Demand for Filipino drip coffee is on the rise because they are perfect for those who want their coffee strong, simple, and local. These little bags of joy are conveniently designed to give you freshly brewed coffee without the need for a coffee machine or elaborate equipment. Using the pour over coffee technique, brewing is as simple as tearing the sachet, pouring hot water, and letting the coffee drip.

Local drip coffee bags come in different variants from the staple Kapeng Barako to flavored blends such as caramel, hazelnut, butterscotch, and many more. The local coffee market is thriving and a number of shops have added drip coffee bags – or single serve pour over coffee, on their product offerings.

Social media and e-commerce have made it accessible to purchase and support local coffee producers. Here’s a list of where to can get good quality local drip coffee bags.

Gundam Hathaway imagines a futuristic Davao, Philippines

Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway, now streaming on Netflix, is a three-part animated film adaptation of the Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash novel series. Set in Universal Century – the most developed timeline in the Gundam Universe, Hathaway opens the story in space slowly descending to Earth and eventually landing onto a futuristic Davao City, Philippines.

A good portion of the story – about 45 minutes long, unfolds in Davao. Filipino cultural references are beautifully depicted with a special cameo of the most famous Pinoy mascot – Jollibee. Gundam Hathaway provides a glimpse of an alternate, modern Davao where Mobile suits and Earth Federation Officers patrol the streets lined with electric cars and mobile suits. Key highlights are listed below.

^{Davao City, Philippines in Gundam Universal Century timeline. Netflix screengrab}

The Best Online Learning Platforms in the Philippines

James Gonzales Lifestyle, Trending August 28, 2020July 26, 2021

The times, they are a-changing— more quickly in some ways than others. With the global pandemic still underway and an already delayed school year close to starting, students and learners in the Philippines have been forced to reckon with online learning. While the provision of courses and certificates online is nothing new, it’s certainly never been at the forefront of national and international conversation like this. Even top universities in the Philippines are struggling to find ways to offer online courses and distance learning options to students.

As the country attempts to settle down into a new normal, it’s time to take a look at learning options that exist outside of a school’s four walls. College courses aren’t the only opportunity for further education, and there are a surprising number of options available for Filipinos who want to do more skills development online. This brand new world has closed some doors but opened others, and there’s no better time than the present to take a chance. Here are a few of the best online learning platforms in the Philippines for both students and professionals.

How COVID-19 Is Affecting the Tourism Industry in the Philippines

James Gonzales Travel, Trending July 20, 2020July 26, 2021

The past few months have seen a number of unprecedented changes in nearly every aspect of our lives. The ways we socialize, eat, go to work, travel, and more are all nearly unrecognizable when compared to our lifestyles six months ago, and we’re only beginning to scratch the surface. The effects of the global pandemic COVID-19 are far reaching, and are likely to be felt years and years into the future.

We’ve touched on the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in a previous article titled ‘The Worst Pandemics to Ever Hit the Philippines’. In that article, we gave a brief overview of the timeline of the pandemic in the Philippines. In the months since, COVID-19 has prompted a complete overhaul of Philippine society, which remains under the world’s longest lockdown as reported by The Telegraph.

While we struggle to comprehend the depths of the pandemic’s impact on the Philippine economy, lifestyle, and education, there are certain sectors that have been harder hit than others. One of these sectors is, predictably, travel and tourism. Since flights first began slowing down and then stopping completely at the beginning of 2020, the industry has had to completely restructure. Here’s a look at just how the Philippine tourism industry has changed, and what it could look like in the future.

The Viability of an eSports Bar as a Business

Daniel Ling Tech, Trending June 17, 2020July 26, 2021

There’s no denying it: eSports have gone mainstream.

The significant presence of it in pop culture has added a new facet in the world of competitive gaming, rolling the red carpet for a new breed of cyber athletes and fans altogether. On the other hand, eSports still have the tendency to remain niched, in such a way that despite its legions of followers worldwide, there’s still the issue of inaccessibility.

This inaccessibility specifically affects beginners and/or novices who are looking for a nearby community that can cater to their needs, whether physically being with a group of people to play with (i.e. gaming nests) or enjoying a live major event with peers in sort of a sports bar.

Previously, we’ve taken a look at the history of eSports in the Philippines and its current state today. This time, let’s take it a step further and look at an eSports bar as a viable business.

