Binondo, Manila | Chinese New Year in Binondo

The Stoked Traveler has always been awed by Chinese history, culture, arts and the mysticism of their practices. What better way to celebrate all these than to be at the core of everything Chinese in Manila – Binondo.

How Much To Save To Become Wealthy!

Everyone wants to become wealthy!

But what does being wealthy mean?

Literally and figuratively, from the Pera Palaguin Publications and financial literacy seminars of Colayco Foundation, being wealthy simply means one is able to sustain his/her chosen cost and kind of lifestyle without having to work.

How old are you today?

How much is your monthly gross salary today?

How much money do you have NOW that you can save & invest and not touch until you fully retire?

Find out how much you need to save to become wealthy by using our online financial calculator.

Plan your leaves with this 2012 holiday guide

Planning your limited leaves and taking advantage of these holidays will help give you the much needed fuss-free vacation you'll need to survive the year. Here are a few tips on when to file your leaves for 2012.

• January 23 - A long weekend coming up very soon! Want to have a longer weekend? Take a leave on January 20 (friday) or January 24 (tuesday)
• April 5-9 - Holy week vacation starts and ends with Araw ng Kagitingan. A very long vacation to have but plan early to avoid the peek season rate rush
• May 1 - Take up a vacation leave on April 30 to enjoy a long weekend's rest before Labor day
• June 12 - Take up a vacation leave on June 11 to enjoy a long weekend's rest
• August 21 & 27
• Take a leave on August 20 (monday) or August 24 (friday) to take advantage of a longer vacation on these dates
• November 1,2 & 30
• Take a leave on November 5 (monday) to extend your November holiday. These gives you time to visit the cemetery during the weekdays and find some R&R with a longer weekend.
• You can also opt to extend the Bonifacio Day holiday by taking a leave on December 3 (monday).

These makes up most of the local holidays. There are a few privileged cities that declare non-working days too (i.e. Taguig city day, Quezon City day etc). Make sure to watch out for these and plan your trips ahead