My sister-in-law is a hands-on working mom so I like to help her once in a while by taking my…read morelittle nephew to the mall during weekends. But since my nephew is almost two years old, he likes to run around, climb every elevated surface he sees, and fidget nonstop when instructed to sit and wait. Taking care of him is fun but tiring. One time in Mall of Asia, we passed by a Kiddy's Arts Town stall, he immediately showed interest because there were a lot of kids in the place. Before he could change his mind, I brought him inside the craft store and paid for a Color Buddy, an art product wherein kids can paint art patterns of their choice. My nephew's more musically inclined so I was afraid that he would not like the painting activity that entailed sitting for more than 10 minutes. I was surprised that he sat for about 15 minutes and was patiently splashing colors to his pattern of choice, which was a fish. The end product looked more like an amoeba than a fish but I was happy that I had fifteen minutes of respite from all the tugging and running. Plus, he was very proud of what he had done and kissed me profusely for letting him play with colors. We gifted my nephew's artwork to his lolo and lala. It's now framed and displayed in our home in the province.

More than five years ago I used to come here about twice a week. I love the group classes and the…read moreteachers, I used to get a great massage in the Fitness First Spa (now gone). Occasionally I'd still come here for special events. I came today because it was the only Fitness First gym I know open on Christmas day. The last time I was here was May 2015 so let's see if anything's changed. AIR-CONDITIONING/VENTILATION I remember writing on the club's complaint form a year ago because air conditioning was very bad. So bad that a lot of people would be leaving group classes especially RPM/cycling because it gets too warm in some parts of the room. But now it's very cold that I was shivering in the locker room. EQUIPMENT The tricep rope thing that attaches to the cable machine smells! Other machines were fine. Glad to see 2 preacher curl benches (gone in FF RCBC). Not all the workout benches used for the BodyStep class have the rubber that grips the floor! While they might be safe to use for BodyPump, be careful not to use them in Step classes. Bikes for RPM/Cycling are new-ish, can't complain about them. Yoga mats didn't smell bad. CLASSES I attended Crunch's BodyAttack and Ahlee's BodyStep class. Love both classes and teachers! It was my first time with Crunch who I think is one of the manager of the club. I kinda like the class atmosphere in this club, everyone's just doing their best to workout plus they seem to be enjoying what they're doing.

Fairly decent Gold's branch. This is the first Gold's Gym I've visited here in the Philippines…read more It's not as nice as the ones in the US. But they have most equiptments for your convenience. The only issue that I have with this one is, none seems to put the free weights back where they were supposed to be. It's amix and match of different weights, it'll take you a few minutes to find the matching dumbells. Airconditiining is also aost non existent. Especially if you work out around noon.

First time here for the Manila Live 2026. Nice venue. Clean environment. Comfort Rooms are clean…read more No toilet tissue or hand soap - will need bring your own. For a huge arena I would have thought the score board would be bigger. Overall it was a great experience. I did not walk around to see if there were concessions.

The Rizal Memorial Sports Complex may mean different things to different people: football stadium…read moreto the Azkals fans, martial arts dojo for the taekwondo and wushu practitioners, or badminton/tennis court for the avid players, etc. But for me, it will always be my most memorable playground, a.k.a. the place where I learned to swim, only two years ago. The sports complex may be known for its Olympic size pool, once the hallowed training ground of the members of the Philippine Team. What most don't know is that there are actually three pools side by side in the pool area: a small diving pool, 16-feet deep, if I remember correctly, where our Olympics contenders have tested their mettle; and a regular pool, half of the Olympic-size, four-feet deep, where swimming classes for kids and students are often held. It was in the latter pool were I was taught to swim. We were already working then, but my friend (the one who cajoled a.k.a. coerced me into taking lessons with her) and I persevered through learning how to kick, using a kickboard, mastering the freestyle breath, and enduring humiliation from the kids in the water with us. We used to just pay Php 60 to get in and use the pool for the whole day. (We paid a different rate to the instructor. The guards and staff at the sports complex recommend contacts for those who want to learn.) Sadly, the pools were declared closed to the public a few years back. One can still swim with their accedited instructors' supervision, though, or with a special permit from management (which may be requested).

