ILOILO CITY—Ilonggos and their guests can expect a double treat of weekend revelry when the “Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan” and “Dinagyang” go centerstage one after the other on Jan. 27 and 28 in this city, in what looms as a face-off of festivals reflecting the dynamism of local culture, faith and tradition. “This year’s Kasadyahan is...
Category: Lifestyle
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The grandeur of solitude: ‘Alone but never lonely’
Let me clarify at the start my thesis-thought for this piece: I’m in no way advocating solitude at the expense of or minus social interaction, or isolation over meaningful contact with others. Verily, in the objective scheme of things, according to the “no man is an island” precept, a good life cannot exclude family and...
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In the Year of the Wood Dragon, ‘our success rests in our hands’
A fast-paced year of opportunities and challenges: This is how feng shui master Hanz Cua describes the coming Year of the Wood Dragon. Chinese New Year 2024, which starts on Feb. 10, is very different from the past Rabbit year, according to Cua. “The Dragon represents assertiveness and energy, in contrast to the Rabbit which...
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‘People who love to eat are always the best people’
That Julia Child dictum of wisdom has guided me late in life, especially in this holiday season when one moveable feast after another in Baguio City, where I live, summoned me and my bottomless appetite. The feasting began early as balikbayan friends from the United States trooped to professor emeritus Delfin Tolentino’s art-filled abode in...
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On the way to Bayambang we drove north to Vigan
Five days before Christmas Day we went on a 24-hour road trip that took us to a Ghibli-inspired Christmas village, a 400-year-old watchtower, and a city with cobblestone streets and ancestral houses. The initial plan was to drive early in the morning to Bayambang, Pangasinan, to check out the Christmas village that features some of...
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A delish swing through ‘sisig’ country
It was in 2021, while watching an episode of chef Sandy Daza’s TV show “FoodPrints,” that I planned to one day visit Pampanga and try the seeming to-die-for dishes offered by some of the restaurants he featured. I was finally able to travel to the culinary capital of the Philippines early this December, accompanied by...
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Netflix’s ‘Chef Chico’ offers delicious viewing experience
“Replacing Chef Chico” is a taste test of how far Filipino creatives can satisfy the international audience. And from the rave reviews and positive feedback it has been receiving since it was released globally last Nov. 24, it looks like the first Filipino-produced series on Netflix has passed the test. As of this writing, the...
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Two days and one night in BTS Country
An overnight stay in South Korea might sound more like a layover than an actual vacation. But it was what made a recent trip to Seoul with my sister Kristine, our first together overseas, unique and memorable. Being the well-travelled one of two siblings, Kristine had been to South Korea thrice this year alone. Our...
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One island paradise, five worlds
To try to run across the length and breadth of Boracay is to catch a glimpse of at least five very different worlds. There is the world of White Beach and Bulabog Beach, of course. The world of low-budget and mid-range hotels; a world that looks increasingly more like Greenbelt or BGC but transplanted beside...
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Living his dream and not working a day in his life
Sandy Daza hosts three food shows on TV and writes a column, making him one of the most recognizable chefs in the Philippines. He co-owns kiosks bearing his name that sell empanada and siopao in malls across Metro Manila. And he wears another hat: as a guide of culinary tours in Japan that he considers...