Some photos of her and the place!

Artist’s resort rises off Palawan

By Marge C. Enriquez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 06:48:00 02/15/2009


ICONOCLAST and visionary Helena Carratala (the Spanish fashion designer formerly known as Helena Guerrero) is out to make waves again, like she did in the ’70s and early ’80s. She has taken out a 50-year lease on Mangenguey island (the name means “thunderous sound of the waves”) in Culion, off Palawan, to turn it into an artist’s colony.



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Katya Carratala Guerrero

Katya Guerrero is a fixture in the Manila art scene.
She's a friend of celebrity tour guide and fellow artist Carlos Celdran!
She also started her own blog on art in the Philippines:

http://artworldmuse.blogspot.com/

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She is the daughter of publishing executive and art photographer
Don Xavier "Wahoo" Roces Guerrero (center) and his ex-wife
Doña Helena Carratalà (left), a former Manila fashion designer.

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Doña Elena "Morita" Roces-Guerrero,

Don Xavier Guerrero is the son of Roces family publishing heiress
Doña Elena Roces-Guerrero, former President of comics publisher
Graphic Arts Services, Inc. (GASI) in the Philippines.
He is former Director of GASI and owner of Sonic printing.

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His sister Doña Lydia "Cookie" Roces Guerrero is also a well-known
business figure in Philippine publishing and studied in Spain, where
she met her Spanish first husband, before returning to the Phlippines.

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Doña Helena Carratalà was born into a Catalan family with Filipino
roots in the city of Barcelona, Spain, where she met Don Xavier.
Her paternal grandmother lived in the Philippines in the late 1800s.

The most famous Carratalàs in the Philippines lived in Cebu City.
Engineer Don Enrique Carratalà immigrated to San Nicolas, Cebu.
His daughter Doña Concepcion "Conching" Enriquez Carratala
was the sister-in-law of Doña Dolores "Lolita" Aboitiz, the wife of
Aboitiz family patriarch Don Ramon Yrastorza Aboitiz!
Other daughter Doña Consuelo "Uling" Enriquez Carratala married
a Chinese-Cebuano mestizo millionaire, Don Mariano Veloso.

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Helena Carratala was the darling of Manila alta sociedad in the 1970s,
becoming a fixture in Manila's art, theatre, and fashion scenes.

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Helena Carratala worked with Jean-Paul Gaultier, who lived in Manila.

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Following Gaultier's departure, Helena Carratala started her own
successful fashion line in the Philippines called Azabache ("jet black").
Her current project in the Philippines is Mangenguey Island, an exclusive,
membership-only resort and artist community near Palawan!:

http://www.mangueguey.com

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Jewelry and Fashion with a Utopian Twist
The Woman Behind Azabache is Back with Another Visionary Idea

HER life can be viewed as a work of art. Helena Carratala has evolved like a true Renaissance woman. She is a prolific designer, a nurturing mother, and in the last two years, a doting grandmother. She was a successful restaurateur and entrepreneur for many years in New York. Today, she returns to the Philippines after 24 years to embark on a new chapter of her life.

Sitting in her bright and colorful apartment, she plays the perfect hostess while discussing philosophical questions that have daunted mankind since the time of Galileo. She is a 21st-century visionary rooted in ideas from 19th-century revolutionaries. An activist aware of the deep divisions between social classes and the man-made problem of poverty, Helena addresses these issues with a sharp, practical, business instinct.

It seems whatever project Helena puts her hands on can be transformed into an object of beauty. Whether it is a small, intimate party, a piece of jewelry, or an elaborate gown, to the architectural plans for building a community, no project or undertaking is impossible. Helena lives her life like an endless work-in-progress, constantly evolving, but always true to the creative force within.

Helena Carratala was born in Barcelona, Spain, on July 13, 1951 to a university professor and a mother who loved the arts. Her father educated her in matters of history and the great philosophers, while her mother taught her womanly things such as "how to walk in high heels and sip champagne without smearing your lipstick."

Helena shares a genetic love for the Philippines. Her genealogy reveals her paternal grandmother lived on the islands before the Spanish-American war of 1898. Helena remembers how her grandmother would cook sinigang and arroz caldo. From her grandmother’s baul emerged delicate clothes made of pina fiber. These images and stories of the Philippines stayed in her mind as she was growing up. It was a foreshadowing of things to come, and when Helena met her future husband in a cafe near her school in the autumn of 1966, the journey began.

In 1969, Helena first came to the Philippines as the 18-year-old bride of Wahoo Guerrero, a photographer, and the son of the very prominent Roces-Guerrero family of the publishing industry. At once, the strong-willed Spanish girl made quite an impression on Manila’s high society circles with her striking appearance and strong character.

In 1971, the Prietos, who owned the Pierre Cardin boutique in Malate, brought in a young Jean-Paul Gaultier to be head designer of the shop. Since he could not speak any English, Helena (who could speak French, Spanish, English and was a quick study in Tagalog) was hired to be his translator and assistant, accompanying him everywhere. Over the next three years, the two became very good friends. When time came for Jean-Paul to leave Manila, the young Helena was asked, "What will you do when I am gone?" He saw talent and potential in her, and encouraged her to become a designer. She protested that she did not even know the basics of draping, but Gaultier volunteered to teach her. During the last six months of his stay in Manila, Gaultier gave the young Helena a crash course in draping, drawing, and dressmaking.

"A dress is a three-dimensional piece of art. The very first thing you must learn is how to drape over a mannequin or a real live model, and then you go draw the pattern on paper," she explains.

From 1974 to 1982, Helena slowly found her way and grew into the feisty, independent woman her father wanted her to be. When Gaultier left, she learned to work on her own, starting out by hiring master cutter Flora de Leon, who had already 30 years’ experience under her belt working for Pitoy Moreno, Aureo, Valera and Joe Salazar. Theirs was a collaboration that lasted over two decades.

In the beginning, Helena stuck with her name for her clothing brand Azabache (Spanish for "jet black") despite the contrary opinions of everyone around her. She was told, "Filipinos will never wear black."

Budding tycoon Henry Sy was just about to open ShoeMart in Makati in September of 1976. Determined to make her idea work, Helena slaved over the merchandise display to meet the opening day of SM, dressing windows in the designer area of the department store only five days after the birth of her second daughter. True to her vision, the retail market snatched up her creations, and from a mere two racks in a small area in SM, Azabache grew into a respectable business. Everywhere an SM opened, the label could be found. Along with concessions in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Tokyo and another branch in Robinsons, Azabache became synonymous with edgy ready-to-wear, and Helena Guerrero became the "it" girl of haute couture and high society.

By now Helena was well known for her lavish costume parties and grand entrances. The Manila society crowd was always wondering what she would think of next. After all her years of toil and building a brand which nobody thought would take off, the family still saw her as the young, free-spirited and willful creature who needed constant amusement. Helena had grown up and was now a serious designer. It was time to leave and try her luck in the Big Apple. It was a major turning point. She was 32 years old. The decision was made. She had to give up Azabache, hand over the business, leave her marriage, her beloved Philippines, and start afresh. In 1982, Helena flew to New York with her two young daughters Katya and Tanya in tow, with just a little borrowed cash and a big dream.

"New York was a humbling experience for me," recalls Helena. "But I learned a lot." Her designs were sold at Saks, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf-Goodman, Bloomingale’s, and Macy’s department stores. Self-financing was a great challenge and Helena recalls, "It seemed everyone else was making money from my labels. The banker who bought my receivables, the department store, everyone except Helena!"

After a turbulent period when three good friends of Helena’s succumbed to AIDS, she sat down and made a list of all her talents. She decided she would no longer prostitute her design concepts. So Helena entered the restaurant business. "More for the theater aspect of it than for the food."

Helena simply channeled her creative energy from fashion into food over the next decade. After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, she eventually sold her gourmet take-out business, her catering company and two restaurants, and, yes, even the lovely house in the Hamptons.

Her ever-supportive husband, Richard Mander (a furniture-maker of Mayflower stock and former staff of Sister Parish, the grand dame of interior design), gave her the encouragement and the freedom to begin another chapter of her life.

Apart from the hereditary affiliation with the Philippines, it was Helena’s involvement in the rights of immigrants, and the birth of her grandchild in April of 2004 that were the catalysts for her return to the archipelago.

"I had reinvented myself into a political activist. But something happened after the birth of my granddaughter. And when I came back, I was surprised by the love I found here and had no idea how much impact my work in design had in this country. So much that 25 years on, people still remember me fondly. I am grateful for that love."

Helena explains that if one could recapture the magic, the allure that made people remember Azabache and how it held them, one could magnify that and put it into a bigger project that would involve the cooperation of a lot of creative thinkers, and those who work with their hands.

"If I look at my 54 years of life I can patch them all into one. As an artist, a designer, an activist, all these different parts of me are finding expression in Mangenguey."

The utopian mission of Mangenguey is to use the creative force of the arts and humanities to encourage out-of-the-box entrepreneurship, building a society that is self-sufficient, producing goods without abusing nature or exploiting people, and distributing wealth among its members equitably.

In Helena’s model of Mangenguey, the spirit of self-reliance reigns. Preservation of nature, the human spirit, and the traditional crafts, empowering people to take their livelihood into their own hands, form the core values. The spirit of Mangenguey encourages people to take the initiative rather than simply wait for government to help them.

Early feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton said this back in 1895, "Women are the agents of utopia." In the year 2006, Helena Carratala sees herself as the vehicle and agent of social change in the grand vision of Mangenguey.

"The world is in very bad shape these days, on all levels. The problems facing mankind today are still the same problems since time immemorial. How do we take away poverty? How do we narrow the gap between rich and poor? There was the French Revolution, the EDSA revolution, still the problems are the same. How do we live without everything boiling down to whether an idea is useful in the material world or not?"

Through the preservation of the heritage of indigenous crafts and nurturing discourse among artists and the creative community, the island home of Mangenguey will be the initial step towards a Renaissance of lifestyles.

This is where the idea will be of utmost importance, internationalism and creativity are the core concepts, and objects of beauty are products that concretize this mode of thinking. "Beauty should not be the property of the rich alone. Yes, artists and creators have benefited from patrons, but there should never be a monopoly on beauty."

In the mind of a visionary, anything is possible.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/05/04/I2006050463094.html.

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Source: http://www.mangueguey.com.

Carlos Celdran wrote a wonderful review of Mangueguey Island:
http://celdrantours.blogspot.com/2008/09/civility-on-island-of-helena.html

Central Luzon tourism posts higher growth rate in 2008 (http://http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/c-luzon-tourism-posts-higher-growth-rate-2008)

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- While the world is experiencing the hardest-hitting financial crisis in so many decades, this part of the country known as the central plains of Luzon is bursting with surprising comeback in terms of volume of local and foreign visitors in 2008.

Department of Tourism (DOT)-Central Luzon Regional Director Ronaldo Tiotuico issued this statement.

Based on the survey results gathered from a selection of accredited hotels and other accommodation establishments in the region, Tiotuico said Central Luzon posted the highest volume of visitor arrivals in history equivalent to more than 24 percent growth rate on room occupancy for the entire 2008.

Valentine's 2009 blog

This means that the region posted some 530,802 visitors during the period January to December of 2008 as compared to only 427,364 during the same period in 2007.

Of the total volume of arrivals, tourists from the United States ranked no. 1 with some 36,326 arriving in the region while Japanese tourists ranked no. 2 with some 11,891 arrivals, overtaking the South Koreans with 8,778 arrivals last year.

When translated into cents and dollar receipts, the arrival figure for 2008 amounted to more than US$200 Million in gross revenues for tourist expenditures made on accommodation, food and shopping.

It is estimated that tourists spend some US$99 per day of stay in the region and spend four room nights on the average.

In short, the region posted a high P10 Billion in total revenues, which gave vast economic head start for tourist-catering establishments like hotels, resorts and restaurants. More hotels were established during the year while thousands of jobs were created as a result thereof.

Based on informal survey made on visitors arriving in the region, most travelers chose to stay in and around the region because of value for money such the low fares offered by international airlines through Clark like Air Asia and Tiger Airways including Cebu Pacific.

The book-and-buy scheme offered to foreign tourists gave them ample reason to travel for a much cheaper cost though of same quality of service and amenities. Hotels and tourist inns around the Clark Freeport Zone offer cheap price on rooms but quality service.

The much improved road network from Manila to the North Luzon area has contributed much to the significant growth of tourism in the region. Seamless travel between the North Luzon Expressway and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway enroute to Tarlac or Subic gave value for money in times of economic slowdown. (Press release)

Dancesport for tourism (http://http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/%E2%80%98dancesport-tourism%E2%80%99)

IN sports tourism, one travels to a place to participate in a sports activity for recreation or competition, to observe sports at the grassroots or elite level or to visit a sports attraction.

But Cebu is yet to get a stamp on a sport that would make people travel like they do to Cagayan de Oro for the whitewater rafting.

“Cebu needs a trademark sport. And dancesport fits the description,” said IMG Philippines marketing director Princess Galura during the Sports Tourism Conference yesterday at the Teatro Casino of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel.

“Dancesport should be made synonymous to Cebu just as surfing is to Siargao,” Galura said.

Capital

Galura said Cebu should capitalize on its talent base.

“Cebu has what it takes to be a prime sports tourism destination and dancesport should be your way to do it,” she added.

“If Cebuanos compete in Manila, they win. You do not have a problem with venue since you have the Waterfront and it is feasible, marketing wise. The sport is big here so you can expect people to come,” said Lagura.

Lagura also said that while Cebu had hosted international competitions, “Not a lot of people knew about it. Had they strongly marketed it, more people could have come.” she added.

“I went to the Star Ball in Manila last week and it was sold out even if tickets were sold for as much as P10,000,” she said.

IMG is an independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. It has been responsible for marketing some of world’s best sports personalities and has organized some of the country’s biggest competitions.

Event

Lagura said they only brought one event to Cebu, a small-scale badminton competition. They had considered Cebu a venue for the inaugural Iron Man 70.3 Philippines, but found its roads too small, forcing them to have it either in Camarines Sur or Davao City.

Cebu City Councilor Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem, meanwhile, said that although the City lacks the venues, it has not stopped the city from successfully hosting sporting events.

He also said sporting facilities will be built at the South Road Properties.

He also announced the city’s strong campaign in promoting dancesport, which Cebu has developed a niche in.

Media help

Solar Sports Entertainment C/S 9 marketing manager Monica Llamas, on the other hand, raised the importance of media in organizing sporting events.

“They are the evangelists of your events. They know the people involved. So they should be given access to information pertaining to the event like results of the games should be made available to them easily,” she said. (MCB)

RP, Kuwait agree on more flights (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/149266/RP-Kuwait-agree-on-more-flights)
02/18/2009 | 04:02 AM


MANILA, Philippines - Local carriers can now mount more flights to Kuwait with the conclusion of air talks between the Philippines and the oil-rich Arab emirate.

From only six, the Philippines is now entitled to 29 weekly flights to Kuwait.

The additional 23 entitlements were approved Tuesday afternoon, said Porvenir P. Porciuncula, deputy executive director of the Civil Aeronautics Board.

The 29 flights are divided as follows: Manila, eight flights; Subic, 14; and Cebu, Davao and other airports, seven.

A fifth freedom right was also given to flights from Clark, allowing carriers to pick up a passenger from Kuwait before flying to another destination in a third country.

The Philippine negotiating panel was headed by the acting board chairman, Doroteo A. Reyes.

The Civil Aeronautics Board is scheduled to start air talks with Bahrain, Brunei, and Australia this year. The government has been going after flight entitlements to several countries to address an expected increase in air travel.

Mr. Porciuncula downplayed any potential hesitation local carriers may have in competing with Middle Eastern airlines — which have access to cheaper fuel — noting that fuel costs have dipped.

Lance Y. Gokongwei, president of Cebu Pacific, said the low-cost carrier is considering flights to Kuwait.

"We are always looking at possible route network expansion and we are studying the possibility of mounting flights to Kuwait," Mr. Gokongwei said.

Officials of Philippine Airlines were not available for comment. - BusinessWorld

Tourism investors to get perks soon; agencies face revamp (http://http://www.bworldonline.com/BW021809/content.php?id=051)


A BILL granting tax perks to tourism and related businesses and revamping state tourism agencies is close to becoming law, a development which proponents say will attract investments and create more jobs.

Bohol Rep. Edgardo M. Chatto, head of the House of Representatives’ tourism committee, said the House and the Senate expect to ratify the reconciled version of House Bill No. 5229 and Senate Bill No. 2213 — the Tourism Act of 2008 — by next week, so that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can sign it into law by March.

The bill was approved in a bicameral conference committee meeting last Thursday.

"This bill will help make the tourism campaign more aggressive. An example of this is the ‘History Town’ and the ‘Best of the Regions’ campaign in Intramuros, where investments, tourists, and jobs have [increased]," Mr. Chatto said in a telephone interview.

Tourism Secretary Joseph H. Durano said the bill will overhaul his department to make it more "market-driven" and "market-aggressive."

"With the assurance of stable investments coming in, the Tourism department can ensure effectivity in fulfilling its mandate of bringing in more tourists and investments to the country," he said in a telephone interview.

Under the bill, attached agencies under the Department of Tourism will be reorganized.

The Philippine Tourism Authority will be renamed the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), a corporation that will designate, regulate and supervise tourism enterprise zones (TEZs) as well as develop and manage tourism projects in the country.

Duty Free Philippines will be reorganized to become Duty Free Philippines Corp., tasked to handle tax-free merchandising.

The Philippine Convention and Visitors Corp. will become Tourism Philippines, responsible for promotional activities.

The Philippine Retirement Authority, now under the Office of the President, will be transferred to the Tourism department, along with the Intramuros Administration, the National Parks and Development Committee, and the Nayong Pilipino.

The measure also provides for the creation of TEZs, where investors will get incentives like those in economic zones.

TEZ locators will pay a final tax of only 5% of gross income instead of the 30% corporate income tax, provided that income from local sales do not exceed 30% of income from all sources, Mr. Durano said.

"Private developers who apply for their properties to become TEZs will also be able to avail themselves of duty-free importation of capital goods and income tax holidays," he added.

The bill grants P500 million in state funding to the TIEZA. The agency will draw funds from tourism development fees, 50% of travel tax collections, project revenues, and subsidies and grants.

"This provides us with other sources of funds outside the annual [budget] for us to be able to do our work," Mr. Durano said.

Among those who have applied to become TEZs are the Marriott Hotel in Cebu City and the Shangri-la hotel in Boracay.

Meanwhile, six tourism-related small businesses in Eastern Visayas will receive funding support under the Grassroots Entrepreneurship for Eco-Tourism (GREET) program of the Department of Tourism this year.

The six beneficiaries requested funding support of P730,000, said Tourism regional director Karina Rosa Tiopes.

GREET, launched in the region in 2007, provides grants of P50,000 to P100,000 to groups or individuals with feasible business proposals for the country’s eco-tourism sites. Ms. Tiopes said the total budget for the project nationwide is P10 million. — with Sarwell Q. Meniano

In a tourism frame of mind (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=441603&publicationSubCategoryId=64)
ROSES & THORNS By Alejandro R. Roces Updated February 19, 2009

Tourism has long been the mythic solution to our economic issues. We remember writing about tourism during the early 1970s after Ferdinand Marcos proffered it as the cure for all our economic ills. In a column titled Image Problem in Tourism, we expressed our reservations then: “There is no doubt that tourism could be one of our major dollar-earning industries, but till the garbage and the peace and order situation remains as is, no kind of tourism program can succeed. We maintain that the problem at the moment is not how to get more tourists to visit Manila, but how to make the few who come enjoy their stay.”

The problem the Philippines has had in expanding our tourism trade is three fold: bad infrastructure, worse graft and corruption and an even worse international image in serious need of rehabilitation. The latest corruption scandal to grace our front pages is just another example. It has all of the hallmarks of a classic Philippine corruption case: vociferous recriminations, loud denials, grand statements, posturing and even an international element. The World Bank is aptly named and any negative report from them carries substantial weight: yet, their “motives” and aptitude is quickly questioned. We hope that the facts are discovered and not buried under noise. To improve our tourist trade, our infrastructure, peace and order and international image need to be rehabilitated.

Peace and order, graft and corruption and our international image are all inter-connected. An efficiently operated government means improved peace and order. Tourists and visitors should feel safe when they visit the Philippines. When they return to their home country and only have positive things to say about us, then our international perception will begin to improve. The less we are in the headlines with stories of extrajudicial killings, rampant corruption and failing social services, the more travelers we will attract. A simple equation that we fear may never be realized.

One of the major tools at the disposal of a government during a recessionary period is spending for infrastructure. Many of our infrastructure (roads, airports and so forth) are in a bad state and in serious need of upgrading. How can we sell the natural and man-made beauty of the Philippines when it is arduous to visit them? However, it is sad that foreign funding for infrastructure development is being withheld, pending the resolution of the current corruption scandal.

Another issue facing our tourism trade is the preservation and restoration of our heritage sites. If we had been told after World War II that Manila and Intramuros would still not have been rebuilt in the 21st century we would have said that you were crazy. Many of our heritage sites are either neglected or willfully desecrated by well-intentioned, but misguided, people. For example, we recently read that a church façade in Dingras, Ilocos Norte is scheduled to be torn down. In its place will be constructed a replica of the original. According to Augusto Villalon (who wrote the article) the façade is still strong and it is not necessary to tear it down. It has always been our assumption that an original is preferable to a cheap imitation. Which would you rather have, the Mona Lisa or a picture of the Mona Lisa? While this church façade may not have any national importance, it is an integral part of our religious history and definitely an integral part of Dingras’ past. No tourist would make a trip to visit the copy of a 300-year old façade. In destroying the façade, they may well be crippling their potential tourist opportunities.

The solution to our problems has been the same for decades: eliminate, or at the very least substantially reduce, graft and corruption in the Philippines. We wonder if this is actually possible? However, we also believe that there must be a concerted effort to preserve and properly restore our unique heritage resources. If we continue to allow them to deteriorate, be irrevocably changed or even destroyed, we are effectively curtailing some of our most potent tourism resources.

Bohol bans possession, display of tarsiers (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/149426/Bohol-bans-possession-display-of-tarsiers)
02/18/2009 | 10:48 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Bohol is no longer the right place for people who want to own a tarsier or use it for commercial purposes.

This was after the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Bohol passed an ordinance prohibiting the possession and display of tarsiers, considered as the smallest primate species in the world.

A report in GMA News’ “24 Oras” Wednesday said the approval of the measure was triggered by the proliferation of farms and businesses that are displaying tarsiers for a fee.

Violators of the ordinance would be slapped with a P5,000 fine and will be meted with a jail term of not less than six months, the report said.

The report said tarsiers suffer stress every time they are exposed to humans. It added that the provincial government wanted tarsiers to remain in their natural habitat.

The provincial government also passed a resolution urging the Environment Department to stop issuing wildlife permits that allow the use of tarsiers for commercial purposes.

Aside from Bohol, tarsier can be found in Samar, Surigao and Sulu islands. - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV

^^That is great news..maybe instead of displaying them in daylight, they can arrange some night tours instead, to actually spot them in their actual habitat( since they're nocturnal and all). I saw those poor primates when I was there in one of those farms, it's really sad..you see tourists touching and putting cameras next to their faces taking pictures WITH FLASH ON. Night tours sounds like a better idea don't you agree? We have that here in Tasmania for our Tassie Devils.

^^That is great news..maybe instead of displaying them in daylight, they can arrange some night tours instead, to actually spot them in their actual habitat( since they're nocturnal and all). I saw those poor primates when I was there in one of those farms, it's really sad..you see tourists touching and putting cameras next to their faces taking pictures WITH FLASH ON. Night tours sounds like a better idea don't you agree? We have that here in Tasmania for our Tassie Devils.

^^ Reminds me of the Singapore Night Safari. It was the highlight of our Singapore escapade.

Beyond Manila: Off the beaten track (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=goodLife2_Feb19_2009)


Travelers from the city are mostly influenced by the mainstream. There’s Boracay every summer, La Union for surfing and all the other middle-of-the-road destinations that have earned street cred. Then, there’s also the trends. When wakeboarding was the new “it” watersport a couple of years back, people were flocking to Lago de Oro. Today, it’s Camarines Sur. Let’s take the spotlight away from those places for a while and be reminded that the Philippines is also home to virtually untouched—all waiting to be traversed. Here are some ways to get off the beaten track:

1. Beyond Sagada. When traveling north, the farthest that most people go is Sagada. It obviously has its wholesome and not-so-wholesome charms that attract many Manileños. But what about what lies further north? For a real adventure, go deeper into the Cordilleras for more breathtaking landscapes and still-existing tribal cultures.

2. Beyond Bohol. Of course, there’s the Chocolate Hills. But off the island of Bohol, there are 73 other islands and there’s certainly a large fraction of that that’s isolated. To get the real deal, explore the smaller ones and venture deep within.

3. Beyond Dumaguete. Off the coast of this southern city is the island of Siquijor. Some parts of the island have relatively been tourist-friendly for quite some time now. But there are still a lot of untouched parts like white sand beaches, caves, mountains and reefs.

4. Beyond Batanes. Really hard places to get to, the northernmost islands of the Batanes province and Cagayan’s Babuyan Islands almost feel like they’re not in the Philippines anymore as they are actually closer to Taiwan. It’s a real adventure, thanks to the ruins, old structures and the low climate.

5. Beyond Subic. It’s safe to assume that everyone has been to Subic at least once. But have been around it? Anawagin Cove, a white sand beach, is only frequented by bona fide trekkers and very few others stumble upon it. It’s located in Barangay Pundaquit, town of San Antonio.

6. Within Iligan. The City of Majestic Waterfalls tag isn’t a baseless claim. Iligan City’s main tourist attraction is its waterfalls. One of the most beautiful of which—and one of the most secluded—is the Tinago Falls. As its name implies, it’s hidden in a deep ravine. It’s in Barangay Ditucalan and can be reached via the winding staircase, a 500-step descent.

7. Within Cebu. One of the more popular “off the beaten track” destinations in Visayas is the Kawasan Falls, three hours southwest of Cebu City. Its popularity has prompted locals to build gift shops and cottages. It may not be as secluded as one may hope, so it’s a perfect spot for those who aren’t that adventurous.

8. Within Palawan. The province is home to some enduring ethnolinguistic groups that live in remote tribes throughout the island. As much as many parts of Palawan have technically been explored, there are still virgin forests and shores on the main and surrounding smaller islands.

9. Within Camiguin. After you’ve visited all the recommended sites (i.e. volcanoes) in Camiguin, be sure to explore the path less traveled. You’ll be pleasantly rewarded with beaches and waterfalls all to your company’s private enjoyment.

10. Within Samar. One of Samar’s not-so-secret secrets is Viriato. It’s a village with a picturesque coastal road, amazing waterfalls, cliffs and mountains. You can also get off the island and navigate the waters to discover distant islands around it.

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?

i agree

^^ Marketing is really crucial. We really have to improve our image to the international community.

Sicogon island owners, residents reach compromise (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/149605/Sicogon-island-owners-residents-reach-compromise)
02/19/2009 | 09:08 PM

MANILA, Philippines — Majority owners of tourist destination Sicogon Island and local residents have reached a compromise after holding a dialogue at the provincial capitol in Iloilo City.

Online news site The News Today (www.thenewstoday.info) reported the compromise was reached Wednesday noon at a meeting brokered by Msgr. Meliton Oso of the People's Graftwatch of Iloilo.

Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas attended the meeting, which came a day after some 300 Sicogon residents walked all the way from Carles town, about 120 kilometers north of the city.

The inhabitants started their march Wednesday last week to highlight their alleged eviction from the island to pave the way for foreign investors.

Also, the inhabitants accuse the island's owner, the Sicogon Development Corporation (Sideco) of harassing them, evicting them from their houses and preventing them from tending to their farms.

Sideco denied the accusations.

Resident Amelia de la Cruz alleged that Sideco's security guards either burned or destroyed their houses including the fences.

Thelma Bacinillo said Sideco evicted her from her house and confiscated her farm animals and some personal property. Elsa Bulaqueño said Sideco's guards threatened to shoot her two minor sons.

But Sideco president Edgardo Sarrosa denied all these. He stressed that they had not been harassing the inhabitants, nor forcing them out of their houses.

Oso said the problem between the inhabitants and Sideco hinged mainly on alleged harassment by Sideco's private security guards; and eviction of some residents from their houses and farms.

Sarrosa said Bacinillo and anybody else claiming to have been displaced can return to their houses and continue possessing the land without fear of being evicted.

He added Bacinillo can have her farm animals back, and assured inhabitants that they will not be harmed by Sideco's security guards. "Nothing will happen to you," he said.

The 1,160-hectare island was a top tourist destination in the 1970s. It has its own airstrip and hordes of foreign tourists came to the island during its heydays. - GMANews.TV

2008 tourists reach 3.14-M (http://abs-cbnnews.com/business/02/19/09/2008-tourists-reach-314-m)


Tourism secretary Ace Durano reported on Thursday the Philippines received 3.14 million foreign tourists last year, significantly lower than its 3.5 million target.

Durano said he expects the trend to continue and the industry to post a flat growth this year with continuing decline in arrivals.

Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Carmelo Arcilla has predicted that the Philippines would most likely feel the decreasing number in air travel in the first quarter of 2009.

Arcilla said that based on the airlines’ indications, the Philippines has yet to feel the full effect of the global financial crisis.

He added that after the peak travel season is over, airline industries will feel the pinch.

Samie Lim, immediate past president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), said the government should build infrastructure for Philippine tourism for the industry to survive the global economic crisis and come out stronger when it is over.

Durano said his department is signing an agreement with the Philippine Councilors’ League aimed at training local legislators on how to market their localities to domestic and foreign tourists.

Lim said there is a need for new roads, bridges and ports that will open up new tourist destinations.

He added that the adoption of open-skies policy might not be the answer to weather the economic crunch, saying only a slight opening of the Philippine aviation is required.

The PCCI leader’s position and recommendation echo the proposals of the chairman emeritus of the National Association of Independent Tourist Agencies, Robert Lim Joseph.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=441879&publicationSubCategoryId=65

Chinatown seeks to become tourist spot
Updated February 20, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Chinatown in the Binondo district in Manila is being primed as a premier tourist spot in Manila.

In a multi-sectoral meeting attended by police, traffic and barangay officials and civic organizations yesterday, they discussed problems and solutions to lure tourists to Chinatown.

“Binondo is the only Chinatown in the world (that is) not visited by tourists,” said Ambassador Harry Angping who represented his wife, Rep. Naida Angping, in the meeting.

The stakeholders noted that Chinatown is clogged with parked vehicles, turning off potential visitors.

“No one wants to drive in Chinatown since they cannot find any parking area. The place teems with kuliglig (tricycles) and pedicabs,” said Joe Tan, founder of the South San Nicolas Volunteer Fire Brigade.

Manila traffic chief Superintendent Roberto de la Rosa said he will talk with City Hall officials to provide routes with parking spaces exclusively for tricycles and to regulate parking in Binondo.

Meisic police station chief Superintendent Nelson Yabut said he will put a temporary police outpost at the corner of Sto. Cristo and P. Guevarra streets to maintain peace and order in the crime-prone portion of Binondo. He also reported that the police had already rounded up a number of vagrants and solvent users in the area.

Rep. Angping also plans to put up a two-story police precinct on San Fernando street to protect the almost 25,000 students in the five elementary schools in Binondo. – Nestor Etolle

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=441879&publicationSubCategoryId=65

Chinatown seeks to become tourist spot
Updated February 20, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Chinatown in the Binondo district in Manila is being primed as a premier tourist spot in Manila.

The stakeholders noted that Chinatown is clogged with parked vehicles, turning off potential visitors.

“No one wants to drive in Chinatown since they cannot find any parking area. The place teems with kuliglig (tricycles) and pedicabs,” said Joe Tan, founder of the South San Nicolas Volunteer Fire Brigade.


^^ Binondo streets should be rid of the parked vehicles. If it's still possible, widen the roads and make the sidewalks more pedestrian friendly.

Hotel occupancy in Metro Manila may drop by 10% (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=441772&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio Updated February 20, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - Hotel occupancy in the business districts of Metro Manila could drop by 10 percent this year as companies cut back on their expenditures, an industry player said yesterday.

A survey conducted by Amadeus Philippines showed that companies in the Asia Pacific region will be cutting down on trips this year while at the same time scrutinizing every expense detail of travels by corporate officials.

The result of the survey showed that hotels in Metro Manila should reduce their rates or offer more promotional packages to cope with the dropping demand and hard financial situation.

“There are now austerity measures being placed by companies with regards to travel. Companies are now more price conscious and are spending more prudently,” Amadeus Philippines general manager Albert Villadolid said.

Villadolid said the new approach by companies in their travel plans might potentially lower by at least 10 percent the hotel occupancy in Metro Manila this year.

He said their survey showed that 47 percent of corporate executives plan to travel less over the next 12 months while another 28 percent said they will be downgrading their desired hotel accommodations from the usual five and four star hotels.

Villadolid said there will also be a backlash on lesser known hotels in the country or those with short track records as more companies are leaning towards hotel chains that have a uniform service level across all countries where they are located.

“There is already a downturn last year among the hotels. As the Philippines begins to feel the impact of the international financial crisis and the cutbacks in corporate travel, we might see a lot of Metro Manila hotels with lower occupancy levels,” Villadolid said.

For the first 11 months of 2008, hotel occupancy rates in Metro Manila were down 3.31 percent as compared to 2007. There are currently 81 hotels in Metro Manila with a combined occupancy rate of 14,344 rooms.

“There is a flight towards the trusted brands and consistency of service. Right now, companies are looking for good Internet access and efficient check in and check out when booking hotels,” Villadolid said.

^ woof! woof! :lol:

Magagalit na si TC (Tactical Coordinator/ Top Chihuahua) of M.I.C.E.

or

Truly Cornified of Maize, Innuendoes and Corny Examples.

:lol:
TC (Take Care) na lg sa inyo pag magalit yun....
mapaparatrace pa kayo :)

MIAA earmarks P3b to build Panglao airport (http://http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news2_feb24_2009)

THE Manila International Airport Authority yesterday said it will invest P3 billion to build the Panglao International Airport in Bohol province.

Tirso Serrano, assistant general manager for airport development and corporate affairs, said the consultancy firm TGCI Engineers had completed the feasibility study while Phil JAC Inc. had been commissioned to do the new airports detailed design.

The agency, which has administrative control and supervision over all international airports, said it would also help upgrade and build Caticlan Airport, the gateway to the resort island of Boracay.

