Travel and Tourism Industry [Archive] - Page 13

red_jasper

March 14th, 2008, 02:20 PM

Powering up Philippine travel

By Katrina A. Holigores
Philippine Daily Inquirer (http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/you/super/view/20080314-124738/Powering-up-Philippine-travel)

Last updated 17:59:00 03/14/2008

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WILKOMMEN Philippines! The Philippine booth at the ITB-Berlin

MANILA, Philippines—There are Filipinos everywhere. Literally. And since we’re invading almost every shore on the planet, it would only make sense to invite others to our shores right? Enter the world renowned InternationaleTourismus Borse in Berlin, better known as the ITB-Berlin. I have never been to any sort of travel fair and I was duly assured that this was probably the biggest travel fair in the world which goes on for around four days each year. After a delayed flight from Amsterdam I, along with other members of the press and the Department of Tourism (DOT) found ourselves at the grounds of the sprawling ICC Berlin. The Philippine Booth located was right at the entrance of exhibit hall 29. Just to give you an idea of the magnitude of the ITB-Berlin, there were 29 exhibit halls, each “hall” was the size of a warehouse. No wonder this event had to last four days! Booths tried their best to entice people to come in and check out either the country, resort, airline (you name it) that was being featured. In the Philippine Booth there was a large screen that looped in videos of the country, with a running commentary in German, although everyone around could also speak English. The Philippines’ private sector was represented as well I saw about 6 or 7 resorts and hotels, an airline and several travel agencies. They all had assigned spokespeople who worked really hard talking from morning ‘til night with potential clients about their wares. The theme in general was Adventure Philippines, the brainchild of DOT Secretary Ace Durano. Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque who attended the ITB told me that many foreigners are looking for something different, something more adventurous. In my opinion our so-called “disadvantages” like not too many high end resorts and sometimes rather improvised ways of transport in more remote parts of the Philippines are sometimes what international guests look for when they want to get away from it all. Getting around could be an adventure in itself or vacationing in a more rustic style can also be viewed as something “different” for jetset travelers. This is not to say that we do not have our fair share of world class resorts and hotels but there are also those who hunger for something daring and new that they can’t get anywhere else.

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LOOK at their hats and hands!

More Interest Every Year

Verna Buensuceso, DOT’s Team Europe Coordinator, explained that every year, the Philippines’ booth gets bigger and bigger, marking due to the in the private sectors wanting to take part in the fair.The DOT then provides them a venue in which they can showcase their particular ‘product’ to an international variety of people and companies. I had some time totake a stroll and I saw that creativity was high in the air since almost every booth had their own gimmicks or design to catch people’s attention. On our end,our booth was complimented by several musical numbers provided by the Bayanihan National Dance Company. Each number was met with applause as the crown slowly increased in size.AFter lunch or "merienda" time, passersby were treated to sample our “dirty” ice cream from an authentic "sorbetes" cart. I overheard some of the sales pitches going around and what was common was; “The Philippines is a prime destination because we have the sun, beaches, diving, mountains and great shopping” I’m sure it was also easy to wax poetic about the great bargains to be found in places like Greenhills, Divisoria and our ukay ukay stores. Hey, digging up hidden style treasures could definitely be described as an adventure. In spite of the chilly temperatures outside this didn’t deter the massive numbers that filled the halls inside. Because of the imagination and creativity that was put into the displays this travel fair seemed to transform curiosity into a makeshift museum. After closing time we were brought to dinner at a gorgeous restaurant in West Berlin called Duke (named after jazz legend Duke Ellington) by the Philippine Embassy in Berlin. The next day we would be off to London to witness another effort by the DOT via the London International Dive Show. Some of the more OCs in our group already adjusted their watches an hour ahead.

Dive Philippines

First things first, I was elated to see our Wow Philippines London style taxi. If you want strong branding in a foreign country nothing says it more attnetion getting than a moving vehicle. Tourism Attaché Domingo Enerio joked that the phrase was so well remembered that sometimes they got letters or invoices that started with “Dear Wow Philippines”. The International Dive Show was held right outside of central London at the ExCel Exhibition Center, and was where all the top scuba diving gear suppliers (and everything related to it) were in attendance. This time the DOT’s thrust was in pushing the Philippines as a perfect location for underwater diversity. “Dive Philippines is an easy ’sell’” intimated Verna, “because there are a lot of dedicated divers who have been to the Philippines and have had such a great experience that word just spreads around.” Indeed there was a nonstop stream of people coming over from either the dive travel and trade industry or diving enthusiasts. It was also wonderful to see other booths that showcased the Philippines as dive destination; one of the top diving groups in the UK has brought in about 1000 members to dive in our waters every year, and the number is growing.

What is a Philippine type event without some food and fun times? Delicious typical Filipino fare like pansit was served to guests as well as San Miguel Beer during the evening. And wow, Philippines was definitely heard all around as crowds closed in on the buffet and the makeshift bar. Some even asked if there was “Tanduay” (obviously they’ve had their fair share of local alcohol) and many said that aside from great diving they certainly enjoyed the partying that happened at the end of each dive in the selected resort. “Still not safe to drink and dive “(corny) cracked another guest. One of the members of a tour group in the Philippines joyously told me she had closed so many accounts that she couldn’t wait to start all over again the next day.

All in all, it was a great first experience seeing how strongly the country was being promoted in two of the biggest worldwide travel events. The DOT group was moving on to Scandinavia ( with reported temperatures of Arctic proportions) after London. No doubt they will warm that region up as well.

Animo

March 14th, 2008, 07:54 PM

^^ How true is it that migratory birds should be avoided because they may be carrying pathogens that are lethal to humans?

I think if your not vaccinated then you'll surely get some contamination/infection from a virus but I do not think it's deadly to most people.

How about those filipinos badmouthing Filipinos? Should we also send them to timbuktu?

No! Please, they are also Filipinos. Send them to the Spratly Islands instead. :lol:

Animo

March 14th, 2008, 07:56 PM

Davao City (13 March) -- A solon urges the government to support the medical tourism potential of the country to reap its economic benefits.

Congressman Ruffy Biazon, the proponent of House Bill 49, is pushing for the creation of a Medical Tourism Bureau within the Department of Health (DOT) to formulate policies relative to the development of the industry, implement plans and programs, coordinate and supervise all activities of the government concerning health and wellness or medical tourism.

The legislative measure designates DOT to facilitate the simplification of procedures and regulations for the availment of medical services by foreign tourists, returning OFWs and other Filipinos from abroad. More importantly, it shall formulate standards for health and wellness-oriented establishments to ensure that facilities, personnel and services are maintained in accordance with local and international norms in operations of tourism-oriented establishments.

Biazon's proposal aims to address the confusion in the functions of eleven government agencies that comprised the Philippine Medical Tourism Program created by EO 372 by different agencies pertinent to the PMTP in one office.

Cognizant of the role that DOT has played in the promotion of the medical tourism industry prior to the organization of the PMTP, Biazon believes that the department's marketing and promotional efforts have slowly but steadily reaped gains for the country.

On April 4-6, 2008, Congressman Biazon will join the DOT and a number of delegates from Philippine hospitals in attending the 3rd World Health Tourism Congress (WHTC) in Costa del Sol, Spain. WHTC is an international platform for healthcare providers to create business opportunities with the biggest healthcare buyers around the world. It is the only event in the world targeting corporate buyers of healthcare who are looking for medical institutions overseas where they can send their patients.

Aside from the business opportunity that the conference offers for the country, the Philippine delegation that includes Cong. Biazon will be attending in preparation for the country's hosting of the 2009 World Health Tourism Congress.

"We hope to do our homework first before we can really put out the Open for Business sign for medical tourism. Exposure to the global market and trends will equip us with the proper knowledge to help our medical tourism industry. This industry after all is a serious business that entails investment in infrastructure and training of our medical practitioners, Biazon said."

"As a legislator, I would like to know how else I can assist the strengthening of the industry because the advancement in the medical tourism industry has three important implications; the acceleration of socio-economic development, foreign exchange income and a stop to the exodus of our medical professionals, Biazon added." (Office of Congressman Biazon/PIA (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p080313.htm&no=01))

kevinb

March 15th, 2008, 11:21 AM

^^ How true is it that migratory birds should be avoided because they may be carrying pathogens that are lethal to humans?

I'm not sure about this thing but IMO it could be possible. These birds go from places to places which could be breeding grounds of different diseases or disease-carrying viruses (or viri, I don't know which one to follow) that could be detrimental to humans and animals as well.

barukdok

March 15th, 2008, 01:29 PM

^^ How true is it that migratory birds should be avoided because they may be carrying pathogens that are lethal to humans?

there's no danger as long as you don't touch them, especially dead ones. bird watching is harmless. there's a jackie chan commercial on this.

kiretoce

March 17th, 2008, 06:07 PM

Filipinos going for ride in the country (http://business.inquirer.net/money/features/view/20080316-125099/Filipinos-going-for-ride-in-the-country)

A new trend is emerging in the local travel industry—Filipinos are becoming less and less “a foreigner in their own land.”

According to the Philippine Travel Agencies Association, an uptrend in domestic tourism is apparent both in the business and leisure segments.

PTAA vice president John Paul M. Cabalza, who is in charge of matters related to inbound business, says the growth is “significant” and driven primarily by the increasing availability of budget fares, particularly in airline services.

Cabalza also points to the widening array of choices in accommodation in an equally increasing range of destinations.

While PTAA does not represent the entirety of Philippine tourism industry—there are other groups within and outside the country—the growth in traffic could not be questioned.

“We see this in terms of the number of people going to conventions that are being held in the regions and also in terms of families, group of friends and individuals traveling for fun,” Cabalza explains.

Cabalza, who is also managing director of Cencorp Travel & Tours, says adding to the growth in domestic travel is the tendency of groups of professionals to go to to the provinces for their conventions and high-profile gatherings, rather than venture overseas.

An example are doctors, who want to be accessible to patients in case of emergencies but also want to be far enough to get that much-needed break.

The latest data from the Department of Tourism show that regional destinations are giving Metro Manila—the traditional mecca for foreign and even domestic guests—a run for its visitor money.

From January to September 2007, Southern Tagalog, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and northern Mindanao each got a greater share of the total number of tourists.

While Metro Manila racked up 7.9 percent of some 10.7 million foreign and local travelers counted in that period, the four regions got 17.6 percent, 9.2 percent, 13.7 percent and 10.1 percent, respectively.

Of some 849,000 visitors that went to the national capital, foreigners outnumbered domestic visitors two to one.

At the same time, 1.6 million of the 1.89 million visitors in Southern Tagalog were Filipinos. A million of these local guests went to Laguna, while the next most sought-after experiences were those in Batangas and Palawan.

In Western Visayas, most of some 980,000 visitors there went to Iloilo, Aklan and Guimaras. In Central Visayas, many of the travelers spread out in Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental.

In Northern Mindanao, most of the 1.1 million visitors went to Camiguin, Cagayan de Oro City and Misamis Oriental.

Still, two other regions—Bicol and Cordillera—are threatening to overtake Metro Manila in terms of drawing tourists.

Bicol accounted for some 696,000 or 6.5 percent of all tourists in the period, most of which visited Camarines Sur, Masbate and Legaspi City, Albay.

The Cordilleras, with its rice terraces and mountain hideaways, had some 859,000 or 7.8 percent of total visitors. Most of them went to Baguio City, Benguet and Ifugao.

While the destinations mentioned are more or less traditional in the sense that they are expectedly tourist drawers, the Department of Tourism as well as the private sector are taking steps to promote less-visited destinations all over the country.

This was observed during the 15th TravelTour Expo held SMX Convention Center last February.

Themed “Beyond Borders,” the expo was aimed at promoting activities and destinations that are more than the usual fares among tourists.

For its part, the DOT partnered with domestic airlines and hotel operators in the cities of Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Zamboanga, and Davao as well as in the provinces of Misamis Oriental and Sarangani to call more attention to these provinces.

GearX

March 19th, 2008, 02:56 AM

Whitewater rafting 101 (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=112500)
By ROY MEDINA
abs-cbnNEWS.com

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HIGH FIVE. Rafters in the Beginners' Course are usually told to raise their paddles for "high five" after every rapid. Photo from RAP Website

The souvenir T-shirt at the restaurant at the end of the whitewater rafting adventure says it all – “Think radical, play radical.”

But to think of it, paddling your way down the Cagayan de Oro River on a rubber raft ordinarily used by experts and rescue workers is not merely radical; it simply blows your day away.

Whitewater rafting, one of Cagayan de Oro’s showcases, has become a popular tourist attraction not only for the city but for Northern Mindanao as well. It has also developed into a sporting adventure for extreme sports enthusiasts and is recognized by both local and international organizations.

Whitewater rafting, as the term suggests, involves paddling down river rapids on a rubber raft normally used by military or police commandos. These are the special type of rafts that self-bail water to prevent them from being capsized by the turbulence.

According to Cagayan de Oro’s Rafting Adventure Philippines (RAP), “Whitewater rafting is usually done on whitewater or different stages of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers.”

It said that since the 1970s following its inclusion as an event in the Munich Olympics, the activity that started as a leisure sport has become massive and popular that people now use it for family outings, adventure rides and even for team-building events for corporations.

River rapids

RAP describes river rapids as “turbulent areas” formed by three factors: constriction, gradient and obstruction.

Constriction is basically the twists and turns in a river system as it goes down to the sea. Gradient is the rate of inclination or ascent/descent while obstructions are elements that form to act as barriers under the surface to produce the swirl as the water follows gravity.

“Each of these events causes rapids and the resulting turbulence churns the water, resulting in ‘white water.’ The goal of whitewater rafting is to surf these rapids without being flipped or dragged under,” RAP said.

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ADVANCED. The water, RAP said, is usually clear during the dry season. Photo from RAP Website

International accreditation

The Philippines is one of the many members of the International Rafting Federation (IRF), the world body that sanctions whitewater rafting adventures and river guide classifications.

The Philippines has two whitewater rafting sites to be proud of. Aside from Cagayan de Oro, another whitewater rafting adventure river is in Kalinga province in Luzon.

But whenever in Cagayan de Oro, a trip would not be complete without trying the two-hour, kilometers-long journey down the river.

RAP started Cagayan de Oro’s whitewater rafting adventure back in 1995. The group was formerly known as the Cagayan de Oro Whitewater Rafting Adventure, organized with the goal of introducing whitewater rafting sport in the Philippines. It is considered as the country’s pioneering organization.

Aside from being accredited with the Department of Tourism, RAP is also certified with the IRF and the Philippine National Red Cross.

Travel advisories

Cagayan de Oro and RAP almost made it to the list of rafting’s international list for the world championship race in October 2007. Travel advisories issued by foreign embassies, however, prompted organizers to postpone the event, said Marc Alo, one of RAP’s IRF-certified river guides.

Despite the cancellation, Alo and fellow RAP guides continue to join local and international adventure races. Some of the crew, in fact, were part of recent adventure races staged in Southeast Asia.

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NEAR-TILT. One of the highlights of the whitewater experience is the near-tilting of the rubber raft. Photo from RAP Website

Stages

Cagayan de Oro River has three sections for rafters: Beginners, Advanced and Expert.

RAP describes the Beginners’ course as ideal for novices, families and first-timers. Those with some experience can try and “whet the appetite” in the Advanced course.

Thrill-seekers, on the other hand, should try the Expert course.

The Beginners’ course generally covers Classes 1 and 2. Class 1 rivers have “very small rough areas and needs no maneuvering (Skill Level: None). Class 2, meanwhile, has some rough water for novices, small waves and small drops (Skill Level: Basic Paddling).

Class 3 or Intermediate, on the other hand, has whitewater, moderately difficult rapids, small waves, maybe a small drop, but no considerable danger. RAP said it “may require significant maneuvering.(Skill Level: Experienced Paddling).

Classes 4-5 have whitewater, medium to large waves, rocks, drops, hazards sharp maneuvers (Skills Level: Whitewater to Advanced Whitewater Experience).

Class 6 rivers, meanwhile, are considered to be “so dangerous as to be effectively unnavigable on a reliably safe basis.” (Skill Level: Successful completion of a Class 6 rapid without serious injury or death is widely considered to be a matter of luck).

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NO VALUABLES. To prevent valuables from getting soaked, RAP has dry bags for storage. The water-tight bags are stowed in the rafts. Photo from RAP Website

When's the best time to go?

According to RAP, seasonal changes vary the river’s rafting conditions. The dry season from January to June makes the trip hot because of the low but clear water, thus making it more technical and fun.

Rainy season trips from July to December, meanwhile, are characterized by cloudy skies with afternoon showers that result in higher water levels. “At higher water, the rapids are more challenging,” RAP said.

RAP owner and pioneer Rupert Domingo said that usually, they hold river races in October.

“As of now, we don’t have races but we usually hold them in October when the water level’s normal, not too low, not too high,” he said.

Safety equipment

And because of the varying conditions of the rapids, RAP does not allow rafting participants to go on trips without the required safety equipment.

Each rafting participant is required to wear an open-faced helmet, similar to those used by cave explorers, and a life vest.

Long-sleeved clothing, swimming attire, rubber sandals or sneakers are recommended. RAP said participants should stay away from cotton.

“Hats, caps, sunblocks are good for sunny days. You can bring your personal dry bags as well,” it added.

Valuables, like cellular phones and digital cameras without underwater casings are put inside watertight dry bags that are stored on the rubber rafts.

RAP says swimming skills are not required for whitewater rafting since participants have flotation devices.

River guides like Alo also have a “throw bag” that has 50 meters of coiled mesh rope, which a rafter may hold on to in case he gets thrown from the raft.

Also, participants are briefed by river guides before the journey downriver and involves discussing safety precautions such as what to do in case the raft capsizes, or in case the rafter separates from the pack, negotiating the rapids without a raft and swimming to the river bank.

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EXPERIENCE. A group of journalists got to experience what it's like to go whitewater rafting during a seminar in Cagayan de Oro recently. RT/PECOJON

Arroyo's rafting

Locals say whitewater rafting in Cagayan de Oro was already in place in the river circuit in the 1990s. What made the river more famous, following the regular RAP trips that started in 1995, was the visit of no less than President Gloria Arroyo in 2002.

Aside from the President, many foreign tourists who visit Cagayan de Oro brave the rapids for a once in a lifetime chance of paddling their way downriver.

“There are Koreans, Americans and Europeans,” said Domingo, when asked for the breakdown of foreigners who have paddled their way down the Cagayan de Oro.

Filipino tourists, however, still make up the majority of the rafters, he added.

As for the President, Alo said she was game for the adventure, even paddling on her own (of course, with her usual squad of guards from the Presidential Security Group beside her). She made it nearly half-way down the 12.3-km Beginners’ course before paddling to the bank where a helicopter was awaiting.

“I had a great time; it’s pleasant and exciting to visit Mindanao…I want to show the whole world that Mindanao and other areas of the Philippines are peaceful and beautiful,” RAP quotes the President as saying.

But while the President missed her chance of encountering the other rapids in the course, she set the tone for adventure tourism as the number of visitors spiked after that.

RAP says the river has 23 rapids, ranging from Classes 1 to 6. During the dry season, clear water flows from the mountains of Bukidnon, but during rainy days, the water mixes with the soil and stone formations, creating a green-brown appearance.

How to get there

For ordinary mortals with no means of helicopter transport like the President, there are daily airplane trips from Luzon and the Visayas. There are also voyages by sea and buses from all points of Mindanao.

The starting line for the Beginners’ course is an hour’s ride away from the city proper and around 15 minutes or so from Lumbia Airport, Cagayan de Oro.

Packages are usually arranged through travel agencies or local referrals. The RAP Web site may also come in handy on instructions on how to go out and about.

Aside from the usual safety precautions, rafters may be advised to eat before the journey downriver because forward- and back-paddling can really use up all the stored energy.

Depending on the length of the trip, guides usually call for a break halfway for snacks.

Overall, a regular trip may eat up two-three hours, including the briefing

Weina

March 20th, 2008, 06:45 AM

Tourists up by 11% in Feb; Koreans no. 1 - DOT
03/20/2008 | 11:55 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Foreign visitor arrivals in February 2008 jumped 11.7 percent to 276,809 visitors, the latest report from the Department of Tourism said.

“The Korean market still contributed the biggest arrivals in February 2008 by supplying 56,832 visitors with a share of 20.5 to total visitor traffic and registering a growth of 14.6 percent...," the DOT said.

Following the Koreans, Americans and Japanese, respectively, were the largest visitor groups in the Philippines for the first two months of the year.

Other top visitors of the Philippines were the Chinese, Hong Kong nationals, Australians,
Singaporeans, Canadians and the British.

“On the other hand, countries from Scandinavia reflected double-digit growth rates namely: Finland with 47.4-percent growth (339 arrivals), Sweden with 37.7-percent growth (1,805 arrivals) and Norway with 36.5-percent growth (1,426 arrivals). Denmark with 1,478 arrivals recorded a growth of 1.4 percent," the DOT added.

Two cruise ships arrived in February, with one ship disembarking in Manila South Harbor with a total of 1,628 visitors while the remaining cruise disembarked in Cebu with visitors totaling 302.

Last year the Philippines was able to attract 3.1 million in foreign visitors.

This year, the DOT is targeting to increase the number of tourists by 8 percent to 10 percent and to improve tourism receipts to $5.8 billion from last year’s $4.8 billion. - Cheryl Arcibal, GMANews

Weina

March 20th, 2008, 06:48 AM

RP lags behind in tourism investment appeal survey
03/05/2008 | 09:32 AM

MANILA, Philippines- The Philippines remains an unattractive destination for tourism investments, ranking 81st out of 130 countries in the 2008 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report by the World Economic Forum.

The rankings measured the factors that make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism industry of individual countries.

In the 2007 Travel and Tourism report, the Philippines ranked 86th out of 124 countries polled.

"Our study is not a 'beauty contest' on the attractiveness of a country... The top-ranked countries demonstrate the importance of supportive business and regulatory frameworks, coupled with world-class transport and tourism infrastructure and a focus on nurturing human and natural resources," said Jennifer Blanke, senior economist of the WEF"s Global Competitiveness Network

Topping the 2008 list were Switzerland, Austria and Germany. Also included in the Top 10 were Australia, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Sweden, Canada and France.

The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index is composed of 14 pillars of travel and tourism competitiveness, under three major categories.

These pillars were: policy rules and regulations, environmental sustainability, safety and security, health and hygiene, prioritization of travel and tourism, air transport infrastructure, ground transport infrastructure, tourism infrastructure, informations and communication technology infrastructure, price competitiveness, human capital, affinity for travel and tourism, natural resources and cultural resources.

The Philippines ranked 83rd in the Travel & Tourism framework; 84th in Travel & Tourism Business Environment and Infrastructure framework; and 78th in the Travel & Tourism Human, Cultural, and Natural Resources.

Other East Asian countries fared better than the Philippines' rank with Hong Kong, 14th; Singapore, 16th; Japan, 23rd; Korea, 31st; Malaysia, 32nd; Thailand, 42nd; Taiwan, 52nd and China, 62nd.

Besides the Philippines, other East Asian countries in the bottom half of the rankings were Indonesia, 80th; and Vietnam, 96th. - Cheryl Arcibal, GMANews

jhunix

March 20th, 2008, 11:32 PM

(Longest Zip Line in Camp Sabros, Kapatagan, Davao del Sur)

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http://jojiealcantara.multiply.com

Images of KAPATAGAN, DAVAO DEL SUR

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www.flickr.com/photos/mkryanortega

Nabartek

March 21st, 2008, 01:44 AM

Why doesn't the DOT try to tap SEA tourits? We're too concentrated on attracting Koreans. Our DOT is so myopic.

Nabartek

March 21st, 2008, 01:49 AM

And unless otherwise they are really interested in coming to the Philippines, it won't matter if they have stopovers in other tropical countries. And speaking of tropical countries, those much famous tropical countries are going to be hindrances for Scandinavians to fly directly to the Philippines after stopping there, thinking that they are already in a country with the warmth of the sun. I just hope the tourism strategies of DoT and PTA would come to a positive fruition.

What's the sense of these foreigners to give unnecessary feedback towards us when, in the first place, they don't participate in molding us? It's like you being dissapointed of a particular product when you didn't even help in the making of the product. Makes sense?

I think that tourist deserves a benefit of the dount. Maybe she got pissed off with some people in the BI that's why she made a hasty generalization. I've been to the BI and they can be the most inconvenient people.

I remember when my mom was claiming her US passport, imbes na sabihin sa amin na hindi makakapunta yung abogado, pinaikot ikot kami na nasabahay pa, darating. Ilang oras kaming naghintay, at the end of the day sinabing may sakit at di makakapunta yung abogado.

We've only heard the side of the BI which can be 'modified' to make them look like the victims.

At saka, maraming tamad na empleyado ang BI(well, in many government offices...mas tamad pa sila sa mga managers ng companies at laborers)

amras

March 21st, 2008, 04:34 AM

that is so true... I already have an encounter with a bitchy immigration officer at T2. nagkipag-away pa nga ako.

Nabartek

March 21st, 2008, 08:08 PM

^Baka yung na-encounter mo eh yung na-encounter niya rin? Siguro kung foreigner ka, banned ka na rin?

red_jasper

March 22nd, 2008, 04:00 AM

Filipino Good Friday Practices Invite Foreign And Local Tourists And Devotees Alike (http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7010405999)

March 21, 2008 9:21 p.m. EST

Manila, Philippines (AHN) - Even if frowned upon by the Roman Catholic institution, several Filipino devotees celebrate the Holy Week by being nailed to the cross, flagellating, and carrying crosses on their backs.

Good Friday is marked as one of the most significant days of Filipinos' celebration of the Holy Week, as various activities ensue for devotees from different walks of life. While other Filipinos are content with fasting and abstaining, there are others who are willing to take their devotion to another level for various wishes and intentions, such as carrying crosses and being nailed to it in hopes of getting a cure for relatives' ailments.

Processions of the Black Nazarene and the black-veiled Virgin Mary can also be seen on rural roads in the afternoon of Good Friday, followed by priests, sacristans and people, reminiscent of Jesus Christ's march to Calvary. Hours earlier, flagellants with covered faces and bleeding backs parade on the same roads. Several volunteers prepare tables of water for the flagellants to pour on their backs or for them to drink while under the hot sun. According to them, after each ritual finished, they feel as if their sins have been washed and they can start anew.

For the entire holy week, there are more who are content with fasting, abstaining and taking part in singing the entire passion of Christ for several days straight, also called the pasyon. For more youth-oriented individuals who partake in the celebrations, they apply more familiar and modern tunes to the reading of the Bible verses in place of the traditional hymns. Rhythm and blues, movie soundtracks and acoustic melodies can be heard from various houses reading Christ's crucifixion while passing the streets of residential neighborhoods.

The Roman Catholic Church is aware of these practices made by the Filipinos. While corporal punishment-like practices are discouraged and remarked as extreme and unnecessary, both foreign and local tourists flock to observe these practices.

Every year, the holy week celebration is concluded at 4 in the morning of Easter Sunday with the salubong, the meeting of the images of the veiled Virgin Mary and the resurrected Christ on float-like stages being pulled by men, marking a new celebration for the people reminiscent of the end of Christ's suffering and the absolution of the all people's sins.

bariQ

March 22nd, 2008, 04:06 AM

amigo32

March 22nd, 2008, 04:15 AM

napanood ko yan sa sports unlimited. ang ganda nga, gusto kong puntahan.

Fundador

March 23rd, 2008, 02:49 AM

Bright future seen for Caraga in adventure tourism industry
spacer

By MIKE U. CRISMUNDO

BUTUAN CITY – Northeastern Mindanao (Caraga region) is becoming the center of "adventure tourism" in the southern island as more tourism spots are being discovered.

Letty Tan, regional director of the Department of Tourism (DoT) said that local government units are closely coordinating with the tourism department for developing their respective areas as potential tourist spots.

Surigao del Norte congressmen, Reps. Francisco T. Matugas and Jun Romarate, and Surigao del Sur solons Philip Pichay and Francisco Garay, Agusan del Sur’s Rep. Rodolfo Plaza, and Agusan del Norte congressmen Edilmero Amante and Jose Aquino, are also closely coordinating with tourism officials for funding of identified tourism spots in their respective political jurisdictions, along with the local government unit executives, she said.

Just recently, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, also concurrent Cabinet Officer for Regional Development (CORD) in Northeastern Mindanao, discovered several tourism destinations in the Caraga region.

He even slashed from the department fund a P2.5-million for Agusan river development projects and another P1.6-million road development and basic facilities around "Magpupungko" lagoon in Pilar, Surigao del Norte.

"Caraga Region has a strong potential and a bright future in tourism industry", said Secretary Durano during his visit in Caraga region.

With the issue of the mining industry that is taking place in the region at present, Durano is still optimistic that with the tourist destinations that are already discovered and still to be discovered in the region, the tourism industry is still one of the factors to be considered in uplifting the economic status of Caraga.

He even encouraged local officials in Surigao del Norte to join hands in exploring the world-famous Siargao Island where international surfing and fishing is located.

He said that Caraga by nature, has a lot to offer in the tourism industry. There are still a number of tourist destinations that our region can be proud of. This is the reason why DoT, in collaboration with the local government units, are developing these tourist sites to gain additional income", Secretary Durano said.

When asked if there are plans for the national government to put up or develop first-class resorts and hotels within the area of the tourist sites in the region, Sec. Durano said that in Caraga, adventure tourism is being promoted.

With this kind of tourism, foreign and local tourists will not look for five-star hotels and resorts or concrete roads. "They love to stay in a nipa hut, as much as they love adventure, as long as there is a toilet and a bathroom for them to use", he added.

Moreover, Durano informed the local media that adventure tourism is set to be launched next month in Germany where Caraga region is included as one of the places to be featured in the package.

