GK's Tony Meloto

By Antonio “Tony” Meloto

Let us always value our greatest asset and wealth: the Filipinos. We have lost our greatest treasure because we have forgotten majority of our fellowmen, as poverty brutalized our people. If you believe in turning the poor into our assets, like how we are helping them through Gawad Kalinga (means to “to give care”), then share with us the goal of building a prosperous first world nation through the following:

Expand your market. We at Gawad Kalinga share the value of Microsoft founder Bill Gates (which he cited at his Harvard University commencement speech in 2007): Bridge social inequity to add to the business profit. Wealthy Filipino families here have started to discover that it is to their advantage to donate lands and build communities, like what the Concepcions, Del Rosarios, Hilados, Dimayugas, Laurels, and Lopezes, to cite a few, do – all helping and believing in what Gawad Kalinga advocates for the poor.

Migrate from philanthropy to stewardship. If you want to help, think about nation-building. At Gawad Kalinga, from our people to our sponsors, we are not building houses as a temporary solution – we remove the ugly structures that result in peace and order and trigger economic activities. Like in Murcia, Negros Occidental, the local government bought five hectares of land at P200,000 per hectare. When Gawad Kalinga built 250 homes, the land value now is at P2 million per hectare. This is the first time we see in the Philippines a large scale donation of land made for the poor.

Create templates for development. For instance, around 400 major corporations have already partnered with Gawad Kalinga building homes for the homeless, putting up livelihood, and creating sustainable communities. Even rival businesses like Colgate-Palmolive, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever; Smart and Globe; and Petron and Shell, partnered with us. Their likes united because they see partnering with Gawad Kalinga not as a charity, but as a work of nation-building. They chose to help a cause that doesn’t necessarily appeal to their pocket and they have gone beyond conventional CSR (corporate social responsibility). They are also putting in their people’s expertise, to also let trigger their interest, realize their talent, and achieve potential for their greatness.

Choose to help one with the most impact. Like those corporations and wealthy families, if you want to help, pick an organization or a cause that have the highest credibility and attract the most people, like from the academe, businesses, and other non-government organizations (NGOs) here and abroad, as credibility will what also make an activity massive and sustainable. If you choose to help Gawad Kalinga, you will see and feel the impact of your contribution, because what we’re doing is visible, quantifiable, and replicable.

Help a group that attracts diversity. We also attract collective response, like how rival corporations, NGOs, among others, are partnering with us to realize our cause. You can’t achieve the highest impact unless you are willing to work with other experts as well as humanitarian and philanthropic groups. That is how we work in Gawad Kalinga. We do that and we also want our business partners prosper, the political leaders to love this country, build a first world Philippines, and raise a first class Filipino who honors the nation and God.

ANTONIO MELOTO is the founder and executive director of the Gawad Kalinga Development Foundation, with vision for the Philippines to be a slum-free, squatter-free nation. Together with its partners, Gawad Kalinga is now in the process of transforming poverty stricken areas with the goal of building 700,000 homes in 7,000 in 7 years (2003-2010), and is in over 900 communities all over the Philippines and in other developing countries. In 2006, Gawad Kalinga and Meloto received the 2006 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership, the first from the Asian Nobel Prize to bestow such to both an individual and an organization.

A field guide to hotel buffets
By Amabella Jimenez

During an economic crunch, people can forgo traveling or watching movies. But Filipinos can never forgo their love for eating. And when the game is on, there’s no other arena to play but hotel buffets! But why would you want to spend top peso for a lunch you didn’t enjoy? In this consumer guide, we reviewed six hotel buffets in terms of selection, taste, and value for money. It’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it.

BASIX
Dusit Thani Manila

If you haven’t dropped by the new and improved Dusit Thani Manila, you’re missing quite a lot. The renovated interiors of the former Dusit Hotel Nikko are impressive. The main restaurant, located at the lobby, is called Basix, is positioned as an all-day dining restaurant. If you’re looking for variety but don’t want to be overwhelmed with a dizzying array of choices, this is a good choice.

You can find the regular comfort buffet offerings such as smoked salmon, sushi, and meat carvings (we love the rib-eye!), but turn a corner and you’ll be delighted with small surprises such as tom yum, pineapple bread, among others. The best surprise – the roast duck is served a la peking duck style (skin and meat sliced thinly, then wrapped in crepe along with spring onions and hoisin). There’s nothing basic about Basix.