Alfonso Cusi, general manager of the airport agency, said the Ninoy Aquino International Airport had increased its capacity to 32 million passengers a year with the opening of Terminal-3.

The agency also disclosed plans to expand the terminal to better handle the increasing passenger traffic.

Last year, the Naia complex handled about 90 percent of all international traffic in the country and accounted for more than 22 million international and domestic passengers. That represented 75 percent of all passenger movements nationwide.

Aside from opening Terminal-3, the agency also expanded the Terminal-1 arrival lobby and made other renovations to make it more functional.

“The Naia complex would undergo further improvements in the years to come as this is essential to keep up with the demands of our stakeholders, airline operators and passengers,” Cusi said.

He said the use of wide-bodied jumbo jets had made the upgrading of the Naia’’s landing strip necessary, particularly the shoulders, to accommodate the wing span of new aircraft.

The runway could now accommodate new aircraft such as the Airbus A380, Cusi said. Two gates per terminal could fit the wide-bodied jumbo jets, he said. Roderick T. dela Cruz

GMA declares former San Lazaro racetrack a tourism economic zone (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=443531&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
Updated February 26, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo has declared the former site of the San Lazaro race track in Sta. Cruz, Manila owned by the Manila Jockey Club Inc. (MJCI) as a tourism economic zone.

Pursuant to the proclamation, MJCI and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA signed yesterday the registration agreement entitling the listed horse race track operator to develop and operate several parcels of land consisting of 74,244 square meters as a tourism economic zone with information technology component.

The special economic zone, to be known as the San Lazaro Tourism and Business Park, will be developed in joint venture with property giant Ayala Land Inc.

ALI is currently building residential and commercial complexes, including one 14-story BPO building, in the area.

MJCI Investments Inc., a unit of MJCI, is allotting P383 million to put up and operate a Pagcor-accredited casino/hotel project in a 1.6-hectare lot.

Last year, MJCI secured the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.’s nod to run a casino, which would have an initial 200 slot machines and 10 gaming tables.

Once the casino building is completed, MJCI will start planning for the construction of a hotel adjacent to the establishment.

Incorporated in March 1937, MJCI is currently engaged in the construction, operation and maintenance of a racetrack located in Cavite and holding of horse races therein with bettings both directly or indirectly by means of mechanical, electric and computerized totalizator.

The company is also engaged in the development and sale of residential complex through joint venture arrangements with developers.

In 2005, the company entered into a joint development agreement with the Ayala Group’s Avida Land Corp. and Community Innovations Inc. to develop lots within its Manila property into residential condominium buildings and townhouses. — Zinnia dela Peña

A gem of a beach...

http://i44.tinypic.com/10wuulj.jpg
from flickr

The Philippines' Saud Beach is Among the Top Beaches in Asia
- Department of Tourism

The little–known northwest Philippine beach Saud Beach at Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte was recently named as one of the ten best beaches in Asia by Australia’s Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun newspaper. Through its veteran travel writer and photographer John Borthwick, the widely circulated publication listed the top beach destinations in Asia. Saud Beach was chosen on the basis of its pristine condition, rustic appeal, relative isolation from the usual tourist crowd, its “untouched by commercialism” quality, and the variety of water sports activities it offers.

Aside from Saud Beach, the other beaches that made the list are Ko Adang and Mae Nam of Thailand, Bentota of Sri Lanka, Yalong Bay of China, China Beach of Vietnam, Calangute of India, Dungun of Malaysia, Occheutel of Cambodia, and Kenting of Taiwan.

Located at the northwest coast of Luzon, Saud Beach is a 2-kilometer arc of pure sand bordered by the blue of the South China Sea. It is an uncluttered beach devoid of all commercialism and crowds that usually spoil the appeal of a quiet beach destination. It is a haven for swimmers, snorkelling enthusiasts and wind surfers, and it is fast becoming another surfers’ paradise in the Philippines. Roughly an hour away by land travel from Laoag International Airport, this picturesque beach is renowned for its crystal clear waters, fine white-cream sand and underwater sceneries of multi-colored corals and iridescent fish. Saud Beach is definitely one of Philippine tourism’s best-kept secrets. :banana:

MANILA, Feb. 27 (PNA) -- A weekly Australian magazine, "Grazia," exploring life at the top in terms of fashion, celebrities and travel has featured Boracay's beauty extensively.

Holding the glossy high life magazine for everyone to see, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said, "Our country's exposure in different renowned foreign publications show that we are continually on the world's blue list of the best."

Durano added, "This affirms that our investments in one of the country's prime tourist destinations is worth every cent because Boracay is, indeed, among the world's top 10 beaches."

Boracay island is blessed with crystal-clear waters, ultra-fine sand and, despite the number of developments on shore, it's unique charm never fail to captivate worldwide tourists.

Visitors could not help but be enthralled with the island's healthy mix of nature and party atmosphere that's appropriate for water sports such as beach volleyball, skim boarding, kite surfing, sailing, snorkeling tours and bar hopping in the evenings.

With a spectacular sunset on the horizon for late afternoon viewing, trail hiking and mountain climbing are most appropriate in the mornings.

Notable spas and wellness centers happily dot the place where worn-out travelers can look forward to being pampered with massage to soothe their frayed nerves and tired bodies.

"Grazia" has been a huge success and we are confident that the Australian audience will respond enthusiastically to its fresh approach to lifestyle and travel," said Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque of the Tourism Planning and Promotions.

Tourism in Boracay continues to increase by leaps and bounds, reflecting a 5.61 per cent growth for Region VI and earning them a total of Php 10.6 billion in 2008. (PNA)

Shangrila Boracay opens on March 2

BORACAY, AKLAN, Feb 28 (PNA) - The provincial government officials here in Aklan province welcome the opening of another multi-million investment in the island paradise of Boracay, the Shangrila Boracay Resort and Spa this coming March 2.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is then being expected to inaugurate the spa along with Department of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

There would also be other cabinet members who are reportedly joining the inauguration evening of March 2.

Provincial government leaders headed by Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez, Vice Governor Gabrielle Calizo, and the provincial board members will also be present during the inauguration.

However, some of the invited guests of the Shangrila Boracay Resort and Spa are already arriving starting tomorrow until March 2.

Based on the Shangrila website (www.shangri-la.com), the new resort will bring new dimensions in luxury and leisure with a classic contemporary architectural style infused with local cultural influences.
Its secluded setting enjoys 350 meters of pristine beachfront and 12 hectares of grounds that are reportedly home to rare wildlife species including the bats. (PNA)

Tagaytay launches tourist cops (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20090227-191456/Tagaytay-launches-tourist-cops)

MANILA, Philippines -- The Tagaytay City police will be deploying tourist policemen this summer to make sure the city is safe for visitors.

Chief Superintendent Perfecto Palad, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) regional police director, said the tourist policemen will “ensure the safety and protection of foreign and domestic tourists or travelers in tourist…areas.”

All tourist policemen will undergo seminars on the proper handling of tourist complaints; effective techniques in handling customers; application of first aid procedures; and other tourism-related subjects, Palad said.

To assist the tourist policemen, the Tagaytay City government donated three new patrol cars and nine hand-held radios.

“Businessmen should feel that they are safe when they invest their money here. Foreign and local tourists alike should also feel secure when they go visit our tourist destinations. They should just enjoy the sights and sounds of Calabarzon without worrying that lawless elements will steal their belongings or run away with their cars,” Palad said.

Other destinations in the region that have tourist policemen include Calamba City, Pagsanjan, and Sta. Rosa City.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/02/28/09/more-chinese-tourists-visit-rp

More Chinese tourists visit RP

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 02/28/2009 5:39 PM

More tourists from China have been drawn to the Philippines lately, according to the Department of Tourism.

Data from the DOT showed the combined number of visitors from three Chinese markets went up by 63 percent year-on-year to about 50,000 in January 2009.

Arrivals from Hong Kong grew 100 percent to 14,000 while arrivals from China surged 65.8 percent to 22,700. Visitors from Taiwan also increased 31.1 percent to about 12,600 during the first month of the year.

"The in-market tactical programs initiated by the DOT and its partners since November of last year for the Chinese New Year 2009 have greatly boosted the arrivals," Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said in a statement.

Durano noted that the increase in arrivals was boosted by new chartered flights between China and the Philippines. Among the routes now served by these chartered flights are Shanghai and Nanning to Cebu; Guangzhou to Clark; and Nanning and Kunming to Manila.

The Taiwanese market also grew from a steady recovery to a double-digit growth with the launch of chartered flights from Taipei to Kalibo and Cebu and from Kaoshiung to Cebu by Mandarin Airlines.

Mandarin Airlines’ regular charter flights between Taipei and Kalibo have carried a significant number of Taiwanese visitors to the island. These additional flights further served to accommodate the huge inbound traffic during the Chinese New Year celebration, the DOT said.

Durano said Clark has also established itself as a major hub as it opened chartered flights from Beijing through China Southern Airlines.

The Hong Kong market expanded its travel prospects to include Cebu and Boracay, with a substantial upsurge of Hong Kong tourists seen in these islands.

Baidu, a leading search engine in China which comprises 72 percent of its online market, pronounced that the Philippines is on their top 10 most-searched travel destinations.

"This is certainly great news for us as more than half of China’s tourist market use the web for planning their holidays," said Durano.

Tourism Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque, Jr. also attributed the increase in arrivals from these three travel markets to the Philippines' advantages such as affordable cost, Chinese-friendly culture and visa processing.

"We are strong on all three factors. We have value-for-money destination packages, pervasive Chinese influences, and visa-upon-arrival for tourists," Jarque said.

The DOT participated in major travel trade expositions such as the Taiwan International Travel Fair, Macau Heritage Fair, and China Dive Exhibition.

China has a fast-growing economy, with an annual average of 40 million outbound tourists each spending an average of $3,000 per trip, according to independent surveys on China’s tourism industry.

Sex tourism and abortion (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/march/01/yehey/opinion/20090301opi6.html)

When the social workers, police from Limay, Bataan, and the mother of two missing children, 13- and 14-year-old, all from Limay, Bataan, arrived in Alaminos, Pangasinan, last December 2008, they expected the local police to have a squad ready to raid the “Trappers” sex bar and rescue the minors who had been trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation. Instead, the club was closed and the children were gone. After hours of persuasion, the Alaminos police miraculously found the children at a “bus stop” and they were then given to the Preda home for trafficked girls.

The traffickers, pimps and club operators seemingly have immunity from the law. Even the good mayor, a former congressman, apparently is unable to control the sex mafia. Most sex bars, operate with a mayor’s license. The people of Alaminos ought to come to the support of the mayor in his campaign to cancel the licenses and free the women and children.

Philippine Embassy personnel in Malaysia rescued several children, 13 and 14 years old, trafficked into commercial sex clubs there and with the help of Visayan Forum, a children’s rights organization, they were brought back to the Philippines. One, Maryanne, was referred to the Preda Children’s Home where she recovered and gave birth to twins. They are the love of her life now despite how she became pregnant. The other girls dote on them and never want to return to prostitution but want to marry in the future and have a family. Had Maryanne not been rescued, she would have been dragged screaming to an abortion clinic and the babies forcibly aborted.

The sexual exploitation of children in Philippine tourism is found on both the national and international fronts. Thousands of Europeans, North Americans and Australian sex tourists make the Philippines a destination and create a demand for commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC.) Internal trafficking is the most common form of child sexual exploitation in Philippine tourism. Thousands of Filipino sex tourists abuse some of the estimated 80,000 children under the age of 18. They are made available in sex bars or through pimps. Even 11-year-old can be bought by arrangement.

Most bars, clubs, beer houses and karaoke bars are fronts for prostitution. Alongside, prostituted adult women and minors are also employed. However, their documents are fake and rarely verified by officials. It is a growing business with an estimated 1.2 million single male tourist arrivals every year in the Philippines. How many seek out minors as sexual partners is not known since it is secret underground-business worth millions of dollars.

It is alleged that the profits from tourism, sexual or otherwise, are of greater importance to the officials and business sector than is the protection of the children and the dignity of Filipinos. With the economic recession, more and more children will be dropping out of school and will enter the work force as impoverished families try to survive and hundreds more will be trafficked into the sex tourist business.

Besides the life long physical and mental damage to the minors, there is the ever-present danger of sexually transmitted diseases like HIV-AIDS. Adjacent to the sex industry, drug trafficking and distribution is the other side of the sex-tourist coin and the exploited children are vulnerable to addiction at an early age. Worst of all is the illegal and dangerous abortions that can be arranged with back-street abortion clinics. This is the most heinous of crimes and usually they are late term abortions as we learn from the teenage victims who conceal the pregnancy from the sex bar operators as long as they can out of fear of punishment and forced abortion. They are dragged to the clinics and endure forced abortion. These clinics are well known to the pimps and club operators and even the police.

The lack of moral outrage by the church, local government and citizens against the sex industry and its abortion clinics is shocking in itself. When was the last national rally or church-sponsored campaign against it? There are sex bars in every town and parish. When will the clergy speak out against the exploitation? This silence—”see nothing, do nothing”—is tantamount to hypocritical consent.

I was going to comment on that, It seems every famous tourist destination the prospitutes and pimps have invaded ,from puerto galera , boracay, too many prostitutes. My white brother in law who was a first time visitor got propositioned right in front of his wife . Isn't it supposed to be illegal except in karaoke bars? Ningas kugon lang talaga mga politico at batas sa aten.
I'm not condemning prostitutes but it's best to lure tourists with other attractions than just sex.

^^ When we were in Fort Ilocandia in Ilocos, there were so many prostitutes as well with the Taiwanese as their main clients.

:ohno:
mga tamad na babae ,hindi mag hanap ng ibang tarbaho. nakakasira pa image ng pilipina at pilipinas. hindi na nga matatanggal yon lalo na pag maraming foreigners pero sana hindi lahat ng lugar. wala nang sagrado.
burgos sa Makati , it's a shame what happened to that area. It seems so open and accepted, We are indeed a Christian country.

^^ If it's any consolation, the numbers of these prostitutes are dwindling. The ones I saw in Fort Ilocandia were far fewer compared to 5 years ago.

pinabayaan rin sila ng parents nila :ohno:

2009 National Caving Congress puts Region 8 on focus (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p090302.htm&no=03)

Tacloban City -- More than 300 participants from the different caving clubs and speleological societies from all over the country, and cavers from Australia, United States, New Zealand, Hongkong, Great Britain and Japan are expected to troop to the Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park on May 11-15, 2009 for the 9th National Caving Congress, Department of Tourism Region 8 Director Karina Rosa Tiopes informed.

The annual Event, which will take place less than a month after Leyte's hosting of the 2009 Palarong Pambansa, will surely give Region 8 the much-needed additional tourism promotion mileage and bring to fore responsible management and preservation of caves and the environment as a whole.

This year's Caving Congress which is being hosted by the Department of Tourism together with the local government of Basey, Samar and the Philippine Speleological Society, will differ from that of the previous year because DOT Secretary Ace Durano wants to elevate it into something with an international flavor, Director Tiopes said.

Thus, this year's speakers include Professor Elery Hamilton Smith, chairman of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the World Commission on Protected Areas which approves world heritage sites.

Two other speaker who were invited to the Congress are Mr. Pete Chandler, owner of Spellbound Caving Tours in New Zealand; and Mr. Dave Smith of the Department of Conservation, New Zealand.

They will be joined by speakers from the University of the Philippines, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Tourism, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, National Museum and Philippine Cave Guides Association.

The event hopes to underscore the importance of conserving cave and karst resources; protecting access to caves; encourage responsible management of caves and their unique environment; and promote responsible caving.

The National Caving Congress is an annual activity for all caving enthusiasts in the country who are advocates for the implementation of RA 9072 otherwise known as the Caves and Cave Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park is situated at Rawis, Brgy. Guirang, Basey, Samar covering an approximate area of 840 hectares. Fascinating geological features abound in the area of the national park such as caves, hugs, limestone boulders, rockholes, weathered formation rocks and underground rivers.

The most prominent assemblage in the park are the cathedral-like caves, which are the Panhulugan I, and II, Sohoton and Bugosan. All the caves in the park are endogen caves in angular limestone cliff, which support the base of other crack system.

The Sohoton cave is a cathedral-like dome with an entrance of a parabolic arch-type for about fifty-meters high. It has a flat door area near the entrance, about twenty (20) meters in width and fifty-meters in length. On its ceiling hangs spike-shaped crystalline stalactites and rustic and cavernous walls and stalagmites on the cave's floor. At the far end of the cave are a prince-like window and a balcony overlooking the natural swimming pool below.

Aside from the Sohoton Cave, the participants will also have a chance to visit the Langun-Gobingob Caves of Calbiga, Samar, the 2nd Largest in East Asia Karsts Formation.

DOT 6 identifies eco-tourism projects for Iloilo, Guimaras (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p090301.htm&no=09)

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has accepted for validation four eco-tourism project proposals in Iloilo and Guimaras under its Grants for Entrepreneurial and Eco-Tourism (GREET) Program for 2009.

Tourism Regional Director Edwin Trompeta said the proposals from Iloilo include that of Expansion and Development of Adventure Tour Services and Packages for Iloilo/Guimaras and the Bulabog Puti-an National Park Tour and Cave Guiding, Catering, Accommodation and Transport Services, in Dingle, Iloilo.

The former, which is proposed by the Panay Adventure Tours and Transport Service, is envisioned to promote local destinations around Iloilo and Guimaras for eco-tourism, through adventure tour packages, like trekking, mountain biking, caving, diving, kayaking, and horseback riding, including interfacing with tribal groups.

The latter, according to DOT, will focus on the promotion of the National Park Tourists Services such as Tour and cave guiding, as the town of Dingle has numerous, unexplored caves.

Further, the project intends to develop transportation services from point of origin to point of destination and back, as well as provide good accommodation and catering services so that visitors need not bring food that can yield garbage at the Park.

Trompeta said that they have also recommended for approval two proposals from Guimaras, namely the Valle Verde Camp Lower Ground in Sibunag, Guimaras, and the Tagsing Cave Eco Park in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras.

The Valle Verde camping site will be established within the 6.9 hectares of the Valle Verde Mountain Resort, with facilities that can make the stay of the visitors worthwhile.

The Tagsing Cave Eco Park is a Community-based Eco-Tourism Rehabilitation Support Project serving as a livelihood generating park for the community. The proposal seeks for its rehabilitation and physical improvement for the preservation of culture and natural resources.

Trompeta said the proposals are now for validation by the central office and once approved, each proponent will receive a minimum of P100,000 cash incentive, to pursue their projects.

"Being a grant, the incentive will go to qualified recipients that will pass our strict evaluation in terms of the potentials for tourism promotion, marketing, entrepreneurial, merchandizing and in the generation of job opportunities for people in the localities concerned," Trompeta said.

Trompeta said that the GREET program is DOT's thrust to advance the government's Comprehensive Livelihood, Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP).

In Western Visayas, 13 GREET applications were accepted for validation as of November 2008, with Antique having six, Capiz, three, Iloilo, two and Guimaras, two.

^^ They should resurrect that proposal to build a bridge connecting Iloilo and Guimaras to make it more attractive and accessible for both areas.

:ohno:
mga tamad na babae ,hindi mag hanap ng ibang tarbaho. nakakasira pa image ng pilipina at pilipinas. hindi na nga matatanggal yon lalo na pag maraming foreigners pero sana hindi lahat ng lugar. wala nang sagrado.
burgos sa Makati , it's a shame what happened to that area. It seems so open and accepted, We are indeed a Christian country.

^^ If it's any consolation, the numbers of these prostitutes are dwindling. The ones I saw in Fort Ilocandia were far fewer compared to 5 years ago.

pinabayaan rin sila ng parents nila :ohno:

:) It's the oldest profession - easy money.

another article, not related to sex tourism :lol:

Taiwan extends visa waiver to
tourists from RP, 4 other countries

By Dante “Klink” Ang 2nd, Executive Editor

TAIPEI: Filipino tourists can now visit Taiwan without a visa, according to a new government policy that took effect Sunday.

The visa waiver extended to the Philippines—as well as to India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam—is the latest move of Taipei to help boost the island’s economy that has been battered by the global economic turmoil.

The visa-free waiver would apply to Filipino tourists who already hold a valid visa to the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, according to local media reports, citing Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The reports said that the waiver would also cover those who hold a Shengen visa, which is needed to enter any of the member-countries of the European Union. Filipinos who are permanent residents of those member-countries are also covered by the visa waiver.

But Filipinos who had worked in Taiwan as blue-collar workers would not be eligible for the visa waiver, also according to the local media reports.

Taipei is taking gradual steps to attract more of its neighbors to visit the island to blunt the impact of the global crisis, Frances Chung-Feng Lee told The Manila Times on Friday. She is the deputy director general of the Department of East Asian and Public Affairs of Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“We need to strike a balance between our national security and economic benefits,” Lee told The Times.

Taiwan typically receives about four million tourists annually, about 700,000 of them are from Asean, she said. Asean is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a regional bloc composed of the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Countermeasures taken

The travel and tourism business is seen as vulnerable to the crisis, prompting industry players and governments to take countermeasures. Thailand, for example, had announced that it would waive visa fees for all foreign travelers—including those from Taiwan—from March 5 to June 3.

Lee said that the United Kingdom recently waived visa requirements for Taiwan tourists in an apparent bid to capture the nine million Taiwanese who travel overseas annually.

Like most countries, Taiwan is suffering from the crisis. Unemployment surged to 5.31 percent here in January, the worst since 1978, according to other media reports, citing government sources. Worse, analysts forecast unemployment to top 6 percent.

Earlier this year, Taipei issued vouchers each worth 100 Taiwan dollars to its 23 million citizens—a stimulus plan aimed at boosting consumer spending.

Also on Friday, the Taiwan dollar dipped to a five-year low of 34.95 Taiwan dollars to $1—bad for the island’s economy but good for those who can still afford to travel.

Lee said they hope to see more visitors from Asean. “The more you learn [about] Taiwan, then [the more] you will understand Taiwan, and maybe fall in love with Taiwan.”

Taiwan is one of the closest neighbors of the Philippines. The flight from Manila to Taipei takes about an hour and 45 minutes.

^^
good for Filipino tourists :)
babawi na lang ang Taiwan sa tourism industry

:)

Taiwan typically receives about four million tourists annually, about 700,000 of them are from Asean, she said. Asean is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a regional bloc composed of the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

[/B]

^^ We have similar numbers in terms of number of tourists but they have a little bit more than us.

‘Bahag Pulis’ debuts in Panagbenga (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/150880/‘Bahag-Pulis’-debuts-in-Panagbenga)
03/01/2009 | 02:09 PM

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Dancing cops? How about cops in G-strings?

A number of “bahag pulis” were the toast of the town Sunday as they participated in the annual Panagbenga Festival in this mountain city in northern Philippines.

The audience, estimated to be at about 150,000, cheered when the “bahag pulis” paraded beside the Transformation Torch float of the Philippine National Police-Cordillera.

"We are testing their acceptance to the community," said former Cordillera Police Chief Superintendent Eugene Martin, who conceptualized the “bahag pulis.”

The “bahag pulis” are members of the Tourist-Oriented Police, Community-Oriented Police (Topcop). The Topcop are the police officers assigned in the tourist areas of the region like Banaue, Sagada and Bontoc.

The float, designed by Martin and assembled entirely of shasta daisies, chrysanthemum, calla lilies and other flowers at the Benguet State University, has a large PNP cap and the transformation torch in front and the Procor seal in the middle.

The transformation program is part of PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa's nine-point agenda aimed at professionalizing the police service. - GMANews.TV

Record crowd joins Baguio's Panagbenga '09 fest (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/features/03/02/09/record-crowd-joins-baguios-panagbenga-09-fest)
By Kristine Servando, abs-cbnNEWS.com | 03/02/2009 2:53 PM


It is always a treat to come home to Baguio City, especially during the Panagbenga season, because there is always something new in store for you. As soon as I hopped on a bus bound for Baguio after work, and saw the long lines of "chance passengers" and the harried ticket sellers, I knew that I wasn't the only one excited to go.

This year, owing to the fact that it is Baguio's Centennial year, the festival drew a record number of people, coming from as far away as Surigao, Mindanao to Vallejo, California (the sister city of Baguio). News reports intially tagged the number of expected guests at 50,000 but it reached 300,000 or more, based on official police estimates. No small wonder that this year's Panagbenga theme is "Our Festival, Yours Too."

My mother tells me that the Panagbenga Flower Festival, a Kankanaey term for "season of blossoming", was conceptualized as a way to help rebuild Baguio after it was shattered by the 1991 earthquake. Sort of a morale boost for the people of Baguio whose lives were shattered as well. Over the years, it has evolved into a tremendous tourist attraction.

I was amazed and overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who squeezed into the sidewalks of Session road (or climbed
on top of buildings), and other roads leading up to Athletic Bowl, where the parades ended, just to get a good view of the the two major parades held over the weekend. People went to great lengths, including waking up at 4 a.m., just to secure a good spot close to the road

All the hotels, inns, and transient houses were full. Anyone who couldn't find any lodgings actually camped in tents at Burnham Park or slept on makeshift beds inside jeepneys or vegetable trucks. Restaurants and shops, especially SM City Baguio, were brimming with people. Street vendors had brisk business, peddling everything from "strawberry taho" to buttered corn to sunglasses to cellphone load to silver jewelry.

In both instances, watching the Streetdance Competition on Saturday and the Float Parade on Sunday, I had to jostle my way through the crowds, angering many people along the way. It was like walking through a big, hot, hostile pool of oatmeal. In all my years growing up in Baguio and visiting during tourist peaks, I have never seen Baguio this full of people.

There were so many people that in the end, local TV networks like ABS-CBN Baguio appealed to viewers to just stay at home and watch the live coverage of the event instead of adding to the already swelling crowd. I have to give all these people credit, though, for braving the intense morning and noon heat and the likely possibility of fainting, just to see a view partially obscured by other people's heads.

The parades were lovely, full of vibrant colored costumes and props that looked wonderful against the clear china blue sky. The streetdancers
were energetic, clad in glittery costumes or body paint, carrying giant paper leaves and sunflowers. Some were dressed in bahags, the native attire, and danced to a chorus of gongs. Even some policemen, who dutifully marshalled the crowd, were wearing bahags along with their police uniform.

The 28 floats were bursting with plants and flowers, mostly Everlasting, in all colors of the rainbow. Marching bands continuously played popular tunes, including the ever-present Panagbenga Festival hymn composed by Macario Fronda. There were even surprise celebrity appearances from Kim Chiu, Gerald Anderson, Ogie Alcasid, Wilma Doesn't, and my favorite, Jollibee.

I interviewed many people in the crowd, both tourists and locals, and many of them said that a glimpse of any of those beautiful performances and flowery floats would make any inconvenience (bruised toes, annoyance, or forgone trips to the bathroom) worth it.

"Maganda, kakaiba sa panangin, nag-enjoy ako sa panonood although medyo masakit, mahirap, maraming tao, eh enjoy parin," said Gilbert dela Cruz from Mindoro, who said it was his first time to watch the Panagbenga parade.

Even with the economic crisis, no expense was spared by participants and organizers to make this year's Flower Fest a memorable one. One of the floats alone reportedly cost more than P200,000. Although some locals noted a slight decline in the number of flowers used in the parade this year, they said they were still impressed by the festivities.

After the crowd dispersed, and the last of the floats was dismantled, I suddenly felt sad about leaving again, because it seemed as if the weekend went by too quickly. The Panagbenga festival and Baguio Centennial celebrations are not over yet though, with a long list of activities on the Tourism Council's itinerary yet to come, including "Session Road in Bloom", a week-long street fair where Session road is closed off from cars, and crowds are free to sample food and souveniers from the region.

I left the city with a feeling of hope and joy that in one hundred years of its existence, and more than fourteen years of Panagbenga Flower Festivals, Baguio never seems to lose the energy to celebrate, even in times of hardship, and make everyone feel welcome. For me, and for many of Baguio's visitors, it always feels like home.

Shangrila Boracay opens on March 2

BORACAY, AKLAN, Feb 28 (PNA) - The provincial government officials here in Aklan province welcome the opening of another multi-million investment in the island paradise of Boracay, the Shangrila Boracay Resort and Spa this coming March 2.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is then being expected to inaugurate the spa along with Department of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

There would also be other cabinet members who are reportedly joining the inauguration evening of March 2.

Provincial government leaders headed by Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez, Vice Governor Gabrielle Calizo, and the provincial board members will also be present during the inauguration.

However, some of the invited guests of the Shangrila Boracay Resort and Spa are already arriving starting tomorrow until March 2.

Based on the Shangrila website (www.shangri-la.com), the new resort will bring new dimensions in luxury and leisure with a classic contemporary architectural style infused with local cultural influences.
Its secluded setting enjoys 350 meters of pristine beachfront and 12 hectares of grounds that are reportedly home to rare wildlife species including the bats. (PNA)

^^ Based on this article, today is the opening of the Shangrila Boracay Resort and Spa. :banana:

via awesome philippines (http://www.awesomephilippines.com/), plus63 (http://plus63.net/main/?p=994) and filipina mom blogger (http://aboutmyrecovery.com/2008/12/18/department-of-tourism-with-happy-slip-partners-with-mtv-for-2009-global-campaign/)

there's a new campaign by the philippine department of tourism that's called 'awesome philippines'. it's a viral campaign that's spreading through blogs which i myself learned from. as filipina mom blogger states, "Secretary Ace Durano presented a sneak peak of DOT and MTV’s plans for 2009 and to be launched on February 2009. That’s why Happy Slip is in town, as part of the taping for MTV’s ads for Philippine tourism. Shooting started in Boracay and tomorrow it will be in Cebu then other provinces.

So what is this all about?

With an eye on the growing market of youth adventure travelers, the Philippines Department of Tourism (DOT) partners with MTV Networks for a “hip, contemporary” global campaign — MTV Revelations, to promote Philippines as a destination for young adults and music lovers.

MTV Revelations is being created for twelve markets: Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, U.K. and U.S.A., enabling millions of young adults worldwide to discover the “Awesome Philippines” through the eyes of MTV. The highly visual MTV Revelation to be launched in February 2009 will underscore a series of TV spots featuring MTV VJs from different countries talking about their personal experiences in the Philippines in a fun and fresh way. The campaign will change the way youths view the Philippines.

The MTV Revelations campaign includes a series of TV vignettes featuring MTV VJs’ personal stories and experiences in the Philippines as well as a variety of web activities synergized with local relevance to reflect the different style, culture and tone of each market. This strategy combines MTV’s successful localization efforts to be more bespoke on air and online."

it's something new and i personally like the concept: hip, energetic and fun. people can upload their clips of an awesome vacation to the website of awesome philippines. at the same time, they're giving away a free trip to the country. (invite your friends who haven't been to the philippines to really check out the site and to those who have, let them see it as well). i've been seeing the ads as well here in skyscrapercity. what excites me too is that they're culminating it with the rochapelago concert at the last quarter of the year where some international and local acts will be performing in one event.

glad that there's good tourism campaigns coming out of our country.

Chinese tourists lead rise in direct foreign visitors to Cebu (http://http://www.bworldonline.com/BW030309/content.php?id=056)

TOURISTS from mainland China arriving in Cebu last January increased 204%, while visitors from Hong Kong rose 163%, the Tourism department said in a statement yesterday.

In addition to the growing number of Chinese visitors, Russian tourists also increased 133% and Indians by 108%. Russians come during their winter period to stay for 12-15 days, while Indian tourists stay for an average of 20 days, the statement read.

The number of tourists directly arriving at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport last January grew 5% year on year to 36,653.

I was going to comment on that, It seems every famous tourist destination the prospitutes and pimps have invaded ,from puerto galera , boracay, too many prostitutes. My white brother in law who was a first time visitor got propositioned right in front of his wife . Isn't it supposed to be illegal except in karaoke bars? Ningas kugon lang talaga mga politico at batas sa aten.
I'm not condemning prostitutes but it's best to lure tourists with other attractions than just sex.

All major tourist destination have them...I mean prostitutes...everywhere...anywhere...I think it's time for us to accept the reality of it...that they existed way way back before Christ

Chinese tourists lead rise in direct foreign visitors to Cebu (http://http://www.bworldonline.com/BW030309/content.php?id=056)

TOURISTS from mainland China arriving in Cebu last January increased 204%, while visitors from Hong Kong rose 163%, the Tourism department said in a statement yesterday.

In addition to the growing number of Chinese visitors, Russian tourists also increased 133% and Indians by 108%. Russians come during their winter period to stay for 12-15 days, while Indian tourists stay for an average of 20 days, the statement read.

The number of tourists directly arriving at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport last January grew 5% year on year to 36,653.

man, sobrang increase naman yan. 204 PERCENT? wow! good news for philippine tourism. kung every month ganyan kataas ang figure, no wonder maabot natin ang 5 M target!:banana:

All major tourist destination have them...I mean prostitutes...everywhere...anywhere...I think it's time for us to accept the reality of it...that they existed way way back before Christ

yeah, all parts of the world naman ata.. look at thailand, sex tourism na talaga binebenta nila. i think its inevitable for tourist to try the culture,food, traditions and sex:lol: in the places they visit. for the experience na din. But im not saying that its a good thing ha. but how can we avoid it, e yung mga tao na mismo sa mga lugar na yun ang naglalako sa sarili nila. ang tourist destination lang ata na alam ko na walang prostitute e ang Vatican City at ang Holy Land. :nuts:

anyway, i was surprised and happy to know about the MTV campaign. since DOT has a limited budget its just right for them to partner with private companies such as their campaign with SMART or media companies such as MTV. here is the website. very nice. :banana::banana: http://www.awesomephilippines.com

here is a related article pala..

Philippines Department of Tourism Partners with MTV Networks for 2009 Global Campaign

November 10, 2008

Launch of MTV Revelations

LONDON, HONG KONG and SINGAPORE, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- With an eye on the growing market of youth adventure travelers, the Philippines Department of Tourism (PDOT) partners with MTV Networks for a "hip, contemporary" global campaign -- MTV Revelations, to promote Philippines as a destination for young adults and music lovers.

MTV Revelations is being created for twelve markets: Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, U.K. and U.S.A., enabling millions of young adults worldwide to discover the "Awesome Philippines" through the eyes of MTV. The highly visual MTV Revelation to be launched in February 2009 will underscore a series of TV spots featuring MTV VJs from different countries talking about their personal experiences in the Philippines in a fun and fresh way. The campaign will change the way youths view the Philippines.

