# Custom Frame Builder in the Philippines - New Bike Build



## hjsalazar (Aug 25, 2009)

I have a previous post asking for help in deciding what frame to get, here is the post 
https://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=184968

ok so i have made the decision to go for a custom frame. i just like to show how it came out.

here it is when i got it from custom frame builder Ave Maldea(his picture included in the collage)
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hjsalazar/4067875884/" title="bike framecollage by Hector Salazar, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2565/4067875884_00a321a8a5_o.jpg" width="1024" height="457" alt="bike framecollage" /></a>

here it is when it was being built by San my mechanic at my LBS. also in the picture is my son sleeping who got tired while waiting for me. sorry for the poor pic quality i just used my phone camera. btw you can also see with glasses directing the mechanic on how i like my tape to be wrapped.
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hjsalazar/4067877316/" title="bike assemblecollage by Hector Salazar, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2521/4067877316_bb72df771e_o.jpg" width="597" height="1024" alt="bike assemblecollage" /></a>

here it is finished. also include is a picture when i got it from powdercoating.
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hjsalazar/4067876744/" title="bike buildcollage by Hector Salazar, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2770/4067876744_85cf45d96c_b.jpg" width="1024" height="895" alt="bike buildcollage" /></a>

here is the finished product
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hjsalazar/4067116483/" title="my new bike dorothy by Hector Salazar, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2774/4067116483_ec958f033f_o.jpg" width="1024" height="685" alt="my new bike dorothy" /></a>

Components:
1. sram rival gruppo - but i used ultegra cogs and chain(w/ missing link). change shifter and brake cables to alligator teflon.
2. red look pedals - 
3. red velo bar tape -
4. aksium race wheelset
5. kenda kaliente tires
6. abr seat post and stem
7. kore alu handle bar
8. giant inner tubes
9. velo saddle
10. corratec carbon fork
11. no cyclo computer


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## My Own Private Idaho (Aug 14, 2007)

Delete.


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## santosjep (Jul 15, 2004)

*Awesome Maldea!*

That's a fine steed. I'm very jealous...  Enjoy your new bike.


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## T-shirt (Aug 15, 2004)

Wow, your bike is great!

It is nice to hear the story, and see a frame from a different part of the world.

 Thank you for sharing.

Tshirt


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

wow, what size is that? and no decals or branding?


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## santosjep (Jul 15, 2004)

*Maldea and Branding*



FatTireFred said:


> wow, what size is that? and no decals or branding?



Ave Maldea bikes traditionally roll on the street of Manila (and neighboring cities) without the Maldea brand. Ave is a craftsman from a rich era of racing steel bicycles. 

Chances are, if you see a cyclist on a steel and unbranded steed in one of the group rides in Manila, it would be one of Ave's creations. 

They are beautiful...

Joe


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## Guest (Nov 2, 2009)

Maganda, indeed. Very nice looking bike.


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## Bertrand (Feb 1, 2005)

Great looking bike. I like the white seatpost. Makes it look like an integrated post.


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## threshold350 (Jan 24, 2008)

nux naman!

good job kabayan


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## Frith (Oct 3, 2002)

Very nice indeed.
I think it looks good the way it is but because of the "low and long" proportions wondering if you thought at all about lengthening the head tube and then sloping the top tube a bit. You could probably run it with barely any spacers that way.


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## master2129 (Mar 30, 2007)

Adobo Chicken, Lumpia and Pancit would be great right now.


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## SROC3 (Jul 20, 2009)

wow.......nice!!!


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## hjsalazar (Aug 25, 2009)

Frith said:


> Very nice indeed.
> I think it looks good the way it is but because of the "low and long" proportions wondering if you thought at all about lengthening the head tube and then sloping the top tube a bit. You could probably run it with barely any spacers that way.


I have thought of the "low and long" proportion but when i tried that fit i feel a bit of strain on my arms and hand so i went a bit to an eddy merckz fit style. i already did an easy century ride to "break in" the bike and it feels great.


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## hjsalazar (Aug 25, 2009)

FatTireFred said:


> wow, what size is that? and no decals or branding?


its small, im only 167 centimeters, and my body build is quite short so the top tube is 51 centimeters and the seat tube is 48. 

