№ 348. Siargao Through Square Lenses 1

Two-hour long flight from Manila and one-hour van ride from the airport later: Cloud Nine! Instagram and heavenly bodies!

A cancelled room booking? No problemo. Here's to sand on the heels, breezy, beach side happy hours at 4 PM on a Friday!

Cold showers and creaking bathroom doors? Throw in that crusty, flaky croissant. And that steaming espresso, too!

Heavy rains en route to the mangrove forest reserve? Crabs buffet for five, quick. And an extended three-hour paddle board-swim in the emerald lagoon.

No dessert? No serving spoon? No wifi? Nothing that a quickie surf lesson before departure and lechon Cebu during the lay-over won't fix.

More lemons please!

№ 62. Tabang Mindanao: Help Mindanao

Tropical Storm Sendong (international name: Washi) ravaged Mindanao, slamming it with devastating rains and unleashing flash floods and landslides that have left a horrifying trail of destruction. As of 10AM, the death toll has reached 497 (Cagayan De Oro 215, Iligan City 195, Bukidnon 47, Negros Oriental 22, Lanao del Norte 9, Compostela Valley 5, Zamboanga del Norte 3, Surigao del Sur 1). Most of the dead were asleep Friday night when raging floodwaters pounded their homes from rivers and cascaded from mountain slopes following 12 straight hours of heavy rains in Mindanao. The typhoon has affected a total of 5,884 families, with 202 injured and 162 still missing. 2,252 are still sheltered at 23 evacuation centers.

Online Donations to Philippine Red Cross