The partnership was announced today during a Meet and Greet reception between Bill Roedy, Chairman and CEO of MTV Networks International and Philippines Tourism Secretary Joseph 'Ace' Durano at the Philippines Tourism stand at the annual international travel trade show, World Travel Market held in London.

"MTV is the brand most synonymous with youth -- youth culture, music, lifestyle and travel -- globally. With our expertise in creating compelling content and our natural association with a young audience, we are best placed to enhance Philippines' image as the number 1 destination amongst youth," said Mr. Roedy. "We're delighted that with our international reach we can work with the DOT to promote the Philippines to such a targeted youth audience across so many countries."

"MTV knows its demographics best. Its VJs and onscreen personalities, for instance, have the credibility to reach out to the same youth market we are targeting. The partnership is a strategic fit and ensures continuity of demand as 70% of the Philippines' tourist mix comes from the youth travelers" said Tourism Secretary Joseph 'Ace' Durano.

"With research identifying the 18-34 demographic as enjoying a higher disposable income as well as being the most avid travelers of today, the entire global tourism industry has been reassessing the way in which it communicates to this very lucrative segment," commented Kevin Razvi, EVP and Managing Director of VBSI. "We are happy that PDOT sees the value in us as we are the only media brand delivering all encompassing experience to youth across multi platforms."

Amit Jain, EVP and Managing Director of MTV Networks India, China and South East Asia added, "MTV Networks has a strong brand & excellent reach in Tourism Philippines priority markets. With customized content delivered by MTV's iconic VJ's, we have another winner here -- one that will deliver credible results for PDOT and create engaging & relevant content across twelve different markets."

The MTV Revelations campaign includes a series of TV vignettes featuring MTV VJs' personal stories and experiences in the Philippines as well as a variety of web activities synergized with local relevance to reflect the different style, culture and tone of each market. This strategy combines MTV's successful localization efforts to be more bespoke on air and online.

Apart from the on air component the online elements enhancing the campaign will include MTV's Music Mixer and MTV Video Widgets on www.awesomephilippines.com, playing a prominent role in personalizing the Philippines experience and a direct link to PDOT websites. In addition, the mini-site will host a Best Kept Secret contest, asking viewers to submit their best kept personal experience with the Philippines. Lucky winners will stand a chance to win a trip to the Philippines.

About Viacom Brand Solutions International:

Viacom Brand Solutions International (VBSI), is Viacom's international in-house brand solutions sales business.

VBSI represents all the TV, digital and mobile channels of MTV Networks International -- Music Television, VH1, Nickelodeon, TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, Flux, Paramount Comedy, Comedy Central, Game One, Neopets, GameTrailers, Shockwave, Addicting Games, Atom Films and Xfire. MTV Networks' brands are seen globally in 560 million households in 162 countries and 33 languages via more than 150 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 350 digital media properties.

VBSI delivers advertisers creative cross platform solutions that engage consumers by investing in significant insight and by utilising the strengths of our youth and entertainment brands across multiple markets. These solutions are founded upon definitive creativity and innovative solutions constructed around branded content, sponsorship, promotions, events, new media and licensing opportunities.

For more information, please visit www.vbs-media.com

About Philippines Department of Tourism

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is the Philippine government agency responsible for encouraging, promoting and developing tourism as a major socio-economic activity, spreading its benefits to the various sectors of society. The websites, www.wowphilippines.com.ph, www.experiencephilippines.ph and www.wowpinoy.net serve as a useful source of information on the Philippine's tourist attractions, facilities and other tourism-related matters.

DOT invites everyone to explore a treasure trove of 7,107 islands filled with wonderful discoveries that include rich history and culture, lush tropical landscapes, luxurious hotels and resorts, up-market and bargain shopping centers, exciting outdoor and nightfall activities, a variety of dining places that serve exotic concoctions of culinary delight...and above all, experience the warmest and friendliest welcome that is absolutely Philippines.

SOURCE MTV Networks International

man, sobrang increase naman yan. 204 PERCENT? wow! good news for philippine tourism. kung every month ganyan kataas ang figure, no wonder maabot natin ang 5 M target!:banana:

kasi daw last year there were 5 chinese nationals..now they had 16:lol:

yeah, all parts of the world naman ata.. look at thailand, sex tourism na talaga binebenta nila. i think its inevitable for tourist to try the culture,food, traditions and sex:lol: in the places they visit. for the experience na din. But im not saying that its a good thing ha. but how can we avoid it, e yung mga tao na mismo sa mga lugar na yun ang naglalako sa sarili nila. ang tourist destination lang ata na alam ko na walang prostitute e ang Vatican City at ang Holy Land. :nuts:

anyway, i was surprised and happy to know about the MTV campaign. since DOT has a limited budget its just right for them to partner with private companies such as their campaign with SMART or media companies such as MTV. here is the website. very nice. :banana::banana: http://www.awesomephilippines.com

here is a related article pala..

Philippines Department of Tourism Partners with MTV Networks for 2009 Global Campaign

November 10, 2008

Launch of MTV Revelations

LONDON, HONG KONG and SINGAPORE, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- With an eye on the growing market of youth adventure travelers, the Philippines Department of Tourism (PDOT) partners with MTV Networks for a "hip, contemporary" global campaign -- MTV Revelations, to promote Philippines as a destination for young adults and music lovers.

MTV Revelations is being created for twelve markets: Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, U.K. and U.S.A., enabling millions of young adults worldwide to discover the "Awesome Philippines" through the eyes of MTV. The highly visual MTV Revelation to be launched in February 2009 will underscore a series of TV spots featuring MTV VJs from different countries talking about their personal experiences in the Philippines in a fun and fresh way. The campaign will change the way youths view the Philippines.

The partnership was announced today during a Meet and Greet reception between Bill Roedy, Chairman and CEO of MTV Networks International and Philippines Tourism Secretary Joseph 'Ace' Durano at the Philippines Tourism stand at the annual international travel trade show, World Travel Market held in London.

"MTV is the brand most synonymous with youth -- youth culture, music, lifestyle and travel -- globally. With our expertise in creating compelling content and our natural association with a young audience, we are best placed to enhance Philippines' image as the number 1 destination amongst youth," said Mr. Roedy. "We're delighted that with our international reach we can work with the DOT to promote the Philippines to such a targeted youth audience across so many countries."

"MTV knows its demographics best. Its VJs and onscreen personalities, for instance, have the credibility to reach out to the same youth market we are targeting. The partnership is a strategic fit and ensures continuity of demand as 70% of the Philippines' tourist mix comes from the youth travelers" said Tourism Secretary Joseph 'Ace' Durano.

"With research identifying the 18-34 demographic as enjoying a higher disposable income as well as being the most avid travelers of today, the entire global tourism industry has been reassessing the way in which it communicates to this very lucrative segment," commented Kevin Razvi, EVP and Managing Director of VBSI. "We are happy that PDOT sees the value in us as we are the only media brand delivering all encompassing experience to youth across multi platforms."

Amit Jain, EVP and Managing Director of MTV Networks India, China and South East Asia added, "MTV Networks has a strong brand & excellent reach in Tourism Philippines priority markets. With customized content delivered by MTV's iconic VJ's, we have another winner here -- one that will deliver credible results for PDOT and create engaging & relevant content across twelve different markets."

The MTV Revelations campaign includes a series of TV vignettes featuring MTV VJs' personal stories and experiences in the Philippines as well as a variety of web activities synergized with local relevance to reflect the different style, culture and tone of each market. This strategy combines MTV's successful localization efforts to be more bespoke on air and online.

Apart from the on air component the online elements enhancing the campaign will include MTV's Music Mixer and MTV Video Widgets on www.awesomephilippines.com, playing a prominent role in personalizing the Philippines experience and a direct link to PDOT websites. In addition, the mini-site will host a Best Kept Secret contest, asking viewers to submit their best kept personal experience with the Philippines. Lucky winners will stand a chance to win a trip to the Philippines.

About Viacom Brand Solutions International:

Viacom Brand Solutions International (VBSI), is Viacom's international in-house brand solutions sales business.

VBSI represents all the TV, digital and mobile channels of MTV Networks International -- Music Television, VH1, Nickelodeon, TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, Flux, Paramount Comedy, Comedy Central, Game One, Neopets, GameTrailers, Shockwave, Addicting Games, Atom Films and Xfire. MTV Networks' brands are seen globally in 560 million households in 162 countries and 33 languages via more than 150 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 350 digital media properties.

VBSI delivers advertisers creative cross platform solutions that engage consumers by investing in significant insight and by utilising the strengths of our youth and entertainment brands across multiple markets. These solutions are founded upon definitive creativity and innovative solutions constructed around branded content, sponsorship, promotions, events, new media and licensing opportunities.

For more information, please visit www.vbs-media.com

About Philippines Department of Tourism

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is the Philippine government agency responsible for encouraging, promoting and developing tourism as a major socio-economic activity, spreading its benefits to the various sectors of society. The websites, www.wowphilippines.com.ph, www.experiencephilippines.ph and www.wowpinoy.net serve as a useful source of information on the Philippine's tourist attractions, facilities and other tourism-related matters.

DOT invites everyone to explore a treasure trove of 7,107 islands filled with wonderful discoveries that include rich history and culture, lush tropical landscapes, luxurious hotels and resorts, up-market and bargain shopping centers, exciting outdoor and nightfall activities, a variety of dining places that serve exotic concoctions of culinary delight...and above all, experience the warmest and friendliest welcome that is absolutely Philippines.

SOURCE MTV Networks International

Glad to say we are part of these projects..well supplier kami ng DOT in their promotional stuff

Tinuy-an Falls – Niagara of Caraga II (http://www.caraganon.com/2009/02/tinuy-falls-niagara-of-caraga-ii.html)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__SqfTnKrViQ/SaoHLs-fZBI/AAAAAAAAAuE/v9dX4L4EZGg/s400/Niagarawithme.jpg


It’s been sometime that I’ve been for a while gazing memories back when I conquered this falls a year ago that started from the first lane of layers then climbed at the top of it. The memories are worth nothing but real treasure. Now I’m back to the amazing place which is called Tinuy-an Falls. Possibly, the widest falls in the Philippines.

It’s My Second Post

I remember my first post about Tinuy-an Falls full of wonder how it was discovered when a story came out. When you enter the center of a thick covered virgin forest, falls were nowhere else but when cleared everything magnificent falls started to emerge before your naked eyes. That was the logging boom in the 60s and 70s when the story started. Well a story started easily from the scratch but it turned out to be an added fascination and attraction for curious individuals out there who don’t know about Tinuy-an Falls. For those who do not know the story of Caraga, well it will add color to your curiosity about the land of the brave, and became a frequent visitor here.

I have gone to different falls in Agusan del Norte with its beautiful mountain ranges. Even the dominated flat lands of the historic Butuan and the Shangri-La adventures of Surigao del Sur, I can tell you simply amazing, but you can not resist the beauty of Tinuy-an Falls. It makes me a crazy person, and easily lost all my 2 gigs of digicam for wild shots of different angles.

On The Road To Redemption

It started with a bumpy ride for almost an hour from the heart of Bislig City. I was stuck with my friends in an old jeepney ride that turns out to be over crowded that some of us became a sandwich. The backache, headache, butt ache and some kind of ache turned out to be so vulnerable whenever the vehicle jumps from the rocky and hollow portion of the road. Well, I will tell you its part of adventure to an unknown place beyond.

But when we reached Tinuy-an Falls all of the ache vanished. Tiredness and weariness lost when you saw the scattered glistening white falling like crystal that crushed into the rocks, so big and wide as mountains. The sound of the falls is more than a music, you will never get tired of listening. The place was surrounded with thick green trees that refresh your eyes that were strained too much from the exposure of computer screen. And here, you will forget everything. It makes you a renewed person: body and soul.

I remember Siargao escapade. You can see the beauty of nature between seas and mountains, the escape route was the beaches. But here, it is not, you must be at the center of the forest, and find the magnificent view of nature that captures your eyes so much – the gigantic flow of water from the top of the mountains.

A Three-Layered Falls

You can see the first batch of water that falls from the top of the mountain. The first layer…

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__SqfTnKrViQ/Sajk1Azs_rI/AAAAAAAAAtU/6y1aPygQ_xU/s400/tinuy-an-falls-first-layer.jpg

The second layer is the most gorgeous because of its highest fall. Wanna know where my friends are….let’s move closer…

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__SqfTnKrViQ/SajlKMbdwOI/AAAAAAAAAtc/3-hRfOjcug4/s400/Niagara.jpg

Get closer…follow the red marking…

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__SqfTnKrViQ/SajldcsRBcI/AAAAAAAAAtk/hSMPQMsSVuI/s400/Niagara1.jpg

Gotcha!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__SqfTnKrViQ/SajltLBXxwI/AAAAAAAAAts/KZ8k5AgvCws/s400/Niagara-above.jpg

The third layer is the first you can see after moving out from the vehicle I am in.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__SqfTnKrViQ/Sajl-ZkuXJI/AAAAAAAAAt0/q9wf__lm9CQ/s400/Tinuy-an-3rd-layer.jpg

To sum up all in all, here’s the whole world of Tinuy-an Falls.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__SqfTnKrViQ/SajmUtB3bCI/AAAAAAAAAt8/iqyMjsI5-TA/s400/Tinuy-an-whole1.jpg

I find it very interesting when Tinuy-an Falls of Caraga turns out to be the Niagara of Caraga. Someday, Tinuy-an Falls will be remembered as Tinuy-an of Niagara. Err, I think, they are both the best of natures.

wow ganda

kasi daw last year there were 5 chinese nationals..now they had 16:lol:

your statement must be a joke. :)

^^ Mas gusto ko ang Iguazu o kaya Victoria Falls kaysa Niagara na ikumpara. Pero ang ganda nga nito. :)

kasi daw last year there were 5 chinese nationals..now they had 16:lol:

this is obviously a joke. infairness tama ang math!

^^ Mas gusto ko ang Iguazu o kaya Victoria Falls kaysa Niagara na ikumpara. Pero ang ganda nga nito. :)

^^ I also prefer Victoria falls in Africa than Niagara.

Alternate Boracay airport to begin construction in April (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/151226/Alternate-Boracay-airport-to-begin-construction-in-April)
JUN ARIOLO N. AGUIRRE, GMANews.TV
03/03/2009 | 08:57 PM

BORACAY ISLAND, Philippines - An airport that will serve as an alternate route for Boracay-bound tourists will start construction in April, a local government executive told reporters on Tuesday.

Estimated to reach P5 billion, the airport at Carabao Island will not only serve tourists bound for Boracay, it will also attract visitors to the island itself, San Jose Mayor Filipino Tandog said.

The airport will be built and managed by the Boracay International Airport and Development Corp., a privately-held company. The company’s incorporation has already been approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Carabao Island, which is under the jurisdiction of San Jose, Romblon also boasts of its white sand. The area expects a spill over of tourists from Boracay, which is only 30 kilometers away.

A consortium of Korean and Japanese investors has already expressed interest to finance other components of the project in accordance with the provincial tourism masterplan, Tandog said.

“The project has already been endorsed by the Regional Development Council of the MiMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) region," Tandog said.

He made this announcement during a meeting he attended with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who held a cabinet meeting at the tourist island this week. - GMANews.TV

RIVER CRUISE AT DAPITAN CITY ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE(ZANORTE)

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http://images.lanadiva.multiply.com/image/1/photos/63/500x500/22/DSC-0125.JPG?et=ZST8pi%2C2grW1b2tc%2CzTLTQ&nmid=207832651

DAPITAN RESORT HOTEL LOBBY

http://images.lanadiva.multiply.com/image/1/photos/63/500x500/27/DSC-0253.JPG?et=y2tiqcEzcl53Z6T6INY4cA&nmid=207832651

DISCOVER ZANORTE
LATEST PROMOTION VIDEOS

Part 1
G0r8gL-6d1k
Part 2
anML81UIZRA

1
AeZysnxB_oc
2
UPlO3vU34Dk
THE END!
gnvRKqTGMvw

SITUBO FALLS ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE (ZANORTE)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3346/3312560759_bdfdf4ee73_o.jpg

WOW ZANORTE! LIBUTON CAVE MANUKAN ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE(ZANORTE)

LIBUTON CAVE

http://dipologcity.com/HRRAD/010904DOS_CaveBat.JPG

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http://dipologcity.com/HRRAD/010904DOS_Caving04.jpg

ZANORTE HAVE IT ALL!

BIKING

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TREKKING
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DIPOLOG CITY OFF-ROAD

http://www.nasfor.com/images/2007/dipolog.jpg

MOUNTAINEERING

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RAPELLING

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CAMPING

http://dipologcity.com/HRRAD/020804DOS_Camping16.JPG
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MOTORCROSS

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http://dipologcity.com/DipologFiestaMotocross2000k1.jpg

SPELUNKING

http://dipologcity.com/HRRAD/010904DOS_Caving07.jpg
http://dipologcity.com/HRRAD/010904DOS_CaveWindows02.jpg
http://dipologcity.com/HRRAD/010904DOS_Caving09.jpg

SKIM BOARDING

http://dipologcity.com/HRRAD/154_5442.JPG
http://dipologcity.com/HRRAD/skimboading1.jpg

SCUBA DIVING

http://dipologcity.com/HRRAD/123103ChallengerDivers01.jpg

COME AND VISIT ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE

More resorts to build for the beautiful island of ZANORTE!

ANOTHER HOTEL IN DAKAK U/C
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jnRD4qz7V-I/SCASO7HGLkI/AAAAAAAACNA/H4oA-V8IANs/s400/dakak08+001.jpg

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http://bubblytikling.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/img_0751.jpg

http://bubblytikling.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/img_0753.jpg

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ALIGUAY ISLAND ZANORTE

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http://www.waypoints.ph/details/alguay/alguay04.jpg

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http://www.waypoints.ph/details/alguay/alguay03.jpg

SELINOG ISLAND ZANORTE

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GTuq9P3tJuo/RqCgjZtV9DI/AAAAAAAAAHU/UgZpAJXwQMg/s320/Selinog2.5R.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GTuq9P3tJuo/RqCevptV9BI/AAAAAAAAAHE/AZ_JJeS1dhE/s320/selinogtop.jpg


THE LIGHTHOUSE
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GTuq9P3tJuo/RqChjJtV9FI/AAAAAAAAAHk/G2zgyABuR08/s320/selinog4.5r.jpg


PIÑAHON ISLAND ZANORTE

http://www.dipologpress.com/06062k3PinahonIsland12.JPG

PIÑAHON ISLAND AND BEACH RESORT

http://mutyasadipolog.com/06062k3PinahonIsland4.JPG

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k69/sheenreal/CIMG9771.jpg?t=1235745026

^^ Great pics.

kasi daw last year there were 5 chinese nationals..now they had 16:lol:

:lol:

Alternate Boracay airport to begin construction in April (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/151226/Alternate-Boracay-airport-to-begin-construction-in-April)
JUN ARIOLO N. AGUIRRE, GMANews.TV
03/03/2009 | 08:57 PM

BORACAY ISLAND, Philippines - An airport that will serve as an alternate route for Boracay-bound tourists will start construction in April, a local government executive told reporters on Tuesday.

Estimated to reach P5 billion, the airport at Carabao Island will not only serve tourists bound for Boracay, it will also attract visitors to the island itself, San Jose Mayor Filipino Tandog said.

The airport will be built and managed by the Boracay International Airport and Development Corp., a privately-held company. The company’s incorporation has already been approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Carabao Island, which is under the jurisdiction of San Jose, Romblon also boasts of its white sand. The area expects a spill over of tourists from Boracay, which is only 30 kilometers away.

A consortium of Korean and Japanese investors has already expressed interest to finance other components of the project in accordance with the provincial tourism masterplan, Tandog said.

“The project has already been endorsed by the Regional Development Council of the MiMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) region," Tandog said.

He made this announcement during a meeting he attended with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who held a cabinet meeting at the tourist island this week. - GMANews.TV

how many minutes by boat is carabao from Boracay?
that's the problem with these islands they're so difficult to reach
If overseas pinoys were more enterpreneurial there is more money to be made in the Phils since it is still developing, lots of areas, ideas rife for development. The koreans, japs and Chinese are the ones capitalizing on the potential.

how many minutes by boat is carabao from Boracay?
that's the problem with these islands they're so difficult to reach
If overseas pinoys were more enterpreneurial there is more money to be made in the Phils since it is still developing, lots of areas, ideas rife for development. The koreans, japs and Chinese are the ones capitalizing on the potential.

parang nabasa ko somewhere na 5-15 minutes lang ata by boat. as compared sa Caticlan at Kalibo airport na mahabang byahe pa by land tapos boat.

^^ Great pics.
Thanks Ven...God bless...

Thanks Ven...God bless...

^^ Please post more of those pics. :)

NCR hotels post highest occupany rates in Valentine month (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/151321/NCR-hotels-post-highest-occupany-rates-in-Valentine-month)
03/04/2009 | 03:30 PM

MANILA, Philippines- For the last two years, hotels in Metro Manila made their highest occupancy rates in February, the Valentine's month.

Citing the latest statistics from the Department of Tourism, the National Statistical Coordination Board said that in 2007, the average occupancy rate for February reached 79.1 percent, followed by 78.9 percent in November and 75.7 percent in January.

The lowest average occupancy that year was in April, which was registered at 69.4 percent.

In 2008, February still was the month when hotels in the National Capital Region made a killing from the bookings for an average occupancy rate of 78.6 percent. April came in second at 74.7 percent followed by January's 73.4 percent. December posted lowest average hotel occupancy rate at 61.4 percent.

For 2007, the full-year average hotel occupancy rate was recorded at 73.1 percent, lower by 3.3 percentage points than in 2008.

"Meanwhile, the month of June posted the highest average length of stay of 2.69 days among guests in Metro Manila hotels in 2007 while the month of October had the highest in 2008 at 2.51 days. Overall, average length of stay was recorded at 2.45 days in 2007 and at 2.42 days in 2008. Cheryl M. Arcibal, GMANews.TV

how many minutes by boat is carabao from Boracay?
that's the problem with these islands they're so difficult to reach
If overseas pinoys were more enterpreneurial there is more money to be made in the Phils since it is still developing, lots of areas, ideas rife for development. The koreans, japs and Chinese are the ones capitalizing on the potential.

I've been there last December... on calm seas, it would take about 30to 45 minutes banca ride... on rough seas.. it was a 2 hours of hell ride for regular passenger boats... more on Carabao (http://raphroad.multiply.com/photos/album/8/Carabao_Island_San_Jose_Romblon_-_December_2008)

^^Hi, how big is the island compared to Boracay island?

Bulalakaw, Oriental Mindoro is another untapped potential Boracay.

Philippines expects $10B from tourism

BusinessWorld Online
http://www.bworldonline.com/BW030409/content.php?id=056

BORACAY ISLAND, AKLAN — The tourism industry could contribute as much as $10 billion to the economy this year, especially with the opening of 2,089 planned new hotel rooms nationwide, a Cabinet official said here yesterday.

Tourism Secretary Joseph H. Durano said the new rooms to be opened this year will require investments of about $5 billion and are expected to generate 3,000 new jobs.

Tourist spending, meanwhile, is estimated to reach $4-$5 billion this year from $4.8 billion last year.

"What we want to see for this yearthe overall contribution of tourism to the economy is about $10 billion," he told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

President Gloria M. Arroyo stressed that a stronger tourism industry is crucial to responding effectively to the global financial crisis by boosting revenues and providing additional jobs. In her speech before the Cabinet meeting, she said the country should continue to promote tourism, which she dubbed as the Philippines’ "flag bearer in economic progress and development." "Tourism is one of the sectors we have to strengthen as our response to the global meltdownwe will continue to push it to provide jobs and vast opportunities to our people," she said.

Citing government data, Mrs. Arroyo said tourist arrivals grew by an average of 10.6% from 2004-2008, while investments for new hotels reached P550 billion from 2005-2007.

She said investors had committed to put up almost 7,000 new hotel and resort rooms, 2,000 of which will open this year.

Boracay, a top tourist destination, will continue to be a tourism frontliner, the President said, citing a 6% increase in tourist arrivals last year to more than 51,000 from 48,000.

She stressed improved roads and airports have helped boost tourism in Boracay including expansion of the Caticlan Airport, construction of sewer lines, as well as construction of new ports. — BSSD

RP tourism defies global crisis (http://www.mb.com.ph/node/197891)

Philippine tourism is defying the global crisis as jobs mount in various industry sectors, especially for a wide range of highly-skilled professionals and other personnel.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said the industry’s manpower needs could easily run to tens of thousands based on the number of newly-completed tourism projects, those to operationalize within 2009-2010, and those in the pipeline.

Durano said 1,700 rooms were scheduled to open in Manila this year. “And these do not include the 2,000 others that will open in many areas of the archipelago during the year, all part of the P550-billion expansion projects of various investors involving some 7,000 new hotel and resort rooms.

“This development could be gleaned from the growing number of tourism businesses and related enterprises joining the Trabaho sa Turismo (TST) Fair 2009 on March 13-14 at the SM City Cebu, indicating the sustained viability and competitiveness of our tourism industry even during crisis and the continued rise in the number of jobs required to serve our domestic and foreign tourists,” Durano pointed out.

“This 4th TST indicates the DoT’s (Department of Tourism) successful efforts in finding and developing new and emerging inbound markets, attracting foreign investors in various areas of tourism, encouraging domestic investments in tourism facilities, promoting joint ventures, and sustaining government-funded infrastructure projects that boost tourism, all generating employment and livelihood for our people and serving as economic growth engine in both good and bad times,” Durano added.

Philippines expects $10B from tourism

BusinessWorld Online
http://www.bworldonline.com/BW030409/content.php?id=056

BORACAY ISLAND, AKLAN — The tourism industry could contribute as much as $10 billion to the economy this year, especially with the opening of 2,089 planned new hotel rooms nationwide, a Cabinet official said here yesterday.

Tourism Secretary Joseph H. Durano said the new rooms to be opened this year will require investments of about $5 billion and are expected to generate 3,000 new jobs.

Tourist spending, meanwhile, is estimated to reach $4-$5 billion this year from $4.8 billion last year.

"What we want to see for this yearthe overall contribution of tourism to the economy is about $10 billion," he told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

President Gloria M. Arroyo stressed that a stronger tourism industry is crucial to responding effectively to the global financial crisis by boosting revenues and providing additional jobs. In her speech before the Cabinet meeting, she said the country should continue to promote tourism, which she dubbed as the Philippines’ "flag bearer in economic progress and development." "Tourism is one of the sectors we have to strengthen as our response to the global meltdownwe will continue to push it to provide jobs and vast opportunities to our people," she said.

Citing government data, Mrs. Arroyo said tourist arrivals grew by an average of 10.6% from 2004-2008, while investments for new hotels reached P550 billion from 2005-2007.

She said investors had committed to put up almost 7,000 new hotel and resort rooms, 2,000 of which will open this year.

Boracay, a top tourist destination, will continue to be a tourism frontliner, the President said, citing a 6% increase in tourist arrivals last year to more than 51,000 from 48,000.

She stressed improved roads and airports have helped boost tourism in Boracay including expansion of the Caticlan Airport, construction of sewer lines, as well as construction of new ports. — BSSD

^^ Wow, $10Billion??? That would be around 6% of the total GDP. I wonder if that already includes the investments in PAGCOR City.

BRITISH DIVE MAGAZINE EXTOLS RP's SITES

http://www.balitapinoy.net/clients/balitapinoy/3-5-2009-7-39-44-PM-7001855.jpg

British magazine focuses on RP diving sites

By Lily O. Ramos

MANILA, March 5

The Philippine has plenty of diving places scattered all over the archipelago that have remained undiscovered by locals but have truly impressed foreigners who have had the chance to explore the country's unique natural resources and environment at par with the world’s best.

Recently, the British publication, Sport Diver, produced the Ultimate Dive Destination’s special anthology, 100 Dives to Do before You Die took deep interest on Malapascua and Apo Island.

Editor Bruce Martin described Malapascua and Apo Island as “a definitive list of underwater sites that divers shouldn't miss. It's truly an adventurer's must-dive of century-old wrecks, teeming reefs, and rare marine life."

Malapascua was picked for its consistent sightings of thresher shark, a six-meter pelagic fish with long, whip-like tail, large eyes, silver sheen on the side and smooth movements.

The thresher shark got its name for its ability to feed on schools of fish by thrashing its tail towards them.

Sport Diver said the thresher shark can be seen at Monad Shoal, a seamount, where they arrive at dawn to get their cleaning from a group of cleaner wrasse.

Apo Island, on the other hand, was described as a site which boasts of an abundance of excellent spots frequented by underwater photographers.

The Apo Island Marine Sanctuary is replete with a continuous chain of underwater life, with hard and soft corals attracting reef fish like snappers, surgeon fish, damsel fish, parrot fish, anemone fish and wrasse, which in turn, invite large species like barracuda, tuna, white tip and black tip, turtles and manta ray.

Filled with spectacular images and insightful commentaries, the magazine included detailed experiences of contributing writers like Monty Halls, and photographer Martin Edge.

Halls, host of Great Ocean Adventures and Edge, author of one of the most comprehensive dive photography books, "The Underwater Photographer", have both played significant roles in placing the Philippines' dive sites on the global pedestal.

Department of Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano, acknowledged the UK publication's selection and inclusion of the country's dive sites, saying, "The Philippines is a must-see, proven by no less than an insider's guide to the world's best diving destinations."

Durano, a diver himself, said: "The list is based on the opinion of experts who were looking for sites that have rare characteristics which stand out from the usual dive haunts."

Tourism Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions, Eduardo Jarque, Jr., cited the good news as "a great supplement to our country's very active tourism campaign. Our long-haul strategy continues to pay off, with international markets pronouncing our sites as “dive to die for."

Jarque added that the country is set to register a 2009 banner year with the quality and quantity of sales and promotions programs implemented by the agency. "We are confident that arrivals from the United Kingdom (UK) will breach the 90,000 mark by yearend," he said.

Philippine tourism attaché to London, Domingo Ramon Enerio, mentioned, "In our participation in various travel trade fairs, we seldom encounter questions on the country's security. Instead, we get rave comments about our sites."

The UK market has consistently been a strong source of tourist arrivals, posting an 18 percent growth rate during the early half of 2008. (PNA)

^^ I read somewhere that the diving industry is recession proof.

More adventures at the Island Cove (http://www.tribune.net.ph/life/20090305lif1.html)

Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park, one of the premiere business and leisure destinations in the south, is optimistic that it can become the number-one adventure destination in the country despite the global economic downturn.

As Island Cove celebrates its 11th year anniversary, managing director Gilbert Remulla announces that Island Cove will continue to offer infinite possibilities and countless ways to spend the day for both the family and corporate markets.

“We believe that this year there will still be a considerable demand in our industry even with the current economic conditions,” Remulla says. “The need to relax and get away from it all never ceases, especially now that our guests may be working extra hard to stave off the effects of the economic crisis. In that respect, since we offer limitless possibilities of fun and adventure for both the corporate and family needs, we are confident that we will get a lion’s share of the local market and satisfy the lion’s share of our guests.”

What’s new?

Island Cove is undertaking significant improvements in its current facilities and has plans of expansion in the near future. “We understand that unless we have something new to offer, the average guest may look for something new to keep him or her interested,” Remulla adds. “To that extent, we have made it a policy to continuously expand and improve our facilities in order to keep our clients satisfied.”

This year, Island Cove is launching more sports and recreational facilities in line with the department of tourism’s thrust of making the Philippines a premiere adventure destination. Island Cove is expanding its adventure zone by putting up a ropes course and biking trail where guests can test their endurance.

The resort is also going to renovate its basketball court and is set to build a number of badminton courts. There will also be a video arcade for the game fanatics to enjoy the next-generation video game experience, which will open in time for summer. Similarly, Island Cove’s gym will be expanded, and a considerable investment will be made in acquiring new equipment to accommodate all the health buffs who visit the resort.

Moreover, Island Cove will launch a sports membership club. This will be similar to any other country club where members can use the various sports and recreational facilities on the island, join the resort’s major sporting events and enjoy special privileges. Island Cove also just recently opened the Tejeros Grand Ballroom with meeting rooms that are open for large and small functions.

The Oceania Water Park will also see the inclusion of fountains and improvement of the giant slides. The façade of the facility outlet will likewise undergo a makeover. Sangley Express, the fast food counterpart of Sangley Point Bar and Grill, will replace the Oceania Kiosk. The Sangley Express will serve meals to the Oceania Water Park guests at a more affordable price. Meanwhile, the Sangley Point Bar and Gill will offer a new set of mouth-watering international dishes.

What’s cooking?

Island Cove invites everyone to indulge in and enjoy the best Filipino cuisine at the Fishing Village. It boasts of being the pioneer of the “dining in huts on stilts” and serves the best dishes from northern, central and southern Luzon, the Bicol region, and the Visayas and Mindanao areas.

Among the specialties of the Fishing Village include kalderetang baka, estopadong dila, callos, pinalagatop na liempo, ginataang pusit sa sili, sinaing na tulingan, laing, pinakbet sa monggo, bagoong rice, and many others. All of these are prepared in a distinctly special manner so that they leave the guests wanting for more. Other Filipino favorites being offered are the mini bibingka, arroz caldo at tokwa, pancit palabok, halu-halo special, leche flan and puto bungbong.

“Our chefs ensure that every dish brings out the rich gastronomic legacy of the country,” Remulla shares. “All the dishes are prepared meticulously to ensure our delight in the food.” Both local and foreign tourists will also enjoy the cultural performances at the restaurant every Sunday, while a three-man string band called Los Trios serenades diners everyday of the week.

The restaurant’s three-hectare fishing ground is also a perfect place to go fishing. Fish grown include bangus, apahap, pargo, lapu-lapu, samaral and many more.

The Fishing Village also takes pride in being the first restaurant in Cavite to offer Beer Below Zero Degrees. This is not a new brand of beer nor is it a variant of an old brand. It is a revolutionary technology that boosts the crispness of a beer’s taste through a special frosting process. The beer is served ice cold (actually colder than ice) but not frozen.

Beer connoisseurs and bar owners Luigi Nuñez, Vinson Co Say and Jay-jay Angala introduced this new way of drinking beer in Manila on May 16, 2008. The group of friends was brought together by their “common passion for drinking extremely cold beer” and for having the desire to venture into the local beer business.

The concept of Beer Below Zero began as a simple “science experiment” that became a comprehensive research and development project. All they just wanted was to come up with the coldest beer ever, but now the group is out to make the Philippines known worldwide as the country that serves the coldest beers.

