The Solo Female Traveler’s Guide to Scuba Diving
This is a guest post by Roda Novenario There's a lot of room for women in the ocean so if you've ever dreamed of diving and seeing marine life up close, you just have to get started. Here are some tips, culled from my more than 10 years of being an honorary dugong. Decide...
The Gypsygals Caravan: “Green [Travel] is the New Black” Edition
Text by Prime Sarmiento Photo courtesy of iCSC Green Travel in Manila: This electric vehicle is the more eco-friendly way of roaming around Manila. The fortnightly roundup- aka The Gypsygals Caravan – -is back!!! And for me who considers environmental journalism — as a purpose-filled career path and ecotourism – a personal advocacy...
Human Powered Awesome: An environmental journalist with a sense of purpose*
By Prime Sarmiento (This blog post was written in support of Natalie Sisson’s Human Powered Awesome project**) Environmental journalism is a thankless job. In a country obsessed with politics, basketball and showbiz, reporting on “esoteric” topics like climate change, biodiversity or deforestation, is not the easiest way to persuade people to...
Ecotourism for the city gal: traveling to Puerto Princesa,Palawan
text and photos by Prime Sarmiento I am a journalist who covers environmental issues as a personal advocacy (and to this end, remains an active member oif the Philippine Network of Environmental Journalists, Inc. (PNEJ) . In my own own way, I try to be an eco-conscious consumer. I bring reusable bags to shop, I...
The Power of Symbols
text by Prime Sarmiento photo by Rhaydz Barcia I spent one weekend planting trees. Ok that’s a bit of an exaggeration. What I actually did was join fellow members of the Philippine Network on Environmental Journalists, Inc. celebrate our first year anniversary by planting a sapling at a mangrove area in Bacacay...
Q & A: Ecopreneur Darlene del Mundo talks about green travel
Darlene del Mundo is the Manila-based ecopreneur behind By Nature Handmande Soaps – a line of handmade soaps made from natural ingredients including olive oil, honey, herbs and spices. By Nature soaps have drawn a cult following among Filipina consumers, lured not only by its benefits (consumers rave that using By Nature soaps cured their...
The Albay Experience: Lessons on Climate Change Journalism
text and photos by Prime Sarmiento How can a disaster-prone province become one of the most liveable areas in the Philippines? How can a province renown as site of devastating floods and volcanic eruptions be a global model for climate change adaptation? I was asking myself these questions while in a press conference with Albay...
Ilocandia Diary Part 2: Nature tripping, Beach bumming
Posted by Prime Sarmiento The travel coordinator handed me a list of things to bring in this four-day tour of Ilocos region. The regulars in my travel pack are in there: bottled water, comfy shoes, prescription medicine. The list also advises us to have that spirit of adventure and a sense of humor (as, after...
Ilocandia Diary part 1: Beautiful, Green Power in Bangui
Text and Photos by Prime Sarmiento How can something which is primarily used to generate electricity entice travelers that they will go out of their way just to see it? Or to be more specific: who would have thought that the windmills of Ilocos Norte, which now supplies 40 percent of the electricity needs of...