Your Other Country (Only Better in Many Ways)

Can you call yourself a stranger in a foreign land when you absolutely feel right at home right away? An exercise in paradox perhaps, but the Philippines might as well be that other country -- your other home- you never knew you had only far stranger than you have imagined yet more familiar than it can possibly get.

Welcome to the land of pleasant paradoxes and exceeded expectations (yours, that is)!

Blessed with a generous sprinkling of 7,107 islands in the Pacific, the Philippines beckons with paradisiacal allure and a welcome respite from the harried world and a hurried life. Here, we live the art of living, master the intricacies of relationships, and cultivate the passion for life.

It may as well be just another archipelago of emerald isles that break the monotony of the mighty ocean if not for its people who are its real gem, the Pacific's true pride. For centuries, guests and conquerors attest to the warmth and hospitality of the Filipinos which is second to none. When the 16th century circumnavigator Ferdinand Magellan reached its shores, his men expressed their desire to end their quest for the Spice Island when they experienced what to them were the spices of life : lavish feasts, bounteous life, and the inclusive nature of a hospitable people (of note were the beautiful women).

These are just some of the obvious reasons why I made it my ardent cause to tell everyone of this wonderful place the world can call home; to experience what it is like to be a friend, a stranger, and a family member all at the same time: a friend because you will never feel left out, a stranger because it is okay to be different and yet be accepted, and a family member because you may end up marrying one of the gorgeous women we have here (now that is another story)! Kidding aside, you will find a kinship, a sense of belonging with the Filipinos the moment you witness their unpretentious smiles, relish their unconditional welcome, and experience their unscripted lives. In fact, we have elevated hospitality from an art form to a time-honored tradition where you can actually get to feel and experience what it is to be a Filipino inside looking out and not some outsider looking in. And yes, your pictures may tell a thousand and one words of what the Philippines is like, but your heart will nest a feeling of what it is like to be a Filipino.

To the world, you are a traveler. Here, you are family.