Proud of my low reply rate 😌
I tend to ignore fly-by, one-liner requests—if we can’t even talk, why bother hosting you, right?

Small tradition: I ask surfers to bring a paper bill from their country (or any cool currency you’ve picked up). I’m slowly filling our wall with them—feel free to add to the collection. Herbs and spices are also very welcome 😉
Salamat!

⸻

ABOUT ME

Mabuhay! I’m Junior—an earthling who still believes in the kindness of strangers and that the world isn’t as bad as people make it out to be.

I love backpacking, laughing too much, and good, honest conversations. Sincere, spontaneous, sarcastic, mildly discriminating but decent (cough). I instantly vibe with easygoing people—those not glued to their phones, Lonely Planet guides, or rigid schedules.

I live for the outdoors, street food, cheap beer, and completely random experiences.

Check my references—be discouraged, warned… be very, very afraid 😂
I’m the last remaining steward of the legendary Hobbit House CS Houses: Original, High Gardens, and now Winterfell (yes, the GOT spirit is strong). Built on years of good food, wild stories, and liquor—made legendary by the people who pass through.

Also: Captain of the Happy Boat Parties 🚤🍻

PHILOSOPHY

Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others—past and present.
By every kindness (and every crime), we birth our future.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I’m on Couchsurfing because I genuinely want to understand the world better. I believe the first step toward world peace (yes, I believe this) is opening your doors, your eyes, and your heart to complete strangers.

I plan to travel more in the coming years—and when I’m home, I’ll always make space to host travelers and keep the cycle of kindness moving.

⸻

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Too many stories to count—but signing up for Couchsurfing is easily one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It completely changed how I see people, cultures, and life in general.

Over the years, I’ve hosted 300+ surfers from all over the world, across the legendary Hobbit House chapters:
Original, High Gardens, and Winterfell—plus countless Sinulog “La Familia” reunions.

Some came as guests. Many returned as friends. Quite a few became family.

The house is built on good food, long conversations, cheap drinks, shared adventures, and the kind of stories that only happen when strangers choose to trust each other.

Here’s a little list of all the people we have hosted so far.

Pre- Hobbit House

1 Carlos Varona - USA
2 Phuong and Thai - Vietnam
3. Abdel Beldy - Tunisia
4. Chez and Sam - USA
5. Bence, Nandi, Peter, Tim, Csongor and Izi - Hungary
6. Adam - Canada
7. Yuichiro - Japan
8. Bonnie - China
9. Laurane - Belgium
10. Mayne and Jay - Singapore
11. Joshua Weitzel - Germany
12. Paul Murray - Ireland
13. Patrick Morwald - Germany
14. Gregorz Roskowsky - Poland
15. Jeremy Scott - Australia

The Hobbit House "Original" since September 2012 with Rica Mami and Joel Clotas Palou.

1 Roben - Phils
2 Ryo - Japan
3 Mayne - Singapore
4 Jay - Singapore
5 Raphael - Austria
6 Jez - Australia
7 Iosif - Phils
8 Jalil- Usa
9 Pablo - Colombia
10 Sheila - Phils
11 Payman - Canada
12 Manu - France
13 Ainu - Singapore
14 Shari - Germany
15 Andrew - Australia
16 Louise - Sweden
17 Stella - Sweden
18 Mina - Phils
19 Luke - England
20 Sonia - Poland
21 Giulia - Italy
22 Roberto - Italy
23 Rod - Brazil
24 Eva - Italy
25 Nico - France
26 Nao - Japan
27 Piotr - Poland
28 Jackie - Hongkong
29 Kasia - Poland
30 Marcin - Poland
31 Manri - Costa Rica
32 Matthias - Germany
33 Nir - Usa
34 Marion - Phils
35 Xiaoyu - China
36 Jc - Phils
37 Tatiana - Russia
38 Steven - Usa
39 Robynne - Usa
40 Toby - Germany
41 Stu - England
42 Jen - Usa
43 Bara - Guatemala
44 China - Guatemala
45 Masami - Usa
46 Luis - Usa
47 John - Usa
48 Jimmy - Sweden
49 Martin - Sweden
50 Alex - France
51 Jonathan - France
52 Todd - Usa
53 Dani - Sweden
54 Andrea - Usa
55 Laura - Spain
56 Lyanne - Philippines
57 Namhyeon - Korea
58 Tiago - Portugal
59 Joshua - Germany
60 Felix - Germany
61 Hannah - Usa
62 Qasim - Usa
63 Kresta - Phils
64 Kenji - Japan
65 Sabrina - Germany
66 Güçlü - Turkey
67 Nicole - Germany
68 Janis - Germany
69 Nina - Germany
70 Grace - Usa
71 Cath - Philippines
72 Nathan - Philippines
73 Jack - Australia
74 Chanteuse - Philippines
75 Ting - Thailand
76 Artur - Poland
77 Dan - England
78 Martin - Germany
79 Chris - Netherlands
80 Tanya - Philippines
81 Kat - Philippines
82 Mario - Austria
83 Annie - Vietnam
84 Holly - Vietnam
85 Chris - Hong kong
86 Eloi - Spain
87 Jose - Spain
88 Gerald - Singapore
89 Christopher - Australia
90 Nick - UK
91 Lyn - Philippines
92 Kat - Philippines

