Cebu City Will Not Be Like Singapore (ever!)

It was cringey the first time I heard from someone or read from the news that Cebu City has aspired to be “Singapore-like“. Even now, I can’t believe that the mayor of Cebu City is still pushing this slogan. For now, it’s impossible. I am blessed to have visited Singapore recently, so in a way,…

My Version of the Eras Tour

It started in 2007 when “Teardrops on My Guitar” was played heavily on the radio. At first, I got annoyed by the melody and then later got used to it. Then, this activity in the classroom in which students shared their favorite songs happened. Fortunately, and surprisingly, someone chose to share a song from Fearless.…

One Summer Day

One summer day,In the beach,The sun was out.The screams were abrasive.The runs came back and forth,From the shore to the water.The water felt right.I dipped myself for hours.I saw my cousins’ beaming faces.There was freedom,Until my aunt screeched,“Look at you! You’re very dark now!”Right after that,Winter started to fall,Not slowly but fast,The water froze,And I…

LOVE THE PHILIPPINES? STAY IN THE PHILIPPINES? (Part 1)

LOVE THE PHILIPPINES! This is the new tagline of the Department of Tourism. With all the problems happening in the country and in local cities, do you think we can do this action by heart? Maybe. With a forced smile and slow step, yes, we can! That’s why you can’t blame some of our countrymen…

Bantayan Island Is Not Just Another Option

If I make a choice between hiking on a hill, strolling in a mall, and spending time on a beach, I’d choose the first two options unless it’s authentically great like the beaches in Siargao or Boracay (the nerve!!!). I usually don’t go to a beach because: first, I don’t know how to swim; second,…

The New Normal: “Bus Ride”

I always enjoy a bus ride whether it’s a short or long trip most especially if I sit by the window because my mind often wanders that I was in a hot desert, an isolated beach, a crowded forest, a cold mountain, or a playful park and cozy up with whimsical ideas that unfortunately pops…

Wishes of a Commuter

Cebu City traffic and transportation are getting worse, I think? As a commuter since preschool, I could really compare the difficulty of getting a ride back then and now. There was even one Saturday this year around 8 in the morning that I was having a hard time to get a jeepney, and there are…

First Solo Trip

To travel on your own is not entirely good and not entirely bad either. As a first-timer in solo traveling, it’s expected to commit so many mistakes and humiliating moments, well, who could ever get an excellent grade right at a first time? But what is so good when you are on your own, you…

Excess Baggage: PASALUBONG

PASALUBONG. It’s something we always ask from someone who has traveled abroad or not: it’s either a local product, a delicacy, a keychain, a ref magnet, others even want a rock or a bag of sand or whatever things that friend of ours could bring. But PASALUBONG becomes bad when it’s the reason that friend has to…