

It will only continue to discourage me.

It is fine to be tough on ourselves but with all these uncertainties around us, the lack of a solid, science-based unified approach locally, we cannot be hard on ourselves. Not at this time, at least.

I used to manage an Aussie gym called F45 Training in BGC, Taguig. I have been a part of the team since its inception in 2015 until recently when I decided to focus on my physio career. My constant exposure to the Aussie directors and the multiple trips to Australia have significantly changed my outlook in life both personally and professionally. I even connected with family in Melbs. At one point, I already felt more Aussie than Pinoy - efficient, really fit, not emotional anymore and yet one thing could never change. My labour was still cheap. Lol

Being in the fitness industry, I had to uphold a certain level of fitness to be able to command respect and inspire our members. I trained with them in class everyday, sometimes twice. I would run around BGC and somebody from the gym would always say hey. I enjoyed that!

"I have achieved the body I have always wanted. I can do any sport that I want anytime. I was not faking it. I was it! And now that is all gone. I am a completely different person."

Early on in the pandemic, I still trained hard - no questions asked. However, there was one day when I just stared at that loaded barbell for twenty minutes and called it quits. That was the last time I set foot at that gym. "What for?" I asked. I could never forget that day. I started spiraling down, managed to pick myself up a couple of times and then just let go again. It has been a constant up and down and until now, I am still not that pre-pandemic version of me. I don't think I will be for some time and that's alright.

With gyms closing down, pools shut, guards telling you off at every little thing you do or not do, every ridiculous policy that gets rolled out one day and changed the next, how could we stay motivated? It is tough! Even for me who is already internally motivated, it is tough. Yet there was only one value I have kept that let me stay afloat and that is self-compassion.

I started living one moment at a time. There is no bigger picture for now. I acknowledge that on one day, I will let things go and on another day, I will pick myself up. I accept that that this one day that I slack off is not the end of the world. Surely, one of these next days, I will manage to sneak in a 20-minute run. I might get a three-cheese ensaymada to reward myself but for now, that is fine! Nothing is permanent. Just like the guards at high street!

As cliche as it may be, we all know that this will pass. I am sure we all look at Australia, New Zealand and cannot help but be frustrated when we look at ourselves and our dysfunctional QR codes. Yes, we are the luckier bit of the spectrum in Manila, but still our problems are valid! Someone out there could barely feed his family and me whinging about my chin-ups are two different problems indeed but they are still valid. Do not invalidate yourself. What you feel is true and valid and the moment you tune in and stop talking sh*t to yourself, you will snap out of this. You will get up again, one chin-up at a time mate. Take it easy hey!

Your Author 

Josh Manoharan is a Filipino-Sri Lankan Physiotherapist based in BGC. He holds clinic at Kerry Sports Manila at Shangri-La Fort. For about 6 years, he was appointed the head coach and studio manager of F45 Training BGC Stopover, an Australian gym that pioneered in Manila. Starting with a vision to thoroughly understand the human body, he started with basic healthcare, got sidetracked to fitness and is now merging both through a telehealth startup company called Kakayanan, Filipino for “Ability”.

Using different channels, Josh aims to share science-based advice to improve the quality of life of Filipinos around the world and expats based in the Philippines.

Al Fresco dining in the Philippines is the ‘in thing’ right now. Not only due to the Summer season but also, the unique limitations of our friend Covid-19!

Tagaytay, at an altitude of 600-650m is the perfect spot to escape from Manila and quite literally, chill out. It is only a 60-80 minute drive from Makati. Here are the Top 5 family style, moderately priced restaurants with Al Fresco dining in Tagaytay:

1. FIRE LAKE GRILL

Arguably Tagaytay’s best steakhouse and only a few minutes’ drive from The Rotonda, Fire Lake Grill has unbeatable views over Lake Taal, and the Taal Volcano.

Hands on owner, Chef Paul Huang, is a very amiable chap.

Fabulous continental grill cuisine is on offer, (Meat/Fish/Pasta/Risotto/Salads, etc). Featuring a selection of wines from Zen Asia.

Fire Lake Grill has been consistently awarded as one of “The Philippines' Best Restaurants for 12 years running by Tatler Philippines.

Fire Lake Grill

Tagaytay Ridge Road

Unit 3 Cliffhouse Tagaytay

Tagaytay City, Cavite

Tel no: (046) 483-2069

Cell Phone no: 0927 914 4604

www.firelakegrill.com

2. NAPA GRILL

(Previously known as Don Limone)

Inspired by the beautiful wine growing region of northern California, Napa Grill is where the eclectic and farm fresh California cuisine meets the splendors of Tagaytay. You can find an abundance of locally grown produce, with a touch of Lebanese and Mexican influences. 

