Gabrielle currently attends a film school in London, England

Gabrielle Salonga - Baguio City, Philippines

Gabrielle has a knack for taking beautiful photos one after another. Her creative skills are beyond impressive. One of my best friends had told me he was dating a new girl one year ago. I had no idea how great of a person and friend she would turn out to be. Her passion for learning and growing is contagious. Yet, she won't hold any comments back. Watch out! As her travels increase the next few years, she will gain incredible knowledge that will suit her for the rest of her life. Traveling can do that to someone. ~ Dan Hellinger

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Is money or the power of knowledge more crucial to you?

"The power of knowledge is more crucial. Plus, being smart generally means you'll earn a decent living. But money is something that comes and goes. Experience and learning is something I don't think you can ever replace."

Gabrielle's Travel Story

"I saw someone take a shit in Milan once. On the street and out in the open for everyone to see. That was welcoming. But nothing tops trying to ride a moped up the rockiest mountain path to get to a stupa in Nepal. Did I mention it was the first time I'd ever ridden a bike? My bike got stuck in the mud twice when we were going up - then when we finally arrived at the top, we realised we lost two of our friends. I also nearly flew off the road on my way down and got seriously hurt, or even worse, died. Luckily I only escaped with a few bruises and we all met back up at the hotel!" ~Gabrielle Salonga

"Experience and learning is something I don't think you can ever replace."

What aspirations do you want to achieve in life?

"There are only 2 I have so far - the first is to travel around the world for a year after I graduate. It's something I've had in mind since I was 15, so achieving that would be pretty amazing. It would be great just to visit all these places I've seen and heard about, and take as many photos along the way too! The second is to get a job that I love, just like what most people want. Ideally I'd love to shoot a few feature films and just to continue my photography along the way."

What improvements do you want to see The Philippines make in the next 5 years?

"This is not exactly taking place only in the Philippines, but I do hope the life and treatment of domestic workers improves drastically in the next 5 years. So many Filipinos come over to Hong Kong and other places to work as helpers, functioning in families that aren't theirs, just so that they can feed their own back home. And their pay is absolute shit. How is someone going to support their own kids with $4,110HKD a month? Do you know what's even worse? Some workers don't get paid at all, because employers can be shitty people who try to get around not paying the person who cooks, cleans and takes care of their own damn children.

It's sad how only the bare minimum is being done to improve such a terrible situation happening to thousands of people."

What would you want to tell a fellow traveler about your home country?

"To all the rum lovers out there - you've come to your haven. A triple rum and coke is cheaper than a single or double. Coke is more expensive since it's imported, while the rum is usually local.

Filipinos are the friendliest people you'll ever meet. They're also amazing chefs, so if you're ever invited to a Filipino family gathering, you sure as hell better go.

Last of all, you haven't truly experienced the Philippines until you ride a jeepney."

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