Palawan seems to have it all: It is repeatedly named one of the world’s best islands, its beaches and limestone landscapes are featured in international travel lists, and millions of visitors come each year. Yet, ask travelers in some parts of Asia where Palawan is and the answer may be: Where is that? The disconnect...
Category: Lifestyle
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A third (and probably not the final) installment on my phone addiction
I find that one way I get myself out of a writing slump is to write about my day-to-day fight with phone addiction. It’s been five months since I last wrote for CoverStory, and in the two times I emerged from a similar writing slump, I got myself out by writing about my phone addiction....
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Keeping children safe while they play Roblox
Cherie Magsanoc has one nonnegotiable rule in allowing her 10-year-old daughter to play Roblox: Only with friends she knows. The moment a stranger joins the game or tries to interact with her, Magsanoc reminds her child to stop immediately and leave the game, and to tell that unknown person that her parents said so. Roblox...
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Banca for Life keeps small fishermen afloat
Some 180 subsistence fishermen in the island-province of Catanduanes, who lost their boats to storm surges triggered by Supertyphoon “Uwan” on Nov. 9, 2025, have been thrown a lifeline. A coalition of civic organizations has gifted them new outrigger boats, restoring their shattered livelihoods and pushing back the constant threat of hunger stalking their precarious...
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Not quite up Mount Pulag, but blessed still by God’s work
Regret came with every step—at least in the beginning. Between the biting cold, the thin air, and the early, early morning darkness, the hike up Mount Pulag in Benguet was a shock to the system for those who, like me, do not usually climb mountains “for fun.” But, as it is with this kind of...
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A ‘bangus’ lover to the end of time
“I’ve brought you there before,” my protesting husband declared after I told him I’d honor an invitation to witness and take part in the Bangus Festival in Pangasinan early this month. For some reason I couldn’t recall that experience. Instead, I have memories of a lechon festival in the same province, when I was mindful...
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As near as I could get to St. Peter’s Basilica
By that I meant the Basilica of St. Martin of Tours in Taal, Batangas. I recall a senator once telling me to not miss a chance to visit this church, especially after its lighting, frescoes and tromp l’oeils were improved and restored. A visit here, she said, felt like being transported somewhere in Europe when...
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Dalipe River: Antique’s case for tourism without development
PANDAN, Antique—In a province known for its rugged coastlines and rising ecotourism spots, one inland destination continues to stand out by remaining largely untouched. Dalipe River in Barangay Guia in the municipality of Pandan offers a quiet alternative to the more frequented attractions in the area. Free from commercial development and large tourist crowds, it...
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Fukushima presents lessons for the whole world
FUKUSHIMA, Japan—Here, in the course of three weeks at the height of winter, I visited the area where the earthquake struck, the coast where the tsunami hit, the nuclear plant where the “accident” occurred, all in a prefecture that still grapples with the memory of a disaster that happened 15 years ago. For those of...
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From culture vlogger to viral restaurant owner
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—Surprised to see lines of people on one side of the highway starting around 9 a.m. in Barangay Beckel, just at the border with Baguio City? They’re drawn by internet-personality-turned-restaurateur Etag TV and his restaurant. Etag TV is actually Mark Dave Yamoyam, a registered nurse from La Trinidad who has been vlogging about Igorot...