True to being an international buffet, it serves Western and Asian dishes. But there is also the addition of Arabic dishes (taboulle, tatsiki) as well as halal food. The dishes are tasty and flavorful. If you like spice, Basix doesn’t disappoint, as it offered a good number of hot-tasting dishes (the chili for the dimsum can set your tongue on fire!). The experience is further heightened with its modern interiors. The price is actually quite reasonable. And on weekends, for just P300 more, it’s all-you-can-eat at all their five specialty restaurants (you have to check out the beautifully designed Umu). It is definitely a steal!

HITS
• Lots of live stations
• Offers great, spicy dishes
• Wide selection of raw food (lamb, beef, pork, chicken, prawns, oysters, mussels, squid, salmon, and tuna) for grilling
• Wide variety of pastries from the different mousses, panna cota to native fare such as bibingka, halo-halo. Plus yummy home-made ice cream
• Very reasonable price
• Hotel-wide, all-inclusive weekend buffets
MISSES
• Live cooking was not consistent. Lamb was cooked perfectly the first time but not the second time around; mussels were baked with too much garlic
• The tom yum soup was a little bit sweet than expected, considering this is a Thai-owned hotel
BEST: Spicy dishes
PRICE: P1,150 nett weekdays/P1,450 nett weekends inclusive of buffet at their Japanese, Thai, and Italian restaurants)
CONTACT: Lobby Level, Dusit Thani, Ayala Center, Makati City | 867-3333 ext. 3346 |
www.dusit.com/en/hotels/philippines/manila/dusit_thani/restaurants/basix.html

HEAT
EDSA Shangri-La

The wide open space greets you as your heart races in anticipation of the food. Everything is beautifully presented. HEAT (which stands for Healthy Eating, Amazing Tastes) boasts of 11 stations including Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Italian, and Western, as well as 20 interactive stations. If there’s one thing consistent across Shangri-La properties, it’s that seafood abounds (prawns, scallops, crab, oysters, and mussels, among others) and is always fresh. The prawns in particularly look like they were on steroids as they were the biggest and plumpest we’ve ever seen. Heat was also the only one among the roster that served scallops. We had both sautéed in garlic and butter and they were mouth-watering.

There’s a live pasta station with all kinds of toppings. For meat lovers, you’ll be excited to find roast beef (very tender), lamb chops, and prime rib (very good). There are also shabu-shabu and noodles stations. We particularly liked the Oriental station (with a Hong Kong-trained chef), which served hot dimsum (plump hakaw), Chinese barbecue, and peking duck. The Filipino selection was limited to a few dishes (you really can’t go wrong with inihaw na baboy).

What we noticed also is that HEAT will never lack for sauces and dips. Even the dessert is not just the usual ice cream, cakes, and pastries. You can have ice cream mixed on the frozen marble. They have a live crepe station and a wooden pail of fresh taho!

HEAT is truly value for money (the weekday price is not bad at all). It has a great combination of taste and selection. No wonder the place is always fully packed!

HITS
• The wide selection, not overwhelming and confusing because of the efficient layout
• Seafood galore – and the plumpest prawns you can find (plus scallops)
• Lots of meat selections
• Great Chinese dishes
• The dessert selection is varied, even surprising
MISSES
• No prawn tempura during weekdays
BEST: Seafood
PRICE: P1,292.55 nett weekdays / P1,784.95 nett weekends
CONTACT: Level 1, EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, 1 Garden Way, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City| 633-8888 ext. 2738/2739 |
www.shangri-la.com/en/property/manila/edsashangrila/dining/restaurant/heat

CAFÉ JEEPNEY
InterContinental Manila

Café Jeepney is practically an institution among hotel habitués and newsmakers as it’s been around for decades. While the hotel has undergone renovation, the Filipino-themed restaurant needs a little updating. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a sumptuous Filipino fiesta (and throw in a few international dishes here and there), Café Jeepney is a nice hangout.

The variety of Filipino dishes is what makes this hotel buffet different. If other hotels promote dishes from other countries, Café Jeepney’s monthly promotion is on our country’s different regions. For instance, last July, they featured dishes from Pampanga, which was a huge success for its diners (it’s not surprising since they were whipped up by the most respected name in traditional Kapampangan cuisine today, Lilian Borromeo of Cucina ng Atching).