"We already did our part and did more, hoping that the national government will continuously support us," said Rep. Matugas. www.mb.com.ph

filcan

March 24th, 2008, 04:23 PM

MANILA:Philippine tourism sector breeds new jobs
http://www.topix.net/world/philippines/2008/03/manila-philippine-tourism-sector-breeds-new-jobs
Posted by Jane Abao 2 hrs ago

New opportunities and jobs are surfacing in the wake of wide-ranging expansion moves in the tourism sector.

"The country's brisk tourism business is not only creating thousands of jobs but also spawning a new breed of professionals and developing a culture of product and service excellence," said Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

"Among the newly-hired are those specialising in hotel and resort operations, retail, logistics and distribution," he said. "More jobs are being created and filled up as the industry expands and the Department of Tourism develops new and attractive tourism products for the various segments of the global market."

The tourism chief was referring to the affluent scuba divers in Europe, golfers in Korea, gateball players in Japan, ecotourists and nature lovers from around the world and, lately, bird watchers from the United Kingdom.

Durano said the rising heat in the tourism job market was observed during the job fair in Cebu when 17 applicants were hired on the spot.

Further, the official said the continued promotion of highly-specialised tourism products and markets also improve the demographics of the tourism labour force.

"It creates similarly highly-specialised and highly-skilled jobs in such fields," Durano explained. "Bird watching, for example, will require biologists who can identify and provide authoritative information on rare bird species that are native to the Philippines."

Similarly, various groups of environmentalists are organising tours for nature buffs while conducting community-based campaigns on how to protect and preserve the ecosystem.

"This new breed of tourism professionals will include marine experts, botanists, wildlife advocates, ecologists, anthropologists, linguists, doctors and dentists in medical and dental tourism, physical fitness consultants and trainers in sports tourism, and wellness gurus," Durano said.

Other jobs that are moving up in the value chain are those for teachers in ESL (English as a Second Language) and education tourism, researchers and agronomists in agri-tourism and many others with world-class skills in various highly-specialized fields, Durano added.

Weina

March 27th, 2008, 08:50 AM

Travel group helps DFA process passport applications
03/27/2008 | 01:19 PM

MANILA, Philippines - An association of local travel agencies has agreed to assist the Department of Foreign Affairs to ease the time-consuming and tedious processing of passport applications.

The six-month memorandum of agreement (MOA) singed last Tuesday by the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) and the DFA is expected to improve passport processing services.

PTAA president Jose Clemente III said the agreement will take effect immediately after the signing.

“Service is our business. The MOA is expected to ease the bottleneck in passport applications with the DFA in addition to the fact that we will be having our own area to process passport applications that are coursed through our members. We are thankful to the DFA for allowing us to enter into this partnership with them," Clemente said.

He said that the association is the first private group to enter into such an arrangement with the DFA.

Foreign affairs assistant secretary Domingo Lucenario Jr. said the agreement could streamline passport applications done through travel agencies.

“There is a 10-day passport processing time for travel agencies. Our target is to make it seven days," Lucenario said.

Under the MOA, the DFA will provide space for a special section where the PTAA can handle passport applications coming from its member companies.

For its part, the PTAA will place a three-man team composed of a liaison officer and two encoders who will all be trained by the DFA on their respective responsibilities, functions, and tasks.

The DFA will course all updates and information on changes in the passport processing system through PTAA teams.

To assure that only passport applications from member companies are processed through the special lane, the PTAA will provide the DFA with specimen signatures of their representatives.

“The PTAA will still be evaluating the situation. If we see that a three-man team cannot cope with the demands then we will request the DFA for us to place additional manpower," Clemente said.

Lucenario has advised the PTAA to help eliminating identity theft.

“Identity theft had happened before in travel agencies. We want them to take some form of responsibility on this. This partnership also has to address such irregularity," he said.

According to Lucenario, the DFA has been addressing passport tampering and integrity concerns especially after the release of the new machine readable passports. He expects all passports to be machine readable by April 2010.

Since 2006, average daily passport applications coursed through travel agencies range between 1, 200 to1, 800.

Established in 1979, the PTAA claims to have over 500 affiliate travel and tourism groups nationwide. The association is also a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Tourism Association, Federation of Asean Travel Agencies, and the United Federation of Travel Agents Association. - GMANews

3cr

April 2nd, 2008, 12:50 AM

Tourism eyes investment from world’s richest people
By Katrina Mennen A. Valdez
The Manila Times

Two of the world’s richest people have shown keen interest in investing in the Philippine tourism industry.

One of the prospected investors is China’s hotel and property giant Shimao Group owned by Xu Rongmao, the second richest man in China who was reported to be interested in putting up a world-class hotel facility here that will include residential and commercial complex.

Another group the government courts is a company owned by the richest man in the Middle East and the eight richest in the world. The group is led by Al-Waleed Bin Talal, who bought the Four Seasons hotel together with Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and operates 31 high-end hotels in 31 countries.

This development is part of the government’s grand ambition to attract one business trophy equivalent to $1-billion worth of a single investment this year to be followed by two next year and two more in 2009. The President’s economic team made the commitment during a Business Forum held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City this week.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, Samie Lim, said earlier the Shimao Group is interested in building one 5-star hotel in Metro Manila and is looking into an area in the Central Visayas, particularly Bohol, for a possible resort project.

Su Rongma came to the Philippines as a member of the Chinese Business Team that visited the country two weeks ago. Lim said he has talked to Shimao Group chairman Hui Wing Mau who confirmed the company’s plan to invest in the Philippines.

But Trade and Industry Secretary Peter B. Favila declined to confirm if the two groups are among the major investors that the government is eyeing for its “trophy business.”

Favila merely said the national government is now courting trophy investments that can infuse a minimum of $1 billion to sustain the country’s economic growth.

3cr

April 2nd, 2008, 12:50 AM

Plans for biggest RP tourism dev’t project bared today
Manila Bulletin
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN20080402120806.html

Four concepts for the Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Manila Bay Integrated City – the Philippines’ biggest tourism development project ever – will be unveiled during the Gaming and Investment Conference for the 2008 Asia’s Gaming and Entertainment plus Leisure Expo (Asia’s GEM) today, Wednesday, April 2.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), through Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Efraim C. Genuino, will announce details of the approved concepts for the project in the conference at the Hyatt Hotel and Casino in Malate, Manila.

When completed, the $ 15-billion project is expected to boost tourist arrivals in the country by over a million to three million annually, generate over 250,000 new jobs, and dramatically increase government earnings.

A big local firm and conglomerates from Australia, Japan, and Malaysia submitted the approved concepts for the Bagong Nayong Pilipino, which also formally breaks ground during Asia’s Gem 2008.

All concepts for the project underscore the Philippines as a major tourist destination and an ideal site for "integrated resort" developments – that is, an entertainment and leisure complex that features a complete range of world-class amenities for people of all ages.

The proponents see the Bagong Nayong Pilipino having six-star hotels, gaming facilities, malls, museums, cultural centers, sports arenas, residential villages, and theme parks, with slight variations in each of the four proposals.

One proponent sees the Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Manila Bay Integrated City, which will initially be built in 90 hectares of prime reclaimed land, as a "live, work, and play" complex 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The concept includes hotels and a popular theme park.

Another sees a resort with symbolic landmarks and amenities that represent "the very best of their type in Asia," including one of the largest Ferris wheels in the world.

Another foreign proponent sees the Bagong Nayong Pilipino built around three hotels facing Manila Bay, positioned to create "an unmistakable skyline address" for its resort complex.

A fourth sees the project having an "iconic structure" while seamlessly integrating with the existing amenities in the area.

Pagcor Chairman Genuino, who sees the project as the state-run firm’s ultimate legacy and contribution to the recovery of the country’s economy, said that the Bagong Nayong Pilipino will, "without cost to the government, create endless opportunities for local businessmen and generate jobs for our people."

Besides billions of dollars worth of revenues for the government in terms of direct foreign investments, lease payments, taxes, and tourism receipts, the Manila Bay Integrated City is expected to induce growth in locally based industries such as construction, information technology, food and beverage, hospitality, entertainment, and transportation.

Genuino has proposed that locators in the Bagong Nayong Pilipino pay salaries to their workers in US dollars, so Filipinos can earn as much as their counterparts in the gaming and entertainment industry abroad without leaving their families behind.

Pagcor co-presents Asia’s GEM 2008 with the EuroAsian Cooperation on Gaming Association (ECG), which Genuino heads as interim chairman. The expo is organized by the Asian GEM and Tourism Foundation, Inc.

pau_p1

April 3rd, 2008, 04:54 AM

Palau, RP ink 2 agreements to boost tourism industry
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008 | FOREIGN RELATIONS
http://www.gov.ph/news/?i=20493

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Palau President Tommy Remengesau Jr. witnessed today the signing of agreements on air services and medical tourism that are expected to boost the tourism industries of the two Pacific island nations.

The first agreement calls for the expansion and enhancement of the 2003 Philippines-Palau Bilateral Air Services Agreement. The other is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Medical Tourism/Medical Referral and Higher Education Training in Health.

Both agreements are expected to facilitate the Philippine tourism industry’s goal of attaining five million tourist arrivals by 2010 under the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan.

The President said that like Palau, the Philippines also offers many famous and world-class dive spots and the resulting increase in tourist arrivals would likewise see the growth of hotels, resorts and other allied services, including the booming local medical tourism industry.

“That is why we are happy that today there was a signing of an amendment, an expansion of our air services agreement with each other, so that this two-way exchange of tourists – diving tourists and medical tourists will become bigger than ever,” the President said.
At present, groups of Palau residents visit Davao City for their dental services and eye checkups. Davao City, which is just one-and-a-half hours by plane from Palau, is noted for its excellent medical facilities at very affordable cost.

The enhanced air linkage between the two countries will also enable Palau residents to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, including the exotic “durian” that are abundant in Davao.

Tour operators from Palau have also joined travel tours and expositions in Davao, which has become a favorite shopping destination among Palau residents.

Davao products are about two-thirds cheaper than the same goods in Palau.

Topping the list of tourists/divers visiting Davao and Palau are those coming from Europe, Taiwan, China and Japan.

-TC-

April 3rd, 2008, 10:00 PM

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/0404&052008/opinion01.html

Rising soon: Manila Bay Strip

BusinessMirror Editorial - April 4, 2008

Some 60 kilometers southwest of Hong Kong is the former Portuguese colony of Macau. With a total land area of 28.6 sq km, it is smaller than Mayor Alfredo Lim’s City of Manila, which covers 38.55 sq km. Macau has a population of a little over half a million, less than a third of the Philippine capital city’s official count of 1.5 million people.

So how could such a tiny spit of land have generated over $17 billion as gross domestic product (GDP) in 2006? That kind of GDP makes for a per-capita income of $28,853—again in 2006 American dollars. Macau’s economy has been growing at over 13 percent annually—tracking and sometimes leading the consistently robust growth rates of the entire Chinese economy.

If he were still alive, paramount leader Deng Xiaoping—who almost single-handedly modernized his country by adopting “socialism with Chinese characteristics”—would probably be overjoyed that Macau has been living up to his dictum, “To be rich is glorious.”

What made such impressive economic figures possible is gambling—or, its more polite variant, “gaming.” Casinos are what have made this special administration region a Chinese cash cow since Lisbon formally returned it to Beijing in 1999.

To be sure, Macau has other sources of income, such as some light industries that include garment and textile factories. Its history as the oldest—and last—European colony on Chinese soil has produced a culture that appeals to millions of sightseers, both Chinese and foreign. There is little doubt, however, that the bulk of 25 million tourists who went to Macau last year alone made a beeline to its casinos. And projections are tourist traffic—both from the mainland, where illegal gambling can earn an offender three years in prison, and overseas—is bound to keep growing. Of course, it has not always been that way.

The history of the gaming industry in Macau can be traced to 1962, when the Portuguese colonial authorities issued a monopoly license to the Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau (STDM), headed by the legendary Stanley Ho. His classic Hotel Lisboa and its opulent extension across the street, the lotus-shaped Grand Lisboa, still dominate the skyline of Macau’s old section. However, Macau—and China as a whole—hit the jackpot when the Chinese authorities decided to give Ho some competition.

The Macau government ended the monopoly system in 2002. Six casino concessions and subconcessions were granted to STDM, Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, Galaxy Entertainment Group, the partnership of MGM Mirage and Pansy Ho Chiu-king and the partnership of Melco and PBL.

Stanley Ho’s STDM continues to operate 16 casinos, which are still considered crucial to Macau’s casino industry. In 2004, however, the opening of the Sands Macau ushered in a new, more profitable era.

At its opening the Sands Macau was hailed as the largest casino in the world, as measured by total number of table games. After the Wynn Macau threw its doors open in 2006, gambling revenue from Macau’s casinos surpassed for the first time that of the Las Vegas Strip’s $6 billion or so. Since then, Macau has become the highest-volume gambling center in the world.

Success breeds success, and keeps on doing so. In 2007 the Venetian Macau—the second-largest building in the world—opened its doors to the public, followed by MGM Grand Macau. Many other hotel casinos, including Galaxy Cotai Megaresort and Ponte 16, are similarly set to open in the very near future—going by the relentless pace of construction at Macau’s reclamation areas.

Officially, Filipinos make up 2 percent of Macau’s population. They are employed not just in the casinos, but also in hotels, restaurants, transport companies, retail outlets and wherever there is a need for amiable, hard-working and English-speaking staff. However, there are probably even more Filipinos in Macau working “informally.”

That Filipinos make up a significant portion of Macau’s casino work force—and, for that matter, in the US gaming centers of Atlantic City, Reno and Las Vegas—has its parallels in, say, our merchant marine. The Philippines deploys the largest number of seamen across the globe—mainly because it does not have a big enough maritime industry to employ them.

Some of our expatriate manpower and talent in the gaming establishments of Macau—and even Nevada and New Jersey—may finally be able to come home and still earn a decent living in the not-too-distant future.

After making investors—along with thousands of job-hungry Filipinos—wait for what must have felt like an eternity, the state-owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) finally gave the go-signal to four investors ready, willing and able to put up a world-class gaming center in Manila.

As this paper reported yesterday, what has been envisioned as a Las Vegas-like Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Manila Bay Integrated City took another step closer to reality. Japan’s Aruze Corp., Genting Berhad of Malaysia, SM Investments Corp. and Australia’s Bloombery Investments Ltd. were given the go-ahead to put up their respective multibillion-dollar projects at the 90-hectare resort complex.

Pagcor has approved the project proposals of the four groups, with total investments of about $10 billion spread over three to five years.

When fully operational—the earliest by 2010—the integrated resort facility is projected to raise the country’s gaming revenue by at least 30 percent. It is also expected to boost foreign tourist arrivals by up to three million travelers annually, and generate over 250,000 new jobs.

Pagcor aims to use the Bagong Nayong Pilipino as a catalyst to sustain the growth of the country’s tourism industry. It hopes to attract at least $4 billion in investments.

Fears that the envisioned gambling center would further erode Filipinos’ public morals seem to be unfounded. Similar—but not as grand—gaming operations have actually been operating for several years now in Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, La Union, Rizal and the old US military bases at Clark and Subic Bay. The bulk of their clientele is foreign—including spillovers from Macau.

Besides, the potential of the Manila Bay Strip for boosting tourist traffic is enormous. There are certainly more attractions for sightseers in this country than the ex-Portuguese colony’s
church ruins.

red_jasper

April 5th, 2008, 07:02 PM

Bontoc emerges from popular neighbors’ shadows

By Doris Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:46:00 04/05/2008

BONTOC, Philippines—This idyllic capital of Mt. Province in northern Luzon, situated at the crossroads of Ifugao’s crown jewel Banaue and the famed Sagada highlands, is carving its own niche in the Cordillera’s booming tourism business.

Linked to either town by a dirt-road much narrower and rougher than Baguio’s zig-zag road, Bontoc is enjoying some windfall from burgeoning public interest on Sagada, which was made known to the world in the 1960s by European backpackers who fell in love with its great caves, hanging coffins and lovely landscapes.

After hitting the global tourism charts, domestic tourists too started exploring Sagada in the 1980s, thus lifting tourism in the adjacent Bontoc in the absence of mass transport going straight to the highlands. Tourists from Manila can go either via Baguio or Banaue but there’s now an increasing appetite to hit two birds with one stone—see the Banaue Rice Terraces en route to Sagada.

Full story (http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20080405-128630/Bontoc-emerges-from-popular-neighbors-shadows)

wynngd

April 6th, 2008, 05:37 AM

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/85983/PEP-Survivor-shooting-in-Camarines-Sur
:banana::banana::banana:
PEP: Survivor shooting in Camarines Sur?
03/24/2008 | 05:14 PM

Email this | Email the Editor | Print | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us Nasa Pilipinas nga ba ang next season ng US reality TV show na Survivor?

Ang Survivor, a CBS reality show credited to Mark Burnett, ang isa sa dalawang shows that sparked the reality-TV concept around the world. The other one being the game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

There have been at least 20 international versions of the game show na first produced in Sweden. But the US version is the most popular and lost lasting.

Hosted by Jeff Probst, the first Survivor season was taped in Borneo with Richard Hatch as its first winner.

Airing na ngayon sa US TV ang 16th season ng Survivor taped in Micronesia with the theme Fans vs. Favorites, kung saan ten past superstars (or fan favorites) of the previous seasons compete against ten self-confessed super fans of the series.

For its 17th season, nagtapos ang application noong January 24, 2008. Casting and pre-production are being done in Los Angeles. It was reported that production would start late June 2008.

Ngunit nitong nakaraang Holy Week, tourists and even local vacationers—including some celebrities—at pati na rin ang ibang mga mismong taga-Gota Beach sa Agirangan Island na part ng Caramoan Peninsula sa Camarines Sur were not allowed to enter the said beach resort to do their Semana Santa vacation.

Doon daw kasi nagsu-shooting ang next season ng Survivor.

Among those who were around during the shoot na hindi rin nakapasok, nasabihan silang Celebrity Edition ang format ng next season ng Survivor. They were told that among the contestants are Jean Claude Van-Damme and Alicia Silverstone.

Walang ibang makapag-confirm nito sa amin specially the inclusion of Van Damme and Alicia, lalo pa't taliwas ito sa official news ng Survivor na June pa ito sisimulan at may pa-audition sila—meaning non-showbiz type of contestants. - Philippine Entertainment Portal

Here are other links discussing this:
http://justanothergame.com/2008/03/24/mark-burnetts-survivor-being-shot-in-camarines-sur/
http://www.pep.ph/news/16828/17th-season-of-U.S.-reality-show-Survivor-shooting-in-CamSur-%E2%80%94report

There is also another international event in Cable Wake Boarding competition which will be held in Wake Boarding Resort in Cam Sur. :banana::banana::banana:

garzland

April 6th, 2008, 10:58 AM

^^The Wakeboarding world Championship will be held this coming june or july... Hope you people can visit our province on that event.

garzland

April 6th, 2008, 10:59 AM

PAGCOR: Entertainment City is all about entertainment and tourism (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=114161)

Butch Francisco, president of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), talked about the ambitious entertainment complex, Entertainment City, with Ricky Carandang in Mornings@ANC Friday, April 4.

Francisco said Entertainment City is not just gambling, it’s all about entertainment and tourism.

These are pretty impressive numbers. how many billion dollars are we talking about here?

Easily if investors would invest an average of $2 billion to $3 billion, and there are right now four investors assured of investing $24 billion each. So easily we can raise about $12 billion to $15 billion in investments.

These people, when you say they are putting in three to four, that's committed. They've pledged to put that in into this project?

Yes. In accordance with our terms of reference, which we published last year, the minimum participating amount for a participant in the project will be $1 billion.

Okay. So we're looking, at the very least, at $4 billion and perhaps as much $15 billion?

That's correct.

Even if you take the lower figures, that's a pretty good investment, and we're not talking about equity, right?

That's correct.

Tell me what the complex is and why it's going to need all this money.

Well, easily, when you are... We're looking at the model, which Singapore, for one has successfully started having an integrated resort. In fact, they awarded two areas in Singapore. In each resort, using that model, which requires a complex that will have an integrated facility of recreational and entertainment activities. The computation or calculation require an investment of a minimum of $1 billion.

So we're talking about entertainment gaming complex. There's gonna be hotels. Will there be…

Retail as well.

Will there be commercial, will there be residential?

That's correct. That's why it's called an integrated resort. Resort, because its a center for recreation and entertainment. Integrated because of all the units that will form part of the resort. Let me correct this, that the gaming side is, I would say, less than 5 percent of the total activities that will happen in that complex. Basically, it's still retail, dining and entertainment.

But certainly gaming is going to be a big contributor to revenues. We all know that. No matter what anyone says about it. It is a big money earner.

Yes.

How does it work? You've got five investors who you're looking at. Four, you said at least four. Is it based on a master plan, and then they'll decide which parts of it that they're gonna take on?

That's correct. In terms of reference, we offered a 40-hectare land, which is now under PAGCOR. And in this 40-hectare along Manila Bay, we asked for concepts from, to the public, companies who would like to participate in the project. Based on the terms of reference they have submitted, the concepts and of course also the investments required, they have seriously considered. We have seen the seriousness and the passing the grade of having a truly integrated resort.

The integrated resort, we have used the acronym or used the guide of the acronym P.A.I.N.T. PAINT will stand for partners, architecture, investments, novelty and tourism. And if we talk about partners, the investors should have a track record, and we would like also to see who their partners are to be able to see the seriousness of their capability. The architecture side would refer to the design of the concept and also the reputation of the designers in building such a concept. The I in that P.A.I.N.T. will be the investment. In our terms of reference, we mentioned a minimum of $1 billion. Initially in the terms of reference, we asked serious investors first to apply, pay a $50,000 application fee and submit a concept along with a $100 million commitment. Then you can you see how the seriousness of the investor.

But there is a master plan, right?

There is a master plan. But this master plan is a guide post. We still need to see how the investors will like to help us in developing the master plan. For as long as the integrated resort model is there, and of course in the P.A.I.N.T. word, there's N, novelty. The novelty of their concept, like for example, their being a world class theme park. You could talk about, Singapore bringing in Universal Studios. So, what is the investor bringing in the complex.

Yeah, tell me what's its gonna have because we know that it'll have some gaming tables. We also know that it's gonna have a theme park. Star Cruise is here so I presume there's gonna be a cruise element.

And it's the first time they'll be visiting, as often as they can. There're luxury ships.

And this are bringing in tourist from where?

From all over the region. Star Cruise is the third largest cruise liner in the world.

This is big! I mean this is a very ambitious plan, isn't it?

It's a good model, which our country will be happy about because of the attractiveness that it can generate in promoting tourism.

That's right, investments and jobs. I was reading in the introduction you we're expecting to create about 200 jobs?

Yes initially, because of the construction. Easily one complex will employ over 20,000 employees. In The Venetian in Macao has employed over 15,000 employees.

A lot of them Filipino if I'm not mistaken…

I would say so, about one-third. With this complex, I won't be surprised that many of these Filipinos will perhaps be coming back. In the terms of reference, we are asking the investors that once they operate the salaries should be competitive, within the region.

That actually has some potential of bringing back people who have left the country?

Correct.

So, there's certainly economic benefits. I can also see, you know, the investment and all that. You haven't gotten a lot of opposition to this?

Well this has been in the drawing board since 2001.

So it's not a surprise?

Yeah. It's not a surprise. We went into the process of discussing this with different groups. We explained to them that because PAGCOR will always be related to gambling. We explained ourselves that PAGCOR has shifted from gambling to dining and entertainment. I'm very happy that society, as a whole, is understanding this model that we are trying to set up.

How long will it take before we actually see these things up and running?

Immediately, we can see it in the next few months. We will start the development of the site. We can have the initial phase, the first facility will open sometime in 2010. Two years from now.

2010 and then beyond?

Beyond that. It's a five, seven year project.

In the south you have Singapore proceeding. I think they are a little bit ahead of us as far as construction and planning are concerned.

Yes, but we might just be able to ah.. Just about the same time to open. The first facility to open will open in the late 2009, and we expect the first facility in Nayong Pilipino in the first quarter of 2010. Just slightly behind.

In the north you've got Macau, it's already there. I know that it's not exactly the same, but it's along the same broad strokes. What do you think is going to be the draw for us? Macau and Singapore trying to compete from roughly the same market. What's the unique selling point for this project here in the Philippines?

Number one, it's the people, the hospitality. I've seen how they operate in Macau, the same in Singapore. Generally, I've spoken to a lot of people, and because of our hospitality and our language, it's universal, being able to speak English.

The Singaporeans can do that...

The Singaporeans can do it, but how many can they employ from their own side. They have to employ Filipinos as well.

So we have scale that would set us apart from Singapore?

Scale. People.

And english will set us apart from Macau?

Yes. That's right.

So, there's no more hitches. This is all systems go?

All systems go. Also another thing is the structure that we have, the legal framework that we have in conducting business in the Philippines, they're happy. All the laws are in place for such a complex that we will put up. We have the laws on gambling in place. We have laws in doing business in place. In Macau, people say that many things had to be done. Singapore is the most transparent.

3cr

April 6th, 2008, 11:00 AM

Palace bullish on Tourism City
PhilStar
Sunday, April 6, 2008
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080405147

Malacañang yesterday expressed confidence that the government would be able to justify the operation of the Tourism City being developed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) at the reclamation area in Parañaque City.

But Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Jaro, Iloilo Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said he has a “good and not so good” impression of the project, adding he hopes for the best but maintains that the Church’s position is still against all forms of gambling.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, however, said that the early opposition and concerns raised by various sectors, particularly religious groups, to the project is nothing new when it comes to these types of undertakings.

Bunye said the government would prefer to look at the issue from a wider perspective, which includes the significant amount of assistance that is being provided to the needy from the operations of Pagcor’s casinos.

“We know that the operations have helped a lot of people. As a matter of fact, there are many people who normally go to my office seeking help for their families and we have helped a lot of people using these funds,” he said.

Pagcor is developing a 90-hectare facility in the reclamation area in Parañaque City for what is intended to be a Las Vegas-style entertainment center.

Apart from casinos, Pagcor would also construct hotels, shopping malls, cultural centers, sports arenas, residential villages and theme parks.

Concerns have immediately been raised that the facility, because of the presence of casinos, would raise a lot of moral questions because it would promote gambling.

Bunye said he believes the benefits brought about by the gaming operations of Pagcor far outweigh the disadvantages, including the moral issues involved in gambling.

“I think we have to look at the total picture. We have to look at how these funds are being utilized. For as long as they are utilized properly, for as long as they are able to help a lot of Filipinos, then we believe we can justify the operations,” Bunye said.

Based on the mandate of Pagcor, most of its revenues are used to finance the social services of the government such as medical assistance.

In spite of the opposition raised by several church leaders against the operation of casinos in the country, the government has maintained these because of the benefits derived from its revenues.

Tough Church stand

But despite the good publicity Pagcor is trying to generate for the $15-billion Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Manila Bay Integrated City, it has still failed to fully convince the Catholic Church.

“The project has undergone some shifts in presentation in order to gain acceptability in a Catholic culture: from gambling city to entertainment city to tourism city. Definitely with so much money at their disposal, it will be all three: gambling, entertainment and tourism. And only the future will tell which will be the dominant one,” Lagdameo told cbcpnews.com.

The gaming corporation is projecting that the Tourism City would be filled with shopping malls, hotels, museums, cultural center, sports arena, park and residential villages.

Pagcor chairman and chief executive officer Efraim Genuino earlier said only five percent of the 90-hectare property would be used for gambling.

Some 250,000 people would be hired during the construction and its actual operation. It would be completed in two years.

Lagdameo also clarified that the CBCP maintains its earlier stand on gambling, whether legal or illegal, and that it is still against it.

Those financially challenged are oftentimes lured into spending meager finances on gambling, hoping for a big pay-off, thus adversely affecting their families, he said.

“We advocate the adoption of more altruistic and socialized alternatives for the great sum of money spent by both rich and poor on gambling. While it is true that games of chance are not in themselves contrary to justice, the passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement which results in the deprivation of people of what they need,” the CBCP president added.

He said the presence of three retired bishops during the groundbreaking ceremony last Thursday afternoon was their way of blessing, hoping and praying that everything would turn out for the good of the people and the country. They did not give their blessing to gambling, he added.

Three Roman Catholic emeritus bishops – Manuel Sobrevias of Imus, Cavite; Maximo Cruz of Calbayog, Samar; and Cirilo Almario Jr. of Malolos Bulacan – graced the groundbreaking the other day.

garzland

April 7th, 2008, 04:41 AM

Shanghai businessmen wooed to invest in Philippine tourism (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=114224)

Shanghai businessmen revealed that they plan to hold their bi-annual meeting in the Philippines in a bid to increase the flow of tourism from their country.

Li Nonghe, president of the World Association of Overseas Chinese Organizations, informed Tourism Secretary Ace Durano of his organization’s plan to hold its bi-annual meeting in the Philippines in 2009.

He said this plan will bring about 3,000 members from all over the world to Manila.

Li, also confirmed his plans to lead a mission to visit the Philippines this year to look at possible business opportunities in construction, mining and property development.

The meeting between Li and Durano was initiated by the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai in a bid to have Durano meet Shanghai businessmen interested in investing in tourism-related investments in the Philippines.

As part of its efforts to generate business, trade, investment and tourism in the Philippines, the Consulate has been working closely with the Shanghai Overseas Chinese Chamber of Commerce (SOCCC), the World Association of Overseas Chinese Organizations and leading Shanghai companies like the Jinjiang Group of Companies.

The Jinjiang Group of Companies led by Chen Hao, director and CEO, also informed Durano that it is looking at investing in a hotel/resort property in the Philippines. The Jinjiang Group of Companies owns and runs over 300 hotels in China. Eddie Wong, another investor based in Shanghai, stated that the 300-room hotel he has invested in Cebu City will be ready for occupancy by 2009.