The Hobbit House "High Gardens" since September 2013

93 Roman - Russia
94 Fernando - Spain
95 Sam - Slovakia
96 Fadrique - Spain
97 Max - France
98 Chris - New Zealand
99 Don - Ireland
100 Than - Vietnam
101 Hong - Vietnam
102 Son le - Vietnam
103 Mickael - France
104 Pascal - Canada
105 Mei Yin - Malaysia
106 Ewa - Poland
107 Kamil - Poland
108 Bob - Singapore
109 Adrian - Singapore
110 John - Australia
111 Rachel - Australia
112 Frozen - Philippines
113 Michael - Usa
114 Farid - Persia
115 Peyman - Persia
116 Oisin - Denmark
117 Joel - England
118 Lorenzo- Italy
119 Xin Jian - China
120 Bryan - Philippines
121 Lilo - Austria
122 Kathi - Austria
123 Richard - Czech Rep
124 Chez - Usa
125 Brian - Usa
126 Abdel - Tunisia
127 Eya - Tunisia
128 Justin - China
129 Lei - Philippines
130 Patrick - Germany
131 Michael - Germany
132 Alex - Canada
133 Min - Korea
134 Carolyn - Germany 🇩🇪
135 Maya - Germany 🇩🇪
136 Tom - Japan 🇯🇵
137 Sandra - Germany 🇩🇪
138 Reena - Vietnam 🇻🇳
139 Erin - Usa 🇺🇸
140 Kevin - Usa 🇺🇸
141 Orhan - Turkey 🇵🇭
142 Mike - Philippines 🇵🇭
143 Alberto - Spain 🇪🇸
144 Sergio - Spain 🇪🇸
145 Sergi - Spain 🇪🇸
146 Kaye - Spain 🇪🇸
147 Tita Meng - Philippines 🇵🇭
148 Adrian - Germany 🇩🇪
149 Marcela - Colombia 🇨🇴
150 Mic - Germany 🇩🇪
151 Bang - Philippines 🇵🇭
152 Andres - Colombia 🇨🇴
153 Vivien - France 🇫🇷
154 Matat - Israel 🇮🇱
155-159 Bob and Friends - Singapore 🇸🇬
160 Julie - Philippines 🇵🇭
161-162 Cheof and GF - Philippines 🇵🇭
163 Ella - UK 🇬🇧
164 Joerie - Netherlands 🇳🇱
165 Lala - China 🇨🇳
166 Harlem - Philippines 🇵🇭
167-168 Vivian and Peter - Finland 🇫🇮
169 Christina - Mexico 🇲🇽
170 Nico - France 🇫🇷
171 Pablo - Mexico 🇲🇽

~~

The Sinulog 2014 Fellowship of the Brim
Vivien 🇫🇷 and Rica 🇵🇭
172-173 Kobe & Moon - South Korea 🇰🇷
174 JJ - Poland 🇵🇱
175 Kevin - USA 🇺🇸
176 Dair - Mexico 🇲🇽
177 Daniel - Brazil 🇧🇷
178 Danielle - Italy 🇮🇹

~~

179 Carlos - Germany 🇩🇪
180 Antonio - Shanghai 🇨🇳
181 Villius - Lithuania 🇱🇹
182 Tomas - Lithuania 🇱🇹
183 Martin - Czech Republic 🇨🇿
184 Taylor - USA 🇺🇸
185 Patrick - Switzerland 🇨🇭
186 Claire - China 🇨🇳
187 Tal - Israel 🇮🇱

