Living

Lifestyle pieces about daily life, wellness, home, fashion, food culture, and personal experiences.

Christmas mental health Philippines: a Filipino sitting alone in a café during the holiday season

When the Holidays Hurt: What Filipinos Really Go Through at Christmas

By Simpol

December 15, 2025

By December, Christmas in the Philippines is no longer a single celebration. It’s the hum of carols in malls, the glow of lights along darkened…

A Filipino mother reviewing her electric bill at the kitchen table, reflecting the impact of electricity VAT removal Philippines on household budgets.

Less Tax, More Ulam: The Fight to Cut Your Electric Bill VAT

By Simpol

December 12, 2025

Every month, Filipino mothers perform a delicate balancing act. Before the bills arrive, the budget for rice, school fees, transport, and ulam is already mentally…

A wide-angle landscape photograph taken at sunrise shows a very long line of Filipino commuters waiting on a dusty roadside shoulder. Heavy traffic, including jeepneys and buses, fills the multi-lane highway beside them. A large green overhead road sign visible in the distance points towards "Metro Manila." The atmosphere is hazy with golden morning light.

New Study Pinpoints 9 Philippine Provinces Most Affected by Young Adult Mental Health Strain

By Tatung Sarthou

December 11, 2025

Before sunrise in Bacoor, commuters wait beside the highway for buses headed toward Metro Manila. Some review slides for class or meetings. Others simply rest…

Raket Nation: How Filipinos Turned Survival into a Way of Life

By BaGed Cruz

December 11, 2025

Gina wakes before sunrise in her small apartment—another day of juggling deadlines, traffic, and two jobs that run back-to-back. By 8 AM, she’s seated in…

online scam prevention PhilippinesA photograph shows a distressed Filipino woman seated at a wooden table, staring worryingly at a smartphone displaying a red "FRAUD DETECTED!" alert. Beside her phone is an open notebook detailing household expenses like "School Fees" and "Christmas," marked with a large red question mark, next to a small stack of Philippine peso bills. In the blurred background, a television screen prominently displays a news graphic with the text "SCAM ALERT: URGENT WARNING" and a banner reading "FILIPINOS AMONG MOST TARGETED IN SOUTHEAST ASIA."

Why Online Scams in the Philippines Are Rising — And What We Can Do About It

By Simpol

December 10, 2025

On a quiet afternoon in Quezon City, a notification appeared on Arlene’s phone. It looked routine — the familiar bank logo, the right tone, the…

Woman alone in a café during Christmas season in the Philippines, surrounded by decorations, reflecting the theme Christmas depression in Philippines.

When Christmas Feels Heavy: The Quiet Side of the Holidays in the Philippines

By Simpol

December 10, 2025

Every September in the Philippines, the season begins — almost quietly at first. Parols appear on sidewalks, mall elevators switch to carols, and Jose Mari…

ERA NUTRITION: Healthy Eating, Simplified for Every Filipino

By Simpol

December 9, 2025

Metro Manila, Philippines — In a time when long work hours, fast-paced routines, and rising health concerns make it difficult for Filipinos to eat well,…

What You Googled This Year Says About You

By Gilbert Kim Sancha

December 6, 2025

By Every December, Google releases its Year in Search—our unfiltered diary. It reveals what we chased, feared, obsessed over, and quietly typed into a search…

Side-by-side image showing the Pantone 2026 Cloud Dancer color swatch beside the Pinas Simpol book cover, both featuring soft white tones symbolizing calm and simplicity.

Color of 2026: Why Pantone Chose Cloud Dancer

By Simpol

December 5, 2025

Cloud Dancer: A Year of Making Space Pantone has named Cloud Dancer as the Color of the Year for 2026 — a soft white described…

Rage Bait: Oxford’s Word of the Year and the Engine of Digital Outrage

By Tatung Sarthou

December 4, 2025

A phone lights up before sunrise. Someone opens their feed out of habit, not curiosity. Within seconds, they’re pulled into a heated thread about a…

What the Kim Chiu Case Really Teaches Us About Love, Loyalty, and Business

By Simpol

December 4, 2025

Every December, Filipino families gather with the quiet hope that the season will ease whatever the rest of the year has strained. We set the…

Juwei by King Chef: The Restaurant Healing Banawe, One Herbal Soup at a Time

By BaGed Cruz

November 20, 2025

Banawe is famous for big flavors—steaming baskets, noisy kitchens, and plates meant for sharing. But just beyond the usual crowd is a restaurant built on…

Content creator Euleen Castro (@euleencastro) during her now-viral critique of a café in Iloilo — a post that sparked city-wide backlash and a national conversation on the ethics of food reviews. honest review lang

When “Honest Review Lang” Becomes Harmful: The Real Cost of Viral Food Criticism

By Tatung Sarthou

May 30, 2025

There is a shadow hanging over the social media food…

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Pork and Century Egg Congee | Simpol, Cozy, Comforting Rice Porridge

Recipe of the week

Classic Adobong Puti (White Pork Adobo) Recipe

By By

November 10, 2025

A Taste of Tradition in Every Bite There are many…

Living

When the Holidays Hurt: What Filipinos Really Go Through at Christmas

Less Tax, More Ulam: The Fight to Cut Your Electric Bill VAT

New Study Pinpoints 9 Philippine Provinces Most Affected by Young Adult Mental Health Strain

Raket Nation: How Filipinos Turned Survival into a Way of Life

Why Online Scams in the Philippines Are Rising — And What We Can Do About It

When Christmas Feels Heavy: The Quiet Side of the Holidays in the Philippines

ERA NUTRITION: Healthy Eating, Simplified for Every Filipino

What You Googled This Year Says About You

What the Kim Chiu Case Really Teaches Us About Love, Loyalty, and Business

Juwei by King Chef: The Restaurant Healing Banawe, One Herbal Soup at a Time

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Classic Adobong Puti (White Pork Adobo) Recipe

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