November 29, 2025 — What a way to welcome me back after a short three-week break in the US and the Bahamas (yes, another cruise with my two sisters, Lourdes and Aida). Mabuhay indeed!
But the word Mabuhay—the same one that greeted me upon my return—also reminded me of something else: the title of the inflight magazine of our country’s pride, Asia’s first airline, the one and only Philippine Airlines.
Thank God its publication has finally been revived. The last issue came out before the pandemic, and now the October–December edition, also known as the Homecoming Issue, marks what the editors call “a meaningful milestone.”
I’ve always been a fan of this magazine, all the more now that it has made a remarkable comeback. In the words of Lucio C. Tan III, PAL’s President and COO, this revival is their way of reintroducing the publication and renewing its purpose: “to showcase the stories, places, and people that reflect the richness of the Filipino spirit.”
And truly, this issue is a showcase of everything Filipino—and more.
There is so much to appreciate in this Homecoming Issue, but let me highlight just a few: an article on Larry Alcala’s Slice of Life; Home on a Plate: There’s No Taste Like Home, which explores the ubiquity of comfort in Filipino cuisine by asking eight food lovers, chefs, and restaurateurs about their core food memories; and of course, Puto-Bumbong, Bibingka, Salabat, ATBP: The Filipino Christmas Table, featuring Doreen G. Fernandez’s classic essay from Sarap: Essays on Philippine Food.
There are many more worthwhile and wonderfully written pieces—but even with just these three, the magazine has already made my day.