We happened to do the review in August, when the theme was seafood, of which there was a wide selection – tanigue, red mullet, salmon, tuna, pampano, prawns, and oysters, among others. You can have them grilled to your liking at the sole live station (there were also lamb and chicken skewers). We weren’t bowled over with the appetizers and grilled meat.

But if there’s one thing that stands out among the rest, it’s the prime rib. Maybe it’s because Prince Albert Rotisserie is just across. Whatever, the prime rib is a must-eat, as it is succulent and mouth-watering, layered with all the goodness of steak fat.

The other highlight: the Filipino dessert selection (with the halo-halo, bibingka, puto seco, and other native sweets). They can’t go wrong with dessert.

HITS
• Dessert – they have their winning mango crepe samurai and delicious bibingka
• Perfect for a business lunch where you want simpler choices
• The best rib-eye among the bunch
MISSES
• Chefs did not seem that helpful
• Grilling took a little longer than expected; grilled meats and appetizers not that great
BEST: Prime rib
PRICE: P1,261 nett weekdays and weekends
CONTACT: Ground Floor, InterContinental Manila, No. 1 Ayala Avenue, Makati City | 793-7000 | www.ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental/en/gb/locations/hotel-features/dining/restaurants/manila

MARKET CAFÉ
Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila

The new Hyatt is a little kitschy with its yellow-painted exteriors (though it certainly makes it easy to spot). But its 24-hour Market Café is as classy as it can get. The first thing you notice as you enter is how interactive the buffet setup is. These live cooking stations which they call “show kitchens” are the main attraction.

And true to its name, Market Café evokes a feeling of being in a marketplace (a very nice one at that!) and shopping around for fresh meat and seafood. At the same time, it feels like your very own kitchen as you hand over your “market buys” to the friendly chefs behind the different counters who will whip up any dish you want. As requested, the prawns were cooked perfectly in butter, garlic, and chili, while the oysters were baked with the perfect mixture of cheese and garlic. As for the grilled meats, we were a little disappointed with the lamb and Norwegian salmon (and no steak!).

But we loved the plump tempura (Executive Sous Chef Mark Biddle says they use the freshest ingredients; the prawns for instance are peeled and cut in the morning), plump dimsum, crabsticks wrapped in bacon, and the Singaporean dishes (beef rendang, black peppered crabs, and prawn sambal), which were featured for that month (they even flew in a chef from Singapore for this).

The real clincher, however, was the roast duck, hands down the best among hotel buffets. It was truly succulent and will make anyone moan with delight. It is served with plum sauce and drizzled in Market Café’s own secret sauce.

For dessert, you get the typical pastries and ice cream but with a surprising twist. There’s green tea crème brûlée, not the usual ice cream flavours (walnut, dark chocolate, pistachio) with real chunky bits, and three different kinds of sherbet to cleanse your palate. Don’t miss out on the pavlova which is a heavenly mixture of meringue, cream, and everything else that will make any sweet tooth lover’s eyes glaze with delight.

HITS
• Includes unlimited canned soda and beer that you just grab from the huge glass refrigerators (the only one in the roster that offers this; the rest only includes coffee or tea in the price)
• The selection is not overwhelming but there is enough for variety
• The food has surprising twists, especially the desserts
• Unbelievably tasty roast duck
MISSES
• The grilled meats were not as good
BEST: Roast duck
PRICE: P1,388 nett weekdays / P1,518 nett weekends
CONTACT: 3rd Floor, Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila, 1588 Pedro Gil cor. M.H. Del Pilar, Malate, Manila | 245-1234 | manila.casino.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/entertainment/restaurants/index.jsp

RESTAURANT 5
Discovery Suites

Sometimes, you just want a quiet lunch, with just enough variety, and the taste of good, home-cooked, comfort food. And Restaurant 5 at Discovery Suites offers just that. With just nine dishes and two kinds of rice, the selection is not overwhelming but just right. Here, more is not necessarily better.

There is a live station that serves pasta and paella on some days (at night, it’s Mongolian barbecue). There’s also spicy, flavorful dishes (Malaysian chicken curry) since they have a lot of European and Indian guests. The Spanish rice was yummy, as well as the cream dory with tomato and olives, lechon kawali, and saffron lamb blanquette.

