13+ min ago (1281+ words) MANILA, Philippines " Pursed lips, a soft wince, and that familiar asim (sourness) that wakes up the palate. We all know the experience of suka (vinegar). As Filipinos, we love our vinegar: it's that sour kick that contrasts our richer, meatier dishes, and the brightness to our kinilaws and ensaladas. Not only is it the best partner to dried fish, but it is the savory-sour foundation of our adobo, and more. And this love isn't new. "Vinegar has been around since pre-colonial times," culinary consultant and chef Bettina Arguelles told audiences at November's Terra Madre Asia Pacific Festival, the Asia Pacific region's biggest sustainable gastronomy event, held in Bacolod for the first time. Because of our tropical climate, she said, our ancestors relied heavily on vinegar, salt, and other souring agents to season and preserve food while traveling or working the…...

7+ hour, 38+ min ago (1089+ words) Just beyond Baguio's borders, Itogon shelters'Mt. Camisong, a mountain retreat experience that captures the essence of the Cordilleran culture in every detail. Launched last February, the park and events place had also unveiled their private dining hall: Alapaap, taking from the Tagalog word that means "cloud" or "the upper heavens." True to its name, Alapaap lifts regional cuisine to new heights through thoughtful flavors and techniques, grounded in a shared sense of community and care for the environment. Mt. Camisong's vice president for food and beverage, chef Stanley "Stan" Suva, stands at the helm of the kitchen, leading it with a deep respect for Cordilleran traditions and local ingredients. His background as an avid outdoorsman and his love for cooking over firewood on camping trips reveal themselves in Alapaap's affinity for earthy, open-fire flavors. Though Kapampangan by heritage and raised…...

10+ hour, 1+ min ago (753+ words) QUEEN. Miss Grand International 2025 Emma Tiglao waves to the ground during her homecoming parade. JOJO BRAGAIS' INSTAGRAM PAGE MANILA, Philippines " A month since the historic back-to-back wins for the Philippines at the 2025 Miss Grand International (MGI) pageant in Thailand, new queen Emma Mary Tiglao officially came home to the country carrying not just a crown, but the experiences that proved how dreams take time before they become a "finally." For more than a decade, the Philippines had hoped to capture its first golden crown from Miss Grand International. That long-awaited moment surprisingly arrived earlier this year when CJ Opiaza earned the title after initially being named first runner-up, later assuming the crown following the resignation of India's Rachel Gupta. CJ's coronation already marked a groundbreaking milestone for the country, but what followed became even more historic when Emma secured the…...

11+ hour, 8+ min ago (746+ words) Immediately, I conjured up an image of our power-dressing news editor coming to work for her pictorial and interview. Instead, she sat at her desk in a comfortable pink collared shirt and jeans. I was like" why? Why, of all days, did you decide to wear something "simple?" Glenda Gloria's power, however, didn't need any loudspeaker " in this case, a loud getup " to be proclaimed. (She will cringe at the word "power, but, whatever, this is my newsletter!) That, I discovered when I became a reporter directly under her in MT and in the investigative magazine Newsbreak, and continue to have a ringside view of now as managing editor of Rappler. You become a journalist to serve the people. From that Preview feature in the mid-1990s to her recent spotlight as Esquire's Journalist of the Year 2025, Glenda's raison d'etre for us…...

23+ hour, 34+ min ago (258+ words) BANNED. 'The Carpenter's Son' starring Nicolas Cage gets an X rating from the MTRCB. Courtesy of Magnolia Pics' Instagram page MANILA, Philippines " Biblical horror film The Carpenter's Son has been banned from public screening in the Philippines after receiving an X rating from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) on Friday, November 28. The film takes inspiration from a Gnostic text considered heretical and presents a young Jesus as "rebellious, malicious, or seemingly under demonic influence," characteristics that contrast core Christian doctrines. Such creative choices, then, could be seen as deeply unsettling or offensive to religious audiences. The MTRCB noted that the film allegedly uses sacred icons and imagery in violent, sexual, or degrading contexts, and presents holy figures in ways interpreted as contemptuous rather than artistic. These elements, it said, justify the X rating under PD 960 and…...

