You may have heard of heartbreaking animal abuse stories in the news over the past few months. But…read moreI am really happy to say that those were just the bad among all the good happening for the animals of Philippines. Animal welfare advocacies have recently gotten a new light in the country, and I mean in a really huge way. Fundraising initiatives and events surrounding helping them medically and giving them a new chance in life have slowly popped up here and there. One of those is CARA Welfare's Adopt A Pet event. The organization holds this just a few times a year with their partner, Greenbelt, a mall with a garden complex known for their cute kitty residents that visitors love and care for. It's a perfect venue for this kind of event. When you come to one of the Adopt A Pet event, you'll be welcomed by sights of wonderful bundles of love. Around 10-20 cats are brought in for viewing. A couple of dogs will also be available for walking and pre-bonding. If you're looking for your new addition to the family, you can drop by, choose your new companion and sign-up! Just a few notes though, CARA Welfare has an adoption process (Well okay, every organization in the world has this anyway), and you can't take out a cat to hold them. You can walk dogs though, and believe me, they are SO PSYCHED to be seeing you and spend time with you, almost as if they know that if they are charming enough, it'll make their lives better. This is one pet event that you wouldn't want to miss.

Most commonly known as PALs, this organization is actually an official non-profit, non-government…read moreanimal welfare organization with a huge following in social media. Having been formed in year 2012, they already have lot of volunteers that I've personally seen fund-raising during huge animal welfare gatherings to fund their mission. They've also been helping a lot of animals by being advocates of spay and neuter, educating the public about responsible pet ownership and promoting ways to better every pet's behavior and psychology. In the field of animal rescue, PALS have done a lot, partnerting with veterinary clinics to provide the medical care a rescue needs. Afterwards, the animals will undergo rehabilitation by the organization to get them ready for adoption. They're also pubicly known as animal activists and have been lately helping lost pets back to their owners through their strong internet presence. Way to go, PALS!

Pit bulls get a bad rap. The media has made them look like vicious killers that you wouldn't trust…read morewith your life. Some say that these type of dogs don't get along with kids or other animals, and that they turn on their owners. That's just quite wrong. In fact, they are one of the sweetest pets one could ever have. The violent pit bulls that you've heard about are just sadly bred for violence. Once they're out of that abusive environment, they can slowly go back to being normal lovable dogs. Save the Laguna Pit Bulls is a local movement spearheaded by CARA Welfare Philippines. They were able to save over 200 pit bulls from a local dog-fighting syndicate, and are now looking to have them adopted and/or sponsored. You can help them out by donating to the cause. Or instead of buying a new puppy, why don't you adopt a pit bull instead?

The Tea Rock in UP Town Center is one of those hideouts that's got it all for college students -…read moresockets, fast wifi, good food, and reasonably priced drinks. They've got great a great selection for tea drinks and unlike most stores their drinks really aren't too sweet unless you set the sugar level to 75% or 100%. At 50% sugar level, my drink actually tasted like tea, and the egg pudding sinker at the bottom was really yummy too. Their snacks are great too, and are great to split with friends. When I went there, they had a Beyonce playlist on; while it proved to be a bit distracting to our meeting, you couldn't really get mad at their choice of music because - Beyonce. The place was well-lit and filled with other people who didn't want to be disturbed also, so I definitely had a great, productive time there. Definitely going to suggest having another meeting there!

I was never into the milk tea trend but I was desperate for a place to stay in one impossibly hot…read moresummer afternoon that wasn't too crowded and had decent cold drinks. For some reason, all the other small cafes in UP Town had air-conditioning problems that time, except for Tea Rock. So I eagerly ducked in. Good thing they served a lot of things aside from milk tea. When you enter you're faced with this giant menu behind the counter. I decided on an iced cappuccino (trust me to get coffee at a milk tea place, sorry) but I was surprised when they asked for my "sugar level" and "pearl or crystal" preference. I'm no coffee-snob but why would you put that in coffee?? It's a tea place though so I guess that's just their thing. I got the lowest sugar level (10%) and pearl so it would have the most minimal "damage" to my coffee, but it actually wasn't bad at all! Plus the cappuccino looked real anyway. Food-wise, the bento boxes were huge so that was a highlight. The cuisine was Taiwanese but it was much of a mix already. They had lots of bento choices, rice bowls, short orders, and even pastas & sandwiches. I don't think I'd ever encountered any other tea place with this extensive a menu!

