Traveling the distance to bridge relationships

Things can get really difficult here in the Philippines. It's hard to make ends meet, especially if you have families to feed. Having a family means a lot of responsibilities. And we all know that many are forced to live and work far from their families in order to provide a better future for them. That is the dilemma many husbands and wives face, whether to live together but without a clear future due to trying times, or to accept the need to find greener pastures, forced by circumstances to be separated by distance, in order to provide a brighter future for the family, especially the children.

In these times that the family breadwinner is away and alone, memories of home can serve as vital nourishment for the soul. Family photographs, messages from home, familiar sights, sounds and even scents can remind separated individuals of home and of special memories. Maybe a smell of home-cooked meal or that of freshly-washed clothes with the same scent the wife uses at home, Tide with Downy perhaps.



Yes, the whiteness and freshness of clothes washed with Tide with Downy can last for up to 7 days. So no matter how far and long the journey of the washed clothes are, its scent remains fresh with the scent of Tide with Downy. I saw (and smelled) that for myself early this month when I traveled far and wide to deliver packages from Tide with Downy.

When I heard about the Tide with Downy Bangong Padala campaign, and that they wanted a travel blogger to deliver their packages and bridge distance relationships, I immediately agreed when they extended the invitation.

Tide thought of a way of reaching out to couples who are separated by distance. The public was invited to share their special long distance love stories to the campaign. Everyone who sent their story got the opportunity to send a special package to their loved one. There were hundreds of love stories sent and received by the campaign. And out of the hundreds that were sent, Tide eventually picked three that stood out.

In the next few days, I will share these stories with you. I traveled far to meet the people behind these stories. This is where my journey begins. Enjoy the video!

Taiwan: Wufenpu Clothes Market & Din Tai Fung at Taipei 101

The prospect of flying back to Taiwan for a few days was exciting. It's one of those destinations I savor, quite literally in fact because of the delicious street food! EVA Airways had invited me to explore Taiwan together with other travel bloggers and writers. And who was I to refuse, especially since we were visiting Taroko Gorge and Hualien!

After the quick check-in at NAIA Terminal 1, we relaxed a bit at the lounge before boarding our EVA Air flight to Taipei. It was a lunch flight and we arrived late in the afternoon. As soon as we cleared the usual airport arrival procedures in Taoyuan International Airport, we immediately proceeded to the Wufenpu Clothes Market 五分埔時尚購物通, the largest clothing market in Taipei and our first stop for the tour.

It's paradise for those looking for value for money clothes and accessories. And one can spend a whole day just walking around and looking for the latest trends at a bargain. But we only had an hour to spend. If you want to check out the market when you visit Taipei, the nearest stations to Wufenpu are the TRA Songshan Station and the Taipei Metro Houshanpi Station.

But I'm really not the shopping type. So it was nice to see a Taoist temple in the market area while walking around, at least a little bit of traditional culture there.

By now, we were getting hungry. And there's no better place to have dinner than in Din Tai Fung! My mouth was watering at the thought of having Xiao Long Bao for dinner. So I just couldn't wait. We were eating at the Taipei 101 branch.

And I was not disappointed. It was bun and dumpling overload that night. Plus of course other favorites like their tofu appetizer which I just love! We were served other kinds of dumplings and buns that night, I forgot to take note of what else we had and enjoyed the feast.

Before proceeding to the Shilin Night Market, we first checked-in at the Palais de Chine Hotel which I noticed was smack in the center of Taipei's transportation hub, with the bus terminal right beside it and the Taipei Main Train Station just a mere five minutes walk away.

And the rooms were spacious, modern and very cozy, perfect for the business traveler. The only thing I don't like about tours is that we don't get to enjoy the hotel much. As soon as we were settled, we rushed to the Shilin Night Market. Se more photos of Taipei, Taiwan in the Ivan About Town FB page.

Palais de Chine Hotel Taipei　
No. 3 Sec. 1 Chengde Road Taipei 103 Taiwan　
Tel. No. +866 (2) 21819999　
Fax No. +866 (2) 21819988

Many thanks to EVA Airways and Jeron Travel and Tours for arranging this trip to Taiwan!

Remember the Jai Alai!

In a few days from now, we will remember a day that has lived in infamy in the city of Manila. It was on July 15, 2000 that Mayor Lito Atienza ordered the demolition of one of the finest Art Deco buildings in Asia, the Jai Alai Building. Twelve years after, heritage advocates still remember this painful episode, but have been steadfast in the fight to preserve what is left of our country's heritage as a result.

We should not demolish significant heritage structures because it will destroy the character of our cities. And that is tantamount to erasing our own nation's soul.

Let's all remember the Jai Alai! Let's learn from the lessons of history and ensure that we continue to pass on our heritage to future generations of Filipinos!

Read more about the Jai Alai demolition from an old Asiaweek article The Game's Over: A link with the past goes as Manila's Jai Alai stadium is torn down.

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras removed from List of World Heritage in Danger!

The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras is officially removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger at the 36th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Saint Petersburg, Russia! This good news was texted to me by Archt. Joy Mananghaya of the UNESCO National Commission (UNACOM) who is currently at the meeting.

According to UNESCO, "The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (Philippines) was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1995 as an outstanding cultural landscape that evolved over two millennia. It was placed on the Danger List in 2001 because of threats to its essential values which required the development of better management and planning. The Philippines sought danger listing as a way to raise national and international support and cooperation in the preservation of these remote high rice fields maintained thanks to the transmission of traditional knowledge from one generation to the next."

In his e-mail to me, ICOMOS Philippines President Archt. Augusto Villalon said, "All committee members were effusive in their compliments of the great work done by us for the terraces. We are the new examples for community based heritage conservation success!"


Congratulations to the Philippines and most especially to the Ifugao community who have worked so hard to remove the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras from the List of World Heritage in Danger! Congratulations as well to UNACOM and ICOMOS Philippines for the great work that was done!

But the work to conserve the rice terraces does not end there. We should continue to be vigilant and join in the efforts to safeguard the site. Removal from the list does not mean it is no longer in danger. One reason for the removal is that we have complied with the difficult process of producing infrastructure guidelines and cartographic maps. It is important to understand the context of the removal. It recognizes that we are moving towards the right direction, eleven years after it was first included in the danger list in 2001. And this is the good news we celebrate today!

Stop logging in Mindanao! Save our forests!

Let's play a game! How many logs can you count? These are photos I took within a few hours I was traveling through the Caraga Region. It represents just a small part of the trucks that we actually saw as we drove through (I also took cat naps on the way). Now imagine this happening on a daily basis, and that it happened for years and continues to happen.

I remember seeing this in 2010. So imagine how much of our forest cover we've lost in Mindanao. No wonder Sendong floods hit Mindanao! How many more Sendongs do we need to realize what needs to be done? I call on President Beningo Aquino III to implement his total log ban.

I will let the photos speak for themselves.