I wouldn't recommend this location as a spot to take a girl on a date…read more A few things i would recommend they change: Keep the safety briefings professional Dont touch an adult or child without permission. If their harness needs adjusting use your words "can i adjust your harness" or "ma'am, can you tighten the strap"

Came here during the afternoon to try our hands at rock climbing. Payed 600 pesos for the whole…read moreday eith equipment (harness and shoes). If u sign up with them u get an additional 20% off i believe. If its your first time they give you a 15 min introduction course on how to climb, the different rules as well as how to belay and how to use the auto belay. It was very informative, and helpful, afterwards your on ur own to climb. There were a lot of different climbing stations. Approximately 25 or so, with 5 auto belay areas, each one having about 2 or 3 routes, varying in difficulty, and depending on the color od the hand holds. Each one went up about 20-30 feet. Upstairs they also had a bouldering area as well with nice thick padding since there was no harnessing. We spent a good 2 hours here and it was fun. My forearms and fingers were screaming after. But the place is nicely maintained, clean and comfortable. They had central air running which made it nice. The employees were attentive and watching but not oppressive by any means. The equipment were sturdy. The hand holds werent sticky at all. Nor were they loose. They felt very firm. The cords all look well maintained. They weren't frayed or coming apart. This is a very well put together rock climbing place. Will be back again when im in the area.

We all know that basketball is part of our culture as Filipinos. Boys or girls, young or just young…read moreat heart, NBA or PBA or UAAP or just your neighbourhood basketball liga, Pinoys are just into this sport. I guess this explains why in most parts of the Metro, it's impossible for you not to see basketball courts - whether it's an indoor hardwood court, open cement court or even a makeshift half court on the streets. Some basketball courts have been put up for quite some time and recently, there have been a good number of new basketball courts that are popping in the city. Since my boyfriend is into basketball (just like most boys are, really) and has been regularly joining different basketball leagues, I have been exposed to a few different basketball courts. One that I have frequently gotten to visit is the Dumlao Gym found along Shaw Boulevard. The gym has been an institution for many generations of (pro and non-pro) basketball players living in the Mandaluyong area. The very first time I saw the façade of Dumlao, I wanted to run. It looked like a horror movie's set! Hahahaha! The gym definitely looked older than most courts I've seen based on the structure of the building. Despite this, a lot of professional and amateur basketball leagues have set this as their stage. I should know, I've watched countless of Pau's games in Dumlao, from different leagues, mind you. Dumlao Gym has 2 indoor basketball courts found on the first and second floor. Upon entering the gym, you will see trophies, newspaper cut outs and other memorabilia of the person the gym is named after - Cesar Dumlao. (Quick trivia: Cesar Dumlao used to be a basketball superstar back in the day. He was actually recorded to have had 162 points in one game. I don't know much about playing ball but I think that's pretty extraordinary!) For someone who watches games at Dumlao, one major complain that I have with it is the humidity and temperature inside the gym. It has poor ventilation and can really make you feel exhausted especially between 11am - 2pm, which is usually the time they have their games. Dumlao has shower rooms available for men and women, which my boyfriend says is pretty decent. I've only ever been to the normal bathrooms. They are clean but also a bit old. They also have a small sari-sari store where you can buy drinks and munchies while watching the games. Dumlao Gym is open 24/7 so all you hard core basketball fanatics can go here to play. Price of court rental at Dumlao is 900/hour. The courts can also be used for volleyball games and badminton competitions!

Dumlao Gym is one of the most commonly used basketball courts in Manila because of its central…read morelocation. Barring bad traffic, all it takes is a short drive to get here. Having said that, I'm not exactly a fan of playing at Dumlao. First off, parking is extremely limited. There are two basketball courts so you can only imagine how crazy it is when all the players bring cars. If you arrive and there are no slots available, you're out of luck and you will have to look somewhere else. The façade of the building looks decrepit as well. It's an old building and you immediately see it both inside and out. What Dumlao has going on for them is that they're open 24 hours, 7 days a week. This is good especially for call center employees who are night owls and might not have another place to play at.

