escape
The dynamic #Benchsetters on their next big adventures this season
THE MERCURY steadily rising means one thing: soon it’ll be time to pack our bags and head off somewhere far (or not-too-far). Summer is for traveling to places anywhere but here, to get away from the doldrums of life made worse by the growing heat.
If anyone’s got any wanderlust they don’t know how to vent yet, then you’re in luck. We’ve teamed up with the #Benchsetters — that lively set of millennials you’ve seen out and about the metro—to get to know them a little more, and to get the best ideas for that next great summer adventure waiting for you.
What are you waiting for? Let’s go join Angel, Arisse, Emil, Mathew, and Neil on those trips.
ANGEL MANZANO @angelmanzano
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE IN THE
WORLD? Even if I've never been to the place? Well, to be a bit more general, I guess my favorite place in the world would be the beach. naman, but any place where there's sand, the ocean, coconut trees. I spent my childhood going to the beach with my family, my whole clan, with my lolo; I think we'd go once every two months, so I really was a beach baby. I learned how to swim even before I was 1.
EVEN BEFORE YOU WERE 1! My parents would bring me to the ocean even before I turned 1. So I really grew up on the beach. What would be my favorite thing is to travel the world and see the best beaches out there.
WHAT ADVENTURE DO YOU WANT TO GO ON
THE MOST? So I'm planning this after I graduate college, but I really wanna go backpacking around Europe. I know that's everyone's dream, but I just really want to. One of my favorite classes in Ateneo was Western History, so I learned a lot. I really wanna see the sights, the culture, try the food, meet people.
ARISSE DE SANTOS @arissedesantos
WHAT'S YOUR MOST FAVORITE PLACE IN THE
WORLD? I'd love to visit Paris, because it's the most romantic place. And I guess because of the culture, also. I've been traveling alone; I don't wanna get stuck in Manila. I just want a different feel.
WHAT ABOUT PLACES YOU'VE ALREADY
BEEN TO? I think I'm most at home in the States, because I have relatives and friends there, so it's easy to get around and just do adventures together.
WHAT ADVENTURE DO YOU WANT TO GO ON THE MOST? Traveling alone more. Just bring myself and get lost, in a way.
EMIL KHODAVERDI @emilkhodaverdi
WHAT'S YOUR MOST FAVORITE PLACE IN THE
WORLD? I would have to say New York would be top bill for me. I visited New York back in 2012, and from then on, the moment I stood on Times Square, it was just like what you see in movies,
WHAT ADVENTURE DO YOU WANT TO GO ON
THE MOST? Well, I only have a year of college left, and I'm really planning to explore the States right after I graduate. Mainly LA, because I was born in LA. Ever since I moved to Cebu, I've never been back to LA. I wanna experience the American life, see how it is, and that's basically what I wanna do.
MATHEW CUSTODIO @mathewcustodio
WHAT'S YOUR MOST FAVORITE PLACE IN THE
WORLD? be space. It's every traveler's, or dreamer's dream. Second would be a real place; I think Boracay was when I was 14. It was a batch Bora. I was with all my friends, my barkada, my teammates, and we had a blast. So we decided that every year, we're gonna do this. We're gonna make it our friendly tradition.
YOU COME BACK EVERY YEAR? Yeah, we come back every year! I haven't missed a year, actually!
WHAT ADVENTURE DO YOU WANT TO GO ON
THE MOST? I think I'd continue doing my passion for my sport, being able to travel playing football. Recently, I've been to Spain and England, and just to play football in tryouts, they were sending me everywhere, that's my personal dream. That's my goal in life.
NEIL DY @niggydy
WHAT'S YOUR MOST FAVORITE PLACE IN THE
WORLD? So far, it's Japan. I love Japanese food, the people there are so nice, and there are a lot of things to explore in Japan: fashion, different tourist spots. I've been to Japan thrice already, to different places.
WHAT ADVENTURE DO YOU WANT TO GO
ON THE MOST? I think I wanna explore more of the Philippines. I wanna go to different beaches. The simple things. The cheap thrills. I just wanna spend like a month traveling the Philippines.