Rainy Habagat nights stir up a craving for hot and hearty soup that you can easily whip in minutes after a long work or school day.

Skip the slow cooking process without sacrificing taste with AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning, a well-loved flavor enhancer widely used to intensify deliciousness in vegetable recipes, meat dishes, sauces, broths, soups and a lot more. 

Give ingredients like vegetables, meats, and seafood a mouthwatering, savory boost by adding a “tak, tak, tak” of MSG, the purest form of umami. MSG does not add extra calories, unnecessary color or complex tastes. It brings depth of flavor while helping you reduce your sodium intake because MSG contains only about one-third of the sodium found in table salt.   

Here are two easy soup recipes from Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC)’s Cookmunity website to bookmark for the rainy months:

Egg Drop Soup

Perfect for cozy evenings, this comforting soup evokes cherished childhood memories and the delight of being safe at home with the family. One sip and that burst of umami can melt away stress and help rehydrate the body.  

Ingredients

6 cups (1500ml) Water

1/2 cup (65g) Carrots, cubed

2/3 cup (80g) Corn kernel, canned

2/3 cup (80g) Green peas, canned

3 Tbsps. (30g) Cornstarch

5 Tbsps. (75ml) Water for slurry

1 pack (11g) AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning

4 pcs. (200g) Eggs, beaten

1 Tbsp. (15ml) Water for egg mixture

1 tsp. (5g) Salt

1/2 tsp. (3ml) Sesame oil

Procedure

BOIL. In a pot, boil water. Once boiling, add carrots, corn and green peas. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Once vegetables are cooked, add cornstarch slurry.

SEASON. Add AJI-NO-MOTO® and salt then mix well. In a bowl, whisk eggs and water. Add egg mixture to the pot gradually while mixing. Turn off heat and add salt and sesame oil.

SERVE. Transfer onto serving bowls and enjoy. Can be garnished with spring onions.

Molo Soup

Meaty and garlicky, Molo soup is a beloved Filipino classic can be more flavorful with AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning. This savory broth soothes the senses and provides comforting nourishment. 

Ingredients    

1 3/4 cups (375g) Pork, ground

1/2 cup (100g) Potato, minced

1/4 cup (35g) Carrots, minced

1/2 pc. (30g) White onions, minced

1 pc. (50g) Egg, beaten

1 tsp. Salt

20 pcs. Molo wrapper

2 Tbsps. (30ml) Cooking oil

1 Tbsp. (15g) Red onions, minced

1 Tbsp. (15g) Garlic, minced

4 cups (1000ml) Water

1 1/2 Tbsps. (20g) AJINOMOTO® Chicken Powder

1 Tbsp. (15g) Soy Sauce

1 pack (11g) AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning

3 Tbsps. (20g) Spring onions, chopped

2 Tbsps. (10) Toasted garlic

Procedure

MIX. In a large bowl, mix pork, potato, carrots, white onions, egg, and salt.

MOLD. Take 1 tsp. of the mixture and place it in the middle of the molo wrapper. Dampen the molo wrapper with beaten egg to seal. Repeat until finished.

SAUTE. In a pot, heat oil to sauté red onions and garlic until fragrant.

SIMMER. Add water and AJINOMOTO® Chicken Powder, wait for it to simmer.

UMAMI-MIX. Add soy sauce and AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning and stir.

SIMMER. Add molo dumplings onto the pot. Cook for 5-8 minutes.

SERVE. Transfer onto serving bowl and garnish with spring onions and toasted garlic.

Jollibee, the Philippines' number one fast food chain, is giving Jolly Hotdog fans more reason to look forward to their weekend food runs with a limited-time Joy-Thru Deal offering two Jolly Hotdogs for only ₱149.

The Joy-Thru Deals run every Saturday and Sunday from August 15 to September 13, exclusively at participating Jollibee Drive-Thru stores. Customers can save ₱27 when they get two Jolly Hotdogs through the promo.

A longtime Jollibee favorite, the Jolly Hotdog is a crave-worthy and savory treat that continues to be a go-to choice for customers looking for a tasty Jollibee classic.

“For many of our customers, a weekend drive-thru stop is part of their usual routine, whether they’re picking up food for the family or grabbing a quick bite. Since the Jolly Hotdog is a favorite among many, we wanted to give them a little more to enjoy during those weekend stops,” said Dorothy Ching, vice president for marketing of Jollibee Philippines. “We hope this gives our Jolly Hotdog fans something to look forward to on weekends and makes their food runs a little more enjoyable.”

The Joy-Thru Deals will be available every Saturday and Sunday until September 13 at participating Jollibee Drive-Thru stores. Prices may vary by location. Terms and conditions apply.

Craving more Jollibee treats and exclusives? Head to www.jollibee.com.ph for the latest updates, order your favorites at https://order.jollibee.com, and follow us on social media for more JOYful surprises.

At the 10th Cebu Lechon Festival, different localities show that Cebu lechon is not made from one recipe alone.

