Like always, bird songs – wild and domesticated – pour into the late afternoon. The March sky is exactly how it should be, cloudless and crisp and ever so bright. Here, in my quiet piece of this lake town, it is easy to pretend like all was well.

“Such a beautiful day,” I tell my husband as I stand by the doorway to our small balcony, taking in the spotless vault of gentle blue.

“Too bad we can’t go out.”

The moment those words came out of my mouth, the reality of it all hit me.

This feels funny.

Been a while since I wrote here – not that I didn’t want to. There just hasn’t been any compulsion to do so. For what it’s worth, I’m still telling stories – just not here. Elsewhere. In other forms.

But that’s not why I’m here.

While Filipinos may not have a good understanding of vegetarian and vegan foods, it doesn't mean that you cannot enjoy those options in the country. So, for all those vegetarian people looking for cheapest flights to Manila need not get anxious as there are some hidden gems that dish out the tasty plant-based fare.

Just like any other part or country across the world, people in the Philippines, too, are taking great interest in vegan options. If you want to find out yourself, why not take advantage of Jetstar flight tickets and land in the Philippine capital to indulge in this ever-evolving cuisine.

Here are some great options for vegans and vegetarians holidaying in Manila.

I hate myself.

That's it.

That's all I really wanted to say.

If you came here expecting some motivational crap because you're going through the same thing, well, buddy, all I can really offer you is some PikNik and perhaps this Spotify playlist, because music and junk food are the only things that do not feel like shit right now. No elegant strings of words here. Just a bunch of cussing and whining and bitching about this void of a life.

If you've encountered me recently, you wouldn't have outright thought I was trash. Don't take that personally – I thought I was not trash, too.

I now spend most of my days sleeping. You wanna know why? Because when I'm up, I feel anxious all the time, constantly on the verge of a panic attack, and junk food is the only thing that shuts that noise down. And I really don't want to eat junk food, because it means I would have to fuckin' exercise and when I do, I feel like I'm allowed to eat more junk food and that whole messed-up cycle is exhausting. So I just stay in bed, and now I haven't had any proper exercise but who the fucking cares.

I look in the mirror and cringe in disgust. I hate my face. I hate my hair. I hate my fucking knees. What's the point in keeping the upkeep? We're all going down.

And you know what? Thunder scares me now – a lot. I used to think it was just the gods going bowling, but, fuck, why is it so threatening all of a sudden?

The other day, I had trouble breathing and realized I was breathing the fucking wrong way. What kind of human garbage forgets how to fucking breathe properly?!

My jaws hurt from all the clenching it's been doing lately. I just want to rage. Break things. Stab myself, maybe. But when I look at my hands, they look so tired and it makes me reconsider. I don't know what that means but ok.

You might say, "Oh, but you have that documentary and all the other stuff. You should be excited!" First of all, I am excited. Secondly, it's myself that I hate, not the fucking planet, so don't you dare.

Others have it worse, fine, but does that make my woes invalid? Fucking shit, man. Is misery subject to such strict and absolute gradation that whining about the sky rumbling and junk food tasting so good must not be done out loud, lest you be branded an entitled, whiny millennial? 

Fuck you.

Fuck this shit.

The end.

One of the few landlocked towns of Antique is San Remigio. It doesn’t have the beaches or ocean views most of its neighbors have, but what it lacks in shores it more than makes up for in stunning rolling terrains. 

Located on the upper tip of Antique’s topography, Pandan is a town with plenty of surprises. Its name is derived not from the pandan plant as one would understandably think (although there’s no shortage of it here), but from an encounter with Spaniards in the days of yore – as is typical with Filipino town etymologies. 

Aboard Philippine Airlines’s flight to San Jose from Clark and chauffeured by Katahum Tours across Antique, I was able to experience some of the province’s offerings. I also got to stay at some of the province’s hotels and resorts. 

If you’re the planning a trip to Antique soon, here are some places to stay. 

Antique is one of the four provinces that make up Panay Island. It belongs to the Western Visayas region and opens up to the Sulu Sea.

The province’s geography runs at an almost straight line, but its terrain is composed of rolling hills and jagged peaks cut across by various waterways and bordered on one side by the ocean. With 18 municipalities, Antique has a lot to offer – from historical to modern comforts all the way to natural delights. If you’re planning to visit the province soon, below are some places to check out and activities to try.

Hey.

What’s up?

This here is an attempt. An effort to explain how much each of you means to me. Because I fear I may not be doing enough.

Let me start by saying this: every night I go to bed secretly wishing I wouldn’t wake up. To be offed in your sleep – that’s not a bad way to go, is it? Just – poof – it’s over. 

The island province of Marinduque is underrated. It deserves so much love for the variety of natural, cultural, and historical treasures it harbors. Located between the Tayabas Bay and the Sibuyan Sea, the place enjoys a host of beautiful beaches and stunning ocean vistas. It’s also where the Luzon Datum – the reference for all geodetic surveys in the country – can be found. Marinduque: The Heart of the Philippines – sounds about right. 

With more connectivity, exploring Marinduque has never been easier. If you’re traveling to the province anytime soon, I’ve compiled a list of places to check out in each of its six towns.