When you were in grade school and were asked what you wanted to be when you grow up, the typical answers were along the lines of fairy princesses and firemen… But never in the days of early childhood has anyone ever said that they wanted to be a digital nomad! For most people, digital nomadism is something they either stumbled upon or “resorted” to simply because they’re unhappy in their day-to-day jobs or saw other people traveling and wanted to try it out too. But in today’s digital era, wearing the title of “digital nomad” is just as common of a career title as “financial advisor” is… It ..read more

The day’s early rays are glorious on my skin and the patter of water from the plant box is a heartbeat. On our humble balcony, I take in my slice of peace: a quirky patchwork of foliage and tin roofs, various forms of steel and stone, and a score of birdsongs and sundry dins. Some have a garden. Or the beach. Or the hills. I have this. And, make no mistake, it is just as wonderful. In the course of the day, this view undergoes countless shifts. It transforms in a way you apply a filter on a picture, or a person changes clothes. The time of day its vast and varied wardrobe. This morning ..read more

Like always, bird songs – wild and domesticated – pour into the late afternoon. The March sky is exactly how it should be, cloudless and crisp and ever so bright. Here, in my quiet piece of this lake town, it is easy to pretend like all was well. “Such a beautiful day,” I tell my husband as I stand by the doorway to our small balcony, taking in the spotless vault of gentle blue. “Too bad we can’t go out.” The moment those words came out of my mouth, the reality of it all hit me. For the past days, I’ve been bogged down in difficult thoughts and emotions. I may handle it better now, b ..read more

This feels funny. Been a while since I wrote here – not that I didn’t want to. There just hasn’t been any compulsion to do so. For what it’s worth, I’m still telling stories – just not here. Elsewhere. In other forms. But that’s not why I’m here. My 2019 has been, I don’t know, “unbelievable” seems like a good word, and, well, I’d like to tell you about it – or at least a version of it that I’ve pieced together. It began well enough. I stepped into 2019 wide-eyed and full of hope, like always. It was relatively calm, the first half. The soul was quite weary, yes. The heart a bit tir ..read more

I hate myself. That's it. That's all I really wanted to say. If you came here expecting some motivational crap because you're going through the same thing, well, buddy, all I can really offer you is some PikNik and perhaps this Spotify playlist, because music and junk food are the only things that do not feel like shit right now. No elegant strings of words here. Just a bunch of cussing and whining and bitching about this void of a life. If you've encountered me recently, you wouldn't have outright thought I was trash. Don't take that personally – I thought I was not trash, too. I ..read more

This is the twelfth installment of the Spread the Impact series – a collection of travel narratives and guides to less-traveled places in the Philippines, with the aim to spread human impact to the environment as well as uplift the lives of communities through tourism.  One of the few landlocked towns of Antique is San Remigio. It doesn’t have the beaches or ocean views most of its neighbors have, but what it lacks in shores it more than makes up for in stunning rolling terrains.  With about 70% of its lands dotted with mountains, San Remigio offers cool climes and distinct natural attractions ..read more

This is the eleventh installment of the Spread the Impact series – a collection of travel narratives and guides to less-traveled places in the Philippines, with the aim to spread human impact to the environment as well as uplift the lives of communities through tourism.  Located on the upper tip of Antique’s topography, Pandan is a town with plenty of surprises. Its name is derived not from the pandan plant as one would understandably think (although there’s no shortage of it here), but from an encounter with Spaniards in the days of yore – as is typical with Filipino town etymologies.  A gro ..read more

Aboard Philippine Airlines’s flight to San Jose from Clark and chauffeured by Katahum Tours across Antique, I was able to experience some of the province’s offerings. I also got to stay at some of the province’s hotels and resorts.  If you’re the planning a trip to Antique soon, here are some places to stay.  ENRIQUE DE MARARISONA trip to Mararison Island in the town of Culasi is a must for most tourists. While there are plenty of homestays in the island, there is also lone resort that affords relative peace and quiet.  With simple rooms that could accommodate large groups, Enrique de Mararis ..read more

Antique is one of the four provinces that make up Panay Island. It belongs to the Western Visayas region and opens up to the Sulu Sea. The province’s geography runs at an almost straight line, but its terrain is composed of rolling hills and jagged peaks cut across by various waterways and bordered on one side by the ocean. With 18 municipalities, Antique has a lot to offer – from historical to modern comforts all the way to natural delights. If you’re planning to visit the province soon, below are some places to check out and activities to try. GETTING THEREPhilippine Airlines flies to Antiq ..read more