Why go to Malagos Garden Resort? Here's why:

2005 was the start of my birthday trip tradition – it speaks for itself; I go out of town for my birthday. In 2005, I visited Tagaytay with my family then in 2006 spent 2 days in La Luz in Batangas.

Café Mesa is a charming little restaurant with a view of Stotsenberg Parade Ground at Clark Freeport Zone. It occupies one of the oldest barns in the area which was a military base camp back in the day that was restored to a sunlight-filled joint where the smell of freshly brewed coffee is prevalent in the air and the internet is zippy-fast and free!

After our Puning Hot Springs adventure, we were spent. Instead of bringing us back to Ministop Sutherland, the 4x4 jeep driver was nice enough to bring us to our digs instead since it was just a few minutes away from the Ministop. We were able to get an awesomely discounted 2 bedroom villa at Monte Vista Villas inside Mimosa.

The Sarangani Bay Festival, on its 6th year led by Governor Migs Dominguez, continuously draws thousands of tourists and has evolved to become the biggest beach party in Mindanao. The fiesta is a 3 day peaceful but fun filled event to honor the bounty of the sea and its people – the Sarangans, and to promote the conservation and protection of the Sarangani bay.

The Philippine's own version of the Blue Lagoon lies at the top-most part of Ilocos Norte (a short ride away is Cagayan province already). It's official name is actually Maira-ira Beach (Blue Lagoon, however, is a lot catchier). In the early 90's, this spot was a secret amongst backpackers and budget travellers. Super hush-hush. This was our own version of THE BEACH (Oh Leo!). Nowadays, it's not so secret but that still doesn't take away the gorgeousness of the place.

Our barkada wanted a weekend getaway for our friend’s despidida. Limited by time and our budget, we wanted to do something new. Weekend fave Tagaytay was out of the question since we’ve been there a lot of times already. A month prior, I had a shoot in Clark for an AVP. We shot at Puning Hot Springs and spent the weekend in Clark. I suggested it to my friends and viola! Problem solved.

Costa Marina Beach Resort is just a few minutes away from Davao City.

Located in Babak, Samal, it can be reached by a 15 minute boat ride from the Sasa Dock Area or better know to the Dabawenyos as the “Paradise Island Dock.” (It shares the area with Paradise Resorts dock, that's why.) There’s also an option to bring your own car and board the ferry for a higher cost.

Calaguas Island is a little known island in Camarines Norte. Chichi had been there twice before and she swears it's the Ultimate Beach Camping Experience. Think Boracay sans the crowds, hawkers, pollution and in-your-face commercialism.

The last time I was in Corregidor was with my whole clan when I was in grade school. I have few memories of the trip but I remember having fun. Our Corregidor trip was gloomy and unfortunately, it left me bratty – I was uninspired to shoot. When the weather isn’t good, it dampens my photog spirits. I know it’s not the right way of thinking but I can’t help it.

A 4 hour drive from Manila to Zambales for 2 nights and 3 days of beach, booze and back to basics roughing it up living in Pundaquit.

Traveling often makes me wish that some nifty things were invented just to make things easier. Like Hermione's 'bottomless' handbag that could hold books, camping supplies, and even a tent! Or Perkin's tent that looks cramped from the outside but is as lavish and roomy as a mansion inside.

What about a small piece of cloth that transforms into a bandana, tube top, skirt, dust mask, eye shade and scarf in just a few seconds? Why hasn't anyone thought of that?

Wait... they have? No way!

I remember my first time in Boracay, my cousin said “I could live here forever.” I couldn’t, even though I love the beach, because I’m a city girl at heart. Over conversation with friends, we were talking about places we’d be okay to relocate to and mine was Cebu and Davao. It’s the perfect compromise! You still have the city life and the beach is just a drive away. Pwede!

Lemlunay roughly translates to “the good place one goes to in the afterlife” in the B'laan and T'Boli dialect.