For its part, representatives from the SOCCC, led by one of its directors, Lu Guo Fu, stated that after the Business and Investments Forum in October where President Gloria Arroyo encouraged Chinese businessmen to invest in the Philippines, their members have begun looking into property/resort development projects in the Philippines. SOCCC is chaired by Shimao chairman Xu Rong Mao, who recently confirmed the company’s interest to invest in hotel and resort projects in the Philippines. SOCCC members have been in the Philippines several times in the past to actively explore business opportunities. Liwayway (China) Co. Ltd. chairman and Presidential Special Envoy to China, Carlos Chan, has been instrumental in bringing the SOCCC to the Philippines.

Consul General Maria Rowena Mendoza Sanchez said that the luncheon meeting yielded very positive results and that the Consulate will continue to promote travel, trade and investments to Chinese businessmen especially in Eastern China.

"I am very happy with the positive and concrete interest of Shanghai businessmen to invest in the Philippines and look forward to welcoming them as they locate in the Philippines", stated Durano.

Durano was in Shanghai to attend the World Travel Fair 2008 and the Signing Ceremony for the Philippine Participation Contract to the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

-TC-

April 7th, 2008, 07:45 PM

http://www.bworld.com.ph/BW040808/content.php?id=041

Ayala Land to build first Global City hotel

Lovely Nica Lee
BusinessWorld
April 8, 2008

AYALA LAND, Inc. is building the first luxury hotel at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig together with the Shangri-la Hotels Group as it capitalizes on the booming demand for hotel rooms in the area.

The project is part of the development of the West Superblock area, which will also feature a new premium grade office building that will house the unified Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) and a museum, Ayala Land President and Chief Executive Jaime I. Ayala said in a report.

Marivic Añonuevo, corporate business division head of the property unit of conglomerate Ayala Corp., said the four-star hotel would rise near Bonifacio High Street and Serendra.

Construction of the four-star hotel will start in 2010. It is expected to be completed a year later. "We’re also finalizing our [hotel] operator there," she added without citing investment figures. Ms. Añonuevo said the hotel would still cater to business executives since hotels aimed at this market are suffering from tight supply.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ayala said construction of the new PSE building is expected to start in the second half, making it Ayala Land’s first premium headquarters-type office building project since 1998.

He noted that land values at Bonifacio Global City had nearly doubled in the past two years, almost close to land values in some areas of the Makati central business district.

"[At Bonifacio Global City], value appreciation has been even sharper as our priming activities continue to bear fruit and attract more and more locators and land purchasers," he said.

Ayala Land will also co-develop a 7,377-square meter property at the corner of Ayala Center in Makati. The $153-million project, which Ayala Land signed with the Kingdom Hotels Group in March, is expected to kick off the redevelopment of the area.

The venture will include the development of a 300-room Fairmont Hotel, a 30-suite Raffles Hotel and 189 Raffles-branded private residences.

Ayala Land has earmarked P24.3 billion in capital expenditures this year, P10 billion of which it plans to raise through bank loans and bond issuance. Of the total budget for 2008, only 1% will go to the hotel business, which is categorized under the company’s support businesses along with property management services.

Ayala Land posted a 13% growth in net income in 2007 to P4.4 billion, while consolidated revenues inched up by 1% to P25.7 billion from the year earlier .

Johnston

April 7th, 2008, 09:18 PM

Coming soon: Construction of RP's Las Vegas

By MAX V. DE LEON and HONEY REYES

THE envisioned Las Vegas-like Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Manila Bay Integrated City has moved another step closer to reality after Japan’s Aruze Corp., Genting Berhad of Malaysia, SM Investments Corp. and Australia’s Bloombery Investments Ltd. were given the go-ahead to put up their respective multibillion-dollar projects at the 90-hectare resort complex.

The project proposals of the four groups, with total investments of about $10 billion spread over three to five years, have been approved by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

It will be an integrated casino resort with 2,000 standard rooms and 300 VIP suites. Its main features would be an oceanarium targeted to be the world’s largest, theaters and a giant Ferris wheel similar to the London Eye and to be called the “Manila Eye.”

“Our proposal comes at an opportune time when there is increasing awareness of the Philippines as a tourist destination, with the country achieving a milestone in 2007 with a record 3 million tourist arrivals for the first time in its history,” said AGI chairman Andrew Tan.

Genuino said the proposed projects of the four companies, with average cost of $2 billion to $3 billion, are enough to fill up the entire 90-hectare area.

Once fully operational—the earliest by 2010—the integrated resort facility is seen to increase the country’s gaming revenues by at least 30 percent.

It is also expected to boost foreign tourist arrivals by up to 3 million individuals annually, and generate over 250,000 fresh jobs.

Johnston

April 7th, 2008, 09:19 PM

Universal Studios theme park soon to rise in RP (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?He...id=20080406102)
By Zinnia De La Peña

The arrival of a Universal Studios theme park in the Philippines is creating a huge buzz after the Genting Berhad Group secured the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.(Pagcor)’s nod for its proposed project within the Las Vegas-like Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Manila Bay Integrated Tourism City.

Pagcor chairman and chief executive officer Efraim Genuino said the Genting Group has committed to develop 35 hectares of the 90-hectare prime reclaimed land facing Manila Bay into a world-class tourist destination.

Genuino said the Genting Berhad Group is planning to invest $3 billion in the Manila Bay Integrated City, the Philippines’ biggest tourism development project.

The Genting Berhad Group owns the Genting Highlands Resort in Malaysia and holds the exclusive development rights of film giant Universal Studios in Asia. It has teamed up with its subsidiary Star Cruises and Alliance Global Inc., the listed investment holding firm of retail tycoon Andrew Tan, for its proposed project in the $15-20 billion casino resort complex along Manila Bay.

Genuino said the Genting Berhard Group’s proposal includes the development of leisure and entertainment facilities including a theme park, state-of-the-art theaters, amusement and cultural centers, retail and gaming center and hotels.

Universal Studio’s movie-theme Hollywood park has 13 attractions based on movies including Shrek, Jurassic Park and The Terminator. Excluding its restaurants and theaters, the theme park alone draws about four million visitors a year.

Besides Hollywood, Universal Studios has other parks in Orlando, Barcelona and Osaka, Japan.

Another investor group, Aruze Corp. of Japan is planning to put up an integrated resort featuring a hotel with 2,000 standard rooms and 300 VIP suites; a major oceanarium targeted to be the world’s largest; theaters, a sports arena, a Holy museum and a giant ferris wheel similar to the London Eye to be known as the Manila Eye.

The Aruze Group is likewise infusing $3 billion in capital for the development of 40 hectares of land in the Manila Bay Integrated City.

Genuino said Aruze, a leading gaming machine maker known for its ties with the popular Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas and Macau, may start development of its project in the second quarter this year which may take two years to complete.

Other groups whose project concepts have been approved by Pagcor include Bloomburry Investments Ltd. of Australia which will develop 15 hectares of the reclaimed prime land, and the SM Investments Corp. (SMIC).

Bloomburry plans to build a hotel, sports arena and other tourist attractions.

Genuino said SMIC has yet to hatch a plan for the Manila Bay Integrated City but said this would be a unique concept.

Tessie Sy, SMIC vice-chair, said that aside from developments within the Mall of Asia complex along Roxas Boulevard, the company may work on something in the future to further promote the tourism estate.

SMIC, together with international hotel firms Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific and Accor will develop and manage a 350-room hotel in SM Bay City, which will be located near the SMX Convention Center.

Meantime, two administration congressmen supported yesterday the Integrated Tourism City, saying the nation should rake in billions in potential income from the project instead of growing grass on reclaimed land.

“We also need jobs. We have 430,000 new college graduates a year, but not all can be absorbed by existing companies,” Palawan Rep. Antonio Alvarez, House trade and industry committee chairman, said in the midst of reports that Catholic bishops are opposing the plan.

Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing said he would prefer “that we grow money instead of grass on reclaimed land in Manila Bay.”

Alvarez said the Pagcor project would put the country in a position to catch a portion of China’s increasing spending on gambling.

“Due to China’s growing affluence, its 1.3 billion people are spending $70 billion in gambling bets a year, according to one estimate,” he said.

He said the gambling revenues of Macau, a Chinese territory, increased by 47 percent to $10.34 billion last year and have exceeded those of Las Vegas.

He said the Pagcor project could also prevent rich Filipinos from going to Macau or Las Vegas and would allow them to “just spend their money here.” - With Jess Diaz

OtAkAw

April 8th, 2008, 02:17 PM

^^Too good to be __________ -> you finish it. Or maybe I'm just being pessimistic.

filcan

April 8th, 2008, 09:39 PM

I'd like a Universal Studios type amusement park in E-City. Maybe there can be some Filipino themed movie rides like "Resiklo:The Ride"...:D

Louman

April 9th, 2008, 10:16 AM

^^ Does that mean the parts of the ride are recycled from trash too? ... What if you end up with "Tondo Poverty, The Ride!" ?

3cr

April 11th, 2008, 02:56 AM

Pagcor’s Tourism City to create ripples in economy
Friday, April 11, 2008
PhilStar
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Business&p=49&type=2&sec=27&aid=2008041012

The ripple effect created by the government’s biggest tourism development project, the Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Manila Bay Tourism City, would extend beyond the local hospitality industry and long after the year 2010, when locators in the project are expected to become fully operational.

Spearheaded by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), Tourism City is expected to generate as many as 250,000 new jobs in the first phase alone, besides boosting foreign tourist arrivals by over one million visitors annually and increasing revenues for the National Government through lease payments and tax revenues.

Efraim C. Genuino, Pagcor chairman and chief executive officer, underscored the project as the state-run firm’s ultimate legacy and contribution to the country’s economic recovery when he joined top government officials, lawmakers and personalities in the Tourism City’s recent formal groundbreaking.

ARUZE Corp. of Japan, the Genting Berhad Group of Malaysia, Bloombury Investments Ltd. and local mall giant SM Investments are poised to invest at least $1 billion each in the venture after gaining Pagcor’s approval for their proposed concepts in the Tourism City.

Although the primary beneficiaries would be workers in the hotel and restaurant sector, the enormity of the estimated $15-billion (approximately P600 billion) venture will create employment opportunities for Filipinos in a whole range of industries as well.

Located on prime reclaimed land fronting Manila Bay, the Tourism City would stimulate growth in the construction industry as well as produce jobs in the services sector, such as transportation, information technology, food and beverage, entertainment, medical and health. It would also boost the banking sector and the financial market.

“The Bagong Nayong Pilipino will, without cost to the government, create endless opportunities for local businessmen and generate jobs for our people,” said Genuino, the visionary behind the 90-hectare-plus project in Parañaque City.

According to statistics from the Department of Labor as of October 2007, the country employs about 907,000 workers in the hotel and restaurant sector alone. That number could rise to over a million once proponents in the Tourism City build their planned six-star hotels, malls, and theme parks.

Other planned facilities in the Tourism City, envisioned as a fully integrated entertainment and leisure complex for people of all ages, are museums, cultural centers, sports arenas and residential villages.

Another huge benefit which the project will bring to local workers is the opportunity to earn in US dollars without having to leave the country. In the project’s terms of reference, which can be viewed on Pagcor website www.pagcor.ph, locators are urged to pay salaries competitive with those in hotels and integrated resorts in other countries.

Meanwhile, to squelch speculations that the employment opportunities generated by the project only stand to benefit those living in the Metro Manila area, Genuino assured that all Filipinos from around the country are to be given equal opportunity.

“Since most establishments in the Tourism City shall be operational 24/7, residential villages for workers shall be built within the complex itself. This will also make it more convenient for employees coming from the provinces,” he said.

Furthermore, Genuino said that the next phases of this project will not exclusively take place at the Manila Bay reclamation site.

“We also have plans of replicating this integrated leisure and entertainment complex, but on a smaller scale, in other parts of the country such as Subic and Cebu to spur growth in those locations as well. Our ultimate goal is to make the Philippines the premier tourist destination in Asia, if not the world,” he disclosed.

More foreign and local companies have also expressed interest in joining as the first of concepts were unveiled during the recently-concluded Asia’s Gaming and Entertainment plus Leisure Expo Manila (Asia’s GEM).

GearX

April 12th, 2008, 03:49 AM

RP now a favorite corporate tour destination (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=business5_april12_2008)

The Philippines is emerging as a favorite destination among Asian travelers for corporate events.

More members of the Taiwan travel industry were considering the Philippines as a destination for incentive tour groups, conferences and other business travel activities, said the Tourism Department.

“The combined efforts of our local travel trade and the department are making headway not only in reaching more of the Taiwan travel market, but also in propping up the Philippines as one of Asia’s top venues for corporate events,” said Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

A 131-strong group from the Taiwan subsidiary of global sports wear brand Adidas recently toured the various historical and cultural around Manila. Shopping and entertainment were also in place during their four-day stay.

Another group of 73 members from Tachong Bank’s sales force took to Palawan for a two-week holiday. The Taipei-based company is one of the major providers of consumer and corporate banking services.

“The demand for convention and business travel services is very palpable. The country’s strength lies in our ability to offer various activities, attractions and destinations, and the warm and professional Filipino staff ready to assist the tour groups,” Durano said.

Durano said the Tourism Department had been actively promoting the country’s meetings, incentives, conventions and events facilities to not only the Taiwan market, but to other Asian countries as well.

Metro Manila currently serves as the hub for conferences, expositions and other international trade activities, but the department is further prepping up Cebu, Subic and Clark as the next centers for these events. Roderick T. dela Cruz

Fundador

April 18th, 2008, 02:25 AM

Aurora’s tourism industry gets boost
By: Rudy J. Abular Mamer Bañez
CLARK Freeport Zone, Pampanga – Sen. Edgardo J. Angara recently led the inaugural flight of the South East Asian Airline (SeaAir) from Manila to Baler.

SeaAir launched its first regular flight with a 20-seater aircraft with Angara and his guests, filmmaker Gil Portes, national artist Junyee of UP Los Baños and a Filipino expert in solar and wind energy on board. SeaAir will have two flights a week, Mondays and Fridays, from Manila to Baler and vice versa.

Angara also considers putting up an alternative source of energy as part of Aurora 's master socio-economic development plan.

He also invited the Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon last April 14 to draw up strategic plans for the realization of major road networks to Aurora. At present, the DPWH is constructing the Rizal-Pantabangan-Castaneda-Aurora road that is expected to facilitate travel to Aurora. www.journal.com.ph

garzland

April 18th, 2008, 12:45 PM

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/2130/04152008433mr6.jpg

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/4656/04152008434ly1.jpg

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/777/04152008435eh4.jpg

kevinb

April 18th, 2008, 12:52 PM

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/2130/04152008433mr6.jpg

Survivor Philippines is being shot on one of the islands of Caramoan.

garzland

April 18th, 2008, 01:05 PM

^^What do you mean Survivor Philippines? The US Version or the local version?

filcan

April 18th, 2008, 03:16 PM

^^Both:D...it is rumoured that the US version of Survivor is filming in Caramines Sur for its next season and GMA 7 recently announced its planning its own version.

kevinb

April 18th, 2008, 08:19 PM

^^ Really now? I hope the US version pushes through. But wait, someone told me that a Survivor is already being shot there. If GMA is still about to hold auditions, could it already be the US version? Or was it just a rumor as well that something is already being shot there? Confusions! Kalerki!!

filcan

April 18th, 2008, 10:51 PM

Right now the US version of Survivor is rumoured to be shooting there and i also read somewhere that some American celebrities were participating this time but I can't find the source anymore to that, but heres a link to someones blog talking about it:
http://justanothergame.com/2008/03/24/mark-burnetts-survivor-being-shot-in-camarines-sur/

GMA will be doing its own version of Survivor and they will start auditions next month...

garzland

April 19th, 2008, 11:06 AM

^^That's good news! Well, I hope it will really push thru.

wynngd

April 21st, 2008, 11:36 AM

garzland

April 21st, 2008, 12:33 PM

Tourist arrivals up 11.7% in February (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=115688)

The Department of Touristm (DoT) said international visitor arrivals grew 11.7 percent to 276,809 in February this year from 247,731 arrivals recorded a year ago.

This puts the total arrivals in the first two months of the year at 570,612, up by 9.7 percent from 520,256 visitors registered during the same period in 2007.

The average occupancy rate of hotels in Metro Manila improved to 78.6 percent in February from 73.4 percent the month before, the DoT said.

However, the February figure was slightly down from 79.1 percent during the same month last year, due to the completion of more rooms this year.

The number of hotels monitored by the DoT rose to 81 this year from 76 last year. Their combined number of rooms also increased 3.3 percent to 14,334 as of February from just 13,875 a year ago.

Of the total number of rooms, about 6,315 are located along the Roxas Boulevard and the Manila Bay area while 6,282 are in the commercial business districts of Makati, Pasig and Mandaluyong.

Another 924 rooms are in the Quezon City area; 420 rooms are in Alabang, Muntinlupa City; and the rest of 393 rooms are located near the airport in Pasay City.

The average occupancy rate among the 18 deluxe hotels was almost the same at 80.80 percent in February from 80.5 percent a year earlier.

Similarly, the average length of stay of guests at de luxe hotels rose 3.13 percent to 2.64 nights in February this year from 2.56 nights during the same month last year.

Meanwhile, the average occupancy rate at first class hotels eased to 78.6 percent in February from 80.7 percent a year ago. However, the average length of stay at these hotels improved to 2.81 nights from 1.96 nights.

Animo

April 23rd, 2008, 09:13 PM

ROXAS CITY – Pan-ay, Capiz, one of the oldest towns in the Philippines, will make another effort to entice tourists and visitors to come and enjoy its varied attractions during a well-prepared occasion which is no other than its town fiesta come May 1-4, 2008.

Mayor Dante B. Bermejo said they have chosen as theme "Tourism in Focus" for their town fiesta dubbed this year "Lingga-anay 2008" because they believe that their town has a rich treasure trove of history, culture, natural wealth and people that are worth visiting.

Pan-ay, whose name is also carried by the entire island of Panay in Central Philippines where the town is located, was founded by the Spanish Augustinian friars in 1581 and became the second Spanish settlement in the country next to Cebu.

The towns, one of the 16 municipalities of Capiz, was once the center of Catholicism in the whole island and was the first organized community in the province by virtue of its being its first capital during the early Spanish regime.

The provincial capital was later moved to Roxas City, known then as the town of Capiz.

One of the world's largest church bells – and the biggest in Southeast Asia – now hangs at the belfry of the Sta. Monica Parish Church and rings regularly for masses and special events involving the parish church.

The gigantic bell, which weighs 10.4 metric tons and has a diameter of 7 feet, was made from 70 sacks of coins from the townspeople back in 1878. Inscribed on one side of the bell is the statement in Spanish which in English means: "I am the voice of God which shall echo and praise from the beginning till the end of this town of Pan-ay, so that the faithful of Jesus Christ may come to the house of God to receive heavenly graces."

The Sta. Monica church was established 306 earlier in 1572. It has been declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute (NHI).

The whole town itself has recently been declared as "The Heritage Capital of Capiz, Philippines" by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of this province. Its people numbering about 42,000 are known for their hospitality.

It is one of the province's major food producers. Its fishponds that produce milkfish, crabs, shrimps and prawns constitute 7,000 hectares or about one-half of the town's total land area.

A portion of its coastal waters along its border with Roxas City is home to the prized exotic and succulent bivalve called "diwal" or angel-wings, as well as oysters and mussels. Its municipal waters are also one of the richest grounds for a wide variety of edible and commercial fish species.

The town boasts of its Pawa-Buntod Beach and Napti Island which is ideal for swimming, water sports and picnic. The latter is also a good place for snorkeling, diving and camping.

Pan-ay, located 8 kilometers from here, lately has started to showcase its wide tracts of mangroves for ecological tours among its natural wealth, alongside man-made attractions that include Villa Magdalena resort, Bibal integrated and organic farm, Berjamin plant and flower garden, and Weny's butterfly and plant garden.

Vice Mayor Gualberto Bernas III pointed out that the whole of the municipality is the tourist come-on of Pan-ay.

The town has been included by local tour operators in day tour packages for foreign and domestic tourists.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has vowed that her administration would help develop tourism assets in the countryside, saying that ''tourism has the potential to be a major driver of economic development for our rural areas."

In her brief message at the recent opening of the First Siargao Game Fishing Invitational Tournament in CARAGA Region, the President said economic development in the rural areas is not all about developing modern agricultural methods but also ''working to responsibly develop those parts of our country that are uniquely suited for development as environmentally sensitive destinations for domestic and international tours.''

She said her administration would help the local governments improve their infrastructure facilities such as airports and roads which are badly needed to make tourist destinations more accessible.

The President said that in her travels abroad, she always make it a point to invite foreign businessmen to invest in tourism ventures in the Philippine countryside.

The President stressed, however, that in developing tourist destinations, the integrity of the environment must always be of primary consideration.

A third class municipality, Panay has an annual income of around P45 million from local sources and the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) Fund.

Mayor Bermejo said the fiesta celebration in honor of their Patron Saint Sta. Monica will begin May 1 with a community mass, to be followed by a formal opening program, product expo and trade fair, Local Government Unit Night, and Ihaw-Ihaw (grill) festival.

The coronation of the fiesta queen (Her Majesty Queen Mary Kris Capunong Balatayo) is slated May 3 before a fireworks display. This year's fiesta queen is the daughter of Sangguniang Bayan Member Nicomedes Balatayo and Ma. Victoria Capunong Balatayo.

A drum and lyre exhibition, civic parade, playground demonstration and kantahan sa Pan-ay (singing competition) will cap the four-day event.

The municipal government held a press conference April 16 to launch the activities lined up for the celebration. With Bermejo at the presscon were Vice Mayor Bernas, other local officials, department heads, officers of working committees, the fiesta queen and her parents and escort, and representatives from the private sector and community organizations.

(PIA-JSC (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2008/04/23/historic.capiz.town.rings.its.giant.bell.for.tourists.html))

metrosuburban

April 25th, 2008, 01:56 AM

I walked along Manila Baywalk yesterday and i noticed how the new baywalk looks like right now. It will be painful to see the before and after Mayor Lim look of Manila. I took a photo of the baywalk's missing floor tiles and unfinished excavations.

Ang galing din ni Mayor kasi in less than 2 years na pamamalakad nya sa manila na restore nya ung dating itsura nito bago hawakan ni Mayor Atienza ang Manila...

nag photo shoot kami sa baywalk but we were forced to abandonned ung area kasi may mga rugbee boys sa paligid. Dun pa sa baywalk nagsisinghutan... tsk tsk tsk...

That baywalk is now an eyesore to everyone, lahat na nandun ngayon, mga pulubi, streetkids, prostitutes, criminals, among other vomits of society victimizing tourists... o ayan, where are the so-called conservationists now?? I suppose masaya na sila,...

RonnieR

April 25th, 2008, 05:21 AM

That baywalk is now an eyesore to everyone, lahat na nandun ngayon, mga pulubi, streetkids, prostitutes, criminals, among other vomits of society victimizing tourists... o ayan, where are the so-called conservationists now?? I suppose masaya na sila,...

It's actually Mayor Lim who ordered the demolition of all pubs, restaurants, coffee shops at the baywalk. I agree with you, it is now dangerous to go there at night.

crappypants

April 25th, 2008, 05:35 AM

that's a shame since that area is touted as one of the tourist attraction of Manila, isn't it..
why are these politicians like that. they won't continue or maintain a project if it wasn't started by them.

Askal82

April 25th, 2008, 05:38 AM

^^ I guess Mayor Lim wanted the feel of 'old' Manila during his previous administration. :bash:

Sinjin P.

April 25th, 2008, 05:42 AM

Manila Baywalk's loss is MoA's San Miguel by the Bay's gain. Nu'ng pumunta kami, ang daming tao, sobrang alive. At mas safe du'n kasi maraming roving security guards. ;)

crappypants

April 25th, 2008, 05:44 AM

^^ I guess Mayor Lim wanted the feel of 'old' Manila during his previous administration. :bash:

Baywalk area was super filthy during lim's time. you can see piles of trash everywhere. it was really demoralizing to look at.

Sinjin P.

April 25th, 2008, 05:47 AM

crappypants

April 25th, 2008, 05:55 AM

siguro magiging isda na yung mga taga Tawi Tawi.

Sinjin P.

April 25th, 2008, 05:59 AM

Nakakainis naman ang lokal na pamahalaan sa mga lugar na ito. Nu'ng pumunta nga ako ng Ilocos, hindi ko inaasahan na ang daming resorts ang kasalukuyang tinatayo du'n, wala namang proper zoning, sobrang malapit sa dagat! :bash:

dinabaw

April 25th, 2008, 06:24 AM

Anyway, sino ba dito ang nakapanood ng The Correspondents (ABS-CBN) earlier this week? Kasi ang headline nila ay "Tawi-Tawi, mawawala na sa mapa ng Pilipinas?". Ito ay dahil ginagawa ng negosyo doon ang pagtatanggal ng puti at pinong buhangin du'n para ibenta at binibili naman 'to ng mga resort developers mula sa ibang lugar. Ngayon unti-unti ng kinakain ng dagat ang Tawi-Tawi. :ohno:

wow! hindi dapat ginagawa , sa batas ay bawal mag hakot ng buhangin kahit 1 sako lang ,hindi ba nila alam na ang Taw-Tawi at Sulu Archipelago na lang ang nakakakuha ng white ,black and even gold pearls!:bash:

garzland

April 25th, 2008, 06:43 AM

^^Maybe some Manileños can write about that to the mayor so as for him to know the realities happening there right now and be able to act on it.

lightsaber46

April 28th, 2008, 07:51 AM

SM diversifies, to build 14 hotels in 5 years
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news2_april28_2008

SM Investments Corp. will this year start building two of the 14 low-rise hotels that it wants to build within five years through its hotel arm.

“The company will soon conduct ground breaking for the two hotels,” Merril Yu, senior vice president of SMIC Investment Group, said after the company’s stockholders’ meeting Friday.

He refused to say where the company would build the hotels, apart from saying the 14 would rise up within the SM group’s 30 shopping malls.

One of the two hotels to be built starting this year will have 50 rooms, and the other 150. Their construction cost is estimated at P280 million at P1.4 million per room.

The size of the rooms in the planned 14 low-rise hotels will be 24 square meters, and the developer plans to charge just P2,000 a night to make them affordable to locals.

Earlier, Yu said the company’s low-rise hotels would compete with Days Hotels and other boutique hotels here. Days Hotels operates properties in Tagaytay, Subic Bay, Batangas, Bais, Mactan and Iloilo. It plans to build more hotels in Makati, Baguio City, Boracay, Bohol, Davao, General Santos City, Camiguin and Palawan.

The low-rise hotels apart, SMIC Hotel Investment Group is also building a P2.8-billion five-star hotel in Mactan. It recently signed a contract with European firm Accor to operate a 400-room Sofitel hotel here.

The company is also building the 400-room Radisson Hotel within the Mall of Asia Complex and plans to put up a P450-million hotel in Batangas.

The company is now expanding its Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City to 260 rooms from 128 at a cost of P650 million. That expansion will also add a 1,000-seat ballroom and six meeting rooms to the property. Jenniffer B. Austria

dinabaw

April 30th, 2008, 04:51 AM

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Tourism industry told to heed
signs of global warming

BANGKOK: Nobel Peace Prize recipient Rajendra Pachauri Tuesday warned tourism industry chiefs they need to reduce their impact on climate change as consumers become more environmentally aware.

“The tourism industry, for its own sake, will have to adapt,” Pachauri said to more than 200 Asia Pacific airline, hotel and tourist company chief executives at a conference on tourism and climate change.

“I would appeal to you and urge you to take steps so that you are seen not as the problem but as part of the solution,” the head of the UN’s Nobel prizewinning climate panel said in a pre-recorded video.

Global warming has the potential to melt ski resorts out of business and drown island getaways with rising sea levels, Pachauri told the first Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) climate change conference.

Promoting energy efficiency and offsetting carbon emissions, he said, must become standard business practices as oil prices rise and savvy tourists start demanding green credentials.

“Climate factors, which are major determinants of tourist demand, could induce tourists to go to new destinations,” Pachauri said. “There are issues that will have to be carefully considered and mapped out.”

Pachauri and former US vice president Al Gore accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for their work to publicize the dangers of global warming.

Tourism industry leaders said it was time they stopped being defensive every time someone mentioned climate change and did something about it.

“It’s fine to lobby, it’s fine to justify why we’re not as bad as other industries,” said Rohit Talwar, CEO of tourism consultant agency Fast Future.

“But I’ve never seen a good bit of lobbying that could stop a glacier from melting.”

Tantalizing slideshows of gleaming silver resorts rising from the water near Dubai were shadowed by charts of climbing carbon emissions which contribute to global warming.

The tourism industry accounted for about five percent of global emissions in 2007, according to the UN World Tourism Organization. Growth in the tourism industry could increase emissions by as much as 150 percent in 30 years.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/apr/30/yehey/business/20080430bus4.html

garzland

April 30th, 2008, 07:18 AM

Anyway, sino ba dito ang nakapanood ng The Correspondents (ABS-CBN) earlier this week? Kasi ang headline nila ay "Tawi-Tawi, mawawala na sa mapa ng Pilipinas?". Ito ay dahil ginagawa ng negosyo doon ang pagtatanggal ng puti at pinong buhangin du'n para ibenta at binibili naman 'to ng mga resort developers mula sa ibang lugar. Ngayon unti-unti ng kinakain ng dagat ang Tawi-Tawi. :ohno:

Napanood ko 'yon. Nakatakot nga talga kasi talagang kitang-kita mo ang mga buhanging nawala. Given few years pa, totally mawawala na yan kung di pagbibigyan ng pansin.