Ave doesn't paint his frames and has no head badges so you are on your own in customizing it, but most of maldea frames that i have seen are painted one color with no decals. i also liked it that way


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## hjsalazar (Aug 25, 2009)

thanks everyone specially to my kabayans for the nice comments, im really enjoying the bike right now. 

@master2129 - correct ka sa pansit,sarap! sa linggo bulalo naman sa tagaytay!


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## BIKERBING (Sep 16, 2009)

*Custom Frame Builder*

It is a very nice bike.

May I ask where can I see the bikes if I have a chance to go to the Philippines.

Please let me know.

Thank you.


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## rward325 (Sep 22, 2008)

That is a really nice frame. I do a lot of business in P and would like to know how to contact him when I am over there. Could you either PM or post contact information for the builder?


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## midlife_xs's (Jun 18, 2004)

I was in the Philippines last March. I was driven around and I asked if I could check out some bike shops and the driver brought me to Cartimar. It is a strip mall with a hodgepodge of bike shops. A bargain haven for local and China/Taiwan made goods. However, American and European brand goods' prices are horrendously expensive. Locally made jerseys were like $5 - style, material and quality is good but the sizing is hit or miss. China made accessories are about 50% off stateside prices. Bought 2 cycling jerseys for $11, a nice telescoping hand pump w/ gauge for $6, gloves $3, hand warmers $2.50. Had I known about the framebuilder, I would have had a $200 made to my size frame too. Does he have a good selection of tubesets? It would be nice if I can just communicate my order then pick it up on my next visit. 

BTW, good looking bike you got there.


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## hjsalazar (Aug 25, 2009)

@BIKERBING - sent you PM
@rward325 - sent you PM regarding his contact number
@midlife_xs's - yes he does have some Italian Dedaccaia tubes that are very light and strong. sorry i don't know what other tube he has because i only opted for the dedaccaia's sent you a PM on the builders contact numbers


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## tbong27 (Oct 6, 2008)

Hi HJ,

Just wondering if you could give me the contacts for Mr Maldea? Do you know if Mr Ave does lugged frames as well, any idea how much the lugged will cost? I;ve got a friend in the Phillipines, not sure which city i think Las Pinas. Hopefully can source a frame from Mr Maldea. Thanks!

Tom


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## VBKLINGEN (Jun 2, 2006)

What is the gold welding stuff ? Other naked frames I have seen doen't have that.


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## carveitup (Oct 25, 2008)

VBKLINGEN said:


> What is the gold welding stuff ? Other naked frames I have seen doen't have that.


The frame isn't TIG welded like most production bikes. It is fillet brazed - which essentially uses a flame and a brass brazing material to sort of solder the tubes together. No lugs are used. The joints are smooth and can be further cleaned up to make a perfectly smooth transition. It is fairly common amongst custom builders.

A shop I worked in used to have an awesome NOS Ritchey Commando frame that was fillet brazed and painted in a camo scheme. It was beautiful.


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## hjsalazar (Aug 25, 2009)

tbong27 said:


> Hi HJ,
> 
> Just wondering if you could give me the contacts for Mr Maldea? Do you know if Mr Ave does lugged frames as well, any idea how much the lugged will cost? I;ve got a friend in the Phillipines, not sure which city i think Las Pinas. Hopefully can source a frame from Mr Maldea. Thanks!
> 
> Tom


sent you a PM, Yes he does lugged frames, he has henry james lugs but im not sure how much.


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## fab4 (Jan 8, 2003)

What kind of tubing does he uses?


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## santosjep (Jul 15, 2004)

*Deda Zero Tre*



fab4 said:


> What kind of tubing does he uses?


He has Deda Zero Tre in stock. However, you can order any type of steel tubing and he can build it. In one of my conversations with a guy, a local collector brought some Reynolds Stainless Steel tubes for him to build.

Joe


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## fab4 (Jan 8, 2003)

santosjep said:


> He has Deda Zero Tre in stock. However, you can order any type of steel tubing and he can build it. In one of my conversations with a guy, a local collector brought some Reynolds Stainless Steel tubes for him to build.
> 
> Joe



Thanks for the response. Do you have the builder's contact info? Thanks.


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## My Own Private Idaho (Aug 14, 2007)

Delete


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## hjsalazar (Aug 25, 2009)

@fab4
@My Own Private Idaho
sent you guys a PM for the contact info of Ave


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## stelvio1925 (Oct 29, 2008)

Hi hjsalazar,

Would you PM me Mr. Maldea's contact info. I will be in Manila this month & would consider talking to him about a build. Thanks. Congrats on your own build. Classy loook.


