Here in the Philippines, I believe some Filipinos are quite familiar with the phrase “Para sa ekonomiya” (for the economy). We used to say “Ginagawa ko ito para sa ekonomiya” (I’m doing this for the economy). That funny tone of saying it but somehow with sincerity in the mind, that’s what made this tagline popular for quite some time. Okay, I guess you know who started this craze (Google it). Now, let me state my version of saying it, with this simple story I want to share with you. Around February of this year (2017), we asked the permission of our neighbor if we can plant on her front yard. This neighbor of ours and a close friend of my wife as well is now living in the United States and since her departure about 2 years ago, her front lot is becoming crowded with weeds and grasses. Fortunately, she allowed us. We took the chance of cleaning the abandoned yard and see if we can grow some vegetables there. Here are some shots of those days when we turned this lot into something

Home to over a hundred million Filipinos, life in the Philippines unknown to many goes with hard to swallow realities. Behind the beauties of nature lies a culture of madness. With politicians always onto heated debates aired on national television, recurring problems the people is facing, meanwhile, are often neglected, ignored, and never even talk about. And mind this. Even the usual news about drugs, criminality, and corruption, some local authorities pretend to be deaf and dumb. Why not we talk about some of these problems up close and personal? After all, the resolution of these issues is for our common good – we the Filipinos. Here is my premise. The words of mouth of the local folks, let them be heard. Not the scripted topics on afternoon news but the conversation that airs around the barangays, towns, cities, and communities, let’s bring them up as topics in this timely post. Coupled with what I am hearing and seeing, I would like to express my honest opinion about each problem

Probably next to the beauty of a tourism spot, if it’s about the real reasons for traveling there, is our search for the best “pasalubong”. It’s the tagalog word for “gift” or “souvenir” and it can be anything from foods, toys, clothes, handicraft, furniture, soaps, wearables, or household items. It’s practically anything, big or small, cheap or expensive, edible or not. And for as long as that special item was bought somewhere else and then given to someone as an act of love and kindness – the true purpose has been served. Kakanin - a Typical Pasalubong for the Filipino Family Part of the Culture A simple gesture of “Salamat po” (Thank you) for sharing that pasalubong is enough to make you feel the love and kindness back. There is the best pasalubong for kids, for grandmas and grandpas, for a favorite grandson, for a close neighbor or friend, for the workmates, for the boss, for a former enemy, for a religious brother, and even for a complete stranger. Yes, indeed! Well, “pasa