Weina

April 30th, 2008, 07:30 AM

di ba pinag babawalan ang pagkuha nang sands sa tawi tawi? i know some places that have laws regarding this. pinag babawalan ang pagkuha nang sands

@baywalk - it's like a cemetery during night time, especially on the other side of the road fronting US embassy. ang daming natutulog don, nakahilera na mga bodies:lol: the bay also is full of garbage. at least this is what i saw on my stay in manila last nov.

crappypants

April 30th, 2008, 09:20 AM

Baka ginamit para sa boracay mansion ni erap.

amigo32

April 30th, 2008, 11:49 AM

ang alam ko sa construction din ng mga gusali ng tawi-tawi ginamit. ini-export ba nila ang mga yun sa ibang lugar?

crappypants

April 30th, 2008, 11:00 PM

i know thee are some beach resorts in Cavite, mactan, use those fake white sands, hauled away from other places.

GearX

May 5th, 2008, 09:18 AM

Our government should promote lesser known but definitely much more beautiful than over-exposed areas by DOT

Tinuy-An Falls, Bislig

this is something that will put over exposed Pagsanjan to shame :)

http://gerryruiz.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/80426-tinuyanfalls-w-0452.jpg

so you must have thought this is Niagara?, nope siree, its in Caraga, in Tinuy-an, Bislig City:)
http://gerryruiz.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/80426-tinuyanfalls-w-0639.jpg

thundering cascading waters
http://gerryruiz.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/80426-tinuyanfalls-w-0644.jpg

http://gerryruiz.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/80426-tinuyanfalls-w-0556.jpg

come to Caraga, we have a whirlpool of surprises for those tired of just the usual destinations :)
http://gerryruiz.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/80426-tinuyanfalls-w-0573.jpg

Bislig City can be reached through Butuan by Cebu Pacific 14 times a week from Manila and 3 times a week from Cebu. Philippine Airlines 11 times a week through Butuan from Manila and daily from Cebu..:)

biyahe na:)

icarusrising

May 5th, 2008, 04:08 PM

^^ Wow!

That's one mighty and gorgeous waterfall! It will indeed put Pagsanjan to shame.

kiretoce

May 5th, 2008, 05:15 PM

Post away folks! :colgate:

kiretoce

May 5th, 2008, 05:16 PM

New thread! (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=621008) :colgate:

:lock:

GearX

May 6th, 2008, 05:36 AM

re-post ko ulit baka meron hindi naka basa...

Our government should promote lesser known but definitely much more beautiful than over-exposed areas by DOT

Tinuy-An Falls, Bislig City

this is something that will put over exposed pagsanjan to shame :)

http://gerryruiz.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/80426-tinuyanfalls-w-0452.jpg

so you must have thought this is Niagara?, nope siree, its in Caraga, in Tinuy-an, Bislig City :)
http://gerryruiz.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/80426-tinuyanfalls-w-0639.jpg

thundering cascading waters
http://gerryruiz.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/80426-tinuyanfalls-w-0644.jpg

http://gerryruiz.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/80426-tinuyanfalls-w-0556.jpg

come to Caraga, we have a whirlpool of surprises for those tired of just the usual destinations :)
http://gerryruiz.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/80426-tinuyanfalls-w-0573.jpg

Bislig City can be reached through Butuan by Cebu Pacific 14 times a week from Manila and 3 times a week from Cebu. Philippine Airlines 11 times a week through Butuan from Manila and daily from Cebu..:)

biyahe na:)

kyle@1008

May 6th, 2008, 06:05 AM

^^ oh my god!! that's sooo nice,...way better than overrated Pagsanjan...

garzland

May 6th, 2008, 03:08 PM

Wow, looks like Niagara...

mwg12a

May 6th, 2008, 06:17 PM

Nah, it does not look like Niagara falls at all but it's definitely beautiful...

flymordecai

May 6th, 2008, 11:39 PM

Nothing like Niagara. Although it looks like the waterfalls in Naboo in Star Wars Episode II.

kiretoce

May 7th, 2008, 01:43 AM

Not exactly like Niagara Falls, but more like Victoria Falls (look below).

Victoria Falls, straddling the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Victoriaf%C3%A4lle.jpg/800px-Victoriaf%C3%A4lle.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Tourists_swimming_at_Victoria_Falls.jpg/800px-Tourists_swimming_at_Victoria_Falls.jpg

GearX

May 7th, 2008, 03:30 AM

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Tourists_swimming_at_Victoria_Falls.jpg/800px-Tourists_swimming_at_Victoria_Falls.jpg

this is scary....

DOT launches nationwide campaign on adventure tourism (http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/05072008/economy06.html)

By Joel P. Mapiles
Correspondent

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The Department of Tourism (DOT) is set to embark on a nationwide campaign to increase awareness and promote the country’s adventure and ecotourism destinations and activities.

DOT Region 3 Director Ronaldo Tiotuico said Secretary Joseph Ace Durano is keen about absorbing a bigger slice of the adventure and experiential travel market and consequently position the country as an adventure destination in Asia.

Dubbed as “Adventure Philippines Campaign,” the program aims to create positive awareness for the Philippines as an exciting outdoor-travel destination; to educate the industry stakeholders, including tour operators/travel agents, guides, suppliers, outdoor recreational clubs or societies, on adventure travel and its potentials; and to foster or strengthen networking capacity and working relationship between travel-service providers and suppliers.

To provide tourism stakeholders and major players an overview of the outdoor-recreation industry and its potential for job generation and social and economic benefits, the tourism department is set to conduct a seminar on the fundamentals of Adventure Tourism 101 slated from June 3 to 5 at Hotel Stotsenberg, Clark Free-port Zone, Pampanga.

The conference is organized by the Philippine Convention & Visitors Corp., in cooperation with the Recreational Outdoor Exchange Partnering with the DOT are the Adventure Travel Trade Association and Philippine Airlines.

Participants to the seminar are set to hold actual adventure travel to the wilds and rainforests of Subic Bay Freeport in Zambales on June 5, where they are bound to try the famous jungle safari, canopy ride and slide for life amid thick vegetation and wildlife sanctuary. Administrator Armand Arreza of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority will sponsor the one-day safari.

A registration fee of P2,500 will be assessed each participant to cover cost of food and snacks for the duration of the seminar, seminar kit including food and snacks and transportation during the postseminar activity in Subic Bay Freeport. Hotel accommodation and other incidental expenses are on pax account.

kiretoce

May 7th, 2008, 04:04 AM

^^ A famous feature of Victoria Falls is a naturally formed pool known as the Devil's Swimming Pool, near the edge of the falls, accessed via Livingstone Island. When the river flow is at a safe level, usually during the months of September and December, people can swim as close as possible to the edge of the falls within the pool without continuing over the edge and falling into the gorge; this is possible due to a natural rock wall just below the water and at the very edge of the falls that stops their progress despite the current.

pau_p1

May 7th, 2008, 08:39 AM

wow.. may ganoong falls pala tayo... ang ganda!

davaob4now

May 7th, 2008, 09:14 AM

ang ganda naman ng tinuy-an falls...dapat e promote yan...di ko akalain may ganyan tayo sa pinas...

@GearX, copy ko lng sa laptop ko ha?pwde?TY

venntro

May 7th, 2008, 09:36 AM

^^ Someone has to tell the City Government of Bislig to have Tinuy-An Falls nominated in the 7 Wonders of Nature competition. Niagara and Victoria Falls are already nominated so why not Tinuy-An Falls? I was wondering how come our magnificent Falls are not nominated. Even if they don't win, just by being nominated will already create awareness among foreign tourists. Individuals may actually nominate Tinuy-An but like what happened to Mayon Volcano, i think there must be some sort of a local committee to support it.

I think we can have the following falls nominated:

(1) Maria Cristina Falls;
(2) Tinuy-An Falls;
(3) Pagsanjan Falls.

naOki

May 7th, 2008, 12:51 PM

Ganda nga ng tinuy-an falls,. Hindi ko alam, meron pala niyan sa pinas,. :lol:

Not exactly like Niagara Falls, but more like Victoria Falls (look below).

Victoria Falls, straddling the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Tourists_swimming_at_Victoria_Falls.jpg/800px-Tourists_swimming_at_Victoria_Falls.jpg

This is really scary,..
but It's freakin' awesome!,. :banana:

absinthe_888

May 8th, 2008, 07:25 PM

any updates on the tourism bill?

barrera_marquez

May 11th, 2008, 08:40 AM

Not exactly like Niagara Falls, but more like Victoria Falls (look below).

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Tourists_swimming_at_Victoria_Falls.jpg/800px-Tourists_swimming_at_Victoria_Falls.jpg

One wrong step and they all will fall into hell...

Johnston

May 11th, 2008, 02:06 PM

Wow, I thought it's Niagara Falls. Amazing!!

amigo32

May 11th, 2008, 02:56 PM

Amazing!

filcan

May 13th, 2008, 11:41 PM

Wow, I thought it's Niagara Falls. Amazing!!

haha...if that was Niagara Falls I dont think that lady would be smiling...:lol:

leechtat

May 14th, 2008, 12:09 PM

One wrong step and they all will fall into hell...

yah.. its so dangerous, its exciting.. you would want to do more than swim at the brink of that falls.. hehe..:lol:

-TC-

May 15th, 2008, 09:25 PM

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/05152008/headlines012.html

Cusi says Naia 3 definitely open for business by year-end
By Recto Mercene
BusinessMirror
May 16, 2008

THE Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) predicted Wednesday that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 will finally open before the year ends.

General manager Alfonso Cusi said they have started to test equipment and facilities, such as the baggage conveyors, the air conditioning and ticket counters. But he warned against expecting full-blown operations. Naia 3 initially would only be used for limited operations until all the kinks have been ironed out. He did not say when will that be.

Cusi made this assurance Wednesday to Rep. Monico Puentebella, chairman of the House transportation committee, who came for a look at the multibillion-peso terminal.

Puentebella was accompanied by Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza, Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales, Air Transportation Office executive director Daniel Dimagiba and other government officials.

Cusi toured the group starting from the arrival area all the way to the customs, immigration and quarantine sections before going down the stairs into the luggage conveyor system.

The group saw that masons are feverishly putting finishing touches on the walls’ cracks, while dozens of workers are repairing the collapsed ceiling, which gave way in 2005.

Cusi said the repair of the ceiling was delayed because the courts have prohibited the Miaa from touching the area until given the go-ahead by the International Court of Commerce in Singapore, which was hearing a complaint filed by the Naia 3 contractor, Philippine International Air Transportation Corp.

He said traffic to the new terminal will be rerouted as part of the plan to decongest the streets and an overhead route has also been started, from in front of the Air Force headquarters.

Puentebella said, “I am very happy that we are finally opening Naia 3, especially now that tourism arrivals are on the rise. I’m very happy with the inspection and I am glad that we will open this very soon.”

He added that the opening should be on time with the expected influx of balikbayan and Filipino workers returning for Christmas and the New Year.

garzland

May 16th, 2008, 12:21 PM

RP tourism arrivals continue to soar (http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp/?p=1912)

Tourist arrivals in the Philippines continue to move from strength to strength. In the first quarter, the influx of tourists gained 8% from same the period last year, that’s an increase of 858,244, and tourism earnings to $1.02 billion.

The Department of Tourism (DoT) reported South Koreans remained as the top market although their number grew by only two percent to 175,147, accounting for 20.4 percent of the total in the first quarter.

The industry’s success in the South Korean market is attributed largely to promotion of a wide range of products, such as golf, diving and honeymoon packages, and English language learning programs.

“These diverse offerings also help to keep the Koreans coming for a second and third visit,” the department report said.

“The challenge is to prevent the Korea market from saturating,” it added.

Arrivals from China showed the fastest growth of 33 percent, reaching 48,629, accounting for 5.7 percent of the total.

Direct flights to Chengdu and Chongqing are available on Philippine Airlines and direct charter flights are underway from Shanghai to Kalibo City in Aklan province, an access point to the resort island of Boracay.

The department said the first quarter results highlighted the Philippines as a destination of choice for high-quality tourists in the targeted markets.

Plans include two major campaigns highlighting on shopping and second home, which are to be launched in the third quarter.

-TC-

May 18th, 2008, 03:54 PM

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news5_may17_2008

From low-fare to no-fare: Airlines in new dogfight
By Roderick T. dela Cruz
Manila Standard Today
May 17, 2008

DOMESTIC carriers are banking steeply for a new dogfight, offering ultra-low or “zero fares” to passengers to increase their share of the booming travel market.

And that fight is expected to toughen further this year with the formation of PAL Express, Philippine Airlines’ new budget carrier that’s expected to serve 22 inter-island routes initially.

Air Philippines, businessman Lucio Tan’s existing budget carrier, yesterday offered zero fares on flights to Bacolod, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, Zamboanga and Davao scheduled from June 16 to Oct. 31 and booked until May 25.

The airline’s new promo followed similar campaigns from Asian Spirit and Cebu Pacific, which introduced “free fares” earlier this year.

Asian Spirit offered zero fares on 12,000 free seats on all its domestic flights from June 1 to Oct. 15 this year. Booking started April 9 and ended April 30.

Cebu Pacific, the Gokongwei group’s budget carrier, said it was offering more than 500,000 domestic and international seats for free from May 15 to 18—or until all allocated seats were taken—for travel from June 9 to Dec. 31 this year.

Air Philippines said tickets would not be entirely free as passengers still must shoulder fuel and insurance surcharges and pay government taxes. Passengers flying between Manila and any destination in the Visayas would still have to pay P1,770 each, and those flying to Davao P2,128 each.

Cebu Pacific said it offered its new promo following the delivery of new aircraft to the carrier.

“We continue to expand and take delivery of brand-new planes, and so we are putting seats that would have been empty on sale,” said Candice Iyog, the carrier’s vice president for marketing.

Its domestic seats with zero fares aside, Cebu Pacific has also allocated more than 100,000 seats on its international routes with zero fares.

“We believe this offering will further stimulate domestic and international travel amid rising fuel costs,” Iyog said.

Cebu Pacific recently took delivery of its 18th brand-new Airbus aircraft. It also has two turbo-prop ATR 72 aircraft that it uses for short-haul travel to routes including the Manila-Caticlan segment.

Animo

May 19th, 2008, 05:55 PM

By Joey A. Gabieta (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080518-137359/Leyte-geothermal-field-to-be-cited-as-tourist-spot-in-Spain)
Visayas Bureau
First Posted 21:03:00 05/18/2008

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines--The geothermal field of Tongonan, Leyte will be among the country's "natural wonders" that will be showcased in June's international exposition in Spain.

Susana Del Mundo, deputy commissioner general of the Philippine Organizing Committee of the Expo Zaragoza 2008, said they decided to showcase Tongonan as it could become a tourist attraction in Leyte.

The geothermal field in Tonongan, a village which straddles Kananga town and Ormoc City, is the main source of power of Eastern Visayas and also supplies energy to both the Visayas and Luzon grids.

It is the largest wet steam production field in the world and second to the United States as source of geothermal energy.

"This is a very good [tourism] showcase which Leyte and the entire Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) can be proud of," said Del Mundo, who visited Tongonan last week.

Aside from the geothermal field complex in Tongonan, other natural wonders in the country will also be featured in the international exposition that will be held in Zaragoza City, Spain from June 14 to Sept. 14. Among them are the Tubbataha Reef in Palawan; Batanes; Donsol, Sorsogon; Bohol; and the Rice Terraces in Ifugao.

All these would be showcased through an audio-visual presentation, Del Mundo said.

The International Exposition in Zaragoza, Spain, will be participated in by 110 countries with an estimated six million visitors during its entire 93-day run, according to Del Mundo.

She said said this could be a good opportunity for the country to entice tourists, particularly Europeans, to come to the Philippines.

Europeans accounted for only a fraction of the country's tourist arrivals, Del Mundo said.

The Philippines, which was ruled for 300 years by Spain, formally established diplomatic relations with its former ruler on Sept. 27, 1947 that resulted in several agreements and visits by their respective leaders. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo made a state visit to Spain in June 2006.

About 50,000 Filipinos at present live and work in Spain, one of the most economically developed countries in Europe.

Del Mundo said a group of Spanish journalists have been invited to the country to see for themselves the sites listed by the Department of Tourism for the international exposition.

Maxxclip

May 20th, 2008, 08:58 AM

hanggat walang kaayusan (Peace and Order) sa bansa... hindi tayo papansinin ng mga turista IMO

federalist

May 20th, 2008, 10:16 AM

i think youre wrong there. it depends on what part of the country.. :)

Maxxclip

May 21st, 2008, 01:46 AM

^^really...? okie, what i'm saying is total peace and order ;)

lightsaber46

May 21st, 2008, 02:56 AM

Bares hotel-resort dev’t in Boracay

SMC takes control of comm’l bank
http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS20080521125157.html#

Food and drinks giant San Miguel Corp., headed by Eduardo M. Cojuangco Jr. as Chairman and CEO, is taking a majority stake in a local bank and is in talks to develop a luxury hotel on the central resort island of Boracay as part of its diversification strategy.

The group said yesterday that property subsidiary San Miguel Properties and its retirement fund planned to increase their stake in Bank of Commerce to 51 percent from 34 percent. No price was put on the purchase.

The two units bought the initial stake in the bank about 7 months ago for around R2 billion.

Bank of Commerce is partly owned by Antonio Cojuangco, un uncle of the SMC chairman/CEO, last year had net income of R504 million, flat from a year earlier, with total assets of P76.6 billion.

Since announcing last year it wanted to diversify into heavy industry at home after failing to achieve high-growth rates from overseas food and drinks acquisitions, San Miguel has signed some property deals but has not made a major investment in its other favored fields of mining and energy.

San Miguel Properties said it planned to spend P1.0 billion to P2.5 billion for the initial development of a 28-hectare property on the central island of Boracay, one of the Philippines’ top holiday destinations.

San Miguel Properties said it hoped to sign a deal with the property owner before the end of the year and was looking to build a five-star hotel, a condominium complex and a mall on the site.

The unit has earmarked up to R5 billion for residential and commercial property projects for this year and next.

Earlier this month, San Miguel listed its flagship domestic beer division and the group said yesterday agents Citigroup and ATR Kim Eng Capital Partners have exercised an over-allotment option for 155.577 million shares.

The brewery unit, valued at around $ 3.6 billion and accounting for about 40 percent of the parent company’s operating profit, offered 5 percent of its stock to local and overseas investors at 8 pesos each to raise $ 147 million. (Reuters)

venntro

May 21st, 2008, 08:17 AM

I just checked the latest ranking of the NEW 7 WONDERS of NATURE and as of latest count, three Philippine entries are in the TOP 10 with Palawan's Underground river occupying 10th spot. Good news is that MAYON VOLCANO is back in the nominee list and is currently in the mid 30's in the ranking.

SUPPORT ALL 4 Philippine entries!!!

pau_p1

May 22nd, 2008, 07:31 AM

just like to share my pictures of my visit to the Pahiyas Festival 2008...kahit maulan that day...:D

http://images.pausoyu.multiply.com/image/3/photos/27/500x500/71/DSC07423.JPG?et=btgO7xFTZVVhlD9aHwBTrg&nmid=96362878

http://images.pausoyu.multiply.com/image/3/photos/27/500x500/70/DSC07421.JPG?et=ehUcpkdK%2B4%2B2Tnz7kKGe8Q&nmid=96362878

http://images.pausoyu.multiply.com/image/3/photos/27/500x500/69/DSC07416.JPG?et=5cVky11eTmtYFhIN5EqqFA&nmid=96362878

http://images.pausoyu.multiply.com/image/3/photos/27/500x500/7/DSC07284.JPG?et=6QlMoFaisa3fK5IfTihPsg&nmid=96362878

http://images.pausoyu.multiply.com/image/3/photos/27/500x500/8/DSC07285.JPG?et=gFIG4DwtaNU%2CR%2CArI%2CaRcg&nmid=96362878

http://images.pausoyu.multiply.com/image/3/photos/27/500x500/18/DSC07298.JPG?et=wGgd6XuOtqgkltxjRSzD8g&nmid=96362878

http://images.pausoyu.multiply.com/image/3/photos/27/500x500/51/DSC07377.JPG?et=JgJ5B6prcXVXG6DOZLvK1Q&nmid=96362878

http://images.pausoyu.multiply.com/image/3/photos/27/500x500/58/DSC07389.JPG?et=KMC%2BvRUgp5jeqjygqwRWDQ&nmid=96362878

http://images.pausoyu.multiply.com/image/3/photos/27/500x500/55/DSC07385.JPG?et=CPVDgICeC4XvAQP5sikROA&nmid=96362878

http://images.pausoyu.multiply.com/image/3/photos/27/500x500/63/DSC07400.JPG?et=%2BkScXw7JeoV5daClf3Nq0w&nmid=96362878

RonnieR

May 22nd, 2008, 09:45 AM

nice pictures of Pahiyas...this is a classic example of a pure filipino fiesta.

Rall

May 22nd, 2008, 12:06 PM

just like to share my pictures of my visit to the Pahiyas Festival 2008...kahit maulan that day...:D

http://images.pausoyu.multiply.com/image/3/photos/27/500x500/51/DSC07377.JPG?et=JgJ5B6prcXVXG6DOZLvK1Q&nmid=96362878

Jollibee's booth?

jbkayaker12

May 22nd, 2008, 12:39 PM

Just came back from my Philippine vacation with my roomate once again. This time our destination was Boracay Island. What a letdown. The whole island was a MESS. Worse, when we arrive there was a storm in the area and local authorities do not even bother cleaning up the beaches.

HELLOOOO, people come to Boracay because of its beaches. Local authorities should take the extra time to clean up the shoreline on a daily basis to complement whatever cleaning the local resorts are doing but sad to say, local authorities are just ignoring the mess of debris washed up on the shoreline of Boracay. Disappointing really when you see the whole island being a MESS. Construction debris being left on the middle of the road, side of the road and aside from that, garbage.

I was very disappointed and yes embarrased once again that I brought my friend to this island only to see it this way. You would think you're in Metro Manila with all the filth and pollution on this island. Worse, the air pollution and rotten narrow streets and sidewalks are so bad because of the lack of maintenance and the diesel spewing motorcycles with sidecars. Boracay Island is supposed to be what one of the best islands in the Philippines as touted by the Tourism Dept and yet they dont even bother to keep it clean and orderly.

Department of Tourism and local authorities WAKE UP!!!!!

amigo32

May 22nd, 2008, 01:05 PM

^^really...? okie, what i'm saying is total peace and order ;)

anong bansa naman meron noon? USA? Spain? Africa?

wynngd

May 22nd, 2008, 02:18 PM

^^Hehehe, actually mapayapa naman ang Pinas eh, eksage lang ang mga Press natin :lol:... Pero kung gusto mo humanap ng Sobrang Peace talaga at walang gulo kahit sa USA, Spain or Africa wala nun. Sa Antartica pwede... hehehehe...

dancethingy

May 22nd, 2008, 03:44 PM

Get the phone number of the mayor! I'd put the blame on that idiot. I know its peak season but they should still maintain the damn island.

WHERE DOES THE ENVIRONMENTAL TAX GO?!?!?!?!!?!?!

Just came back from my Philippine vacation with my roomate once again. This time our destination was Boracay Island. What a letdown. The whole island was a MESS. Worse, when we arrive there was a storm in the area and local authorities do not even bother cleaning up the beaches.

HELLOOOO, people come to Boracay because of its beaches. Local authorities should take the extra time to clean up the shoreline on a daily basis to complement whatever cleaning the local resorts are doing but sad to say, local authorities are just ignoring the mess of debris washed up on the shoreling of Boracay. Disappointing really when you see the whole island being a MESS. Construction debris being left on the middle of the road, side of the road and aside from that, garbage.

I was very disappointed and yes embarrased once again that I brought my friend to this island only to see it this way. You would think you're in Metro Manila with all the filth and pollution on this island. Worse, the air pollution and rotten narrow streets and sidewalks are so bad because of the lack of maintenance and the diesel spewing motorcycles with sidecars. Boracay Island is supposed to be what one of the best islands in the Philippines as touted by the Tourism Dept and yet they dont even bother to keep it clean and orderly.

Department of Tourism and local authorities WAKE UP!!!!!

IndioBravo

May 22nd, 2008, 09:07 PM

^^Agree to that.Boracay will be better if they have buses for tourist instead of tricycles.I'm sure tourists will prefer buses air-con or not to get to specific areas of Boracay.I had the same experience about that outdated mode of transport.Main tourist destination deserves a better means to move about.All those tricycles kept on clogging the streets,aside from the noise and air pollution it produces.Sayang talaga.World Class resort, 3rd world tranport.:)....I know some people will say,what will happen to the displaced tri. drivers.Then the private bus company can employ them instead.:cheers:

jbkayaker12

May 22nd, 2008, 11:30 PM

^^^The island does not have the infrastructure to accomodate regular size cars and busses. Resorts do have small vans which is narrow bodied and even then these can barely fit on the alleys and the main street on the island.

Motorcycles with side cars are pretty much the only mode of transport there giving livelihood to the people but sad to say these are also the same reason of making your stay on the island unpleasant because of the air pollution and the noise pollution. You can smell the diesel fumes when riding these mode of transport.

pau_p1

May 23rd, 2008, 02:27 AM

Jollibee's booth?

nope.. that's Jollibee's house.. hehehe... Jollibee sponsored the decoration of it and he's at the window...

jpdm

May 23rd, 2008, 09:33 AM

Motorcycles with side cars are pretty much the only mode of transport there giving livelihood to the people but sad to say these are also the same reason of making your stay on the island unpleasant because of the air pollution and the noise pollution. You can smell the diesel fumes when riding these mode of transport.

umm...diesel fumes?

garzland

May 23rd, 2008, 02:02 PM

RP tourism generates $1B in first quarter (http://www.bicolmail.com/issue/2008/may22/tourism.html)

THE Arroyo administration’s efforts at promoting the Philippines as a tourism destination are paying off with tourists spending a total of some $1 billion in the country during the first quarter of 2008 alone.

This was revealed by the Department of Tourism (DOT) which enthused that “these positive results have laid down the groundwork for another promising year for the industry.”

“These developments further benefit a greater part of the nation as more quality jobs are generated and more wealth enters our country,” added the DOT headed by Ace Durano who has since taken over the helm of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) in a concurrent capacity.

The DOT, which sourced its data from arrival and departure cards and shipping manifests, counted 858,244 “arrivals” from January to March 2008, and which first-quarter group of tourists spent a total of US$ 1.022 billion.

“Tourist spending amounted to US$ 1.02 billion, with Korea accounting for the biggest bulk. The Scandinavian region, as well as Germany, Russia,

Canada and Hong Kong, registered double-digit gains as shown by their increasing expenditure and length of stay over the previous years,” the DOT further revealed in its latest newsletter.

Koreans topped the arrivals in terms of number during the first quarter, with 175,147 Koreans visiting the country, and accounting for 20.4 percent of the total tourist arrivals.

The next biggest group came from the United States, with the 166,128 tourists making up 19.4 percent; followed by tourists from Japan at 99,453(11.6 percent).

Fourth to sixth were mainland China with 48,619 (5.7 percent); followed by Taiwan with 31,441 (3.7 percent); and Hong Kong, 31,344 (3.7 percent).If lumped together, the Chinese group totals 111,404 (13.1 percent), more than the Japanese tourists. Australians (30,936 or 3.6 percent), Canadians (29,525 or 3.4 percent) and UK nationals (23,863 or 2.8 percent) comprised the next biggest bulk of tourists, with their arrivals totaling 84,324 (9.8 percent).

In tenth place were the Singaporean tourists at 23,761 (2.8 percent).

To further increase the “tourist spend,” the DOT will be launching a Shopping Festival in September, and a Second Home Destination Program in October.

jpdm

May 23rd, 2008, 02:19 PM

^^i hope the government should launch a nationwide clean up program so that the country will be more livable and attractive to foreigners and pinoys alike..

...As the showcase of the Philippines...major cities in the Philippines..most especially stinking Metro Manila should be massively cleaned up by the government....

barukdok

May 23rd, 2008, 02:35 PM

hanggat walang kaayusan (Peace and Order) sa bansa... hindi tayo papansinin ng mga turista IMO

my god! what did they do to you?!

IndioBravo

May 23rd, 2008, 11:47 PM

I seriously hope the local govt. of Boracay will consider improving public transpo in the island paradise.Aside from the conservation efforts,transpo should be a priority.Sana.

spearhead

May 24th, 2008, 05:44 AM

Just wanna share this video that i discovered recently, an honest video compilation by a spanish tourist in the philippines who posted it in youtube.

7GTmMyLSoVg

November 2, 2006
The final part of a journey into this amazing country, full of contrasts where the beauty, richness and poverty live together as one.
Último capítulo de uma jornada a esse país surpreendente, repleto de diferenças, onde a beleza, riqueza e pobreza vivem em comum.

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noLcpi_1Vt8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13FVTP2JmX0&feature=related
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn7eODTu9sI&feature=related

-TC-

May 24th, 2008, 06:16 AM

HELP!

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20080523-138246/Starfish-attack-Palawan-reefs

Starfish attack Palawan reefs
By Redempto Anda
Philippine Daily Inquirer
05/23/2008

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY – Palawan’s coral reefs are under heavy attack by the Crown of Thorns starfish, and municipal governments, even high-end resorts like Amanpulo and Dos Palmas, are seeking immediate assistance.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on Wednesday raised concern that the heavy infestation of the Crown of Thorns (Acanthaster planci), the largest starfish species and voracious eater of hard corals, was threatening the province’s fish production.

“The numbers are too high already that there is a need for human intervention to collect and destroy these Crowns of Thorns, in the absence of natural predators that are supposed to regulate their population,” BFAR provincial head Paciano Guianan told the Inquirer.

Municipalities have reported widespread coral reef bleaching and have passed legislative measures calling for assistance from the national government. Resorts that rely on the pristine reefs to attract visitors have also asked help from the BFAR and have begun paying fishermen to collect the coral predators.