It took the team eight to nine months of experimentation before refrigeration engineers and chemists were able to produce what they call the “perfect beer” — beer in the coldest possible state just before it freezes. Using a scientific approach, they’ve concocted the recipe for the “perfect beer” that’s cold but still liquid and easy to drink.

Beer below zero is making the beer drinking experience more pleasurable and fun. It gives the drinker an instant icy cool feeling, while the taste is heightened, more pronounced and a lot smoother. The average serving temperature of beer from ordinary chillers is around eight degrees Celsius, while beers coming out of the beer below zero freezers are served between -2 and -6 degrees Celsius.

What’s on-line?

As part of Island Cove’s thrust to be constantly up to date and at pace with the changing technology, the resort has also decided to commission Virus Inc. to overhaul its Web site. While it still uses the same URL (www.islandcovephil.com), the design and overall feel of the site is made more contemporary and interactive.

“As we enter a new decade of fun and adventure,” Remulla asserts, “we feel that now is the right time to improve and capitalize on our Web site in order to remain the vacation and business destination in the Philippines at the top of everyone’s mind, and to showcase the many facilities that we have to offer in our 36-hectare land area. Through Island Cove’s enhanced Web site, clients will also be better informed about our dining options and accommodations.”

The Web site catalogues the countless ways of spending one’s time at Island Cove. It also has a quick reservation feature and a testimonial page where people can post their photos or videos and share what they experienced at Island Cove. It also has a special targeted viewing option classified for both the frequent individual travelers (FITs) and corporate clients.

“The Web site enables the users to have a personal web browsing experience, viewing only the content that is relevant to them,” explains Quesada, president and founder of Virus, Inc. “For example, if the client is an FIT, he or she can explore the family view. The family view contains the islands’ facilities, accommodations, packages and events pertinent to the FITs. On the other hand, the corporate view contains all information regarding meetings, celebrations, events, and packages relative to those looking forward to have a company outing, conference, team building, or other related events.”

One of the major Web design improvements is the dominant use of photos in painting a picturesque view of Island Cove. “There’s no better way of promoting the resort than to show the world a fantastic sight of what people are about to experience in the island,” Quesada claims. “According to a study, the Philippines has a 17.2 percent Internet penetration. That’s approximately 15 million Filipinos who have spending power are online. Web sites serve as online brochures and act as the modern calling cards, and a company that has an impressive website says a lot about itself and is given much respect in the industry.”

Island Cove and Virus Inc. are now strong partners in bringing the resort’s name along with its amenities and features to the new generation through the digital medium. Both companies are geared up for a strong and active online marketing effort. A free Wi-Fi facility is also made accessible in the whole resort.

Through the years, Island Cove has been known to be the pioneer in the tourism industry with respect to the introduction of a multitude of attractions that lure both local and foreign visitors. Island Cove’s other well-loved trademarks include the outdoor giant chess set, the play ground, and Concert Park to name a few. Other existing facilities available to its guests are the Oceana Water Park, the Animal Island and Petting Zoo, the Island Songs KTV, the Adventure Activity Zone, and the Island Spa.

Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park is an ISO 9001:2000 certified and a triple A accredited resort by the department of tourism. Located in the historic town of Kawit, Cavite, this Mediterranean inspired island is only 45 minutes away from Metro Manila.

^^Hi, how big is the island compared to Boracay island?

3 x the size of boracay.. The airport is an international airport.

Philippines ratifies bill boosting tourism framework

J. F. S. Valdez
BusinessWorld Online
http://www.bworldonline.com/BW030609/content.php?id=052

BOTH CHAMBERS of Congress ratified last Wednesday night a bill reorganizing state tourism agencies and giving tax perks to tourism and related businesses.

Under the reconciled version of Senate Bill (SB) 2213 and House Bill (HB) 5229, entitled the "Tourism Act of 2008," agencies attached to the Department of Tourism (DoT) will be reorganized.

The Philippine Tourism Authority will be renamed the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), a state corporation that will designate, regulate and supervise tourism enterprise zones (TEZs), which will provide incentives to locators, as well as develop and manage tourism projects in the country.

TEZ locators will pay a final tax of only 5% of gross income, instead of the 30% corporate income tax, provided that income from local sales does not exceed 30% of income from all sources.

Private developers whose projects become TEZs will be able to offer to their locators duty-free importation of capital goods and income tax holidays.

The bill provides that any area with the following features may be designated a TEZ: defined as one contiguous territory; has historical and cultural significance, environmental beauty, or potential for integrated leisure facilities; offers strategic access through transportation systems; has sufficient area to expand for more new investments.

Funding

The bill provides P500 million in state funding for TIEZA’s first year of operation.

The agency will draw funds from tourism development fees, 50% of travel tax collections, project revenues, as well as subsidies and grants. Five percent of the travel tax collection share that TIEZA will get will be earmarked for the development of heritage sites and other prime tourist destinations. Another 5% will be allocated for the development of ecotourism sites in depressed provinces with strong tourism potentials.

Establishments that have applied to become TEZs include Marriott Hotel in Cebu City and the Shangri-la hotel in Boracay.

Duty Free Philippines will be reorganized to become Duty Free Philippines Corp., tasked to handle tax-free merchandising.

The Philippine Convention and Visitors Corp. will become Tourism Philippines (TP), responsible for promotional activities. The government will allocate 40% of the proceeds from the sale of some assets of the Philippine Tourism Authority to initially fund TP’s operations.

The Philippine Retirement Authority, now under the Office of the President, will be transferred to the Tourism department, along with the Intramuros Administration, the National Parks and Development Committee, and Nayong Pilipino.

^^ Let's hope this tourism bill will help the country achieve higher tourist revenues and tourist arrivals.

Tourism tie-up between Quezon City, Clark proposed (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=446827&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
Updated March 09, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City Majority Floor Leader Antonio “Ariel” Inton is eyeing a possible tie-up with Clark International Airport Corp., also known as Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), to boost tourism in Quezon City.

In a speech during the oath-taking ceremonies for new officers of the Quezon City Capitol Jaycees where he represented QC Mayor Sonny Belmonte, Inton talked about his dream of making the city an important tourism destination in Asia.

Inton believes Quezon City could compete with other Asian cities in terms of tourism, especially with the help of Clark International Airport.

DMIA president/CEO Victor Jose I. Luciano, 1985 JCI world president, showed interest in the plan.

In terms of the number of tourists, Inton said the city could compete with Asian cities like Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and even Manila.

He said DMIA, which is approximately just an hour’s drive to and from Metro Manila, could be a big help in attracting tourists as well as investors.

Records show that Tiger Airways and Air Asia Berhad currently operate numerous flights to and from various major cities and tourist destination within Southeast Asia.

“We can have tie-up with Clark International Airport to boost tourism, since the biggest city closest to Clark is the Quezon City,” Inton said.

DOTourism lacks a competent leader (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=446835&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco Updated March 09, 2009 12:00 AM


I don’t always enjoy being proven right specially when it means my country goes down some more notches in the world’s esteem. This is why I met with sadness the news that our country has gone down again in travel and tourism competitiveness as measured by the World Economic Forum (the same guys who do Davos… whose annual meeting in the Swiss Alps Ate Glue loves to attend at great public expense).

The Philippines dropped to 86th place this year, down from an already embarrassingly low 81st last year. As if the indignity is not enough, we were overtaken by Syria, yes, the country in volatile and strife torn Middle East, suspected to be a supporter of terrorism. Syria soared from last year’s ranking of 94 to this year’s 85. Of course we have long been overtaken by our neighbors with Singapore at 10th place, Hong Kong at 12th, Malaysia at 32nd, Taiwan at 43rd, Sri Lanka, which was until recently in a state of war was 78th and Indonesia at 81st. I can’t wait to hear Tourism Secretary Durano’s excuses.

According to the WEF website, they measured the different regulatory and business-related issues that have been identified as levers for improving travel and tourism competitiveness in countries around the world. These are the very same things I have been saying should have preoccupied Mr. Durano, the things I called his homework, rather than his many foreign junkets.

“Our study aims to measure the factors that make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism industry of individual countries. The top rankings of Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France and Canada 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 for fostering an environment that is attractive for developing the travel and tourism sector,” said Jennifer Blanke, Senior Economist of the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Network.

The rankings are based on the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) covering 133 countries around the world. The TTCI uses a combination of data from publicly available sources, international travel and tourism institutions and experts, as well as the results of the Executive Opinion Survey, a comprehensive annual survey conducted by the World Economic Forum, together with its network of Partner Institutes (leading research institutes and business organizations) in the countries covered by the report.

“To thrive, or even survive, in this period of uncertainty and change, both the travel and tourism industry, and destinations themselves will need to approach the challenges in a holistic and systemic manner. This would allow innovative ideas to emerge, new directions to be taken, new alliances to be forged and profits to be reaped,” said Thea Chiesa, Head of Aviation, Travel and Tourism at the World Economic Forum.

“Competitiveness is built with efficiencies across the entire travel and tourism value chain. This study highlights the benchmarks of best practice that will determine winning destinations. Luring an airline to start or increase transport links is critical in developing tourism markets. But long-term success can only be built with coordinated government policies,” said Giovanni Bisignani, Chief Executive Officer and Director-General of the International Air Transport Association.

“Many economic stimulus packages are currently focusing on infrastructure development. The TTCI demonstrates the importance of infrastructure provision for tourism competitiveness. It’s time for industry and governments to work jointly together to consider the implications for tourism in infrastructure planning,” said Larry Dwyer, Qantas Professor of Travel and Tourism Economics, Australian School of Business, University of New South Wales.

All those comments are nothing new. In fact, those were the very same things I have been writing about in this column. The problem with Tourism Secretary Durano and his large bureaucracy at DOT is that they have little understanding of what ought to be done. Or maybe, refuse to do what they know should be done.

They put the cart before the horse when they insist on gallivanting abroad supposedly on marketing missions even before making sure the country’s tourism infrastructure can take in those tourists. In the end, the few tourists they do attract experience our lousy infrastructure and word gets around. Nothing kills a bad product (in the sense it is not yet fully developed) faster than premature marketing.

I understand that everyone is a sucker for a foreign junket at tax payer expense. They take the cue from Ate Glue herself. It is also takes no brains for the Tourism Secretary to cut ribbons and pose for photos with beauty queens rather than doing his homework and lobbying his fellow Cabinet members and the President for budgets to get vital roads and airports done in our most promising tourism areas. That sad excuse of an airport in Caticlan, gateway to Boracay, our prime tourism attraction, is proof of this inadequacy on the part of the Tourism Secretary and his bloated and ineffective bureaucracy. The Philippine Tourism Authority, a milking cow for politicians, has also been an utter failure in using our travel taxes for better tourism infrastructure.

In fact, the first thing Mr. Durano should have done when he assumed his post was to work hard to get the Tourism bill passed. Well, it was finally passed after a long four and a half years but no thanks to Mr. Durano who didn’t lift a finger to convince his colleagues in the House to speed its passage. It was Sen. Richard Gordon, a former Tourism Secretary, who did the lonely task of shepherding the bill through Congress. Thanks also to a group of private sector tourism entrepreneurs who lobbied intensely for the passage of the bill.

The Tourism bill provides the framework for the development of our tourism industry into something that is competitive in a world class sense. Among others, it mandates the creation of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority and Tourism Economic Zones that will provide the incentives for private sector to invest more intensively in the industry.

According to Sen. Gordon, the faithful implementation of this measure will ensure the nation can have a better institution to regulate and promote tourism and install the necessary infrastructure to make our country truly tourism world class. Dick envisions a tourism industry that is vibrant enough to provide more jobs here at home so that our people no longer have to find their future in foreign soil.

Indeed, I agree with Sen. Gordon that the tourism industry is the fastest and the most efficient way of generating foreign exchange, investments and employment. In economic terms, the local value added in tourism is almost a hundred percent. And tourism’s economic impact on local communities is easily felt.

For a while Ate Glue had the right men to head tourism with her appointment of Dick Gordon and later on, Obet Pagdanganan to head it. Dick had the passion and the vision for the job and still has. Obet had the marketing skills and discipline acquired through many years of working with Unilever. But when sheer political considerations led to the appointment of Mr. Durano, I knew all was lost.

Give credit to Tourism Secretary Durano in getting publicity for himself and getting his face on the covers of glossy magazines to give the impression that he is doing his job. But the proof of his ineffectiveness is the anemic growth rate of tourism arrivals compared to our neighbors, specially if we net out the balikbayans and half of the Koreans who are virtually permanent residents here. Now, the WEF competitiveness report proves what I have been saying for so long now about the absence of competent leadership at DOT.

I am sure his many defenders in media will disagree with me. But it is no longer just my opinion. The Pearl of the Orient… the land of breathtaking natural wonders and hospitable people was overtaken in tourism competitiveness by such troubled countries like Syria and Sri Lanka according to a credible international survey. This is such a waste specially because we need the jobs and the foreign exchange the tourism industry can generate in this hardest of economic times.

Let us hope the President quickly signs this Gordon bill into law and implements it seriously. Sayang naman kasi kung parang dating gawi lang.

Philippines slips five notches in global tourism survey (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/151368/Philippines-slips-five-notches-in-global-tourism-survey)
03/04/2009 | 06:25 PM

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines slipped five notches in the latest tourism competitiveness ranking released by a Switzerland-based group.

The Philippines placed 86th among 133 countries surveyed, sliding from its 81st spot last year, the World Economic Forum said, citing its third annual Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report.

In the Asian region, the Philippines ranked 16th just behind Indonesia despite its natural resources.

Although the Philippines secured high rankings for the number of World Heritage natural sites (23rd), total known species (40th), excellent price competitiveness (16th), few visa requirements for foreign visitors (third), and comparatively open air service agreements (28th), it was weak in areas of safety and security (113th), health and hygiene levels (87th), and transport, tourism, and ICT infrastructure that require upgrading.

WEF gave high ratings to the Philippines in price competitiveness owing to overall low costs such as hotel prices, low ticket taxes, and airport charges.

“There are also some aspects of the policy rules and regulations regime that are conducive to the development of the sector, such as few visa requirements for foreign visitors and bilateral Air Service Agreements that are assessed as comparatively open," WEF said. “Other areas – such as the protection of property rights, rules related to foreign investment, and the difficulty of starting a business in the country – remain a challenge."

Switzerland had the most attractive environment for developing the travel and tourism industry, followed by other European nations Austria, and Germany, respectively.

France, Canada, Spain, Sweden, the United States, Australia and Singapore completed the top 10 in the category.

Brunei, Indonesia beat the Philippines in tourism ranking (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/151368/Philippines-slips-five-notches-in-global-tourism-survey/_/2/)

Besides Singapore, other Philippine peers in the Southeast Asian region fared better in the ranking with Malaysia, 32nd; Thailand, 39th; Brunei, 69th; and Indonesia, 81st. Vietnam was ranked 89th.

“Our study aims to measure the factors that make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism industry of individual countries. The top rankings of Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France and Canada 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 for fostering an environment that is attractive for developing the travel and tourism sector," said Jennifer Blanke, Senior Economist of the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Network.

The rankings are based on the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI).

The TTCI uses a combination of data from publicly available sources, international travel and tourism institutions and experts, as well as the results of the Executive Opinion Survey, a comprehensive annual survey conducted by the WEF, together with its network of partner institutes such as research institutes and business organizations in the countries covered by the report.

“To thrive, or even survive, in this period of uncertainty and change, both the travel and tourism industry, and destinations themselves will need to approach the challenges in a holistic and systemic manner. This would allow innovative ideas to emerge, new directions to be taken, new alliances to be forged and profits to be reaped," said Thea Chiesa, Head of Aviation, Travel and Tourism at the WEF. - GMANews.TV

now that we know our perceived weaknesses:

weak in areas of safety and security (113th), health and hygiene levels (87th), and transport, tourism, and ICT infrastructure that require upgrading.

it's time to fix it.


:horse:

^^I think what really brings us down in the rankings is safety and security. If people felt that the Philippines was safe to visit, more people would come.

It will take a lot before the rest of the world changes
their impression of the SAFETY/ SECURITY in the PHILIPPINES.

but maybe one picture of ANGELINA JOLIE SUNBATHING IN THE NUDE
in the BEACHES OF DOS PALMAS will do the trick.


:horse:

now that we know our perceived weaknesses:



it's time to fix it.


:horse:

Agree with this.

Pinoys should have good toilet habits.

I am for the construction of 3 star public toilets in the Philippines specially in tourists spots. To maintain them it should be run by respectable private firms and a fee must be paid fo its use (I saw in the news this public toilet in Germany).

In Singapore, toilets are very clean even in MRT/LRT stations and underpasses there.

The government should once and for all blast all those abu sayaff in Mindanao and the MILF if they do not what to talk peace.

Another problem is that it seems that there is a rumor that AFP tolerates this shenanigans in Mindanao/ NPA so that war will continue and funding and budget for the AFP will not go down.:ohno:

The AFP knows the whereabouts of these troublesome bandits (abu sayaff and those rogue members of MILF and NPAs- not the legitimate members who have valid cause)) why cant they just ask their American counterpart as payment for the VFA unmanned drones and launched rocket attacks against the lairs of these hooligans. They can also hire 10 thousand bounty killers and assasins to eliminate these people.

So that the people of Mindanao and the Philippines will find relative peace and prosperity.

^^ Mindanao is a very complicated issue since there is one thing that has been a very difficult to tackle with....land, ancestral domain and social prejudices.

If you were in my shoes, you would see why Mindanao is such a difficult task to mend. If you still have people fighting for their right for ancestral domain, rebellion cannot be quelled that easily by bombarding them and reduce them to ashes...more so if it will be genocide.

It will take a lot before the rest of the world changes
their impression of the SAFETY/ SECURITY in the PHILIPPINES.

but maybe one picture of ANGELINA JOLIE SUNBATHING IN THE NUDE
in the BEACHES OF DOS PALMAS will do the trick.


:horse:

^^ That would indeed be a great come on, in more ways than one.

^^ Mindanao is a very complicated issue since there is one thing that has been a very difficult to tackle with....land, ancestral domain and social prejudices.

If you were in my shoes, you would see why Mindanao is such a difficult task to mend. If you still have people fighting for their right for ancestral domain, rebellion cannot be quelled that easily by bombarding them and reduce them to ashes...more so if it will be genocide.

Thats why Im talking about the elimination of the rogue groups not the legitimate ones.

Im sure the mainstream rebel groups do not act like bandits. In fact they are helping the government for the release of the red cross people.

^^ I see...the rogue ones...well, I have to agree...crush them till death! :lol:

But in any way, this has been a problem since time immemorial...since the Moro pirate raids of Visayas and Luzon of the Spanish Era...its just the matter now is more complicated...

^^ I see...the rogue ones...well, I have to agree...crush them till death! :lol:

But in any way, this has been a problem since time immemorial...since the Moro pirate raids of Visayas and Luzon of the Spanish Era...its just the matter now is more complicated...

But the military has become more sophisticated with all those new military techniques and new weapons.

Make Mindanao a safe because Mindanao can rival the best tourist destinations in the world.

It will take a lot before the rest of the world changes
their impression of the SAFETY/ SECURITY in the PHILIPPINES.

but maybe one picture of ANGELINA JOLIE SUNBATHING IN THE NUDE
in the BEACHES OF DOS PALMAS will do the trick.


:horse:

:lol:...for men, only one thing will be noticed in that picture...and its not the beach :naughty:

3,000 jobs available in hotel, restaurant industry (http://3,000 jobs available in hotel, restaurant industry)
Updated March 10, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - An official of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said yesterday that some 3,000 jobs are available in the hotel and restaurant industry as he painted a bright picture for the country’s domestic tourism.

Ciriaco Lagunzad III, executive director of the DOLE National Wages and Productivity Board, said hotels and restaurants are not affected by the global economic crunch.

Lagunzad added that DOLE is “prepared to help those who’d like to get trained or to upgrade to be able to land these existing jobs.”

“The international demand is not as positive as expected. But the domestic front remains to be an employment generator,” he stressed during the launching of DOLE’s “Service Quality Program for Key Employment Generators.”

Humphrey O’Leary, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines, said the hotel and restaurant industry remains upbeat as proven by the continued establishment of hotels and restaurants all over the country.

“When it comes to this industry, the money is here in this country. And the good part of this situation is the money is being invested here in the country. It’s not going out…. And that is one of the strengths that helps us overcome the situation,” O’Leary said.

He added that analysts see the crisis in the tourism industry will be felt for only two years, that is why businessmen continue to invest in this sector.

“Investments are coming in and they still construct. You can see that if you go around Metro Manila… If it’s that bad, they won’t construct anymore. They’ll just hold on to their money. But the risk takers are willing to come in because they know this is not going to last forever. Within two years, things will start to turn around and they want to be in the position to benefit from the turnaround,” he said.

O’Leary pointed out that the country’s domestic tourism is also kept afloat by local tourists who now prefer to go around the country than travel abroad. – Sheila Crisostomo

But the military has become more sophisticated with all those new military techniques and new weapons.

Make Mindanao a safe because Mindanao can rival the best tourist destinations in the world.
Seen Patikul, Sulu? Its always in the news...bad news that is...

But goodness, they have one of the best white beaches in this side of the country! Sayang talaga!

Whale shark saved in Philippines, may be smallest (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=447270&publicationSubCategoryId=200)
Updated March 10, 2009 11:38 AM


MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Activists in the Philippines have rescued what they believe might be the smallest offspring of the world's biggest fish — a whale shark the size of a forearm, a conservation group said Tuesday.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WFF) said maritime officials and activists in Pilar town in the eastern Philippines rescued the 15-inch (38-centimeter) -long whale shark last week and released it in deep waters. Its tail was tied to a small rope on a beach.

The group called it "arguably the smallest living whale shark in recorded history."

WWF said the discovery is the first ever indication that this coastline may be their birthing ground. The group has encountered very few baby whale sharks and can only compare the size of its new discovery to embryos found in a dead female in 1996 _ which measured 14.6 to 18.9 inches (37 to 48 centimeters), according to Elson Aca, project manager for the WWF whale shark tracking project.

The gentle creatures, which can grow to be as big as a bus, make regular stops along the Philippines' eastern shores from December to May, attracting thousands of tourists. But little is known about where they breed as they cruise the world seas.

Manila Ocean Park eyes Visayas Mindanao market (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=447065&publicationSubCategoryId=108)
Updated March 10, 2009 12:00 AM


CEBU, Philippines – After a year of operations, the country’s first world-class marine themed park, Manila Ocean Park, is now starting to make its presence felt in the huge Visayas and Mindanao market to further boost its growing clientele base.

Manila Ocean Park was among the many Manila-based tourism stakeholders that participated in the recently concluded 5th Vis-Min Travel and Lifestyle Show held at the SM City Cebu that ran for three days.

In an interview with Jerlyn M. Mapile, an account executive from the corporate marketing of Manila Ocean Park, she said that their recent move to penetrate VisMin is in line with their company’s vision to further promote the themed park to the rest of the Filipino populace.

Manila Ocean Park adopts a fusion concept as it brings together an oceanarium, a mall, a restaurant row, hotel, swimming lagoons and multi-purpose function facilities under one complex.

Currently, it houses the first and largest aquarium facility in the country with an oceanarium and a reef simulation lagoon of seawater that features an assortment of colorful fishes and invertebrates that are indigenous to the Philippines and in Southeast Asia.

Mapile said that the Manila Ocean Park is doing extremely well for the first year of its operation and on a daily average, they get around 20, 000 visitors.

She said that the Manila Ocean Park is positioning itself as an educational and corporate tourism destination so it aims to tap into the huge MICE (meetings, incentives, conference and exhibition) market as well as the thriving educational tours segment.

She added that this year, they are also looking at increasing their market base from Visayas and Mindanao so they have partnered with a Korean travel company Island Resort Club Tour Services, Inc. which will assist them in marketing the park in the Vis-Min regions.

“We are now open for corporations, travel agencies and students but these are usually from the vicinity of Luzon so we partnered with IRC to help us wholesale to the huge Vis-Min market,” said Mapile.

Currently, Manila Ocean Park’s hotel property called as H2O Hotel is being constructed within the park and this is targeted to be opened on August of this year.

The facility will have 147 rooms and it is expected to be a five star accommodation because the company is eyeing it to become another prime hotel destination in the country, said Mapile.

“Marketing Manila Ocean Park will not be difficult because it is something new and people will likely want to come and experience what it has to offer. So far we have already established ourselves in the global market because we have linkages in Spain, Taiwan, Japan, Turkey, Singapore, Hong Kong and Korea. Volume-wise we already have a huge international client-base but we are still continuously developing the market in Vis-Min,” said Robert Choi the CEO and president of Island Resort Club Tour Services, Incorporated.

He said that right now they are still in the introductory phase of their promotion efforts in the Vis-Min market.

“We are eyeing to establish partnerships in the Vis-Min market from travel agents, domestic airlines to shipping and so far we have started gathering a lot of inquiries from different agencies. We are aggressive despite the current crisis because we know the situation will be temporary so we continue to focus on maintaining the volume,” said Choi.

The Manila Ocean Park is a joint undertaking of Singaporean and Malaysian investors and it is a subsidiary of the Singapore registered company China Oceanis Pte Ltd., one of the China Oceanis Group of Companies with a core business in designing, developing and operation and installation of public aquaria.— Rhia de Pablo

Enchanted Kingdom eyes viable expansion in Cebu (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=446751&publicationSubCategoryId=108)
Updated March 09, 2009 12:00 AM


CEBU, Philippines - Considering the huge potential tourism market in Cebu, Enchanted Kingdom is looking at a medium for a long-term prospect of investing in the area.

In an interview with Enchanted Kingdom chairman and president Mario O. Mamon, he shared that Cebu is a growth area that their company has long been looking at for possible expansions.

Mamon said that Cebu has the potential to draw in crowd for the entertainment and recreation industry that Enchanted Kingdom is serving because of its location.

“Cebu is the second international gateway of the country and it’s in fact the number one tourism destination and with its higher tourism potential, it seems to be insulated from the other problems of the country so we will truly consider Cebu as Enchanted Kingdom’s another area of expansion. It is the foremost choice in mind if ever we deicide to go South,” said Mamon.

He said that this will be considered a medium to long term plan but with the current financial crisis, Mamon said that participating in the recently concluded 5th Vis-Min Travel and Lifestyle Expo is the nearest they can go to explore the Cebu market.

Enchanted Kingdom was one of the 115 exhibitors in the show and Mamon said that this is their way of bringing more people to the park especially the market in the Visayas and Mindanao areas.

In an interview, Mamon shared that because Enchanted Kingdom caters to different markets such as the corporate groups, they are not sparred by the negative current global economic crisis.

“We have clients from the manufacturing and marketing groups and since most of these firms have laid off workers to cut on their costs, they are also cutting on expenditure on extra trips and activities on leisure and entertainment we are also affected,” said Mamon.

However, despite noting a slowdown of consumer spending, Mamon said that they are now slowly looking at a resurgence of guests in the park which started December of last year and is extending until now.

“With the different measures and events that we offer at the park, we have slowly attracted a wide spectrum of the market and this has balanced the business. Last year, we have faired marginally better than last 2007’s performance and this has been impressive because the turn around was made in December,” he said.

He said that this year, Enchanted Kingdom is looking at hitting a one million visitor mark despite the crisis.

And that they are looking forward to extending the stay of their visitors from the usual one day trip to a week stay by providing more facilities that guests can enjoy.

Mamon said that this plan is still a work in progress and they have held this off because of the financial crisis.

Recently, Enchanted Kingdom launched new facilities which include an event’s venue called Eldar’s Tent which holds the park’s big events, the horror SRRX!!! Experience which is a tie up with Regal Entertainment and the new 4D theatre that will be launched later this March.

Mamon, who is also the president of the Laguna Chamber of Commerce, said that the country’s entertainment industry continues to also thrive together with the growth of the tourism industry.

“During these times of crisis that we are experiencing, the tourism industry will serve as good buffer so if we can get our acts together, we can help make the tourism industry as one of the country’s strong prime movers,” said Mamon.— Rhia de Pablo (THE FREEMAN)

Cebu tourism stays resilient to crisis (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=446752&publicationSubCategoryId=108)
By Rhia de Pablo Updated March 09, 2009 12:00 AM


CEBU, Philippines - Cebu’s tourism industry remains insulated from the impacts of the world economic crisis as travel groups continue to develop positive prospects this year.

And showcasing the resiliency of the province’s industry is the recently concluded three-day 5th Vis-Min Travel and Lifestyle Expo held at the SM City Cebu.

The expo was well-attended by the tourism sector’s suppliers, partners and client-base both from domestic and foreign markets.

“This fair is the most exciting showcase in the country and it gives stakeholders a venue to gain massive exposure and attract the buying public. This also highlights Cebu as a world-class tourism destination,” said Marget F. Villarica, the event’s chairman.

In an interview with the event co-chairman Cecil Saa, she said that around 115 exhibitors were present in the expo highlighting different products and services for the travel market coming from different regions, tourism authorities of some Asian countries, hotels and resorts, among others.

“The fair shows that Cebu’s tourism industry continues to thrive despite the negative news about the world crisis. Initially, some exhibitors were in a wait and see mode but still they continued to support us which also shows their confidence in us,” said Saa.

Cebu Association of Tour Operators (CATO) president Zenaida Chua said that the crisis have not stopped their bookings and in fact it continues to peak up especially for this Holy Week period and the summer season.

“This means that the demand for travel from and to Cebu is still there. Cebu as a tourism destination has not really been affected by the crisis because it can stand on its own in terms of tourism products and as a destination, it does not rely on other destinations because it has an independent market,” said Chua.

Chua said that in terms of product offerings, airline companies as well as hotels and resorts have also helped boost their marketing efforts because these partners have given them good rates that fit the challenges of the times and compliments the shrinking consumer income.

She said that for instance Asiana Airlines is currently giving out $670 for a four days, three nights tour package to Korea.

For Singapore, another airline company is giving a $100 airfare only package and $197 for tour package which include accommodations for a three days and two nights stay.

Even for domestic travel, cheaper packages are also being given out to several popular tourism destinations in the country such as in Boracay, Palawan, Tagaytay and Baguio.

For instance, a Dakak tour package is now offered at P2, 700 per person for three days and two nights stay.

Chua said that airlines will also be doing extra flights to Cebu from Hong Kong to accommodate the influx of more tourists this summer and Lenten season.

“If we compare our performance from last year, the movement is similar and no big changes in our business have taken place. So far we have not yet really felt the crisis. In fact the demand is still there for both domestic and foreign markets,” said Chua.

“Tourism is still one of the country’s sunshine industries so we stakeholders continue to push tourism and still believe that the slump is only temporary. We are doing all these marketing and promotions because we know that people are just holding back but it does not mean we have to stop because its now the best time for the market to get good rates so we also give them good promos that will give them value for their money,” added Alice K. Queblatin, managing director of Southwind Travel and Tours Inc. and the past president of CATO. - THE FREEMAN

Business group asks DENR to stop erosion of Boracay beach (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/152156/Business-group-asks-DENR-to-stop-erosion-of-Boracay-beach)
JUN ARIOLO N. AGUIRRE, GMANews.TV
03/10/2009 | 08:45 PM

BORACAY ISLAND, Philippines – A business group has asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to check the activities of developers and resort owners that have led to the erosion of a beach in a portion of the country’s premiere tourism destination.

In letters to Environment Secretary Jose Atienza, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)-Boracay expressed alarm that the beach along Barangay Diniwid in Balabag Boracay was already showing signs of severe erosion.

"Many establishments at the northern part of Diniwid beach violate national laws and municipal ordinances such as building permanent structures on the marine reserve zone or within the no build zone, the set back from the tide mark, and have no building permits and no mayors permit to operate business as a resort or establishment. These violations aggravate the erosion, which changes the once attractive Diniwid beach," Peter Brugger, PCCI-Boracay external vice president said.

Because of the beach erosion, the whole areas of northern Diniwid are not accessible to tourists anymore, particularly at high-tide when the water is two-meters deep due to the abrupt drop of the beach and on the other side fences and buildings, which are a violation of setback laws.

Brugger said establishments tried to stop beach erosions by building walls and bring in huge boulders. He laments these act could worsen the erosion.

"We hope that the DENR will act on these issues before it's too late to save the beach of Diniwid as well all other beaches on the island, which show visible signs of erosion, too. The PCCI-Boracay is currently in communication to conduct research with National Committee on Marine Sciences (NCMS)/ Mr. Miguel Flores and we hope to be able to work together with your agency on that matter," he added. - GMANews.TV

Singapore, Sydney top for Asian expats (http://http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20090311-193517/Singapore-Sydney-top-for-Asian-expats)
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 12:28:00 03/11/2009

Filed Under: World Financial Crisis, Economy and Business and Finance, Pollution, Overseas Employment


SINGAPORE -- Singapore and Sydney are the favorite destination of Asians relocating to work in foreign cities and the reputation of Chinese cities is improving, a survey showed Wednesday.

The city-state's much better air quality, low crime rates and services give it the edge over other Asian capitals like Hong Kong, where pollution is a big drawback, human resources consultancy ECA International said.

"Good infrastructure and healthcare facilities, low crime and health risks, and decent air quality contribute to Singapore providing the best quality of living for Asian assignees," said Lee Quane, the firm's regional director.

ECA International's 2008 survey of the best postings for Asian expatriates ranked Sydney in second place -- repeating the one-two finish in the previous year's poll -- followed by Kobe in western Japan.

Copenhagen and Vancouver are the only two cities from outside the Asia-Pacific region to feature in the top 10 best locations for Asian expatriates.

The Danish capital shared sixth spot with Tokyo while Vancouver tied with Wellington in ninth position.

Filling up the other spots are Melbourne and Yokohoma in joint fourth position with Australia's administrative capital Canberra occupying the eighth spot, it added.

The results of the survey, carried out in the third quarter of 2008, remain relevant although the economic situation has changed significantly due to the worsening global financial crisis, Quane said.

"Most of the things that we look at in our rankings such as pollution... they tend to be quite static," he told AFP.

The survey is based on data extracted from 1,800 people on how they rate over 400 cities using criteria like climate, air quality and housing.

Respondents from China, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore were among the participants, Quane said.

Other Asian destinations did not fare so well in the global rankings although Chinese cities did see some improvement, with Beijing now boasting better infrastructure because of the 2008 Olympic Games.

Among the region's key cities, Hong Kong was placed 11th while Taipei and Macau shared 56th spot.

Among key Southeast Asian cities, Kuala Lumpur came 61st, Bangkok 63rd, Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan 95th and Hanoi 122nd.

