Wandering Emerald is a personal travel blog operated by Merald, based in the Republic of the Philippines. References to “I,” “me,” or “this site” in this policy mean Wandering Emerald and its operator.

If you have questions about this policy or how your data is handled, use the contact form.

• Newsletter subscription: your email address and, optionally, your name.
• Blog comments: your name, email address, and website URL (if provided). Your email address is not published.
• Contact form: your name, email address, and the content of your message.

• Analytics data: pages visited, time spent on the site, the website that referred you, your browser type, device type, and approximate location (country or region). This is collected via Google Analytics or a similar service.
• IP address: logged automatically by the server and may be retained for security purposes.

When you click an affiliate link on this site, the affiliate network may set a tracking cookie on your device. When advertising is active, ad networks may collect browsing data to serve relevant advertisements. See the Cookies section for more detail.

• To send the newsletter you subscribed to.
• To display and respond to your comments.
• To respond to messages sent via the contact form.
• To understand how visitors use the site and improve content (analytics).
• To serve advertisements when display advertising is active on the site.
• To comply with any applicable legal obligations.

I do not sell your personal data. I may share information with:

• Email service providers (such as MailerLite or Kit) to deliver the newsletter.
• Analytics providers (such as Google Analytics) to understand site traffic.
• Affiliate networks (such as Klook and others listed in the Disclosure) when you click affiliate links, which may set tracking cookies.
• Advertising networks (such as Mediavine, when implemented) which may collect and use browsing data to serve relevant ads.
• Authorities if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of this site or others.

This site uses cookies—small text files stored on your device. The types used include:

• Strictly necessary cookies: required for basic site functionality.
• Analytics cookies: used to understand site traffic (e.g. Google Analytics). These can be blocked via your browser settings or by opting out of Google Analytics.
• Affiliate tracking cookies: placed by affiliate networks when you click a link. These allow the network to attribute a purchase to this site.
• Advertising cookies: placed by ad networks when display advertising is active. You can opt out via the NAI opt-out tool, the DAA opt-out tool, or Google’s Ad Settings.

You can control or delete cookies via your browser settings. Note that blocking some cookies may affect how the site works.

This site links to external websites. I am not responsible for the content, security, or privacy practices of those sites. I encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit.

Depending on where you are located, you may have the following rights:

• All readers: unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time using the link in any email. Request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal data I hold about you.
• EU/EEA residents (GDPR): the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing of, and port your data. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.
• California residents (CCPA/CPRA): the right to know what personal information is collected, request deletion, and opt out of the sale of personal information (I do not sell personal data).
• Philippine residents (Republic Act No. 10173, Data Privacy Act of 2012): the right to be informed, to access, to correct, to erasure, to object, and to data portability.

To exercise any of these rights, please use the contact form. I will respond within a reasonable time.

• Newsletter subscribers: retained until you unsubscribe, and for a reasonable period thereafter for record-keeping.
• Comments: retained as long as the related post is published. Deleted upon request.
• Contact form messages: retained as long as needed to respond, then deleted.
• Analytics data: retained as configured in the analytics platform (typically 14–26 months for Google Analytics).

This site is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age of digital consent in your country). I do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has submitted personal information to this site, please contact me and I will delete it promptly.

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time. The effective date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.