Common in tropical climates, the Crown of Thorns is found in aggregations and suck the coral polyps to death. Scientists attribute the infestation to the absence or predator species, particularly triton shells and a wrasse species that eat the starfish eggs.

Among the heavily affected area is Roxas town in Palawan’s eastern coast. Its council passed last week an ordinance setting aside money to purchase collected starfish from fishermen at P2 apiece.

“At least 300 hectares of coral reefs in nine marine protected areas (in Roxas) are already heavily affected,” Sheila Albasin, project manager of the World Wildlife Fund Philippines, said.

Dina Andres, an official of Amanpulo resort in the Cuyo Islands Group, reported that the infestation began right before summer. “It was really scary because they were so many. In Pamalican, we are doing our share by collecting and burying them in order to save the corals,” she told the Inquirer.

At one point, divers were hauling in as much as 1,200 starfish a day, Andres said.

Glessele Batin, a marine research coordinator for Dos Palmas Resorts, said over 30,000 Crown of Thorns had been collected by fishermen in Honda Bay since mid-February. “Because of these interventions, the number seems to be decreasing and the sizes of the starfish are decreasing,” Batin said.

The marine menace has not spared even the deep-sea coral reef ecosystems, such as the Tubbataha Reefs, a world heritage site and protected area, in the middle of Sulu Sea over 80 nautical miles from the city.

jaywalker

May 24th, 2008, 06:27 AM

Arroyo goes scuba diving in waters off Sipalay, Negros Occ
By RAGIE MAE TANO-ARELLANO
ABS-CBN Bacolod

President Arroyo dove into the waters of Campomanes Bay in Sipalay City, south of Negros Occidental, Wednesday afternoon.

Wearing her pink and black scuba diving suit, President Arroyo dove into the waters of Campomanes Bay around 4 pm.

Residents who witnessed the President's arrival Wednesday morning said Mrs. Arroyo immediately dove into the waters after the helicopter she was in landed on the presidential yacht BRP Ang Pangulo.

"Her bodyguards, the PSG (Presidential Security Group) and Navy frogmen were helping her when she dove into the waters", said Troy Gedang, a member of Bantay Dagat of Sipalay who was one of those who personally saw how the President managed to dive.

They were so happy to see President Arroyo in her scuba diving suit dive like a pro. Mrs. Arroyo is known to be a scuba diving enthusiast.

"She can be a big help in promoting tourism of Sipalay", added Gedang.

President Arroyo in her earlier visits to Bacolod in previous years announced that the government is taking efforts to make Sipalay a world tourist destination, next to Boracay.

The President is set to be the guest of honor in Thursday's Western Visayas Local Peace and Security Assembly in Planta Centro Bacolod Hotel.
^^^^

GearX

May 24th, 2008, 06:40 AM

jbkayaker12

May 24th, 2008, 11:41 AM

umm...diesel fumes?

Diesel exhaust emissions from vehicles on the road in the Philippines, be it in Boracay Island or the whole of the Philippines. Diesel is not a clean burning fuel. Diesel fumes are obviously polluting not just the island but the whole of Metro Manila and the Philippines. You can smell it terribly.

barrera_marquez

May 24th, 2008, 01:44 PM

Diesel exhaust emmisions from vehicles on the road in the Philippines, be it in Boracay Island or the whole of the Philippines. Diesel is not a clean burning fuel. Diesel fumes are obviously polluting not just the island but the whole of Metro Manila and the Philippines. You can smell it terribly.

Natural gas na lang tayo... mas maganda at malinis pa...

wynngd

May 24th, 2008, 07:23 PM

Bicol Trip

Caramoan
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3166/2519090068_641e9fefeb.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2302/2519090906_9cf0f4e9a7.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3066/2518269007_34d47ff134.jpg

CWC
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2001/2518270181_80fed6abfa.jpg

Naga City Church
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2354/2519092272_246a9b3846.jpg

For more pictures kindly visit my blog http://wynngd.blogspot.com/

jbkayaker12

May 24th, 2008, 09:59 PM

Natural gas na lang tayo... mas maganda at malinis pa...

It'll be a gargantuan task just to convert all the vehicles in the Philippines to a better or "clean" burning fuel like unleaded or natural gas besides, there should be regulations on emissions on vehicles much like what is being done here in the US. Vehicles should pass a smog check before it can be registered. Emissions from vehicles are so bad in the Philippines you can actually see the black smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe.

dancethingy

May 24th, 2008, 10:40 PM

^^ There are already regulations regarding emissions testing in the Philippines, they just aren't being carried out properly. Things are much easier said than done. Having lived more than a year in the Philippines i know that things will change, but it will change at a pace that is slow and a pace it can cope with. The important thing is to keep pushing for that change and to be the change you want to see for your country (like what Ghandi said).

jbkayaker12

May 25th, 2008, 03:10 AM

What good is regulation when it is not being implemented.

The problem with the Philippines is there is no sense of URGENCY. Everything is at a snail pace so developments, improvements and progress also come at a snail pace. Travellers to the Philippines get a very bad impression of the country because of a lot things not being properly done. The only reason why I keep coming back to the Philippines is because I have Filipino blood, many foreigners will think twice of coming back to the Philippines after their initial visit because of the situation there and Im not even talking about peace and order.

Dept of Tourism bragging about record tourist arrivals in the Philippines is nothing compared to the rest of Asia and the world.

jpdm

May 25th, 2008, 07:32 AM

jpdm

May 25th, 2008, 07:35 AM

Diesel exhaust emissions from vehicles on the road in the Philippines, be it in Boracay Island or the whole of the Philippines. Diesel is not a clean burning fuel. Diesel fumes are obviously polluting not just the island but the whole of Metro Manila and the Philippines. You can smell it terribly.

Im referring to Boracay...(because they are using tricycles/multicabs there-- vehicles which use gasoline engines)

Any way,

Yes, I agree with you, sana our transport sector will resort to alternative fuels or cleaner fuels...

garzland

May 26th, 2008, 02:51 AM

Tourist arrivals up in Jan.-April (http://www.bworldonline.com/BW052608/content.php?id=053)

THE PHILIPPINES attracted more foreign travelers from January to April, with Americans, South Koreans and Japanese topping the list.

In a report, the Department of Tourism said tourist arrivals grew by 7.5% in January to April to 1.11 million from 1.03 million last year. For April alone, arrivals reached 253,869, up by 4.3% from 243,441 in 2007. Tourists spent $1.34 billion from January to April.

Americans accounted for 18.5% of the total or 47,013 arrivals, while 45,382 South Koreans visited the country, cornering a share of 17.9%.

Japanese tourists meanwhile totaled 29,295, followed by China with 13,845 and Australia with 9,904, data showed.

The Scandinavian market also contributed significant growth with 13.3% more Norwegians visiting the country, followed by the Irish with a 6.9% growth in tourist arrivals, the Swedish with 5.4%, and the Danish by 5.2%.

During the first four months, 11 cruise ships arrived with seven ships disembarking in Manila with a total of 8,197 visitors, while the remaining cruise liners had ports of call in Subic, Cebu and Davao with total visitors of 1,321.

The Philippine tourism industry is expected to earn at least $15.1 billion — or about P636.4 billion — and generate 3.54 million jobs this year. — B. S. Sto. Domingo

pau_p1

May 26th, 2008, 06:02 AM

last night at Mel and Joey they featured the Hop On and Hop Off tours on Jeepney Tours.. I'd hope that there'll be more of these opening their services in the metro! sana nga pati Calesa Tours meron tayo heheheh...

Sinjin P.

May 26th, 2008, 06:20 AM

Very nice!:cheers:

I hope Southrail will be rehabilitated (modernized) so that travel time going to and from Bicol will be reduced...

And unfortunately, nauudlot ang proyektong 'yan dahil binabahiran ngayon ng kontrobersiya.

crappypants

May 26th, 2008, 09:41 AM

akala ko naayos na Boracay. sayang naman ang boracay super one of a kind pa naman ito. .

garzland

May 26th, 2008, 10:04 AM

jpdm

May 26th, 2008, 12:02 PM

And unfortunately, nauudlot ang proyektong 'yan dahil binabahiran ngayon ng kontrobersiya.

I think ang problema sa Southrail yung right of way...kulang ang budget around 2 billion pesos kasi...walang problema sa contract dun...

..Im very excited about this railway because it will open Bicol to more tourists....:)

garzland

May 26th, 2008, 12:50 PM

^^Lalo na ngayon na grabe ang itinaas ng foreign tourists sa Bicol kaya sana matupad ang pangarap nating matapos ito.

IndioBravo

May 26th, 2008, 03:09 PM

Sana, there will be a line to Cam Sur.I really like Gov El Rey's vision and optimism for his province.He has actually put Cam Sur in the world map by his wakeboarding endeavor,although an elitist sport:) it has provided employment to his people.It's a great start for a once unknown province.:cheers:

garzland

May 26th, 2008, 05:32 PM

^^I really admire him for that. Just few years ago, Camarines Sur was like not existing in this part of the world and eventually it's the talk of the town.

odyssey

May 27th, 2008, 01:21 AM

Why tourism is slow to take off
TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS By Babe Romualdez
Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Tom Culligan, a real estate magnate from San Francisco who regularly comes to the Philippines to play golf flew in last week. But what was supposed to be a pleasant visit was promptly soured because he lost his luggage – only recovering it several days later. Apparently, Tom’s bag was lost because the staff of some big shot politician who arrived on the same flight took the bag without even checking the tag and all. In fact, the bag didn’t even go through the baggage carousel, with the big shot politician’s staff just arrogantly taking it. Another disgusting display of abuse of power.

When PAL was still under government control, there was also an incident on a flight where American business executives were routinely bumped off from their first class seats to accommodate the son of a government official and his friends. The incident left a bad taste in the mouth of the American executives who swore they will never visit the country again – consequently putting a large investment in Thailand instead of the Philippines as they originally intended. Such embarrassing incidents like these are some of the reasons why in spite of the efforts of Ace Durano, tourism in this country has been slow to take off compared to other countries. People who come here to visit are disgusted at the blatant breaking of rules especially by politicians who want to flaunt their power and influence wherever they go.

True, the Philippines broke the three-million mark in tourist arrivals last year. But in a $7-trillion industry with close to a billion people traveling all over the world, three million is definitely slim pickings. Thailand attracts 14 million tourists, Malaysia averages 20 million, Singapore gets about 10 million while Vietnam has five to six million visitors a year. But how can we accelerate the growth for this sector if foreign visitors are aggrieved by the blatant disregard of rules by Filipinos themselves, if security continues to be lax, if whole-day long brownouts occur because there are no backup generators, if toilets look disgusting and dirty?

Like I have always said, we should focus on developing the tourism industry because of its great potential in bolstering our economy. With eco-tourism becoming a growing trend, the Philippines has a lot of areas particularly in the countryside which could be converted into eco-tourist destinations. As a matter of fact, three of our natural attractions are at the forefront of the search for “The New Seven Wonders of Nature,” a contest running through Dec. 31 and spearheaded by the same group that launched “The New Seven Wonders of the World” last year. The Tubbataha Reef – a marine sanctuary of more than 1,000 species is ranked No. 6; the Chocolate Hills in Bohol follows closely at No. 7; the St. Paul underground river in Palawan is at No. 10 while Mayon Volcano is still a strong contender at No. 12.

Unfortunately, unregulated construction activities as well as destructive practices are putting a lot of our tourist sites in danger of degradation. Take for instance what’s been happening in Boracay – an area slowly being destroyed by overbuilding. Fortunately, DENR Secretary Lito Atienza is showing firm resolve by putting a stop to the construction frenzy in the world-famous resort island, filing graft charges against local officials for allowing the uncontrolled construction activities in the area. This is a good move on the part of Atienza, although he might want to consider the possibility that overpopulation is exacerbating pollution in Boracay. A study disclosed that groundwater in Boracay is polluted with sewage and contaminated by coliform bacteria because local residents are using groundwater wells for their domestic activities. The sewage system cannot accommodate the current volume of sewage from tourists and local residents alike, “much less the rapid future increases caused by uncontrolled building and population growth,” the study said.

The gruesome Laguna murders and the recent news about renewed clashes between the military and MILF and Abu Sayyaf renegades in western Mindanao could portray the Philippines again as a dangerous country – which should remind us not to sensationalize such stories and scare off visitors in the process. Other controversies have been hounding the country, like the disgraceful “canister scandal” publicized over YouTube and the penis enlargement job allegedly botched by a popular cosmetic surgeon which could set back efforts to promote wellness and medical tourism in the country.

But like they say, hope springs eternal, and I continue to believe that there are a lot of things going for the Philippines to become a major tourism hub in the near future. The visit of Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej is one opportunity that can boost tourism in the ASEAN region and ultimately, the Philippines with the proposal to adopt a single visa policy for tourists who want to travel within the 10-nation bloc. Another welcome development is the designation of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) as the port of entry for the proposed open skies agreement to be inked in December. The DMIA can become the Philippines’ premier gateway, with its two runways able to accommodate even the biggest aircraft in the world. Expansion projects have been started to accommodate up to eight million passengers a year, which is just as well considering NAIA’s antiquated facilities and limited runway capacity. The mothballed NAIA Terminal 3 has been languishing for more than five years since its completion, saddled with controversy and legal problems, and not many are holding their breath that the announced June schedule for its opening will be met.

There are so many opportunities to promote tourism in the country and accelerate its growth. Authorities just have to focus on areas that need to be developed and strengthened – and they can start by making sure rules are followed – even by big shot politicians hungry to flaunt their influence and power.

wynngd

May 27th, 2008, 08:11 AM

WOw, you went to Bicol pala!

UU it's been a week na din pero sariwang sariwa pa sa isip ko ung ganda ng Caramoan at ang thrill ng CWC. I'll be back in Bicol para magpractice ng wake board. di ako nakatayo nung una kong punta eh...

kiretoce

May 27th, 2008, 10:46 PM

Nayong Pilipino sa Clark: New Tourist Haven (http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR20080528125845.html)

A newly-opened tourist destination which is now attracting hordes of visitors and tourists is the Nayong Pilipino Sa Clark Expo located inside the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

Envisioned by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as a prime tourist and educational destination, the president personally inaugurated the Nayong Pilipino Foundation, Inc. that enjoys the full support of the president. Its theme is "Buhay Na Yaman" which focuses on the rich indeginous and cultural traditions of the Filipino. The park is a well-synchronized productof inter-agencycollaboration among the Department of Tourism, The Philippine Tourism Authority, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples, the National Historical Institute and the Department of Education.

Featured attractions in the Nayong Pilipino Sa Clark Expo are the authentic Ifugao and Kalinga Villages. A rare Antique Ifugao native house made of all-Narra wood forms part of the Ifugao Village. Transported from far-away Haliap in Kiangan, Ifugao, the old house has a history of having housed six generations of Ifugao families.

A cluster of indigenous Kalinga houses was built by Kalinga National Artist Alonso Saclag. Both the Ifugao and Kalinga houses were made of well-seasoned first-class wood and were built without the use of nails. The parts were ingenously fitted together with pegs and rattan binders by expert native craftsmen.

Daily demonstrations of Cordillera traditional arts and crafts like woodcarving and back-strap weaving, can be enjoyed by visitors to the Ifugao and Kalinga villages. Ifugao and Kalinga dances can be presented upon request of park guests.

Currently under construction are the Muslim and Aeta villages. The four native villages represent the "Pre-colonial Era" of the park.

Executive Director Cecil Alvarez of the National Comission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) announced during the inauguration of the Nayong Pilipino sa Clark Expo that a "School of Living Traditions will be set up this year within the Nayong Pilipino sa Clark compound. The special school will offer opportunities to local and foreign students and visitors to learn the unique ways of life and customs of indigenous Filipinos and get glimpses of their cultural traditions and practices."

The ‘Colonial Era’ portion of the park includes heritage houses replicating the houses of our national heroes which showcase life during the revolutionary period. At the heritage area, visitors are transported to the time of Rizal, Aguinaldo and Mabini.

Another attraction of the park is a replica of the Barasoain church which was the seat of the Philippine revolutionary congress and where the Malolos constitution was drafted. Within the church corridors are exhibits of religious and historical artifacts.

There are cottages and villas at the Nayong Pilipino Sa Clark Expo which offer overnight stay to visitors at a reasonable rate. The park also accepts reservations for weddings, seminars, parties and conferences.

The Nayong Pilipino sa Clark is headed by Dr. Evelyn Kilayko, Chairman of the Board and Atty. Charito L. Planas, Executive Director and Board Members Joy Belmonte-Alimuring, Rosario Anna D. Conti, Imelda S. Gomez, Dr. Alcestis M. Guiang, Atty. Rio C. Inocencio, Susan Calo-Medina and Ma. Lourdes D. Velarde.

garzland

May 31st, 2008, 01:39 PM

Korean firms put up P1-B resort hotel in Subic (http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Tourism_24/Korean_firms_put_up_P1-B_resort_hotel_in_Subic.shtml)

MANILA, May 28 (PNA) — Two South Korean companies have teamed up here recently to put up a resort hotel project worth P1.075 billion, firming up Korean participation in a building boom expected to hit Subic in the next few years.

MGfnd Subic Inc. and Subic Rexmier C&D Co., Ltd. signed an investment deal on Monday for the Rexmier Resort & Hotel, said Administrator Armand Arreza of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

“This is a welcome development considering that we expect more tourists coming in after the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) turned the Subic and Clark free ports into one super-destination for tourists,” Arreza said.

“The resort-hotel itself could serve as a new attraction, especially to foreign tourists,” he added.

The proposed Rexmier Resort & Hotel will be located at a 2.5-hectare lot along Perimeter Road at the Subic Bay Gateway Park and will cater mostly to the growing market in Korean tour junkets, as well as tour groups from the United States and Japan, said MGfnd chairman Chang Young Ryu.

“(Subic) is an excellent place to visit and there is also a strong Korean business community that helped us establish our presence here,” Ryu said.

“Of course, during their stay here in Subic, we would encourage our guests to also visit other attractions here, like beaches, theme parks and the entertainment centers,” he added.

Meanwhile, Rexmier president Nam Young Woo said the resort-hotel will include 170 condotel units and a 43-room hotel complemented by facilities like a 25-meter swimming pool, health and wellness spa, a fusion restaurant-bar, gift shops, and an indoor golf driving range.

He added that the decision to set up the project in Subic was based on an extensive research in the Korean and Philippine tourism markets.

Among the banks that are helping finance the project are NH Investment & Securities, Industrial Bank, Suhyup Bank, Dae Young Savings Bank, and Prime Savings Bank, said Woo.

The Rexmier Resort & Hotel will be among several property development projects slated for implementation in the Subic Bay Freeport starting this year, giving rise to an expected construction boom in the next few years.

Last month, several other property developers signed investment contracts with the SBMA to build condominiums, hotels, restaurants and other leisure projects.

These include Subic Daesung Corp., which committed $ 15 million for mixed-used commercial buildings, and power distributor Subic Enerzone Corp., which pledged $ 10.4 million for hotel and condominium projects.

The SBMA Investor Services Department also said that several construction and property management firms have signed in early this year in anticipation of the projected building boom.
Among them are Hanil E&C Subic, Inc., which put up $ 11 million for the design, planning and construction of medium-to high-rise commercial buildings, and 7-Tower Peroperties and Management Consultants, which committed 5,000 for another real estate management business. (PNA)

garzland

May 31st, 2008, 01:42 PM

PGMA to lead inauguration of Poro Point Tourism Complex (http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Tourism_24/PGMA_to_lead_inauguration_of_Poro_Point_Tourism_Complex.shtml)

PORO POINT FREEPORT ZONE, May 27 (PNA) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo leads Tuesday’s inauguration rites for a luxury hotel and a world-class nine-hole golf course here meant to put San Fernando City, La Union at the world map of major tourist and recreation destinations.

The President is expected to arrive at the Poro Point Freeport Zone in the morning and will be accompanied by members of her official family, notably Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, and Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila.

On hand to welcome Mrs. Arroyo are Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) Chairman Aloysius Santos, BCDA President and CEO Narciso Abaya, Thunderbird Resorts Inc. Chief Executive Officer for Philippine Operations Raul Sueiro, La Union Gov. Manuel Ortega, Rep. Victor Ortega, San Fernando Mayor Pablo Ortega, and the BCDA and Poro Point Management Corporation (PPMC) Board of Directors.

The Poro Point Freeport Zone is under the stewardship of the BCDA through its subsidiary, PPMC.

President Arroyo is expected to lead in the unveiling of the Thunderbird Resort-Poro Point Hotel and Golf Course marker.

Thunderbird has leased some 65.5 hectares of land in the Poro Point Freeport Zone that it is developing into a leisure resort, sports, entertainment and tourism complex.

Thunderbird has so far infused some P700 million in the development of the Poro Point over the past three years. Thunderbird has committed to invest $ 100 million over a 25-year period. It has also contributed P55 million for the upgrade of the San Fernando Airport to enable it to accommodate larger aircraft like Airbus 320 and Boeing 737. The expansion project is slated for completion by year-end.

Underscoring the significance of a fully developed Poro Point Special Economic and Freeport Zone, Abaya said that with the tourism infrastructures in place, Poro Point will attract both local and foreign tourists. “Increased tourist spending will augur well for the economy of La Union,” Abaya said.

Prior to the completion of the hotel and golf course in Poro Point, Thunderbird already operates a 75-seat fine dining restaurant and entertainment complex.

With Thunderbird’s all-out pursuit of its program to develop Poro Point into an “ideal tourist destination,” complemented by BCDA’s upgrading of the San Fernando Airport to ensure easier access to Poro Point, trade and commerce in San Fernando and its neighboring areas are likely to increase significantly.

Among the major benefits of Thunderbird’s investment in Poro Point is the increased number of permanent, full-time job opportunities to the people of La Union.

Thunderbird is committed to source at least 85 percent of its workforce from San Fernando City and the Province of La Union.

Thunderbird Director for Marketing Cheryl Arnold said, the resort features 36 well-appointed luxury suites. Each of the hotel’s 45-square meter suite comes with exclusive amenities such as double-sized beds, a walk-in closet, a bathroom with separate shower and hot tub, hi-speed wireless internet, iPod with docking station & surround sound system, coffee and tea maker, in-room electronic safe, and a balcony that offers breathtaking view of the South China

The Cliffs Golf Course, on the other hand, is a nine-hole, par 72 all-weather championship golf course, designed by the International Management Group (IMG) and maintained by Sta. Elena Properties, Inc.

The golf course features a unique ocean hole that is undoubtedly one of the best Par 3 holes in Asia. Playing from a variety of lengths, this medium to short Par 3 will require precise club selection as the golf ball might end up flying over the cliff and landing on the sea.
“For those who prefer the challenge of water sports, be it jetskiing, kayaking, wake boarding or surfing, there’s much to do in one of the three coves at the adjacent white beach of the Cliffs’Beach Club,” Arnold added. (PNA)

jbkayaker12

May 31st, 2008, 10:30 PM

Aside from its branch in Japan, the Travel Cafe Philippines opened its first branch in the Philippines not long ago, it is a good place to get to know and savor what the Philippines can offer for the eyes and the tummy.:) I love this place, aside from the M Cafe (Museum Cafe), this will be another one of my hangouts when I'm back in Metro Manila.
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v635/jbkayaker12/2007PICS/cafe1.jpg

http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v635/jbkayaker12/2007PICS/kare.jpg
Kare Kare - Oxtail in Peanut Sauce:)

barukdok

June 1st, 2008, 02:59 AM

wow! exotic to the ears :D

crappypants

June 1st, 2008, 04:17 AM

just don't put bagoong on it.

dancethingy

June 1st, 2008, 10:44 AM

^^ But kare kare is soooooo good with bagoong. :)

jbkayaker12

June 1st, 2008, 12:52 PM

The cook was wise enough to put the shrimp paste on the side. Actually, the dish did not need bagoong, it was delicious and pleasing to the eyes as well.:)

jbkayaker12

June 1st, 2008, 01:12 PM

Billy in Boracay Island, it was a bit stormy during our visit so all we did was eat and drink, hahaha!
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v635/jbkayaker12/2007PICS/billy101-1.jpg

http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v635/jbkayaker12/2007PICS/Boracaystorm.jpg

Juan Pilgrim

June 1st, 2008, 08:48 PM

Billy in Boracay Island, it was a bit stormy during our visit so all we did was eat and drink, hahaha!
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v635/jbkayaker12/2007PICS/Boracaystorm.jpg

I have been to Boracay almost every year since 1990's but I've never seen BORACAY this way before.

Looks interesting even with the stormy temperament.

VISIT BORACAY!

:horse:
J.P.

Igsuonnimo

June 1st, 2008, 08:57 PM

^^ Kaibigan subukan mo mag Ati-Atihan sa Kalibo tuwing January :)

jbkayaker12

June 2nd, 2008, 12:26 AM

I have been to Boracay almost every year since 1990's but I've never seen BORACAY this way before.

Looks interesting even with the stormy temperament.

VISIT BORACAY!

:horse:
J.P.

I've visited the island in the past when the weather was favorable but this time even with the stormy weather we still managed to enjoy the trip.:)

RonnieR

June 2nd, 2008, 08:01 AM

[QUOTE=jbkayaker12;21295442]Aside from its branch in Japan, the Travel Cafe Philippines opened its first branch in the Philippines not long ago, it is a good place to get to know and savor what the Philippines can offer for the eyes and the tummy.:) I love this place, aside from the M Cafe (Museum Cafe), this will be another one of my hangouts when I'm back in Metro Manila.
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v635/jbkayaker12/2007PICS/cafe1.jpg
QUOTE]

Phil Travel Cafe at Greenbelt 5 is nice. I like their big serving halo halo and pork knuckles (crispy pata). I've seen a number of foreigners who eat there.

jbkayaker12

June 2nd, 2008, 10:50 AM

The ambiance and the food at Travel Cafe Philippines was great, it would be nice to have one here in Vegas.

garzland

June 2nd, 2008, 11:44 AM

jbkayaker12

June 2nd, 2008, 12:17 PM

Yes, the main beach was stormy and windy but on the other side of the island it was calm and clear. It did drizzle a bit but the conditions on the Bulabog side of Boracay island was better during our visit. We were at the beaches of Fairways and Bluewater. It was really nice, the shoreline on the other beaches of Fairways could use regular cleaning but anyway......

spearhead

June 2nd, 2008, 03:42 PM

Juan Pilgrim

June 2nd, 2008, 04:05 PM

Let's give a warm welcome of our 1st ever Cruise Line:
http://www.gmanews.tv/video/23540/RP...-a-cruise-ship

I wish all the best for this business as a start of this first ever cruise line infrastructure development in the philippines for tourism as well, and hope to see more larger cruise ships in the future.

This is great news for the Philippine Tourism Industry.

The Philippines has been by-passed as a port call by so many asian/ International cruise lines for whatever their reason maybe. But I hope this 71007 Cruise is at par with international cruise standards, makes tons of money and succeed. Then and only then will the other cruise lines take notice.

PHILIPPINE Island hopping just like in the GREEK ISLES.

:horse:
J.P.

Weina

June 3rd, 2008, 11:35 AM

ASEAN members seek closer coordination on tourism thrusts

SOUTHEAST ASIAN nations, the Philippines included, are working towards closer cooperation and coordination of their tourism initiatives, as part of an overall thrust towards economic integration.

Philippines efforts along this line join those of other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as the country hosts the ASEAN Tourism Investment Forum next month, the Department of Tourism said in a statement yesterday.

"The event is part of ASEAN’s goal to promote the region as a single destination for tourism and investments. It will serve as an opportunity to promote solidarity between the Philippines and its neighboring countries," the statement quoted Tourism Sec. Joseph Felix Mari H. Durano as saying.

The forum aims to inform prospective investors from out-side Southeast Asia about ASEAN member states’ economic policies and business requirements.

"The ASEAN region is currently attracting foreign investors who view it as a geographical growth market of high strategic importance. The forum will facilitate this influx by showcasing the key economic strengths of our nations and our considerable manpower and natural resources," the Tourism department said.

The Mutual Recognition Agreement on tourism professionals, which will uphold the civil liberties and privileges of tourism workers, as well as a pact against child sex tourism, will be signed during the forum.

Also included in the agenda is a campaign for the enhancement of cruise tourism within Southeast Asia. The program will be developed from data gathered from annual shipping calls, average spending costs of tourists and the status of home ports and harbors per country.

AGREEMENTS in the works to push the integration of Southeast Asia’s tourism sector. BW File Photo

Other topics to be discussed are climate change studies that boost member states’ capacity to reduce the negative impact of haphazard tourism initiatives on the environment, economy and cultures of various communities.

The Tourism department said it is also proposing a crisis communication seminar to enhance the competence of ASEAN tourism workers in relaying important information during industry-disrupting events like disease outbreaks and natural disasters.

Apart from the Philippines, the ASEAN groups Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, the People’s Democratic Republic of Lao, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Tourism is one of the Philippines’ key growth sectors. From January to April, tourist arrivals grew by 7.5% to 1.11 million from 1.03 million last year. For April alone, arrivals reached 253,869, up by 4.3% from 243,441 in 2007.

Tourists spent $1.34 billion from January to April.

Americans accounted for 18.5% of the total or 47,013 arrivals, while 45,382 South Koreans visited the country, cornering a share of 17.9%. Japanese tourists meanwhile totaled 29,295, followed by China with 13,845 and Australia with 9,904, data showed.

The Philippine tourism industry is expected to earn at least $15.1 billion, or about P636.4 billion, and generate 3.54 million jobs this year. — B. S. Sto. Domingo
http://www.bworldonline.com/BW060308/content.php?id=051

kiretoce

June 4th, 2008, 07:36 PM

That’s entertainment plus–Pagcor style! (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/june/05/yehey/business/20080605bus12.html)

When Pagcor chairman and CEO Efraim Genuino put it about that he aims to make the Philippines the next “Entertainment Center in Asia,” eyebrows were indeed raised especially since Macau and Singapore appeared to be racing ahead on that front.

