On social media, it has become a badge of honor to flex visiting all 82 provinces of the Philippines. But Arvid Marius “Marco” Puzon has taken this personal travel goals to its extreme: every city and municipality in the country.
For National Women's Week, we celebrate women who do exemplary work in promoting our local culture. From a long list, this writer has selected six women from a pool of countless equally impressive individuals who have contributed - and continue to contribute - to our society’s rich cultural heritage. Here are some of them.
“One of the great things about travel is that you find out how many good, kind people there are,” Edith Wharton once quoted. The first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, for The Age of Innocence, Wharton’s words remain true today. Travel not only reveals kindness in strangers; it also uncovers the outstanding stories people carry, tales of struggle, of creativity, and of quiet contributions to their communities that deserve to be told.
Motorcycle tourism remains a relatively novel concept in the Philippines, despite the prevalence of two-wheeled transport as a mainstay of daily life. Yet, for many, the notion of long-distance motorcycle touring conjures images of large groups of riders thundering through quiet provincial towns, engines roaring at 1,200cc, leaving disruption in their wake.
Lake Sebu in South Cotabato is home to four Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) awardees, the Philippines’ National Living Treasures, and the T’boli master weavers known as Dreamweavers. Their traditions—from sacred T’nalak weaving to brass casting and epic chanting—remain deeply rooted in the community.
In a country where memes associate community mothers with “marites culture,” a pun on the phrase “mare, anu latest?” when neighbors catch up on each other with up-to-date news and communal gossip, we frequently overlook that if given the opportunity to thrive on something else, these same mothers can instead weave a different kind of narrative—one that is full of inspiration, empowerment, artistry, and craftsmanship.
NLEX Corporation recently launched a "Humans of the North" mini-documentary series that lends vibrancy to destinations in Northern Luzon by adding a dose of human touch. The series was envisioned to focus on ordinary people who have managed to create a ripple of positivity that extended beyond their communities.
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| Meaningful Travels PH tagline is ‘explore, immerse and connect’. Photo courtesy of Jacob Maentz |
