Introducing… Third Culture Places Series in Metro Manila! – Awesome! [Video]

Dear Our Awesome Planet readers,

We’re excited to launch a new series on Our Awesome Planet featuring Third Culture Places in Metro Manila! This project began in partnership with Dir. Sharlene Batin of DOT-NCR, who collaborated with us to curate the city’s top food strips for a free Food Strip Map aimed at promoting small and medium food businesses. Through our visits, we discovered that the most memorable spots go beyond great food—they serve as community hubs, bringing people together and creating a distinct sense of place.

In The Great Good Place (1989), Ray Oldenburg defines first places as homes, where personal life happens, and second places as workplaces or, for students, schools where learning takes place. He introduces third places as informal social hubs, such as cafés, pubs, and community centers, where people gather to build relationships and foster a sense of belonging. Unlike public spaces that serve practical functions, third placesprioritize social interaction, offering …