Yeah… there are lots of seafood restos, some even selling unlimited supplies (particularly shrimps, mussels, squids, oysters and, if you’re lucky, crabs and lobsters) for just a few hundreds of pesos. But the seafood offerings aren’t always complete since these restos do not always offer most of what’s good from the seas.

And so it is with interest that we dropped by Tuna Republik, which – basically – conceptualized tuna as fastfood.

@outragemag Looking for affordable #tuna meals? For this #LGBT trip to #Bulacan ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

The branch in Pulilan, Bulacan only opened in January 2025, and… at least when we went there, it has yet to gain traction. Walang tao. Too bad, really, for a franchise that’s targeting the no-meat crowd.

Now… how was the experience for us?

Una, the venue is relatively new, and so everything here was… sariwa. The pitchers even had price tags pa. Spacious and airy, this place seems ideal for events.

Ikalawa, the staff were not noticeable. Yung pegis parang fastfood, so the people are there… but aren’t there. Servers lang.

Ikatlo, price-wise, affordable naman siya – e.g. they have rice toppings for those with tight budget, ranging around ₱100 lang, while the meals are around ₱200-₱300 naman. Presyong group eating for most of the offerings.

Ika-apat, taste-wise, most of what we got were better than okay.

1. Sashimi (₱249) was good as it wasn’t malansa, and didn’t taste frozen and wasn’t flaky. But the accompanying toyo was… almost bland, so di nakatulong.
2. Tuna Belly (from ₱350) was good, well grilled… albeit small ang size.
3. Tuna Pancit (₱249) was quite good; it made me forget there’s no meat in it. Malasa, the sahog weren’t overcooked, di mamantika, and so on.
4. Sizzling Tuna Sisig (₱199) was the one that disappointed. Walang oomph, so it tasted like fried fish flakes lang. Pretty when served sa carajay, but there’s not much of it, too.

Tuna Republik is like… a karinderya (local eatery) pretending to be a fastfood while offering tuna-centric food. Try to visit if you are willing to spend to get not-bad tuna-revolving offerings. Hindi naman siya disappointing. And that’s even if we have misgivings.

Otherwise… join us look for more lafangan venues.Tuna Republik Pulilan is located at 112 Plaridel-Pulilan Diversion Rd., Pulilan, Bulacan.

One of the more known not-that-expensive steakhouses in the Philippines is Escobar’s Steakhouse. We’ve checked one of their Quezon City branches before, and… we weren’t disappointed naman. This time around, we had a chance to check one of their southern branches, Escobar’s Nomo in Bacoor in Cavite.

How did we find our Escobar’s Nomo experience?

@outragemag Cheap #steaks in #Cavite? We #LGBT ♬ original sound Outrage Magazine

Una, the place is not hard to find. It’s inside a mall (Villar’s Nomo – A Vista Lifestyle Center). There are pluses here – e.g. this is near Las Piñas lang, they have lots of parking, and so on. But you also have to follow mall hours; meaning they close at 9PM.

Ikalawa, the resto itself is… typical of a mall-based resto. Okay tables with okay seats, enough seating so no waiting for us, and so on.

Ikatlo, the staff sufficed – e.g. not very friendly, but they knew the stuff in the menu (and what’s not available for the day).

Ika-apat, how was the food?

1. We ordered the Grass Fed Rib Eye (₱455), and what we got may not have been a thick slab of meat, but it wasn’t too thin we’d complain. Cooked properly (MR), it was okay-seasoned, even if Escobar’s proclivity to slice the steak for you never sat well with us (they should at least ask if it’s what we want).
2. Hungarian + Rice + Eggs (₱139) was so-so; we got a not-memorable sausage, though the potato we ordered as rice replacement was good, and the eggs were also well-cooked.
3. Vinaigrette Salad (₱210) didn’t taste like it had dressing at all, though – at least – the veggies used were fresh, and so went well with the meats on the table.
4. Aglio Olio Pasta (₱158) wasn’t bad – e.g. pasta was properly cooked, sauce wasn’t runny (even if somewhat tasteless), and so on. But it wasn’t memorable.

One thing we realized with Escobar’s: No matter what branch you visit, Escobar’s is a “safe” steakhouse. Meaning, you get a not-memorable steak here without emptying your wallet. You don’t necessarily remember how good, or bad, what you had; you just remember that it wasn’t bad enough to complain about it, but it wasn’t good enough, either, so you give it your rave reviews.

And so now, if you’re looking for a safe steakhouse, then Escobar’s Nomo – along with other Escobar’s branches – is okay to consider. Otherwise… join us as we look for more lafang venues.

Escobar’s Nomo is located at the 3rd floor of Nomo – A Vista Lifestyle Center, Bacoor Blvd., Bacoor City. For more information, contact 0920 472 6358.

By Gregg Yan

Tingloy, Batangas – This beach is pretty remote, but somehow, it’s still covered in trash.

Mixed in with the usual influx of driftwood and seaweed are countless sachets, plastic bottles and toys – ranging from lightsabers to creepy doll heads. 

“We’ll conduct a closed loop cleanup today,” Tak Vergara of Pure Oceans explains to gathered volunteers. “You’ll each be given a mesh sack, to be filled with just one type of trash. Once done, we’ll send our sacks to proper endpoints like junkshops and recyclers. Let’s please move before the morning sun gets too hot.” 