~Nico 🇫🇷 is Back~

188 Raphael - Switzerland 🇨🇭
189 Nico - Singapore 🇸🇬

~Mick 🇩🇪 is Back~

190 Yuta - Japan 🇯🇵
191 Cherry - China 🇨🇳
192 Jessica and Ralf - Netherlands 🇳🇱
193 Pope - Manila 🇵🇭
194 Jeff - Ireland 🇮🇪

~Vivien 🇫🇷 is Back~

195 Irina - Russia 🇷🇺
196 Marielle - Manila 🇵🇭
197 Jilai - Manila 🇵🇭
198 Kalvin - Manila 🇵🇭

~Mick 🇩🇪 is Back~

199 Mick - France 🇫🇷
200 Sergi - Barcelona 🇪🇸
201 Flo - France 🇫🇷
202 Johan - Sweden 🇸🇪
203 Hugo - France 🇫🇷
204, 205, 205 Lion, Niki and Lucas - Germany 🇩🇪
206 Otto - Morocco 🇲🇦
207 Victoria - Philippines 🇵🇭
208 Son (2nd) and Duy - Vietnam 🇻🇳
209, 210 Matt and Chun-Yin - Singapore 🇸🇬
211, 212 Kendra and Gabriela - USA 🇺🇸
213, 214 Anna and Graham - England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
215 Aijamal - kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬
216, 217 Kris and Louise - New Zealand 🇳🇿
218 Ria - Manila 🇵🇭
219-223 Felipe, Eduardo, Joao, Renan, Christian - Brazil 🇧🇷
224, 225 Delfi and Sofie - Argentina 🇦🇷
226 SeungHee - South Korea 🇰🇷

The 2015 official Sinulog #teamhobbits

Rica* - Manila 🇵🇭

227 Shiela - Philippines 🇵🇭
228 Red - Philippines 🇵🇭
229 Chris - Germany 🇩🇪
230-231 James and Luke - England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
232-233 Kieth and Emmet - Ireland 🇮🇪
224 Kierran - Ireland 🇮🇪
225 Red - Philippines 🇵🇭
226 Noah - USA 🇺🇸
227 Adam - England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
228 Marina - Romania 🇷🇴

~

229 Kacper - Poland 🇵🇱

~Jimmy* is back!~

230-231 Anna and Iben - Denmark 🇩🇰
232 Danny - China 🇨🇳

~Chez* 🇺🇸 is back!~

233 Bong - Georgia 🇬🇪

~Mick* 🇩🇪 and Antonio* 🇨🇳 are back~

234 Villius -Lithuania 🇱🇹
235 Judi - 🇸🇪
236 Eva - 🇺🇸
237 Salome - 🇨🇦
238 Balen - Manila, 🇵🇭
239 Fernando - 🇪🇸
240 Jonny - 🇳🇴
241 CJ - 🇺🇸
242-243 Warren and Nic - 🇲🇹
244 Stef - 🇳🇱
245 Ella - 🇸🇮
246 Kyoshiro - 🇯🇵
247 Sam - 🇲🇾
248 Thomas - 🇦🇺
249 Lucas - 🇺🇸
250 Julie - 🇫🇷
251 Pawel - 🇵🇱
253 Chan & GF - 🇰🇷
254 Maja - 🇵🇱

The Hobbit House "Winterfell" *updated* August 2015

*Clement 🇫🇷 is back!
256 Fernando - 🇵🇾
*Ricamami 🇵🇭is back!
257 Kornel - 🇭🇺
258 Lucas - 🇺🇸
259 Saku - 🇯🇵
260-261 Charlene & Esteban - 🇫🇷
262 Ozzy - 🇩🇴
*Clement 🇫🇷 is back!
263 Lee Huy - 🇻🇳
264 Fritz - Manila, 🇵🇭
265 Namiko - 🇯🇵
266-67 Tyler and Friend - 🇺🇸 / 🇩🇪
268 Patryk - 🇳🇱
269 Ricky - Manila, 🇵🇭
*Red from Manila, 🇵🇭 is back!

