Category: Philippines

Speaking for myself, under normal circumstances, nothing is lazier than waking up in a dawn chill. Pulling yourself up is one hard thing to do, and dragging your indolent body to the shower room could be pretty demanding—unless you have one good, convincing reason to hasten the process. When I finally came to my senses, I suddenly feel the urge to rush everything out. I barely had an hour to prepare, and getting to the pickup point may cost me another 15 minutes. Luckily, my adventurous personality is equally persistent. I did not squander a single second. And in a ... Read more

I usually draw my energy from the sun, yes, like Superman. But unlike your childhood superhero, my skin won’t get as hard as steel. I don’t get enhanced hearing power, and can’t emit amplified solar energy from my eyes.  I don’t even levitate. The energy that I get from the sun, however, is the feeling of being light and free. It is the feeling that can tolerate almost every peskiness, annoyance, and stupidity—a feeling that can forgive whoever offends me. With it, I feel like I can devise resolutions to every issue, conflict, or predicaments that I might encounter. That ... Read more

I never expected to experience utmost seclusion at a white strip of the bustling Panglao Island. Normally, a popular island beachfront comes with a profusion of loud music, conglomeration of business establishments, and herd of tourists in a rather chaotic mix. Momo Beach, though located in Panglao, is a contrary to all that. It offers a tranquil escape tucked away in a remote edge of the island. #MomoMagic feels at Momo Beach House Reaching Momo Beach may be a bit of a frowner to some. It seats at one end of an unpaved dirt alley that cut through a highly ... Read more

Boracay is famous all over the world, thanks to its beautiful beaches. Even though it reaches the peak of its popularity, people still arrive there and find themselves not knowing what to do. Since tourists are left without any other choice, they book their tours through independent vendors at the beachfront, which tend to be costly. So, those of you who plan to visit Boracay soon, plan your trip in advance to save on your travel expenses. Getting familiar with the attractions available will help you understand if the vacation is a right idea. Boracay is a small island, but ... Read more

Chef Roland Laudico carefully scooped the remaining yoke and separated it from the embryo. He then made a paste out of these two ingredients. The egg white, on the other hand, was cut into thin strips and were tossed around the savory paste. On a shot glass rimmed with salt, Chef Lau collected the balut juice, and then mixed it with local vinaigrette. This novel creation is called Balut Napoleon Shot. Balut Napoleon Shot—along with sinigang bites, palabok bites, sisig basket, ngohiong cones, green salad with local dressing, etc—is among the featured starters at the Filipino Food Fest of Waterfront ... Read more

How do you take photos? With the general availability of handy cameras, most of us point our lenses to something, and then, with a click, we capture that something so easily. We then post the photo on our preferred social media timelines and allow reactions to accrue. For enthusiasts, photography is a way more than that. Though it is still a mix of three primary elements—idea, recording device, and light—the output defers on other aspects. While some of us worry only for our subjects and their poses, enthusiasts do a deep dive. They think for a story to tell and ... Read more

Getting to Guimaras is an awfully long journey from Cebu. The two lengthy bus rides and the three rough see crossings discouraged my friends from joining. It was a rushed and spontaneous travel spree, so plane tickets were unjustly expensive. Eventually, only two of the more than five interested pushed through with the tour. We headed to Cebu’s North Bus Terminal a few minutes past midnight to make sure that we can secure a seat on the earliest bus bound for Bacolod. To our dismay, the bus ran out of available seats really fast. We were an hour early of ... Read more

Palawan, dubbed as Philippines’ last frontier, is probably the country’s most ecologically-diverse, and its most stunning group of islands. One of the reasons that make the province truly a wonder is El Nido, a municipality situated at the main island’s northern tip. It is a host to a conglomeration of imposing islands. White strips adorn the edges of its verdant mounds that are surrounded with perfectly clear, aquamarine waters. The karst massifs, on the other hand, are towering, emanating pride and greatness of mother nature. This, together with the marine marvels below its seas and gorgeous white stretches continuously draw local and international ... Read more

As I always share, I find peace in three things. Those are: listening to a favorite country music while seated next to a window during long bus rides; gazing at a sunset or a starry night as the cold, gentle breeze gives me a comforting chill; and staring through the horizon with a white beach on the foreground and green massifs with a blue sky on the backdrop. Bulobadiangan Island Sandbar: Undeniably a stunner With my unending search for peace, I found Concepcion, a small town in Iloilo that hides a beautiful gem. The Bulobadiangan, Agho, and Pan de Azucar Islands are ... Read more