1+ day, 13+ hour ago (1487+ words) MANILA, Philippines " Is sustainable, fair, and clean food for all even possible for the Philippines? The stakes are high. But the spirit of the Filipino community soars higher. From November 18 to 23, Bacolod City " the emerging slow food capital of the Philippines " offered a vivid, hopeful answer. For five days, the City of Smiles became a beacon of light for both consumer and producer, and a delicious avenue of storytelling through food and delicacies from all over the archipelago. This was Bacolod's first Terra Madre Asia Pacific Festival " the biggest sustainable gastronomy event in APAC and the first Terra Madre held outside Turin, Italy. The essence of slow food was the binding agent of everything that transpired over those five days. Chefs, farmers, artisans, tourists, and locals converged across the lagoon, running to Taste Workshops, lining up for cooking demos, and…...

1+ day, 15+ hour ago (702+ words) CLIMATE JUSTICE. Clad in the spirit of Barangay Eskwala, the cast of 'Higit sa Pag-ibig: The Musical' unmasks the trauma of flooded, ignored communities, turning their ongoing crisis into a powerful call for climate justice. ALBAY, Philippines " Using hymns as protests and acting as a fierce testimony,Sining Banwa's Higit sa Pag-ibig: The Musical powerfully stages a collective demand for climate justice. Hailed as one of Bicol's best plays, it amplifies the voices of communities ravaged by worsening floods, marginalization, corruption, and human rights violations. Set in Barangay Eskwala, a slum area relentlessly flooded due to rapid urbanization and continuous government neglect, the play immediately immerses the audience in the residents' fight. Their struggles for a better future and community welfare forms the foundation of the characters' pursuit for what is greater than love. Tonyang, reprised by Camile Berces, who…...

1+ day, 18+ hour ago (736+ words) Traveling across the Philippines can be a gateway to discovering the country's vast pool of talents in creating crafts and heritage arts. From the intricate weaves of the Ifugao to the colorful inaul cloth of Maguindanao and countless others, each piece tells a story of tradition and identity, passed down through generations. In a laidback town in Iloilo province, amid the peaceful, small-town vibe of Santa Barbara, a group of women gather around, their fingers nimbly maneuvering threads around small spools." They're creating what the tour guide says is a bobbin lace, a delicate, lacework technique that looks almost too fine to be handmade. It's a meticulous crafting process, unfolding in a place with an origin story worth telling. The story of WUHTLE (Women United Through Handcrafted Lace and Embroidery) traces its origins to the 1980s, inside the Western Visayas Sanitarium…...

2+ day, 15+ hour ago (789+ words) MANILA, PHILIPPINES " Philippine contender Myrna Esguerra was crowned fourth runner-up at the Miss International 2025 pageant on Thursday, November 27, at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. Vietnam's Hu'nh Th" Thanh Th'y crowned Colombian model Catalina Duque Abr'u as Miss International 2025. Meanwhile, Indonesia's Melliza Xaviera Yulian was named third runner-up, Paola Guzm'n of Bolivia as second runner-up, and Yollanda Chimbarami of Zimbabwe as first runner-up. During the coronation night, Myrna already stood out, gracefully introducing herself during the introduction portion with fans in hand. Her performance proved promising from the beginning; during the swimsuit competition, Myrna wore a striking blue swimsuit and walked with confidence. She also stunned audiences during the evening gown competition, donning an ethereally glamorous "pearl-inspired" evening gown made by Filipino fashion designer Mak Tumang, the same designer behind Catriona Gray's Mayon Volcano-inspired gown for Miss Universe 2018. The…...

2+ day, 15+ hour ago (1208+ words) MANILA, Philippines " The 74th Miss Universe is perhaps the most memorable edition the global pageant has seen in recent years." For one, it was the first edition that saw Palestine send a representative, with 27-year-old Nadeen Ayoub even notching a Top 30 finish. The Philippines" Ahtisa Manalo also finished as third runner-up, which was the highest placement the country has seen in the last three years. This, among other things, made it make sense why Miss Universe 2025 was touted as the most-viewed edition of all time." But historic firsts aside, it"s the seemingly never-ending controversies that surround the pageant, some of its contestants, and the people behind it that got people to tune in to Miss Universe 2025." It all started with several candidates walking out of the sashing ceremony, which led to Miss Grand International (MGI) founder Nawat Itsaragrisil publicly reprimanding…...