July 28, 2026 marked a remarkable milestone for the Philippine Global Explorers (PGE) as the organization celebrated its 7th Founding Anniversary—seven years of connecting Filipinos across the globe through a shared passion for travel, service, education, and nation-building.
What began in July 2019 as a small gathering of well-traveled Filipinos has evolved into one of the country’s most influential travel communities. Built on the founding principle that “The privilege to travel the world comes with the duty to give back to one’s country,” PGE has grown beyond being just a network of travelers sharing travel photos, itineraries, and recommendations. Today, it is a movement that demonstrates how exploration can become a powerful force for community development, cultural preservation, education, and global citizenship.
A Journey That Started with a Vision
The idea of having an organization exclusive to Filipinos was born on July 28, 2019, when a group of passionate Filipino travelers gathered in Tagaytay to establish what would eventually become the Philippine Global Explorers. The organization was founded on the belief that travel should create lasting value not only for the traveler but also for the communities they encounter.
Within days, the community launched its Facebook group, followed by national media recognition, where, by 2020, PGE had established its official website, and in 2021, the organization achieved another defining milestone by becoming a registered non-profit corporation with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission. These foundational years transformed an idea into an institution dedicated to responsible travel and meaningful public service.
Read: “Tracing Footsteps: How PGE came to be” Page 5 of Layag Volume 3: Philippine Global Explorer Travel Magazine
Local Project Partnerships
Throughout the last seven years, the Philippine Global Explorers has continually demonstrated that travel can inspire tangible social impact.
One of PGE’s flagship initiatives has been Lakbay Aral, an educational travel program that gives underprivileged students opportunities to learn outside the traditional classroom. Beginning with its first edition, Lakbay Aral sa Baguio, in partnership with the Purple Community Fund and Upskills Foundation, high school students were taken on an excursion where they experienced history, culture, and geography firsthand through immersive and interactive activities.
The initiative continued to grow through the second edition with a different group of high school students, where they visited Atty. Dominador Buhain’s Book Museum cum Ethnology Center with a vast collection of around-the-world artifacts.
This pioneering initiative became a mainstay in the long list of PGE’s projects when its third edition in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Makati Uptown, took, this time college students, to exposure visits to Bonifacio Global City and tours to other business hubs where they were shown how these entities operate and what it’s like to work in the corporate world which could influence their potential future careers. These projects reinforced PGE’s belief that travel is an essential tool for education and personal growth.
Read: Foundation Day Project: Lakbay Aral Sa Baguio ; Lakbay Aral Sa Baguio: Supporting Education through Travel ; Lakbay Aral Part 2: Learning Beyond the Classroom, Bridging Knowledge Through Travel ; Lakbay Aral Program Brings Students Closer to the Corporate World
Other notable collaborations of PGE with the Rotary Club of Uptown Makati are the Villegas High School Water Fountain Turnover and Youth Talk with PGE member Ann Marie Cunanan, Lian Batangas Marine Protection Project, Philippine Tourism, Pawikan (Green Sea Turtle) hatchlings release, and beach clean-up.
PGE has likewise supported regional developments through projects such as the Zamboanga Sibugay Farm Culinary Eco-Tourism Project in partnership with the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation. Combining tourism, agriculture, and education, this is a perfect formula for a sustainable community initiative where the beneficiary, Kapunungan sa mga Gagmay’ng Mangingisda sa Concepcion (KGMC) will be guided into starting up their own tourism drive in the region as well as to help them in their day-to-day livelihood.
International Excursions and Collaborations
International collaborations and partnerships have further strengthened PGE’s role in advancing travel as a platform for learning, cross-cultural understanding, and solidifying Philippine ties with other countries through tourism.
Since 2021, PGE has been a constant delegation in the annual Nagorno-Karabakh Expeditions hosted by Most Traveled People (MTP) and Azerbaijan’s Tourism Board. To date, more than 25 PGE members have been welcomed to experience the beauty and hospitality of the Karabakh Region. This coming October 2026, the sixth batch is set to also participate in the same excursion.
Another international excursion was the 2024 Warwan Valley Trek organized by PGE in collaboration with Less Traveled World by Raquel Mogado, who’s a well-known extreme hiker and a PGE member. The Warwan Valley Trek was a breathtaking journey through the rugged terrain of Ladakh and the lush valleys of Kashmir, a unique one and the first ever curated by PGE.
PGE Projects and Outreach Programs
Recognizing that education extends beyond travel experiences, PGE also established the Gabay Scholarship, providing educational support to deserving students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
The initiative embodies the organization’s long-term commitment to creating opportunities that empower young Filipinos to achieve their full potential. PGE recently had its very first graduate under this scholarship, Justin “Jaja” Carangan, with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management. For the upcoming school year, PGE will be welcoming three new scholars who are all attending the University of the Philippines.
Read: PGE Gabay Scholarship
PGE’s impact expanded further through community outreach projects that reached children and families across the country. Among these was an outreach program in Cebu entitled Magbiyahe Ta, where local community children participated in interactive learning activities centered on geography, culture, and global citizenship. Through games, educational materials, and storytelling, the outreach inspired young minds to dream beyond their immediate surroundings while nurturing pride in their Filipino identity.