We also like the fresh, fat tuna and salmon sashimi and the plump oysters, which are always available with a variety of dipping sauces, including refreshing granite with the kick of ginger. There is also a panini and pizza station as well as a daily roast carving station. The salad bar contains a variety of interesting dressings. Chef David Pardo de Ayala also likes to experiment as seen in the dessert (papaya almond terrine, passion fruit panna cotta, grasshopper pie, and mango tiramisu). If you like to discover new desserts, you’d appreciate it; otherwise, the only familiar dessert was the halo-halo and the crème brûlée, which unfortunately wasn’t to our liking). Of course, Discovery Suites is known for offering lots of breads and cheeses.

Restaurant 5 is a quiet venue for intimate gatherings, perfect for that day when you want good food but not really after the excitement of having wide variety and live stations. It’s all about comfort food. And at only P795, it’s the most affordable lunch buffet in the roster.

HITS
• Comfort food that’s tasty and pleasing to the palate
• Perfect for intimate, quiet lunches
• Cream cheese
• Cream dory

MISSES
• Limited choices, although that’s the whole point
• Desserts may be too experimental for some
BEST: Spanish rice
PRICE: P795 nett lunch / P695 nett dinner, weekdays only

CONTACT: 5th Floor, Discover Suites, 25 ADB Ortigas Center Pasig City | 683-8222 | www.discoverysuites.com/facilities.htm

SPIRAL
Sofitel Philippine Plaza

For many, Spiral at Sofitel Philippine Plaza is the mother of all hotel buffets. This is one buffet you have to prepare for your stomach for, it being the longest and the most number of dishes at one time (320 for crying out loud!).

The good thing about this multi-cuisine, open cooking station setup is the sheer variety (Japanese, Italian, Greek, Indian, Western, Chinese, you name it). The bad thing is it can’t possibly offer everything perfectly.

But let’s get the bad stuff out of the way. We’re not so crazy with the carvings. The lamb and prime rib were not as good as the others we tasted. Some of the dishes were not warm and have lost their crisp, due to the sheer quantity. We also didn’t like the Indian dishes.

Now on with the good points: for one, the chefs know their stuff.  Spiral consistently baked the most perfect oysters among the hotel buffets we reviewed. The chefs will even suggest which sauce to dip them in. We loved the shrimp toast which you can add fresh honey on top (another great suggestion by the chef).

We like the dishes served at the Japanese station, with its wide selection of sashimi, tempura, yakitori, and sukiyaki, among others. We also enjoyed the filo and moussaka among the Greek dishes. And the Chinese selection is superb – dimsum, barbecue, roast duck, noodles, they’re all good.

Spiral made a point to offer cuisine vitale, which is healthy, organic food. For instance, they use pamora free-range chicken as well as sugar-free desserts. We liked the tiny signage on these dishes detailing the nutritional value. You won’t also pass up the appetizers and cheeses because they are delicatessen, not the usual cold cuts. And it’s a haven for dessert lovers – ice cream, halo-halo, crepes, cakes, pastries and even churros!  And of course being a French hotel, they serve their beloved crème brûlée in three variants – vanilla, mocha, and chocolate. They also have Chinese sweets. One of the must-haves: their very popular chocolate chip cookies.

HITS
• Live stations feature great consistent cooking from chefs
• The Japanese and Chinese stations; some Greek dishes
• Good seafood selection
• It offers cuisine vitale
• There’s always something for everyone: if you don’t like a certain cuisine, there’s a whole lot of others to choose from

MISSES
• Meat carvings not too great
• Some dishes are no longer as fresh
• Layout was just a little bit confusing; for instance, Japanese hot dishes were separate from sushi and sashimi, and one can overlook the inside counters, where you could miss great finds like the tempura, eel, and filo
BEST: Spanish rice
PRICE: P1,704.80 nett weekday / P2,318.90 nett weekend
CONTACT: Lower Lobby, Sofitel Philippine Plaza, CCP Complex Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City | 551-5610 | www.sofitel.com/fichehotel/gb/sof/6308/fiche_restaurant.shtml

If you have the money but not the time or expertise to manage it, turn to a wealth manager
By Tina Arceo-Dumlao

One reason why the rich get richer is that they know what to do with their money, thanks to access to all kinds of information and advice to guide their financial decisions. They pick the brains of consultants, exchange notes with colleagues, surf the Internet or watch business news to keep abreast of the volatile movements in the financial markets.

And in exchange for the commitment to deposit a chunk of their money for some time, foreign and local banks are willing to be yet another source of useful information, even taking on the role of primary financial adviser and estate planner of these moneyed individuals.