This club has a sleepy, low-key, more easygoing vibe compared to the other country clubs in the…read moremetro that are more into activities, activities, activities. It's located a bit farther, in the hills of Antipolo, but I think that contributes to a more naturally beautiful landscape for the golf greens. Valley Golf's much more dedicated to golf actually, and despite having that more laidback "personality," it still has regular patrons from oldtimer members and their guests to newbies. It consistently gets full on weekends! I've never tried golfing myself and have always just gone straight to the club's swimming pool, haha. I like that pool because there are hardly any people and you can just do laps or float along to your heart's content. Once, my friends and I even set up a blanket poolside for tanning. Haha! It's that private. The maintenance staff generally leave you alone once you show up there, but a lifeguard immediately pops up. The pool's big and kidney-shaped, and goes pretty deep at the farther end so be careful. There's a kiddie pool over on one side though for children. Shower & changing rooms are right there too, separate from the golf showers. The amenities at Valley Golf are pretty dated but they've steadily been improving through the years. The men's and women's locker rooms have been refurbished, and so have the gym and lobby/reception area. The restaurant's also been renovated and a new caterer currently services it. Good stuff! You can even have them serve the food poolside. There's also a gym somewhere, a golf shop, lounges, and function halls where you can hold events. Valley Golf's always a great lazy weekend hangout.

I've been to many badminton courts in the Metro, but The Zone remains to be my favorite. For one,…read moreit is conveniently located if one lives and works within Makati CBD. After work, I just walk to the court. I don't need to bring my car, even if there are ample street parking slots in front of the building. The Zone has a total of fifteen standard badminton courts. Six of which have wood flooring, while nine are equipped with Taraflex material. There's also a basketball court complete with digital scoring system. The shower and comfort rooms are air-conditioned and personal lockers are also available. A food stall in the receiving area makes sure that players don't have to worry about drinks and food. If you forget to bring accessories, there's even a small store that offers sports socks, apparel, and other badminton stuff. Recently, The Zone improved its security by placing surveillance cameras in strategic places inside and outside the building. With this, fees and court rentals have slightly increased. At present, the entrance fee is PHP 75.00 per person. During peak hours, weekends, and holidays, you can rent a Taraflex court for PHP 300.00 per hour, while a wood court can be used for PHP 250.00 an hour. A play-all-you-can promo is available during weekdays from 6:00am to 5:00pm for just PHP 150.00 per person. The basketball court rate is PHP 1,500.00 per hour during off-peak time and PHP 2,000.00 for peak hours.

The Zone Badminton Court has one of the best locker rooms among all the badminton courts that I've…read morebeen to within its price range. Nicely laid badminton court mat. However, some courts are damaged and they just patched the damages instead of replacing them. White stuff coming from the ceiling also fall down which I assume are bird feathers. They did not even bother to fix the damaged lights. Most of the staff are either lazy or rude. I have only come across two staff members who are nice so far (mostly women). Half of the time that we go there, they do not automatically turn on the exhaust on each court. We either have to turn it on ourselves or go back to the counter to ask them to turn it on, which, of course, consumes the time that we paid. Rudest of all is the guy receptionist who I think is on his late 20s or 30s. He once switched the light off of our court when we just started playing. When approached, not even one apology was heard from that guy or from any of the staff present. This guy also tends to answer sarcastically. They also have a very inconsistent rescheduling policy. Or so said this guy. We have asked to reschedule more than once before this incident because of an unexpected conflict on our schedule. We thought that that would be better instead of cancelling. All of the receptionists that we talked to have always been happy to accommodate this. However, on one eventful day, same receptionist guy said that they don't allow rescheduling even if it is on the same time period that we have scheduled and that it should be done at least 2 days before our supposed schedule. That is the first time that we have heard of that policy although guy insists that that is always how things go. Weird how that is not how it always was for us and only happened when he was the one we're talking to. When asked about this rescheduling fiasco and the unwarranted-turning-off-of-the-court-lights-incident, this receptionist guy even taunted that we should go there so we can discuss it in person. AGAIN, NO APOLOGY WAS HEARD. They suck at complaint resolution. Lastly, expect that when your schedule is near their closing time, they will turn off your court light without any warning 1-2 minutes before the supposed end of your playing time.