Manila was in 138th spot and Jakarta was ranked 190th globally.

Singapore, Sydney top for Asian expats (http://http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20090311-193517/Singapore-Sydney-top-for-Asian-expats)
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 12:28:00 03/11/2009

Filed Under: World Financial Crisis, Economy and Business and Finance, Pollution, Overseas Employment


SINGAPORE -- Singapore and Sydney are the favorite destination of Asians relocating to work in foreign cities and the reputation of Chinese cities is improving, a survey showed Wednesday.

The city-state's much better air quality, low crime rates and services give it the edge over other Asian capitals like Hong Kong, where pollution is a big drawback, human resources consultancy ECA International said.

"Good infrastructure and healthcare facilities, low crime and health risks, and decent air quality contribute to Singapore providing the best quality of living for Asian assignees," said Lee Quane, the firm's regional director.

ECA International's 2008 survey of the best postings for Asian expatriates ranked Sydney in second place -- repeating the one-two finish in the previous year's poll -- followed by Kobe in western Japan.

Copenhagen and Vancouver are the only two cities from outside the Asia-Pacific region to feature in the top 10 best locations for Asian expatriates.

The Danish capital shared sixth spot with Tokyo while Vancouver tied with Wellington in ninth position.

Filling up the other spots are Melbourne and Yokohoma in joint fourth position with Australia's administrative capital Canberra occupying the eighth spot, it added.

The results of the survey, carried out in the third quarter of 2008, remain relevant although the economic situation has changed significantly due to the worsening global financial crisis, Quane said.

"Most of the things that we look at in our rankings such as pollution... they tend to be quite static," he told AFP.

The survey is based on data extracted from 1,800 people on how they rate over 400 cities using criteria like climate, air quality and housing.

Respondents from China, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore were among the participants, Quane said.

Other Asian destinations did not fare so well in the global rankings although Chinese cities did see some improvement, with Beijing now boasting better infrastructure because of the 2008 Olympic Games.

Among the region's key cities, Hong Kong was placed 11th while Taipei and Macau shared 56th spot.

Among key Southeast Asian cities, Kuala Lumpur came 61st, Bangkok 63rd, Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan 95th and Hanoi 122nd.

Manila was in 138th spot and Jakarta was ranked 190th globally.

What? Jakarta at 190 and Hanoi at no. 122? the criteria are:

"air quality, crime rates, housing and services"

Anyway, the survey is based on 1,800 respondents from China, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore... no wonder. :lol:

What? jakarta at 190 and Hanoi at no. 122? the criteria are:

"air quality, low crime rates, housing and services"

Anyway, the survey is based on 1,800 respondents from China, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore... no wonder. :lol:

^^ @Ronnie, what's that supposed to mean? Are they biased or not reliable? :)

^^ @Ronnie, what's that supposed to mean? Are they biased or not reliable? :)

How come the respondents came from these countries only - China, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore? How about Indonesians and Filipinos?

It's not really objective.

138th isn't really bad considering all the cities in the world. our air is really bad compared to those of malaysia and thailand.

Singapore, Sydney top for Asian expats (http://http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20090311-193517/Singapore-Sydney-top-for-Asian-expats)
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 12:28:00 03/11/2009

Filed Under: World Financial Crisis, Economy and Business and Finance, Pollution, Overseas Employment


SINGAPORE -- Singapore and Sydney are the favorite destination of Asians relocating to work in foreign cities and the reputation of Chinese cities is improving, a survey showed Wednesday.

The city-state's much better air quality, low crime rates and services give it the edge over other Asian capitals like Hong Kong, where pollution is a big drawback, human resources consultancy ECA International said.

"Good infrastructure and healthcare facilities, low crime and health risks, and decent air quality contribute to Singapore providing the best quality of living for Asian assignees," said Lee Quane, the firm's regional director.

ECA International's 2008 survey of the best postings for Asian expatriates ranked Sydney in second place -- repeating the one-two finish in the previous year's poll -- followed by Kobe in western Japan.


Among the region's key cities, Hong Kong was placed 11th while Taipei and Macau shared 56th spot.

Among key Southeast Asian cities, Kuala Lumpur came 61st, Bangkok 63rd, Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan 95th and Hanoi 122nd.

Manila was in 138th spot and Jakarta was ranked 190th globally.

This is what we call an obvious self-serving survey full of loopholes.

Singapore has to do this because they are losing big time like the Philippines in this recession period.

Although, in the end the Philippines is still better off than this tiny state where everything is almost artificial.

138th isn't really bad considering all the cities in the world. our air is really bad compared to those of malaysia and thailand.

only manila's air is
not that good.

again, manila
is not the
philippines.

only manila's air is
not that good.

again, manila
is not the
philippines.

Agree.

Why not Cebu, Davao, Baguio, Naga, Tagaytay or even Marikina City. Lots of beautiful and progressive places in the Philippines.

Manila should wake up. Alfredo Lim must continue the program of Atienza and make Manila great again.

Pansin ko madumi at mabaho na naman Manila (although Im happy to see the manila city hall is repainted with a more vibrant color)

If I may say, why not Manila phase out all those God damn rickety and pollutive dangerous ugly dilapidated smelly jeepneys?

Why not put those electric PHUVs (and proudly Philippine made by PHUV, INc.) to clear the smog in the Metro?

Got a question:

Is the Philippines tourist-friendly in the first place or not?

Because I believe it isn't...and the efforts of DOT are not sufficient YET in attracting foreign tourists to come over here...hotels ain't cheap, maraming manloloko sa mga foreigners, mass transport is dismaying, even tourist spots are so reclusive and "no photos are allowed", security unfriendly and infrastructure neglected.

Its nearing 2010 and I hope Gloria would be genuine enough to push through reforms in the tourism industry. A lot of potentials, neglected or antiquated tourism policies and facilities.

I hope we have more satisfied tourists rather than dismayed ones.

Another question:

How do we effectively sell "Philippines" as a tourism package? What makes Philippines differ from the rest of ASEAN nations and is worth visiting? What makes it unique? What makes it "exoticized?"

^^it's not , magaleng lang sa advertisement, but it should be tourist friendly down to the grassroot level. sayang kase napalake ng potential at napakaganda ng maraming lugar sa Pilipinas. At the same time we don't want overdevelopment like in Thailand, at the expense of nature. Our nature is our treasure and bread and butter pag naging pasig river at manila bay lahat ng lugar because of overpopulation and runaway development kiss our tourism industry goodbye.
Imagine a first world Philippines , poverty is only marginal yet we have all these natural endowments ,it's the country to beat. If only we had better management at the top most of the people on top are crooks at best...
Most local Pinoys don't understand the natural beauty Phils is blessed with, only if you've traveled and lived in other countries you'll realize this. Other places can only try to replicate with artificial attractions but we have natural attractions.

^^ Parang ang sarap sabihin na magkaroon ng Diaspora ang lahat ng Pinoys sa Pinas tas pabalikin. I usually notice this with OFWs, either they reject the Pilipinas and never come back OR missed the Pilipinas and appreciate it even more.

^^ Parang ang sarap sabihin na magkaroon ng Diaspora ang lahat ng Pinoys sa Pinas tas pabalikin. I usually notice this with OFWs, either they reject the Pilipinas and never come back OR missed the Pilipinas and appreciate it even more.

the good image of the philippines was forever tainted when marcos declared the entire country martialll law. the presidents after him have a hard time selling the philippines because martial rule is tantamount to communist china, cuba and the renegade north korea. the history of marshal law in a country is already a big cross to carry. although we're back into democracy but its not enough to put us back in the world map. indeed its a hard sell!

^^^^ Partly because of the previous encounters with the insurgents as well, not just the Martial Law, that was already several decades ago. I believe it's the muslim rebel's connection with the Al Quaeda terrorists cell , the previous kidnapping of foreigners and the bombing incidents or treats are what scare foreign tourist off.

the good image of the philippines was forever tainted when marcos declared the entire country martialll law. the presidents after him have a hard time selling the philippines because martial rule is tantamount to communist china, cuba and the renegade north korea. the history of marshal law in a country is already a big cross to carry. although we're back into democracy but its not enough to put us back in the world map. indeed its a hard sell!
not really Cuba and Vietnam ,communists country but both are now attracting their fair share of tourists.

^^ Parang ang sarap sabihin na magkaroon ng Diaspora ang lahat ng Pinoys sa Pinas tas pabalikin. I usually notice this with OFWs, either they reject the Pilipinas and never come back OR missed the Pilipinas and appreciate it even more.

I don't think ofws ,overseas pinoys really want to reject Pilipinas, they know Pilipinas is a blessed and beautiful country, it's the people running and ruining it is what they reject.

Vote for RP nominees in New7Wonders poll urged (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/152322/Vote-for-RP-nominees-in-New7Wonders-poll-urged)
03/11/2009 | 08:08 PM

MANILA, Philippines - The longest underground river in the world lost the top spot in the ‘New7Wonders of Nature’ (www.new7wonders.com) poll to the world’s largest river.

Just a few months after claiming the top spot in the nomination phase, Palawan’s Subterranean River National Park was edged out by the Amazon River in the ongoing second phase of the New7Wonders online poll.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Ace Durano urged Filipinos to “keep the eye on the prize" and continue voting for all Philippine entries to the worldwide contest.

“All the voting and support have already generated immense publicity for our country. It would indeed be a feat for the Philippines if the Puerto Princesa Subterranean Park becomes one of the seven phenomenal sights in the world," Durano said Wednesday.

Palawan’s underground river topped the said online poll last year while Tubbataha Reef ranked 3rd, Chocolate Hills located in Bohol province ranked No. 5, Mayon Volcano in Albay province is ranked No. 11, Mt. Pinatubo in Zambales and Hundred Islands National Park in Pangasinan is ranked No. 31 and No. 28, respectively.

But when the votation for the second stage began last Jan. 7, the subterranean river lost the top spot to the Amazon River.

Only 77 of the 261 nominees will remain after voting ends in July 7, 2009. The DOT said that after the top 77 candidates are determined, the New7Wonders Panel of Experts, led by Prof. Federico Mayor, former director-general of UNESCO, will then take over to select the 21 finalists.

The voting will resume shortly after the 21 finalists have been announced.

"The nominees will compete for vote against candidates within their category. Simultaneous with the voting, the New7Wonders World Tour will visit the 21 Finalists to give each a chance to be seen by the whole world. The final 7 will be announced in 2011," the DOT added in a statement.

The non-profit New7Wonders Foundation, which also undertook the “New Seven Wonders of the World" search that was rounded up in 2007, said that through this contest, it aims to undertake documentation and conservation works of monuments worldwide under the motto, “Our Heritage is Our Future." - Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV

RP tourist spot's ranking drops in 'New 7 Wonders' campaign (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/03/12/09/rp-tourist-spots-ranking-drops-new-7-wonders-campaign)
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 03/12/2009 11:30 AM

After taking the top spot of a category in the "New 7 Wonders of Nature" campaign last year, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park has dropped to second place in the second leg of the campaign.

“Once again we urge Filipinos from all over the world to keep their eye on the prize. All the voting and support have already generated immense publicity for our country. It would indeed be a feat for the Philippines if the Puerto Princesa Subterranean Park becomes one of the 7 phenomenal sights in the world,” said Department of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

Known as the world's longest undergound river, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, located in Palawan, winds through a cave leading to the South China Sea. Its features include a limestone mountain landscape, chambers of stalactite and stalagmite formations, and lush forest formations. It is also home to monkeys, monitor lizards, and squirrels.

The top spot is currently held by the Amazon River in South America.

“We ask everyone to join us on this long but gratifying road to victory. But more than the people’s votes, we urge preservation and protection of our natural sites because they are the irreplaceable wealth of our country,” said Eduardo Jarque, Jr., Tourism Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions.

The Puerto Princesa river was nominated under the "Forests, National Parks, and Nature Reserves" category and votations began on January 7, 2009. Another Philippine nominee is the Coral Triangle, also shared by Indonesia, Malaysia, and other Pacific Islands, which is currently ranked 8th in the "Seascapes" Category.

Only 77 out of 261 nominees in 7 categories will be chosen after voting ends in July 7 this year. Voters can cast their votes, via text message or online, only once for every phase of the competition.

After 77 nominees are selected, 21 finalists will be chosen by the New7Wonders Panel of Experts, led by former United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director General Federico Mayor, after which, another round of voting will begin until 7 finalists are announced in 2011.

Live rankings are regularly featured on its website, www.new7wonders.com.

During votations, the New7Wonders World Tour will also visit the 21 Finalist countries to give each a chance to be seen by the world.

The New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign was founded by Canadian filmmaker and explorer Bernard Weber, and is managed by the New7Wonders Foundation. The campaign aims to "raise awareness of the incredible variety and beauty of nature around us." Its motto is: "If we want to save anything, we first need to truly appreciate it!"

The best time to travel is now! (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=447650&publicationSubCategoryId=108)
TRAVEL UPDATE By Marlinda Angbetic Tan Updated March 12, 2009 12:00 AM


We just concluded the 5th VIS-MIN Travel & Lifestyle Show at SM City Trade Hall, and if you were curious enough to pay the three-day expo a visit, you could have found out for yourself that the offerings of the various airlines, hotels and destinations were too tempting to pass up.

This most successful gathering of travel trade stakeholders is by far the biggest in the country. My parents, who hailed from Misamis Occidental in Mindanao, mentioned places I only heard about. I am a Cebuano, born and bred. I only vacationed briefly in Ozamis City and Jimenez in some summers of my teen years, to be with my grandmothers. I was therefore happily surprised to see the Misamis Occidental booth in the expo. For the first time, I saw Sinacaban spelled out! I used to imagine it as a hidden place up in the mountains, the way my father would describe it to us. So I continued my visit to the booths of other domestic destinations, discovering the surprising, numerous, interesting offerings they have for any traveler, both local or foreign.

Not only were nearby foreign destinations up for grabs, so were the treasures of nearby islands given their due importance in the expo. Unfortunately, the best deals were only during the expo period but valid for travel during this summer months. The travel agents were pushing for the book and buy at their booths. Consider this: all taxes included promos by Cathay Pacific - Los Angeles, USA for only US$899.00! Eva Air – L.A./San Francisco, also US$899.00; to Seattle, $942.00; to Newark (New York), $1,192.00. Silk Air/Singapore Airlines - Australia, $710.00; Paris, $1,107.00; London,$1,116.00; Zurich, $1,093.00. Asiana Airlines – L.A./San Francisco, $945.00; JFK (New York)/Chicago, $1,085.00. Korean Air – USA West Coast, $986.00; JFK/Chicago, $1,086.00; Atlanta/Dallas/Washington, $1,136.00.

Philippine Airlines offered a Holy Week Charter Flight inclusive of hotel stay and all pertinent taxes, with free Disneyland or Macau side trips, starting at US$380.00 (depending on the hotel rate), while Cathay Pacific offered a Hong Kong Summer Spree with same free Disney or Macau day tour, starting at US$351.00 (depending on the hotel rate); for airfare only to Hong Kong – US$259.00, to Xiamen - $398.00, to Beijing/Shanghai - $553.00, to Japan - $497.00.

However, you can still find good discounts by checking out what travel agents have to offer post-expo. Southwind Travel & Tours, an in-bound travel agency, emailed me a flyer of their Great Summer Adventures, like Bantayan Island for P1,444.00, Bohol for P2,191.00 Boracay for P2,777.00, Palawan for P3,777.00, Baguio for P3,999.00, among many other local summer destinations. (call 254-2034/254-1659/253-6225/412-6847/412-6837, or email: info@southwind-online.net) Marilou Pintor of Grand Holidays (email: ghl@mozcom.com) also enticed me with very cheap Holy Week promos to Hong Kong and other destinations, while Destination Specialists beacons the adventurous to a Holy Week spree in Korea and experience the fascinating sight of cherry trees in full bloom. (Elizabeth Mall Branch fax: 417-7225/ SM City Main Office fax: 231-0852, email: info@destinationcebu.com). For those who are interested in religious tours, then contact Marilou Ordonez of Delmar Travel and Tours, the pilgrimage and cruise specialists. They always have a Marian pilgrimage or the Footsteps of Jesus Holy Land pilgrimage on schedule. (253-6561, 253-6571, fax: 255-2867; email: dtticebu@gsilink.com) Another cruise specialist, as well as authoritative African safari coordinator, is Aida Uy of Cebu Fortune Travel (234-2149,234-2151,234-2153, email: aidafortune@amadeusph.com)

Well, the best time to travel is now, when airlines are competing for the most enticing promos, hotels are lowering rates to increase occupancy and destinations are outdoing each other in their offerings.

Senate ratifies Tourism Act (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=445865&publicationSubCategoryId=206)
By Christina Mendez

MANILA, Philippines - With a vision to make the country a world-class tourism capital, the Senate ratified last Thursday the Tourism Act of 2009 before it adjourned its session for a five-week Holy Week break.

Sen. Richard Gordon, principal author of the measure, said the passage of the Tourism Act will promote “sustainable tourism development” that would meet the needs of tourists and host regions while protecting the opportunities for the country. The passage of the bill came after almost three months of deliberations during the bicameral conferences of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“When we talk about Palawan, it has 1,500 islands. It has more islands than Maldives, so that can now pose a competition in Maldives overnight… That’s just in Palawan. One-fifth of the islands in the country is in Palawan,” Gordon said.

Gordon also sees a vision that the Visayas region has the potential to become the “beach capital of Asia.” “You talk here of billions of investments and income,” the senator added.

“This is a good chance for all to invest now in tourism especially that there is a financial crisis,” Gordon said in an interview, adding that the new law would also raise the standards of the tourism industry in the country.

“We also required the creation of tourism offices in the local levels. There is a (provision on) protection of heritage sites, religious institutions and cultural sites,” Gordon said, citing Intramuros as an example.

Gordon said the measure is a consolidation of Senate Bill 2213 and House Bill 5229, an act declaring a national policy for tourism as an engine of investment, employment, growth and national development and strengthening the Department of Tourism (DOT) and its attached agencies.

Gordon, a former tourism secretary, said President Arroyo is expected to sign the bill into law within the Lenten break, stressing that the measure could ward off possible effects of the global financial crisis to the country’s economy.

He said tourism is the fastest and most efficient way of generating foreign exchange, investments and employment. Once the measure is signed into law, it will spur the creation of jobs and open additional channels for the infusion of the much-needed investments in the country’s economy, Gordon said.

“This measure will definitely boost domestic tourism as it will provide the needed infrastructures to reinvigorate local productivity. An increased productivity means more jobs for the people and more revenues for the government,” Gordon said.

The Act aims to promote a tourism industry that is ecologically sustainable, responsible, participative, culturally sensitive, economically viable and ethically and socially suitable for local communities.

It also aims to create a favorable image of the Philippines within the international community, thereby strengthening the country’s attraction as a tourism destination and eventually paving the way for other benefits that may result from a positive global view of the country.

Once signed into law, the Tourism Act will mandate the creation of the Tourism Infrasrtucture and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) andTourism Economic Zones (TEZ).

The TEZ is any geographic area that is capable of being defined into one contiguous territory; it has historical and cultural significance, environmental beauty, or existing or potential integrated leisure facilities within its bounds or within reasonable distances from it.

Telco firm, DOT launch service for travelers (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news/view/20090312-193828/Telco-firm-DOT-launch-service-for-travelers)
By Rizalene P. Acac, Judy Quiros

DAVAO CITY, Philippines -- Moving around Southern Mindanao, including this city, will no longer be difficult even for first time visitors.

On Friday, Smart Communications and the Department of Tourism (DoT) in the region will formally launch a service that will enable tourists who are Smart users to dump their printed maps and use their mobile phones to get around the region's urban areas.

Dubbed the tourism information board, the text-based service will become the country's first joint endeavor involving a government agency and a private communications company, according to Sonia Garcia, DoT director for Southern Mindanao.

Garcia said the effort, which could help boost the region's tourism industry, would have cost the DoT P2 to 2.5 million to develop.

But she said Smart developed it for free.

"The tourism information board will become a tool to track available tourism-accredited facilities such as hotels, restaurants, and spas in Davao City, Island Garden City of Samal, and Tagum City through the mobile phone," she said on Thursday.

For example, a tourist trying to find a good restaurant in the city would just have to key in "Davao City Info Resto" and send it to 700-TOURIST (700-8687478). A list of restaurants in the city will then be sent to the tourist's mobile phone.

Bong Mojica, PLDT-Smart wireless consumer division head, said the company was not expecting a quick return on investment even if it were to charge users P1 for every inquiry sent to the number.

But he said over 36 million people have been using Smart nationwide and some of them might use its information service for travelers on a regular basis.

He said Smart users overseas could also access the number and avail of the service.

Garcia said the Smart service would help entice more tourism facilities to get accredited with the department.

She said only establishments accredited with the DoT could become searchable under the information board system.

"How can anybody pass up free advertising? This is free marketing," Garcia said.

Mon Isberto, PLDT-Smart public affairs head, agreed that the implementation of the system could be considered an incentive to accredited establishments.

He said tourists would have an idea of available establishments and their services.

Garcia said aside from helping tourists, the system would also help establishments improve their services because it would double as a feedback mechanism.

"Dissatisfied customers can complain and we will relay the message to the owner," she said.

STILL TALKING By Enrico Miguel T. Subido Updated March 13, 2009 12:00 AM

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/761/ystar1.jpg
Lago Del Rey WaterSports Complex in Camarines Sur

It’s funny how dropping a few letters from a name makes all the difference. Take for example Camarines Sur, which, nowadays, is more playfully referred to as CamSur. In the past, Camarines Sur would have been known for its pili nut pasalubong — which isn’t even really that exceptional anymore since pili nut is a fairly popular gift item available in other provinces across the Philippines. Or it is identifiable because of Camarines Norte (whether or not Camarines Norte has done the same and altered its name is beyond my knowledge).

Say “CamSur,” though, and it sounds more hip — it rolls off the tongue much easier than “Camarines Sur,” there are fewer syllables to deal with, and foreigners don’t have such a hard time pronouncing it. It’s catchy and easy to remember, although I still prefer saying Camarines Sur. “CamSur” reminds me of how people now call Boracay “Bora.” There is no such place as Bora (though there is a Bora-Bora).

With its new moniker, CamSur has been seriously stepping up as a tourist hot spot in the Philippines. Not too long ago, the CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC) opened, announcing itself as a world-class water sports complex in the country. At CWC you can try wakeboarding, being towed overhead by a series of cables and pulleys (as compared to the traditional method of being pulled by a speedboat). Since its opening, the CWC has gained enough recognition to be called the “best cable park in the world.” I actually heard some foreigners say these exact words while I was waiting for my turn to give wakebarding a go.

This summer the CWC unveils its latest facility, Lago Del Rey: an 18-hectare man-made lake right across the road from the wakeboard cable lake of the CWC. It claims to offer the best water-based entertainment facilities in Asia, including wholesome attractions such as giant water slides, aqua wall climbing, water polo, water volleyball, kayaking, aqua obstacle courses, paddle surfing, boat-towed wakeboarding and skiing, dragon boating, and of course, pure and simple swimming.

Recently a special opener was held at Lago Del Rey, the “Summer Aquafest,” which included some of the brightest stars in Pinoy celebrity circles today. Participants were divided into teams and given the opportunity to experience the newest facilities of the CWC. And although some games got really heated and competitive, it was nevertheless a very fun and easygoing afternoon.

“We’re staying true to bringing only the best and most complete water sports facilities to the country. CamSur is still committed to creating a world-class water sports complex park right here in the Philippines. With Lago del Rey, families, friends and kids can truly enjoy an unforgettable getaway in a place where all their water sport fancies can be satisfied,” says Camarines Sur Governor LRay Villafuerte.

With Lago del Rey, Gov. Villafuerte is optimistic that tourism arrivals in the province will get a boost by at least 50 percent. The giant man-made lake is expected to enhance Camarines Sur’s growing reputation as one of the top destinations in the Philippines. With the opening of Lago Del Rey, a larger demographic is targeted. The extreme sports focus of the cable park is balanced by the whole“With the addition of Lago del Rey, we’re making the Camsur Watersports Complex the water entertainment center of Asia,” concludes Governor Villafuerte.

There are so many areas like CamSur all over the Philippines that can potentially use tourism as a means of getting out of the rough. During the press conference for Lago Del Rey, Governor Villafuerte talked about how Camarines Sur was often talked about as being very crippled, financially. Nowadays that doesn’t happen anymore; and, rightly so, CamSur now has more than just a bit of pride for its achievements. It is no longer a place that has several negative connotations attached to it.

Governor Villafuerte stressed that he still had projects in mind for improving CamSur as a true destination for sports and outdoor activities. The next big project is making the longest downhill biking trail on one of the local mountains, so all you riders out there, keep up to speed with developments regarding this.

The key to tapping some of our most valuable assets as a country is surefooted action. The Philippines has so many areas that, if properly developed (here, issues must be taken into consideration such as environmental laws, pollution, construction policies, etc.), could draw millions of people to visit. There is so much to see in this country, and the trick is just to get people’s attention.

Before anything, however, there must be a solid vision — something that can be acted upon and carried out. A vision is nothing without follow-through, after all. Which is what makes CamSur an ideal place to pattern one’s own region after. It got itself out of an economic ditch. Therefore, with the right vision and action, someday you, too, could be proud to hear “the world’s greatest...” mentioned in the same sentence as your hometown.

by Megan Gell, CEI Asia Pacific 12-Mar-09, 11:40 (http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/889764/International-Tourism-Forum-Cebu/)

The annual five-day forum aimed to cover the major issues facing the tourism sector - tourism communication, economic knowledge of tourism at a local level and strengthening tourism resilience during crises.

This year, the forum wanted t0 raise the awareness of the tourism industry's significance among parliamentarians and local authorities.

Challenges

The main challenge for Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa, Cebu was dealing with the language barrier encountered in coordinating with more than 50 nationalities.

During the conference, participants relied on interpreters for translations for the UN's official languages (Chinese, English, Spanish and French).

Execution

Aside from international delegates, more than 200 local government units, members of congress and regional directors from the department of tourism attended the event.

In addition to the official tourism forum, foreign delegates were treated to a Filipinoinspired gala dinner in the resort's new marquee.

Participants feasted on local cuisine and enjoyed the colourful cultural performances by worldrenowned Bayanihan dancers.

Verdict

The Philippines' tourism undersecretary, Phineas Alburo, says: "The deliberations were very productive because participants tackled and exchanged views both on the status of the Philippines' tourism industry, as well as the global agenda for tourism."

UNWTO secretary-general Francesco Frangialli says the event marked the importance of business travel despite the current financial crisis: "The need to go on trips is too strong in our post-industrial societies for people to stop travelling.

"During the economic crisis, the demand for leisure perhaps manifests itself in other forms.

"However, tourism is less vulnerable than other economic sectors to the fluctuations of the current situation."

I know that Visayas and Mindanao are usually considered to have most of the big tourist spots in the Philippines because of the many islands and untouched areas, but isn't there a big potential for Luzon as well? Particularly less developed areas like the provinces coasting the Pacific Ocean and the Bicol Peninsula. Driving through Ilocandia/North Luzon was an amazing experience.

RP tourism growth seen to continue with programs under GREET (http://www.positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Tourism_24/RP_tourism_growth_seen_to_continue_with_programs_under_GREET.shtml)

By Mediatrix P. Cristobal

MANILA, March 14 (PNA) - The gentle butandings of Donsol, emerald beaches of Visayas and other cultural heritage sites across the country sum up why 3.14 million foreign tourists visited the Philippines in 2008.

The country, which is experiencing a surge in interest among rich vacationers and backpackers despite the global financial crisis, has identified its tourism industry as a veritable minefield that has been keeping the Philippine economy afloat by having locals engaged in the tourism business.

"Under the Grassroots Entrepreneurship and Employment in Tourism (GREET) program, the focus will be the participation of the community, among others," Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano said.

GREET is a component of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's visionary program called Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP) which initially intended to provide employment for Filipino workers who have trouble finding jobs and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) displaced by massive layoffs abroad.

Due to the reeling effects of the global financial crisis, President Arroyo expanded CLEEP and poured on more budget, P10 billion to be exact, to help Filipinos through programs involving jobs generation, skills training, business financing and other measures that can help them get through the economic crunch.

Tourism has proved to be a rich source of employment. In Bicol region alone, 86,996 jobs were created out of tourism during the second quarter of 2008. Estimated receipts amounted to P168 million.

In Donsol, Sorsogon where the famous Butanding sightings are frequent, Durano led the Tourism department in promoting a program called Turismo Mismo (TM), a program that underscores the role of tourism in uplifting the lives of local communities in poverty-stricken areas of the countryside, particularly the Bicol region.

Durano granted financial assistance to the Butanding Boat Owners Association to improve and upgrade boat facilities and safety features for use of both local and foreign tourists.

The program has contributed socio-economic solution to the community as at least 60 people, some of whom were former communist insurgents, have returned to normal living and are now advocates of ecotourism following their trainings in the TM program.

GREET and TM are twin programs that seek to enhance livelihood opportunities among micro-entrepreneurs in the tourism industry while advocating environmentally sustainable and socially equitable practices in local communities, particularly in Donsol—the whale shark capital of the world, and one of the better ecotourism destinations in the country.

Leyte and Samar are lucky as well.

Under the TM program, the Himokilan Tourism Council of the island barangay of Himokilan in Hindang, Leyte, was awarded with a P100,000 funding for the construction of 1 unit motorized banca in Himokilan Island and development of a mini-park and resort with cottages and telescopic viewing deck.

Himokilan Island is just one of the Philippines' hidden treasures, the largest island of the Cuatro Islas where the big delicious coconut-cracking crabs called "tatus" are found. It is a potential dive site, but is currently declared as marine sanctuary, allowing only snorkeling for recreation activity.

The Cambaro Cave Protectors and Farmers Association will be given P100,000 for its Tour Guiding, Food and Beverage and Accommodation Project. The project calls for the setting up of tour guiding, accommodation facilities, food and beverage facilities and souvenir shops at Cambaro, Macrohon, Southern Leyte.

GREET is a CLEEP component mainly implemented in Regions VI and VIII, where a huge chunk of tourist visits is seen.

In Region VIII, the DOT allocated an initial funding of about P730,000 for the first six beneficiaries of the Grassroots Entrepreneurship in Tourism (GREET).

A P100,000 funding will be given for the construction of Colorful Wooden Boats for Rent at Barangay Lake Danao in Ormoc City; the Surfriders Club of Eastern Samar will be given a P100,000 grant for the purchase of surfing equipment such as long board leg ropes for their Surfing School at Barangay Bato in Borongan City.

The Basey Tourism Services Association of Basey, Samar, will be given a P230,000 funding for its Community-Based Sustainable Tourism Project which calls for the construction of a floating restaurant going to the Sohoton Cave and Natural Bridge.

These tourism-booster programs aim to benefit from the tourism industry as much as neighboring countries such as Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia, among others, do from thousands of visitors who flock to see their temples, parks and cities.

CLEEP was also designed to protect the most vulnerable sectors from threats and consequences of reduced or loss of income as a result of the global financial crisis by providing emergency employment and funding and supervising livelihood projects.

It is aimed at achieving two crucial objectives: to build the capacities of Filipino workers and afford them the skills they need to compete in tougher job markets; and to create as many jobs as possible in the least possible amount of time for the poor through investments in public works and enterprise development. (PNA)

^^ I want to go to Donsol and Caramoan, I didn't know they're far away from each other.
that's a shame I thought they were generally around the same region so are not far distance wise ,that would've been a good cluster of tourist attractions.
If they could just improve the travel time in reaching these destinations it would really be a boost to our tourism. If you're based in the Phils it's okey but if you're still coming from a different country you have to add that to your travel time.
So improving the road infra, i hope the govt. is prioritizing.

I hope more enterprising pinoys will set up little inns with restos or cafes along these natural attractions to spur the tourism potential of these places of natural wonders,
tasteful and controlled development and not sacrificing the environment , Most tourists also require good food with their travels so availability of good quality and affordable food is a must.

Accurate travel slogans for Asian nations (http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/03/15/accurate-travel-slogans-asian-nations.html)

I was approached by a tourism official recently with a cast-iron winner for the title of Worst Idea in History. “Hey, you’re a funny guy,” he said. “Everyone’s really depressed just now. Nobody’s travelling. We should get you to write stuff for us so that people see the funny side.”

There was one small problem. Flaks like him want to focus only on the good bits, while Fearless Reporters like me have to follow The First Rule of Journalism: “Thou shalt emphasize bad news as it selleth more publications.”

I tried to explain this to him, using the classic intellectual debating technique of grabbing his jacket lapels and shouting in his face, but he couldn’t see it. “Just try it,” he said.

“Fine,” I said. “In that case, I accept the job.”

So I got together with a few regular contributors to this column and we wrote promotional slogans for the countries of Asia. In some cases, we thought of more than one. They are listed below in the random order that we came up with them.

Serious warning: Before reading the list below, please note. We do not intend to offend any particular nation. We intend to offend all nations. We are strictly an equal-opportunity offender. The Official List of Accurate Travel Slogans for Asian Nations:

Laos: Landmine capital of the world.
Kazakhstan: Visit us and feel better about your home country.
Mongolia: Poor, cold and miserable, but mountain sheep like it.
Maldives: Beautiful, clear blue waters, and islands shortly to disappear beneath them.
South Korea: Right next door to a demented man making nuclear weapons.
Vietnam: Not entirely sad, possibly.
Sri Lanka: The world’s most glorious island, except for the war and the bombs and the soldiers and the guns and stuff.
Taiwan: Shortly to be overrun by China.
Bangladesh: Sometimes not flooded.
Thailand: Come and see how long you can stay Prime Minister.
Japan: You think our cartoons are weird, wait till you meet our people.
North Korea: Proud to be the world’s maddest country.
China: Home of Earth’s most polluted cities.
Nepal: Compare the legend of fabled, exotic Kathmandu, with the grimy, bar-lined reality.
Malaysia: Pitched battles over leadership, and that’s just within the ruling party.
Kyrgyzstan: Proud to be the world’s least spell-able nation.
Hong Kong: Quite nice, as long as you don’t breathe in.
Pakistan: Visit us for the best chance of being part of the world’s first all-out nuclear war.
East Timor: Now transformed from a violent, poverty-stricken, occupied land, into a violent, poverty-stricken, independent land.
Philippines: Corrupt but cheap.
Singapore: Now developing ways to arrest people for thought-crimes.
Myanmar: Home of some of the world’s nastiest leaders.
Brunei: Imagine a land totally free of pubs, nightclubs and alcoholic drinks.
Cambodia: We now have electricity in places.
India: Your upset stomach might not last the whole trip.