These are all part of the wealth management programs offered by a growing number of banks in the Philippines who realize that there is a burgeoning group of Filipinos who have the cash and want to get more out of their investments than just a measly monthly interest.

Banks are exerting extra effort to go after this market because these clients represent a steady deposit base and an elite list that are more likely to patronize their other banking products, such as business loans and even platinum credit cards, with low or even no risk of running away from their obligations.

Competition is predictably stiff and like suitors after the belle of the ball, they woo these high net-worth clients through services and perks, such as concert tickets, movie passes, invitations to members-only events, and a plush, quiet area where they can do their transactions in private. In the end, these cash-flush Filipinos go to those banks where they feel they can get the most for their money.

Now if you think wealth management services are just for the ultra-rich, think again. The minimum entry, while steep for most Filipinos, is certainly attainable for the upper-middle class. If you’re looking for professional financial advisors who can give you more personalized service and access to more sophisticated investments, consider these major players.

HSBC Premier
HSBC is one of the first foreign banks to offer wealth management programs in the Philippines, thus it has been able to attract a lot of high net-worth individuals to its fold. For a deposit of P4 million, you can get access to a suite of benefits that the bank claims are among the best in its class.

For instance, clients of HSBC Premier (www.hsbcpremier.com.ph) do their business in specially designed HSBC Premier Centers that are separate from the regular banking offices. These centers are designed for lounging so clients get access to the Internet, newspapers, and magazines, and are served freshly brewed coffee. And they are attended to by their own relationship manager in meeting offices where privacy is king.

Their designated relationship manager also helps clients draw up a financial plan to maximize the return on their investments depending on their risk appetite and investment objectives. Some clients, for instance, may want to invest more in high-risk stocks rather than fixed-income securities. They may even want to explore opportunities to invest in securities abroad. Whatever their decision, the relationship manager is there to advice or execute their request.

What’s more, if you are an HSBC Premier client, you are recognized for your special status not only in the Philippines but also in over 250 HSBC Premier centers in over 30 countries. You only need to show your card to get the attention you deserve (and are paying for).

Aside from investment services, HSBC also offers special packages for Premier clients such as special concerts and even Ikebana classes and wine tasting sessions. The key, HSBC says, is to provide a combination of services that even people with already a lot of money are still looking for.

Standard Chartered Bank Priority Banking
Standard Chartered’s Priority Banking centers were already eye-catching with their modern interiors, suite of amenities, and hotel-like services. But StanChart further improved on the look and the services through the years. And the four centers in Alabang, Makati, Ortigas, and Cebu are doing their share in reeling customers in.

But wealth management services involve more than just providing elegant surroundings, explains Abigail del Rosario, general manager for customer experience of StanChart. She says that wealth management is really more about providing clients with the best in financial management services.

For a minimum deposit of P2.5 million or $50,000, you can get access to StanChart’s services, such as investment advice through newsletters and through highly-trained advisers. “Our investment people undergo a lot of training to make sure that they give good financial advice,” Abigail says.

Aside from advice, you as a Priority Banking client (www.standardchartered.com/ph) also get a prequalified SCB Gold Card, a customized checkbook wallet if you have a checking account, a welcome gift, invitation to special sales and seminars for you and your family, access to talks on investment and economic briefings, and even free company advertisements in the Priority Banking newsletter.

And since everybody loves a discount (even multi-millionaires), you are accorded special price promotions in hotels, resorts, furniture shops, boutiques, and spas, to name a few, all in keeping with the unique lifestyle of the rich and famous.

And in recognition of the mobile lifestyle of top executives and high net-worth individuals, StanChart Priority Banking clients here get access to Priority Banking centers worldwide to ensure seamless service.

Citibank CitiGold Wealth Management
Citibank is focused on helping clients achieve their financial goals and aspirations and for a minimum deposit of P4 million or $80,000, Citigold clients can get all that and more. For Citibank, wealth management involves a careful blend of thorough planning, realistic goal setting, appropriate financial products, informed decisions, and ongoing performance monitoring and evaluation.

One of the key components of Citigold’s (www.citibank.com.ph)approach to wealth management is the Citigold Wealth Planner, a financial needs analysis tool developed exclusively for Citigold clients.

“We use it to assess the overall financial situation, including where they are now and where they want to go. With that assessment, we can recommend the appropriate financial strategy to help them achieve their goals,” says Aneth Lim, head of Citibank’s public relations and communications department.

