Photos courtesy of Kach Umandap
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The latest Henley & Partners index ranked the Philippine passport as the 75th ‘most powerful’, ironically making it one of the weakest in the world.
But for some, like travel writer and blogger Katrina ‘Kach’ Umandap, this is just a mere hurdle.
READ: How to get a passport: A first-timer’s guide
Challenges like visa restrictions and bureaucratic red tape were not roadblocks but stepping stones for Kach.
Armed with grit, determination, and meticulous planning, she turned her dreams into reality.
Photo courtesy of Kach Umandap
At just 36 years old, Kach made history as the youngest Filipina to visit all 195 states and all seven continents in the world using her Philippine passport.
And on Monday, January 13, Kach returned home with a new mission — to empower young Filipinos to embrace remote work and unlock the life-changing magic of travel.
“I really like, worked hard for this… but God really helped me, and I am here on a mission to spread his word and to help the next generation,” she said.
Early life
Kach is the daughter of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
She was born in Makati City and raised in San Pablo City in Laguna by her mother and grandparents.
At a young age, Kach knew she wanted to travel the world, attributing her love for adventures to her grandmother whom she was truly fond of.
Photo courtesy of Kach Umandap
So, she charted a future of one day, becoming a diplomat, with the hopes of securing a diplomatic passport would help achieve her dreams.
“I wanted to become a diplomat because I want to travel the world, but how can you travel the world if I have a (regular) Philippine passport?” she said.
Kach got accepted as an intern for the labor attaché of the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait. But it did not take long for her to realize that the diplomat life was not meant for her.
In 2009, a few months after earning her Economics degree from the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, she followed her parents’ footsteps in working abroad.
She landed a corporate job in Kuwait. A year later, she was transferred to work for an oil company in Iraq. However, the yearning to explore new places and learn more about the world before her continues to beckon Kach.
Then in 2013, she decided to quit her job and go backpacking in Southeast Asia – and that was the turning point of her life.
Beginnings as a travel blogger
Kach started documenting her nomadistic lifestyle the moment she travelled around Southeast Asia.
She and her ex-husband, British backpacker Jonathan Howe, created the travel blog titled Two Monkeys Travel, which was considered one of the pioneers in travel blogging.
In order to sustain her lifestyle, she not only worked as a travel blogger and a digital nomad or remote worker but also had multiple gigs at hand.
She became an English teacher, a yoga instructor, and even worked as a massage therapist.
After Southeast Asia, Kach set her eyes on South America. Two years after she committed full time into the world of traveling, Kach completed her tour around South America.
Photo courtesy of Kach Umandap
“I wanted to finish traveling to non-Visa countries first… Then (after South America), I thought of applying for a U.S. Visa,” she added.
Initially, the idea of gaining access to the United States seemed daunting for the young backpacker but when she was granted a visa, it opened a lot of doors and the possibility of visiting all 195 states.
To reach this goal, Kach knew she had to be strategic, which meant doing painstaking research, a little bit of networking, and carefully planning out her next steps.
For example, after securing valid visas from countries like the United States and Japan, she was able to travel to other regions like the Baltic states with little to no restrictions.
“You really have to be strategic about it,” she pointed out.
It was the right decision because in 2016 – three years after she began her digital nomad life – Kach managed to tick off 68 out of the 195 countries off her bucket list.
Sustaining the ‘digital nomad’ life
As she traveled across continents, Kach kept her blog alive with stories of her adventures, sharing tips and advice for her readers and fellow travelers.
Photo courtesy of Kach Umandap
But her digital nomad lifestyle wasn’t just about working remote jobs or running travel blogs—it was also about building connections.
From working with key players in the tourism industry like airline companies and hotels to partnering with government bodies, Kach found ways to keep her global journey going.
One of her most resourceful strategies was networking with tourism boards and non-profit organizations to contribute to humanitarian initiatives, often opening doors to countries with challenging visa requirements.
Photo courtesy of Kach Umandap
“When I travel… First, I learn about the culture. Second, I meet new friends who often become helpful connections,” she said.
These partnerships also brought her closer to the global Filipino community.
“Everywhere you go, there’s always a little Filipino diaspora,” she remarked.
On top of these, she also constantly networked with fellow travelers, including her own kababayans, leading her to establish a small travel agency dedicated not only to those who want to explore off beaten destinations. But also, to aspiring Filipino globetrotters who rely on their Philippine passports.
Ups & Downs
At first glance, the idea of earning money and perks to travel the globe sounds like a dream. But as Kach candidly shares, like life itself, it comes with its fair share of challenges.
From navigating the limitations of a Philippine passport to traveling solo as a woman, Kach faced obstacles at every turn.
Her final stop before returning to the Philippines was Sudan, a destination that took her over two years to enter due to visa delays and the civil war that broke out in 2023.
In some instances, Kach’s journey was far from smooth.
She survived a terrifying car accident while solo traveling along the Silk Road in Central Asia and endured grueling adventures like riding the world’s longest train in Mauritania.
In Africa, her overland trip between Djibouti and Somalia was marked by wildlife encounters and unexpected twists.
Then came the pandemic in 2020, bringing global travel to a grinding halt just as Kach was on the verge of achieving her dream.
At that time, she had already visited 143 countries. To make matters worse, she faced chronic pain and underwent multiple operations during the lockdowns.
“But this didn’t stop me from continuing my goal of visiting all the countries in the world using my Philippine passport,” Kach wrote in her blog, reflecting on her resilience.
“With everything that’s happened, I’ve grown even stronger. I’m finally finding my way back as a solo traveler. Cheers to more journeys and adventures ahead!”
When borders reopened in 2022, Kach wasted no time. She resumed her quest by flying to Africa.
Within a span of three years, she travelled to 54 new countries and ultimately achieved her dream of visiting all 195.
“I am so proud of all the travels that I’ve been. I’ve never been in jail, and never been fined. I follow orders. I follow rules. I don’t overstay,” Kach said.
What’s next for Kach
Photo courtesy of Kach Umandap
When Kach arrived at Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), she was greeted not only with a warm homecoming but also with thrilling news—she had become the first woman from a low passport-index country to be verified on NomadMania, often called the Guinness World Records of the backpacking community.
While Kach looks forward to a well-deserved break and exploring local destinations with her 83-year-old grandmother, she also returned with a new purpose: to inspire and empower a new generation of Filipino travelers, whom she proudly calls “Remote Filipino Workers” or RFWs.
Her dream? To equip young Filipinos with essential digital skills, tools she credits for enabling her to embrace the digital nomad lifestyle and see the world.
And what advice does Kach have for aspiring Filipino globetrotters?
“Traveling the world isn’t out of reach,” she said, emphasizing that discipline and a willingness to learn can take them farther than they ever imagined.