I delivered the list to him over a cappuccino at a little Italian place. “I see what you mean,” he said, eventually, his brow wrinkling and his dream campaign disappearing.

^^

:lol::lol::laugh::rofl:

this is cool! :cool::cool:

Accurate travel slogans for Asian nations (http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/03/15/accurate-travel-slogans-asian-nations.html)

I was approached by a tourism official recently with a cast-iron winner for the title of Worst Idea in History. “Hey, you’re a funny guy,” he said. “Everyone’s really depressed just now. Nobody’s travelling. We should get you to write stuff for us so that people see the funny side.”

There was one small problem. Flaks like him want to focus only on the good bits, while Fearless Reporters like me have to follow The First Rule of Journalism: “Thou shalt emphasize bad news as it selleth more publications.”

I tried to explain this to him, using the classic intellectual debating technique of grabbing his jacket lapels and shouting in his face, but he couldn’t see it. “Just try it,” he said.

“Fine,” I said. “In that case, I accept the job.”

So I got together with a few regular contributors to this column and we wrote promotional slogans for the countries of Asia. In some cases, we thought of more than one. They are listed below in the random order that we came up with them.

Serious warning: Before reading the list below, please note. We do not intend to offend any particular nation. We intend to offend all nations. We are strictly an equal-opportunity offender. The Official List of Accurate Travel Slogans for Asian Nations:

Laos: Landmine capital of the world.
Kazakhstan: Visit us and feel better about your home country.
Mongolia: Poor, cold and miserable, but mountain sheep like it.
Maldives: Beautiful, clear blue waters, and islands shortly to disappear beneath them.
South Korea: Right next door to a demented man making nuclear weapons.
Vietnam: Not entirely sad, possibly.
Sri Lanka: The world’s most glorious island, except for the war and the bombs and the soldiers and the guns and stuff.
Taiwan: Shortly to be overrun by China.
Bangladesh: Sometimes not flooded.
Thailand: Come and see how long you can stay Prime Minister.
Japan: You think our cartoons are weird, wait till you meet our people.
North Korea: Proud to be the world’s maddest country.
China: Home of Earth’s most polluted cities.
Nepal: Compare the legend of fabled, exotic Kathmandu, with the grimy, bar-lined reality.
Malaysia: Pitched battles over leadership, and that’s just within the ruling party.
Kyrgyzstan: Proud to be the world’s least spell-able nation.
Hong Kong: Quite nice, as long as you don’t breathe in.
Pakistan: Visit us for the best chance of being part of the world’s first all-out nuclear war.
East Timor: Now transformed from a violent, poverty-stricken, occupied land, into a violent, poverty-stricken, independent land.
Philippines: Corrupt but cheap.
Singapore: Now developing ways to arrest people for thought-crimes.
Myanmar: Home of some of the world’s nastiest leaders.
Brunei: Imagine a land totally free of pubs, nightclubs and alcoholic drinks.
Cambodia: We now have electricity in places.
India: Your upset stomach might not last the whole trip.

I delivered the list to him over a cappuccino at a little Italian place. “I see what you mean,” he said, eventually, his brow wrinkling and his dream campaign disappearing.

He missed out on Indonesia!

He missed out on Indonesia!

the slogans are funny - out of fiction :)

INQUIRER.net
First Posted 04:36pm (Mla time) 03/13/2009

Things are full speed ahead for the upcoming Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival (TLBF), which is slated to happen on April 2-5, 2009 at Subic Bay Freeport Area. The TLBF, as the festival is more popularly called, started in 2002 and is the only multi-discipline cycling event of its kind in the Philippines and Asia, where races and other activities are held for three days in one location. The TLBF will have a 3-day, 4-stage team road race which four stages include a Team Time Trial, Mountain Stage race, a road race and Individual Time Trial. There will also be an Olympic Distance Triathlon event with participants from Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia. The Mountain Bike events include a cross-country race, Downhill, 4X and Dirt Jumping. The BMX Supercross and Dirt Jumping competitions will feature the very best of Southeast Asia, while the Trials competition will continue the tradition of trials competition started in 2006. There have been confirmed competitors from Thailand, Malaysia, Canada, USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and Germany.

He missed out on Indonesia!

Because that was written for and printed in the Jakarta Post. Kinda bad form to be bashing your own. ;)

Increased seats seal RP-Australia air deal (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/03/17/09/%7Fincreased-seats-close-rp-australia-air-deal)
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 03/17/2009 12:26 PM


Air talks between the Philippines and Australia ended successfully last week with increased seat assignments in the mainland of the smallest geographic continent.

This is the fifth air deal the country has sealed this year, following talks with Kuwait and Bahrain last month, and Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in January.

Under the agreement, seat allocations to and from Australia were increased to 6,000 a week from 2,500 since 1996. According to Civil Aeronautics Board Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla, the new deal allows the government to distribute the 6,000 seats among airports in Manila and Clark, Pampanga.

"The 6,000 is the total allocation for Manila and Clark combined. We can set how many airline passenger seats each airport will get. But the cargo tonnage was set. It's 300 tons for Manila and 1,300 tons for Clark," Arcilla said.

With the additional seats, Arcilla said more airlines will be given an opportunity to fly to Australia. In the previous arrangement, only the Philippine Airlines was the designated carrier for the said route.

"Cebu Pacific and Zest Air are interested (in getting entitlements)," he said, adding that foreign carrier Jetstar has also expressed interest in mounting Philippine flights to Australia.

Australia is one of the top sources of tourists in the Philippines. Successful air talks are helpful in boosting the economy as it paves the way for more tourists and investments in the country.

A doable stimulus plan

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:14:00 03/16/2009

A measure that has been passed by Congress and is now awaiting the President’s signature may yet be one of the answers to the current economic crisis and at the same time may provide a long-term solution to the problem of poverty. The measure, the Tourism Act of 2009, creates the Tourism Development Estate Zone Authority and the Tourism Promotion Board.

Alejandra Clemente, president of the Federation of Tourism Industries of the Philippines (FTIP), said the tourism economic zones to be developed by the Authority would create millions of jobs and generate $10 billion in foreign exchange. She said that tourism could be an important engine of socioeconomic and cultural growth and generate investments, earn foreign exchange and create jobs.

Many countries today are visited by millions of tourists every year and earn billions of dollars in foreign exchange. According to the World Tourism Organization, in 2007 the top five most visited countries were France, 81.9 million tourist arrivals, $54.2 billion in tourism receipts; Spain, 59.2 million, $57.8 billion; United States, 56 million, $96.7 billion; China, 54.7 million, $41.9 billion; and Italy, 43.7 million, $42.7 billion.

The Philippines was visited by only 3.4 million tourists in 2007, compared with the 17 million of Malaysia, 14 million of Thailand and 14 million of the small country of Singapore. Clemente said that even Vietnam, which is still recovering from the devastation of a long war, was slowly overtaking the Philippines.

The Philippines could study the experience of Spain which was an underdeveloped country until the 1960s. It developed its tourism industry and is now one of the top five most visited countries and the second biggest earner from tourism in the world. Spain is not resting on its laurels and is continuing to develop business models that are environmentally, socially and culturally sustainable.

What does Spain have or, for that matter, what do Malaysia and Thailand have that the Philippines does not have? The Philippines has many tourist attractions like Boracay, one of the best beaches in the world; Palawan, “the last frontier,” which has exotic wildlife, white sand beaches and natural wonders like an underground river; Bohol, which has the world-famous Chocolate Hills and superb diving spots like Panglao and Balicasag; the Banaue rice terraces, called the Eighth Wonder of the Modern World; and Tubbataha Reefs, an excellent diving spot. The Philippines has a gentle, hospitable people, most of whom speak English. A melting pot of Malay, Chinese, Arabic, Indian, Spanish and American culture, the Philippines is a culturally active nation inhabited by musically and artistically gifted people.

What the Philippines lacks is a comprehensive, systematic tourism plan. A lot of infrastructure has to be constructed to bring many destinations up to world standards. Many hotels still have to be built to accommodate the growing number of tourists. And the government has to improve peace and order conditions; it has to crack down on kidnappers, robbers and con artists.

The development of the tourist industry would have a multiplier effect on the economy. The tourism master plan would create 30 million jobs over a 10-year period and earn about $10 billion in foreign exchange. When the number of tourist arrivals increases, there will be greater demand for food and services. A burgeoning tourist industry would benefit agriculture and the information technology industries. More factories would be needed to manufacture supplies for hotels and resorts.

A growing tourist industry could absorb the tens of thousands of overseas Filipino workers who have lost their jobs and are returning to the country. These workers only need to be retrained so that they can enter the tourism industry. An added advantage is that they would not have to leave the country again, and the social problems created by absentee parents would be partially relieved.

Government officials are pushing stimulus plans to revive an economy that is being affected by the global economic meltdown. The tourism program envisioned under the Tourism Act of 2009 is one concrete, doable stimulus plan. If President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wants a ready answer to the current economic crisis as well as a long-term plan to solve the problem of poverty, she can find it in the measure that is just waiting for her signature.

A doable stimulus plan

What does Spain have or, for that matter, what do Malaysia and Thailand have that the Philippines does not have?

What the Philippines lacks is a comprehensive, systematic tourism plan. A lot of infrastructure has to be constructed to bring many destinations up to world standards. Many hotels still have to be built to accommodate the growing number of tourists. And the government has to improve peace and order conditions; it has to crack down on kidnappers, robbers and con artists.


^^^^ That answers the question.

Tourism can create needed jobs (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=449437&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco
Updated March 18, 2009 12:00 AM

According to a study of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the world wide economic recession will hit the Philippine tourism industry hard this year, posting real declines in tourism’s direct contribution to gross domestic product and direct employment.

Worldwide, tourism is expected to remain weak in 2010 with only marginal growth of less than the 0.3 percent already predicted on what will already be a weak 2009, WTTC says according to a Business Mirror report. Its contribution to world GDP is expected to fall further in the next two years.

That’s the bad news. But the good news is… there is something we can do about it. We can use the next two years to do our homework and put vital tourism infrastructure in place so that when this relatively cyclical industry bounces back, we are ready.

The best part of the deal is the long awaited passage of the Tourism bill which provides for investment incentives as well as a regulatory framework that will ensure the proper functioning of our tourism industry. It took four years for this bill to progress in our Congress. It was the determined efforts of Sen. Richard Gordon and Bohol Rep. Edgar Chatto that saw the bill through.

Strange things surrounded the bill from the start. Malacañang certified the urgency of the bill through a letter sent to the Senate by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita that notified the senators of Ate Glue’s desire to have the bill enacted as soon as possible. But no similar certification reached the House, making the President’s allies confused on what she really wanted.

Adding to the mixed signals is the opposition by the Department of Finance which expressed its knee-jerk distaste for anything that would provide fiscal incentives even if there are long term benefits of increased tax collection from an expanded business base and massive job creation. The attitude of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano towards the bill was also lukewarm at best. He was said to have snubbed hearings on the bill.

In fact, private tourism industry officials I have talked to over the past week are worried that Durano will torpedo the final presidential approval of the bill that was passed by both houses of Congress. The industry leaders do not understand Durano’s attitude because the bill provides his department with more powers to get his work done. Is Secretary Durano afraid of the increased and clearly defined responsibilities that go with the new powers?

The bill seeks primarily to promote the tourism industry through the development and integration of tourism concepts, to regulate standards for the operation of the tourism industry and to establish a tourism infrastructure program. In other words, the bill provides the framework that will hopefully put order in the chaotic situation now prevailing in the industry. Just look at Boracay and you know what I mean.

The Tourism bill defines the duties of the Department of Tourism to certainly go beyond photo-ops and junkets. DOT must lead the establishment of a tourism infrastructure program and coordinate with other agencies to identify vital access roads, airports, seaports and other infrastructure requirements in identified tourism areas. The law mandates the Department of Budget and Management along with other concerned agencies to give priority to funding for these infrastructures.

One of the salient features of the measure is the establishment of tourism enterprise zones (TEZs) in strategic areas in the country. These TEZs will provide the necessary vehicle to coordinate actions of the public and private sectors to address development barriers, attract and focus investment on specific geographic areas and upgrade product and service quality.

Tourism enterprises within a TEZ may avail of fiscal incentives such as (1) income tax holiday, (2) preferred rate of gross income taxation (five percent), (3) duty and tax exemptions for importation of capital investments and equipment, of certain transportation and spare parts and of certain goods and services, and (4) social responsibility incentive.

Because of these benefits and the systemic reforms which will take effect once the proposed measure is implemented in earnest, our tourism destinations will become more easily accessible. For instance, there will be more airports for direct flights from abroad to top destinations in the Visayas, such as Bohol, Cebu, Iloilo and Palawan.

More specifically, Sen. Gordon pointed out, the Japanese may be enticed to visit Palawan and some of its 1,768 islands, instead flying all the way to Maldives. There will also be more hotels to accommodate the flood of tourists which will be brought in by the more extensive promotion campaign of the DOT, owing to the creation of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) and the empowerment of this agency to pursue marketing and promotions in a more comprehensive and scientific manner.

All these may be called the homework I have been saying should have been attended to by Secretary Durano before embarking on foreign junkets to sell a product that may not yet be truly ready for prime time. The bill, should Ate Glue sign it to law, should make the work of the Tourism Secretary easier.

For purposes of regulation, the bill requires the DOT to prescribe and regulate standards for the operation of the tourism industry. It shall evolve a system of standards for the accreditation of tourism enterprises that adheres to those recognized internationally. Strict compliance of tourism enterprises with these standards must then be insured by the DOT and by the LGU. This power of the DOT to regulate will ensure the quality of tourism products and services will be maintained.

The Office of Tourism Standards and Regulations of the DOT shall act on complaints regarding accredited tourism enterprises, and after notice and hearing, may impose the following penalties (1) fines, (2) downgrade, suspension or revocation of accreditation, (3) issuance of tourism advisories which shall only be lifted upon continued compliance of the enterprise with the terms of accreditation.

I think regulation is the one of the most important part of the bill. With decentralization, regulation of tourism establishments has been devolved to local governments, many with no idea on how to carry this out. We need one national standard of service that is in line with accepted international standards. A Five Star room in Manila should be the same as a Five Star room in Hong Kong and a Five Star room in Bohol or Palawan.

Once enacted into law, the Tourism bill will empower the Tourism Secretary in carrying out his mandate. On the other hand, the Tourism Secretary will also be deprived of any more excuses because he now has the tools to lead the development of the industry as it should be developed. He must produce results that are a lot better than what he has delivered so far.

Right now, the challenge is the global economic crisis. On a global perspective, “the industry is not expecting a bailout. It needs a supportive framework from government to help it weather the current storm. And governments would also do well to recognize travel and tourism’s potential to energize the economy once the current crisis eases,” said WTTC president Jean-Claude Baumgarten.

I think it is timely that the Tourism Bill came out of the bicam and passed by both chambers just as the economic meltdown is washing to our shores. If both government and private sector people involved in tourism can get their act together and the President signs the bill into law soon, I feel we can buck the prediction of that WTTA study about a loss of jobs and a diminished contribution of the industry to our GDP. On the contrary, tourism could be that one bright spot for us all.

Let us hope Mr. Durano will put aside any personal jealousy of his predecessor, Dick Gordon and more enthusiastically support the final enactment of the law and thereafter, its whole hearted implementation.

Influx of Kuwaiti students eases impact of crisis (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=449495&publicationSubCategoryId=108)
By Rhia de Pablo Updated March 18, 2009 12:00 AM


CEBU, Philippines - Although unexpected, the influx of rich Middle Eastern students in Cebu these past few weeks have been making up for the slowdown felt in the tourism and hospitality industry.

In yesterday’s 888 News Forum at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino, Department of Tourism undersecretary Phineas Alburo said that the unexpected influx of Middle Eastern tourists specifically students from Kuwait are bringing in positive business to Cebu’s tourism stakeholders as they fill in hotels at these times of slowdown and at the same time bringing in more positive movements to the city’s business establishments like malls and restaurants.

Alburo said that these Middle Eastern students are currently taking up distance learning programs at the University of the Visayas (UV) and they have come in batches and started arriving in Cebu since last month and are under 21 days tourist VISA.

He said that so far, there are around 2, 400 Kuwaiti students enrolled at UV and most of them are taking up distance learning in courses such as engineering.

Alburo said that their office is working closely with the university and the Immigration Bureau to rationalize the situation so that Cebu can better capitalize on this emerging market.

“Middle East has long been a target market for DOT and we are slowly getting into the direction of gaining more accessibility to this market. The arrival of this big group of Kuwaiti students has been out of the blue but nevertheless, it has been filling in the gap and the downturn in arrivals and hoteliers are happy with this development because it has helped them at this time of low occupancy,” said Alburo.

He said that these tourists may have been attracted to come to Cebu for reasons that we offer a rather cheaper alternative than other destinations in the world and our quality education has also been gaining grounds world-wide.

“The Philippines is inexpensive compared to many other destinations elsewhere and the price of our education is relatively more affordable too so they chose to come over,” said Alburo.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Marriott Hotel general manager Roy Abraham agreed that the arrivals of Kuwaiti students these past few weeks in Cebu has indeed benefited city hotels like them because it has offset the shortfall of business travelers which has been dropping in volume for the past months.

He said that so far, they have 25 rooms occupied by these Kuwaiti students and they expect that the rest of the major hotels in city are also getting their fair share of a good number from this group.

Abraham said that the Middle Eastern market is indeed a huge market to be tapped because they are well spenders and they come in big numbers.

However, he said that in order to further sustain the growth of this emerging market, stakeholders in the tourism sector must work together and should properly orient these tourists about the culture, traditions and social norms of the Philippines as well as also orient Filipinos on how to properly treat them to better capitalize on this market.

“We need to change the perception of Filipinos with Middle Eastern people, educate stakeholders and the public on how to treat them properly and we also need to orient these Middle Eastern tourists about the proper conduct when they are here in the country so that there will be a win-win situation for both cultures. Proper orientation is very important because we need to know how to capitalize on them without sacrificing our own culture and traditions,” said Abraham.

These Kuwaiti students who arrived in Cebu since the past month passed through Qatar and they are staying for the coming weeks and are expected to come back sometime June and October to finish the distance learning program they are currently enrolled in at UV.

Project aims to make Kawit, Cavite next ecotourism site (http://mb.com.ph/node/199678)
By MADEL R. SABATER

The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) is funding a research project which aims to make Kawit, Cavite the newest ecotourism site nearest to Metro Manila.

PCARRD is one of the five sectoral councils under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

According to PCARRD executive director Dr. Patricio Faylon, PCARRD is now funding research to come up with a proposal and framework for the project, which includes a study on the proposed establishment of a “Philippine Independence Park Legacy,” that aims to promote ecotourism in the area.

The funding, pegged at P 449,995 also includes identification of partner institutions, relevant policies, and linkages to facilitate project implementation as well as define possible design options or concepts and strategies.

The research is being led by Dr. Lope Calanog of the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB).

The project has three major components: a histo-cultural component that will feature the 14 presidents of the Philippines; agri-ecotourism that will feature a health park and a boardwalk for seafood festival, fishing, bird watching, activities like aerobics and meditation; and the mangrove rehabilitation project that will provide a central mangrove nursery as a source of planting materials.

“With this project, it is envisioned that the people of Kawit will have more livelihood opportunities. The involvement of local communities in ecotourism is also expected to rehabilitate waterways and mangrove areas, thus reducing the adverse effects of pollution in Kawit’s seafood industry,” Faylon said.

Located near Metro Manila, Kawit, Cavite is known for its scenic coastal area and tourism sites, particularly the Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine, the site of the declaration of Philippine Independence; Freedom Park, which was built to commemorate the country’s Centennial independence; the Baldomero Aguinaldo Museum, and the Battle of Binakayan Monument.

Ecotourism Philippines defines ecotourism as a form of sustainable tourism within a natural and cultural heritage area where community participation, protection and management of natural resources, culture and indigenous knowledge and practices, environmental education and ethics as well as economic benefits are fostered and pursued for the enrichment of host communities and satisfaction of visitors.

It is also a significant tool in sustainable development as it also advocates protection of the natural resources. Ecotourism seeks to put in place mechanisms that are environmentally-sustainable, economically-viable, and socially-equitable in order to bring about development in the country that would redound to the benefit of local communities, especially the poor and marginalized sectors of society.

PCARRD had allotted P 50 million worth of science and technology (S & T) interventions to further boost ecotourism in the country.

In 2002 alone, tourism accounted for 8.7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and generated US$ 1.7 billion from foreign tourist arrivals.

Accurate travel slogans for Asian nations (http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/03/15/accurate-travel-slogans-asian-nations.html)
....

Serious warning: Before reading the list below, please note. We do not intend to offend any particular nation. We intend to offend all nations. We are strictly an equal-opportunity offender. The Official List of Accurate Travel Slogans for Asian Nations:

Laos: Landmine capital of the world.
Kazakhstan: Visit us and feel better about your home country.
Mongolia: Poor, cold and miserable, but mountain sheep like it.
Maldives: Beautiful, clear blue waters, and islands shortly to disappear beneath them.
South Korea: Right next door to a demented man making nuclear weapons.
Vietnam: Not entirely sad, possibly.
Sri Lanka: The world’s most glorious island, except for the war and the bombs and the soldiers and the guns and stuff.
Taiwan: Shortly to be overrun by China.
Bangladesh: Sometimes not flooded.
Thailand: Come and see how long you can stay Prime Minister.
Japan: You think our cartoons are weird, wait till you meet our people.
North Korea: Proud to be the world’s maddest country.
China: Home of Earth’s most polluted cities.
Nepal: Compare the legend of fabled, exotic Kathmandu, with the grimy, bar-lined reality.
Malaysia: Pitched battles over leadership, and that’s just within the ruling party.
Kyrgyzstan: Proud to be the world’s least spell-able nation.
Hong Kong: Quite nice, as long as you don’t breathe in.
Pakistan: Visit us for the best chance of being part of the world’s first all-out nuclear war.
East Timor: Now transformed from a violent, poverty-stricken, occupied land, into a violent, poverty-stricken, independent land.
Philippines: Corrupt but cheap.
Singapore: Now developing ways to arrest people for thought-crimes.
Myanmar: Home of some of the world’s nastiest leaders.
Brunei: Imagine a land totally free of pubs, nightclubs and alcoholic drinks.
Cambodia: We now have electricity in places.
India: Your upset stomach might not last the whole trip.

...

^^ made me :rofl: :lol: :rofl: :lol: :rofl: :lol:
nice one...

Influx of Kuwaiti students eases impact of crisis (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=449495&publicationSubCategoryId=108)
By Rhia de Pablo Updated March 18, 2009 12:00 AM


CEBU, Philippines - Although unexpected, the influx of rich Middle Eastern students in Cebu these past few weeks have been making up for the slowdown felt in the tourism and hospitality industry.

In yesterday’s 888 News Forum at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino, Department of Tourism undersecretary Phineas Alburo said that the unexpected influx of Middle Eastern tourists specifically students from Kuwait are bringing in positive business to Cebu’s tourism stakeholders as they fill in hotels at these times of slowdown and at the same time bringing in more positive movements to the city’s business establishments like malls and restaurants.

Alburo said that these Middle Eastern students are currently taking up distance learning programs at the University of the Visayas (UV) and they have come in batches and started arriving in Cebu since last month and are under 21 days tourist VISA.

He said that so far, there are around 2, 400 Kuwaiti students enrolled at UV and most of them are taking up distance learning in courses such as engineering.

Alburo said that their office is working closely with the university and the Immigration Bureau to rationalize the situation so that Cebu can better capitalize on this emerging market.

“Middle East has long been a target market for DOT and we are slowly getting into the direction of gaining more accessibility to this market. The arrival of this big group of Kuwaiti students has been out of the blue but nevertheless, it has been filling in the gap and the downturn in arrivals and hoteliers are happy with this development because it has helped them at this time of low occupancy,” said Alburo.

He said that these tourists may have been attracted to come to Cebu for reasons that we offer a rather cheaper alternative than other destinations in the world and our quality education has also been gaining grounds world-wide.

“The Philippines is inexpensive compared to many other destinations elsewhere and the price of our education is relatively more affordable too so they chose to come over,” said Alburo.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Marriott Hotel general manager Roy Abraham agreed that the arrivals of Kuwaiti students these past few weeks in Cebu has indeed benefited city hotels like them because it has offset the shortfall of business travelers which has been dropping in volume for the past months.

He said that so far, they have 25 rooms occupied by these Kuwaiti students and they expect that the rest of the major hotels in city are also getting their fair share of a good number from this group.

Abraham said that the Middle Eastern market is indeed a huge market to be tapped because they are well spenders and they come in big numbers.

However, he said that in order to further sustain the growth of this emerging market, stakeholders in the tourism sector must work together and should properly orient these tourists about the culture, traditions and social norms of the Philippines as well as also orient Filipinos on how to properly treat them to better capitalize on this market.

“We need to change the perception of Filipinos with Middle Eastern people, educate stakeholders and the public on how to treat them properly and we also need to orient these Middle Eastern tourists about the proper conduct when they are here in the country so that there will be a win-win situation for both cultures. Proper orientation is very important because we need to know how to capitalize on them without sacrificing our own culture and traditions,” said Abraham.

These Kuwaiti students who arrived in Cebu since the past month passed through Qatar and they are staying for the coming weeks and are expected to come back sometime June and October to finish the distance learning program they are currently enrolled in at UV.

san sila kakain ng Halal??

Now you can find your Shangri-La in Boracay
Updated March 22, 2009 12:00 AM

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=450705&publicationSubCategoryId=87

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/8200/travel1a.jpg
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1072/travel1b.jpg

MANILA, Philippines - Boracay is adding another adjective to its long list of rave reviews by travelers: unparalleled luxury.

Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa opens the first international deluxe resort on the island. The resort is dramatically situated on a hillside in a flourishing nature reserve located on the northern part of the island, a 10-minute drive from the colorful markets and bustle of popular White Beach.

Boracay with its powder-soft sand and crystal waters is regularly named among the world’s best by publications ranging from National Geographic to the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook.

Shangri-La’s luxurious first-class facilities and conveniences go beyond the resort and extend to the journey to the island. Shangri-La has refined what used to be a tedious series of air, land and water transfers to an unrivaled experience of comfort and exclusivity.

Boracay is a 45-minute flight south of Manila, with a 30-minute land-and-sea transfer between Caticlan Airport and the resort. For Shangri-La guests, upon their landing at the Caticlan Airport, they are received by a hotel representative and escorted to the van and brought directly to a private lounge where refreshments and other amenities await. At the exclusive jetty port area, they are whisked off by Shangri-La’s speedboat for a 15-minute cruise to the resort, so guests no longer have to wait at the port area and take a communal boat ride at the public pier.

Marrying luxury and comfort with a reverence for nature, the 12-hectare resort has 219 rooms, including 36 villas and suites; comprehensive leisure facilities; 350 meters of secluded beachfront; and a thriving ecosystem of diverse, even rare, flora and fauna.

Deluxe rooms measure 60 sq.m., all with balconies and commanding seaviews. Villas are butler-serviced retreats with a minimum 108 sq.m. and private plunge pools, whirlpools or pergolas for al fresco dining. Eleven treetop villas have fabulous views of the sea, the sunset and private Jacuzzi on the second level.

The architect of the resort is Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG) and the interior design was created by LTW Design Works. The accommodations are designed with modern sensibilities expressed in indigenous materials, from the abaca weave rugs to the accent lighting made of local capiz shells. There is so much of the culture of the Philippines that was incorporated into both the exterior and interior design of the resort.

The resort’s varied dining options include Rima, an intimate fine-dining restaurant on a hilltop offering sweeping views of the ocean and forest, and serving authentic northern Italian cuisine beneath the stars; seafood restaurant Sirena, which offers fresh favorites from a cliff top overlooking the sea; and Solana Sunset Bar, the hub of activity after dark where guests can lounge in cabanas and mingle over cocktails to the DJ’s hypnotic beats.

Guests looking to soothe their travel-weary senses will find their sanctuary at Chi, The Spa at Shangri-La. The nearly 6,000-square-meter spa village will be located on a rocky peninsula overlooking a private bay, with eight garden villas, couple’s suites and VIP suite. A 12-meter lap pool will be set within the landscaped garden. Chi features treatments based on ancient Chinese and Himalayan healing philosophies as well as ingredients and practices with local origins.

The resort is situated within a peaceful nature reserve with 75 species of plants on the ravines, cliffs and seashore. Hiking enthusiasts will be able to explore the lush terrain or join guided nature walks to observe local wildlife including 36 recorded species of birds and six species of bats in their natural habitat. Guests will witness the flight of fruit bats from their roosting ground to the other side of the island, an experience unique to Shangri-La Boracay Resort and Spa. Hundreds of bats take to the sky against the setting sun every afternoon at 5:30.

The resort’s recreational facilities also include a health club, one of the country’s largest free-form swimming pools, a marine center, a water sports pavilion and two outdoor tennis courts. An Entertainment Zone for adults and children offers everything from the latest video games to state-of-the-art karaoke systems in private rooms.

Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa also has a 400-sq.m. ballroom and an additional 200 sq.m. of meeting space. An outdoor, ocean-front wedding pavilion can accommodate 50 persons for weddings and special events.

RP hosts World Health Tourism Congress (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=450706&publicationSubCategoryId=87)
Updated March 22, 2009 12:00 AM


http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/9770/travel2.jpg
The Philippine delegation led by DOT Undersecretary Cynthia Carrion (4th from left) with Jackie Synder, Philippine Tourism Office Singapore; Jing Nieves, DOT Asia Pacific’s project officer; Lara Santos, health and leisure manager; Joyce Alumno, HIM Communications, Inc. president and managing director; and Carmina Desales, Capitol Medical Center VP/COO.

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines takes center stage in the global healthcare industry as it plays host to the 4th World Health Tourism Congress on March 26-28 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza. This is the first time that an Asian country is hosting this event after Germany, Cyprus, and Spain. Around 100 buyers from all over the world are participating in the business-to-business sessions and will be matched with the leading medical travel providers from different parts of the world.

“We are hopeful that our 25 hospitals, clinics, spas, and other solution providers participating in the B2B sessions will bag supply contracts, establish market linkages, and form partnerships that will reap economic benefits for our country,” says Tourism Undersecretary Cynthia Carrion.

Philippine healthcare providers continue to create a niche in the global healthcare arena by participating in overseas conferences such as the one held in Singapore last Feb. 21-24. The Global Healthcare Congress drew more than 200 captains of industry from 40 countries and focused on issues concerning the new realities of global patients; the legal jurisdictions involved in medical travel and malpractice; how to measure quality, excellence, patient outcomes, and what constitutes patient satisfaction; laws and regulations that preside over international referral systems; public policy maker’s responses to globalized healthcare; insurance payout issues, continuity of care and managing resources.

Leading the Philippine delegation, Undersecretary Carrion of DOT’s Office of Sports and Wellness Tourism said, “The Philippines has created a niche in the global healthcare industry with its own unique brand of caring. Our competent healthcare professionals are the best in the world and have been serving peoples in over 100 countries for several decades now.” In a panel discussion where Carrion sat down with Thailand’s Deputy Permanent Secretary for Health Suwit Wibulpolprasert and panel chairman Dr. Chee Heng Leng of the National University of Singapore, she reiterated the government’s efforts in providing a favorable environment for the private sector by putting in place investment incentives and helping in the promotion and marketing of their services globally.

While private hospitals from leading countries offering medical tourism services rake in big revenues, their governments are not actually giving them strong support. This bodes well for the country’s private hospitals because they are fully supported by the government with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signing a decree promoting the Philippines’ health and wellness tourism industry and creating partnerships among different government agencies that include the Department of Tourism, Department of Health, Philippine Retirement Authority, Department of Foreign Affairs, and Department of Trade and Industry, thus providing the business incentives and right investment climate for the industry.

san sila kakain ng Halal??

habang naghahanap pa mag nagaraya nuts muna sila:D

san sila kakain ng Halal??

im sure they get the special accomodation from the hotels theyre staying but a lot of muslim students in cebu seems to blend in easily. they just avoid the eating of pork when they go to fast foods and restaurants. other students who lived in dormitories or apartments do their own cooking. but some are known "cowboys" that they eat everything most christians do.

P8.8 M facilities to boost tourism in Agusan Marsh (http://mb.com.ph/articles/199912/p88-m-facilities-boost-tourism-agusan-marsh)
By MIKE CRISMUNDO

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — In its aim to be the "eco-tourism destination and wetland paradise" in the Asia-Pacific Region, the stakeholders of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) proposed an investment of P8.8 million for various tourism projects at the 113,000-hectare Agusan Marsh where the more than 40,000-hectare 1995-declared Wildlife Sanctuary is located.

During the recent 2nd Executive Meeting of PAMB at the 3rd floor of the Paseo de San Francisco here, the proposal for an Agusan Marsh Eco-Tourism Investment Plan was read before the majority of the stakeholders.

The proposed investment plan includes the construction and improvement of signage, garbage bins, eco-tourism coordinating centers at the Bunawan Port; floating wharf, water tank with pressure pump, visitors center, installation of signage, mini tree park, garbage bins and landscaping with benches at the IPAS Complex in Mambalili area;

Construction of innovative floating wharf, water tank with pressure pump, additional toilets, visitors center with ethnic setting, installation of solar power and provision of beddings at Mihaba Lake in San Marcos; construction of signages, floating septic tank, toilets, visitors center, installation of solar power, beddings and kitchen utensils in Kelobidan, also in San Marcos.

Influx of Kuwaiti students eases impact of crisis (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=449495&publicationSubCategoryId=108)
By Rhia de Pablo Updated March 18, 2009 12:00 AM


CEBU, Philippines - Although unexpected, the influx of rich Middle Eastern students in Cebu these past few weeks have been making up for the slowdown felt in the tourism and hospitality industry.

In yesterday’s 888 News Forum at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino, Department of Tourism undersecretary Phineas Alburo said that the unexpected influx of Middle Eastern tourists specifically students from Kuwait are bringing in positive business to Cebu’s tourism stakeholders as they fill in hotels at these times of slowdown and at the same time bringing in more positive movements to the city’s business establishments like malls and restaurants.

Alburo said that these Middle Eastern students are currently taking up distance learning programs at the University of the Visayas (UV) and they have come in batches and started arriving in Cebu since last month and are under 21 days tourist VISA.

He said that so far, there are around 2, 400 Kuwaiti students enrolled at UV and most of them are taking up distance learning in courses such as engineering.

