We visited the University of the Philippines to see the campus and connect with my wife's roots, as…read moreshe graduated from here. It was also a special trip to visit her aunt, who is a retired Dean. The campus itself is stunning, with lush greenery and a mix of historic and modern buildings that showcase its rich history and academic prestige. Walking around, you can really feel the vibrant atmosphere, with students, faculty, and visitors enjoying the open spaces and beautiful surroundings. We explored the iconic areas, like the famous UP Oblation and the scenic Sunken Garden, which added to the charm of the visit. It was a great experience to see where my wife spent her college years and to learn more about her family's connection to the university. If you have the chance to visit, whether for a tour or to revisit memories, the University of the Philippines is definitely worth a visit!

While visiting the Philippines, one of the stops we made during our trip there was to visit the UP…read more(University of the Philippines) campus. My cousin had the wonderful opportunity to complete her grad school studies at UP. Since she knew the layout of the land she offered to be our tour guide for the day. This campus is large and impressive. UP is full of greenspace (A rarity for Metro Manila) and the grounds make the perfect spot for leisurely picnics, events and outdoor sports. This school and Ateneo are one of the most challenging universities in the country to get into. Most graduates move on to live successful careers. This is a top tier public school where you can receive quality education for good value. If you have the opportunity to visit the UP campus come by and take in all the lovely sights. Points of interest: UP Oblation statue, UP Ikot, UP Sunken garden and UP Carillon tower.

I came here for the Japanese Film Festival to watch a free movie and was worried it might be…read morepacked. I got off the public transport at the UP Oval and walked here - enjoyed the breeze while walking under the shade of the trees. People in UP are generally helpful with directions. I miss my university days! The theatre was big and the seats were comfortable. It was also cold inside and security guards checked bags upon entry. My trip to this part of Metro Manila took about an hour and a half from Makati but it was well worth it.

I've been to the UP Film Institute during the 6th Brazilian Film Festival, organized by the UP…read moretogether with the Embassy of Brazil. I had the opportunity to met and talk with some professors and I got really impressed with their intelligence and enthusiasm. Students also seemed to be excited with the festival and were very engaged in the Q&A sessions after the exhibitions. What I like about the UP Film Institute is that they are always promoting workshops, seminars and other cultural activities, specially at Cine Adarna, the 800-seat university cinema located at the same building. I consider Adarna a great alternative to multiplex cinemas spread all over the malls. So if you want to go beyond the mainstream and check what's being produced here in the Philippines, just take a look at their events calendar. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the classes! UP Film Institute offers high-quality courses for both undergraduate and master's degrees : )

MSA. Just seeing that name brings back so many memories! I was a frequent customer at MSA as math…read moreisn't my forte and it was such a struggle for me just to PASS it in college that I had to solicit help from outsiders to help me understand it. This is where MSA came in to save the day. One of the best features of this place is that students can just walk in and get attended to by whomever tutor is available at the moment. They saved me on numerous instances from failing a long test back in college and for this I will always be grateful!

We went to their branch in Greenhills for my kid and as we were about to leave, we overheard one of…read moretheir teachers speak swear words and to think that she taught my son chemistry. We won't be going back to that branch again.

If you frequent Katipunan Avenue and the restaurants lining it, you've probably experienced having…read morea kid beg you for money. Some shrug it off, while others give a few coins or maybe whatever they're eating/about to eat. The people at the Interactive Children's Literacy Program (ICliP), do it differently, though. It's a place that teaches kids to read using approaches from UP-Diliman, Miriam College, and Ateneo De Manila University, where some of the volunteers are students and faculty members themselves. PROS: The volunteers are very friendly and keenly focused on their aim to provide literacy to the less-fortunate children around the area. They've actually created their schedule the same time there would be the most number of young children on the streets, so they could attract them to learn inside instead of working on the pavement. Will this really work? Well, in the end, they're kids. And if they see this learning-how-to-read time they spend in ICLiP more fun than earning a few pesos on the streets or whatever they'd be spending those pesos on, then they'll be back. So it boils on how to make this a good experience for the children; They have lots of books and teaching aids available that you can use. CONS: This is volunteer work, so the most compensation one could have from this is the good feeling of helping others. Maybe a boost in your resume too, if you're going into the industry of teaching. TL;DR: Joining ICLiP as a volunteer is an experience that would benefit not just young people like us into making the most of our best resources (time, intellect, and talent), but the children who would be enabled to make the choice of learning over begging in overcoming poverty.

