15/06/2026
This was from my Communication 3 class in UP years ago.
The instructor asked us to write initial impressions about our classmates. And here are some of the things that I got 😅 Well they’re not wrong.
Ah sa likod pla you can see some mens basketball team classmates. I forgot their names tho pero sila pinaka maingay sa class 🤣🤣
14/06/2026
I made up my mind.
The very moment Ecuador declares visa-free entry for Filipinos, I’m booking a flight to the Galápagos the very next day.
I’ve never felt this strong a longing for a place before. I’m editing photos right now, and all the memories just come rushing back.
That trip really left a mark on me.
But that visa requirement just had to ruin it.
Why?
First, it’s such a hassle. You need an NBI clearance, as usual. BUT it has to be:
* translated by an official/licensed translator
* apostilled by the DFA
* notarized
And since Ecuador has no embassy in the Philippines, the process is just horrible. I was initially quoted ₱7,000 for a two-page translation at an office in Ayala. Eventually, though, I found another one that only charged ₱2,000.
Next, their website is HORRIBLE. There’s a bug that causes dates to shift forward by two days. So you either intentionally enter the wrong flight date to get the correct one, or submit the wrong date and start all over again a few weeks later.
They also don’t recognize our mother’s maiden name as the second family name, which is common in former Spanish colonies.
Instead, I was instructed to put my mother’s maiden name as part of my given name.
That confusion alone added another month to the process.
The whole thing is messy. And I hate it. Easily the worst visa application experience I’ve ever had.
But the moment we become visa-free again, I’m soooo coming back.
Or maybe it’s finally time to get another passport. 😒
Seriously, so many countries get visa-free access almost everywhere, while we somehow end up lumped together with countries associated with high rates of overstaying and illegal immigration.
And yet despite all that, Galápagos was still worth it. Which probably says everything about how much I loved that place.