David has worked in journalism in the UK, Asia and Europe. He began his career on a local weekly newspaper in Solihull, West Midlands, before moving to Hong Kong in 1989 to work for the South China Morning Post. It was during his time in Hong Kong that he first visited the Philippines, spending a few days on what was then an almost deserted White Beach in Puerto Galera - now home to dozens of resorts and regular full moon rages - before climbing Mount Halcon, an experience so exhausting it made him give up mountain climbing for life.

In 1996 David became the Post’s freelance Manila correspondent, also writing news and features for The Nation in Bangkok, the Guardian in the UK and the Daily Yomiuri in Japan.

After seven years in Manila, during which he wrote the first Rough Guide to the Philippines, David moved to Bern, Switzerland to run an energy news service for Ernst & Young. He is also working on the second edition of the Rough Guide to the Philippines. David is married with a young daughter. His interests include walking, skiing, photography, obscure American music and Liverpool Football Club. His favourite places in the Philippines are Batanes, Negros and northern Palawan, where he has built a house.