OFF THE BEATEN PATH Together with Israel, the US started the war against Iran on Feb. 28. Raining missiles on the country from multiple locations. Many analysts surmise that President Trump thought that the US could replicate what they did in Venezuela, which was to remove the President, and the...
OFF THE BEATEN PATH The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow sea passage, separating the Arabian Peninsula and Iran, and connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. At its narrowest point, the Strait is only 29 nautical miles wide (54 km), and it consists of 2-mile-wide...
OFF THE BEATEN PATH Even with the US set to declare the war in the Middle East over, Former DOE Secretary and current Leyte Governor Icot Petilla, and former DOE Usec. Jay Layug has stated that the price of fuel will not be going back to P61.00 per liter. Many have been flocking to buy EVs, HEVs,...
OFF THE BEATEN PATH It’s described as “a cognitive bias where people avoid, ignore, or deny uncomfortable or negative information, such as financial, health, or performance data. Named for the myth that ostriches bury their heads in the sand to avoid danger, this behavior helps individuals...
OFF THE BEATEN PATH President Trump declared the US-Iran war would be brief, but a month in, no end is in sight. Despite his repeated claims of victory, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, continued bombings are called for, and Iran keeps launching missile strikes at US bases in neighboring Gulf...
OFF THE BEATEN PATH For more than a week, the Middle East has been engulfed in a new wave of violence. Last week, tensions that had simmered for decades erupted when USA and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran. In swift retaliation, Iran targeted US military bases and other sites in several...
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?...
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...