Napa Grill is owned and managed by, Allen and Betty Tadayon; a very hospitable couple. 

Created by a team of internationally experienced culinary professionals, Napa Grill's menu includes a wide range of fresh seafood and salads, grilled meats, and house baked breads. The Lebanese platter is superb!

Their large wine collection includes a great selection from Greece and Italy.

From the traditional wood burning fireplace to the romantic garden patio, Napa Grill offers a warm and rustic ambiance, for a memorable Tagaytay dining experience.

Napa Grill

1.1 km West of Mahogany

Market, 1.2 km West

For reservations call:

0932 873 2316 or 09175342568

facebook.com/donlimonegrill 

3. Marcia Adams’ Restaurant

Owned and operated by Chef Marcia and her entertaining English husband Neil Adams. This garden-based Mediterranean restaurant and events venue is right on the edge of Tagaytay.

There are 6 dining locations around the garden, and all areas use natural ventilation. The menu includes dishes from around the Mediterranean including  Spanish, French, Italian, Greek, Turkish and Moroccan cooking styles.

Complementing the home made food dishes is a range of fine wines from Zen Asia Inc. 

Marcia Restaurant is also a magic venue for private functions, weddings and corporate events. When there  are no special quarantine protocols in force, the restaurant can accommodate up to 200 guests. 

Marcia Adams’ Restaurant 

JP.Rizal St, Brgy Sikat, 4123 Alfonso, Cavite 

Located along the border of Tagaytay and

Alfonso, Cavite, across Ville Sommet.  

www.marciaadams.com

4. Breakfast at Antonio’s

If you love breakfast then Breakfast at Antonio’s is a must. They serve an all day breakfast and bistro style menu. Their extensive menu means they cater for all taste and its always been a hit when I’ve taken friends and family visiting from overseas. They even have a bakery so you can continue to enjoy freshly baked bread, home made jams and sweet treats in the comfort of your own home.

The restaurant interior is beautiful with large windows opening out to the picturesque view of Taal lake while you enjoy your meal. The cool breeze is a nice welcome after escaping the Manila heat or hiking up Taal Volcano.

Breakfast at Antonio’s is part of the Antonio’s group of restaurants all located in Tagaytay City. Each restaurant providing a unique ambience to the other, so check them out too.

Breakfast at Antonio’s

Emilio Aguinaldo Highway Barangay

Tagaytay

4120 Cavite

https://antoniosrestaurant.ph/breakfast-at-antonios/

5. Sonya's Garden

A bit like Singapore's status as a city within a garden, Sonya's Garden truly feels like a restaurant that has been worked into a beautiful garden. The level of Zen achieved is incredible. The abundance of plants, flowers and wholesome food create a peaceful and romantic afternoon. 

Their ability to cater for allergies with alternative and unique ingredients is certainly a plus for those who struggle. Though it's definitely recommended to book in advance if you're putting them to the challenge. 

You may even spot Sonya walking around the property checking on her plants. 

Sonya's Garden

Barangay Buck Estate

Alfonso

4123 Cavite

https://sonyasgarden.com 

If you're new to Manila and haven't made a trip down to Tagaytay yet, try to leave by 10am to beat the traffic. Most drivers take the South Super Highway via Santa Rosa route, but there are alternative more scenic and less stressful ways to and from Tagaytay. 

Your Author 

Lester Harvey is the managing director of Zen Asia Inc and lives between Manila and Cavite. Lester came from New Zealand to the Philippines over 44 years ago and has been supplying a full range of high quality wines to businesses across the country. 

Don't forget, members of ANZA Manila get an incredible special offer from Zen Asia Inc. Order one case (12 bottles), and  they'll give you one free bottle of our choice.

I’ve gotten fat over lockdown. My pants feel tight. I’m eating more and moving less. Due to coronavirus, my summer body will be postponed until 2022 (at least). Thank you Food Panda.

But let’s put this in perspective: a year’s worth of exercising less and stress-eating more isn’t a disaster. And that’s the point — gaining weight isn’t fun, but it isn’t a disaster.

Despite the fact we are going through an unprecedented pandemic, the prevailing message on social media right now is that we’re somehow supposed to be “making the most” of our time spent in lockdown. Write that novel! Organise your closet! Bake bread! Get fit!

Now, I don’t blame anyone for taking up a hobby in order to distract themselves. You can only have so many conversations with your dog until you begin to feel completely deranged. But that last one—the idea that we should be using all this “extra time” to lose weight, or at least not gain any—moves beyond feeling productive and gives into that societal fear I thought we were finally, thankfully, moving past: Getting “fat.”

