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San Fernando, La Union | Make it a Destination

San Fernando, La Union | Make it a Destination

  For the longest time, San Fernando City in La Union has been struggling to break free from being just an “oh-by-the-way” stopover into becoming a real destination. Travelers to Vigan and Laoag often miss this equally beautiful place in their desire to make it farther up north the...

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Traditonal Tattoo

The Redeemers of Traditional Hand-Tapped Tattoo in the Philippines

The Redeemers of Traditional Hand-Tapped Tattoo in the Philippines

The complex dynamics of modern society has made our indigenous people to inevitably open their villages to outsiders to create a new stream of livelihood in tourism. Such is the case of Buscalan in Kalinga, Philippines where “tattoo tourism” is gaining momentary traction among enthusiasts, young scholars and curious...

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Indigenous People

The Butbut Tribe of Buscalan, Kalinga

The Butbut Tribe of Buscalan, Kalinga

It is certainly unimaginable how an ordinary single old lady caught the attention of the world into her unknown village tucked in the heavens of the Cordillera Region in the Philippines. She is neither a prophet nor a faith healer. She is Whang-od, the last keeper of the Kalinga...

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Travel Guide

Travel Guide to Buscalan, Kalinga, Philippines

Travel Guide to Buscalan, Kalinga, Philippines

Buscalan is a small baranggay up in the mountains of Kalinga in Northern Philippines. It is a small and secluded community and can only be reached through narrow trails on steep mountain slopes. Buscalan is the homeland of the Butbut Tribe, once known as fierce headhunters among the Cordillera...

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Tattoo Artist

Whang-od | Ode of Thorns and Ink

Whang-od | Ode of Thorns and Ink

In a thousand of moons and harvests ago, a baby’s cry echoed in the mist-covered mountains of Buscalan. Whang-od, the tattoo legend was born.   Just like the rest of the children of the Butbut tribe in Kalinga, she played on the rice paddies and picked flowers on the...

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Caving

Callao Cave | Penablanca, Cagayan Valley

Callao Cave | Penablanca, Cagayan Valley

No doubt, Callao Cave in Cagayan Valley is one of the best show caves in the Philippines. People come here to marvel at its ancient rock-ribbed monstrosity and the drama of streaking light from the surrounding fissures. And as many as the bats flying out from its crevices at...

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Beach Bumming

Beach Overload in Sta. Ana, Cagayan

Beach Overload in Sta. Ana, Cagayan

  Sta. Ana in Cagayan may have been extremely pushed on the northeast end of mainland Philippines, but its isolation doesn’t come without a sparkling reward. As it hugs the coasts of Babuyan Channel and the Philippine Sea, its beaches definitely come to a default description – fantastic!  ...

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Island Getaway

Palaui Island | Sta. Ana, Cagayan Valley

Palaui Island | Sta. Ana, Cagayan Valley

Have you ever been trapped in a situation where turning back isn’t an option? I had the  scariest one hour of my life when the ruthless waves of the Philippine Sea battered our small boat enroute to Palaui Island. We were smoothly sailing when we left the Port of...

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Museum Tour

Chasing Time | Museums in Vigan

Chasing Time | Museums in Vigan

Vigan is the biggest live museum in the Philippines. There is always a piece of Spanish colonial story tucked somewhere on its buildings, cobblestone walkways and parks. But within its historic townscape are the homes of prominent Filipinos who have made significant marks in shaping the socio-cultural and political...

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Filipino Cuisine

Ilocano Cuisine | The Crispy, Hearty & Naughty

Ilocano Cuisine | The Crispy, Hearty & Naughty

Ilocano cuisine always has something to make any foodie burp — from the hearty & healthy, to the crispy & naughty. And whether original to Ilocos or a version of our favourite food from somewhere else, eating your way around here is surely a delightful travel experience. Ilocos may...

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Heritage Site

Vigan | Heritage Stewardship Above Selfies and Jump Shots

Vigan | Heritage Stewardship Above Selfies and Jump Shots

  With the onslaught of imposed industrialization, climate change, political dramas and mass tourism, how long will the Heritage City of Vigan survive?   The hordes of tourists crisscrossing the cobblestone alleyways and swarming in and out of the museums have obviously lost the quaint town experience I expected...

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Filipino Food

Pancit Duel | Batil-Patung Versus Cabagan

Pancit Duel | Batil-Patung Versus Cabagan

  REMINDER. Whenever in Isabela or Cagayan, never laugh at a man with a bowl of noodle, you might get challenged to a pancit duel! The Northeastern side of the Philippines is not called Pancit Republic for nothing. Whether coming in from Nueva Vizcaya in the South or Apayao...

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Heritage Site

Binondo, Manila | The Dragon of Times

Binondo, Manila | The Dragon of Times

Binondo, the world’s oldest Chinatown is more than just about anything Made in China. It is also about ancient history, people migration & globalization of cultures. But seriously, no one really cares about it anymore. Not even the young breeds of Filipinos or many Filipino-Chinese know well its wonderful...

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Resort Review

Sitio Remedios Heritage Resort | Currimao, Ilocos Norte

Sitio Remedios Heritage Resort | Currimao, Ilocos Norte

Solid wooden floors, embroidered bed covers, bentwood furniture. Surely, there’s just something magical & nostalgic about Sitio Remedios. A trip around Ilocos Norte assures you of fantastic beaches, good food, interesting crafts & lots of historical sites. And when you decide to go on this northbound journey, you might...

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