Around 30 people from the local barangays of Tingloy, plus a contingent from the Philippine Coast Guard, have gathered along the shores of Barangay Marikaban to retrieve sachets, plastic bottles, bottle caps, ropes and anything that doesn’t naturally belong here.

Like everyone, I’ve been given a red mesh sack and assigned to pick up every plastic or foil sachet I see. I don’t have to look hard – the little suckers are literally coating every meter of this beach.

The Problem of Plastic 

Plastics revolutionized the world: they’re inexpensive, durable, nonporous, lightweight and have a million uses. They’re so tough that most will never be fully broken down by nature. Instead, they’ll photodegrade into tiny particles called microplastics. It takes some 400 years – around 13 human generations – for this to happen. 

The problem is that too many plastics are designed to be used only once. Many of the world’s third-world economies are built on a tingi-tingi culture where daily needs are bought on daily wages. 

Single-use plastics like sachets, sando bags, straws, diapers and bottles account for half the plastics made today.

A report from the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) released in 2019 revealed that Pinoys used 163 million plastic sachets, 48 million sando bags and 45 million labo bags daily. The World Bank in turn estimated that the country generated 2.7 million tons of plastic waste yearly, 20% of which ends up in our oceans. 

Global studies about plastics gauged that humanity has produced 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic, 75% or 6.3 billion metric tons of which have become plastic waste. There’s so much of it that scientists have proposed this era to officially be termed the Anthropocene, a slice of time marked on the fossil record not by fossilized bones, but nonbiodegradable plastic.

Our oceans can only absorb so much. Sea turtles and whales now mistake translucent plastic bags for jellyfish, while pelagic fish swallow gleaming microplastics mistaken for plankton. Distant islands – from icebergs in the Arctic to uninhabited sandbars in the Pacific – are plastic-ridden. Even the most remote part of our planet, the Mariana Trench at over 10 kilometers deep, is littered with yesteryear’s grocery bags. 

“We cannot keep ignoring the plastic problem, especially here in Tingloy,” says Pia Roxas Ocampo, founder of Pure Oceans, a marine conservation social enterprise. The Philippines is part of the Coral Triangle, where marine diversity levels are unparalleled. The Verde Island Passage, which includes Tingloy, has long been hailed as the epicenter for marine shorefish diversity.

Threat to Marine Biodiversity

Since 2018, Pure Oceans has been working with local communities in Tingloy to recover plastic profitably. “In truth, coastal cleanups like this aren’t long-term solutions,” adds Pia, picking up trash along with everyone. “These are simply emergency measures to protect the coral reefs that surround this island. These reefs aren’t just great dive sites – they sustain the livelihoods of people here.”

Plastics, whether whole or broken down into microplastics, threaten marine diversity. It’s not uncommon to see old fishing nets snagged onto coral heads, or undigested plastic in the guts of the seafood we eat. 

“Microplastics concentrate and encapsulate pollutants. They’re dangerous when ingested by fish or other animals,” explains Dr. Wilfredo Licuanan, a coral expert and University Fellow at De La Salle University. “Plastics don’t just smother corals either. They can cause injuries, which increases the likelihood of corals getting sick.”

For the past seven years, Pure Oceans has been working with public and private sector partners – from the municipal government to corporations and local communities – to develop practical ways to collect and divert plastic away from coral reefs.

“We’re known as the MRF Angels because we buy hand-washed plastic and foil strips from selected participants at PHP20 per kilogram,” shares Princess Aldovino, busily filling up her sack with little plastic bottle-caps. “Tons of plastic and foil have been brought to our MRF or Materials Recovery Facility and they are used as ‘pluffing’ or ‘plastic-stuffing’ for various products locally made in Tingloy. We support several senior citizens who help convert trash into useful raw materials.”  

After an hour’s work and with my mesh bag finally bursting with sachets (my wife Ngoc collected even more sachets than me), I trudge back to our collection point. Tak and Lai Manalo from Pure Oceans measure the morning’s haul: nearly 175 kilos of plastic waste, among them a cellphone, a syringe, a rubber duckie, gambling dice and some truly scary plastic dolls.

Soon we visit Caban Cove, a popular dive site. Diving here decades ago, I vividly recall having lunch in a spotless white sand beach. Now, it is covered end-to-end with broken branches, coconut husks and you guessed it, plastic. Pia and I carefully examine the debris.

“Coastal cleanups help, but each day will deposit a brand-new layer of trash. With the local community of Tingloy, we’ve developed and tested solutions to help other islands address the plastic problem,” she explains.

“We’re working on all aspects of the garbage lifecycle – from implementing corporations’ extender producer responsibility, CSR projects, developing waste management systems with local governments, environmental education for schools, plus physical cleanups along our coasts. After seven years of learning, we’re ready to replicate our solutions nationwide – but we need more partners.” 

We pick through more layers of refuse. I dig out a twisted piece of seaglass, keeping it as a reminder that some things just don’t belong in the big blue. “For many Pinoys, conserving the oceans starts at home. Thinking before buying and properly segregating our waste might just prevent trash from ending up here,” gestures Pia. 

We leave the area after a day’s work. Though spiritually satisfied, we barely made a dent in the tidal wave of plastics assailing the quiet island paradise. Despite this, it’s still rung with corals, still teeming with fish. 

Two hundred million metric tons of single-use plastics will be produced this year, equivalent to 10 million fully-loaded dump trucks. 

How many tons will end up at sea? How many new layers of trash will be added to the beaches of Tingloy and the world’s other islands?