Come sit with us at Rappler’s Culture Desk

• Julian Cirineo introduces Culture Desk, Rappler's new platform for exploring niche hobbies, local spots, and cultural stories.
• The team will provide recommendations and insights on trends, products, and experiences, encouraging readers to engage with their interests.

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Hey there!

If you’ve ever found yourself falling down a rabbit hole over a hyper-niche hobby, a specific coffee order, or a local spot you can’t stop recommending — welcome home!

My name is Julian Cirineo, editor for Culture Desk, Rappler’s new home for stories about the things we enjoy, the stuff we’re secretly geeking over, and the hidden reasons we love the things we love. This is our refreshed editorial approach to covering culture because we know that the way we live, spend our time and money, and log off has changed.

Our team of writers, researchers, artists, and curious minds will be your enablers in doing what you’ve always wanted to do, or finally visiting that new restaurant you’ve saved on IG. We’ll be your go-to whenever you have questions on trends, products, or whatever is taking up your headspace. We’re that friend in the friend group who always has something new and cool for you to try.

To kick things off, the team has a roundup of stories that we’re sure will get you off your desks and out of the house. Grab your favorite drink and get ready to share these with the group chat.

Our ‘non-AI’ field guide to cozy spots in Kapitolyo

When was the last time you took a walk just so you could add a bit of whimsy to your life and experience finding things by chance? We did precisely that right in Rappler’s own neighborhood — Kapitolyo! The result? A list of some of the coziest places we’ve tried, including a matcha bar great for cooling down, a “dopamine-decked” maximalist cafe, and our next favorite brunch spot.

🍵 Watch where we ended up on this non-AI-guided Kapitolyo crawl
🍵 Read the full experience here

8 independent spaces to experience Manila’s creative scene

Where do you go to get a feel for Manila’s creativity? It’s not exactly a category you can easily search on Google, but a crop of places do come to mind. In this list you’ll find places that teach art, keep print alive, provide intimate film-viewing experiences, open spaces for music and dance nights, and more.

🔖 Pin these places to get to know their communities

Why Romblon’s islands deserve more love and attention

Laid-back and underrated, Tablas in Romblon has made it into our list of travel destinations for intimate and quiet getaways. Life was enticingly slow in Tablas. It was full of experiences, flavors, and stories from local members of the community. Our writer, Chau, wrote a love letter to Romblon.

🏖️ View our virtual postcard/love letter to Tablas, Romblon

How ‘Filipiñana’s’ slow burn exposes the Philippines’ class divide

Filipinos have a complex relationship with the tropical heat. In the Filipino film Filipiñana, though, heat isn’t only a villain; it’s a catalyst for exposing bigger evils. The satirical debut feature of Rafael Manuel — who also wrote and edited the film — follows Isabel (played by Jorrybell Agoto), a 17-year-old “tee girl” who’s new to the job in an exclusive country club. We felt a lot of things about the film, so we wrote about them.

☀️ Read what we thought of the film Filipiñana

Seeing the many things ube can become at Ube Fest

Some stayed close to ube’s OG dessert roots, while others treated it as a starting point — playing with its color, texture, and aroma in many unconventional ways. The result was part food festival, part small-business showcase, and part answer to the question: How many things can ube become?

🟣 Read our recap of the recent Ube Fest here

You should start junk journaling too

It’s not a common thought for everyone to save that small piece of gum wrapper in your pocket or that crumpled receipt you kept from a night out with friends. Yes, even that movie ticket you have from that time you went out with a failed situationship. The little pieces of scrap we usually overlook can easily become meaningful mementos — sometimes in ways that a photo on your phone cannot.

🔖 Here’s how to start your own junk journal

What we’re cooking up next

We’re filled to the brim with culture stories we want to share. We’ll give you more trend breakdowns, product reviews, and what to do in the city. Here’s a little taste test to get you looking forward to the rest of the menu. In the coming weeks, we’re taking a look at how millennials and Gen Z are choosing solo living over staying with their parents. We’re also diving into why it’s so hard to stop watching Chinese microdramas, what makes a good iPad case, what the iPhone Duo will bring to the world of foldables, a cafe that’s only open on the weekends, and what in the world squishies are and why people are buying them.

We want to hear from you, too

Growing Culture Desk won’t be an easy feat, but it will definitely be a fun one — and we want you to sit with us at our desk. We want to know what experiences excite you, what’s making you laugh, and what drink you grabbed as you read through our stories, because you and your daily rituals are at the heart of what we cover.

So tell me, what’s the one thing that you can’t stop recommending to your friends and family? Consider this your official permission to yap about your latest hyper-fixation. Let me know via email at julian.cirineo@rappler.com — maybe we’ll write about it next!