The idea may seem too lofty for a country plagued with economic and political woes but, Genuino is more than determined to turn this dream into reality.

This early, supporters of Pagcor’s Tourism City project are seeing more than just a new attraction for tourists. The project also means more revenues for national coffers through the infusion of foreign investment, creation of employment opportunities for Filipinos, and a revitalization of the Philippine tourism industry.

It is indeed a grandiose plan especially if you hear them making comparisons with established entertainment centers like Las Vegas and Macau. The US$15-billion Pagcor project is said to include luxury hotels, museums, theaters, arcades, wellness spas, malls, sports arenas, residential villages, a golf course, a state-of-the-art monorail system, theme parks, and lots of other commercial facilities that will complete an integrated recreation and leisure complex.

That’s not all. It will also include retirement homes and medical facilities, a marina, waste management facilities, and an observation tower.

The projected number of jobs to be generated for this entertainment complex is expected to be more than 250,000. This sounds good for all the waiters, sales people, nurses, caddies, chefs, and all other professionals and skilled workers that the many establishments within the complex will need for full operation. That’s in addition to the engineers, architects, construction workers who will be involved in building the giant complex.

There are currently four major investors eyeing the project. They include Genting Berhad of Malaysia (in a joint venture with Alliance Global Group, Inc.), SM Investments Corp. (in a tie-up with Asia Pacific Gaming Corp. of Australia), Aruze Corp. of Japan, and Bloombury Investments of the British Virgin Islands.

Project proposals have already been submitted by the investors, which include a giant Ferris wheel to be named (like the famed London Eye) as the Manila Eye, a Hollywood-themed amusement park, Star Cruises, and a hotel resort facility.

Prominent government officials and personalities have expressed their support to this project. Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile believes that this project is the answer to Filipino poverty. Along with this line of thought, Parañaque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita and Mayor Jun Bernabe both agree that the employment opportunities presented by this project are tremendous.

On the tourism side, former First Lady Imelda Marcos points out the project’s capacity of creating “a city that will bring joy and beauty to the world.”

It all seems like the Tourism City is indeed the answer to many people’s dreams, however, there are stark social issues that need to be addressed.

But Pagcor already knows this by heart. That is why, for years, it has been extra keen on changing the people’s perception of the state-run gaming firm as a money machine with no conscience to a socially-aware and responsible government institution.

Certainly, its contributions to the upliftment of the lives of the people, particularly in the aspects of health, livelihood, community development, peace and order, among others, cannot be overlooked. And the same can be said of its commitment to promote responsible gaming.

The Philippines has for too long been somewhat fickle with how it wants to achieve the progress it so desires, thereby stunting its own development. But with this project, the Philippines may well experience its most significant turnaround yet.

3cr

June 5th, 2008, 06:13 AM

Palawan seen to overtake Boracay as RP’s No. 1 tourists destination
Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat
Manila Bulletin
http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS20080605126301.html

PUERTO PRINCESA — Palawan is expected to overtake Boracay in three years as the country’s number one tourist destination with Bohol coming in as close second, a tourism stalwart said.

Samie Lim, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and tourism champion for the private sector, said this as the Palawan province prepares a master plan that put emphasis for sustainable tourism development.

"In three years, Palawan will overtake Boracay if they have a masterplan. Bohol will come in second," Lim told reporters after delivering a speech on tourism at the 17th Southern Luzon Area Business Conference.

"Palawan offers diversity, he said. Its 1,700 islands have better things to offer than Phuket and Bali. Palawan has better sights to offer," Lim said.

The island province of Palawan has been declared as a natural sanctuary of the world, and for good reason. It is wrapped in a mantel of rainforests, outstanding dive sites, majestic mountains, primeval caves, and pristine beaches. It is surrounded by a coral shelf that abounds with varied and colorful marine life. It boasts of exotic flora and fauna, like the mousedeer and the scaly anteater, that are found nowhere else.

Palawan waters are among the best in the world, not only for diving but also for fishing. A diver’s paradise, it has miles of sub- surface coral and rainbow reef walls whish surround the coasts and coves teeming with rich marine life.

Among its famous sites are the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Resources, a world heritage site encompassing both Tubbataha atolls and the Jessie Beazley Reef. The almost 100,000 hectare size park contains roughy 10,000 hectares of coral reef, which lie at te heart of the coral triangle, the center of global marine diversity in the world.

The Puerto Pincesa Subterranean River National Park, another natural world heritage site, is believed to be the longest navigable underground river in the world.

Among its significant features is the 8.2 kilometer underground river that flows beneath spectacular karst formations before emptying out into the sea.

The El Nido Marine Reserve in Miniloc, El Nido, occupying an area of 96,000 hectares, is a popular nature spot in the province. It boasts of diverse ecosystems, such as rainforests, mangroves, white sand beaches, coral reefs, and limestone reefs as well as a variety of fishes, like mantaray and the sea cow or "dugong", known as the world’s rarest marine mammal. It is now one of the country’s premier destinations, blessed with amazing natural scenery, and considered as sanctuary for various forms of wildlife.

Sta. Lourdes Tagbanua, Puerto Princesa City is where Honda Bay can be seen. The bay consists of several islets with shallow reefs, bordering fabulous beaches and small resorts which have become the favorite water sports destination of local and foreign tourists alike.

The province boasts of extraordinary scenic wonders. African animals from Kenya in Africa- giraffes and elands, zebras and gazelles- co- exist with endemic Philippine animals, like the Palawan bearcat, mousedeer and peacock (pheasant), in the Calauit Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Busuanga, considered on of the province’s most amazing sites. Another sanctuary found in Rio Tuba Village, Bataraza is the Ursula Island Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary. This island is a haven for birds that rest and converge two hours before sunset, after a day’s flight.

With the immense biodiversity in Palawan, Lim said, it is expected to become a tourist haven in three years.

On the other hand, the country’s pristine Boracay is already congested that it should now be ready for the next level of development to keep its attraction.

"With too many tourists and resorts coming up, where should all the wastes go but into the sea," he said.

Lim said that the next level development of Boracay should concentrate on building up Aklan as the staging point for tourists going to Boracay.

Tourists should not stay in Boracay but go back to Aklan after a day’s swim in the island.

"Let us make Boracay our swimming pool and for that help preserve the island," he said.

dinabaw

June 5th, 2008, 06:32 AM

News Article
New tourism industry trends pushed in Davao
By Nef Luczon

TOURISM Secretary Joseph Ace Durano pushed for the launching a “glamorous camping” and “adventure travels” in the Davao Region.
Durano said these tourism trends would mean more jobs and income to the industry that the adventure travels could generate about P90 million in revenues for the region every year.
“The US makes $300 million in that package alone, so it could do the
same to us as well,” he said, adding that he already talked with the regional officials about the matter, after it was introduced in an adventure congress at Clark, Pampanga.
He said he already explained the benefit of these new trends to the tourism industry.
“Davao has all the ingredients on this adventure package,” he said, adding that foreign and local tourists can avail of the package that will include activities during a visit to a certain spot.
Meanwhile the “Glamping,” is a new growing trend that, Durano said, may be put to the mid-area of Mount Apo. “It is a glamorous camping that when you reach the first stop of Mt. Apo, someone will greet you with fine dining wearing with formal dresses and attire,” he said.
He said that this was inspired by tourism strategy in South African countries. Nef Luczon

http://www.mindanaotimes.com.ph/story.php?id=20303
(

P A L

June 5th, 2008, 05:18 PM

Si Mark Lapid na daw ang bagong secretary ng DOT?

IndioBravo

June 5th, 2008, 08:41 PM

PATAY!:ohno:

Eriq

June 5th, 2008, 09:07 PM

barukdok

June 6th, 2008, 04:35 AM

Si Mark Lapid na daw ang bagong secretary ng DOT?

Are you serious?!? patay talaga.

barukdok

June 6th, 2008, 04:38 AM

hindi pala secretary...

Mark Lapid appointed acting PTA chief

Metro, 6/4/2008 10:02 PM
ABS-CBN Online

Mark Lapid appointed acting PTA chief

Former Pampanga governor Mark Lapid has been appointed by President Arroyo Wednesday as acting general manager of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA).

Reports said the presidential appointment was announced by Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye.

Lapid, who lost a re-election bid in 2007 to current Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio, takes over from Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano.

The tourism secretary temporarily held the post in a concurrent capacity for a month after the term of Robert Dean Barbers as PTA chief expired.

PTA is an arm of the Department of Tourism to implement policies and programs of the department pertaining to the development, promotion, and supervision of tourism projects in the country.

--end--

Mark Lapid is acting PTA chief

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 17:57:00 06/04/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- Former Pampanga governor Mark Lapid has been appointed acting general manager of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA), Tourism Secretary Ace Durano confirmed on Wednesday.

“Yes, we received the appointment [of Lapid] as acting general manager of PTA today [Wednesday],” Durano told INQUIRER.net.

Asked why Lapid, who lost the 2007 elections to incumbent Governor Ed Panlilio, was appointed only in an acting capacity, Durano said “I can only assume” that, since the post of PTA general manager has a fixed term of six years, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo “might want to give the next president flexibility.”

Durano said he would ensure that Lapid is brought “up to speed so he can immediately pursue the priorities set by [Arroyo] through the PTA board.”

“It’s my responsibility to make it work,” he added.

--end--

P A L

June 6th, 2008, 10:16 AM

^thanks

OtAkAw

June 6th, 2008, 11:10 AM

Are you serious?!? patay talaga.

Wala nang mas papatay dyan. Grabe naman, naawa nalang siguro si Tita Glow sakanya kaya binigyan ng posisyon.

Pero inferness, Saging lang ang may puso!!!

amigo32

June 6th, 2008, 11:32 AM

hahahaha.

Juan Pilgrim

June 8th, 2008, 03:44 AM

Malaysia - A Tourism Success Story
By Asia Holiday Rentals

This delightful country has much to be proud of, especially with the announcement in January by Tourism Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, that Malaysia had surpassed its own target figure for 2007 of 20.1 million tourist arrivals, reaching some 20.7 million in December.

These figures are remarkable in themselves for a country that only in recent years started taking the tourism sector Malaysia Holiday Rentals seriously at all, but when you consider that Malaysia, with a population of less than half, is now attracting nearly 50% more tourist arrivals than its once mighty neighbour Thailand, the figures are extraordinary. Moreover, tourism has now become the country’s second largest income earner after manufacturing with tourists having spent some RM45.7 billion in 2007.

For the second time in a row, Malaysia was voted the Best International Tourism Destination by the Global Traveler Magazine, again beating a number of well established tourist destinations worldwide. Global Traveler Magazine conducted the fourth annual survey of its readers from 1 February to 31 August 2007, with open-ended questions for the best in 49 categories of business and luxury travel. A total of 15,828 completed questionnaires were received.

Malaysia has also recently won the Golf Destination of the Year Award for Asia & Australasia and Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has been named Asia’s Leading Business Class Airline by the London-based World Travel Awards, chosen by travel professionals from some 170,000 travel agencies, tour and transport companies, and tourism organisations in over 160 countries across the globe.

Exotic locations, the best value five-star hotels in the region, an up and coming holiday rentals market, and the highly acclaimed Malaysia Truly Asia marketing campaign have all contributed to making Malaysia a “hot” tourist destination for holiday seekers worldwide. The Mega Sale Carnival, started in 1999, was another example of The Malaysian Tourism Authority’s ingenuity, attracting an additional half a million visitors per Mega Sale on top of the normal tourist arrivals.

Other major tourist attractions in this culturally diverse nation include the Genting Highlands casino playground, the Petronas Malaysia F1 Grand Prix, Le Tour de Langkawi, and the Langkawi International Maritime and Air Show Exhibition (Lima).

With around half the national workforce employed directly or indirectly in the tourism sector Malaysia is not resting on its laurels either. Apart from targeting even more tourists for 2008, the country is aggressively marketing the Malaysia My Second Home program to attract affluent foreigners around the world to take up residence there - with a package unrivaled in Southeast Asia including a 10 year multiple entry visitors card, property owning rights and a tax-free car.

Malaysia’s tourism success also comes from its very being; a politically stable, successful, multicultural nation offering everything Asia in one neat, harmonious package. Malaysia, Truly Asia!
Discover Asia with Asia Holiday Rentals - http://www.firstasiaresorts.com

Author Bio
Asia Holiday Rentals, Book Direct - Holiday Rentals in Asia you can book online. Asia's premier holiday rentals company with the widest selection of holiday villas and apartments in Asia covering China, Dubai, Fiji Islands, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

:horse:

J.P.

pangyao™

June 8th, 2008, 02:46 PM

Get the phone number of the mayor! I'd put the blame on that idiot. I know its peak season but they should still maintain the damn island.

WHERE DOES THE ENVIRONMENTAL TAX GO?!?!?!?!!?!?!

Mayor CECIRON CAWALING the present mayor of Malay, He is a native of Boracay Island. I don't know if he have the heart for the island, maybe he wants a lot of money or cant refuse to those resort owners who violates the laws because of the money support given last election.. Hope ala Gov Panlilio will govern the island after 2010 election.
and another one. kung sino pa ang mga strangers jan sa island yun pa yung malakas mgreklamo e para naman sa kaayusan ng isla ang gingawa ng gobyerno(provincial gov't at iba pang nat'l agencies).

spearhead

June 9th, 2008, 12:45 AM

The philippines have not even started yet their tourism advertisments in north america, all we see in our newspapers were advertisements & other travel promotions from thailand, malaysia, and indonesia. Since i arrived here in canada (1994), wala paring makitang pilpinas sa mga Travel & Tourism sections (newspapers) dito.

Juan Pilgrim

June 9th, 2008, 01:51 AM

MYTH: ALL FOREIGNERS (especially Americans and Europeans) are aware about the PHILIPPINES.
They all know that the Philippines is composed of 7,1001 tropical paradise islands situated in the South West of the Pacific Ocean.

WE HAVE TO OVERCOME THIS MYTH, SO WE CAN START CHANGING THE NEGATIVE IMAGE OF OUR BELOVED COUNTRY.

FACT: MOST FOREIGNERS including AMERICANS and EUROPEAN
DO NOT even know where the PHILIPPINE is located in the globe.

Those foreigners who knew most about the PHILIPPINES learned about the PHILIPPINES from the second world war and they are getting older and unable to tour anymore.
Foreigners are more aware of the PHILIPPINES in view of the media and news about THE MARCOSES, IMELDA R. MARCOS and her extensive shoe collection, in particular, the dictatorship and the ill gotten wealth; the successive failures in the Philippine Presidency; and the fear provoking poverty, Muslim Separatists, Communist Rebels, and the home spun and internationally supported terrorists. The view is mostly unattractive and the image negative.

FOREIGN / INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS NEED TO BE INFORMED ABOUT THE BEAUTY OF THE PHILIPPINES,
ONLY THEN CAN WE START ATTRACTING THEM TO VISIT OUR ISLANDS.

http://www.lakbaypilipinas.com/travel_philippines/batanes/images/batanes7.JPG

THE QUESTION IS ARE WE READY FOR THE COMING OF THE FOREIGN TOURISTS?

jbkayaker12

June 9th, 2008, 02:12 AM

First of all, infrastructure need to be in place before the Philippines invite more travellers to the country. Infrastructure and logistics are inadequate making travel from point A to point B an uncomfortable long journey. People go on vacation to relax and not be frustrated from the stress of travelling.

On my last trip to Caleruega not far from Metro Manila, the road leading to the destination was messed up. Beautiful scenery around but the roads are full of craters making it a very uncomfortable ride. Same with my visit to the island of Boracay, I had way too many unpleasant experiences that instead of enjoying my vacation I ended up being frustrated having visited the island.:ohno:

On the way to the island, the bus stopped 3 times to check on the condition of the bus. Keep in mind things of this nature can frustrate visitors to the Philippines. Once we arrived at the pier, local authorities decided to move the departure area for boats bound for Boracay to another pier so we had to take another transportation to get us to the location of the departure area . A simple call to the airport, so that authorities can inform people that arrangements for boats to the island has moved to another location would have been nice but anyway.....

Juan Pilgrim

June 9th, 2008, 03:26 AM

^^ You are right.

We have to think of the comfort and ease of getting to the final destination.

Many tourists still yearn to rough it without roughing it so to speak.

http://www.dianthomas.com/coverrie.jpg
:horse:

J.P.

Rough it means experiencing nature and the environment at it's purest form. As much as possible nothing too artificial nor superficial.

Definition of roughing it when traveling is simply: doing without. That something can be the comforts of home, the use of a luxury tour bus, or air conditioning in your hotel room. In essence, almost everyone roughs it to a certain extent when away from home. There are varying degrees of roughing it, however. In one style of travel, you have left your home behind (one aspect of roughing it), but are still taking a luxury-packaged tour. In another type of travel, you are perhaps trying to live like an Indian ascetic yogi in the high Himalayas. In between, there are many grades of roughing it while traveling and many people enjoy mixing between the different levels

spearhead

June 9th, 2008, 04:56 AM

Baka kamo di tayo nag invest noong panahon pa ni marcos. Di tulad ng ibang bansa dito sa southeast asya, mukhang atleast since 1990's pa silang naginvest dun sa upnorth. Dahil meron na tayong Boracay nun, Banaue Rice T., Mt. Mayon, Hundred Islands, Taal Volcanao, etc...

Baka naman nakurap yung mga pera nating dapat na panginvest sa tourism advertisements sa north america.

spearhead

June 9th, 2008, 05:00 AM

http://www.eturbonews.com/2692/malaysia-worlds-top-five-medical-tourism-dest

spearhead

June 9th, 2008, 05:05 AM

http://www.tourismmalaysiausa.com/home_aboutus.asp

Brief History of MTPB North America
1974 - Tourism Malaysia first started operation on the 36 th floor of the Transamerica Pyramid Building in San Francisco with Malaysian Trade and Investment Commission in Western USA (which was therefore a tripart office). The office then covered the whole of North America – USA & Canada.

1982 - Trade and Investment Commission moved to Los Angeles , leaving Tourism Malaysia behind, which was forced to move to a smaller space on the 8 th Floor.

1987 - When Malaysia Airlines announced their intention to use Los Angeles as their pacific gateway of their flights to the US , the Tourism office relocated to 818 West Seventh St., Los Angeles, with a lease term of 10 years.

1989 - MTPB opened an office in Vancouver . With the establishment of MTPB Vancouver, MTPB Los Angeles market was limited to USA concentrating its marketing activities in California . During the VMY '90 campaign, the office was asked to increase its coverage to service the whole USA . This area of coverage was later increased to include Mexico and Latin America when MAS announced their flights to Mexico and Buenos Aires.

1994 - MTPB opened the New York office, covering Eastern Region USA & Caribbean, therefore, leaving MTPB Los Angeles to cover Western Region USA & Latin America.

CURRENT NORTH AMERICAN OFFICES:

The current Vice President of MTPB Los Angeles is Mr. Mohamed Amin Yahya and current Senior Deputy Director, Ms. Robinder Kaur, and current Deputy Director, Mr. Norazmi Omar.

The current Vice-President of MTPB New York is Mr. Mohamed Taib Ibrahim and current Deputy Director, Mrs. Norizah Abidin.

The current Vice-President of MTPB Vancouver B.C. Canada is Mr. Abdul Haris Hadi.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

However, the Philippines has been campaigning in north america recently, but i hardly feel it nor even my pinoy firends here. Because even in our daily newspapers, wala man kaming makitang advertisements dun eh lagi kaming nagbabasa ng mga papers dito lalo na sa trabaho. It's not even in our local cable networks! But its truly been advertised though and limited to only Filipino Newspapers here! WTF, only pinoys are reading it!

Philippine Grand Tourism Campaign for North America
http://www.experiencephilippines.ph/system.php?LS=staticpages&id=1206516613499

It seems like ngayon palang naghuhumpisa ang pinas na maghakot ng mga canadiens.

bartstrife99

June 9th, 2008, 05:09 AM

http://www.eturbonews.com/2692/malaysia-worlds-top-five-medical-tourism-dest

Di pala tayu pasok sa medical tourism!

Juan Pilgrim

June 9th, 2008, 05:55 AM

This thought has been on my mind
since I read about those 20,000,000 tourists
that visited Malaysia in 2007.
Their 20 million tourists as against our 2 to 3 million visitors!!

20 MILLION TOURISTS went to either
KUALA LUMPUR (NOT MANILA OR CEBU)
LANGKAWI (NOT BOHOL OR BORACAY)
PENANG (NOT PALAWAN OR DAVAO)
GENTING hIGHLANDS (NOT MAKATI OR ILOILO)
CHERATING (NOT DONSOL OR SIARGAO)
MALACCA (NOT VIGAN OR SILAY)
TERENGGANU (NOT ZAMBOANGA OR LUCENA)
SABAH (OUR VERY OWN SABAH)

They all know where Malaysia is,
and will tell another 20 million individuals and
potential tourists about Malaysia.

All these while we seat on our hands,
doing almost nothing but HEE and HAW.

What can I do??????????
How can I promote the Philippines effectively to more people???

HELP!!! I need your HELP!!!
I NEED IDEAS!!!

THE SIMPLIER THE BETTER.

http://www.filipinasoul.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/flags.jpg

:horse:

J.P.

flymordecai

June 9th, 2008, 06:34 AM

What can I do??????????
How can I promote the Philippines effectively to more people???

Start by not comparing the Philippines to other countries? Of course, the Philippines does not have the same number of tourists as other countries in the region. But why dwell on the fact that OTHER countries have more tourists, when we can focus on things that we can offer and just try our best? We won't reach 20 million overnight.

Let's start by focusing on our own country, instead of looking over the fence and feeling jealous of our neighbors. We have enviable things in the Philippines as well. :)

Juan Pilgrim

June 9th, 2008, 06:55 AM

Start by not comparing the Philippines to other countries? Of course, the Philippines does not have the same number of tourists as other countries in the region. But why dwell on the fact that OTHER countries have more tourists, when we can focus on things that we can offer and just try our best? We won't reach 20 million overnight.

Let's start by focusing on our own country, instead of looking over the fence and feeling jealous of our neighbors. We have enviable things in the Philippines as well. :)

Right you are again, flymordecai.

Looking over the fence and envying what I see, my plan wasn't.

Enviable things and attractions, sure we have as you did say.

That we know, because FILIPINOS we are,

But the Foreign Tourists know nothing.

So remains my biggest question,

HOW CAN I PROMOTE THE PHILIPPINES

for the FOREIGN TOURIST TO DISCOVER???

:horse:

J.P.

jbkayaker12

June 9th, 2008, 10:57 AM

shyaman

June 9th, 2008, 01:33 PM

Last month's issue of Asian Geographic dubbed as it's Underwater Edition issue has a load of Philippine articles including the country's thriving pearl industry as the cover story...

Here's some snapshots:

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/IMG_3390.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/IMG_3393.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/IMG_3394.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/IMG_3395.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/IMG_3397.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/IMG_3398.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/IMG_3399.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/IMG_3400.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/IMG_3401.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/IMG_3402.jpg

.

Juan Pilgrim

June 9th, 2008, 02:09 PM

spearhead

June 9th, 2008, 07:53 PM

Awesome photos! Photos like that we should start seeing here in our local newspapers and not only from those magazines cuz most population here they read papers at our workplaces during breaktime (ofcourse) and watch TV. For the last 20 yrs all they know here are thailand, malaysia and indonesia, they didn't even know where the philippines is... its a shame u know...

Juan Pilgrim

June 9th, 2008, 09:13 PM

Awesome photos!
For the last 20 yrs all they know here are thailand, malaysia and indonesia, they didn't even know where the philippines is... its a shame u know...

It is a myth we Filipinos need to debunk.
THE PHILIPPINES IS NOT WELL KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD.

WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO:

TO PROMOTE THE PHILIPPINES AS A TOURIST DESTINATION!!!

First we have to INTRODUCE the PHILIPPINES TO THE WORLD.
A WORLD THAT DOESN'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE, AND WHAT WE OFFER.

:horse:

J.P.

jpdm

June 10th, 2008, 01:16 AM

^^

I agree. The government must work hard to promote the country to LOCAL AND FOREIGN tourists....

...Instead of wasting money on white elephants and dole-outs..the government must help in rehabilitating tourist spots and infrastructures.....

..Of course the private sector should do its job also and put some money in improving the country's tourism infrastructure...

...We have so much to offer to tourists here and abroad but the problem is the industry is to a certain extend still neglected......

jbkayaker12

June 10th, 2008, 01:28 AM

Last month's issue of Asian Geographic dubbed as it's Underwater Edition issue has a load of Philippine articles including the country's thriving pearl industry as the cover story...

.

For those interested, the book, The Ultimate Orient - Philippine South Sea Pearls is where most of the photos posted above came from. I have a copy of the book and it shows in details, the thriving South Sea Pearl farming in the Philippines, Palawan in particular.

jvillanueva

June 10th, 2008, 04:14 AM

ninoy aquino international airport
voted the worst by international tourist

i go home via cebu what a difference
i promise pal will never get my business if i can help it!

jbkayaker12

June 10th, 2008, 05:00 AM

^^^^We can only hope that someday local officials get their acts together and open the new-er airport. Oh well , urgency, I dont think they know what it means.

shyaman

June 10th, 2008, 12:57 PM

^^This is the first time I've heard of this magazine:

ASIAN GEOGRAPHIC.

Is it only available in the Philippines or in Asia/Australia?

A great way of promoting our country.

More people and underwater enthusiasts will be aware of the PHILIPPINES!

:horse:

J.P.

I will check Borders or B & N for this magz. I want a copy.

It's circulated in the Asia Pacific region as the price list suggests at the bottom of the cover (stating the newstand price for Australia, Brunei, China, Hongkong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand). But it could be sold somewhere else outside the region.

Here's more good news:

Check out also the latest issue of Ocean Geographic magazine's "The Year of the Reef" edition. It's currently on sale here.

It's cover story is "The Philippines - Heartland of the Coral Triangle". The article is 15 pages full of stunning photos of the Philippines marine life.

Unknown to many, the Philippines is part of the epicenter of our planet's marine ecosystem, now referred to as the Coral Triangle. It is bordered by Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and the Philippines and documented by scientific data to harbour the greatest concentration of marine species on earth. The Sulu Sea's Tubbatah Reef is supposedly the heartland, thus, the Philippines was dubbed as the Heartland of the Coral Triangle.

Porknight

June 10th, 2008, 02:00 PM

How can I promote the Philippines effectively to more people???

HELP!!! I need your HELP!!!
I NEED IDEAS!!!

THE SIMPLIER THE BETTER.

:horse:

J.P.

First of all separete tourists from travelers ! Travelers love going in remote lands and face the adventures so they don't really care about security , infrastructure , how clean and well govern the foreign land they are visiting is. they just find anything fascinating . Even people urinating and drinking on the streets . Dirty markets . Street childrens .. ecc

Good : well if we want adventurers , we don't have to change a thing.. I once took a boat together with my dad and some friend from Manila to palawan and it was a real adventure , we were freaked out , my dad didn't want to go ! The road in the philippines and the lack of good public transport make every travel you make a real odyssey instead of making it in 20 mins you'll make it in 3 hours ! Not counting the time you have to protect yourself from thieves in Metro Manila ? How many times you have to jump for the lack of sidewalks usually have to be careful not to fall in kind a hole .

Bad : Adventurers are not so many and they don't spend a lot of money as tourists do !

Dek Thai

June 10th, 2008, 07:41 PM

^^^ Yes and most of adventurers are backpackers not honeymooners.

Juan Pilgrim

June 10th, 2008, 07:44 PM

^^Very insightful.

Thanks!

:hope:

J.P.

Juan Pilgrim

June 10th, 2008, 07:50 PM

^^ Silang lahat ang ating TARGET:

TOURISTS
ADVENTURERS
TRAVELLERS
HONEYMOONERS
STUDENTS
INVESTORS
MIGRANT WORKERS
PASSERBYS
CONNECTING FLIGHT PASSENGERS
MEDICAL TOURISTS
SOJOURNERS
PILGRIMS
THRILL SEEKERS
GAMBLERS
ETC.
ETC.

:horse:

J.P.

jbkayaker12

June 10th, 2008, 10:10 PM

The government wants to improve the lives of its citizens in the Philippines through tourism. Tourism brings in jobs for the people but somehow the government officials are not taking themselves up to task in bringing about the infrastructure badly needed. Improvement is so slow. NO URGENCY! Just look at the international airport, the overhead trains, public transportation, roads....Tourists/travellers get turned off visiting the Philippines after their initial visit because of the inconvenience.

Backpackers are a totally different market than your tourists/travellers. Now someone mentioned that backpackers don't care about the situation of the areas they visit but the bottom line here is the need to improve vital infrastructure and services not just for the tourists/visitors but for its citizens as well and in order to undertake this task through tourism, the government have to spend money on infrastructure and at the same time make sure it gets properly built and opened.

pau_p1

June 11th, 2008, 07:22 AM

Manila-X

June 11th, 2008, 08:07 AM

yeah.. backpackers tend to plan their own itinerary... researching for any modes of transport to move them from one place or the other...

we do need to improve many of our infrastructures.. actually i sometimes feel sad to see a foreign backpacker trying to ride the MRT and see the chaotic lines on the gates or even get squeezed in between sweaty passengers...

Sad? NO WAY!!! It would be a really nice experience for that "backpacker" ;) And backpackers are usually the adventurous type and are willing to experience chaos.

But one thing that bothers me though are the billboards that are printed once you exit NAIA. The OFW / seamen welcoming billboards I don't mind but rarely see a "Welcome to The Philippines" or billboards that show the country's tourist sites.

jonno

June 11th, 2008, 08:36 AM

Porknight

June 11th, 2008, 10:11 AM

^^^^

Many people can not seem to comprehend a ver simple fact: the Philippines is quite expensive relative to its Asian neighbours.

