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Filipinos Will Fight COVID-19, the World Will Survive this Tough Time

I’m just an ordinary Filipino, like many of you. I listen to the news. At some point I become confused about the situation, about the quarantine, the lockdown, and their impact on our lives here in the country. Your hardships, your anger and frustrations, your impatience, I do feel it too. Nararamdaman ko po ang inyong pag-aalala at pagkalito. Batid ko po ang inyong pangamba. Sa kabila po nito, mga kapwa ko Pilipino, nais ko po kayong bigyan ng lakas ng loob kaakibat ang matalinong gabay upang mawakasan natin ang epekto ng COVID-19 sa ating bansa at sa buong mundo. The number of affected Filipinos is on a rising trend. So I used to ask questions: What will happen next? What would it be months from now? I captured this photo from a restaurant I used to occasionally dine. This photo will remind us to become a strong family, a stronger nation. That during tough times, we eat as one, we fight as one, we pray as one. Our combined prayers and intelligent actions will protect us from COV

My Motorcycle Adventures Featured Destination: Caleruega

Driving a motorcycle has always been a dream. Though the reality on the road is that it is not that favorable to most motorcycle riders, keeping in mind your safety and security while on the handles will bring you to your chosen destination always safe and sound. So when I got my first motorcycle, I wanted to drive it with my wife of course in going to places we’ve never been before, places we always wanted to be, with safety always on top of my mind. One amazing place we drove our motorcycle to is this place called “Caleruega”. Here is a glimpse of it to start with. If you would research more about Caleruega, you would get to discover the spirituality and nature concept of this solemn place in Nasugbu, Batangas, Philippines. Needless to discuss how Caleruega came to be, what is lovely about this place is the beauty of its surroundings. It is full of plants, flowers, trees, and lively birds and fishes. The Entrance Chapel At the main entrance of Caleru

The Grays and Golds of the Taal Volcano Eruption

The grays of ashes brought us down but the golds in our hearts will lift us again. For me, this is one of the clearest message this natural phenomenon has delivered to the Filipinos. About two weeks before the surprising January 12 Taal Volcano eruption in Batangas, Philippines, my wife and I were driving our motorcycle along Tagaytay-Nasugbu road, then the Diokno Highway traversing the towns of Laurel, Agoncillo and Laurel, the Palico-Balayan-Batangas road passing by the towns of Taal and Santa Teresita, and the National Highway connecting Alitagtag, Cuenca and Lipa City. All of these areas were devastated by the unprecedented explosion of ashes from the popular Taal volcano-island. The eruption just happens, without any sign or warning from the volcano itself that it would be that catastrophic. Taal Volcano eruption in the afternoon of January 12, 2020. (Credit to owner of the photo - a college classmate) The Instagram-mable Eruption of Taal Volcano Calamity strikes

The Filipino Ways: Our Beliefs and Divisiveness (Part 2)

In a certain point of view, Filipinos beliefs and the differences between them, is what divides us as a society. For sale Sto. Nino and other statue of saints and Jesus Christ are shown in this photo. It is a religious tradition, a belief system engrave in the Filipino Catholic's minds. In the Philippines, you would be surprised if beliefs varies from towns to towns, cities to cities. While we speak a common language, the Pilipino or natively known as Tagalog, we still think in different dialects - about 180 of them. When one speaks in his tongue, it could mean different on the other tongue. Putting it another way, our wide mixes of dialects and languages is putting a barrier to our unity. The same goes true with ethnicity. Our manners and actions somehow differs from one another. With about 175 ethnic groups now blending together in major cities, there occurs misunderstandings. The ways of one could mean an insult to the other. To the curious eyes, those truths are easil

The Filipino Ways: Stories of Our Lutong Bahay Foods (Part 1)

Hello! Welcome to the Philippines, the land of tasty menus, amazing recipes, and delicious meals. This is my country, the country of the Filipinos, and if its about food, it is something that we are so proud of. In this post, I would share some stories, some origins, and some wonderful experiences of the foods I tasted here in the Philippines. Perhaps, many of you could have already tasted a lot of these foods and that's great. But let me try to discuss what's in these menus; what is it that makes Filipinos love to eat them at home, inside restaurants, at the park, in our office pantry, in our school canteens, and even inside our cars during road trips. Some of the trivia, you may not believe they're true. Let's get started. Lydia's Lechon Ms. Lydia de Roca and her husband Mr. Benigno de Roca started it all in the late 80's. With lechon or roast pig as the prime menu, Lydia expanded her restaurant and now includes "lutong bahay" or ho