I love their food and sandwich options! I feel that the sandwich flavor on display is not…read morepermanent. I was able to try their pesto chicken version which is filling :) I also liked their brownies (very moist). I did not like their cold brew (plain black)! I've had cold brew coffee (bought and homemade) that should be easy to drink because the process supposedly decreases the acidity and minimize the bitter taste. Their cold brew was very bitter and unpleasant to drink. However, I like their iced americano and other espresso-based coffee :) I'm also glad they sell local beans. I was not able to stick around the place, but I observed that there are many students and yuppies working with their laptops. It's also a great place for conversations. This branch in Katipunan has an extended area behind All Day convenience store and outdoor seats. Parking space is limited (about 6 in front of Vista Residences condominium). I will surely come back for their cakes and pastries!

Backyard Coffee is a treat for coffee lovers like me. They offer single origin coffee beans and I…read morelove them! After eating out with my friends, we tried different drinks that they offer. My friends ordered Iced Mocha, Iced Black, Cold Brew, Strawberry Frappe and Ube cake. As for me and my posh friend, I ordered Sumatra while he ordered Civet coffee. Love the beans that they are using even for their regular coffee drinks. But let me describe my order. I love Sumatra because it is not that bold and not that bitter. It's a little sweet, a bit acidic and fruity in flavor. So if you are in San Juan area and looking for a different cafe or different drink of coffee, checkout Backyard Coffee and try their single origin coffee beans.

On my seemingly endless conquest of Metro Manila coffeeshops, I blindly followed my friend to this…read morecoffeeshop in San Juan the day before our exam week starts. I wasn't expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised. Located above the Rustan's Supermarket on P. Guevarra, the café is quiet compared to the busy street below and gets tons of natural light from the building's all-glass facade. Great plus for me as it made the place have a very airy feel which went great with the painted concrete floors and industrial seating. The coffee was great too! I got their cold-brew coffee and it was a solid cup of cold-brew. Nothing out of the ordinary but it wasn't offensive. The price was great though! At least 30 pesos less than a comparable brew from one of the third wave stalwarts. They also have a lot of differently sourced beans to choose from, with even a Filipino Benguet option! So even though it might not have same pretentious or hipster vibes that we have come to expect from many of the other third wave purveyors here in Manila, I love how laidback this place is. You can definitely get a lot done here. Cash only!! There are ATMs downstairs though if you're in a pickle.

I like the vibe whenever I enter the coffee shop because this branch is mostly filled with students…read morewho study and meet up. Like any other branch, it has the perks of Swirl card holders (free wifi) and the usual coffee and food selections. It also has plugs for those who would like to work with laptops / gadgets, and a restroom within the cafe. Plus points because of its the convenient location (nearby an overpass from Ateneo, the Regis building driveway, trike terminal, etc). Minus points for the very limited free parking space (there are only about 3 or 4 in front of the shop), so the basement parking is an alternative. This is a great place to hang out all day, but avoid peak hours (late afternoon to evening) to get good seats. It's also best to carry earphones since it may not be quiet branch too. I would like to try out having breakfast here one time (I heard a lot of people from the gym hang out here in the morning).

I adore coffee, but I'm not one to drink it often, because I want the caffeine to still have a kick…read morewhenever I need to pull off an all-nighter. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) Katip has a wide selection though that includes teas and non-caffeinated drinks. I enjoy this branch particularly because it's right across Ateneo, and I can escape here for a more remote lunch and be back in school in time for my next class. I usually get the Moroccan Mint Tea when they have it; the minty flavors perk me right up. I usually stray away from here though during finals week - it's usually packed then with antsy, sleep deprived students who need all the space (and wifi) they can get. Otherwise, it's pleasant enough and lets you enjoy a pasta (the spicy tuna linguine is heavenly) The music is a hit or miss though; it's a tad inconsistent and sometimes loud.