30 Tips for Professionals Working from Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic

James Gonzales Business, Lifestyle, Trending April 30, 2020July 26, 2021

Thanks to a host of different factors— changing norms, better technology, and, yes, a worldwide crisis— jobs where you can work from home have increased in number. It used to be that work was something you did in an office, but a changing culture is beginning to disprove that.

In 2018, a report by Freelancers Union and Upwork found that there were over 56.7 million freelancers in the United States, a number that increased by 3.7 million in the previous five years. And in recent months, concerns like the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures have contributed to a meteoric rise in people working from home.

The Worst Pandemics to Ever Hit the Philippines

James Gonzales Trending, History April 3, 2020July 26, 2021

The last few months have seen an unexpected upending of the modern way of life. Countries all over the world have been instituting quarantine and lockdown efforts in order to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, now named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO). COVID-19, first described as a “pneumonia of unknown origin,” was first discovered in Wuhan, Hubei Province in China in late December 2019.

After its spread through mainland China and other countries, it was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by WHO on January 30, 2020. By March 11, WHO declared it was a pandemic, urging countries to ramp up their responses to the virus in order to curb the spread. As of April 3, 2020, COVID-19 has infected over 1 million people worldwide, causing 53,238 deaths, affecting 204 countries and territories.

50 Most Popular Fashion Influencers in 2020 in the Philippines

Jane Adamson Fashion & Beauty, Trending March 24, 2020July 26, 2021

Fashion has always had its leaders, from style icons like Twiggy in the 1960s to Kate Moss of the 1990s. These icons have shaped the tastes of a decade, sometimes a generation, showing consumers what’s in and what’s not. But as the Internet became more of a daily presence and the advent of social media led to shifts in consumer habits, fashion has begun to change.

According to Business of Fashion, 78% of brands used fashion influencers in their marketing in 2017, with over USD$ 2 billion spent on influencer marketing in that year alone. The power of the influencer is strong, and with social media’s growing reach, it can only get even stronger. Previously, we wrote about the ’50 Most Popular Social Media Influencers in 2020 in the Philippines’. Today, we’ll take a closer look at just who these Filipino fashion leaders are, and why you should follow them.

50 Most Popular Social Media Influencers in 2020 in the Philippines

Jane Adamson Lifestyle, Fashion & Beauty, Food, Travel, Trending March 19, 2020July 26, 2021

Social media has become an almost inescapable part of our daily lives. Ever since the emergence of social media platforms in the late 90s, modern society has learned to connect and communicate in ways that would have almost seemed impossible decades before. Social media influences the way we speak, the music we listen to, where we travel, what we eat, and what we wear— and at the forefront of that are the influencers.

In 2018, the Association of National Advertisers found that 75% of national advertisers in the US use influencer marketing, and 43% were planning to increase their spending on it in the next year. Influencers awe, inform, and yes, entertain, and social media would certainly be a different place without them. If you’re looking to spice up your Instagram feed, then here’s a list of the fifty top social media influencers in the Philippines.

Top 10 Best Filipino MMA Fighters

James Gonzales Trending November 5, 2019July 26, 2021

2019 seems to be the year for Filipino athletes. For example, pole vaulting star EJ Obiena just recently qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with a vault height of 5.81m, making him the first Filipino to gain a berth for Tokyo. Obiena is also one of the country’s gold medal hopefuls for the 30^th SEA Games to be held this November and December. The second Filipino to qualify for the upcoming Olympic Games, gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo, won his own Olympic spot at the 49^th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships.

There’s nothing like professional sports to get your blood pumping, and the Philippines has shown that it can hold its own on the international level. Boxing greats like Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire have proven their mettle against dozens of international opponents time and time again. In fact, such is the skill of Filipino boxers that there were no less than six boxing world title winners carrying the flag of the Philippines in 2018 alone.

When it comes to fame inside the ring, Filipinos don’t fall too far behind. With the rise of MMA (mixed martial arts)’s popularity, several Filipino fighters have made names for themselves on the international stage. Such is the growth of MMA as a sport in the Philippines that ONE Championship recently announced a 2020 reality show competition to find the next best Filipino fighter. The show will culminate in a tournament, with the winner taking home a USD100,000 prize.

With MMA slowly gaining popularity in the country, it’s only right that we should take a look at some of the biggest names in the sport currently. Here’s a list of the top 10 best Filipino MMA fighters in the country.

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