So many worse things can happen. At a minimum, I could get a bad case of Covid-19, or someone close to me could get a bad case of Covid-19. I’m trying to practice self-compassion. As much of a broken record this must sound like by now, I will say it again: we are not living in normal times.

Besides, stress is bad for your immune system. For once, we shouldn’t feel guilty about relaxing, even if the relaxing comes with a side of gelato (I’m looking at you Farmacy). If it’s done in moderation and helps lower our stress, I say go for it.

Occasionally I fear that I’m treating the pandemic too much like a holiday. I have the privilege of working from home, so I spend most days in pajamas, on my bed, in a climate-controlled cave. I fear that I’ll get lazy and unmotivated from a year of doing, well, not much.

And I won’t know how true my fear is until I get vaccinated and live somewhat normally again. Yet, I’m also trying to be optimistic. I find myself dreaming about the holidays we will, hopefully, take in 2022. Bring it on.

Your Author 

Kimberly Fisher Horan is an Australian Fashion Editor, Stylist & Writer based in Manila Philippines. Co-Founder of Sitara Vintage & founder of TPNW shoes

Check out The Perfect Nude Wedge and Sitara Vintage to see Kimbo’s designs.

What a whirlwind this year has been. As many of your families have been through the ups and downs over this year. ANZA Manila certainly has too.

Cancelling the ball was tough, but a necessity to keep the community safe, and juggling the support for our members and community with financial restrictions created some interesting challenges.

However, our dedicated executive committee along with our kind hearted members persevered and smashed the challenge to get our association to a good place and thankfully we end this year on a high. We were still able to provide ₱712,000 in donations to Roots of Health Charity, we were able to raise ₱45,000 with F45 for the Typhoon relief projects and delivered a truckload of presents to the Children’s Hospital in Quezon City. Thank you to everyone who donated!

I want to say a massive thank you to the past Executive committee members Kelly, Shelley, Chris and Kelly for all of your hard work and handing over the reigns to our energised new members Sonia, Lauren and myself as president. A special thank-you to Daisy, Belinda and Mark for their years of service and continued support for our members.

ANZA Manila is in a much better place financially and have been hosting many events which we have been so happy to see you joining.

If you have any ANZ friends or people who want to get involved, encourage them to register their membership. We have some great plans for 2021 and can’t wait to see you all in the new year.

Merry Christmas to you all and your families from myself and ANZA Manila.

Cameron Quin

President

Australia & New Zealand Social Association

Our truck now doubles as a mobile clinic, in order to provide contraceptive services wherever they are needed. 

by Roots of Health 

We have now entered the last quarter of 2020, and have passed 6 months since the coronavirus pandemic changed our world. Palawan has continued to be on modified community quarantine, which requires everyone to use face masks and face shields whenever they leave their home, limits the number of people who can gather together in person, and continues to restrict the movements of people, including young people under the age of 21. Private schools began online classes in August, and the public schools resumed in early October. The Department of Education is employing blended learning techniques, and in Palawan, this entails parents picking up school packets for their children on Monday, and returning them answered on Friday. We have been told that there will be no in-person schooling until 2021, or until there is a readily-available vaccine.

While we cannot teach young people about their reproductive health in person, we have been engaging youth with informational and educational materials about reproductive health online using Facebook. In addition to generating content targeting adolescents, we have also created online groups for other people that influence the youth - groups for youth leaders, for parents, for teachers, and for community health workers. We believe that the more these stakeholders know about adolescent sexual and reproductive health, the better they can support young people in protecting their health and futures.

A Young woman receives her DMPA injection, which prevents pregnancy for three months.

Since young people and women still need contraceptive services, we have continued to operate our clinic with strict safety protocols. We have also continued to provide community-based services to people who request them, so that they can access their contraception from the safety of their own homes and communities. As long as our services are needed, we will continue to ensure that we meet the demands of our clients to help them protect their health.

One of our young clients opting to have an implant inserted, in order to avoid an unplanned pregnancy for three years.

I’d like to say a special thank you to Daisy Pope-Brien and her incredible team who worked so hard to raise support for our programs and services --- not an easy task given COVID and cancelled events! Thank you so much as well to all of the ANZA members and donors. We appreciate your generosity so much. COVID is testing our capacities and making our work ever-more challenging to carry out, but with supporters like all of you, I feel confident we will be able to continue providing women and young people the essential services they need to protect their health and safeguard their futures. Thank you for being our partner in this important work.

Another young client receives anesthesia to have her expired implant removed, and a new one put in.

I hope that you and your families are staying safe and healthy.

Amina Evangelista Swanepoel

Executive Director, Roots of Health 

It’s become fashionable to dislike Sauvignon Blanc, according to dinner party chatter recently.

