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Jang Geum Kitchen

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  Our monthly Barkada Food Adventure brought the four of us to Jang Geum Kitchen to celebrate Robert’s birthday. The restaurant features a classic, no-frills Korean BBQ. The service was courteous and excellently paced. Instead of everything arriving at once, the freshly prepared dishes were brought out progressively. This thoughtful timing allowed us to savor each dish without feeling rushed. The Banchan (Side Dishes): A great spread including kimchi, egg-coated luncheon meat, spicy fried tofu, adobo-style kangkong, and excellent bean sprouts (which were immediately refilled). The Main Feast: We loved the savory bulgogi, a perfectly spiced seafood-soft-tofu stew, tender grilled beef, and a crispy seafood pancake. Every dish was generous and delicious. True to our barkada tradition, the celebrant doesn't pay! The bill was split among the remaining three of us, making it the ultimate birthday perk for Robert—great food with absolutely no bill to settle. After two hours of nonstop...
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The “Impacto” Presidents

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  Ready to create a lasting impact: President Joey B. Lat. In the world of Rotary, July is always a momentous month. It marks the official changing of the guard and the dawn of the new 2026-27 Rotary year. Every year, the incoming international leadership introduces a theme to set the tone, and this year’s rallying cry is to "Create Lasting Impact." Naturally, incoming club presidents need to prep for such a heavy mandate. Before taking the reins, they gather for an intensive three-day presidential training seminar. But it wasn't all serious lectures and note-taking. During one of the fellowship nights, the incoming president of the Rotary Club of Intramuros, Joey Lat, wittily coined a new moniker for his batchmates: the "Impacto Presidents." The room instantly erupted in laughter. As Filipinos, we all know the word impacto carries a hilarious double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s a colorful, old-school reprimand— “Impacto ka, walanghiya ka!” —usually reserved ...
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The Global Map of a Name - Rotary

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  After more than thirty years in Rotary, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for our global fellowship. With over 1.4 million members across the world, walking into a Rotary meeting anywhere on the globe is supposed to feel like coming home. Yet, how we introduce ourselves at the table reveals a fascinating mirror of human culture. Welcome to the wonderful world of Philippine Rotary, where you don’t just have a name; you have a lineage. You aren't just "Vic or Norma .” You are Past President, Past District Governor, SDG, AG,  or Chairman Juan. In the Philippines, we do love our titles. It’s a cultural trait that goes way beyond Rotary. We carry it into our professional lives, and it’s the same psyche that dominates our political landscape. We are easily charmed by empty titles and grand introductions, sometimes forgetting to check if there’s any substance behind them. In our public life, the bar for entry can be so low that almost anyone can get elected, yet we still line ...
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Celebrating Mom at Guidicelli

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  A Special Birthday Update for Our Girls in Australia Dear Nina and Dang, Last night, we celebrated Mom’s birthday at Guidicelli Ristorante. By its name alone, you know it is an Italian restaurant on the fine-dining scale. It sits elegantly on the third floor of the newly renovated building in Molito—right where the old BMW showroom used to be. I wish you both could have been there with us, but you were definitely in our thoughts! The Ambience We were seated at the perfect spot, boasting a lovely view overlooking the vibrant strip of restaurants on the opposite side below. The place itself is beautifully designed—pristine white all the way, adorned with tasteful artworks on the walls. By any interior design standard, it is well above par. The table setting was immaculate, the chairs comfortable, and the service highly attentive. In other words, it is exactly the kind of place you look for to celebrate an important occasion. Or, as Erap Estrada famously put it: "You pay fo...
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"USAP TAYO"

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  Social media is full of advice on how to grow old—how to “age properly.” Stay active. Pick up hobbies. Keep moving. And yes, for those who still have their health, that advice makes sense. Many do exactly that, and it’s a good thing. But I find myself thinking about what comes after that—when the strength is no longer there. I see it twice a week during my morning walks. In our village, along the route I take, there’s a man named Jimmy. Frail, quiet, and almost always alone. Each time I pass, he sits on a small stool on a narrow strip of pavement, shaded by a makeshift umbrella and a line of trees. Just sitting. One morning, he called out to me: “Pagbalik mo, usap tayo.” (When you come back, let’s talk.) So I did. He told me his story. He is 88 now, once an executive at a travel agency. He still speaks clearly, thoughtfully. A newspaper rests on his lap, more for company than for reading. He used to meet a group of seniors for coffee every morning at McDonald’s. That h...
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Our Real Gold Standard: A Pinoy’s Thoughts Over Coffee

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The world today is not simply facing random instability—it is dealing with the consequences of reckless leadership. Decisions made by destabilizing political leaders have intensified already fragile global conditions, turning manageable tensions into dangerous crises. Instead of pursuing stability, their actions have fueled conflict, disrupted energy security, and created uncertainty across nations. The absence of coherent, consistent objectives has only deepened the damage, leaving ordinary people—especially in vulnerable countries—to bear the heaviest burden. Unfortunately for us Filipinos, we are at the mercy of the prevailing consequences. We do not have oil. Our economy is sick. Every explosion in the Middle East or shift in the "Petrodollar" produces uncertain circumstances that surely produce hardship for most of us. I see the news about the US being buried in trillions of debt with fewer assets to back it up, and I wonder: What happens to us when the giants finally ...
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After Christmas, Reflections into the New Year

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  It’s official—the Christmas season of 2025 has come to a close. Little by little, the decorations are taken down and stored away. Our Christmas tree now stands bare, its finery stripped away much like a woman removing her “gargantilyas” after a grand, elegant evening. The Christmas lights, nativity scenes, and nutcracker dolls are now carefully packed for another year. Knowing us Filipinos, they will surely be welcomed back as early as September, right on cue with the first notes of Jose Mari Chan’s carols. For me, this past season was defined by fellowship and friendship. I followed my tradition of meeting with three different groups of friends, where the air was filled with jokes, laughter, and the latest news. We even achieved our goal of dining in various Michelin-starred and Michelin-selected restaurants—a wonderful culinary highlight to the year. Our Rotary Club Christmas party was another standout. While we are united in service, it is the warm fellowship that truly makes ...
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