As a Citigold client, you also have access to a wealth management team that prepares your customized financial plan, assist in reviewing your portfolio, and facilitate the wealth planning session.

In keeping with the 24/7 lifestyle, a Citigold Phone Executive is on hand for round-the-clock assistance from your home and office. You also have full day and night access to your accounts via telephone, ATM, or the Internet. You may also choose to enroll in Citibank Alerts to receive free text messages or e-mail alerts on bank and credit card movements as well as news on financial markets.

You also enjoy Citibank Global Access which lets allows you to make emergency cash withdrawals of up to $2,000 when traveling abroad, and gives preferential rates on foreign currency exchange and access to Citigold lounge areas and meeting rooms in over 250 Citigold centers in 12 Asia Pacific countries.

For business owners keeping tabs on their operational expenses, employee payrolls, creditor disbursements, and other monetary transactions, a passbook is a necessity yet inadequate as a record book in itself because of its limited, generalized entry cells.

To simplify the process of expense monitoring and accounts reconciliation, especially for SME owners who does not employ an accountant regularly, RCBC Savings Bank (RSB) has revamped the ordinary passbook into a more convenient, more detailed and handy bookkeeper: the new RSB e.Passbook Savings Account.

Available to savings account depositors of RCBC Savings Bank (RSB), the new RSB e.Passbook has an expanded and innovative format that accommodates more transaction details. Entrepreneurs, for instance, will have other convenient details such as their account numbers, specific types of transaction (fund transfer, bills payment, etc.) branch address, and other entries. Thus, enhancing their usual deposit/withdrawal records

The RSB e.Passbook can be linked to a Checking account and perform automatic balance transfers when needed.  And it comes with an ATM card for Personal accounts. To get the RSB e.Passbook, depositors need to make an initial deposit and maintaining balance of P30,000.

Donna Kristine Marcelo, Vice President for Marketing of RCBC Saving Bank, says that the e.Passbook is the ideal tool for clients who perform a greater volume of transaction than ordinary depositors.

“With the RSB e.Passbook, clients get the financial details they need as soon as the transaction is made. It’s all recorded in one convenient form,” she said.

The RSB e.Passbook is also ideal for busy executives who need to keep track of several personal expenses, and even homemakers who want detailed bookkeeping of the family’s income flow.

To inquire about the new e.Passbook Savings Account, call tel. no. 633-6749 or visit the nearest RCBC Saving bank.

Your deposit could be your ticket to see the Northern Lights or join an Antarctic Dream Cruise. Citi is opening doors for clients to go on an unforgettable travel adventure in its latest campaign. Dubbed the Great Arctic Eco Tour promotion, Citibank Philippines and Citibank Savings depositors have the chance to win a trip for two to the Arctic region while enjoying access to world class banking products and services.

To join, simply open an account with at least P2 million from August 1 to October 31, 2008 and earn four raffle chances. Every P500,000 additional booking will entitle customers to another raffle coupon. Clients may choose to open a savings or checking account, a time deposit or invest in a special deposit account or other investment products through Citibank affiliates during the promotion period.

Existing clients are also eligible to join by bringing in fresh funds of at least P500,000, which will earn them one raffle coupon.

Two winners will be drawn from Citibank, while one winner will be picked from Citibank Savings.  At stake are two roundtrip tickets with free accommodations to the Arctic Circle. An array of Arctic tours can be selected such as: (1) Tour the Antarctic via the Antarctic Dream Cruise to see its interesting wildlife including Polar bears, Arctic Foxes, reindeers, pink-footed geese, breeding ivory gulls, and walruses; or (2) Visit Norway to experience the marvelous Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights, the breathtaking natural colored light displays visible at night in the North sky.

Aside from the chance to experience this trip of a lifetime, new Citibank Philippines and Citibank Savings depositors may also bring home a welcome gift if they open their account within August. Deposits or investments starting at P2 million will be entitled to a welcome gift of a Philips Portable DVD Player. Meanwhile, deposits or investments starting at P4 million will accord the client Citigold status and as such will be entitled to a Philips MP3 Dock with Clock Radio and FM Digital Tuning.  Citigold is the wealth management banking service of Citibank.

For more information, log on to www.citibank.com.ph or you may also visit the Citibank Philippines or Citibank Savings branch nearest you.