Celebrating 20 years of Ivan About Town!

Twenty years ago, I wrote the first entry of my travel blog at a hostel in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. I silently remembered that milestone two weeks ago as I flew from Seville back to Paris after witnessing the Semana Santa processions of the city. Looking back, I have so much to be grateful for. And this blog definitely opened a lot of doors.

I started my blog while I was an MBA student at the University of the Philippines. I've always wanted to explore and discover new things and made it a point to find free time during weekends or school breaks to move around. As they say, travel is the best education. Even as I travel today, I continue to absorb information that I am able to apply in the work that I do.

The goal previously was to see as much as I could, starting with our own country. Hence, I made it a mission to visit all provinces of the Philippines. But more than just saying that I was able to visit all the provinces in the country, I made sure that I became an advocate of the communities that I met and interacted with.

Naturally, the next goal was to visit all the countries of the world. But as the years went by, things have changed. I entered the academe fulltime and later left the Philippines to pursue my PhD at Purdue University on a Fulbright scholarship. And since I was a student again, I found time to travel and was able to visit all fifty states of the US.

Now back in the country and gratefully giving back to the nation that supported my education, I find myself at the forefront of heritage conservation and policy in both government and the private sector. While it would have been nice to visit all the countries in the world, my focus has shifted to legacy building and leaving lasting impacts in communities that I work with. If I get to see new countries in the process, that would be a bonus for me.

We only live once. And let's make that life matter. Thank you, everyone, for being part of my journey!

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Mercado Central de Atarazanas in Málaga, Spain

 

Mercado Central de Atarazanas is the largest food market in Málaga, the capital of Spain's Costa del Sol. Freshly caught seafood (so fresh it's still moving) is the major product at the market at this coastal city. But there's a lot more than that including olives, spices, cured meats, cheeses, and fruits and vegetables. 

The current structure was completed in 1879. It was the site of 14th century Nasrid shipyards and the monumental gates were preserved as part of the current building. It was also a warehouse, arsenal, military hospital and barracks before being converted into a market. It's a perfect fusion of 14th century Mudejar architecture with 19th century industrial design.

Ivan About Town celebrates twenty years in 2025!

Happy New Year, everyone! It has been a while since I've written anything on my blog. And so much has happened since my last post. Those following me on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram should have seen the major updates, including my appointment as Secretary-General of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines and election as Commissioner of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, both in Q1 2023. 

Those responsibilities have taken me to even more places as a representative of the Philippines. And I realized that I have so much material from the past decade to post here if I decide to do so. Because Ivan About Town is celebrating it's 20th anniversary in a few months, I'll do just that.