Cebu lechon may look familiar on the table, but ask the people who prepare it and the differences quickly come out. One town uses more lemongrass. Another adds coconut vinegar. Some still prefer bamboo for roasting, while others rely on closely guarded ingredients to keep the meat tender and the skin crisp.

A mouthwatering lineup of signature roasts from across Cebu takes center stage at the grand launch of the festival.

These hometown touches are part of what visitors can discover at the 10th Cebu Lechon Festival at The Mactan Newtown. The event brings together lechon makers from across Cebu, giving each participating locality the chance to present the ingredients, methods, and flavors that define its roast.

My Paparts Lechon serves up what many consider the definitive Lapu-Lapu lechon experience. Ronan Murillo, owner of My Paparts lechon and 2026 Cebu Lechon Festival Best Lechonero, attributes their signature taste to two key steps: "We add pineapple tidbits to our seasoning for a hint of natural sweetness, and we spread the charcoal evenly so every inch roasts at the same pace," Murillo notes. The careful process yields juicy, flavorful meat beneath skin that stays extraordinarily crisp for more than four hours.

A cheerful wave from lechonero Ronan Murillo meets Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Cindi King-Chan, setting the tone for a flavorful celebration at the Great Cebu Lechon Market. 

In Alcoy, much of the work comes down to controlling the fire. The heat must remain steady so the meat cooks all the way through without burning the skin. Even larger lechons are roasted carefully to achieve crisp, golden-brown skin and well-cooked meat. Alcoy Tourism office staff Michelle Catulpos shared that “Lemongrass, onions, and garlic provide the familiar aroma, with a generous amount of lemongrass giving the roast its distinct fragrance.”

Alcoy’s food story also goes beyond lechon. The municipality is home to local delicacies such as bibingka, torta, tostado, and budbud domino, giving visitors more reasons to explore the flavors found in southern Cebu.

Alcoy brought its best to the festival launch, showcasing a prized lechon that outsized all the rest.

Argao keeps its preparation closer to a traditional provincial style. Argao Lechonero James Labajo, the Sugbuanon Paksiw Wars 2026 champion, shared that he uses “Shoka,” a vinegar brand from Argao in cooking lechon, giving it a distinct flavor.  He adds that seasoning must be tuned to the pig’s age and weight, with cooking lasting anywhere from two to three hours. 

Argao lechonero James Labajo carefully crafts his championship-winning dish during the Sugbuanon Paksiw Wars 2026.

Barili brings a different element to the process by using the traditional bamboo instead of the modern steel roasting rod. “As it heats over the fire, the bamboo gives off its own aroma, which becomes part of the finished lechon," said Barili Tourism office staff Joemar Saban. The recipe uses locally sourced ingredients and a lighter hand with seasoning, allowing the pork and the roasting process to carry much of the flavor.

The Municipality of Barili showcased incredible craftsmanship, bagging the Best Booth Award at the Great Cebu Lechon Market.

Patience is everything," says Michael Rosal, a local lechonero from Samboan. For a 30-kilogram pig, Rosal takes two and a half to three hours over the charcoal, keeping it at a careful distance so the heat never gets too intense. To give his lechon its signature touch, he incorporates Samboan’s local rum into his blend of seasonings—a trick he relies on to tenderize the meat and release a rich fragrance as it slow-roasts.

Performing the traditional tadtad, Samboan lechonero Michael Rosal (left) and his team chop into a hot lechon to offer festivalgoers a crispy bite.

The feast continues through August 31 at Mactan Newtown Road 4, featuring local eats, regional treats, and curated finds.

Beyond creating vibrant destinations, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls and The Mactan Newtown weave culture and heritage into every experience. Through inclusive events and community-centered festivals, they provide a stage where Cebuano identity, tradition, and togetherness can truly thrive.

For festival updates and the latest announcements, visit facebook.com/MactanNewtownMegaworld and facebook.com/TMN.OfficialTownshipPage.

McDonald’s napakalaki and napakasulit Chicken McDo can now be enjoyed in even bigger and more ‘mega’ ways as McDonald’s Philippines launches new Chicken McDo Mega Meals, providing a complete meal experience with Chicken McDo, an extra protein, a drink, and a dessert, and  giving Filipinos more reasons to enjoy and ‘tastify’.

Every day brings countless reasons to say ‘yes,’ whether to a quick break, to catching up with friends, or to treating yourself. McDonald’s Philippines is making one decision even easier with the introduction of the NEW McCafe Coco Mocha coffee selections that make saying “Yes, McCafé” effortless, whatever the moment.

Make your breaktime more fun with the delicious and flavorful Magic Chips Thin & Crispy, available in BBQ and Sour Cream and Onion flavors.

Some days can feel like they’re on repeat—same routine, same tasks, same quick pauses in between. That’s why even the smallest breaks deserve something fun, flavorful, and exciting to brighten the day. Turning an ordinary moment into something memorable can be as simple as stepping away from the screen and sharing a quick snack break with friends.