At a table of eight people, five vehemently refused to touch a drop of it, even if they were trapped on a desert island and that’s all there was to drink. Two of us professed to like Sauvignon Blanc, and one felt ambivalent about this country’s top export wine.

With your ANZA Manila membership you can redeem a free bottle of wine from Zen Asia when purchasing a case. See offer

Taste in wine is subjective. Everyone can like or loathe whatever wine they choose, but this small survey runs counter to national sales figures if I’ve crunched the numbers correctly.

New Zealand’s 2019 vintage yielded 302,157 tonnes of Sauvignon Blanc grapes. According to the latest export statistics, 86% of that figure is likely to be exported. That leaves 42,301 tonnes of Sauvignon Blanc destined for the local market.

It also makes Sauvignon Blanc our most popular wine by a hefty margin. Pinot noir, the runner-up, produced 26,944 tonnes of grapes in 2019, and that’s before export figures are deducted. Chardonnay, then Pinot Gris follow close behind.

Sauvignon Blanc pays the bills, put New Zealand on the world wine map, and is a clear leader in the domestic consumption stakes. I think it deserves a little more respect.”

Bob Campbell MW Submitted by Lester A. Harvey, Managing Director of ZEN ASIA INC. importer of fine wines from NEW ZEALAND and AUSTRALIA

With your ANZA Manila membership you can redeem a free bottle of wine from Zen Asia when purchasing a case. See offer

If you have ever been involved in organising a large-scale event, you will know that it takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to give your attendees everything you have promised. Our committee who were tasked with organising this year’s Australia & New Zealand Association (ANZA) Charity Ball were no exception.

Through our networks and beyond, we claimed that our ball would be the event of the year and we were hellbent on making sure that those words were an understatement. Every detail was planned with thoughtfulness, resourcefulness and with the goal of making sure every attendee had their expectations shattered and thousands of dollars would be raised for our charity.

But that is not what happened...

Cancelling the Ball

I can vividly remember seeing the group whatsapp message suggesting we have to seriously consider cancelling the ball and my heart sinking. When we came face to face to discuss the next day, we had to make that hard decision to respect the views of our partners and to safeguard our members and friends. It would have been irresponsible if we had pushed through.

It was like running 41km in a marathon and not being able to enjoy crossing the line.

We decided that all of our hard work would not go in vein and to postpone rather than cancel, hoping to pick up the final stages later in the year once ‘this covid thing’ had passed.

As the months of isolation dragged on, we soon realised this was an unrealistic goal and decided to officially cancel the event and plan how to unwind everything.

So it not only felt like almost finishing the marathon, but like we were having to run all the way back to the start again.

Money Issues

Being a not-for-profit organization means we are not sitting on an abundance of cash to pay our ticket holders refunds and accept a loss on all the deposits we had made. We actually had staged targets [of ticket sales] to achieve our deposits, ability to run the event and then to make money for our charity on top.

Soon began the struggle of chasing up all of our paid deposits and begging on hands and knees for refunds. Of course, we weren’t the only organisation struggling and so this was not an easy task. After some thorough following up, we eventually managed to get some of those deposits back. Certainly not all of the deposits but thankfully our largest. The deposit paid for the venue hire was fully refunded. That venue was New World Hotel Makati and they deserve a lot of respect for the way things were handled.

Based on the amount of successful refunds we had received,  we calculated our maximum refund that we could give our ticket holders. It was a 70% partial refund. When we announced this and began the great ordeal of administering these refunds, we discovered a spectrum of attitudes. They ranged from demanding the full refund to can’t believing we managed as much as 70%. We of course were disheartened by the former and elated by the latter. Deep down, we knew we tried our best for our community.  

Raising Charitable Funds

Just before announcing the refund, we had decided we would still attempt to raise money for our charity despite not running the event. After all, the overall focus of the ball was raising much needed cash for Roots of Health. We had to try something. We had two ideas:

The first was setting up a system for people to request their refund and then giving the option to donate their refund instead. We weren’t sure if many would take this option but were delighted when almost 30% of our attendees agreed and some even gave a bit extra. Pure kindness.

We also had many prizes donated from local businesses for our auction at the ball. We had made contact with these businesses and requested to auction them off using an online platform instead of live at the ball. Again, to our surprise our community all got involved and made a variety of bids making sure all the prizes went to a good home and more funds were raised.

Overall, through ticket refunds, the online auction and some kind souls adding in some extras, we managed to raise 712,000PHP for Roots of Health which is being transferred this week.

Read their update on how the funds are being used. 

I don’t wish this experience upon anyone. We certainly gained a few wrinkles and lost a few nights sleep. But experiencing people’s compassion and seeing the final figure that we are transferring has made it all worth it.

Mark Blackwell

Communications - ANZA Manila