The Pinoys' Philippines
One cannot speak of global Filipinos and not also talk about their homeland, the Philippines. Tomes of texts have been written about these tropical islands that lie between the Pacific Ocean in the east and South China Sea in the west. But in the hearts of the Filipinos, the Philippines is home sweet home, and many of them that live abroad still dream of one day going back home for good, to retire or “re-tire,” that is, to “change tires” and start a new or grow a business.
A mention of their land of birth conjures in the mind of many Filipinos happy memories of care-free living. One who grew up in a small town in the island of Mindanao, for example, may remember the market days which was more like a celebration of life than an ordinary day spent buying or selling: mountain tribes that have marched down the valley announce their presence with clanging little bells that tasseled their bright and colorful costumes as the rest watch them with keen admiration while enjoying their snack of puto and dinuguan.
And speaking of food, nothing can beat the original and authentic! And where else can one find Pinoy food made of original ingredients and cooked in the traditional way? Or where can one find the freshest and sweetest tropical fruits on earth, like and especially the Philippine mango? No wonder tens of thousands of balikbayans go home each year to enjoy their favorite dishes. And with money to spend, they may go to Batangas for the famous bulalo, Iloilo for a hot La Paz batchoy and sweet pinagsugbo,Bacolod for delicious chicken thigh inasal and delicate piyaya, and Cebu for sweet and crunchy otap and the perfect dried pusit.
Of course the pamamasyal is not complete without visiting at least one scenic place or one of the Philippines’ 1,100 islands. The resort island of Boracay or the beaches in Palawan are some of the favorite destinations that tourists from everywhere know about, but Filipinos know “secret places” that their family members or friends enjoy without the high price. And if a relative owns a resort-like property, then the accommodation and a typical breakfast consisting of pan de sal, sinangag, tapsilog--or any log-combination dish--and barako coffee, to push them down, is absolutely free! Hiking up the rainforest or swimming in the crystal-clear sea is, of course, free of charge as well.
The Philippines is a paradise. Unfortunately, however, many Filipinos cannot afford to travel and see the beautiful places and experience other Filipino sub-cultures in the three major island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. But with the wide availability of Internet access and the opportunities that Philfortune community has to offer, every Filipino can now have a chance to change all that.
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