Since my day job revolves around different kids and how to teach them, my training involved a lot…read moreof field work and observations in different schools. So when I say a school is good, I know what I'm talking about. Miriam College Child Study Center (CSC) is one of the better kindergartens I've had the good opportunity to work with for a short while. PROS: CSC offers good foundational skills for children ages 3-6 years old. No matter the capabilities of the child, they inclusively work around his or her strengths to maximize his or her potential; They have facilities so awesome they can make grownups feel like they missed out on their childhood for not spending their kinder years here. A Samsung tab for each student of the class? At least three major playgrounds? A room solely for pretend play? Water play? Sand play? Healthy cafeteria food? Materials-rich classrooms? Big open green spaces to run? And more! They have everything I could think of! CONS: If you plan to enroll a kid here, get ready to shell out at least P100,000.00 a year. That's more than five times my college tuition; For such an expensive education, you'd expect it to be more intimate or focused, but the big 30 or so class size is a bit of a let-down for me. TL;DR: Miriam College Child Study Center provides one of the best kindergarten education money could buy.

Whenever people joke about the university's structures, they'd go "Oh look at the new BA building!…read moreThe MBB building! Yung Eduk din bago... yung CR." Yup. Even years after I've left school, Benitez Hall has always been the butt of jokes. But hey, better than residing atop the library, right SLIS? PROS: Thanks to donations, research grants, and a hefty grad school population (this college is the UPD's third biggest in number of students. But it has a tiny number of undergrads) there've been improvements in facilities and amenities. The bathrooms are clean and newly-renovated. Each classroom is equipped with those LCD TVs too, for easier set up when using presentation software for reports; Eduk houses some of the nicest and most considerate people in the university. CONS: Again, like most government institutions, clerical and office processes take some time and are prone to inaccuracies. It may be partly due to obsolete technology in the offices (slow computers), and partly due to obsolete people (slow people. Seriously. If you take five minutes while squinting and typing my name, you can't keep up with technology and you should retire). TL;DR: It's not perfect, but it's my home college. So I love it and I think the College of Education is one of the most underrated colleges of the University.

The whole DSLR craze may have died down, but the demand for photography workshops and seminars will…read morealways be there. Just because a fad is gone doesn't mean the yearning for learning is gone as well. One of the most famous and oft recommended photography seminars is inside Intramuros which is perfect because you can practice what you learn the minute you step out. The Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation, or more affectionately known as FPPF, is a non-stock, non-profit organization that has been molding the future of Philippine photography for close to three decades. FPPF offers basic photography courses on a monthly basis. For the more advanced users, they have a wide variety of specialized classes to help you out such as wedding photography workshops, digital editing and workflow, strobist classes, and even courses dedicated to DSLR videography. If you want to go beyond just using the Auto mode on your camera, enroll in a class or two and you'll see the difference!

I admire this nongovernment organization/nonprofit's work so much. Tulong sa Kapwa Kapatid is the…read morebrainchild of philanthropist/all-around Filipina Mother Teresa, Kritzia Santos. I spent last weekend at Enchanted Kingdom where 2KK held an event for the benefit of impoverished kids from Payatas. For a day, volunteers would pay a fee and get to spend several hours with the kids while they enjoyed a theme park for the very first time. That kind of stuff is priceless. You can't make it up. Tulong sa Kapwa Kapatid has several charitable proejcts ongoing throughout the year and they also provide scholarships to gifted students that otherwise can't afford them. God bless you, 2KK!