The Philippine Congress Just Recognized Me - and I Am Still Processing All of This
I am going to be honest with you - when I first saw the document, I had to read the title three times before it actually sank in.
House Resolution No. 859. Twentieth Congress of the Republic of the Philippines. First Regular Session. A resolution congratulating and commending Katrina "Kach" Medina Umandap.
Me. The girl who grew up in Makati City and Laguna (San Pablo City & City of Sta Rosa). The one who moved to Kuwait after college graduation, who packed her entire life into a backpack at 24 years old with a one-way ticket to Bangkok, and told herself she would see the whole world someday.
"Someday" became January 6, 2025, in Sudan when I completed my personal mission to visit every country in the world. And now, it has become a House Resolution filed on the floor of the Philippine Congress.
I am still processing all of this. And I want to share every bit of it with you.
First - What Exactly is a House Resolution?
I know not everyone is familiar with how this works, so let me explain it in plain terms because I had to learn about it myself when this was first introduced.
A House Resolution is an official act by the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It is a formal declaration by the country's lawmakers - the people your community voted into Congress - that something or someone deserves to be recognized and put on record in the history of the Philippine legislature.
Unlike a law or a bill, a House Resolution does not require the President's signature and does not create new legal obligations. But that does not make it any less significant. In fact, in many ways it carries more meaning - because it is a purely voluntary act of recognition. Congress chose to do this. They took the time to study the contributions, debate the merits, and formally declare that this achievement matters to the Republic of the Philippines.
What this means is that my name - Katrina "Kach" Medina Umandap - is now permanently entered into the official records of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It will be there long after I am gone. And that, to me, is extraordinary.
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House Resolution No. 859 - What It Says
The resolution was introduced by Representative Maria Cristina C. Angeles of the Second District of the Province of Tarlac and member of Committee on Women and Gender Equality. It was e-filed and received on March 10, 2026 during the Twentieth Congress, First Regular Session.
The full title reads:
"A Resolution Congratulating and Commending Katrina 'Kach' Medina Umandap for Being the First Filipina and the Youngest Filipino to Visit All 195 Countries and Territories Using Solely a Philippine Passport, and for Her Outstanding Contributions to Digital Nomadism, Global Citizenship, Community Empowerment, and the Promotion of Philippine Tourism"
The resolution formally recognizes several chapters of this journey that I have lived so deeply:
Completing all 195 countries and territories on January 6, 2025 in Sudan - after a twelve-year journey - using solely a Philippine passport
Being received at Malacanang Palace on April 24, 2025 by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Advancing the concept of the Remote Filipino Worker (RFW) and pioneering digital nomad advocacy in the ASEAN region
The grassroots initiative in Dipnay, North El Nido in July 2023 - combining livelihood training, satellite internet, and renewable energy for rural households.
Launching #Mission1642 in 2025 - the nationwide initiative to bring digital literacy and remote work education to all 1,642 cities and municipalities in the Philippines
Service as a Reservist of the Philippine Air Force
The Apex Awardee recognition as Emerging Global Filipino Icon 2026 in Dubai
Reading my life's work listed like this, in the formal language of Philippine law, was one of the most surreal experiences I have ever had.
What This Means to Me - Personally
I have received a lot of recognition over the years. Forbes. TIME. The New York Times. A reception at Malacanang. Awards in Dubai. I am grateful for every single one.
But this one feels different.
A House Resolution is recognition from my own country. From the men and women that Filipinos voted to represent them in Congress. It is the Republic of the Philippines - officially, formally, on the record - saying: what you did matters, and we see it.
I grew up in San Pablo, Laguna. I was not born into wealth or connections. I did not have a mentor who showed me the roadmap to the world. I figured it out - one visa application, one budget flight, one border crossing at a time. For almost twelve years, I was a Digital Nomad.
"The Philippine passport is not a limitation. In the right hands, with the right strategy, it is a door that opens every country in the world."
That is the message I have been trying to share since I started Two Monkeys Travel more than a decade ago. And now Congress has co-signed it. Officially. On the record.
I want every Filipino reading this to understand: this recognition is not just mine. It belongs to every Pinoy who has ever been turned away at an embassy, every OFW who sacrificed years abroad to give their family a better life, every young Filipino who was told that their passport was too weak to dream big. We proved them wrong. Together.
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Maraming, Maraming Salamat
I want to thank Representative Maria Cristina C. Angeles of the Second District of Tarlac for introducing this resolution. Her office took the time to study this journey, to understand its significance beyond just the travel milestone, and to present it to Congress as something worthy of the Philippine record. I am deeply honored and humbled.
To the House of Representatives of the Philippines - thank you for seeing the work. Not just the 195-country stamp, but the years of advocacy, the community programs, the digital literacy missions, the thousands of Filipinos whose visa applications we helped, and the movement we are building toward a Philippines where every citizen has access to global opportunity.
To my community and the aspiring Remote Filipino Workers - my Two Monkeys Travel readers, my FilipinoPassport.com users, my TravelwithKach.com family, my newsletter subscribers - thank you for being with me on this journey from the very beginning. Every share, every comment, every "Ate Kach, I got my visa!" message - you are the reason this work continues.
And to every Filipino who has ever DM'd me at 2am from an airport, panicking about their documents - you are why I do this.
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The Work Continues
A recognition like this does not mean the journey is over. If anything, it adds more weight to what comes next.
#Mission1642 is only just beginning. We are bringing digital literacy and remote work education to all 1,642 cities and municipalities in the Philippines. We started with a pilot in Barangay Tama, Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental, in partnership with the local government agencies and local stakeholders. There is so much more to build.
FilipinoPassport.com is still here - still serving visa applicants, OFWs, and Filipino travelers who need practical, honest guidance on navigating the world with a Philippine passport.
And I am still here - still writing, still traveling, still coaching, still advocating. The world has 195 countries, and every Filipino deserves the chance to experience as many of them as they choose.
"This is not the end of the story. This is just the chapter that made Congress take notice. The next chapters are for all of us."
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With so much gratitude and love,
Kach
Katrina "Kach" Medina Umandap
Filipina Digital Nomad Who Visited 195 Countries
@kach.umandap | @2monkeystravel | travelwithkach.com
ABOUT THE RESOLUTION
House Resolution No. 859 was introduced by Representative Maria Cristina C. Angeles, 2nd District, Province of Tarlac, during the Twentieth Congress, First Regular Session of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It was e-filed and received on March 10, 2026. The resolution is formally entered into the official records of the House of Representatives. *
