Discover MNL is dedicated to connecting communities and travelers through the beauty of the Philippines. The founder’s vision goes beyond highlighting tourist spots; it’s about fostering a sense of community. Through engaging content and curated guides, the platform has become a hub for those who share a love for food and travel.
Meet Walter Sy and Lucky Alabado-Siy, the passionate couple behind Discover MNL—a husband-and-wife team dedicated to uncovering the dynamic and diverse offerings of the Philippines. Through their shared love for travel, food, and culture, they have created a platform that showcases the best of Manila and the Philippines, from hidden gems and local eateries to must-visit landmarks and unique experiences.
With a combination of personal insights and professional expertise, this dynamic pair offers an authentic and engaging perspective on life in the Philippines’ bustling tourist attractions.
“It was meant to be a personal digital diary of food and places I’ve discovered. Since I loved preserving memories online and felt that I was oversharing on my personal accounts so much, I decided to make a separate page for all my food and travel posts. I created the name, account, and the logo literally one night, on my phone, when I couldn’t sleep,” said Lucky on how the idea started.
Founder Lucky officially started the business in 2015 when her viral post about Masungi Georeserve snowballed, catapulting Discover MNL’s social media following from 2,000 to 5,000, then 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, and more overnight.
During this viral moment, Walter was involved in a company that made 360-degree videos of properties and events. Their company was actively looking for businesses to collaborate with and stumbled upon Discover MNL, thinking it was a travel agency.
Walter asked their sales head to send an email to set up a collaboration meeting with Lucky. After the meeting, she was introduced to Walter and found out that they came from the same batch of the same college. For their collaboration, Walter was assigned to work with Lucky, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Walter had been professionally involved in photography and videography for over 10 years before joining Discover MNL, so he was always the technical guy, while Lucky handled marketing.
The partnership was so fluid that Lucky would get production inquiries at Discover MNL because of the page’s reach. Walter would then lead the production of the content. It can be said that Walter has his own Lucky charm in the business.
Lucky states that they are also busy with their advocacy projects. “When we’re able to gather clients and brands that we’ve worked with to give back to society in different forms—such as our #FeedTheCityPH and #BaryaNiJuan initiatives, where we were able to give care kits to the homeless and supply over 1M PHP worth of PPEs to health care facilities across the Philippines during the pandemic—it is the most rewarding.”
“Discover MNL is all about relatability. We share experiences and discoveries that we ourselves find interesting and worth knowing and noting. It serves as a guidebook or your go-to platform when you wanna learn more about what’s going on in and out of Manila,” she continues.
They have also been crafting different series of content with their very own Seoji Studios.
Together, Waltz and Lucky have proven that the strongest ventures are often built on a foundation of shared passion, mutual respect, and unwavering support.
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