Baguio City has always been a must-visit place for foodies, thanks to the many culinary offerings from the Cordillera region (think pinikpikan, etag and binaod, among others). But – whether you agree with us or not, particularly since you may know some venues we don’t – one of the biggest challenges we encountered was looking for good kape.

The search for a good cup of coffee is what led us to Foam Coffee, which – it must be pointed out – is more of a resto than a café.

So, how was our visit to Foam Coffee?

@outragemag Looking for #kape in #FoamCoffee in #Baguio, only to end up eating not-cheap #ricemeals ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, this is easy to locate, as it’s right across the city hall of Baguio.

Ikalawa, the place itself is sterile-looking. Yep, maaliwalas siya (it’s airy), newly-furnished, is clean, and so on. But when we were there, it also felt quite impersonal, and didn’t feel like a community café or something.

Ikatlo, this is a self-service and CLAYGO (clean as you go) venue. Meaning, you won’t really engage with the staff as they’re there just to take and then give you your order, and then clean up after you if you failed to follow the CLAYGO policy. This adds to the making of this place as impersonal.

And ika-apat, how were the offerings?

So… the original intent was to grab coffee since this was repeatedly highly ranked by reviewers. Alas, the ₱120 Americano was, to start, not even that warm anymore when served. And taste-wise, it was almost like it was watered down.

The rice meals that we ended up also trying were actually not bad. The ₱230 Orange Chicken (orange-glazed chicken with rice) tasted… orangey, sweetish and yet citrusy. The ₱270 Bulgogi Tapa (thinly sliced Korean beef that’s marinated in sweet and salty soy in garlic butter, with rice and eggs), meanwhile, was sweet and savory. The rice in both dishes was good, too; flavorful so that even sans the toppings, already a meal.

For us, if there’s one issue with the rice meals, it’s the size of the servings. Particularly the ulam (viand). You will not get a lot. Which, for us, makes this place a somewhat pricey silog-like venue.

Foam Coffee has a market – e.g. check those who study while there. This is understandable even with the place’s limits. But we’re off elsewhere… perhaps in search of good coffee, as businesses should have if they use the word in their business name.

So off we go in search of more lafangan venues…

Foam Coffee is located at Upper G/F Travelite Hotel, Shuntug St., Baguio City. For more information, contact 0977 602 3750.

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, also known as the Manaoag Church, is quite popular, attracting over 5.73 million visitors in 2024 alone. But this should not be surprising since this Roman Catholic church in Pangasinan isn’t just a religious site, but is also valuable culturally and artistically.

Here are some observations from us.

@outragemag #LGBT and looking for #faith in #manaoagchurch in #Pangasinan ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, placed under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, this place is historical. The original shrine was founded in 1600, with construction of the church started in 1882 and completed around 1911-12.

Ikalawa, there are must-check architectural features – e.g. the central retablo, completed by the Tampinco Atelier of Manila incorporates Baroque columns from the 18th-century altar.

Ikatlo, the late Pope Francis raised the shrine to the status of a Minor Basilica in 2014. This means that it has a special bond with the Pope.

Ika-apat, it is home to the statue of Our Lady of Manaoag, a 17th-century ivory and silver image of the Virgin Mary with the child Jesus. This was brought to the Philippines from Spain via the Manila galleon trade from Acapulco, Mexico by one Padre Juan de San Jacinto.

Miracles attributed to Our Lady of Manaoag are numerous – e.g. the church being saved from the Japanese attacks during World War III, rain during droughts, and so on. Some of these miracles are depicted in murals in the church.

And ika-lima, there are manifestations of the merging of pre-Christian with Roman Catholic beliefs. Outside the church, for instance, there are vendors selling the Sto. Niño with that big phallus, lucky charms along with those anting-anting, and gayuma sold in brown bottles.

No matter the appeal, this isn’t for everyone. For instance, the commercialization of faith is quite blatant (such as the selling of those merch), and it could be a real turn-off. Also, security can be O.A. tight – e.g. there may be times when this could feel unwelcoming, such as when the security guy approached us to enumerate what’s allowed or not allowed inside the establishment. Jesus himself, I’d say, could be questioned in churches like this because of how he looked and how he acted.

But if in the area, you may want to drop by. Particularly since the locality does not have much to offer touristy-wise anyway. Your search for faith can be your key to discovering this historical, artistic and… yeah, religious gem.

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag is located on M. H. del Pilar Street, Manaoag, 2430 Pangasinan.

Baguio City has become a must-visit location for those looking for good – or at least well-promoted – restaurants. But we noted that when you check lists of places for foodies, many of the same venues are mentioned… and one of those is Rebel Bakehouse.

We checked the branch right beside the Baguio Cathedral of Our Lady of Atonement, and… how was it for us?

@outragemag #LGBT checking #RebelBakehouse in #Baguio to ascertain if it's a good alternative to #starbucks, #CBTL ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, the place is tricky to find… at least for non-churchgoers. We actually thought it’s in some street parallel to the church; instead, it’s actually right inside the church’s compound.

Ikalawa, if there’s a word to describe the venue, it’s maaliwalas (airy). The venue is divided into spots – e.g. there’s the upper floor, the inside, and the seats outside. Since Baguio City can still get cool, or even cold, open-air din siya, though this also means that flies from outside can (and do) enter the premises.

Ikatlo, the workers are chill. If asked, they can elaborate on what’s being offered; otherwise, if you don’t engage with them, they’re typical café staff… there but not there.

Ika-apat, how was the food? TBH, since we just came from a heavy meal, we just tried some of their breads and drinks.

1. The Classic Pain Au Chocolat (₱150) and the Cinnamon Bun (₱180) looked pretty, easily reminding me, personally, of breads in some bakery in Paris. But… taste-wise, they’re not remarkable. We’d go as far as saying that they both tasted the same… just like croissant. The dark chocolate inside the former was, at least, good; but the cinnamon was not even apparent in the latter.
2. The kape (₱110), served black, was so-so. I – sadly – really can’t even remember drinking it.

We’re not sure the way to beat Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is to mimic them. Which is how being in Rebel Bakehouse felt like; as if we were in one of the international coffee chains’ branches in Tagaytay. This isn’t to say this is bad… even considering our misgivings with the breads and kape. After all, this is still an okay, and local, option.

Perhaps if we visit again, if at all, we’d try their meals na. But until then, join us as we look for more lafangan venues…

Rebel Bakehouse is located right beside the Baguio Cathedral of Our Lady of Atonement, at CH6X+WM4, Upper Bonifacio St., Baguio City.