Manila Book Launch
Career or Travel,
Why Not Both?
Published by Penguin Random House SEA
Date
Thursday
10 September 2026
Time
6:30 to 8:00 PM
Where
Main Stage, MIBF
SMX Convention Center Manila
After the talk
Book signing and
meet and greet
What the night looks like
Ever dreamed of working from a beach in Bali, a cafe in Paris, or a co-working space in Dubai? For most people holding a passport from the Global South, that dream feels like it belongs to somebody else. I spent over a decade proving it does not, and the book is the game plan I wish someone had handed me at the start.
For forty minutes I will walk you through the part of the story that never fit into a caption. How I left for Kuwait at twenty with no plan. How I saved five thousand dollars in the Kurdistan oil fields and spent it on a one way ticket. How I built a career I could carry across borders, and what it actually cost.
Then the floor is yours, and I answer the questions the pages could not. After that I sign books and we take photos. No rush, no queue managers, no time limit.
The talk
The chapters I lived before I wrote them. Kuwait, Kurdistan, and the one way ticket that started it.
The questions
Whether you are a fresh graduate or a professional seeking freedom, ask me the hard ones. Visas, money, clients, fear.
The signing
Your copy, signed by hand, with your name written in it if you want.
The program
Ninety minutes, start to finish. Here is how the evening runs.
Presentation about the book
A short opening to set the stage for the story behind Career or Travel, Why Not Both?
Talk and Q&A with Kach
The chapters I lived before I wrote them, then the floor is yours for the questions the pages could not answer.
Photo and book signing
Your copy signed by hand, with your name in it if you want, and photos with no rush and no time limit.
Get your copy
Two ways to grab the book
The book is out with Penguin Random House SEA. Pre-order it online now, or pick it up at the Manila International Book Fair. Bring your copy to the launch on 10 September and I will sign it for you.
Pre-order on Fully Booked
Reserve your paperback online today and have it ready before the launch. Order in a couple of minutes, wherever you are.
Pre-order on Fully BookedOpens the Fully Booked product page.
Buy at MIBF 2026
Grab your copy on any day of the Manila International Book Fair at any of these booths:
- Fully Booked booth
- National Bookstore booth
- Penguin Random House booth
Before you ask
Do I have to buy a book to attend?
No. The talk is free and the Main Stage has open seating, so come whether or not you have the book. Pre-ordering just means your copy is ready for me to sign after the talk.
Where can I buy the book?
Two easy ways. Pre-order online now on Fully Booked, or buy it at the Manila International Book Fair from the Fully Booked booth, the National Bookstore booth, or the Penguin Random House booth on any fair day.
Will you sign my book?
Yes. If you buy online or at a booth, bring your copy to the launch on 10 September. I sign books right after the talk at the meet and greet, and I will write your name in it if you want.
What if I cannot come on 10 September?
You can still get the book. Pre-order it on Fully Booked, or drop by any of the three booths on any day of the fair. You do not need to attend the launch to buy a copy.
Can I buy more than five copies?
Yes. Message me on Instagram at @kach.umandap and I will set it up. Schools, book clubs and companies are welcome, and there is a separate rate for bulk orders.
Will there be photos?
Yes. Bring your camera. I am not leaving until everyone who wants one has one.
About the book
For many people, combining work and travel feels impossible, especially when facing the limitations of a passport from the Global South. I know those limitations first hand. I am the youngest Filipina to visit all 195 countries, and the first Filipino to do it solely on a Philippine passport, and I have spent over a decade building a location independent life.
Career or Travel, Why Not Both? gives you both a game plan and the unreserved courage to follow it. How to find remote work that pays in foreign currency, how to build a visa history that gets you approved, how to price yourself, and how to keep the money once you earn it. Personal stories, expert insights, and hard earned lessons. Nothing in it is theory. All of it is what I did.
It is more than a guide. It is a movement, and your journey starts now.
Opportunity can be built, even when it wasn't given to you at birth.
Kach Umandap