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## bitikleta (Mar 9, 2010)

*Looking for LITO*

Kmusta peeps!!! I'm a noob here and I was trying to google search a friend of mine who is a frame builder and came across this site. I was surprised when I saw pictures. Does anyone here know Lito? He resides in Caloocan but I'm not sure if he still builds frames. I'd like to get his contact info . He built a frame for me 20 years ago I know this is off-topic so please bare with me. Thanks.


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## trangkista (Aug 14, 2007)

bitikleta said:


> Kmusta peeps!!! I'm a noob here and I was trying to google search a friend of mine who is a frame builder and came across this site. I was surprised when I saw pictures. Does anyone here know Lito? He resides in Caloocan but I'm not sure if he still builds frames. I'd like to get his contact info . He built a frame for me 20 years ago I know this is off-topic so please bare with me. Thanks.



try posting it here [email protected] It is a long shot but you may get lucky.


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## littlewing6283 (Sep 15, 2009)

can you please also PM me his contact info.


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

HJ,
Awesome pics man! The one of your son sleeping is precious! 

It seems a lot of folks are very interested in the builder, so would you feel comfortable posting his contact info within a post? I'm sure he wouldn't mind since he will definitely benefit with the increased business I am sure he has already started to receive. Do you know how much he charges for various types of frames? Give us a ride report and more pics of the bike on road!


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## Midwest Playa (Sep 12, 2008)

santosjep said:


> He has Deda Zero Tre in stock. However, you can order any type of steel tubing and he can build it. In one of my conversations with a guy, a local collector brought some Reynolds Stainless Steel tubes for him to build.
> 
> Joe



How many days will it take for him to build me a bike?? My Sister in law is coming back there end of Arpil and I want one so she can bring it back in the states for me

I also want the lightest steel tube availalbe does he work w titanium??

Maraming Salamat

MidwestPlaya


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## Midwest Playa (Sep 12, 2008)

BIKERBING said:


> It is a very nice bike.
> 
> May I ask where can I see the bikes if I have a chance to go to the Philippines.
> 
> ...



If you Go to the Phillippines I guarantee you the last thing you want to check out are the local bikes.LOLS

The Women are like Dolls.:thumbsup: IMO

MidwestPlaya


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## Sasquatch (Feb 3, 2004)

Hi guys, the local bikes aren't really on display at the shops. You'll have to go to the framebuilders workshop to see his stuff. Ave Maldea is probably the best in this country. 

As far as I know, he does not work on Ti..just steel. 

As for the women, I cannot agree more. Though most babes need some work "up front".


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## Midwest Playa (Sep 12, 2008)

Sasquatch said:


> Hi guys, the local bikes aren't really on display at the shops. You'll have to go to the framebuilders workshop to see his stuff. Ave Maldea is probably the best in this country.
> 
> As far as I know, he does not work on Ti..just steel.
> 
> As for the women, I cannot agree more. Though most babes need some work "up front".


HHAHAHAHAHAAH Dr Bello is a famous Surgeon down there to take care of Front Issues lols

Thanks for the input I will try to get a hold of Mr Maldea


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## Sasquatch (Feb 3, 2004)

Here's an article one local broadsheet did for Ave a few months ago:
http://services.inquirer.net/print/print.php?article_id=20090502-202727

FEATURE : The Art of the Bicycle 

By Eric S. Caruncho
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Posted date: May 02, 2009


“WHEN man invented the bicycle, he reached the peak of his attainments. Here was a machine of precision and balance for the convenience of man. And [unlike subsequent inventions for man’s convenience], the more he used it, the fitter his body became. Here, for once, was a product of man’s brain that was entirely beneficial to those who used it, and of no harm or irritation to others.
Progress should have stopped when man invented the bicycle.” —Elizabeth West, “Hovel in the Hills”

IF there’s one thing that tree-hugging eco-activists and conspicuous-consuming yuppies agree on, it’s that bicycles are cool. Granted, the former ride them instead of SUVs to reduce their carbon footprint, while the latter like to drape them on the roof racks of their gas-guzzling Fortuners or Explorers as expensive accessories, oblivious to the irony of driving hundreds of kilometers so they can ride their mountain bikes on a stretch of pristine nature trail.