Read: Planting Seeds of Global Curiosity: PGE Launches First Outreach Event in Cebu
Most recently, the organization expanded its outreach with initiatives such as the Lanao Maahad Al-Aziziah Al-Arabie Al-Islamie (MAAI) School Library Project, reinforcing its commitment to improving educational opportunities in underserved communities through books and school materials donations. The said outreach will roll out later this year and will be open to anyone who wishes to donate or volunteer for the cause.
In line with PGE’s mission and vision, these outreach efforts aim to encourage all PGE members to give back to their communities in any way they can.
Strengthening Philippine Tourism
Beyond community service, PGE has continued to advocate for responsible travel throughout the Philippines. The organization has led collaborations with the local government units, expeditions to emerging destinations, promoted lesser-known regions, and encouraged travelers to become ambassadors of sustainable tourism.
First off, Project Sulu, where groups of international visitors were toured and welcomed in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, has showcased the richness and diversity of the Philippines while helping reshape public perceptions through firsthand experiences and respectful cultural engagement. This was the time when this previously marked red zone region was recognized and added to the lists of places to visit by renowned international travel groups such as Nomadmania (NM), Most Traveled People (MTP), and Traveler’s Century Club (TCC). The same program was later on recreated solely for PGE members.
PGE’s community work has extended into heritage, tourism, and sustainable development through the Adopt-an-LGU Project and the 2024 Foundation Day initiative in Vinzons, Camarines Norte. In this project, PGE partnered with the local government of Vinzons to promote responsible tourism while highlighting local culture, history, and natural attractions. This demonstrated how collaboration between travelers and local communities can strengthen tourism while preserving cultural heritage.
Read: VINZONS: ‘ADOPT-AN-LGU’ PROJECT (PGE Foundation Day 2024)
For the environmental conservation aspect, Project Sibuyan was also held in April this year, where an expedition was curated for PGE members covering Romblon and the Sibuyan Islands.
Dubbed as the ‘Galapagos of Asia’, Sibuyan is one of the Philippines’ last true wilderness islands. The expedition included a climb on Mt. Guiting-Guiting, one of the country’s toughest peaks, and a trek through an extraordinary forest gradient with opportunities of bird watching and ecological observation. The expedition was capped off with leisure island hopping, heritage walks through villages and indigenous communities as well as visits to local Romblon artisans.
Celebrating Filipino Achievements
Another defining contribution of PGE has been recognizing extraordinary Filipino travelers in both local and international travels.
PGE has celebrated historic milestones achieved by Filipino travelers, including the recognition and verification of the six Filipinos who accomplished the remarkable feat of visiting all 193 UN countries – Odette Ricasa, Luisa Yu, AJ Peregrino, Katrina Umandap, Riza Rasco, and Glenworth Antolin. Their achievements will continue to inspire future generations to dream bigger while representing the Philippines proudly on the global stage.
Locally, PGE also paved the way to a sub-group, The Philippine Travel Masters (PTM), solely dedicated to verifying and recognizing the finishers of all of the Philippines’ 82 provinces. Through PTM, the organization honors Filipinos who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to exploring the country’s provinces and promoting domestic tourism. From 2024 to date, PTM has a record of more than 200 verified 82 Provinces finishers and is still counting. An annual awarding ceremony is held during PGE’s Grand Annual Meet-Up, where the finishers are honored and awarded with plaques recognizing this achievement.
Bayanihan: A Community Built by Volunteers
Over the past seven years, hundreds of members have generously shared their time, expertise, and resources to make every outreach program, educational initiative, environmental project, partnership, and community activity possible. Behind every successful project is a dedicated tribe of volunteers – from the Board of Directors and national officers down to international regional coordinators, project leaders, communications team, photographers, writers, and members across the Philippines and around the world. PGE’s accomplishments have always been powered by collective action and the enduring Filipino spirit of Bayanihan.
Looking ahead, as Philippine Global Explorers enters its eighth year, the organization continues to expand its vision. With stronger educational programs, deeper community partnerships, expanded outreach initiatives, growing recognition of Filipino travelers, and a renewed commitment to responsible tourism, PGE remains dedicated to proving that travel can change lives—not only for those who journey but also for the communities they serve.
Seven years have shown that exploration is not measured simply by countries visited or passport stamps collected. Its true value lies in the lives touched, the communities strengthened, the cultures preserved, and the opportunities created.
This year, as the Philippine Global Explorers celebrates its 7th Founding Anniversary, it also celebrates every member, volunteer, partner, donor, and community whose passion and generosity have transformed a simple idea into a nationwide movement.
To every explorer who has carried the PGE mission across provinces, islands, and continents—thank you for seven extraordinary years of purpose-driven travel. Happy 7th Founding Anniversary, Philippine Global Explorers. Here’s to many more journeys, greater impact, and a future where every Filipino traveler helps build a stronger Philippines.
