Category: Philippines
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Dine In: Ziggurat
A combination of cravings for dishes from South Asia (brought about by our recent trip to Sri Lanka) and the Middle East (brought about by last month’s FIBA Asia Cup) led me and a friend back to Ziggurat in Makati. This restaurant at an obscure corner of Poblacion has been whipping up meals from a…
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Bat-ongan Cave: An Off-the-Beaten-Track Masbate Adventure
Bat-ongan Cave in Mandaon, Masbate, is a hidden gem for adventure seekers. Explore its unique rock formations, local legends, and how to visit this lesser-known attraction in Masbate.
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Milagros, Masbate: The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Moo-sic
About an hour ride away from Masbate City and the lackluster qualities of a provincial capital gives way to spectacular scenery. The town of Milagros about an hour drive south is what I’ve always imagined Masbate to be – a large patch of a deep verdant, green carpet, surrounded by rolling hills and peppered with…
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Masbate City: Before the Cowboys Come
The cowboys are not here – at least not yet. I have arrived a week early in Masbate City for the annual rodeo festival, which was moved to give way to the Holy Week, so instead, the spacious arena beside the airport is ghostly quiet, with only the occasional tricycles and motorbikes passing through the…
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Callao Cave: A 7-Chamber Wonder Near Tuguegarao
Callao Cave is one of the most stunning attractions near Tuguegarao, famous for its seven chambers and natural skylight. Here’s how to visit, what to expect, and why it’s a must-see in Cagayan.
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Santa Ana, Cagayan: Palaui Island Getaway
At dawn, we embark on a motorboat ride to explore Palaui Island in Santa Ana, Cagayan, with the sky almost completely covered by clouds. Leaving Punta Verde, located on the eastern side of the island, where we camped under the stars, we head towards our first destination. As rain begins to pour, the gusts of…
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40 Days of Veganism: 2017 Edition
It’s Lent again, and so I’ve gone vegan again. It’s not officially a part of our church program (I can’t focus full-time on church activities anymore), but I’m still doing it as part of my personal reflection. This is the third straight year I’m removing any animal product from my diet, and as years go by, it’s…
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Cuenca, Batangas: The Rockies of Mt. Maculot
Diane, a former coworker, asked if I wanted to trek again shortly after I posted the pictures from our last month’s climb on Mt. Balagbag on Facebook. At that time, I didn’t have anything else yet on my plate, so I said yes. And after some planning that saw us consider Mt. Ulap in Benguet and, briefly,…
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An Impromptu Shoot at Mt. Balagbag
I didn’t have any plans for this weekend; I wanted to rest a bit and save some money for my birthday next week. But a few days earlier, Maebel, a friend who has modeled many times for my photoshoots dating back to college, asked if I could help her with a video project for a…
The Tourist Gaze 