It was a September to remember as I had the privilege of meeting and celebrating milestones with some of the most well-traveled Filipinos who take globe-trotting to an entirely different level. They’ve elevated the usual leisure travel into a career, a record-chasing extreme sport of sort, and even a means of livelihood.
Coincidentally, September 26th of each year marks Map The Planet Day in honor of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and the first true circumnavigation of the earth. It’s a day global travel communities celebrate. September 27th on the other hand, is World Tourism Day, a date marked by the United Nations World Tourism Organization to highlight the value of global travel.
Meeting The Philippine Global Explorers
On September 26, 2026, during the celebration of Travelers Day in the Philippines, I finally met the key movers and members of The Philippine Global Explorers (PGE), somehow formalizing my membership in this elite organization of Filipino travelers.
As we celebrated Map The Planet Day, it was a thrill to share stories with hyper-active travelers who have a shared passion for adventure and connection.
With close to 200 official members (and hundreds more in the broader community), PGE is a community of travelers who support each other in exploring the world and harness collective experiences in service of the wider community. Its members include Filipinos who have visited all 193 sovereign member states of the United Nations-a feat completed by less than 700 people around the world, including six Filipinos or of Filipino descent.
Since it was founded in 1999, PGE continues to advocate for sustainable and responsible travel, forge collaborative partnerships with industry stakeholders, and espouse easier visa access for Philippine passport holders.
16 years of rich travel experiences from The Poor Traveler
Many years ago, Yosh Dimen and I were work colleagues. Even in the nascent years of social media and blogging in the Philippines, Yosh was already active in many platforms.
Eventually, Yosh left the corporate life and together with his now-husband Vins Carlos, founded The Poor Traveler-a blog, YouTube Channel, podcast, and online community for travel planning-helping their audience avoid mistakes and get information on must-tries and worth-it experiences with authentic and honest feedback, commentary and content.
Worth it or rethink it?
With about 70 countries and territories visited, Yosh and Vins gamely shared their thoughts on some practices of many Filipino travelers.
Travel is still a luxury. If going to other places will impact the budget for necessities and other vital expenses such as tuition and utilities, rethink that travel plan.
Rethink your eligibility for a visa. While Japan and South Korea are in the bucket lists of most Filipino travelers, these countries require a visa. Visa applications typically require bank and financial information, travel history, and may consider employment tenure. Assess whether or not you have all the requirements for a visa and if not, prepare for these before lodging an application. These include opening a bank account and sustaining account activity and building a travel history, starting with countries that offer visa-free access for Philippine passport holders.
Packing cubes are a must to keep things organized and actually saves space. It’s worth it to invest in good quality packing cubes in various sizes. A luggage strap and TSA lock are also worth adding as it helps secure your luggage and bags, especially if you leave these at a hotel concierge or baggage locker.
Rethink carry-on baggage. Even as you maximize the allowed baggage limit, know the weight even before reaching the airport. It’s a risk and a hassle to repack and remove contents of hand-carried baggage at the airport.
Rethink random decisions. Find the balance between planning an itinerary and spontaneity. Having a rough itinerary or plan will help save time and cover more ground. At the very least, do research and learn the basics such as holidays and closing times for attractions and establishments.
Rethink ignoring user-generated reviews. Sometimes, online bookings don’t mention all the information such as check-in times and where to pick-up keys. Read reviews and comments for specific instructions and other details.
Rethink timings in an itinerary. Allot ample time for getting from one place to another. Check timings and travel distances for traveling by plane, bus, train or other modes of transportation.
It’s worth it to slow the travel pace a bit and take in a place. Instead of the mad rush of taking photos and rushing to the next attraction or destination, take a few minutes to relax, feel a place and appreciate it
Rethink the budget. Add a contingency for any incidental expenses or price fluctuations. There is no room for rigidity in travel, and you must make room for flexibility.
An app that’s apt for travelers on a budget
From online content, The Poor Traveler is in the final stages of developing an app that will help in travel planning-from timely reminders on applying for a visa, make the final bookings for accommodation, and even e-travel filings.
‘There are so many questions and we personally answer each one. Because we tend to give lengthy explanations, we thought it best to put all this information in an app that you can use even without a data connection,’ said Yosh.
‘Today, AI queries tend to give suggestions that may be outdated. We want to give information based on our actual personal experience.’
‘It’s a simplified version of the TPT website-very user-friendly with travel guides and sample itineraries. You can also build your own itinerary based on our travel guide,’ Vins added.
Now on final testing, the TPT app is set to launch before year-end on both Google Play and App Store.