It's been three days since Typhoon Paeng made landfall in Virac, Catanduanes but even though he is almost outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), he is still devastating North Luzon, specifically us here in the Cordilleras.
Several road accidents, fallen trees, and tree branches were reported, aside from the usual reports of farmers doing their best to salvage their crops. Power is also out for more than 24hrs in most areas. (You may visit Beneco - Benguet Electric Cooperative FB page for more info regarding the power outage.)
In times like this, people like me, who have work to finish, rush to coffee shops or malls to try to finish our work and charge our gadgets. But since we're a tourist spot, and it so happens that it's a long holiday because of 'All saints day,' most tourists also flock to our malls to at least make their stay worth it while we are all in the midst of the clouds.
I, almost always, rush to my not-so-secret place; the warmest restaurant I know in the City of Pines. Ranee House of Curry is located on the outskirt of town, near The Mansion and Hotel Elizabeth. Aside from their savory food and superb customer service, they have a genset or generator that powers their restaurant that they gladly offer, to both tourists and locals, to charge their gadgets and use their WI-FI free of charge.
It is always a warm experience to see local establishments offer simple help to tourists and locals alike.
Snippet from my stay today (Oct. 31, 2022).
