Tag: Philippines
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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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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…
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Puerto Galera: With the PG Boys
One afternoon, my first in a place I’m familiar one of the longest time with but never really set foot on, I am walking at the beach, taking pictures of a dilapidated structure by the shore. I am in Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro, which recently suffered the wrath of a typhoon. The structure contains the…
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San Rafael, Bulacan: Malangaan Cave
Guess what. It’s the last week of 2016! I started this month with an immense urge to just go away from the city even for just a day, and picked the day after Christmas – a non-working holiday – to go someplace I’ve been planning to go to since August. I should’ve done this trip…
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San Felipe, Zambales: The Waves of Liwliwa
For the second time in as many months, Cheryl and I go on a trip together. It was a few weeks ago, during a stormy evening when I was stranded in a convenience store in Makati, that we first planned to go to a beach. I initially wanted to go to Pangasinan, but eventually decided on Zambales…
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Ferrol, Romblon: Without Deadlines
THE NEXT AFTERNOON, Cheryl and I are in the Binucot Sunset Cove Resort in Ferrol, a town in the southern part of Tablas, the province’s largest island. We left Romblon Town by bangka in the morning and reached the port of San Agustin in northeastern Tablas after an hour at sea. From San Agustin, we sat on the roof of…
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Romblon Town: Island Escape
IT’S A GLOOMY DAY in Romblon. Cheryl and I quicken our pace as large clouds begin to gather in the sky. Up to now, the sky has been gray but calm, though it’s quickly changing. The rain first lightly taps on the roofs of the houses and then becomes a steady pitter-patter as the clouds spit out their beads of water.…
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Who is the Filipino?: A Tour of the National Museum
Who is the Filipino? It’s a question with no simple answer. It has been a contentious issue, in fact, that the eligibility of one presidential aspirant based on her citizenship caused a furious debate. Is it by race? By birth? By the language spoken? By a shared culture and history? By a proclaimed love of an arbitrarily…
The Tourist Gaze 