If you don't believe me that is fine. But ask yourself this:

How come travel agencies in Australia, New Zealand, UK, etc. promote and have package tours to Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, etc. BUT NOT to the Philippines????

How can tourists visit something that is not even promoted??? How can you sell something that is not being sold?

And the main reason most overseas travel agents is not promoting the Philippines is because compared to other Asian countries, the air fare, accommodation in the Philippines is more expensive and thus not really "attractive" to sell.

One simple solution: "Open skies" in DMIA

Result:

cheaper air fares
more development in Central Luzon
decongesting of metro manila
less traffic in metro manila

Question: How come PGMA does not want to "open the skies" in DMIA????

IS not expensive is very cheap compare to Malaysia are you kidding? But get into the Philippines that's expensive but i guess going to Australia is even worst !

Yes true travel agencies even here in Italy are not promoting Philippines ,I'm wondering why ? Not that they are not selling tickets they don't have much to offers , like special packages trip plus hotel !

Anyway i see some sporadic traveler putting some photos on the web and telling about their journey .
Well according to what i read they all say that Manila i s very dangerous , get away ASAP. Unfortunately nobody tell them about Intramuros :ohno: and some other good things we have there .

Vigan , Palawan , Cebu , boracay , El Nido , BANAUE , Panay , Mindoro , Negros ,DUMAGUETE and Bohol are the best known tourist spots , the bad thing they all say that you need a lot of time to visit all these sites atleast 1 month.

Probably for tour operators is difficult to organize a vacation in the Philippines unless a tourist wants to stay in one place for 1 week or 2 only beacuse all this time is needed to move from place to another :ohno:!

jbkayaker12

June 11th, 2008, 10:31 AM

A wrong assumption to think the Philippines is an expensive country to visit compared to its neighbours in Asia. You need to visit Lonelyplanet.com, it has been discussed there so many times the costs of travelling in Asia.

Airfares to the Philippines at least coming from the United States is also competitive. Many Asian airlines will not take the risk of losing its Philippine customers because of the sheer volume of Filipinos flying back to the Philippines on a yearly basis. I believe it is also safe to say the same for the Middle East.

Infrastructure is vital to tourism and the lack of it is part of the reason why the Philippines cannot attract a huge number of visitors. Philippines need hotel rooms, roads, airports, seaports, transportation..... Also the lack of budget in promoting the Philippines overseas is another factor. Just look up the amount of money spent by other countries in tourism compared to the Philippines and you will see a BIG difference.

You cannot use hotel prices as part of the reason why Philippines is not well accepted by majority of travellers. It is the lack or limited amount of package tours (destinations+logistics+lodgings+activities) on offer. It is the reason why most international travel agencies do not carry the Philippines. Again infrastructure is the reason why package tours on offer for Philippine destinations are very limited.

The Philippines has varied destinations but it does not have the means to comfortably welcome a huge volume of visitors.

jbkayaker12

June 11th, 2008, 10:48 AM

Just want to add Cruise liners ignore the Philippines as a destination because of the lack of vital infrastructures. An archipelagic nation of over 7000 islands totally ignored by Cruise liners. SAD!!!

Juan Pilgrim

June 11th, 2008, 03:26 PM

It is really sad to be actually ignored,
but what is even worst is to remain unknown.

As a TOURIST DESTINATION,
The Philippines remains TERRA INCOGNITA
to most people around the world.

:horse:

J.P.

spearhead

June 11th, 2008, 04:22 PM

First of all separete tourists from travelers !

I dont see any difference between the two. Both are still indeed & technically tourists as long as these people are touring our country, no matter how they travel or whatever they carrying behind their backs, and as long as they dont live and work like any foreign immigrants or refugees. Now there is also a similarity between local and foreign tourists, so technically who ever are touring our nice places means they are Tourists, no matter if u r a local resident, balikbayan, or foreigner.

BTW, just reading all ur bad news are really depressing and sad. Indeed, we really need to improve our infrastructures everywhere, and build more hotels.

Animo

June 11th, 2008, 08:44 PM

Jun 11, 08 | 10:42 am

MANILA, Philippines (June, 2008) - Actually a conglomerate of 16 cities and one municipality in the Central and Southern Luzon regions of Northern Philippines, Metro Manila is the cosmopolitan gateway to the 7,107 tropical islands of the country, and to some of the most pristine beaches in the world. Travelers should think twice before using Manila simply as a connection point, however, as the city offers much from historical sightseeing from WWII and the Spanish colonial period to some of the most luxurious spa and wellness offerings in the world.

Ranked 5th by Yahoo! for international travel searches in 2007, Manila is the pulsating hub that blends the Oriental with the occidental, the quaint with the modern and the exotic with the extraordinary. Deluxe spa facilities abound in the city, featuring relaxing, luxurious atmospheres and world class treatments, including those unique to the Philippines.

One example is the Sanctuario Spa, Salon and Organic Café, conveniently located in the heart of Manila. Sanctuario takes special bows for its hilot treatments, a traditional Filipino-style deep tissue massage performed by an authentic manghihilot who uses mysticism and incantations while kneading the muscles to remove aches and pains.

Other traditional Filipino healing modalities include tapik kawayan (tapping of thin bamboo sticks to affected parts for circulation and releasing of energy blocks), dinalisay (concoctions of a mixture of indigenous medicinal herbs), kisig galing (biomagnetic energy healing), unang lana (virgin coconut oil), the paligo (a rinsing bath filled with leaves and flowers believed to have healing properties), and the oslob (steam inhalation from infusions of air-dried aromatic medicinal herbs), to name several.

While Metro Manila is a cosmopolitan city with modern designer shopping malls and five-star hotels, one need not travel far to reach the sublime natural beauty associated with the country's more than 7,000 surrounding islands.

No trip to Manila is complete without an excursion to Tagaytay, famous for Taal Lake and Volcano. The world's smallest active volcano, Taal Volcano is an island on a lake about 30 miles south of Manila. Most notably, the volcano contains a lake of its own within its center known as Crater Lake. What makes this volcano even more novel is the tiny island inside Crater Lake - Vulcan Point - which is an island within a lake on an island within a lake on an island.

Vacationers can climb Taal Volcano by foot or on horseback to peer into its crater, which still emits volcanic steam from several geysers. Sulphuric deposits can be seen collecting around the shores of the lake and the tiny, picturesque island in its center.

For those seeking a true adventure, Mt. Pinatubo - the site of the second largest volcanic eruption in the 20th century (the largest being in Alaska), where visitors can swim in hot springs and enjoy spa treatments utilizing the mineral-rich volcanic ash - is a bit further than Taal, but also within a few hours drive from Manila.

Just a short ferry ride from Manila, the island of Corregidor was a major strategic point in the battle between American and Japanese forces in WWII due to its position at the entrance of Manila Bay. Visitors can stand on bomb craters and examine the remaining batteries and artillery on one of history's most important battlegrounds.

While taking heavy damage, sections of the barracks and other buildings are still intact and able to be explored. Corregidor also features several monuments dedicated to the soldiers that heroically gave their lives in the battle and a museum housing one of the greatest collections of WWII memorabilia.

Of course, Manila is full of wonders for history seekers dating back to the county's early tribal history and continuing through its introduction to Christianity under the rule of Spain. The walled city of Intramuros, built by the Spaniards in the 16th century, offers great landmarks such as Fort Santiago, the seat of Spanish military power during the era; Casa Manila, a re-creation of a 19th century Spanish home in the Philippines; and Manila Cathedral, the seat of Catholicism in Manila with its Romanesque façade, graceful cupola and 4,500-pipe organ.

The oldest church in the Philippines, also within the walled city, is San Agustin. Built between 1587 and 1606, its massive façade conceals an ornate interior filled with objects of great historical and cultural merit, especially the trompe l'oeil frescoes on the vaulted ceilings.

Adjacent to the church is a small museum run by the Augustinian order featuring antique vestments, colonial furniture, and religious paintings and icons. The National Museum of the Philippines, located just outside Intramuros, houses many artworks by renowned Filipino artists including Juan Luna's Spoliarium.

Intramuros also features a golf course which incorporates the picturesque "walled" setting into the play for a remarkably unique experience. Lighting provides the opportunity for night-play.

Accommodations in Manila offer luxury at very affordable pricing. Popular hotels include the Makati Shangri-La, Peninsula Hotel, Hyatt Hotel & Casino, Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Dusit Nikko Hotel, as well as the Manila Hotel, once the residence of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur. Guests can stay in the MacArthur suite starting from approximately $2,000 per night for a sense of what life was like for the General as he sat in his office at the onset of WWII.

"While we encourage visitors to experience our tropical islands as well as our rice terraces and other UNESCO treasures in the north, one should reserve at least a few days for the wonders of Manila," said Vernie Velarde-Morales, Director of the Philippines Department of Tourism in Chicago.

"Newly introduced air service from Hawaiian Airlines makes Manila even more accessible now than before," noted Velarde-Morales.

For travel to the Philippines, consult your local travel agent or consult one of several tour operators offering hotel and air packages combining Manila with other Philippine gems such as the legendary "White Beach" of Boracay and the "Chocolate Hills" of Bohol:

U.S.-based tour operators:
Orient Flexi-Pax Tours: 800-545-5540; http://www.isram.com/orient/index.htm
Pacific Asia Leisure: 212-661-3270; http://www.pacificasialeisure.com
Pacific Holidays: 800-355-8025; http://www.pacificholidaysinc.com
Rajah Tours: 800-392-3345; http://www.rajahtoursphilippines.com

Canada-based tour operators:
ATOURZ: 416-485-6375; http://www.atourz.ca
Goway Travel: 800-387-8850; http://www.goway.com
Jade Tours: 866-227-2125; http://www.jadetours.com
Royal Scenic: 888-302-8886 in Ontario/877-736-6028 in Vancouver; http://www.royalscenic.com

For additional information on the Philippines, call the destination's travel information hotline at 1-877-PHIL-TRAVEL or visit http://www.experiencephilippines.ph

Philippine Department of Tourism

The Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT) is one of the Executive Departments of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines responsible for the promotion of travel to the Philippines, tourism investments, and enhancement and preservation of tourism products in the country. Field offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco provide the following services free of charge on a selective basis: dissemination of tourism information, maps, brochures and posters; lending out of videos, CDs and other tourism-related materials; recommendations on places to visit; endorsement of relevant entities; and assistance to those traveling to the Philippines. These offices also engage in a number of promotional activities: presentations to travel organizations, travel trade shows, media inserts and joint marketing arrangements.

The Philippine Department of Tourism is headquartered in Manila, Philippines, with offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.experiencephilippines.ph or www.wowphilippines.com.ph, or call the toll-free Philippine travel information hotline at 1-877-PHIL-TRAVEL.

http://travelvideo.tv/news/more.php?id=14664_0_1_0_M

Juan Pilgrim

June 11th, 2008, 09:07 PM

^^what publication is this article from animo?

It is an amazing find.
There should be more articles like this
about the PHILIPPINES in many publications!

MANILA, AND CEBU, AND DAVAO...

:horse:

J.P.

jbkayaker12

June 11th, 2008, 09:10 PM

I've always liked staying in Metro Manila whenever I am back in the Philippines BUT the city is filthy and traffic congestion is worse now than years past. The government need to start cracking down on people and businesses not obeying rules and regulations set forth.

I have walked, used public transportation and pvt transportation in Metro Manila and my experience of travelling around Metro Manila is at least dampened by the traffic, chaos, air pollution and untidiness of Metro Manila. Don't get me wrong I still enjoy Metro Manila BUT these are factors in the city that made my stay not as enjoyable as it could have been.

I have been back to the Philippines for the last 5 years on a yearly basis and everytime I experience the same thing.
Now just imagine a foreigner, who is a first time visitor to Metro Manila and the Philippines experiencing the same thing. Would you honestly think it will leave a great lasting memory of our city and the country?:ohno:

On my last trip this past May, I was at Sanctuario, it was my second time having tried their services a couple years back and I must say it was a relaxing massage for pennies. I love it.

Juan Pilgrim

June 11th, 2008, 09:54 PM

MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS!!!

http://anton.blogs.com/flag/large.jpg

MABUHAY ANG PILIPINO!!

MABUHAY ANG ARAW NG KALAYAAN!!

:horse:

J.P.

jonno

June 12th, 2008, 06:01 AM

pau_p1

June 12th, 2008, 07:37 AM

well I think one reason is the lack of budget to promote our country...

we don't hear the Philippines in major TV shows depicting their travel to the Philippines.. they usually talk about Thailand... well Desperate Housewives blurted the Philippines.. though not in a good way...

I even have not seen the Philippine tourism ad on CNN.. I only see Malaysia, Thailand, Egypt, and India...

and another thing is.. since the Philippines is not part of mainland Asia, travellers need to fly to our islands compared to Thailand, Malaysia, etc which are connected by bus and train routes...

and we don't give the image of being Asian to which we lack temples or palaces to visit.. and no familiar landmark...

Juan Pilgrim

June 12th, 2008, 03:19 PM

Exactly right. Most people that travel to the Philippines are Filipinos living overseas. Why isn't the Philippines popular to non- Filipinos in the same way Malysia, Indonesia, Vietnam is? Why aren't travel agencies overseas promoting the Philippines in the same way they promote Thailand, Vietnam, etc.?

Would travel agencies overseas NOT promote the Philippines if they know the Philippines would be a good destination to sell? Would you not sell a product that would make you a lot of money???

Tama!

Travel agencies and Tour promoters earn by commission from each sale they make.

If the PHILIPPINES is promoted well, by individuals, the PHILIPPINE GOV., or the private sector.

Then the TOURIST will discover the PHILIPPINES.Only then will we see a snow balling effect of increased promotion
from the Travel and Tours Industry because they will make more money
with every tourist wanting to go to the PHILIPPINES>
I'm not explaining this clearly enough but I hope you get what I mean.
:horse:

J.P.

kiretoce

June 13th, 2008, 09:10 PM

Philippine tourism’s misdirection (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/june/14/yehey/opinion/20080614opi6.html)

A vacation spent with my kids in Jakarta last week showed me how far behind other Southeast Asian nations the Philippines has lagged in terms of what it offers the visiting tourist. There but a few days, we were already thoroughly impressed by what Indonesia offered.

The first day we spent within Jakarta itself in a carnival which puts our own Enchanted Kingdom to shame. For $5, we were surfeited with exhilarating and yes, educational, rides. The roller coaster was a thrill; my eyes were closed during the entire ride.

The canoe ride, a mini-roller coaster, was thrilling and exciting in its own right, although it got us wet. Another canoe ride, through underground caves, constituted a worldwide, educational tour, complete with miniature puppets and dolls depicting various wonders, natural and cultural.

My kids were unable, however, to sample the most breath-taking ride, the Tornado. After experiencing the Galleon—which rocked and swayed them back and forth in seemingly monotonous, but actually exhilarating, fashion—they no longer had the stomach for another vomit-inducer. The Tornado rotated its passengers in an upside-down position more than a hundred feet high.

We were there only the afternoon. The evening was reserved for the adjacent Sea World, which, sadly, was closed that night. So was the cable car, known as the Gondola, which transported revelers. We contented ourselves instead with the Police Academy Stunt Man Exhibition, which amply amused.

The next day provided occasion for greater delights. For $60, we enjoyed a day tour, consisting of safari and botanical garden, complete with heavy lunch on a picturesque, mountain-view restaurant.

The safari alone was worth it. No zoo in Manila or its environs is comparable. Ecologists would have no cause to complain about the animals’ living conditions which approached their own habitat.

Safely ensconced in our vehicle, we fed the various curious, hungry, and potentially dangerous animals with bananas. The animals weren’t shy and would crowd the vehicle’s window, expecting to be fed and petted.

The dangerous lions and tigers did not stray towards the vehicles. They were kept in gardens behind electric fences, content merely to be photographed, unfed. At the end of the ride, my kids had their pictures taken with baby tigers and lions, elephants, komodo dragons, penguins, pelicans, etc.

The next day involved another cool, stimulating day tour for $50, in another mountain retreat. We looked down a volcano crater, although we did not dare venture to sample its steaming waters below. That had to await the hot springs, a half-hour ride hence.

There I bathed under an artificial waterfall, whose medicinal springs were 40 degrees Centigrade. Its medicinal quality remained untested, as I did not have a skin disease which required healing. Some of my friends and relatives would certainly have welcomed the treatment.

The lunch was rich too, although the restaurant was far from picturesque. We visited a flower garden earlier and purchased raspberries and blueberries, fruits rare in the tropics.

As families in Metro Manila experience another long week-end in enforced ecotourism holidays, they can only gripe at what Metro Manila’s environs offer.

Baguio, six hours away, provides but escape from the heat; while Subic, nearer by half, is frightfully expensive. Tagaytay and Los Baños, an hour by car, has little to offer. Then, there are the beaches with their polluted waters. We simply have too few developed sites which qualify as memorable destination experiences.

Perhaps we should re-think our tourism policies. Several articles back, I criticized the Department’s materialistic approach. It was only too eager to profit from selling items outside man’s commerce, such as body parts or women’s bodies.

Indonesia has not stooped so low. I have just written about Jakarta. I have not even mentioned its unmitigated success, Bali, which combines nature and culture in pleasantly profitable ways. Bali offers not just an experience, but an entire life-style, which values nature and culture.

Thailand, not far behind, also prides itself in its rich culture. Philippine tourism would do well to emulate them.

Just recently, our own Tourism secretary boasted that the Philippines brings in three million tourists yearly, one-half of them albeit balikbayans. Actually, he has much to be embarrassed about.

Compare Philippine figures with those of Thailand, which grossed thirteen million tourists in 2005, its own airport servicing 45 million passengers annually. Tourism alone accounts for almost 15 percent of the Thai GNP.

The failure of Philippine tourism is ultimately due to misdirection and lack of imagination. It caters to the surfing backpacker willing to venture wherever a rough wave exists. Tourism must redirect its attention to the cultured traveler, who would not deem a vacation worth it, were he unable to identify the peculiarities of the foreign country visited.

The Tourism secretary, thus, would do well to heed the words of a predecessor, who, not long ago, preached the value and importance of culture, art and nature: “What meaning can we find in all the sophisticated and increasingly alike monuments of glass and stone in which we house our visitors? Why move planeloads and busloads of people from one destination to another when they are not afforded the opportunity to encounter lifestyles, traditions and cultures different from their own and in so doing enrich their own lives?”

crappypants

June 13th, 2008, 09:14 PM

the whole place needs cleaning up and overhauling.

jbkayaker12

June 13th, 2008, 11:16 PM

RonnieR

June 14th, 2008, 04:26 AM

jbkayaker12

June 14th, 2008, 01:08 PM

A beach scene during my last trip to the Philippines. Sun was out a bit, hehehe.
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v635/jbkayaker12/2007PICS/beach0801.jpg

dancethingy

June 14th, 2008, 02:26 PM

^^ JB, where was this? I suggest you try Caramoan in Camarines Norte (or Sur, i forget). I think the place might surprise you. Gorgeous islands!

bartstrife99

June 14th, 2008, 02:28 PM

A beach scene during my last trip to the Philippines. Sun was out a bit, hehehe.
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v635/jbkayaker12/2007PICS/beach0801.jpg

wow great beach where is this? i think we have last hope in attracting tourist, let us wait the Pagcor City to be built as one of our major landmark in attracting tourist.

Juan Pilgrim

June 14th, 2008, 03:10 PM

^^^^^Metro Manila has zoos, theme parks, water parks, nature parks, shopping, culture and all the others mentioned above. The problem is infrastructure and logistics making it difficult to enjoy these attractions. Another problem is the lack of urgency from the Tourism department or the pvt sector who own these facilities to improve on these attractions. They are just leaving it to rot!! Sadly the number of visitors show how Philippine tourism has lagged compared with pretty much the rest of the world.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
My grandparents used to tell me stories of how beautiful the cities are here in the Philippines in the 60's.
And we had a lot of these attractions that tourists love to visit.
The problem is we didn't have the will and the cache to keep them.:ohno:

:horse:

J.P.

jbkayaker12

June 14th, 2008, 03:56 PM

Logisitics>>>>the planning, implementation, and coordination of the details of a business or operation.

Infrastructure>>>>Roads, bridges, rail lines, and similar public works that are required for an economy to function.

These two are needed to have a successful tourism campaign in the Philippines. The Philippines are lacking or at least limited on both infrastructure and logistics making the attractions or destinations in the country hard to reach, hard to appreciate and hard to sell to travel agencies overseas.

Dept of Tourism, an agency of the government need to improve areas that we already have to make it marketable not only to locals but foreigners as well, Manila Zoo, La Mesa Dam Eco Park, Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife....

On the other hand the pvt sector need to improve their facilities for it to be able to compete with other countries, Enchanted Kingdom, Star City......

jbkayaker12

June 16th, 2008, 02:40 AM

The welcoming committee in Boracay. Billy surrounded by derelicts. Dogs are all over the island roaming and mind you very sickly looking. A first time visitor to the island, I wonder what Billy was thinking at the time of this incident.
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v635/jbkayaker12/2007PICS/derelict.jpg

kiretoce

June 17th, 2008, 09:42 PM

Boracay expected to draw more tourists from Taiwan (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/101507/Boracay-expected-to-draw-more-tourists-from-Taiwan)

The government expects a surge in Taiwanese visitors to Boracay, one of the country’s top tourist attractions, after Taiwan-based Mandarin Airlines launched direct flights to Kalibo, Aklan.

Hence, the Department of Tourism (DoT) said it is optimistic in attracting five million tourists by 2010, with Boracay as among the country’s top growth drivers. It said Boracay expects around 700,000 visitors this year and one million by 2010.

"The opening of new flights will definitely help us claim a good share of the booming Taiwanese outbound market. By going straight to Kalibo, we further encourage travelers from Taipei to visit more of the Philippines," Tourism Secretary Joseph H. Durano said in a statement.

Mandarin Airlines, a sister company of China Airlines, recently inaugurated its Taipei-to-Kalibo route. The company will have regular flights to Kalibo every Wednesday and Saturday. It also has regular flights to Cebu and is expected to resume flights to Laoag. It previously operated flights to Subic.

Eric Tung, general manager of Mandarin Airlines’ local branch, was quoted as saying that his company decided to fly to Kalibo due to strong market demand from Taiwanese travelers wanting to go to Boracay.

But Mr. Durano cited the need for improved infrastructure and new facilities to attract tourists. "Tourism is a really big industry and it creates more jobs and opportunities for many Filipinos. There’s a huge interest from tourists to visit various locations in the Philippines and we can only accommodate them if we have enough hotel rooms and resorts," he said.

In a report, DoT said tourist arrivals grew 7.5% in January-April to 1.11 million from 1.03 million last year. For April alone, arrivals reached 253,869, up 4.3% from 243,441 last year. Tourists spent $1.34 billion from January to April.

Americans accounted for 18.5% of the total at 47,013 arrivals, compared to 45,382 South Koreans who accounted for 17.9%.

Japanese tourists meanwhile totaled 29,295, followed by China with 13,845, and Australia with 9,904, official data showed.

Taiwanese tourists reached 9,486 in April, a 36.2% jump from 6,965 last year.

There were also 13.3% more Norwegians visiting the country, followed by the Irish with 6.9% growth, Swedes with 5.4%, and Danes with 5.2% growth.

jonno

June 18th, 2008, 02:03 AM

Manila-X

June 19th, 2008, 05:24 AM

Porknight

June 19th, 2008, 12:29 PM

Do temples or palaces matter? The Philippines has some of the finest beaches and natural landmarks in the world. Right now I was checking the new 7 wonders and there are three entries in the top spots

they do matters , but no promotions at all and no prevations of these beauties. Many of them need restorations !
Anyway these last years i saw growing some respect for these landmarks from the past i still remember passing in Burgos street and seeing a billboard on the roof of the Metropolitan theater .. I was disgusted !

As somebody already said you need good infrastructures to make them available to a vast amount of tourists.
Then tourists can be pretty annoying they pretend also security, cleanliness and quality public transport just like local residents !

swatch69sg

June 19th, 2008, 06:32 PM

By Tessa Wong (Straits Times, June 12, 2008)

THE Philippines, a top holiday destination among Singaporeans in the 1970s before it lost favour, is staging a comeback.

This time around, it is a magnet for the young and adventure-hungry.

Statistics from last year indicate that nearly 16 per cent more Singaporeans visited the country than in 2006, said the Philippine Department of Tourism.

In fact, Singapore is now its biggest tourist market within South-east Asia; four in 10 visitors from Asean are from Singapore.

Singaporeans are welcomed there because they turn up ready to spend. Visitors from here spent a record US$141 million (S$194 million) in the Philippines last year.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just wanna share the pics I took last June 13, 2008 in line with celebration of 110th Philippine Independence Day in Singapore. The WOW Philippine booths were exhibited at the Tropics Atrium in Suntec City from June 12 to 15, 2008.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20at%20Suntec%20City/P6133974.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20at%20Suntec%20City/P6133976.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20at%20Suntec%20City/P6133985.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20at%20Suntec%20City/P6133987.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20at%20Suntec%20City/P6133988.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20at%20Suntec%20City/P6133994.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20at%20Suntec%20City/P6134030.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20at%20Suntec%20City/P6134001.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20at%20Suntec%20City/P6133993.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20at%20Suntec%20City/P6133990.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20at%20Suntec%20City/P6134019.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20at%20Suntec%20City/P6134003.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20at%20Suntec%20City/P6134022.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20at%20Suntec%20City/P6134039.jpg

Juan Pilgrim

June 19th, 2008, 07:43 PM

^^Great promotion of our PHILIPPINES as a prime TOURIST DESTINATION IN ASIA.

Manila-X

June 20th, 2008, 09:18 AM

I agree with that promotion. Hopefully it will draw more Singaporean tourists. I mean Singaporeans not Filipinos living in Singapore

venntro

June 20th, 2008, 10:15 AM

Tourism’s Durano has an alibi for failure (http://http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Business&p=49&type=2&sec=27&aid=2008061974)
DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco
Friday, June 20, 2008

At last Tourism Secretary Ace Durano has seen the point I had been driving hard in this column: our tourism program will go nowhere without adequate infrastructure. I had written here that the first item in any Tourism Secretary’s agenda is not to gallivant around the world pretending to market our tourism industry but to first do his homework by getting essential tourism infrastructure built.

Now, Mr. Durano says the Philippines would fail to meet its goal of attracting five million foreign tourists a year by 2010 due to poor transport links, a Reuters story reports. “The way the capacity is expanding, we feel that five million foreign tourists will not be achieved,” Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano told Reuters in an interview.

Durano said he was frustrated that the lack of road links and suitable airports prevented the Philippines, which has more than 7,000 islands, from taking off as a major tourism player. “We are targeting 3.5 million tourists,” Durano said, “we will just get four million tourists by 2010.”

In contrast, Thailand has remained a top tourist draw despite SARS, bird flu, a military coup and a Muslim insurgency in the south and expects to draw 15.7 million foreign tourists this year, up 8.3 percent from last year. In our case and despite our pristine beaches and an English-speaking population, the Reuters story observed, our tropical archipelago remains a bit player in the holiday market.

“Our existing destinations are more than the number of destinations that our competitors can offer, but we have to build up our capacity,” Durano told Reuters. The tourism secretary also expressed impatience “because I see the potential of the country.”

If the Secretary is getting impatient, he certainly doesn’t show it. As I have pointed out in previous columns, the only valid reason to have tourism as a Cabinet position is to give whoever is assigned the task of developing our tourism industry enough prestige, clout and accessibility to other Cabinet members who can help him put up the necessary infrastructure. Durano’s job, if he is still unaware of it, is to lobby and nag his colleagues in the Cabinet and Congress for the support he needs to make the tourism industry a serious forex earner and job provider.

As it happened, Durano was even lukewarm about supporting the Tourism bill introduced by a predecessor, Sen. Dick Gordon. Durano is supposed to have a lot of friends in Congress, specially in the House, but it was in the House that the vital Tourism measure was snagged and continues to be snagged.

Now that he is running out of time as 2010 approaches, Durano expresses frustration about inadequate infrastructure. Whose fault is that kaya? Of course he is right on target about the negative impact of such an inadequacy. But coming from him at this time makes it sound like a convenient alibi for expected failure.

Infrastructure and security are basics in a viable tourism industry. Now that he also controls the Tourism Authority, Durano is going to run out of excuses. And no amount of PR blitzes will change the fact that nothing much happened to the tourism industry under his watch… unless you consider the Koreans who are practically permanent residents as part of the tourism numbers that ought to be counted every time they come and go from Seoul.

Juan Pilgrim

June 20th, 2008, 02:47 PM

dancethingy

June 20th, 2008, 03:23 PM

^^ thing is, the bureaucracy in our country, like India's, causes long delays to infrastructure development. The same people clammering for infrastructure are the ones hampering it as well.

spearhead

June 20th, 2008, 03:26 PM

I agree with that promotion. Hopefully it will draw more Singaporean tourists. I mean Singaporeans not Filipinos living in Singapore

Y not naman pinoy-singaporians? They also send back money to philippines, and they also bring back dollars everytime they visited backhome.

Porknight

June 20th, 2008, 05:03 PM

The term infrastructure has been used since 1927 to refer collectively to the roads, bridges, rail lines, airports, seaports, sanitation, power and water utilities and similar public works that are required for an economy, or a portion of it, to function.

I can't believe these so called technocrats and government officials are only realizing how important INFRASTRUCTURE is to our ECONOMY. :ohno:

"iF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME... MORE WILL COME TO VISIT OUR COUNTRY!"

:horse:

J.P.

Well that's their job and they are payed for that ... Lol we realized years before and we didn't get a penny ... lol Cruel world :ohno:

Y not naman pinoy-singaporians? They also send back money to philippines, and they also bring back dollars everytime they visited backhome.