Alburo said that their office is working closely with the university and the Immigration Bureau to rationalize the situation so that Cebu can better capitalize on this emerging market.

“Middle East has long been a target market for DOT and we are slowly getting into the direction of gaining more accessibility to this market. The arrival of this big group of Kuwaiti students has been out of the blue but nevertheless, it has been filling in the gap and the downturn in arrivals and hoteliers are happy with this development because it has helped them at this time of low occupancy,” said Alburo.

He said that these tourists may have been attracted to come to Cebu for reasons that we offer a rather cheaper alternative than other destinations in the world and our quality education has also been gaining grounds world-wide.

“The Philippines is inexpensive compared to many other destinations elsewhere and the price of our education is relatively more affordable too so they chose to come over,” said Alburo.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Marriott Hotel general manager Roy Abraham agreed that the arrivals of Kuwaiti students these past few weeks in Cebu has indeed benefited city hotels like them because it has offset the shortfall of business travelers which has been dropping in volume for the past months.

He said that so far, they have 25 rooms occupied by these Kuwaiti students and they expect that the rest of the major hotels in city are also getting their fair share of a good number from this group.

Abraham said that the Middle Eastern market is indeed a huge market to be tapped because they are well spenders and they come in big numbers.

However, he said that in order to further sustain the growth of this emerging market, stakeholders in the tourism sector must work together and should properly orient these tourists about the culture, traditions and social norms of the Philippines as well as also orient Filipinos on how to properly treat them to better capitalize on this market.

“We need to change the perception of Filipinos with Middle Eastern people, educate stakeholders and the public on how to treat them properly and we also need to orient these Middle Eastern tourists about the proper conduct when they are here in the country so that there will be a win-win situation for both cultures. Proper orientation is very important because we need to know how to capitalize on them without sacrificing our own culture and traditions,” said Abraham.

These Kuwaiti students who arrived in Cebu since the past month passed through Qatar and they are staying for the coming weeks and are expected to come back sometime June and October to finish the distance learning program they are currently enrolled in at UV.

They are now visible in Cebu City's malls, restaurants, bars :)
in a way, good for the economy

15 hotels to open this year (http://http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news4_mar23_2009)
By Roderick T. dela Cruz

FIFTEEN new hotels and resorts offering 2,000 rooms will open this year despite the economic downturn, the Tourism Department says.

The new properties are worth P20 billion, and they will be employing 3,000 workers, the department says.

It says some of these new properties have already opened, and they include 28 cluster villas under the Amanpulo Resorts, which owns Sugihara Villa Resort, Vauban Villa Resort, Salamanca Villa Resort, Almonavides Villa Resort, La Galice Villa Resort, Kapangyarihan Villa Resort, and La Pucelle Villa Resort.

Rates at the Amanpulo properties start at $1,150 a night.

Shangri La’s Boracay Resort & Spa, with 219 rooms, opened to guests on March 2 with daily rates of P20,500.

Discovery Bay Misibis on Cagraray Island, Albay, with 38 villas, also opened early this year with room rates starting at $305 a night.

The 75-room Park Bed and Breakfast Hotel and Restaurant in Pasay City, which is managed by Legend Hotels International Corp., has also opened, and its rates start at P1,500 a night.

The 50-room Microtel Inn and Suites in Puerto Princesa opened early this year, and it offers a daily rate of P3,800.

The largest hotel in Cebu, the 556-room Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort, will open on May 20, although it has yet to announce its room rates, the department says.

It says more hotels and resorts are opening in the second half of the year, including the 232-room Oakwood Premier Manila in Ortigas Center, which opens its doors to guests in the third quarter. The room rates at its sister facility, the Oakwood Makati, start at P10,000 a night.

The 100-room Picasso Serviced Residences in Salcedo Village, Makati, is expected to be completed by Ardent Development Corp. by the second half.

Also opening in the second half are two luxury hotels near the airport in Manila and beside the Villamor Championship Golf Course.

The Newport Marriott Hotel will have 365 guest rooms, and Maxims Hotel 170 suites.

The P500-million Silang Wakeboard Park is rising up on a 12-hectare plot of land in Silang, Cavite, and it’s expected to open by August.

The Manila Ocean Park in Rizal Park is building extra facilities including a boutique hotel.

The Tourism Department is also processing an application from Bella Roca Island Resort and Spa in Marinduque.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano says these new investments in tourism-related facilities and establishments are expected to add more than 2,000 new accommodation rooms and generate 3,000 jobs.

“With this initial list of investments, the country is assured of a vibrant tourism industry with bigger revenue and more jobs,” Durano said.

The new hotels and resorts will pay no taxes for four to six years and may import capital equipment tax-free if they are registered with the Board of Investments, according to Victoria Jasmin, director of the Office of Tourism Standards.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Bill is expected to result in more investment and create more tourism zones once it is signed into law.

The Senate and the House’s bicameral conference committee has approved the bill, which will give the Tourism Department powers beyond its marketing functions.

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Anthony Michael "Tony" Bourdain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Bourdain) is an American author and chef. He is well known for his 2000 book, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, and is the host of Travel Channel's culinary and cultural adventure program Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.

Hotels welcome more tourists from M. East (http://http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/hotels-welcome-more-tourists-m-east)

HOTEL operators are expecting more Middle Eastern tourists in the next few months to avail themselves of quality and reasonably priced education in universities and colleges in Cebu.

Marco Protacio, president of the Hotel, Resorts and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC), told reporters that he talked with a travel organizer based in the Middle East who confirmed that more Arabs are coming to Cebu as an alternative destination to pursue their studies.

“Most of them used to go to the United States or the United Kingdom to study since it is a prestige for them to earn a degree. But with the recession, the Philippines is an (affordable) alternative for them,” he told reporters at the sidelines of the 888 News Forum yesterday.

Earlier, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has announced that there are more than 3,000 Kuwaiti students in Cebu since February.

Protacio said that with the arrival of the Kuwaitis, the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino (WCCHC) experienced a 90 percent occupancy rate.

Bonus

“There was enough business to sustain (the hotel operations) and the (arrival) of the Kuwaitis is already a bonus,” he said.

The Kuwaitis occupy 20 to 50 WCCHC hotel rooms in a day and each Kuwaiti guest stays for about one week, contributing P100,000 to P500,000 in hotel revenues daily.

At present, Protacio said, the hotels are already conducting cross-cultural trainings for hotel employees to adjust to the Middle Eastern culture and the specific needs of this particular market. This includes providing halal-certified food, as most Arabs are also Muslims.

Protacio said hotels are also setting up more smoking rooms for them.

But Protacio said hotels in Cebu are already capable of serving the Arab market after having been exposed to Arab nationals during the Asean Summit in 2007.

Protacio also said it is possible that the Middle Eastern tourists will replace the Korean market as Korean arrivals continue to decrease.

But unlike the Koreans—which only contribute mostly room revenues—the Middle Easterners spend not just for accommodation but also on local products and mall shopping. (DME)

Tourism


Got this reaction from PhilStar reader Barry Williams.

Boo,

Tourism is THE solution for the Philippines. What other industry allows for semi-skilled workers to dominate an industry where service, smiles and hospitality are the key features?

What will Filipinos get?

1) A massive “cash” (tips) business worth 100’s of billions of pesos

2) Requirements to clean up their community

3) Requirements to have law & order, safety

4) Requirements to provide clean water & water treatment

5) Requirements to provide electricity

6) Requirements to provide modern transportation systems

7) Requirements to learn different languages

The list goes on and on. All Filipinos will benefit from Tourism.

If your leaders care about their fellow citizens they will see the light and make Tourism the key to investment, improvement, and enrichment. They will stop talking and start hiring the leading Urban Planners to develop modern infrastructure, and coordinating with the private sector to invest.

Tourism is long over due.



-Demand and Supply by Boo Chanco (25/03/09 - Philippine Star)

thanks bledzoe!!
i missed that on
television, glad
you posted it. i think
it was a good show,
well-researched,
and pretty much
summarized the best
of Philippine food!

thanks bledzoe!!
i missed that on
television, glad
you posted it. i think
it was a good show,
well-researched,
and pretty much
summarized the best
of Philippine food!

my pleasure!
:cheers:

Now is the best time to show the world the best of the Philippines -- HS Nograles

By Lilybeth G. Ison

MANILA, March 25 (PNA) -- Amidst the global financial crisis, House Speaker Prospero Nograles on Tuesday said now is the best time to invest and promote Philippine tourism to the local and world markets.

"President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will soon sign into law the Congress-ratified Tourism Act of 2009 that institutionalizes a long term national tourism policy framework that transcends politics," he said.

Nograles said the enrolled copy of Senate Bill 2213 and House Bill 5229 was ratified by the House of Representatives last March 4, and a day later by the Senate (March 5).

The proposed law is entitled "An Act declaring a national policy for tourism as an engine of investment, employment, growth and national development, and strengthening the Department of Tourism (DoT) and its attached agencies to effectively and efficiently implement that policy, and appropriating funds thereof."

The proposed Act declares that tourism is an "indispensable element of the national economy and an industry of national interest and importance, which must be harnessed as an engine of socio-economic growth and cultural affirmation to generate investment, foreign exchange and employment, and to continue to mold an enhanced sense of national pride for all Filipinos."

Nograles lauded the audacity and hard work of the authors of the proposed bill, particularly Bohol Rep. Edgar Chatto who sponsored the committee report during the long plenary debates that fine tuned the tourism statute, which aims to promote the country as the premier tourist destination in Asia and to upgrade its level of international competitiveness through a system of accreditation, standards-setting and classification.

"This will empower the Department of Tourism (DoT) by strengthening the different agencies attached to it in order to more efficiently and effectively coordinate the functions and resources of government for tourism promotions and development programs, as well as eliminate overlaps of functions," said Chatto.

Under the proposed Act, the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC) will be reorganized to become the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), a body corporate responsible for the marketing and promotion of the Philippines as a global tourism destination, highlighting its tourism products and services.

The Philippine Tourism authority (PTA) would also be reorganized to become the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), a body corporate mandated to designate, regulate and supervise tourism enterprise zones (TEZs) as well as develop, manage and supervise tourism projects in the country.

The Duty Free Philippines will also be reorganized to become the Duty Free Philippines Corporation (DFPC), a body corporate mandated to operate the duty and tax free merchandising system in the country.

The TPB and TIEZA will each have a capitalization of P250-million and subscribed by the national government.

Funding for TPB will come from investment earnings from the Tourism Promotions Trust; appropriation from the national government of not less than P500-million annually for at least five years from the time of its Constitution; 70 percent of the 50 percent net income of the DFPC accruing to the DoT; at least 25 percent of the national government share remitted by international airports and seaports to the National Treasury.

On the other hand, funding for TIEZA will come from 50 percent proceeds from travel tax collections; a reasonable share from the collections of the Office of Tourism Resource Generation; income from projects managed by the TIEZA; subsidies or grants from local and foreign sources.

Capitalization for DFPC, meanwhile, will be P500-million and funding for its operations will be sourced from its internally generated income and other receipts.

"Tourism is one industry that makes public and private sector cooperation a vital ingredient to success," Nograles said as he stressed the vital role of local government and other stakeholders in promoting tourism nationwide. (PNA)

PGMA groundbreaks $ 200-M Banyan Tree luxury resort in Palawan

CORON, Palawan, March 25 (PNA) -- The establishment of a $ 200-million integrated island resort in Isla Diwaran of this municipality in Palawan is certain to further boost Philippines’ position as a tourist destination of choice in the Asia-Pacific region.

Singapore-based hotel and resort firm Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd. and its partner Salvador Zamora II, a Filipino mining and real estate magnate will develop a 55-hectare luxury resort on Diwaran, an uninhabited island framed by stretches of white sand beaches and known for its coral reefs and diverse marine life, as well as some of the world’s best dive sites.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself will lead the groundbreaking ceremonies for the luxury facility here Wednesday (March 25).

A Banyan Tree official said the project will retain its secluded and intimate ambience due to the island’s size and terrain, and the Banyan Tree-signature pool villa, multi-award winning spa and its unique brand of Asian hospitality.

The entire project is targeted for completion in 2012. When completed and fully operational, it will employ as many as 8,000 Filipinos.

Banyan Tree executive chairman Ho Kwon Ping said Diwaran will not only enhance the company’s position as a premier resort chain in Asia but will also give it an important foothold in the Philippines which has tremendous tourism potentials.

He said his company likewise intends to explore other investment and development opportunities in the Philippines, and seek out partnerships with local investors.

Banyan Tree resorts are now found in Phuket, Thailand (1994), Maldives Vabbinfaru (1995), Bintan, Indonesia (1995), Bangkok, Thailand (2002), Seychelles (2002), Ringha, China (2005), Lijiang, China (2006), Bahrain (2006) and Maldives Madivaru (2007).

Its flagship facility, Banyan Tree Phuket, was the first to introduce a tropical garden spa concept.

To date, the Banyan Tree Group either manages or has stakes in 22 resorts and hotels, 62 spas, 65 retail galleries and two golf courses.

Banyan Tree, which had invested before in the Philippines, considered returning and looking for new investment opportunities in the country after its officials met with President Arroyo during her Singapore visit in November 2006.

Ho noted that the Philippines tourism industry’s potential is superb. “This country has excellent food, natural resources and culture. It already has infrastructures that are way ahead of its Asian neighbors but its roads, airports and seaport still need improvements,” he added.

The Department of Tourism assisted the company in choosing Palawan as the choice location for its venture.
Tourism officials have expressed optimism the project, which will have 600 rooms, three spas, a marina and a town center, will contribute to the much-needed tourism facilities that will enable the country to reach its goal of attracting five million visitors by 2010. (PNA)

DOT welcomes luxury hotel to RP

MANILA, March 24 (PNA) -- Peter Forster (left), Executive Vice President of Maxims Hotel, discusses with Tourism Secretary Ace Durano (right) the luxury hotel's unique contributions to Philippine tourism.

Among the many notable investments in the country despite the economic challenges, Maxims Hotel promises to carve a niche in the luxury travel market by offering a personal butler to ensure an exclusive service. Parallel to the DOT's commitment to be the 'butlers' of travellers while in the country, Durano commended Maxims Hotel's timely investment in the Philippines and their pledge to guarantee an exquisite travel experience.
Amounting to Php 2.362 billion in total estimated project cost, Maxims Hotel will feature more than 175 junior and king suites, three private villas, and one presidential suite, which responds to the need for more rooms as an increasing number of tourist arrivals is forecast this year. The hotel is set to open at the Newport City Cyber Tourism Economic Zone along Villamor Airbase in Pasay City on the second half of the year, generating almost 2,000 jobs. (PNA)

Philippine travel: Manila and north of Manila

Jim Wheildon on what to expect from Manila plus Laoag in the north - and sidetrips to Baguio and One Hundred Islands National Park
Times Online
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/destinations/south_east_asia/article5968365.ece

I’m Going Back to the Philippines was a hit song for Menudo in the 1980s and this poor but beautiful country of more than 7,000 islands is a great place to keep going back to, especially over Christmas, when the weather is warm but not baking and the Filipinos’ love for a party and still strong adherence to the Catholic Church mean an unending series of parties, celebrations and get-togethers over the festive period.

The Spanish and American influences after centuries of colonial rule are unmissable. There are fantastic beaches and a thriving nightlife.

The sex tourists love this place and it rivals Thailand for attracting them, but you can have a great time here without having to step into the raucous red-light areas.

It is, however, difficult to avoid stepping into Manila. For the vast majority of visitors to the Philippines, this is the first port of call and the capital has an edge. Tread carefully, especially when leaving Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and this is a city with a lot to offer.

Just make sure the airport taxi is bona fide and keep a firm hold on your common sense and the worse thing you are likely to experience, over the Christmas period anyway, is endless renditions of Joy to the World sung by persistent waifs seeking to relieve you of any spare change.

There is plenty to see and do in Manila. But if time is short, do not miss a drink in the Manila Hotel’s wood-panelled bar.

This famous hotel, where General Douglas MacArthur lived for six years until the Japanese invasion, is as evocotive as Hong Kong’s Peninsula or Bangkok’s Oriental. If you strike lucky, the orchestra will be playing in the lobby.

From the hotel, cross the ever-busy Roxas Boulevard that runs parallel to the palm-fringed Manila Bay, and enter Rizal Park. Here sentries maintain a 24-hour-a-day guard of the memorial to the country’s national hero, Jose Rizal, executed for spreading ideals of revolution against Spanish rule.

Dotted around the park are various key government buildings and the National National Museum of the Philippines. Malacanang Palace, the official residence of the President, is a mile away.

Within walking distance of Rizal Park (also known as Lunetta) is the Intramuros, the old Spanish capital of Manila, with its canonball-riddled walls — some of the damage caused by the British when they captured the city from the Spanish in 1762.

The cathedral, constantly rebuilt after being destroyed by earthquakes, is worth a look and outside you can pick up a kalesa (horse taxi) to see the walls. An hour's tour costs about £7. Today the Intramuros is a favourite place for wedding receptions and the jail cells set into the wall are mini factories, just like at London Bridge.

Two miles south of the park, right between the American Embassy and the weirdly shaped Cultural Centre (it looks like a gigantic blacksmith anvil), take the chance to go on a sunset cruise round Manila Bay. It lasts up to a couple of hours and is an excellent way to see this city, which looks at its best from the water. (Manila’s streets are pot-holed, dirty and crowded.)

The cruise goes to the huge SM Mall of Asia shopping complex, but fortunately doesn’t stop there. The place is a madhouse but no doubt paradise for the shopoholics.

On Fridays and Saturdays, passengers can watch the fireworks set off at the edge of the mall, which is as near I want to get to it, having experienced the place a couple of years ago. (Good to have an ice rink on site though.)

Back on dry land, take a trip to Makati perhaps in one of the flamboyant and usually crowded jeepneys that plough along the streets of every town and city in the Philippines. Makati is Manila’s business district and is noticeably cleaner and smarter than the Bay area and has a less frenetic pace.

It is a good place to stay. There are plenty of excellent hotels in the area and a walk down Makati Avenue brings you past various statues to Filipino resistance heros (and heroine in the case of Melchora Aquino) to yet another huge shopping complex, the Gloriana [sic--"Glorietta"].

There is a superb museum, the Ayala, which is much better than the National Museum. The Ayala, sited in Makati's Greenbelt Park, displays gold discoveries from the pre-Spanish era, finely crafted ship models, Chinese pottery, costumes, superb artwork that gives pride of place to Fernando Amorsolo, heralded as the country’s first national artist, and the women who inspired him, and best of all “the Diorama Experience” - a series of 60 carvings and paintings that display the country’s history from the prehistoric, to trading with the Chinese, the centuries of Spanish rule, to the recognition of Philippine independence by the United States in 1946. (One of the scenes shows the British fighting in Manila).

Outside the capital, there is a bewildering choice of islands and towns to visit.

My choice was decided by my wife, who comes from Laoag in the far north of the country’s main island, Luzon. This Christmas we took the Manila “highway" 250 miles north to Laoag city. (We usually take the easy option of flying, which takes just under an hour.

The coach journey means up to ten hours travelling on the crowded highway, but at least there is a view from the window though there is virtually no countryside to be seen). The long and winding road was lit up with Christmas lights and trees -- the tacky and the gaudy being especially popular.

The Government has tried to tone down the festivities and has told schools not to charge parents for putting up elaborate decorations. Nobody seemed to be taking notice on this highway.

Laoag itself does not have the charm of other cities such as Cebu. The capital of Ilocos Norte province, Laoag is a bustling, crowded city where the jeepneys, tuk-tuk motorbike taxis and kalesas jostle for road space. The key road is Rizal Street and halfway down it is the long established 5 Sisters store, an amazing mix of bargain clothes, toys, electronics, food and drink — Philippine “London” gin at around £2 a bottle.

Near the bridge to the Manila highway are the city’s two principal sights — St William’s Cathedral and its neighbouring sinking Spanish bell tower. Legend has it that a man on a horse could pass through tower’s entrance when it was built in 1612, now you have to duck as you climb up the stairs. At the top is the grand view you would expect, but to get in ask at the cathedral for a guide, who will open up for you.

The 17th century cathedral itself, like so many others, has seen its share of the action — earthquake damage, occupation by rebels against Spanish rule, etc. Today it gives thanks to former President Marcos and his wife Imelda for supplying its chandeliers.

Laoag was Marcos’s power base and the region’s government building is still carries the inscription “Marcos Halls of Justice”. Until recently, the couple’s son, Bong Bong, was the region’s Governor (he is now a national congressman). The old president, who died in 1989 three years after being ousted from power, can be still seen, in frozen glory, lying in state at nearby Batac.

Whether it really his body that I viewed to the booming sound of funeral music is debatable, espcially given the electric powercuts that bedevil the country. Next door is a museum devoted to the dictator’s life and times, and not far away lies the World Heritage protected church of Paoay, part built with coral stone. “Malacañang of the North”, built for the Marcoses to entertain in their home province, is also close by and looks across Lake Paoay.

If you visit this northern part of the Philippines, make some time for Pagudpud, 60km from Laoag. Coral lies strewn across its windy, white sand beaches, though by claiming to be the Boracay of the North is overdoing its act (The tropical island beach resort of Boracay, 350km south of Manila, is a top Southeast Asian tourist attraction.)

One tip, the further you walk from the beaches, the less you pay for much nicer accommodation. On the drive from Laoag, you can see the windfarms set in the South China Sea and climb up the country’s tallest lighthouse, Cape Bojeador at Burgos, built in 1892.

I did manage to see Baguio on this trip, the mountainous city 205km north of Manila on the main island of Luzon that had long been on my list of places to visit. I had pictured beautiful mountain scenery and a welcoming cooler climate. I was expecting Simla; I got Calcutta.

A little cooler than Manila or Laoag admittedly, Baguio was a big disappointment. The Americans laid the city round Burnham Park and I stayed right alongside the park, which was unlit and locked up at night — and this, the city’s centrepiece. The surrounding and very crowded streets buzzed to a constant throb of heavy traffic. The shops were disappointing. The city centre in this university town simply lacks class.

The cathedral has a stunning location in Baguio, or rather it would have if the shanty adjacent buildings and billboards did not obliterate the views of the surrounding mountains.

The nearby former American base, Camp John Hay, offers a welcoming escape. It is the city’s most popular attraction. Open to the public since 1991 when the US troops pulled out, it is a place to play golf, go horse riding, try abseilling, visit a butterfly enclosure — and to sample American ice creams.

Very good, too. Make time to tour the Commander’s House, which boasts a totem pole outside of the carved heads of VIP visitors, Teddy Roosevelt among them. This base, named after a turn of the 20th century Secretary of State, was used by the Japanese as a concentration camp for American and British soldiers during the Second World War.

A two-hour drive from Baguio, crossing over the Manila highway, lies One Hundred Islands National Park. Three are actually more than a hundred islands and they offer a sanctuary from the noise and crowds. Accommodation is available, but it is limited and can be expensive.

However, a day is more than enough time to take a boat out to some of the islands, enjoy a swim and a meal, and explore the odd cave or clamber up to the lookout spots for some wonderful views. We returned to the mainland as the sun set; it was an idyllic journey.

Even with the pound’s fall from grace (today you get less than 70 pesos to the pound; two years ago it was 100), this is an inexpensive country to visit once the long air journey is over (Manila is one and a half hours flying time further than Hong Kong). There are some fine restaurants, but Indian food has yet to establish a presence. Wine can be expensive. Stick to the ubiquitous and excellent San Miguel beer to keep the bills down.

The Foreign Office warns that there is a high threat from terrorism throughout the Philippines. There certainly is in the far south, which has long suffered from terrorist activity.

Last Christmas was my tenth visit to the country and I have always found it safe, providing you do not leave your common sense at home. People are very welcoming. English visitors are still a novelty and there is plenty to see and do. With its warm climate, superb beaches and widespread use of English, Spanish and American influences in the culture and architecture, the Philippines is well worth setting time aside for, especially on any tour of South-East Asia.

PGMA groundbreaks $ 200-M Banyan Tree luxury resort in Palawan

CORON, Palawan, March 25 (PNA) --



It already has infrastructures that are way ahead of its Asian neighbors but its roads, airports and seaport still need improvements,” he added.

(PNA)\
huh?

The Philippines: Manila, Laoag, and Baguio (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/destinations/south_east_asia/article5968365.ece)

I’m Going Back to the Philippines was a hit song for Menudo in the 1980s and this poor but beautiful country of more than 7,000 islands is a great place to keep going back to, especially over Christmas, when the weather is warm but not baking and the Filipinos’ love for a party and still strong adherence to the Catholic Church mean an unending series of parties, celebrations and get-togethers over the festive period.

The Spanish and American influences after centuries of colonial rule are unmissable. There are fantastic beaches and a thriving nightlife.

The sex tourists love this place and it rivals Thailand for attracting them, but you can have a great time here without having to step into the raucous red-light areas.

It is, however, difficult to avoid stepping into Manila. For the vast majority of visitors to the Philippines, this is the first port of call and the capital has an edge. Tread carefully, especially when leaving Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and this is a city with a lot to offer.

Just make sure the airport taxi is bona fide and keep a firm hold on your common sense and the worse thing you are likely to experience, over the Christmas period anyway, is endless renditions of Joy to the World sung by persistent waifs seeking to relieve you of any spare change.

There is plenty to see and do in Manila. But if time is short, do not miss a drink in the Manila Hotel’s wood-panelled bar.

This famous hotel, where General Douglas MacArthur lived for six years until the Japanese invasion, is as evocotive as Hong Kong’s Peninsula or Bangkok’s Oriental. If you strike lucky, the orchestra will be playing in the lobby.

From the hotel, cross the ever-busy Roxas Boulevard that runs parallel to the palm-fringed Manila Bay, and enter Rizal Park. Here sentries maintain a 24-hour-a-day guard of the memorial to the country’s national hero, Jose Rizal, executed for spreading ideals of revolution against Spanish rule.

Dotted around the park are various key government buildings and the National National Museum of the Philippines. Malacanang Palace, the official residence of the President, is a mile away.

Within walking distance of Rizal Park (also known as Luneta) is the Intramuros, the old Spanish capital of Manila, with its canonball-riddled walls — some of the damage caused by the British when they captured the city from the Spanish in 1762.

The cathedral, constantly rebuilt after being destroyed by earthquakes, is worth a look and outside you can pick up a kalesa (horse taxi) to see the walls. An hour's tour costs about £7. Today the Intramuros is a favourite place for wedding receptions and the jail cells set into the wall are mini factories, just like at London Bridge.

Two miles south of the park, right between the American Embassy and the weirdly shaped Cultural Centre (it looks like a gigantic blacksmith anvil), take the chance to go on a sunset cruise round Manila Bay. It lasts up to a couple of hours and is an excellent way to see this city, which looks at its best from the water. (Manila’s streets are pot-holed, dirty and crowded.)

The cruise goes to the huge SM Mall of Asia shopping complex, but fortunately doesn’t stop there. The place is a madhouse but no doubt paradise for the shopoholics.

On Fridays and Saturdays, passengers can watch the fireworks set off at the edge of the mall, which is as near I want to get to it, having experienced the place a couple of years ago. (Good to have an ice rink on site though.)

Back on dry land, take a trip to Makati perhaps in one of the flamboyant and usually crowded jeepneys that plough along the streets of every town and city in the Philippines. Makati is Manila’s business district and is noticeably cleaner and smarter than the Bay area and has a less frenetic pace.

It is a good place to stay. There are plenty of excellent hotels in the area and a walk down Makati Avenue brings you past various statues to Filipino resistance heros (and heroine in the case of Melchora Aquino) to yet another huge shopping complex, the Gloriana.

There is a superb museum, the Ayala, which is much better than the National Museum. The Ayala, sited in Makati's Greenbelt Park, displays gold discoveries from the pre-Spanish era, finely crafted ship models, Chinese pottery, costumes, superb artwork that gives pride of place to Fernando Amorsolo, heralded as the country’s first national artist, and the women who inspired him, and best of all “the Diorama Experience” - a series of 60 carvings and paintings that display the country’s history from the prehistoric, to trading with the Chinese, the centuries of Spanish rule, to the recognition of Philippine independence by the United States in 1946. (One of the scenes shows the British fighting in Manila).

Outside the capital, there is a bewildering choice of islands and towns to visit.

My choice was decided by my wife, who comes from Laoag in the far north of the country’s main island, Luzon. This Christmas we took the Manila “highway" 250 miles north to Laoag city. (We usually take the easy option of flying, which takes just under an hour.

The coach journey means up to ten hours travelling on the crowded highway, but at least there is a view from the window though there is virtually no countryside to be seen). The long and winding road was lit up with Christmas lights and trees -- the tacky and the gaudy being especially popular.

The Government has tried to tone down the festivities and has told schools not to charge parents for putting up elaborate decorations. Nobody seemed to be taking notice on this highway.

Laoag itself does not have the charm of other cities such as Cebu. The capital of Ilocos Norte province, Laoag is a bustling, crowded city where the jeepneys, tuk-tuk motorbike taxis and kalesas jostle for road space. The key road is Rizal Street and halfway down it is the long established 5 Sisters store, an amazing mix of bargain clothes, toys, electronics, food and drink — Philippine “London” gin at around £2 a bottle.

Near the bridge to the Manila highway are the city’s two principal sights — St William’s Cathedral and its neighbouring sinking Spanish bell tower. Legend has it that a man on a horse could pass through tower’s entrance when it was built in 1612, now you have to duck as you climb up the stairs. At the top is the grand view you would expect, but to get in ask at the cathedral for a guide, who will open up for you.

The 17th century cathedral itself, like so many others, has seen its share of the action — earthquake damage, occupation by rebels against Spanish rule, etc. Today it gives thanks to former President Marcos and his wife Imelda for supplying its chandeliers.

Laoag was Marcos’s power base and the region’s government building is still carries the inscription “Marcos Halls of Justice”. Until recently, the couple’s son, Bong Bong, was the region’s Governor (he is now a national congressman). The old president, who died in 1989 three years after being ousted from power, can be still seen, in frozen glory, lying in state at nearby Batac.

Whether it really his body that I viewed to the booming sound of funeral music is debatable, espcially given the electric powercuts that bedevil the country. Next door is a museum devoted to the dictator’s life and times, and not far away lies the World Heritage protected church of Paoay, part built with coral stone. “Malacanag of the North”, built for the Marcoses to entertain in their home province, is also close by and looks across Lake Paoay.

If you visit this northern part of the Philippines, make some time for Pagudpud, 60km from Laoag. Coral lies strewn across its windy, white sand beaches, though by claiming to be the Boracay of the North is overdoing its act (The tropical island beach resort of Boracay, 350km south of Manila, is a top Southeast Asian tourist attraction.)

One tip, the further you walk from the beaches, the less you pay for much nicer accommodation. On the drive from Laoag, you can see the windfarms set in the South China Sea and climb up the country’s tallest lighthouse, Cape Bojeador at Burgos, built in 1892.

I did manage to see Baguio on this trip, the mountainous city 205km north of Manila on the main island of Luzon that had long been on my list of places to visit. I had pictured beautiful mountain scenery and a welcoming cooler climate. I was expecting Simla; I got Calcutta.

A little cooler than Manila or Laoag admittedly, Baguio was a big disappointment. The Americans laid the city round Burnham Park and I stayed right alongside the park, which was unlit and locked up at night — and this, the city’s centrepiece. The surrounding and very crowded streets buzzed to a constant throb of heavy traffic. The shops were disappointing. The city centre in this university town simply lacks class.

The cathedral has a stunning location in Baguio, or rather it would have if the shanty adjacent buildings and billboards did not obliterate the views of the surrounding mountains.

The nearby former American base, Camp John Hay, offers a welcoming escape. It is the city’s most popular attraction. Open to the public since 1991 when the US troops pulled out, it is a place to play golf, go horse riding, try abseilling, visit a butterfly enclosure — and to sample American ice creams.

Very good, too. Make time to tour the Commander’s House, which boasts a totem pole outside of the carved heads of VIP visitors, Teddy Roosevelt among them. This base, named after a turn of the 20th century Secretary of State, was used by the Japanese as a concentration camp for American and British soldiers during the Second World War.

A two-hour drive from Baguio, crossing over the Manila highway, lies One Hundred Islands National Park. Three are actually more than a hundred islands and they offer a sanctuary from the noise and crowds. Accommodation is available, but it is limited and can be expensive.

However, a day is more than enough time to take a boat out to some of the islands, enjoy a swim and a meal, and explore the odd cave or clamber up to the lookout spots for some wonderful views. We returned to the mainland as the sun set; it was an idyllic journey.

Even with the pound’s fall from grace (today you get less than 70 pesos to the pound; two years ago it was 100), this is an inexpensive country to visit once the long air journey is over (Manila is one and a half hours flying time further than Hong Kong). There are some fine restaurants, but Indian food has yet to establish a presence. Wine can be expensive. Stick to the ubiquitous and excellent San Miguel beer to keep the bills down.

The Foreign Office warns that there is a high threat from terrorism throughout the Philippines. There certainly is in the far south, which has long suffered from terrorist activity.

Last Christmas was my tenth visit to the country and I have always found it safe, providing you do not leave your common sense at home. People are very welcoming. English visitors are still a novelty and there is plenty to see and do. With its warm climate, superb beaches and widespread use of English, Spanish and American influences in the culture and architecture, the Philippines is well worth setting time aside for, especially on any tour of South-East Asia.

Coron islet to be next Asian tourism jewel (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090326-196223/Coron-islet-to-be-next-Asian-tourism-jewel)

Stand aside, Phuket. Here comes Diwaran.

By 2012, the 55-hectare Diwaran Island, part of Coron Reefs in northern Palawan, will be transformed into the “single largest integrated island resort in all Asia.”

This is the hope of Ho Kwon Ping, the Singaporean executive chair of Banyan Tree Holdings, a big developer of resorts, hotels, spas and residential homes in the Asia Pacific.

He spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony of the planned resort on the largely uninhabited island Wednesday attended by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Dressed in casual attire, Ms Arroyo came with Tourism Secretary Ace Durano and Trade Secretary Peter Favila.

Challenge to Phuket

Ms Arroyo said that the project, which is estimated to cost $240 million, would be the next Phuket, the popular resort in Thailand. Ho’s company pioneered the development in that area.

“What he had been able to do there, he can certainly do here,” she said.

Ho showed the master plan of the Isla Diwaran project to Ms Arroyo under the shade of tents.

The island’s map shows that the beach with only fine white sand and few indigenous trees will have three hotels with villas, a marina with facilities for arrival by boat or by seaplane, and a town center where there will be recreational facilities and retail outlets.

