President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed four standout Filipino globetrotters at Malacañang on April 24, recognizing their rare achievement of traveling to all 193 United Nations member states—an elite accomplishment attained by fewer than 500 people globally.
The honorees included Odette Ricasa, the first US-based Filipino to complete the journey in Iraq in 2022; Luisa Yu, 79, who became the oldest US-based Filipino to finish her travels in Serbia in 2023; and Kach Medina Umandap, the youngest and first to achieve the milestone using only a Philippine passport, ending her trip in Sudan in January 2025 at age 36.
Joining them was Donalito “Dondon” Bales Jr., an Australia-based Filipino and founder of the Filipino World Travelers (FWT) community. He is also the author of Gala: Adventures of the Most Well-Traveled Filipinos, a book chronicling the inspiring journeys of modern Filipino adventurers.
President Marcos, alongside Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, and Commission on Filipinos Overseas Secretary Dante Ang II, praised the travelers’ “resilience and perseverance” and highlighted their potential to boost Philippine tourism and foster global cultural exchange.