The Sinulog 2016 La Familia
*Red and Rica is back 🇵🇭
270 Kirby - 🇸🇬
*Mara (Holland) is back
271 Uncle Jonny - 🇺🇸
272-273 Ahmet & Eren - 🇹🇷
274 Miko - Manila, 🇵🇭
275 Ash - Manila, 🇵🇭
276 Daniel - Manila, 🇵🇭
277 JP - 🇮🇪
278 Gian - Manila, 🇵🇭
279-280 Louis & Yannik - 🇩🇪
281 Nathan - 🇫🇷
282 Christoff - 🇩🇪

*Alexandre from 🇫🇷 is back

*Patrick from 🇨🇭 is back
283 Chris - 🇵🇭

284 Samuel - 🇨🇴
285 Han - 🇨🇳
286-287 Maciek & Pan - 🇵🇱
288-289 Nuki & Aui - Manila 🇵🇭

*JP from 🇮🇪 is back!

290-291 MJ & Philip - Manila 🇵🇭

One Last La Familia Sinulog 2017
292-294 Maciej, Magda & Andrea - 🇵🇱
295 Corrina - 🇩🇪
296 JP - 🇮🇪
*Raphael - 🇩🇪
297 Gera - Manila 🇵🇭
298-299 Vincent & Abdul - Cebu 🇵🇭
300 Hayley - 🇦🇺
*Sun - 🇰🇷
*Rica - Manila 🇵🇭

301 Red - Mindanao 🇵🇭
302-303 Eli & Prince - 🇺🇸
304 Chris - 🇩🇪
*Dandi from 🇨🇳 is back!
305 Matt - 🇬🇧
306 Kat - 🇴🇲
307 Dan - 🇨🇭

*Chez (Taiwan) and Sun (Moalboal) are back

308 Shota - 🇯🇵

*Michael - 🇨🇦 is back

310-311 Niklas and Tamaro - 🇩🇪 🇳🇬
311-312 Jay and Mookie 🇵🇭
*Patrick from Bavaria 🇩🇪 is back!

#TeamHobbits Sinulog 2018

*Rica & Jera from Manila 🇵🇭 are back!
313 Kevin - USA 🇺🇸
314 Jason - New Zealand 🇳🇿
315 Ziemowit - Poland 🇵🇱
316 Serah - South Korea 🇰🇷
317 Liz - Manila 🇵🇭
318 Agnes & Diether - Germany 🇩🇪
319 Tiago - Portugal 🇵🇹
*Stu from UK 🇬🇧 is back!

320 Cleo - Manila 🇵🇭
321 Magnus - Norway 🇳🇴

*Agnes 🇩🇪 is back!
*Mookie is back!
322: Quina - Surigao del Sur 🇵🇭
323-324: Jun Ming & Sae Won - South Korea

*Patrick and Michi - Munich 🇩🇪 are back!

325 Aljur - Hamburg 🇩🇪
326 - 327 EJ and Laura

SINULOG La Familia 2019
*Serah is back!
*Jerah is back!
*Rica is back!
*Sun is back
*Liz is back!

328 Max - Berlin 🇩🇪
329 Sam - Cornwall 🇬🇧
330 Aly - Dumaguete 🇵🇭
331 Yunus - Indonesia 🇮🇩
332 Ram - Manila 🇵🇭

*Nico is back!
333 Alberto - Barcelona 🇪🇸
334 - 335: Dominik & Markus - Marktoberdorf 🇩🇪
336: EJ - Bohol 🇵🇭

2020
337: Nico - Los Angeles 🇺🇸
338: Fallback - Dumaguete 🇵🇭

*Patrick - Germany 🇩🇪 is back

Sinulog 2020 La Familia
339: Emilio - Vermont 🇺🇸
340-344: Antonio, Felipe, Joao, Pedro M, Pedro C, Cascais 🇵🇹

***

*Gold Members/Returnees
**Current Surfer

Follow our shenanigans on Facebook.com/TheHobbitHouseCebu

Interests

Photography, Long afternoons at the beach, A cold beer in the fog, Jumping off cliffs, Spicy food and eating with my bare hands! long and scenic bus rides, designing book covers, a sensible conversation, laughing til my jaws hurt and appreciating life's lessons.

Music, Movies, and Books

I listen to a lot of Lana Del Rey, Billboard hits, indie folk/rock, and a good dose of old-school classics.

Big fan of Star Wars, Game of Thrones, MADtv, The Big Bang Theory, Preacher, zombie movies and series, war films, vintage Mickey & Donald cartoons, 9GAG humor, Adventure Time, and How I Met Your Mother.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Signing up on Couchsurfing!

Teach, Learn, Share

Always ask if your guests are enjoying themselves. Great hosting starts with listening—especially to your surfers’ interests. They may be new to your country, and while you might be dying to show them everything, the experience is always better when they’re part of every choice.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Philippines

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