Get a Ghibli postcard from Japan and help me fund this blogsite
Dear friends, I have Ghibli postcards at home and for my birthmonth October soon, I’ll be bringing them along my trip from Tokyo to Hokkaido and then back to Tokyo. I’m posting this in case anyone’s interested to receive handwritten personal messages on a postcard stamped with an eki stamp from any of the train…
List of Flood Control Projects in Bicol
The list of projects can also be found on the website https://sumbongsapangulo.ph/. However, that site does not allow sorting the projects by cost or completion date. You may also click on the province names below to view their corresponding data. Bicol Projects – Province Buttons Bicol Projects Search contractors, filter by province with one click,…
Japan Travel: What is a JR Pass? Should you get it? How do you use it?
[NOTE: THIS POST WILL BE CONSTANTLY UPDATED AS I WRITE MORE RA VS JAPAN POSTS, WHICH ARE COMPLEMENTARY POSTS TO MY YOUTUBE VIDEO FOUND HERE] Japan is home to the fastest, safest trains, the world’s busiest stations, the longest train bridge, and the longest suspended monorail system. So naturally, when you visit Japan, your experience…
The ‘Unlucky Town’: How a Pre-WWII Newspaper Argued About My Hometown’s Fate
In just a few days, it will mark exactly 86 years since the pre-World War II newspaper “An Parabareta” sparked a spirited debate about the supposed misfortunes of my hometown, Guinobatan. I was reminded this first when I saw someone on Reddit ask everyone in r/Bicol what they think are the ‘best and worst’ cities…
THROWBACK | In Catanduanes, ‘hosanahan’ still alive as a Lenten rite
NOTE: This story was first published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer on March 25, 2024. I thought that since today is Easter Sunday, it would be nice to repost this here. I should have posted this a week ago, though, because this story is actually about the Palm Sunday celebration in the town of Caramoran,…
Appropriation vs Reclamation: I wholeheartedly support this HBO ‘Harry Potter’ cast reveal
I am sure the “Harry Potter” television series will be so much better than the original material knowing that they gave a Black actor the chance to be one of the main cast members. On Monday, HBO revealed that it has cast Emmy, Olivier, and British Academy Film Awards (Bafta) nominee Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape,…
Farmers, communities fear environmental impact as PNR plans South Long Haul
NOTE: This story was first published by Bicoldotph on Jan. 14. LIBMANAN, Camarines Sur—Allan Abanto, 52, traversed a cemetery in Puro-Batia village in this town, making his way to a parcel of land, which will be converted into government property in just a few months. He had to make careful, deliberate steps, avoiding the puddles…
THROWBACK: Filipinos in NY raise PH concerns in Climate Strike
NOTE: This story was published on Sept. 22, 2019. I wrote this for the Philippine Daily Inquirer when I attended the first-ever UN Youth Climate Summit and the Climate Action Summit. The Youth Climate Summit was attended by climate activists Greta Thunberg, Bruno Rodriguez, Wanjuhi Ngoroge, and Komal Kumar. On Sept. 20, 2019, Friday, climate…
Mangroves offer refuge from climate risks to Sorsogon folk, whale sharks in Sorsogon
NOTE: This story first appeared in CoverStory.ph last Jan. 8. This report was written with support from the “Covering Climate: Qualifying Environmental Journalists in the Philippines” project, which is financed by the German Embassy Manila and implemented by Deutsche Welle Akademie. DONSOL, Sorsogon—On his day off from his two jobs last November, after two strong…
Everything you need to know about Pag-ibig MP2
NOTE: This post has been updated on July 31, 2025 to include an alternative free way to pay your MP2 account.It’s the New Year—there’s no better time to start thinking about saving money than right now! One of the best choices for saving money is Pag-ibig Fund’s Modified Pag-ibig II (MP2), a voluntary savings scheme…
