Will Alex Eala Be the DOT’s Next Tourism Ambassador?
BINI and SB19 are now official Philippine tourism ambassadors. The DOT hasn’t confirmed Alex Eala yet — but after her DC Open win, that might not last.
All posts tagged: Travel
Harana Music Festival 2026: TJ Monterde Leads the Lineup for Manila’s New Acoustic OPM Fest
Harana Music Festival 2026 bills itself as intimate and acoustic — then lists more than 10 headline-level OPM acts. Here’s the lineup, tickets, and dates.
In BGC, Cochi’s Michelin Test Isn’t the Cochinillo
A year removed from its Michelin Bib Gourmand nod, Cochi’s real test isn’t the cochinillo — it’s whether the rest of the menu holds up.
Who Gets to Be Filipino Enough?
A Threads fight over whether Leylah Fernandez “counts” as Filipino reveals a pattern bigger than tennis — who gets rewarded, and who gets dragged, for how they handle a Filipino last name.
Why Infanta Is Worth Skipping Batangas For
There’s a version of this coastline that already exists two hours south, in Batangas: the same gray-black volcanic sand, the same Sierra Madre light, but franchised — corporate resort chains, synchronized staff, a cover charge to sit near the water. Infanta hasn’t gotten there yet, and the reason isn’t policy or preservation. It’s friction. Specifically, it’s a road that’s genuinely difficult to navigate. That’s the real subject of this trip, more than any single beach or waterfall on it. Northern Quezon is shielded from the rest of Metro Manila’s long-weekend traffic by miles of unglamorous, winding mountain highway — the kind of road that filters out anyone unwilling to earn the destination. While the crowds split between the packed resorts of Batangas and the increasingly expensive surf camps further north, this stretch of coast stays quiet almost by accident. Or not by accident, exactly — by arbitrage. This was our first time in Infanta. The quiet anchor of the REINA cluster Infanta sits at the center of what locals call the REINA cluster — the …
Cubao: Where the Philippines Meets Itself
There’s an old saying that as long as you can find your way to Cubao, you’ll never truly be lost in the Philippines. Everyone, it seems, passes through here eventually. Fold a map of the country in half, and the crease lands almost exactly on this stretch of Quezon City. The Machine at the Center Cubao isn’t just a junction where two train lines cross. It’s the country’s clearing house — a place where buses from the Cordillera mountains idle beside long-haul liners from the south, while jeepneys from the eastern valleys pour their passengers straight into the diesel-thick air of the highway. Nobody really stays in Cubao. Everyone is passing through, moving fast, trying to avoid getting stuck. The whole district runs on an economy of speed: how quickly you can tap a transit card, how efficiently you can wedge yourself onto a crowded platform. It’s a system built to move millions of bodies a day — and it was never designed with anyone’s individual comfort in mind. A Reputation Earned the Hard Way …
The island that said no to billionaires | Jomalig, Quezon
At seven in the morning, the port of Real, Quezon is organized chaos. Sacks of rice, hardware supplies, and passengers get packed shoulder to shoulder onto the wooden bones of a cargo boat. There’s no fast track across this stretch of the Pacific. As the engine churns and the mainland shrinks into a hazy line, the ocean stops being a scenic route and becomes something closer to a filter. Six hours of open water separating the speed of the capital from the edge of the country. We tend to treat long journeys as problems to be solved — a faster ferry, a paved highway, a direct flight. But for the island ahead, the punishing distance is the point. It’s what keeps the casual weekenders away, and it means anyone who steps onto the opposite shore has earned it. You don’t arrive here. You survive the crossing first. Salibungot Beach The silence on Salibungot Beach is heavy. No lounge chairs, no commercial umbrellas, none of the manicured look of a resort coastline. The sand is a …
Cebu Pacific Unveils a Tastier In-Flight Menu
If you’ve flown Cebu Pacific recently, you’ve probably noticed how the experience has slowly been leveling up — not just with better punctuality, but now with tastier options on board. And starting December 1, the airline is giving travelers even more to look forward to with a refreshed, expanded CEB Fun Café menu. No pre-ordering. No fuss. Just order when you’re up in the air. Fresh Drinks You’d Actually Want Mid-Flight What caught my eye first? The new lineup of cold drinks — yes, freshly prepared in-flight. Cebu Pacific now offers: • Iced Black Coffee • Milk Tea with Jelly • Iced Hibiscus Lychee with Mango Popping Boba And the best part: prices start at ₱80. For a budget carrier, that’s surprisingly friendly. Perfect for waking up before landing or keeping you company on those longer hops. New Snacks & Breads for Quick Cravings They also added more snack options — great for those flights when you skipped breakfast or got stuck in airport lines. • Nachos with Salsa Dip • Cheesy Garlic Brioche • …
Lola Helen’s Panciteria: Marikina’s Humble Heart in the Michelin Guide Philippines
There are restaurants that dazzle with spectacle — and then there are restaurants that warm you with familiarity. Lola Helen’s Panciteria in Marikina belongs to the second kind: the quiet, comforting kind. The kind that feels like stepping into a memory you didn’t even know you missed. For 25 years, this unassuming eatery has served classic Filipino-Chinese stir-fried noodles to loyal locals who know exactly what they’re coming for: honest food, generous portions, and flavors that feel like home. In 2025, that warmth and sincerity earned Lola Helen’s a place in the Michelin Guide Philippines, proving once again that culinary excellence can be found far from the glitz of fine dining. Sometimes, it lives in the steady hands of a cook tossing noodles in a battered wok, and in the simple joy of a steaming plate placed before you. ⸻ A Pancit Story Rooted in Tradition Pancit is more than a dish in the Philippines — it’s a cultural motif. We eat it during birthdays, family milestones, town fiestas, and even on the most ordinary …
Miss Universe 2025 — when beauty, scandal, and mistrust collide
The coronation of Fátima Bosch of Mexico as Miss Universe 2025 in Bangkok was supposed to be a night of celebration. Instead, it became the center of a firestorm — judge resignations, allegations of manipulation, online wars between fandoms, and criminal investigations swirling around the organization’s top leadership. By the next morning, the question wasn’t “Who won?” — it was “Can Miss Universe still be trusted?” The allegations: rigged, manipulated, and mishandled Fans worldwide have been unusually unified in one sentiment: “Something didn’t feel right.” Among the biggest reasons: • Judges resigning before the finale, with at least one cryptically hinting at process issues. • On-stage and backstage altercations circulating on social media. • Delegation walkouts and complaints about inconsistent treatment. • Leadership miscommunication, livestream rants, and contradictory official statements. These were not small hiccups — they were structural cracks. And they pointed to one name repeatedly: Raul Rocha. Raul Rocha: the controversy magnet at the center of it all Even before the coronation, Raul Rocha, co-owner and president of the Miss Universe Organization, was …