Clarita Carlos (Facebook)


Professor Clarita Carlos shared on Facebook Monday, April 24 her short list of travel essentials and travel tips, some of which you might find weird. Luckily, the former national security adviser of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. gave a brief justification for each item just in case you'll be asked to explain the contents of your bag by someone from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). "While I am mostly done with traveling, still, I need to be reminded of some need to do’s, as follows," Carlos wrote. "1.  Bring a SPOON to enable the rice to reach one’s mouth as a FORKED or CHOP STICKED rice often falls midway between the plate and the mouth; 2.  Bring a TABO (dipper) because most toilets, even in hotels, don’t have bidets!" she said. Carlos, who currently serves as House Speaker Martin Romualdez's chief policy adviser, continued: "3.  Leave your PANGHILOD (body scrubber) at home because difficult to explain to TSA why one is carrying a rough STONE!" To ensure a decent meal everywhere you go, Carlos suggests that you do the following travel hack. "4.  Bring my fave knorr liquid SEASONING because I think most food here taste so bland, like there is a shortage of salt or patis!" she said. "5.  Finally," Carlos said, "Listening to their local channels telegraphs to me that international politics is so so DISTANT from the consciousness of this 'exceptional' country! "P.S.  I guess the foregoing list is a violation of the dictum that 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do!' … NOT!  Hahaha!" the lady official said, referring to a popular travellers' adage.