Pipol

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

Quiet Filipino Heroes: What We Choose to Stand For

By Tatung Sarthou, Editor-in-Chief, Simpol.ph

July 18, 2025

Some people shout to be seen. Others stand quietly—and still move the world. This week at Simpol, we bring you stories of Filipinos who take…

A Taste for the Lost: How John Sherwin Felix Revives Filipino Food Heritage

By Tatung Sarthou

July 18, 2025

The salt came wrapped in brown paper, coarse and heavy. John Sherwin Felix opened the bundle in his Mindoro kitchen—and everything shifted. It wasn’t trendy…

ISSA Returns with New Single Cinnamon Treasure and Full Creative Fire

By Gilbert Kim Sancha

July 17, 2025

At 3 a.m., Issa Pressman sat with her laptop, editing frame by frame. No glam team. No outside direction. Just ISSA—shaping every beat, every movement,…

“Insect Hag and Other Stories doesn’t just raise goosebumps—it unearths buried grief, forgotten fears, and the spirits we carry within. Yvette Tan turns horror into a haunting form of truth-telling.” book cover

Yvette Tan’s Insect Hag and Other Stories Reminds Us What Horror Is Really For

By Simpol

July 10, 2025

We light candles for the dead. Whisper “pwera usog” to ward off misfortune. Avoid certain corners of the house at night. Even in our modern…

On the floor, not above it—General Manager Rouel Guanzon brings presence, consistency, and Filipino hospitality to every corner of Park Inn by Radisson Iloilo.

The Guest Comes First: How Rouel Guanzon Brings Heart to Every Hotel

By Simpol

July 10, 2025

Since its launch in March 2019, Park Inn by Radisson Iloilo has been welcoming guests. And though Rouel Guanzon is new to the property, he…

Portrait of Cebuano Rubik’s cube champion Leo Borromeo holding a cube, radiating quiet focus and Filipino pride

This Cebuano Teen Solves 400 Cubes a Day—and He’s One of the Fastest in the World

By Tatung Sarthou

July 4, 2025

Before each competition, Cebuano Rubik’s cube champion Leo Borromeo holds the cube in both hands. He exhales slowly. Feels the warmth in his fingers. The…

Portrait of Tim alongside screenshots of his @Timdrinkscoffee Instagram feed, showcasing Philippine specialty coffee storytelling and origin-based content.

Timdrinkscoffee: How Tim Is Brewing Philippine Specialty Coffee Culture

By Simpol

July 4, 2025

In a world chasing viral trends and 10-second dopamine hits, one feed makes you stop scrolling—and start breathing. No flashy text overlays. No latte art…

“Chef Ronald Villavelez at the open kitchen of Sialo, his Cebu-based fine dining restaurant reimagining heritage cuisine in Cebu.”

The Art of Becoming: Chef Ronald Villavelez and the Poetry of Cebuano Cuisine

By Tatung Sarthou

July 2, 2025

Chef Ronald Villavelez didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a chef. He wasn’t the type to hover over the family stove or daydream about restaurant…

Chef Don Angelo Colmenares plating one of his signature dishes in the open kitchen at Sauma Farm, Bar & Kitchen in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental.

Chef Don Angelo Colmenares’ Sauma Redefines Negrense Farm-to-Table Cuisine in Hinigaran, From the Soil to the Soul

By Tatung Sarthou

June 28, 2025

In the quiet town of Hinigaran, as guava wood smoke rises from a clay pot where pork simmers slowly, Chef Don Angelo Colmenares prepares dinner.…

Filipino Tablea Chocolate: How One Woman in Iloilo Is Reviving a Heritage Tradition

By Natalie U. Lim

June 28, 2025

Before I fell in love with tablea, I avoided chocolate like it was medicine. Growing up Tsinoy, I favored dikiam, kiamoy, and peanuts over anything…

Ramon “Chin-Chin” Uy Jr., a pioneer of the Negros organic farming movement and a champion of regenerative agriculture.

How Chin-Chin Uy Reimagined Farming and Sparked a Movement in Negros

By Tatung Sarthou

June 27, 2025

In the heart of the Negros organic farming movement, Ramon “Chin-Chin” Uy Jr. is rewriting the story of how food is grown in the Philippines.…

The Interior Perspective of Ivy Almario

By Tatung Sarthou

June 27, 2025

The late morning light spills into her space—part sanctuary, part sketchpad of a beautifully composed life. It’s the kind of calm, refined atmosphere that defines…

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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Ground Pork Kare-Kare | Easy Budget-Friendly Kare-Kare

Recipe of the week

SYSU TasteSetter: Birria Beef Tacos

By Simpol

July 21, 2026

Filipino and Mexican cuisine shares deep roots and affinity when…

Pipol

Quiet Filipino Heroes: What We Choose to Stand For

A Taste for the Lost: How John Sherwin Felix Revives Filipino Food Heritage

ISSA Returns with New Single Cinnamon Treasure and Full Creative Fire

Yvette Tan’s Insect Hag and Other Stories Reminds Us What Horror Is Really For

The Guest Comes First: How Rouel Guanzon Brings Heart to Every Hotel

This Cebuano Teen Solves 400 Cubes a Day—and He’s One of the Fastest in the World

Timdrinkscoffee: How Tim Is Brewing Philippine Specialty Coffee Culture

The Art of Becoming: Chef Ronald Villavelez and the Poetry of Cebuano Cuisine

Chef Don Angelo Colmenares’ Sauma Redefines Negrense Farm-to-Table Cuisine in Hinigaran, From the Soil to the Soul

Filipino Tablea Chocolate: How One Woman in Iloilo Is Reviving a Heritage Tradition

How Chin-Chin Uy Reimagined Farming and Sparked a Movement in Negros

The Interior Perspective of Ivy Almario

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Now on Simpol TV

Recipe of the week

SYSU TasteSetter: Birria Beef Tacos

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