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It's How They Do It in the Philippines

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Edited by Jim McCrory, Wednesday, 16 July 2025, 08:04

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It's How They Do It in the Philippines

I was in the Philippines some years back and two friends from my future wife’s congregation once took us on a trip to Pagudpud, up in the north of the Philippines. On the way back, we stopped at a roadside market where vendors were selling freshly barbecued fish—caught that morning from the sea.

After some friendly haggling, my Filipino friend managed to buy a whole tuna, about the length of my arm, for around £3. I stared at it, impressed.

“So… what do we do now?” I asked.

“We take it to the restaurant,” he said casually.

“You mean—what, just walk in with some tuna?”

“It’s no problem.”

A short drive later, we pulled up at a small local restaurant. My friend handed over the fish and asked them to cook up some rice, vegetables, and drinks to go with it. A little while later, we were sitting down to a feast.

That’s just how they do it in the Philippines.

I can’t imagine trying the same in the UK; just walking into a restaurant with a fish under your arm and asking them to cook it with a side of rice and greens.

Image generated with the assistance of Microsoft Copilot

 

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