The effects of chewing betel nut - and the need to constantly spit - are far from pleasant. Picture courtesy of BBC Health Check (link below). BETEL NUT: While visiting Mountain Province — to see the hanging coffins of Sagada — I was baffled by signs reading “no spitting of momma”. My first thought was to wonder who on earth would spit at their momma? And … [Full Story...] about ‘No spitting of momma’: The betel nut chewers of the Philippine provinces
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Baybayin: An ancient Filipino script that could be making a comeback
Ancient and modern: A keyboard layout featuring the Baybayin script. It’s quite possible to spend a long time around the Philippines without realising that the … [Full Story...] about Baybayin: An ancient Filipino script that could be making a comeback
Sausage factory worker killed after getting body caught in meat grinder
File picture. (Actual photographs of the incident have been shared elsewhere online, however we consider them too distressing to publish) An 18-year-old worker in … [Full Story...] about Sausage factory worker killed after getting body caught in meat grinder
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Southeast Asian heads of state vow to tackle scourge of plastic pollution
An unidentified waterway clogged with plastic waste. File photograph. The leaders of Southeast Asian nations have vowed to fight the scourge of plastic pollution … [Full Story...] about Southeast Asian heads of state vow to tackle scourge of plastic pollution
AirAsia named world’s best low-cost airline, as PAL and Cebu also praised
AirAsia's success was highlighted at the Paris International Air Show yesterday. AirAsia has been named as the world’s best low-cost airline in the Skytrax World … [Full Story...] about AirAsia named world’s best low-cost airline, as PAL and Cebu also praised
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Two Filipino fruit pickers killed when car hit by train in New Zealand
The aftermath of the collision, in which two Filipino fruit pickers were killed when their car was hit by a train in New Zealand. Submitted photograph. Two Filipino fruit pickers were killed and three others injured when the car they were travelling in was … [Full Story...] about Two Filipino fruit pickers killed when car hit by train in New Zealand
Suspected Pakistani terrorist to be deported following arrest in Zamboanga
The Bureau of Immigration is set to deport a Pakistani man suspected of being a would-be suicide bomber linked with the Dawlah Islamiya terrorist group. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said Waqar Ahmad, aged 36, was arrested by operatives from the … [Full Story...] about Suspected Pakistani terrorist to be deported following arrest in Zamboanga
Pakikisama: The spoken and unspoken rules and culture for living in the Philippine
Sitio del Armor, Laguna, R.P. ~ Photo credit: R. Christensen For most westerners arriving in the Philippines, there can be culture shock. Most travellers would say, however, that their initial experience in the country can be summed up in the words of … [Full Story...] about Pakikisama: The spoken and unspoken rules and culture for living in the Philippine
Currimao: The ‘black-sand’ beach town that’s so often overlooked
What locals describe as the "black sand" of Currimao beach is one of the reasons it never gets overcrowded. Picture via WikiCommons. It was about seven years ago that I first arrived in the small town of Currimao, in Ilocos Norte… more by accident than by … [Full Story...] about Currimao: The ‘black-sand’ beach town that’s so often overlooked
American arrested in Dumaguete drug raid… for a second time
James Thomas Hobert is arrested for a second time at his home in Dumaguete. Photograph courtesy of Roy Ortega. An American has been arrested on suspicion of drug dealing in Dumaguete — a little over a year since he was nabbed for the same crime. James … [Full Story...] about American arrested in Dumaguete drug raid… for a second time