Well filipinos living abroad are not counted , they have to go back and they have to send money back home ... This is OFWs mission !

flymordecai

June 21st, 2008, 01:00 AM

Juan Pilgrim

June 21st, 2008, 03:11 AM

Now that you have mentioned it, I have to AGREE.

Hindi ko rin napansin na spelling pala yun ng ating PHILIPPINES.
Kala ko pictures ng mga tourist locations.

:horse:

JP

ofw_cebu

June 21st, 2008, 07:50 AM

7107 island cruise ship sailing Boracay-Mindoro-Coron Palawan, any updates on this?

absinthe_888

June 21st, 2008, 07:48 PM

Sunday, June 22, 2008
SPECIAL REPORT: TOURISM INDUSTRY
2008 arrivals: Big dip or 7.5% rise?

Sec. Durano fears President’s wish for 5M arrivals by 2010 will not happen
By Rene Q. Bas, Editor in Chief
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/june/22/yehey/top_stories/20080622top1.html
WHAT at the end of 2008 will the Philippine tourism industry be? One devastated by a big slump in tourist arrivals, or one that has suffered a manageable decline, or an economic sector rejoicing because it has had a 7.5- percent increase?

There’s a conflict between the assessments of the biggest industry group, the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), and the Department of Tourism.

The PTAA’s president, Jose Clemente 3rd, owner of one of the country’s most successful agencies, tells The Manila Times the Philippines may not even get a total of 2.4 million tourist arrivals by end 2008.

This would be terrible. If that happens, our tourist industry would be in big trouble. About 3.1 million tourists arrived in 2007.

Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano is more optimistic. He and his DOT people have a target of 3.5 million arrivals.

From January to end of April 2008, there were 1.11 million tourists. This is a 7.5-percent increase from the arrival figures (1.03 million) for the same period in 2007. If this rate of growth is not improved, however, and continues till December 31, 2008, the total arrivals would only be about 3.3 million—not 3.5 as targeted by Secretary Durano.

That would, however, be as the moderate forecasters say it would be: just a mild decline. (Read “Most forecasters see only a small dip” by Darwin G. Amojelar.

Some rather bad news came from Secretary Durano himself, last week, in an interview he gave Reuters’ Karen Lema.

He said President Gloria Arroyo’s wish to have tourist arrivals grow to 5 million by 2010, when she leaves office, “will not be achieved.”

Durano was blaming “the way the capacity is expanding.” Infrastructure is the problem, the tourism secretary explained. There simply have to be more and better roads, transport facilities and hotels all over the country.

He told Karen Lema the Philippines has more destinations than our competitors but we still have to increase our capacity. (See “ RP, still behind best Asean performers, upgrading old and building new facilities” by Darwin G. Amojelar, for details of how the DOT is working to improve and increase our country’s tourism facilities.)

But the DOT and the old names in the hotel and resort sectors are not the only ones seeking to raise the Philippines as a premier Asian tourism and entertainment destination. The country’s wealthiest corporation—some say it is more cash-rich every single day than the Philippine government itself—is the Philippine Gaming and Amusement Corporation (Pagcor), the government-owned gambling-lord company.

Pagcor has disclosed its plans to help make the Philippines beat Singapore, which is visited by more than 10 million tourists a year.

How way behind we are

In 2007, among the largest Asean countries in terms of tourism performance and tourist arrivals, the Philippines was a sorry No. 6 to Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Malaysia had 20.97 million tourists in 2007, 17.55 million in 2006.

Thailand had 14.8 million in 2007 and began to reposition itself as a high-end—not a cheap—destination so it might get less tourists this year but earn more money.

Singapore had 10.3 million tourists in 2007.

Indonesia had 5.51 million tourist arrivals in 2007, up from 4.87 million in 2006. Its target for 2007 was 6 million.

Vietnam had 4.171 million in 2007. From January to May, it already registered an increase of 16.6 percent over the same period last year.

We got 3.1 million tourist arrivals last year.

We are better than Brunei, which had 179,000 tourists in 2007.

Some travel agents are worried that in addition to the global slowdown, the surge of oil prices and the food shortage that are all contributing to the decline of tourism, the kidnapping of Ces Oreña-Drilon and companions and the extrajudicial killings that portray the Philippines as an unpleasant destination will make 2008 a bad year for the industry

absinthe_888

June 21st, 2008, 07:59 PM

Special Report
Sunday, June 22, 2008
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/june/22/yehey/top_stories/20080622top2.html

Pagcor to the rescue! Watch out Macau!
By Likha Cuevas-Miel, Reporter

MOVE over Macau and Singapore, the newest Asian entertainment hub is rising in Manila.

Seeing that the country sorely lacks a recognizable tourism marketing point—like Singapore’s Sentosa or Hong Kong’s Disneyland—the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), led by its Chairman and Chief Executive Efraim C. Genuino, hatched a plan to convert a reclaimed area of Manila Bay into a bustling world-class entertainment center.

Called the Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Entertainment City Manila, the 108-hectare project is envisioned to be a fully integrated resort complex to be built in various phases over the next 10 years. According to Pagcor, this will allow the state-run firm to shift from “mere casino gaming into wholesome, family-oriented recreation and entertainment business.”

The project has been noticed internationally because it pits the Philippines against Macau as a gambling center and against Singapore as an entertainment, cultural and convention destination.

Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Entertainment City Manila can offer more than just gambling (Macau) or just theme parks (Sentosa, Singapore). For our capital is the gateway to the other tourist attractions in the country like miles of pristine white beaches with crystal blue waters, which Macau and Singapore don’t have.

Entertainment City would serve as a jump-off point to other tourist haunts in the Philippines or it may stand alone as the focal point of a visitor’s stay.

According to Pagcor’s blueprint, the entertainment complex along Manila Bay will be divided into specialized areas featuring six-star hotels, world-class theme parks, educational and cultural complexes. It will also have shopping malls, a commercial district, sports stadiums, celebrity-themed restaurants, convention halls, state-of-the-art theaters, gaming facilities, residential villages, and a hospital district.

However, the religious sector has opposed the project. Churchmen see it as a massive scheme to promote gambling and corrupt the population.

Genuino defended the project. He said Entertainment City is not a gambling paradise for the casino is just small part of the whole package.

“In a big hotel with 2,000 to 3,000 rooms, the casino component is very small. With the 40 hectares, you will not build a casino in more than one hectare. For every 40-hectare of development, only less than 5 percent is casino. The good thing here is we were able to secure the [commitment of the] biggest theme park [operator] in the world,” the Pagcor chairman told the press.

Attracting big-name investors

Pagcor managed to amass huge investment commitments—at least $8 billion—from some of the region’s biggest leisure and resort players. Genuino confirmed that biggest investors would be the Genting group of Malaysia and the Japanese Aruze group, the partner of US casino mogul Steve Wynn. Each investor pledged to spend at least $3 billion to help build Entertainment City.

Both groups also expressed their intention to start building this year and open their respective facilities to the public two years from now, Genuino said.

The Genting group tied up with local conglomerate Alliance Global Group Inc. (AGI), a publicly listed firm owned by Andrew Tan, for the project. The partnership is forged between Genting’s Star Cruises Ltd.—the world’s third largest cruise operator—and AGI’s subsidiary, Travelers International Hotel Group Inc.

Kingson U. Sian, AGI president and chief operating officer, said that the terms of the partnership with Star Cruises are still being threshed out but he is positive that the capital injection of both companies would go beyond the minimum requirement of US$1 billion by the government. AGI recently secured a provisional license from Pagcor, the first among the four groups to get it.

Based on proposals submitted to the gaming regulator, the Malaysian group is planning to put up a theme park over a 35-hectare area it would lease from the government. Genting is the franchise holder of Universal Studios theme parks in Asia, one of which is under construction in Singapore. It also poured about six billion Singapore dollars into an integrated resort on Sentosa Island.

The Japanese group, on the other hand, proposes to build the country’s biggest Ferris’ wheel dubbed as the “Manila Eye” that is similar to that of London.

Aruze also plans to build a sports arena, a theater, a museum that would host displays of religious icons, and a 2,500-room hotel and casino. It also plans to trump the existing Manila Ocean Park by building the country’s biggest oceanarium within its leased domain.

Kazuo Okada, Aruze group chairman, told reporters in a recent gaming expo in Manila that the concept is still up for approval by the government with various licenses and zoning permits yet to be secured. A Pagcor source who refused to be named told The Manila Times that rumors of Aruze’s lack of commitment to the project were not true. “It’s just that they are waiting for a few details to be ironed out. Besides AGI-Genting, Aruze is the most serious group in plunking down money for the project,” the source said.

Bloombury Investments Ltd., a British Virgin Islands firm, also plans to lease 15 hectares and inject at least $1 billion for a project that would include three luxury hotels with a total capacity of 1,500 rooms. The plan also includes a high-end retail shopping, celebrity-themed dining, a showroom and museum, and a major entertainment and sports center. Pagcor said in a statement that these plans are based on initial talks only and are yet to be finalized.

However, Bloombury still has to get its act together before it can push on with its application for a license with Pagcor. The Australian reported that entertainment and gaming firm Crown Ltd. denied that its chairman, James Packer, was in “advanced talks” with the British Virgin Islands company for a possible investment in the Entertainment City. Packer, who also heads Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd. (PBL), is Australia’s third richest man.

The third investor is the SM Investments Corp. (SMIC), one of the country’s biggest conglomerates that made its fortune in malls, retailing and real estate. Tessie Sy-Coson, SMIC vice chairperson, said the SM group’s commitment to the Pagcor initiative involves its own investments within the Mall of Asia (MOA) Complex that it owns. SMIC recently engaged hotel services provider Carlson Hotels Worldwide-Asia Pacific to manage Regent and Radisson branded hotels within the complex.

She said a casino may be in the works but nothing is definite yet. Another publicly listed firm, Belle Corp., may get into the picture and join the SM group in the casino part of its plans. However, Willy N. Ocier, Belle Corp. vice chairman, said things are still sketchy and everything is still under review.

The Pagcor source told The Times that a racing circuit is also in the works to bring the Formula 1 Grand Prix in the Philippines. The F1, which is the most popular and well-financed motor racing sport in the world, already has Grand Prix circuits in Malaysia and Singapore.

A huge boost to Philippine tourism

Over the next five years, the Pagcor project would host at least 7,000 hotel rooms and generate at least 250,000 jobs for Filipinos, most of whom will be employed as construction workers, hotel staff members and entertainers. The Entertainment City is also expected to remit at least 25 percent of its total revenues—in the form of leases and franchise and income taxes—generated within the complex to the government treasury.

Before the Entertainment City can be a “distinctive tourist destination” that the government hopes it would be, there are several things that should be done first. One of these should be the improvement in the marketing of the Philippines as a premiere destination.

Observers polled by The Times say that the government’s marketing efforts pale in comparison with Malaysia’s branding of “Malaysia, Truly Asia” or with the tourism campaign of the tiny city-state of Singapore.

Last year, the Philippines only managed to attract 3.08 million foreign visitors, an anemic number compared with the 25 million tourists that visited the small Chinese territory of Hong Kong. With the Entertainment City in the horizon, the government hopes to catch a fraction of the projected 100 million Chinese tourists that will be traveling abroad by 2010 and the continuous flow of Asian travelers like Koreans and Japanese.

Before that, the government must prepare for the influx of tourists by building more roads and airports to accommodate them. An efficient transport system, comparable with that of other Asian countries, must be put in place to make Manila tourist-friendly.

iamjomar

June 21st, 2008, 08:02 PM

^^i think Sec. Durano is doing very well on his department.,
I just hope that GMA's wish would be a challenge for him to do a lot better.

absinthe_888

June 21st, 2008, 08:02 PM

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/june/22/yehey/images/mainphoto.jpg
President Gloria Arroyo, wearing a diving attire, waves before she went underwater at the Balicasag Island Dive Resort in Panglao, Bohol in this file photo. With the President is Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano.
Malacañang Photo

dancethingy

June 21st, 2008, 09:52 PM

^^ Durano and Recto, the two yummiest decent officials in pinas. :)

filcan

June 22nd, 2008, 04:06 AM

Special Report
Sunday, June 22, 2008
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/june/22/yehey/top_stories/20080622top2.html

Pagcor to the rescue! Watch out Macau!
By Likha Cuevas-Miel, Reporter

The Pagcor source told The Times that a racing circuit is also in the works to bring the Formula 1 Grand Prix in the Philippines. The F1, which is the most popular and well-financed motor racing sport in the world, already has Grand Prix circuits in Malaysia and Singapore.

This is new. I hope it pushes through :okay:

ulay bugang

June 22nd, 2008, 07:26 AM

Sana maging Secretary ulit ng Tourism si Sen. Gordon.

Juan Pilgrim

June 23rd, 2008, 01:37 AM

I recall Senator Dick Gordon was a good TOURISM CZAR.

But I don't think he would take the mantle of that department again.

He seems to have loftier aspirations---
like reisiding in that old white house
in the San Miguel District of Manila.

:horse:

J.P.

-TC-

June 23rd, 2008, 02:10 AM

Reposting the following AVP from the Bagong Nayon Pilipino (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=646758) thread. Very nice. :applause:

hi!, a newbie here,..

u can watch this,.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxUFomkd0n8

VxUFomkd0n8

i just happened to visit this vid,. it's very informative to those who are interested in this project.

;D

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Special Report
Sunday, June 22, 2008
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/june/22/yehey/top_stories/20080622top2.html

Pagcor to the rescue! Watch out Macau!
By Likha Cuevas-Miel, Reporter

MOVE over Macau and Singapore, the newest Asian entertainment hub is rising in Manila.

Seeing that the country sorely lacks a recognizable tourism marketing point—like Singapore’s Sentosa or Hong Kong’s Disneyland—the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), led by its Chairman and Chief Executive Efraim C. Genuino, hatched a plan to convert a reclaimed area of Manila Bay into a bustling world-class entertainment center.

Called the Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Entertainment City Manila, the 108-hectare project is envisioned to be a fully integrated resort complex to be built in various phases over the next 10 years. According to Pagcor, this will allow the state-run firm to shift from “mere casino gaming into wholesome, family-oriented recreation and entertainment business.”

The project has been noticed internationally because it pits the Philippines against Macau as a gambling center and against Singapore as an entertainment, cultural and convention destination.

Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Entertainment City Manila can offer more than just gambling (Macau) or just theme parks (Sentosa, Singapore). For our capital is the gateway to the other tourist attractions in the country like miles of pristine white beaches with crystal blue waters, which Macau and Singapore don’t have.

Entertainment City would serve as a jump-off point to other tourist haunts in the Philippines or it may stand alone as the focal point of a visitor’s stay.

According to Pagcor’s blueprint, the entertainment complex along Manila Bay will be divided into specialized areas featuring six-star hotels, world-class theme parks, educational and cultural complexes. It will also have shopping malls, a commercial district, sports stadiums, celebrity-themed restaurants, convention halls, state-of-the-art theaters, gaming facilities, residential villages, and a hospital district.

However, the religious sector has opposed the project. Churchmen see it as a massive scheme to promote gambling and corrupt the population.

Genuino defended the project. He said Entertainment City is not a gambling paradise for the casino is just small part of the whole package.

“In a big hotel with 2,000 to 3,000 rooms, the casino component is very small. With the 40 hectares, you will not build a casino in more than one hectare. For every 40-hectare of development, only less than 5 percent is casino. The good thing here is we were able to secure the [commitment of the] biggest theme park [operator] in the world,” the Pagcor chairman told the press.

Attracting big-name investors

Pagcor managed to amass huge investment commitments—at least $8 billion—from some of the region’s biggest leisure and resort players. Genuino confirmed that biggest investors would be the Genting group of Malaysia and the Japanese Aruze group, the partner of US casino mogul Steve Wynn. Each investor pledged to spend at least $3 billion to help build Entertainment City.

Both groups also expressed their intention to start building this year and open their respective facilities to the public two years from now, Genuino said.

The Genting group tied up with local conglomerate Alliance Global Group Inc. (AGI), a publicly listed firm owned by Andrew Tan, for the project. The partnership is forged between Genting’s Star Cruises Ltd.—the world’s third largest cruise operator—and AGI’s subsidiary, Travelers International Hotel Group Inc.

Kingson U. Sian, AGI president and chief operating officer, said that the terms of the partnership with Star Cruises are still being threshed out but he is positive that the capital injection of both companies would go beyond the minimum requirement of US$1 billion by the government. AGI recently secured a provisional license from Pagcor, the first among the four groups to get it.

Based on proposals submitted to the gaming regulator, the Malaysian group is planning to put up a theme park over a 35-hectare area it would lease from the government. Genting is the franchise holder of Universal Studios theme parks in Asia, one of which is under construction in Singapore. It also poured about six billion Singapore dollars into an integrated resort on Sentosa Island.

The Japanese group, on the other hand, proposes to build the country’s biggest Ferris’ wheel dubbed as the “Manila Eye” that is similar to that of London.

Aruze also plans to build a sports arena, a theater, a museum that would host displays of religious icons, and a 2,500-room hotel and casino. It also plans to trump the existing Manila Ocean Park by building the country’s biggest oceanarium within its leased domain.

Kazuo Okada, Aruze group chairman, told reporters in a recent gaming expo in Manila that the concept is still up for approval by the government with various licenses and zoning permits yet to be secured. A Pagcor source who refused to be named told The Manila Times that rumors of Aruze’s lack of commitment to the project were not true. “It’s just that they are waiting for a few details to be ironed out. Besides AGI-Genting, Aruze is the most serious group in plunking down money for the project,” the source said.

Bloombury Investments Ltd., a British Virgin Islands firm, also plans to lease 15 hectares and inject at least $1 billion for a project that would include three luxury hotels with a total capacity of 1,500 rooms. The plan also includes a high-end retail shopping, celebrity-themed dining, a showroom and museum, and a major entertainment and sports center. Pagcor said in a statement that these plans are based on initial talks only and are yet to be finalized.

However, Bloombury still has to get its act together before it can push on with its application for a license with Pagcor. The Australian reported that entertainment and gaming firm Crown Ltd. denied that its chairman, James Packer, was in “advanced talks” with the British Virgin Islands company for a possible investment in the Entertainment City. Packer, who also heads Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd. (PBL), is Australia’s third richest man.

The third investor is the SM Investments Corp. (SMIC), one of the country’s biggest conglomerates that made its fortune in malls, retailing and real estate. Tessie Sy-Coson, SMIC vice chairperson, said the SM group’s commitment to the Pagcor initiative involves its own investments within the Mall of Asia (MOA) Complex that it owns. SMIC recently engaged hotel services provider Carlson Hotels Worldwide-Asia Pacific to manage Regent and Radisson branded hotels within the complex.

She said a casino may be in the works but nothing is definite yet. Another publicly listed firm, Belle Corp., may get into the picture and join the SM group in the casino part of its plans. However, Willy N. Ocier, Belle Corp. vice chairman, said things are still sketchy and everything is still under review.

The Pagcor source told The Times that a racing circuit is also in the works to bring the Formula 1 Grand Prix in the Philippines. The F1, which is the most popular and well-financed motor racing sport in the world, already has Grand Prix circuits in Malaysia and Singapore.

A huge boost to Philippine tourism

Over the next five years, the Pagcor project would host at least 7,000 hotel rooms and generate at least 250,000 jobs for Filipinos, most of whom will be employed as construction workers, hotel staff members and entertainers. The Entertainment City is also expected to remit at least 25 percent of its total revenues—in the form of leases and franchise and income taxes—generated within the complex to the government treasury.

Before the Entertainment City can be a “distinctive tourist destination” that the government hopes it would be, there are several things that should be done first. One of these should be the improvement in the marketing of the Philippines as a premiere destination.

Observers polled by The Times say that the government’s marketing efforts pale in comparison with Malaysia’s branding of “Malaysia, Truly Asia” or with the tourism campaign of the tiny city-state of Singapore.

Last year, the Philippines only managed to attract 3.08 million foreign visitors, an anemic number compared with the 25 million tourists that visited the small Chinese territory of Hong Kong. With the Entertainment City in the horizon, the government hopes to catch a fraction of the projected 100 million Chinese tourists that will be traveling abroad by 2010 and the continuous flow of Asian travelers like Koreans and Japanese.

Before that, the government must prepare for the influx of tourists by building more roads and airports to accommodate them. An efficient transport system, comparable with that of other Asian countries, must be put in place to make Manila tourist-friendly.

kiretoce

June 23rd, 2008, 09:56 PM

RP still behind best ASEAN performers; upgrading old and building new facilities (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/june/22/yehey/top_stories/20080622top4.html)

Despite the growing foreign visitor arrivals these past years, our country still trailed behind most of its ASEAN neighbors—in tourist arrivals and facilities.

Data from the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) show that the total number of visitors climbed up from 1995 to 1997 but their number gradually declined from then on until 2001, in which the least number of visitors was recorded.

“This might have been affected by the difficulties brought about by the Asian financial crisis in 1997 in addition to the critical political uncertainty and peace and order situation in the country at the onset of the third millennium,” the NSCB said.

However, the NSCB said from 2001 until the present, statistics show a significant upward trend.

A World Economic Forum (WEF) survey, released in the 2008 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report (TCCR), shows that our country ranks 81st (up from only 86th last year) of 130 economies assessed and surveyed.

However, despite the jump in ranking, the country’s overall score of 3.70 was lower than last year’s 3.79. This means our competitors improved a lot compared to us in the various criteria.

The country lagged behind Singapore ranking 16th; Malaysia, 32nd; Thailand, 42nd; and Indonesia, 80th.

The Philippines was ahead of Vietnam, which ranked 96th overall.

Abola said our country is lagging behind our neighbors, particularly Thailand, because its market is “mass tourism.”

“Our tourists are a little bit on a higher income plane,” he added.

In terms of regulatory framework, the Philippines scored 4.1 points; business environment and infrastructure, 3.2; and human cultural and natural resources, 3.8 points.

The travel and tourism competitive survey measures the factors and policies that make the sector attractive to visitors.

The WEF also scored a number of “pillars” of travel and tourism competitiveness. It included policy rules and regulations, in which the Philippines scored 4.4; environmental sustainability, 4.3; safety and security, 4; health and hygiene, 3.6; and prioritization of travel and tourism, 4.4.

For air transport infrastructure, the country scored 2.9; ground transport infrastructure, 3.2; tourism infrastructure, 2.3; information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, 2.1; price competitiveness, 5.5; human capital, 3.8; education and training, 5; availability of qualified labor, 5; and cultural resources, 2.

WEF estimated that the activities of the Philippine travel and tourism industry—employing 1.3 million persons—amounted to $5.57 billion, reflecting a 4.4-percent annual growth. The travel and tourism industry contributed about $12.3 billion to the Philippine economy.

Developing facilities

In a bid to meet the target of five million international arrivals by 2010, the Department of Tourism plans—is now working—to upgrade tourist facilities and embark on overseas road shows and other marketing projects.

“Ultimately, DOT aims to attract not only more tourists, but also higher-value visitors who stay longer and spend more, generating more opportunities for the country,” Secretary of Tourism Joseph Durano told The Manila Times.

“Tourism is a really big industry and it creates more jobs and opportunities for many Filipinos,” Durano said, adding that “there are lots of interest from tourists to visit various locations in the Philippines and we can only accommodate them if we have enough hotel rooms and resorts,” he said.

The tourism chief added that his department will continue in its efforts to maximize the value of the travel sector given the current available infrastructure capabilities and resources. But the lack of infrastructure facilities is a drawback to foreign tourism growth in our country.

It will also explore new and innovative ways to better direct the tourism sector toward a healthy and sustainable future.

Currently, several domestic and foreign investors are working with the Tourism department on projects in key tourist destinations such as Cebu, Boracay, Negros Occidental, Bicol and Palawan.

Provincial airports, such as those in Kalibo, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa and Bacolod are being upgraded to receive international flights.

Projects are also underway to improve and develop more world-class tourism destinations such as Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Bohol and Bicol.

For 2008, the Tourism department is targeting to spend $5 to $8 billion in tourist-facility development. This is more than the original target for 2010 spending of $5 billion.

Besides improving tourist facilities, the Tourism department is negotiating with other countries to strengthen cooperative travel-trade relations.

For one, Durano said the government has had initial talks with the governments of Palau, the Northern Marianas Islands, Micronesia and Marshall Islands to improve mutually beneficial tourist trade.

“Our initial talks with the local government officials in Micronesia opened up opportunities for the tourism industry in both countries. At the moment, the Department sees that it can leverage on the fact that the Philippines is just three hours away from Guam. This makes a paradise-to-paradise connection very possible,” Durano said.

“Guam’s tourist arrivals are dominated mostly by Japanese and American nationals. Coincidentally, these are two of our major target markets. We already have the promotional programs that speak to these tourists in their home country. Our challenge now is to create the buzz that they can double-up on their tropical holiday experience by going to both the Philippines and Guam,” he added.

The DOT also has on-going promotional campaigns in Japan that will help increase tourist volume.

“The annual selling road show trips aims to strengthen the country’s presence among the Japanese market, renew and establish new links, and look into new growth sectors for the industry,” Durano said.

Japan is the third leading source of travelers to the Philippines.

Manila-X

June 24th, 2008, 07:58 AM

Y not naman pinoy-singaporians? They also send back money to philippines, and they also bring back dollars everytime they visited backhome.

Filipino-Singaporeans who send back money to the Philippines are considered as OFWs / Balikbayans including Filipinos who have Singaporean citizenships or those who have businesses in Singapore. That also apply to Filipinos in other countries.

Tourists should be classified as non-filipinos visiting The Philippines for pleasure.

Foreigners working in the Philippines especially top-positions in multinational companies are classified as expats

The challenge here is how The Philippine Tourism Board can draw non-filipino tourists. The country is seeing it with South Koreans and now Taiwanese.

BTW, I noticed upon arrival in T1, there are now billboards showing some of the best tourist sites in the country.

ponso

July 12th, 2008, 12:58 AM

I thought my daily commute to London Waterloo today was like any other Friday morning. But as soon as I opened my copy of the Metro I picked up as I entered Twickenham station, there it is -- a really, really nice article about Palawan written by a Brit! Never mind that I could not find a seat on the usually packed 7:33 express train, I felt extremely proud to see the passenger next to me reading an article about home.

Metro (www.metro.co.uk) is a free morning paper distributed on the rail and tube network and other public transport in London and major cities in the UK (Birmingham, Brighton, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sussex, Sheffield, Nottingham, Bristol and Bath) and Dublin in Ireland. It's average circulation is about 1.3 million in January 2008.

Read on or click the link below to see the full article.

=======================

http://www.metro.co.uk/travel/article.html?in_article_id=215260&in_page_id=5

Journey into the Batcave
by FIONA CULLINAN - Friday, July 11, 2008

Palawan

Batman would be jealous. I'm about to sail down the world's longest navigable underground river which winds its way through a cavernous des res for more than 40,000 bats. They're said to hang from giant rocky pillars in cathedral-sized caverns that make the Batcave look like a tiny bedsit.

Of course, there's no Batmobile to get you here. But our dugout banca boat does come with bamboo wings, a single wooden paddle and a Filipino guide who hisses like Gollum in the darkness.

I'm on the Puerto Princesa river; hidden away in the remote but eco-conscious island of Palawan - known as the Philippines' last frontier - it begins underneath spectacular limestone karst landscapes and flows scenically out into the South China Sea.

Walkway to paradise
Our journey to get to this natural wonder has been challenging. The 81km (50-mile) journey from the island's capital Puerto Princesa (from where the river takes its name) had begun serenely enough but paved roads soon gave way to hubcap-deep mud tracks. The final descent into the World Heritage Site and national park surrounding Palawan's most visited attraction involved some serious bone-shaking, which explained why Joseph, our 4x4 driver, had recommended motion sickness tablets.

That, of course, and the South China Sea. After picking up our permits on the beach we had to take a 20-minute boat ride on choppy water to a sandy cove where large monitor lizards basked in the sun. A forested walkway then lead us to a paradise lagoon of deep jade - where even Indiana Jones types had to don bright orange life vests.

But here we are at the mouth of the 8km-long underground river and I feel like Jonah being sucked into the whale as we're greeted by a set of giant, teeth-like stalactites.

As we enter, there's a stinging ammonia smell of bat guano and I spark up our spotlight to see the incredible limestone formations. There can't be many places in the world you'd find the Virgin Mary next to a giant mushroom or a strung-up turkey next to a dinosaur but Puerto Princesa is one of them.

Magical sights
Naked ladies looking saucily over their shoulder, old men hunched over with age and giant candles all pass under the spotlight. Some images unfold instantly, others require a magic eye to see them. Still, tableau after tableau comes up as we move deeper beneath the mountain.

Other highlights include a 65m-high chamber called Cathedral Cave and those 40,000 bats fleeing the cave en masse at twilight to hunt for ready meal bugs.

Five of the river's 8km are navigable but 1.5km in is as far as tourists usually go - although it's possible to continue with a few extra pesos to the boatman.

Great place to hang
The return journey yields yet more beautiful visions in the darkness - and the crackling of popping candy. At least that's what it sounds like in the dark. It's actually cave swiftlets clicking: a sonar system to locate their way in pitch blackness.

Puerto Princesa may be a long way from civilisation but it seems civilisation is still prepared to make the journey to this underground wonder - where Batman may not be found but his brethren always seem to be hanging out.

Fiona flew to Manila with Malaysia Airlines (020 7341 2000; www.malaysia airlines.com) then an onward domestic flight to Puerto Princesa. Returns from London Heathrow start from £534. Permits for the Puerto Princesa cost around £3; the boat trip from Sabang costs around £8 for a return ticket. For more information, visit www.wowphilippines.co.uk.

BARE ESSENTIALS:
A group of 1,768 islands, Palawan is a paradise for divers and nature lovers. Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located on the largest Palawan Island.

Currency: £1 = 82 Philippine pesos

Language: Cebuano and English