Lauren Castillo

In the westernmost portion of Central Luzon facing the South China Sea , the province of Zambales walks a dangerous tightrope between the economic boosts of rampant tourism and the sustainability of its frail natural resources. When Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, the resulting ash flow transformed the entire Zambales landscape, burying towns and wiping … Read more

With Boracay getting a little too crowded during Holy Week and other peak season months, tourists need other places in the Philippines to discover and explore. Palawan has been getting some attention and so has Bicol, but if there s one place that s got foreigners raving, it s Surigao del Norte. That s mostly … Read more

The province of Pampanga in Central Luzon is a beneficiary of the agreement with the United States to maintain military bases in Philippine territory, thanks to the Clark Air Base in Angeles City , but unlike the neighboring province of Zambales , it seems to have resisted tourist trampling and unchecked exploitation of its natural … Read more

If one happens to find himself in the Philippines , or the Visayas to be exact, one city is a must visit. Formerly called Ilong ilong due to the province being shaped like a nose (ilong means nose in Filipino and various local dialects), it was cut short to be simply called, Iloilo . There … Read more