Field Dispatch · Visayas · Cebu
Bantayan is flat, and that explains everything
The highest point on the island is twenty six meters, so there are no rivers and the whole place drinks from one rainwater aquifer. Ferry fares came down in May 2026, and the church in town has been shut since the earthquake.
Suroy is Bisaya for “to wander”
Explore the Philippines through the eyes of someone who has actually been there.
Latest dispatches
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Visayan Food Lexicon: Pochero, Kansi, Ngohiong and More
Decode Cebuano and Visayan menu words, from pochero, kansi and bulalo to ngohiong, lansiao, pusô, kinilaw and inun-unan.
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Motorcycle Day Trips from Cebu City: The Balamban Loop, Not the Viewpoint
The best day ride out of Cebu City is a loop, not an out-and-back. Climb the Transcentral to…
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Osmeña Peak to Kawasan Falls: Is the Hiking Trail Open?
Before you plan the Osmeña Peak to Kawasan hike, one thing needs saying: nobody publishes whether the walking…
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The Cash Ladder: How Much Money to Actually Carry on a Philippine Island Trip
Carry cash in four separate amounts, not one pile. A working system for island ATMs that run dry,…
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The Transcentral Highway After Dark: Fog, Fuel Gaps and an Active Slope
No 24 hour gasoline station, an active landslide zone between Cansomoroy and Gaas, and one gate open all…
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Stop Paying Everyone One by One: The Barkada Trip Ledger That Keeps Friendships Intact
Stop turning every van, ferry ticket and lunch into a fresh payment request. This simple barkada ledger tracks…
One archipelago, three island groups
7,641 islands
Sinulog Festival, Cebu City · 9:12 PM
Festivals · Culture
Sinulog is not a parade. It is a heartbeat.
One Sunday every January, two million people move to the same drum. We have shot it from the street and from the sky since 2022, and it still finds new ways to stop us cold.
Read the festival guideBite into Cebu
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Visayan Food Lexicon: Pochero, Kansi, Ngohiong and More
Decode Cebuano and Visayan menu words, from pochero, kansi and bulalo to ngohiong, lansiao, pusô, kinilaw…
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Where to eat ramen in Cebu: four bowls, four broths, and what each one actually costs
Four ramen shops across Ayala, IT Park, Banilad and A.S. Fortuna, picked by broth rather than…
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The steak arrives raw. You cook it yourself on a stone from Mount Fuji.
Seven visits in ten months, three of them on consecutive days. Nobody eats at a steakhouse…
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The Dispatch · Twice a month
Dispatches from 7,641 islands
Field guides, drone routes, and the honest version of every destination. Written after the trip, not before.