The bicycle remains the most efficient form of transport known to man. If it ran on gas instead of calories, someone calculated, a bicycle would get 3,000 miles to a gallon, with zero emissions save for the rider’s sweat.

But while some people ride them to save the planet, most just enjoy the sensation of self-propulsion. “Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride,” John F. Kennedy once remarked. He ought to know.

But beyond the pleasures and health benefits of riding, people like the bicycles themselves. They are, as one designer put it, “rideable art.” Some owners treat their rides as simple utilitarian objects, but for many riders, the bicycle is a platform for self-expression. Depending on their inclinations, riders may strip their bikes down to the bare minimum, or more likely, weigh them down with accessories and upgrades jeepney-style: The more, the many-er.

While the basic bicycle’s design has remained unchanged since Leonardo da Vinci first dreamed of it in one of his sketchbooks – two wheels on a frame driven by pedals and a chain – modern technology has introduced a few new wrinkles.

Today, most bicycle frames are mass-produced in giant factories in Taiwan or China. Most are now made of aluminum alloy, although some are still made out of steel, and a relative handful of high-end frames are made from laminated carbon fiber or titanium, exotic materials that come at a premium because they combine strength and lightness.

Many experienced riders, however, swear by the virtues of the most traditional material: steel. “Steel is real” is their mantra. Correctly made, a bicycle frame of chrome-molybdenum steel is light and strong while giving a ride that balances stiffness and responsiveness. This means that it efficiently transmits the rider’s energy into forward motion, while absorbing some of the shocks of the road for greater comfort. Aluminum frames, they claim, tend to give a harsh ride, while carbon fiber and titanium are simply too expensive.

The sine qua non of the “steel is real” brigade is a bespoke frame, handcrafted out of select steel tubing by an artisan who knows what he’s doing. Like bespoke suits and bespoke shoes, a bespoke bicycle frame is a one-of-a-kind, built to the customer’s taste and made to measure.

Like RTW, mass-produced bicycle frames are sized to fit averagely proportioned people. But people come in all shapes and sizes. Some are taller than average, some shorter. Some have proportionally long legs and short torsos, or vice versa. Like the best tailors, the best frame builders can size up a customer’s anatomical quirks and design a frame to suit both his build and his riding style.

Before the advent of mass-manufactured bicycles, all frames were built by hand. But today, bicycle frame builders are a dying breed. In the Philippines, you can count them on the fingers of one hand. But ask around bicycle shops and hardcore riders’ groups and check the Internet and one name keeps coming up: Ave Maldea.

“His craftsmanship is second to none,” says one cycling aficionado who owns nine Ave Maldea frames. He admits that he also owns bicycles made of aluminium, carbon fiber and titanium and rides and enjoys them, but he says his steel frames are his keepers, especially his custom Ave Maldea frames.

What inspires such enthusiasm?

Simply put, Maldea is an artist with an acetylene torch. Out of his home workshop come bicycle frames that can match custom frames costing thousands of dollars abroad. Indeed, many of his clients are based overseas and take his frames with them when they leave. He can also build special-purpose bicycles such as tandems, track bikes and cyclocross bikes that are unavailable in local bike shops, most of which no longer sell steel frames either.

A Camarines native, the 43-year-old Maldea originally studied to be a diesel mechanic, then did a stint as a merchant seaman before his love of cycling drew him to bicycle frame-building.

In the 1980s, he served an apprenticeship under a Pasig-based frame-builder who used to make frames for the now long-gone Patria Bicycles. In the time-honored way of the artisan, the apprentice Maldea started by doing the menial tasks in the workshop –sweeping up, cutting the steel tubes and filing the welds – before graduating to the actual welding of the tubes.

After five years, he felt he had learned enough and struck out on his own. The first thing he did when he opened his workshop was invest in a jig. Old school frame-builders used to draw a life-size diagram of the frame on paper, with the correct dimensions and angles, then weld the tubes together by hand. This was a hit-and-miss affair, since the heat of welding would sometimes throw the tubes out of alignment. A jig is a device that holds the steel tubes in precise alignment during welding, and Maldea got the best, a jig made by the Henry James company, which set him back a whopping $3,000 plus shipping. It was well worth it, however, since it set his frames a notch above the rest.

