“When I thought that I was leaving my family behind, tears welled in my eyes. I felt I was drowning. The horse was nimble; my driver Macario, silent and so was I. What thoughts! What sad reflections!”
~Jose Rizal (May 2, 1882)
OKAY! That was a bit heavy, and I don’t want to celebrate his life with a melodramatic note. So, let’s shift to the lighter side…
Jose Rizal is my personal super hero. I grew up reading his accounts, browsing the coffee table in National Bookstore and silently admiring his body …

In observance of Undas (Filipino version of Halloween), there’s no other perfect time to tell some freaky stories that Monette and I have experienced together.
(Un)fortunately, we have never encountered anything beyond our sanity threshold while on a major trip. Unless you’d consider running out of cigarettes in the middle of nowhere a legitimate horror (Well, it actually is. It was really horrifying seeing Monette turning into a Linda Blair on nicotine withdrawal.)
SHAKE…
One of the eeriest experience wasn’t really a Magandang Gabi Bayan material that will make one sleepless for nights. But …

We had our rainy Boracay stint last September, and we really had fun despite the b**chy weather. We managed to make the best of what the island can offer the Flip’n Travelers way. CLICK HERE to see our 2009 Bora adventure.

Now Imagine this: Flying with no less than the country’s flag carrier. Being taken care of, including all meals throughout the entire trip, plus covering the island activities with PhP5,000 pocket money, and it will run for 5 Days while staying in 5 Star Luxury Resort.
Now wake-up! You can make …

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January 1 is Brit milah:
The Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord

While our Jewish brothers are celebrating this biblical feast, I thought of sharing my personal story of crossing the bridge to manhood:
(WARNING: MAY BE TOO GRAPHIC FOR WEAK STOMACHS)

TRIVIA: Majority of filipinos are circumcised. It is a Filipino tradition to conduct this operation between the months of March to April. It is socio-cultural norm to be circumcised before a man reached adulthood.

1990…
Out of peer pressure,
childhood friends dragged me to go to the dreaded Mang Sipyo

THE MANUNULI!
(a non-medical person who …

The Misa de Gallo, bibingka and puto bumbong
Kris Kringle and unwanted angel figurines
Carolers singing “… teng-kyu teng-kyu ambabaet ninyo! teng-kyu!”
Videoke with old friends and all sorts of parties happening left and right.
Divisoria shopping, congested malls and havaianas’ queue reaching the next floor.
Kids you don’t know showing-up in your doorstep.
Kids you know showing-up in your doorstep, claiming your 13th month pay.
Then you will find yourself the next morning after christmas, staring in to nothingness, with an empty pocket, plotting a kidnapping modus operandi. Afterall kids are then richer than the tax payers.
Nothing beats Christmas in the Philippines!
Maligayang …

Christmas is here, so what’s the best way to celebrate this joyous season than through love and giving, right?. So here’s our OFFICIAL HOLIDAY 2009 BACKPACKER’S WISH LIST:
hahaha
Ron’s Wish list

1. The perfect Narrow brimmed straw hat. This one may seem easy to find, but I’m telling you, I can’t find the one for me, I want it unembellished, narrow brimmed, soft and a bit ragged. now tell me where to find it.
2. Vacuum storage bags. I want to carry less baggage as much as possible. Who wouldn’t?
3. Victorinox Travel wallet (sling …

Starting tomorrow, Saturday night sky will lit up once more.

The World Pyro Olympics is the most awaited sky spectacle in the Philippines since the dancing sun brouhaha in 1980-ish. This year, the event will fire-up sky from Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
Contending countries will showcase a magical pyro-musical presentation so expect a jaw-dropping larger than life show. Teams from participating countries include of South Korea, China, Germany, Australia, Japan, Italy, Canada and the United States. The competition will run  for five consecutive Saturdays starting on November 21 to December 19, …

they roam at night, while everyone’s in deep slumber…

This year we spent our halloween shenanigan separate from each other. But that doesn’t stop us from matching our costumes this year. Originally, we wanted to do Dora and Diego, then it became Annie and Shaider, but due to lack of time and budget we decided to pay homage to the humble heroes closest to our hearts.
The Manong’s and Manang’s, Ate’s and Koya’s, Guardigans, Ermenguards, SEKYU!
They got the scarriest stories of horror from the offices and establishments they patrol. They witnessed the darkest nights and felt …

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Contact PRC here.
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Center: No. 13 Examiner St., …