Pipol

Profiles, interviews and human-interest stories focused on individuals. Columnists and their stories.

Beyond the Screen: A Quiet Kind of Holiday Magic in Rizal

By Simpol

January 16, 2026

SAN MATEO, RIZAL — Under the midday sun, the local basketball court in San Mateo usually keeps time with the thud of a ball and…

Calle Café expansion supported by BPI Ka-Negosyo Loans

From Payatas Streets to Tagaytay Ridge: The Calle Café Business Journey

By Simpol

December 19, 2025

On the first morning of Calle Café, the street in Payatas smelled of taho steam, dust kicked up by passing tricycles, and the sharp brightness…

A Crowned Year: How 2025 Became a Defining Chapter in Philippine Pageantry

By Gilbert Kim Sancha

December 19, 2025

In a year when the international pageant circuit felt increasingly crowded—and the global spotlight harder to hold—Philippine pageantry 2025 global victories once again asserted its…

When Hospitality Needs Systems, Not Stars

By Simpol

December 19, 2025

When CCA Manila brought hospitality professionals together for the first CCA Connect Bootcamp in Bonifacio Global City, the objective was not celebration. It was a…

Filipino adult in their 30s reflecting in a quiet café, exploring life clarity and purpose while turning 30 in the Philippines

Turning 30 Isn’t the End—It’s When Life Gets Clearer

By Gilbert Kim Sancha

December 15, 2025

If turning 30 has you feeling uneasy, you’re not alone. For years, we’ve been quietly taught to fear this number—as if it marks a deadline…

How Chef Portia Baluyut built success quietly.

By Tatung Sarthou

December 12, 2025

Before Rustic Mornings became a Marikina favorite—before the long brunch lines, the weekend crowds, the mosaic walls in a thousand photos—Chef Portia Baluyut first lived…

Ahtisa Manalo: A story of Beauty, Grit, and Purpose

By Gilbert Kim Sancha

December 10, 2025

Ahtisa Manalo is more than the polished figure we see onstage — poised, crowned, and radiant under bright lights. Her journey to becoming Miss Universe Philippines…

Why More Filipino Millennials Are Walking Away From Family Obligations

By Simpol

December 5, 2025

Every December, Filipino families gather around the Noche Buena table—the food, the gifts, the familiar roll call of who is doing well and who is…

Batang Poz Returns With a New Sequel

By Simpol

December 3, 2025

Award-winning author Segundo Matias Jr. returns to the world of Mga Batang Poz with the release of Stigma: Batang Poz 2. The first book became…

Cherrie Atilano: Leading with Dignity in Filipino Agriculture

By Tatung Sarthou

November 25, 2025

Cherrie Atilano’s story doesn’t begin with success. It begins with a wound — one that would eventually define her path in Filipino agriculture leadership. Growing…

HOLIDAY NOSTALGIA WITH PAN DE MANILA

By Simpol

November 19, 2025

There’s a certain stillness in Filipino Christmas mornings that feels almost sacred—the parol still glowing from the night before and the quiet rustle of wrappers…

Heart on the Table: The Story of Chef Cherry Pasion-Tan

By Tatung Sarthou

October 17, 2025

Before she became a celebrated name in Pampanga’s food scene, Cherry Pasion-Tan led high-performing sales teams in the pharmaceutical industry. There were milestones and promotions,…