CEBU CITY, Philippines — Is it possible to visit all 82 provinces in the Philippines in just one year?
For most Filipinos, that may seem almost impossible. But for Cebuana Ma. Ursula De la Serna, it was a challenge she was determined to take on.
Driven by her passion for travel and exploration, Ursula set out on an ambitious journey to visit every province in the country within a single year.
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In just 364 days, the 29-year-old virtual assistant completed Project 82 PH, traveling across all 82 provinces of the Philippines while balancing her full-time remote job.
“I feel honored jud and deeply humbled. Grabe jud kanindot ang mga probinsya. (The provinces were very beautiful.) Each province has their own culture, naa silay (each had its) own character,” she told CDN Digital, describing her year-long travel across the country.
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The achievement etched her name into the community of Project 82 joiners, where she was recognized as the fastest woman to complete the challenge, and ranked third overall across all genders with the fastest at 5 months.
This is according to Pinoy History, a community-driven platform that tracks and verifies Project 82 PH attempts through submitted travel logs.
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De la Serna’s one-year journey may not be the fastest overall, but it stands as the quickest among the women who have completed the challenge.
But behind the record and recognition, her journey was never intended to break history.
For De la Serna, it began with a simple curiosity about the Philippines and a realization that she had seen more of other countries than her own.
How it started
Visiting all the provinces was never part of De la Serna’s bucket list. It came in a moment of realization.
She had already been traveling internationally when a trip to Thailand in January 2025 changed her perspective. There, she met a foreign traveler who enthusiastically shared stories of Philippine provinces, many of which she had never visited herself.
“Mura kog gisagpa ato na akoang kaugalingong country, wala ko kalaag. Adto ko naka realize, you know what, ako nalang gyud i start,” she said.
(It was as if I had been slapped with the realization that I hadn’t visited many places in my own country. That was when I realized I should just start exploring it.)
That encounter stayed with her mind and eventually pushed her to begin her Project 82 challenge.
De la Serna was no stranger to travel. Growing up in Lapu-Lapu City, she often watched planes fly overhead, while her experiences in Alegria town exposed her to beaches, mountains, and popular tourist destinations.
“If ing ani ang Cebu, how much more ang laing lugar? I was really hoping na one day, maka travel gyud ko,” she recalled.
(If Cebu is this beautiful, I can only imagine how breathtaking the other places are. I’ve always hoped that one day I’ll have the opportunity to travel.)
When she started working as a virtual assistant, travel became more possible, allowing her to work remotely while exploring the country.
The push, however, came unexpectedly through an accidental purchase of airline seat sale passes. Instead of buying 10 passes, she mistakenly purchased twice that number.
“That mistake turned into a blessing in disguise kay mao toy nag urge nako na tiwason ang (because it urged me to finish) Project 82 within one year,” she said.
A year later, she had already completed her visit to all of the 82 provinces in the Philippines.
Province of memory
Among the provinces that she visited, one stood out the most for De la Serna — Batanes.
She visited the northernmost province during the Simbang Gabi season in December, deliberately choosing a non-peak travel period.
“Nice jud didto, mao akoa number one province (The place was very nice and it was my number one province.),” she said.
“Very safe siya sa women, isolated siya na isla. Ang mga taw buotan kaayo ang mga Ivatan. Nindot kaayo ang landscape didto, mura siyag dili Philippines.”
(It felt very safe for women, and an isolated island. The Ivatans were very nice. The landscapes were stunning and unique, making it feel as though you were somewhere other than the Philippines.)
She described Batanes as her most memorable destination not only because of its beauty, but also because of the calm and security she felt while staying there.
But not all provinces brought the same ease.
Aside from Batanes, De la Serna also carried with her the memory of struggle during her trip to Eastern Visayas.
For her, the long land routes became one of the most physically demanding parts of the journey, often requiring hours of continuous travel from one point to another.
“Grabeha, lagyo kaayo ang lugar. Mura mu square nalang imo lubot liningkod sa van,” she said.
(The place was very far, and we had to remain seated in the van throughout the long journey.)
Still, she said these contrasting experiences made the journey more meaningful, teaching her to take each day as it comes, whether it brings comfort or challenges.
Thousands and stamina
Completing all 82 provinces in a year required commitment, stamina, and a significant budget.
For De la Serna, the journey came with no formal physical preparation but only a personal goal and her love for travel.
She emphasized the importance of listening to one’s body, recalling a time during her trip to Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya, when she had to skip a planned mountain hike due to her monthly period that made her feel unwell.
“Dapat maminaw ka sa imo body. If dili nimo kaya, ayaw pugsa. You know, we only have one body and makabalik ra pud man if ganahan mo,’” she said.
(You have to listen to your body. If you’re not able to do something, there’s no need to force yourself. You know, we only have one body, and everything we do has an impact on it.)
On the financial side, she estimated spending around half a million for the entire journey, largely made possible through seat sales and promo fares.
She added that travel costs may be higher today compared to 2025, unless one has access to discounted fares or local connections for accommodation.
De la Serna also practiced smart packing, gradually shifting from bringing large luggages to just using a backpack with essentials. Comfort, she learned, mattered more than than appearance.
Most of her expenses went to transportation and food, though costs varied widely depending on the location, with remote island provinces requiring significantly higher budgets.
When asked about her essentials, she offered a simple answer: “Prayers. Naa gyud koy (I have this) motto na God will provide.”
Beyond the postcards
As De la Serna completed her journey across 82 provinces, she made one realization: the Philippines is far more complex than what people often see on social media.
For her, Project 82 PH became an eye-opener, exposing her not only to breathtaking landscapes but also to the everyday realities faced by many Filipinos.
“It’s an eye opener sa akoa ang paglaag (for me during my travels). It’s not just the beauty of landscapes, beaches but it’s also the reality of what’s going on in the Philippines,” she said.
Traveling across the country exposed her to different challenges faced by communities, while deepening her appreciation for the nation’s rich resources, culture, and resilient people.
“We’re very rich when it comes to resources. Naa tay daghan yuta (We have a variety of land), bukid, beach, fruits,” she said, while also questioning why it is not appreciated and promoted.
For others who dream of exploring the country, especially women who may feel hesitant about traveling alone, Dela Serna hopes her journey serves as proof that it is possible with careful preparation, courage, and an open mind.
Now, fresh from completing Project 82 PH, De la Serna is already setting her sights on a new challenge and that is visiting all 53 municipalities and component cities of Cebu through a project she plans to call “Cebu 53 PH.”
After all, the Philippines has so much to offer, and appreciating its beauty often begins with a simple decision: to start exploring.
You just have to take it in, one province at a time.
