Boracay Day with PQ Team & Family (January 11, 2026)
This is the reason I came to the Philippines. Specifically, the opportunity to spend a day with the people with whom I’ve worked with (virtually) for years. Barb, in particular, was hired exactly one month before I started working with Shirzad and Positive Intelligence (i.e. August 2019).
Chino, Ryle, Barb and Their Family Members
The team organized a “land tour” which is a fancy way of saying we hired a local cab driver for 3 hours to drive us around to the most popular parts of the Boracay island. At each stop there was an entrepreneur photographer who was happy to take our picture for tips.
And, at each stop there were multiple poses organized by said entrepreneur who wanted to make sure everyone was happy with the final pictures taken. And, of course, we were. At one stop, the photographer took more than 50 pictures! So what I’m sharing is just a select few of the many taken at each stop of our land tour.
In between photo shoots, we ran into a marching band celebrating “sadsad” in the month of January here in the Philippines — specifically Boracay. Please allow Uncle Google to explain:
"Sadsad" is a Filipino term, especially in Visayan languages, meaning to dance by dragging or stepping the feet lightly, often used to describe the energetic street dancing during festivals like Ati-Atihan and Dinagyang, symbolizing joy, faith, and unity with rhythmic foot movements.
And it looks and sounds a little something like this:
To be clear, this is most definitely part of Ati-Atihan Festival. Again, please allow Uncle Google to explain:
The Ati-Atihan Festival is the Philippines' oldest and most vibrant cultural and religious festival, held annually in January in Kalibo, Aklan, honoring the Santo Niño (Infant Jesus) and indigenous Ati people with wild street dancing, drum beats, soot-smeared faces, and tribal costumes, famously known as the "Mother of All Philippine Festivals". Participants shout "Hala Bira!" and "Viva kay Señor Santo Niño!" while dancing in tribute to the Aeta (Ati) natives and the historical Barter of Panay, attracting crowds and inspiring other festivals like Sinulog and Dinagyang. It's considered the "Mother of All Philippine Festivals" for its unique blend of indigenous roots and Catholic faith.
I love that I just happed to be here in the Philippines when “the Mother of all Philippine Festivals” is happening. And it’s even better having the opportunity to witness all of this with my former coworkers at PQ.
Traditional Filipino Lunch
For lunch, Barb and Ryle made sure we ordered traditional Filipino dishes so that I could make sure I sampled both the most popular dishes (like Chicken Adobo) and more unique flavors like Ginisang Ampalaya, a stir-fried bitter melon often cooked with eggs or meat.
If you’ve been reading my blog, you likely already recognize that I’m up for trying anything. Unique flavors from around the world is a true culinary delight.
After our late afternoon lunch, we all went our separate ways to relax in our own different ways. I made a beeline for my favorite massage parlor near my hotel. At just 450 PHP (about $8 USD) for a full body one hour massage, I’ve been returning daily. Don’t tell them, but I still think the Thai massages are the best, but Filipino massages are a close second and all of them are incredibly affordable.
Reflecting On Community & Quality Time With Friends
For me, this is what it’s all about. No, not the Hokey Pokey. Building community and quality time with friends is why I’m traveling the world for a full year. True, this started out as Violet’s gap year, but has evolved into something deeply personal and rejuvenating for me.
It’s both surreal and deeply fulfilling to spend quality time with Barb and Ryle who I’ve exchanged countless Slack messages with from 2019 to 2025. I also enjoyed getting to know Chino who was hired a month after I had completed my 6-year tour of duty at PQ.
Tomorrow, I fly to Manila and will have the opportunity to meet even more of the people I’ve worked with over the years, including my own very first international hire, Marlon de Jesus, who I engaged back in 2008 when I first launched my second marketing agency, Trepoint. 18 years later, we finally meet in person. This truly is an incredible journey and an inspiring, wild ride.
