OFF THE BEATEN PATH While in the middle of doing my column for this week about Negros Island Region (comprising the provinces of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor), I took a short break and scrolled through my X feed. Something caught my attention. I saw a tweet that quoted a tweet...
OFF THE BEATEN PATH In my last column, we ended the adventure by talking about the island province of Guimaras, which is only a short boat ride from Iloilo City, Iloilo. As mentioned previously, there are four provinces in Panay Island: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo. Many people who travel to...
OFF THE BEATEN PATH With so much discussion about the top tourist destinations in the Philippines, I think it’s a disservice to yourself to limit your plans to traditional tourist spots. There are several other places to visit in the Philippines that offer different experiences. Many of these...
OFF THE BEATEN PATH I’m writing this from Sapporo, Japan. Sapporo is a winter tourist destination, and this week, the annual snow festival is happening. Compared to other Asian destinations, taking a trip to Sapporo is relatively more expensive. The airport is at least an hour away from the...
OFF THE BEATEN PATH Last week, I posted on X (formerly called Twitter), “How can you convince Filipinos to travel to other parts of the Philippines, when it’s cheaper to fly to Hong Kong, Singapore or other ASEAN destinations, than it is to fly to some tourist destinations In the Philippines?...
What happens when you bring together three world-famous artists, two Ayala Foundation communities, and objects perceived as trash? You produce a transformative exhibit of sustainable art, heartfelt stories of community engagement, and a future that helps safeguard our children. ...
The Philippines has conveyed its continued support to global efforts to achieve a nuclear weapons-free world, stressing that "there is no room" for backsliding amid geopolitical complexities. In her remarks at the Ministerial Meeting of the Friends of the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT)...
The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday, June 5, announced a revised Kindergarten cut-off age policy that will allow more Filipino children to begin formal education earlier. Starting School Year (SY) 2025–2026, children who turn five years old on or before October 31 will now be eligible...
The departure drop-off zone at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 has changed to a parallel layout from its previous diagonal configuration, the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) announced on Friday, May 9. In a Facebook post, the operator of the NAIA, said the change to diagonal...
OFF THE BEATEN PATH (Off the Beaten Path takes a short break this week to give way to Marivic Larrazabal, as she talks about influencers and what could be an influencer-driven elections.) The 2025 elections will be fought on your feed. Can you tell who’s telling the truth? The 2025...
OFF THE BEATEN PATH We mourn the loss of a lady called Margarita and to this day, there are many among us who struggle with finding the words that best describe how Margarita Forés changed the Philippine culinary scene and how her championing efforts have won the hearts of so many. How I...
OFF THE BEATEN PATH In both the urban centers and rural communities of the Philippines, the barangay health center stands as a beacon of hope and wellness. Or at least that is how it should be. For many of our countrymen, be it in the cities or in the probinsya, the barangay health center stands as...