“There are many other secrets to frame-building,” Maldea says. Some of them he learned during his apprenticeship, but most of them he mastered after rigorous self-study, reading manuals and watching videos.

Controlling the heat of the torch is one key: too hot and the joint will weaken, not hot enough and the weld won’t hold. Maldea carefully watches the flame and the color of the steel as it heats in order to achieve the right temperature. It takes a sure hand – pulso in the vernacular – to wield a torch with confidence.

Intimate knowledge of materials and their properties is also important. The steel tubes that Maldea works with are butted, meaning they are thicker at the ends for strength and thinner in the middle to save weight. Maldea either fillet-brazes them or builds them with lugs.

In fillet-brazing, the tubes are meticulously hand-mitered or shaped with saw and file so they join seamlessly together. They are then joined with molten brass. As a final step, the welds are hand-filed and sanded for a smooth, seamless look.

Lugs are cast end-pieces that hold the tubes together. Maldea uses silver instead of brass to braze the tubes to the lugs, resulting in a frame that is considerably more expensive but which many old-school cyclists prefer for its retro flavor.

He also doesn’t skimp on the materials. There are fake welding rods and even fake welding flux in the market, he says, the use of which will result in weak joints that could come apart under the stress of riding. Maldea is confident enough in his workmanship that he can offer his clients a “lifetime guarantee of craftsmanship.”

Word of mouth about the superb frames coming out of Maldea’s shop soon spread among the local cycling fraternity, and pretty soon, there was a steady stream of customers beating a path to his door.

Today, says Maldea, he builds an average of four to five frames a week. He could build more, he says, and make more money, but he doesn’t want the quality of his frames to suffer. A client will have to wait an average of two weeks for delivery, but an Ave Maldea frame, they say, is well worth the wait.

Depending on the tubing he uses and the kind of construction, a frame without fork can cost as little as P3,000-plus for garden-variety hi-tensile steel to over P16,500 for one made of top-of-the-line Italian Dedacciai Zero tubes.

One of Maldea’s strengths is the fact that he is also an avid rider. On any given weekend he is usually out on the road on one of his own bikes, one might say field-testing the equipment. This gives him valuable insights into what makes a superior bike, and how minute differences in angles and dimensions affect the way a bike handles. This allows him to advise clients on the right frame size for their needs. For instance, he recently built a frame for bowler Paeng Nepomuceno, whose height necessitated an unusually large 60-cm frame.

Ave Maldea is one more example of Filipino artistry and craftsmanship that gives meaning to the phrase “proudly Philippine-made.” •


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## My Own Private Idaho (Aug 14, 2007)

Delete


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## amcayanan (Mar 23, 2010)

ako din po pwede po pa PM yung contact # or address ni Ginoong Maldea. Thanks.


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## hjsalazar (Aug 25, 2009)

hi everyone,

here is the contact number for Ave

+63 2 481905 or +63 9193679520


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## hjsalazar (Aug 25, 2009)

Ride-Fly said:


> HJ,
> Awesome pics man! The one of your son sleeping is precious!
> 
> It seems a lot of folks are very interested in the builder, so would you feel comfortable posting his contact info within a post? I'm sure he wouldn't mind since he will definitely benefit with the increased business I am sure he has already started to receive. Do you know how much he charges for various types of frames? Give us a ride report and more pics of the bike on road!


I posted it and hope you guys can get in touch with him soon. 

as for the ride report, i am mostly doing long rides everyday for about 70 to 100 kim which includes long steep hill cimbs and criterium during wednesdays. and so far its pretty awesome, works well for me no complaints or anything. only a Ti frame could replace this.


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## bon_gabs (Feb 2, 2010)

OMG ,,I should have found this guy earlier,,,should have saved lots of green money,,not too late still,,manila Im coming,,


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## Island Volpe (Apr 12, 2012)

Sweet build! I am also interested in contacting Mr. Maldea and don't see the contact info on the thread. PM please? _Maraming salamat po!_


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## bon_gabs (Feb 2, 2010)

Island Volpe said:


> Sweet build! I am also interested in contacting Mr. Maldea and don't see the contact info on the thread. PM please? _Maraming salamat po!_


hi everyone,

here is the contact number for Ave Maldea

+63 2 481905 or +63 9193679520


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