There’s a term particular to The Philippines, bayanihan, which describes the spirit of a community working together for the common good. It springs from a centuries old practice of an entire village showing up to …
November 18, 2022
Philippines
Philippines
White Rice Bodega raises silog to Normal Heights
Cyanide in my pasalubong
“Trip out on this, bro,” Ed said as he pulled out a Coronas Sumatra cigar box that was labeled with “stroke” on the front and “cyanide” on the side. On February 4, we were at …
February 8, 2018
Adventures in Tawi-Tawi
Editor's note: The author visited Tawi Tawi in 2007. There are a few more accommodations there now, it looks like. A few years ago, ignoring the advice of our horrified Filipino friends, my wife and …
March 26, 2015
Eating an Iloilo feast by hand
I guess the universe wanted me to learn more about Filipino cuisine. Or at least Yana Gilbuena did. She reached out to tell me about her ambitious Salo Project, for which the chef has been …
March 17, 2015
Bohol, Philippines: hidden paradise
Looking for an off-the-beaten-path island adventure with pristine beaches, wildlife, historical sites and plenty of activities? Consider Bohol in the Philippines. This unassuming island is full of baroque colonial architecture in the form of its …
July 25, 2013
Manila Nights
This story begins while I was watching a game at Tilted Kilt here in San Diego. A friend hears of my plans to visit the Philippines and immediately, without pausing, utters two fateful words (that …
May 8, 2012
Singing Cebu City, Philippines
Although it’s still debated which country invented karaoke (an abbreviated compound word meaning “empty orchestra” in Japanese), a Filipino was definitely the first to patent it in 1975. And in my brief Filipino travels, Cebu …
April 19, 2012
Visiting the Insides of a Chicken – Manukan, Philippines
“...stay with my family and me for a few days.” I’d just met a friend of a friend, here in California, who heard that I was planning a trip to the 22,000-mile coastline nation of …
March 23, 2012
Filipino Flair – The Philippines
“We’re the fun Asians.” After soaking in the aforementioned statement from a Filipino friend and almost three years of living and working with a multitude of friendly Filipinos here in San Diego, I had to …
March 6, 2012
"Cheap-o Hawaii": Malapascua, Philippines
“Bad Easter”: that’s the Spanish translation of Malapascua, the Philippine island we visited recently. But I like to call it “Cheap-o Hawaii.” It has all the amenities Hawaii offers – including a multitude of water …
September 11, 2011
Stopover in Manila, Philippines
You might find yourself in Manila on a stopover on your way to some of the country’s most pristine beaches – or on the way home from Thailand. Whatever your reason, Manila does have some …
July 28, 2011
Palawan, Philippines
Palawan is the Philippines’ last frontier. Tourism has yet to penetrate this elongated island located southwest of Luzon, a paradise for tourists. Setting foot on Palawan, you’ll find yourself in a landscape of lush Jurassic …
October 12, 2009
The best pool players in the San Diego and the world: Filipinos
When he broke, it was hammerlike. It almost hurt my ears: a terrific crack! The colorful balls caromed and danced and spun everywhere.Nothing went in, though, lucky for me. So I lined up my first …
March 1, 2007
A Filipino writer takes on his San Diego countrymen
He believes that advertisers control the content of most Philippine newspapers in San Diego. Print something against what they believe, which is to say the status quo, and you’ll be out of business quickly.
June 14, 2001