This dive resort situated in a precipice overlooking Sarangani Bay is some 33 kilometers from General Santos City Hall, so should only be about 20 minutes scenic drive. Disclaimer: time is not to scale, just an approximate based on my driving skills.

For our recent Bacolod trip, I really didn’t do any planning which was refreshing for a change. I credit all our food recommendations to my cousin Hanna and my parents who also gave their list. With no hard evidence, we attacked the last on whims with no restaurant greater than the other. Going to the famous Manookan country is of course non-negotiable.

Mati is a municipality in Davao Oriental 165 kilometers from the city of Davao. I don’t know much about the municipality itself or its history, although I’ve heard that Japanese forces once landed on the town some long long time ago.

3,500,000

That's the estimated number of people from all over the country (and the world) who visited my hometown of Cebu City on the third Sunday of January for the annual Sinulog Festival.

Everyone heads to Boracay for the summer. Some go for the beach, while most of the people go to party. If you’re not there to “hook up”, then food tripping is the next best thing to the beach.

The Pearl Farm Beach Resort is particularly famous to those who watch too much showbiz news. Aside from Boracay, it is the most frequently visited resort by the primetime kings and queens, the “teleserye” princes and princesses, the too-opinionated talk show host, the men and women of tv’s most popular variety shows, beauty queens, celebrity models, news casters, even child stars. High profile clientele must mean something. And although I have always wanted to go to Pearl Farm what really convinced me was Jomari Yllana’s alleged cheating on Pops Fernandez in the resort several years back.

Flat abs, toned arms, meeting the surfer dude/babe of your dreams.

Just some of the rewards of surfing. Now that I've convinced you to try surfing from Part 1 of this guide, let me share 4 of the best spots in the Philippines to go to for beginner surfers:

We were probably in Iloilo for less than 24 hours; we used it merely as an entry point. Since our flight to Iloilo was in the afternoon, the next boat trip to Guimaras was the next morning. We stayed at Highway 21 for the night. It was clean, affordable and the room was pretty spacious.

20 years ago, a rumor circulated that my long lost brother had been found and as proof that he was well and living, they showed me a photo of this funny looking creature with huge bulging eyes.

It has been hailed as the Philippines' Last Frontier. Some say the name Palawan comes from the PA-LAO-YU, or “land of beautiful safe harbour".

The land of sweet mangoes (that’s not Cebu) has always been on my Must-visit-before-I-die-list. Last Holy Week without much research or planning, Guimaras treated me to a well-deserved R & R trip. On most vacations I usually do the planning, coordinating, etc so there’s a bit of “work” involved though fun nonetheless. My friend’s friend took care of our accommodations, itinerary and transportation which meant I could really RELAX!

According to Mrs. Orbita, my grade 2 history teacher, Ferdinand Magellan became the 1st European to set foot on Philippine soil in April of 1521. He was a Portuguese explorer and navigator instructed by the King of Spain to search for the “Spice Island,” (Indonesia) and landed in Cebu instead. He was welcomed by Cebu's chieftain Rajah Humabon and his wife whom he persuaded to make an alliance with Spain and later on baptized them and some 800 other natives into Roman Catholics.

The opportunity to go back-packing to Sagada, one of the municipalities in Mount Province, came shortly after I resigned from my job as an advertising guy. The resignation wasn’t something I was proud of. It reinforces a friend’s oxymoronic claim that I’m a “permanent temp.” That accusation wasn’t unfounded, considering that I’ve already been through five jobs. The longest job I’ve kept lasted only for eight months. That stint in the ad agency wasn’t an exception: I was there only for three months.

Sleeplessness scares me more than anything. I am frightened that in my days of being slumber-deprived, a Chuck Palahniuk character (Tyler Durden to be exact) will magically appear beside me. Some of you may know Tyler Durden as that mayhem-mongering “imaginary” friend of a poor insomniac-turned-schizophrenic. So, recently, after being awake for more than 48 hours, I decided to find sleep away from the comforts of my bed in Quezon City. Maybe in Sorsogon, Bicol, sleep will come to me and Tyler Durden won’t.