May 9, 2025
I earned my PADI license in Dauin, just a salty splash away from those iconic shores, and the first thing I did was celebrate with Apo Island scuba diving. Because really—what better way to mark a milestone than by slipping beneath the waves of a place that feels half myth, half […]
March 30, 2025
We all have that one story of how the travel bug bit us. Mine? It started back in university. I was leading the school publication, and the student body president and I were invited to a nationwide student leaders’ press con… in Boracay. That was nearly twenty years ago. Since […]
August 1, 2024
I forgot to bring a jacket. The air was thick with the distinct smell of an air-conditioned vehicle. A slightly smaller yellow bus, three vans, and some private Pajeros were in front of our bus, the biggest among the rest. I took the number of vehicles as premonitions and folded […]
March 14, 2024
The Philippines, an archipelagic country facing the Pacific, never runs out of ways to surprise the curious and the wandering. My home island Cebu, for example, has piqued the interest of fellow Filipinos and foreign travelers alike for its incredible and jaw-dropping underwater ecosystem. On top of my list, regardless […]
March 14, 2024
Living in Cebu City for almost ten years, I tagged Moalboal and Badian as my personal retreats, away from my metropolitan woes and responsibilities. But Moalboal, for its many conveniences and locals, draws me more. I made several friends here and saw some kids grew up. And while I left […]
February 21, 2024
This Astoria Palawan blog review first appeared on my column Down South on Interaksyon.com. I included more photos here to give justice to the beauty of this place. PALAWAN, PHILIPPINES—An egret ambled around my deck, peering through the glass wall of my own sanctuary. It must be looking for food. […]
January 12, 2024
Often, Siargao Island is described as a tear drop-shaped island. But, meh, I don’t buy it. It is more like a rough diamond cut, which was really the case some years ago. Siargao Island, although many locals will say otherwise, is gradually taking the route most popular destinations take. In […]
January 12, 2024
I wrote a short story set in Malapascua. It failed as a story. Malapascua, located in northern Cebu, some four hours away from the city, was one of my favorite destinations in Cebu. Almost every month, I found myself aboard the Ceres bus bound to Maya. I made some good […]
January 9, 2024
I think I’ve mentioned this countless of times that I love Moalboal so much that I bought a tiny piece of land somewhere between Bas Daku (White Beach) and Bas Diot (Panagsama Beach). I love it for several reasons: it’s quite close to Cebu City (my home back then), it […]
November 20, 2023
This is the most updated Malapascua Island Cebu, Philippines Travel Guide 2024 Snobbery is an unlikely character of a wanderlust. A traveler opens not only their heart but also their mind to the intricacies and complexities of a place. It is inevitable, however, that there are places I considered too […]
November 4, 2023
This Apo Island Travel Guide covers all the top things to do in Apo Island Dumaguete, Philippines. It also covers all the travel essentials you need to make your stay more memorable. A little note: Apo Island is different from Apo Reef in Mindoro. Apo Island is a little island […]
October 30, 2023
Well, the secret that is Siargao Island is pretty much out. But compared to the world-renowned Boracay Island or Cebu, Siargao still has that idyllic charm and vibe small islands have. While there are surprising changes. Most of General Luna’s coconut groves give way (to put it mildly) to resorts […]