“All together, if fully developed, these (hotels) will have 600 rooms … At its full occupancy, we will have more than 1,500 tourists on this island alone,” Ho said.

About 20 minutes by speedboat from Coron, the island will be a sure attraction for tourists. On the way, overhanging limestone cliffs are seen. Coron Reefs, a favorite site for divers, is also known for its diverse marine life.

12,000 jobs

As soon as the resort is completed, 3,000 people will be hired to work on the island, Ho said.

“We are expecting at least 12,000 people to acquire jobs directly and indirectly from this project,” he said.

Ms Arroyo told a fisherman in the crowd, Joel Saclet, that on nearby Amanpulo, residents no longer fished but worked in the high-end resort.

“Is that what you are also expecting?” she asked.

Saclet replied “yes, ma’am.”

“It’s not only in the operation but as well as in the construction and a lot of the people around … are expecting that as this island resort is being built, roads will be constructed from the airport to the Marcella port,” Ms Arroyo said.

2012 opening

Ho said the resort would open probably by 2012.

Based on Banyan’s statistics, Palawan will benefit from the total tourists’ spending of $200 million per year.

“This is generally a big help for Coron,” he said.

The company already has hotels in some of the world’s most exclusive and popular holiday spots such as the Seychelles and Maldives.

It will develop the project, its first in the Philippines, together with Filipino businessman Salvador Zamora of Tranzen Group.

Banyan Tree was founded by Ho, a former journalist, and his wife in 1994 and was one of the first resort chains to offer guests the seclusion of their own villa equipped with a private pool and a tropical spa.

^^ any render of the said plan? very promising indeed!

^^yes sounds very nice...

Banyan hooray!

hooray Banyan!

:cheer::cheer:

I remember that was big news two years ago when Banyan Tree announced they were going to build a resort in Palawan. Good to know that it's still a go!

March 28, 2009 Saturday
Venue: Quezon City Memorial Circle Fruits, Plants and Pet Center
Time: 4pm onwards
Event: POS Conservation, Education small EB and Soft Opening (everyone is invited!)
Contact Person: Mr. Lawrence Chan (0919-3901671)

March 28 , 2009 Saturday
Event: Earth Hour
Time : Switching off the light from 8:30 pm to 9:30pm
The lights will go off for one hour on March 28, starting at 8:30 pm in key cities in the Philippines and all over the world. This is called Earth Hour.
The lights-out initiative, which began in Sydney in 2007 as a one-city environmental campaign, has evolved into a grassroots action that has attracted worldwide attention. In 2008, 371 cities across 35 countries turned their lights out in a united call for action on climate change and energy conservation.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is joining hands with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Green Army Philippines Network to spread public awareness of the Earth Hour message to cities and communities all over the country.
“2009 is a destiny year for the entire planet,” declared Lory Tan, President and CEO of WWF-Philippines. “This is the year that we decide the future of humanity. Earth Hour is a message of hope and action and we hope it sends a powerful message to both local and world leaders. It is a global movement that proves that each one of us can make a difference. Imagine what we can do if we act together.”


April 15 to 18 and October 2009
Event: Manila International F.A.M.E.
Slogan “ Asia’s Best Design Destination ”
Venue: SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Parañaque City
Time: 9:00 am - 6:00pm Open to Trade Buyers only
April 17 to 18, 2009
Time: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm Open to the Public (with entrance fee of PHP 200)
For more information, contact: MANILA F.A.M.E. INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT
Telephone : 632.833.1258 / 8311265
Fax : 632.832.3965 / 834.0177
E-mail : manilafame@citem.com.ph
VISITOR PROFILE Overseas and local trade visitors representing importers, wholesalers, distributors, trading firms, merchandising agents, buying offices, department stores, mail-order houses.

SHOW RULES
· Business attire is encouraged
· Registration required upon entry
· Guests below 12 years old are not allowed in the exhibit areas
· Sketching and picture taking are not allowed without prior consent from the exhibitor
· CITEM reserves the right to refuse admission to any visitor who does not comply with the show rules
April 18, 2009 Saturday POS Monthly Meeting

April 19, 2009 Sunday- Filipinas Stamp Collectors’ Club

Experience an afternoon of fun and rare discovery! See old monuments, plazas, open space, old memorabilia on display and cheerful people trading and exchanging of old stuffs, curio in the heart of Manila's cultural district

Assembly Place: Liwasang Bonifacio, fountain area.

Assembly Time: 12:30 to 1pm

Tour areas: Liwasang Bonifacio, Plaza Isabel 2 Gate and Monument, Plaza Mexico, Postal Museum and Library

Free merienda will be offered to the participants, a short lecture will follow, No Fees collected

The Postal Heritage Walking Tour is sponsored by Filipinas Stamp Collectors' Club

* Pre-registration for those interested in joining the free walking tour is required deadline for confirmation and notification will be on March 31

Just indicate your name, address, contact information:
Lawrence Chan – Filipinas Stamp Collectors' Club
Vice President and Tour Officer

July 16 to 19, 2009 2nd Philippine International Flora and Fauna Garden Expo
Venue: World Trade Center, Pasay City, Philippines
Event Organizer: RPN Flora & Fauna through ICE Incorporated
Exhibits * Lectures * Conference * Trade Show * Tours
The RPN Flora & Fauna, Inc. through its event organizer ICE, Inc. and in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources will be staging the much-awaited 2nd PHILIPPINE INTERNATIONAL FLORA & FAUNA GARDEN EXPO 2009 (PIFGEX 2009) on July 16-19, 2009 at the iconic World Trade Center, Pasay City, Philippines.
With the clamor for a repeat of the highly successful 1st Philippine International Flora & Fauna Garden Expo held last July 2008, the organizer is now spearheading a bigger and more comprehensive exposition with the theme - “Protecting and Sustaining Nature”.
After gathering over 10,000 attendees and visitors last year, PIFGEX 2008 has proven that 1 hall and 3 days were not enough space and time for the event. This is the very reason why we are now going to use 2 halls and make it a 4-day event (Thursday to Sunday). We intend to surpass the traffic flow of over 15,000 visitors from all levels of private and public schools and universities, flower and plant growers, garden enthusiasts, landscapers, traders and suppliers of garden products and services, hobbyists and breeders of animals and nature lovers.
In addition to the exhibits, trade fair and daily lectures, their will also be a 2-day scientific conference discussing Philippine plants and animals. The first day (July 17) will be about important Philippine Tree Species, Orchids and Epiphytic species, Ferns & Allies, and Noteworthy Under-Canopy plant species (aroids, palms, cycads and flowering vines). On the second day (July 18), will be about Philippine Terrestrial Mammals, Reptiles and Amphibians, Important Insect species, and Local & Migratory Birds.
One of the event’s highlights is the special participation of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources showcasing the endemic and endangered species of plants and animals of the 16 regions of the Philippines. Each region will be represented by its own pavilion and retail area.
Government agencies, private associations, clubs, NGOs, and environmentalists will again be part of this worthy endeavor. Daily seminars, workshops, demonstrations and flower arrangement competitions will be conducted for expo attendees and visitors.
Visit the previous PIFGEX 2008 at:
http://gardenevents.wordpress.com/2008/05/27/hello-world/
http://gardenevents.wordpress.com/2008/07/11/pifgex-2008-lectures-demos/
For more information and reservation, please call or email ICE INC.
ICE INC.
Ideas, Concepts & Events
T : +632 584.5321
F : +632 727.2151
M : +63917 800.1088
E : ice.incorporated@yahoo.com.ph
bonlreyes@ice.com.ph
W : www.ice.com.ph
August 27 to September 7, 2009 -63rd Mid-Year Orchid and Garden Show
Event Organizer: Philippine Orchid Society
Website: http://philippineorchidsocietyph.org/beta1/
Possible Venues: Quezon Cityhall Grounds, SM Fairview, SM North EDSA, Intramuros , Ortigas Center , Makati Park – Guadalupe
Theme: “Conserving and Sustaining Orchid Biodiversity”
Possible tie-ups: NCAA – “ National Arts Month”
In cooperation with: QC Government, QC Tourism , Media Partners: NBN channel 4, others soon to follow
For more details please call the POS Secretariat 929.4425, Mobile phone 0917.8485468 or 0922.8959544.
Mr. Lawrence Chan- Corporate Secretary (0919-3901671),Ms.Jenny Rivera – Office Clerk ,Mr. Edilberto Capague – Office Staff

MANILA, Mar 23, 2009 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) -- Mayor Alfredo Lim assured Ambassador Liu Jianchao of the People?s Republic of China (PROC) that the doors of Manila were open should any Chinese national encounter problems and needed the city government?s help.

Lim made the assurance as Jianchao and his official delegation recently paid a courtesy call at City Hall.

Jinachao cited, in a statement released Monday, on how the mayor?s reputation preceded him as a `"man of action" and a respected leader who used to head the country?s premier police force.

The Chinese ambassador, accompanied by the city?s international relations and protocol director and tourism chief Baby Villegas, also thanked the mayor for the kind of hospitality and safety that he enjoyed in his stay in Manila.

In turn, Lim told Jianchao that his compatriots here could count on the city government to provide them full protection and that his visit in the country would further strengthen the friendship and relationship between the Philippines and China.

The mayor also apprised Jianchao that the members of the Chinese community in Manila are very well respected and have kept a good reputation over the years.

Lim related that Chinese businessmen here are looked up to, owing to their acumen and successful business ventures which have been helping create job opportunities for Filipinos.

From his office, Lim toured Jianchao to the souvenir photos in his office, dating back to the time when he was still a police officer.

Jianchao expressed delight at the photo of Lim with former President Cory Aquino, saying that Mrs. Aquino was the first head of state that he met when he (Jianchao) was still in the foreign service.

Quake-affected Chinese students thank Arroyo for visit to Philippines

www.chinaview.cn 2009-03-26 13:24:21

MANILA, March 26 (Xinhua) -- A group of 100 students from China's earthquake-ravaged Sichuan province thanked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for their "unforgettable" week-long rehabilitation trip to the Philippines early this year, the government said Thursday.

In a hand-written letter addressed to the President, the students expressed appreciation to her for receiving them as guests of the Filipino people, saying they would always cherish the friendship and warm hospitality they experienced during their Jan. 11-17 visit.

"Our thankful feeling may hardly be expressed in words," the students wrote to the President. "We were impressed by the beautiful cities, (and) the hospitable (Filipino) people," they were quoted in a press release by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.

During their visit, the students met the President in the presidential palace. They also visited children-oriented museums, a local school, science centers, and the province of Bohol.

In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Ambassador to China Sonia Brady said the visit of the Sichuan students was a very significant milestone in promoting people-to-people exchanges between the Philippines and China.

"More importantly, it also enhanced the profound friendship and centuries-old ties between our two peoples and countries," Ambassador Brady said.

The visit was made possible upon the invitation of the President, which she proposed to Chinese President Hu Jintao when they met in Beijing during the Beijing Olympics in August last year, Ambassador Brady said.

President Arroyo visited Chengdu in Sichuan on August 7, 2008 and met with victims of the May 12 earthquake to offer her condolences.

Editor: Deng Shasha

Banyan Tree groundbreaking in Palawan
pgohBWvrAmw

:cheer: :cheer:

Other Banyan Tree resorts

Phuket,Thailand
nKvSrPHECNM&NR

Hainan, China
CYqEak0d2lw

Maldives
TBK-x3A_JCs

Hope our own version in Palawan will be equally as beautiful as the others featured.

DIdn't Banyan use to own a hotel in the Tagaytay area?

pictures of tourist enjoying their stay in the Philippines.

Hong Kong tourists Kayaking in El Nido
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3576/3321480281_ff9fd9866d.jpg

Hong Kong tourists receive treeplanting certificates in Bohol
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3624/3322311834_66e50e31ce.jpg

I have to comment on the very first page of this thread. A person saying that Tinuy-an falls would put Pagsanjan Falls to shame. My reaction is that before posting comments like this, its better to carefully see the difference and uniqueness of the two. You cannot put down one just to lift up the other, things dont work that way. Pagsanjan Falls has its own uniqueness that makes its attractive to tourist. dont get me wrong, Tinuy-an falls is beautiful it has its own unique beauty and to say that it would put Pagsanjan falls to shame is just not right.

A new chill-out place by the bay

Manila Ocean Park more than giant aquariums

By Erika Sauler
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:20:00 03/28/2009

MANILA, Philippines – There’s a new chill-out place right on the waters of Manila Bay – and soon, aquarium-themed hotel, food museum, jellyfish exhibit and swimming lagoons.

The Manila Ocean Park has launched Sunset Quay, the floating shopping and dining arcade, as a place for families and friends to hang out for free. They also announced in a media night on Wednesday soon-to-open attractions such as Hotel H2O, Makansutra, Jellyfish Bar, and Open Marine Habitat.

The Sunset Quay (pronounced as key), the promenade of the ocean park, offers a great view of the sunset and is lined with restaurants, bars and retail stores. It will also offer live performances such as acrobatic shows and musical entertainment, said vice president for operations Irma Nuevo.

The Manila Ocean Park, behind the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park, opened its oceanarium last year as a tourist and educational facility. The ocean park, a project by the Philippine Tourism Authority with Malaysian and Singaporean investors, houses a wide variety of aquatic species indigenous to Southeast Asia such as sharks, stingrays and invertebrates.

Media practitioners had a taste of what it’s like to hang out at Sunset Quay during its launch as they were offered food and drinks from Ozeano restaurant while enjoying the live band music amid the ocean breeze.

Hotel H2O by China Oceanis Philippines Inc., an aquarium-themed two-story urban resort hotel with huge aquarium walls, will open in August, director for sales and marketing Christopher John Legaspi said.

Guests can choose from three types of its 127 rooms and 20 suites with the Park View facing Rizal Park, the Bay View overlooking Manila Bay, and the Aqua rooms featuring aquarium walls.

Legaspi said the hotel would cater to “creative” guests. “They’re not mere tourists, they’re travelers out to experience culture and bring something unique out of their visits,” he said.

A “50-word story” project will also be published upon the consent of guests who are encouraged to write 50-word articles whenever inspiration strikes during their stay.

For foodies, there’s Makansutra Asian Food Village, a free-admission museum-restaurant that celebrates Asian food history and culture which will showcase various Singaporean, Malaysian, Korean, Indian, Japanese and Chinese dishes.

The Manila Ocean Park will also build two swimming lagoons called Open Marine Habitat where guests can get up close and personal with sea creatures as they wade, snorkel or swim along artificial reefs.

On the other hand, the Jellyfish Bar will feature various sizes, shapes and colors of sea jellies while employing new technology in lighting, music and multimedia effects for an extraordinary visual experience. It is expected to open this June and targeted to be an educational destination by day and a vibrant chill-out place at night.

pictures of tourist enjoying their stay in the Philippines.

Hong Kong tourists Kayaking in El Nido
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3576/3321480281_ff9fd9866d.jpg

Hong Kong tourists receive treeplanting certificates in Bohol
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3624/3322311834_66e50e31ce.jpg

Thats pretty cool man! Its been a long time since I last heard Cantonese when I was in the PI!

^^ Nice! Hope to see more tourists from different parts of the world.

When we were at Coron, Palawan last year, we passed by a boat full of tourists after having visited Barracuda Lake. They were heading to where we just came from. I overheard them speak in Spanish but wasn't sure where they're really from so I asked them their nationality. They said Spanish. My Filipino companions bade them goodbye and wanted to say just "Adios!" but ended up reciting the complete "Mi Ultimo Adios" of the National Hero to the delight of our Spanish guests. :)

^^ Nice! Hope to see more tourists from different parts of the world.

When we were at Coron, Palawan last year, we passed by a boat full of tourists after having visited Barracuda Lake. They were heading to where we just came from. I overheard them speak in Spanish but wasn't sure where they're really from so I asked them their nationality. They said Spanish. My Filipino companions bade them goodbye and wanted to say just "Adios!" but ended up reciting the complete "Mi Ultimo Adios" of the National Hero to the delight of our Spanish guests. :)

I'm amazed...how can your friend still remember the complete Mil Ultimo Adios? :) Habla espanol?

I'm amazed...how can your friend still remember the complete Mil Ultimo Adios? :) Habla espanol?

Friends, Ronnie. Two ladies. They surprised me too. I just know the first line. Both were batchmates in UP so probably from Comm III Class- Speech Communication or PI 100- The Life and Works of Rizal. :dunno:

Government sees P50-billion tourism investments until 2010 (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=453458&publicationSubCategoryId=63)
Paolo Romero
Updated March 30, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Some P50 billion worth of tourism investments, mostly hotels and resorts, would be opened in the country this year until 2010 despite the global economic crisis, according to President Arroyo.

Mrs. Arroyo said the tourism and business process outsourcing industries in the Philippines are among the dollar-earning sectors least affected by the global recession.

She said the tourism industry is growing by an average of 10 percent annually in the last several years and that she expects to inaugurate or open new multi-million dollar hotels and resorts almost monthly in the next two years.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said more than 20 hotels and resorts are opening this year with a total of 2,089 rooms and a value of P50 billion.

“P50 billion is just the value of the properties but if you look at the total value of the tourism investment that came in from 2005 to 2007, that’s about P550 billion,” Durano told reporters.

He said the figures tallied were those from investors that sought fiscal incentives from the government.

“These are multi-billion development projects. Those with less than a billion (pesos), they don’t go to us (Department of Tourism) because they don’t apply for fiscal incentives so what we have counted are the big tickets because they apply for incentives, but the smaller ones, the boutique developments, they don’t come to us, so we don’t even count them in our number of rooms opening up,” Durano said.

He cited the groundbreaking of the international resort chain Banyan Tree of its project in Palawan last week. From an initial $70 million, the company decided to triple its investments to $240 million.

He estimated that more than 8,000 rooms would be available in the next three years.

He said many tourism development projects in the world, including in the region, are put on hold “but in the Philippines, they’re still very gung-ho because they’ve seen our performance in the past five years.”

“They’ve seen the potential for growth in the field now, so when the markets recover, they are already there to take advantage,” Durano said.

He said: “Despite the adverse developments going on, it’s one of the sectors that is still expanding in terms of investment and employment.”

Mrs. Arroyo said international five-star hotels are also set to open in Metro Manila, Cebu and other key cities in the country including the Marriott, Imperial and Raffles hotels.

She said she will immediately sign the Tourism Bill once it reaches her desk. She said the bill would “codify” what the administration is already doing to strengthen the industry, including extending incentives.

Durano said the tourism industry is one of the biggest job generators in the country. He said for every room, a hotel would employ one worker at the minimum. But for five-star to six-star hotels, it goes as high as five employees per room.

He said this is only in terms of direct investments and not counting workers hired by suppliers of the hotels.

Government sees P50-billion tourism investments until 2010 (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=453458&publicationSubCategoryId=63)
Paolo Romero
Updated March 30, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Some P50 billion worth of tourism investments, mostly hotels and resorts, would be opened in the country this year until 2010 despite the global economic crisis, according to President Arroyo.

Mrs. Arroyo said the tourism and business process outsourcing industries in the Philippines are among the dollar-earning sectors least affected by the global recession.

She said the tourism industry is growing by an average of 10 percent annually in the last several years and that she expects to inaugurate or open new multi-million dollar hotels and resorts almost monthly in the next two years.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said more than 20 hotels and resorts are opening this year with a total of 2,089 rooms and a value of P50 billion.

“P50 billion is just the value of the properties but if you look at the total value of the tourism investment that came in from 2005 to 2007, that’s about P550 billion,” Durano told reporters.

He said the figures tallied were those from investors that sought fiscal incentives from the government.

“These are multi-billion development projects. Those with less than a billion (pesos), they don’t go to us (Department of Tourism) because they don’t apply for fiscal incentives so what we have counted are the big tickets because they apply for incentives, but the smaller ones, the boutique developments, they don’t come to us, so we don’t even count them in our number of rooms opening up,” Durano said.

He cited the groundbreaking of the international resort chain Banyan Tree of its project in Palawan last week. From an initial $70 million, the company decided to triple its investments to $240 million.

He estimated that more than 8,000 rooms would be available in the next three years.

He said many tourism development projects in the world, including in the region, are put on hold “but in the Philippines, they’re still very gung-ho because they’ve seen our performance in the past five years.”

“They’ve seen the potential for growth in the field now, so when the markets recover, they are already there to take advantage,” Durano said.

He said: “Despite the adverse developments going on, it’s one of the sectors that is still expanding in terms of investment and employment.”

Mrs. Arroyo said international five-star hotels are also set to open in Metro Manila, Cebu and other key cities in the country including the Marriott, Imperial and Raffles hotels.

She said she will immediately sign the Tourism Bill once it reaches her desk. She said the bill would “codify” what the administration is already doing to strengthen the industry, including extending incentives.

Durano said the tourism industry is one of the biggest job generators in the country. He said for every room, a hotel would employ one worker at the minimum. But for five-star to six-star hotels, it goes as high as five employees per room.

He said this is only in terms of direct investments and not counting workers hired by suppliers of the hotels.

This is one of greatest benefit of investments - the so called 'multiplier effect'. Value of benefit is a lot higher than the actual value of investments because it stimulates growth in other industries- transportation (land, sea and air), construction materials, infrastructure (because of increase demand) and creation of more businesses. They aid in bringing in more employment and tax revenues to the government.

Manila Ocean Park to open 4 new comm’l establishments (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/200783/manila-ocean-park-open-4-new-comm-l-establishments)
By ELISOR L. RECIDE March 30, 2009, 3:47pm


After the successful opening of the state-of-the-art oceanarium, the Manila Ocean Park (MOP) is slated to open four new additional commercial establishments this year and expect to attract more tourists visitors. This was disclosed by Van Kam Weng, MOP general manager and other MOP officials in a media briefing . The four new commercial establishments are: • Promenade, dubbed as the only floating mall in the country, is now open for the public and its free for admission. • The Makansutra-Asian Food Village, an Asian Food Village that celebrates the Asian Food history and culture through a food museum that promotes “Slow Food Movement” is slated to open in May this year. • The Hotel H2O, the first and only aquarium-themed urban hotel in the Philippines is scheduled to open in August this year. • The Jellyfish Bar, an educational destination by day and a unique recreational destination at night for young professional is scheduled to open in June this year. Kam Weng expressed hopes that the new commercial establishments would attract more tourist visitors at the MOP. MOP will continue to invest in the country despite the global economic crisis. Kam Weng said we are confident in the Philippine economy and we continue to invest more in the Philippine tourism related business. MOP vice president for sales and marketing, Armi Ruby Marie H. Cortes explained that the Promenade is an essential part of what makes Manila Ocean Park truly a one stop haven. Aside from the clothing and accessories stores, the Promenade will showcases a unique restaurant row that offers a contemporary culinary cuisine and a breathtaking view of Manila Bay.

Manila Ocean park is really booming! it seems that its trying to compete with Mall of Asia.

Largest travel group hails new tourism act (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20090331-197139/Largest-travel-group-hails-new-tourism-act)

MANILA, Philippines—The country’s biggest travel organization has hailed the passage by Congress of the Tourism Act of 2009—after the legislators heeded the group’s concerns and removed provisions in the bill that would have been onerous to small and medium tour and travel operators.

“We are happy the Senate and House of Representatives acted on our concerns,” said Robert Lim Joseph, chair emeritus of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (Naitas).

The bill is awaiting the signature of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who had certified it as urgent. Its principal authors were Sen. Richard Gordon, chair of the Senate tourism committee, and Rep. Edgar Chatto, House tourism panel chair.

Naitas noted that the final version of the bill omitted provisions—sponsored by the Federation of Tourism Industries of the Philippines (FTIP) and Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA)—that purportedly discriminated against small and medium tour and travel operators.

One provision Naitas opposed would have hotels and other accommodation establishments charge each tourist an additional $5 a night as a “tourism fee.”

Naitas pointed out the provision would price the Philippines out of the tourism map and impose an unnecessary burden on hotels.

It also opposed a provision exclusively giving FTIP and PTAA members representation in tourism bodies to the detriment of other stakeholders.

Joseph said the resulting tourism act was fair and equitable because all operators, regardless of size, would now be consulted on proposed tourism policies and programs, not just the tourism “elite.”

“The important thing is the measure is geared toward nation building to benefit not only the tourism industry but all sectors as well,” he said.

He lauded the law as a tool that would transform Philippine tourism into an engine of growth and development to create jobs and business opportunities.

Joseph also singled out a provision in the act that paves the way for the creation of a culture of tourism in the country, which was started by Gordon when he was tourism secretary.

Naitas has spearheaded the development of a culture of tourism in the private sector since 2000 when it held culture of tourism seminars in the provinces.

“The provinces, down to the barangay level, would benefit if we had a culture of tourism, with our values and attitudes in believing in ourselves, being proud of our culture, history and heritage, and love of place,” said Joseph.

sana more of this around metro manila. yung hop in hop off na jeepneys sobrang mahal. considering the traffic in metro manila, hindi worth it yung 500 pesos for unlimited ride.


Hop-on, hop-off transport launched in Subic

Henry Empeño / Correspondent
Business Mirror
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/regions/8135-hop-on-hop-off-transport-launched-in-subic.html

SUBIC BAY FREE PORT—Travel in the 55,100-hectare free port will now be a breeze this summer with the introduction of a “hop-on, hop-off” bus transportation system.

The first of its kind in the country, the hop-on, hop-off (Hoho) transport system uses a prepaid one-day pass that tourists could buy at designated kiosks for one whole day of unlimited rides aboard any of the “Wow Subic” tourist buses.

The tourist transport system was launched recently by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) in cooperation with WoWCard, a business locator engaged in tourism promotion and marketing, to help local tourists visit more attractions here in one day.

“Like eat-all-you-can, Subic’s hop-on, hop-off transportation system is ride-all-you-can,” said SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza. “And it also comes at a minimal price of P200.”

He said two double-deck buses are now plying regular routes that take visitors around Subic’s central business district, stopping at shopping centers along the way, then moving on to various nature theme parks at the free port’s naval magazine area.

In April, two more buses are expected to complete the fleet, Arreza said.

Arreza said the Hoho transport system here took after Metro Manila’s Wow Sakay Na! vans that ferry tourists to various attractions around the metropolis.

“But here, we have commissioned double-decker buses so that visitors can see the area better and thus make their visit worthwhile,” he added.

“With this system, visitors can just leave their cars at their hotels, and then hop on for a day of hassle-free sightseeing,” Arreza also said.

SBMA deputy administrator for tourism Raul Marcelo said the idea of Hoho is for tourists who usually find themselves at a loss about how to visit all the attractions in Subic in just one or two days.

“This is the most efficient solution,” Marcelo said, adding it would also be the ideal scheme for families and big tourist groups, since they could stay together in one vehicle while touring the area.

“If a tourist wakes up at 9 in the morning and decides to go shopping at the Royal Duty Free Store, for instance, he can take a Hoho bus and return to his hotel using another one later.

Then, if he decides after lunch to go to Zoobic Safari, he can also take that trip with his one-day pass, then ride back to his hotel,” Marcelo explained.

Marcelo added the Hoho buses would provide the usual discounts to senior citizens and students.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/images/stories/Daily_Images/2009/March/03302009/regions-pic01.jpg

i thought they are building an airport in Carabao Island too to service Boracay guests?. they are planning to over saturate boracay ata..

Two international airports to service Boracay

Boracay tourism will further flourish with completion of Kalibo and Caticlan international airports, says PGMA
MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2009 | TOURISM
http://www.gov.ph/news/?i=24029

BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan (PND) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said here today that the tourism industry in the Philippines would further flourish with the completion of two vital infrastructure projects in this province – the soon-to-be-completed Kalibo International Airport (KIA) and the soon-to-be-constructed Caticlan International Airport (CIA).

In a one-on-one interview with Gus Tolentino, Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster (KBP) regional president and station manager of DYRG-AM at the Shangri-la Resort here this morning, President Arroyo said these two airports, once completed, would provide the necessary support needed to further strengthen Boracay Island and the rest of Aklan province as the country’s premiere tourist destination. Both airports would provide tourists and locals alike a more convenient and closer venue to enter and exit Boracay Island.

For the KIA, President Arroyo said upgrades, such as the installation of Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) on the runway and in the control tower, have allowed local and international flights to land at KIA even at night.

She added that the KIA passenger terminal, which is currently undergoing expansion procedures with the construction of a new passenger terminal building, will provide incoming and departing passengers a more comfortable travel experience with its state-of-the-art facilities not to mention easier access to their luggage.

“So, yang Kalibo (International) Airport, matatapos yan sa November (2009) (and with its ILS working to capacity), international flights can now take off and land at night,” the President said.

For CIA, on the other hand, President Arroyo expressed confidence that construction and upgrading procedures would commence immediately since four local and international developers have individually expressed their intent to develop the airport.

“Yang sa Caticlan (International Airport) naman, tiyak na yan kasi may apat o limang bidders na. Pipiliin na lang kung sino,” the President said.

The existing Caticlan airport, officially named Godofredo P. Ramos Airport after the late congressman from Malay town in Aklan, is classified as a feeder airport, one of the two gateways to the world-famous Boracay.

Despite its status, Caticlan is the third busiest airport in the Philippines, with the fifth highest number of passengers and the second highest number of aircraft movement, according to aviation authorities.

^^ Well, hopefully, having an airport at Carabao would open the eyes of the tourists and investors to its potential. Mainland Panay has many other fine beaches too. It's just a matter of marketing.

^^ Well, hopefully, having an airport at Carabao would open the eyes of the tourists and investors to its potential. Mainland Panay has many other fine beaches too. It's just a matter of marketing.

Yes, carabao island should be develop as an alternative to over developed Boracay..

Im afraid baka lumubog na lang Boracay sa sobrang exploitation ng tao at overpopulation...

^^ With two international airports, mainland Aklan should do more to promote itself as a tourism and retirement haven. I've seen white sand beaches along the coasts of Malay and Nabas. The neighboring province of Antique has those white-sand beaches too stretching from Pandan to Libertad. I don't know much about the beaches of Capiz but it prides itself in being the seafood capital of the country. Its seat of government, Roxas, looks gracious and orderly. Something that's conducive for an expat community. On the way home, at the Roxas airport, I saw that more than half of the passengers on the plane were Koreans. Iloilo has its own sleek airport. It is already a cultural, educational and commercial center for the region. An iconic bridge connecting it to peaceful Guimaras would make the tiniest of Region VI's provinces a tourist magnet. Negros' Bacolod and Silay are not to be outdone with their own modern airport. It appears to be experiencing a boom in investments evident in the malls and other commercial establishments that have mushroomed along the airport and seaport's corridor.

Government expects more investments from Europe (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=453928&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio Updated April 01, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The government is expecting more investments from European countries as a 40-man business delegation from Belgium and Spain visited the country and announced they are interested in locating their manufacturing and services operations here.

The Board of Investments (BOI) expressed confidence that the visit will give way to company tie-ups and opportunities to further expand and strengthen the company’s infrastructure network.

Earlier, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) said that there will be more investments from European firms if the government will promote the country better and will amend restrictions in the constitution.

ECCP president Hubert D’Aboville said that there are not enough trade missions to Europe and there are laws such as the restriction on foreign ownership that discourage potential investors.

D’Aboville said now is the time to revive moves to forge a free trade agreement with the European Union in order for the country to sell its goods in a bigger market. He noted that the country is being beaten by neighboring countries like Vietnam and Thailand in terms of foreign direct investment.

He noted that this is because of some government policies that are not conducive to foreign investments like the limitations to foreign land ownership and not allowing foreign professionals to practice here.

In spite of this, he said the country can promote its sunshine industries like tourism, retirement and the business process outsourcing (BPO).

He noted that the tourism industry in the country is underdeveloped. When fully cultivated, he said the multiplier effect of investments here would be big because not only will investors come in to infuse money in hotels, resorts and infrastructures it will also generate employment and income for surrounding industries.

However, D’Aboville said it is difficult to put in big ticket investments in the country because according to the law, foreigners are not allowed to own land in the country.

For the BPO, he said there is not much promotion for Philippine BPOs in Europe. Most companies go to India because the government does not make an effort to invite European firms to transfer their back office operations here.

The retirement, D’Aboville said is a big opportunity for the Philippines because the worldwide recession has forced Europeans to look for places wherein they can get more value for their money.

D’Aboville also said the favorable climate and the friendly nature of the Filipinos make the country conducive for retirement.

i don't think we should allow foreigners to own land in our country. baka dumating ang panahon na ang mga pinoy mismo, wala ng mabiling lupa sa bansa nila.

^^

for me open naman ako sa mga possibilities na yan pero IMO mas mabuti na sa isang lugar lang or special areas lang pwede nilang ma-own 100% ang lupa en vez na buo at kung saan2x lang nila gugustuhin kasi kahit limited lang yan at least we've made our country more attractive to foreign investors yet at the same time protecting the welfare and interest of our people. ;)

i don't think we should allow foreigners to own land in our country. baka dumating ang panahon na ang mga pinoy mismo, wala ng mabiling lupa sa bansa nila.

Agree here.

^^

for me open naman ako sa mga possibilities na yan pero IMO mas mabuti na sa isang lugar lang or special areas lang pwede nilang ma-own 100% ang lupa en vez na buo at kung saan2x lang nila gugustuhin kasi kahit limited lang yan at least we've made our country more attractive to foreign investors yet at the same time protecting the welfare and interest of our people. ;)

Puede rin.

O kaya,

If these foreigners really want to own land and want to stay for good in the country they can easily renounce their foreign citizenship and have them naturalized as Pinoys.

Or just marry a Pinoy:)

^^ The thing is, it's more of the corporate entities who have the purchasing power and impetus to buy land rather than individuals. I agree however that we can't sell a scarce resource and someday ending up with a Philippines being mostly owned by foreigners.

RP dives deeper into the Russian market (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=454607&publicationSubCategoryId=454)
Updated April 03, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Tourism (DOT) further intensifies its stake in the Russian market with its recent mission as official country partner in the Golden Dolphin Festival, Eastern Europe’s largest exhibition on diving and active water recreation.

Held in Gostiny Dvor, Moscow, a few steps away from the Red Square, the Golden Dolphin Festival is Russia’s only specialized diving exhibition that gathers tour operators, wholesalers and buyers, diving schools, videographers, photographers, dive magazine journalists, dealers and equipment distributors, among others.

“Being made into a major partner of a fundamental travel exchange clearly establishes the country as a world-class destination in the Russian tourism market,” said Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

Russia is one of the country’s highest-spending markets and is also a long-staying segment, averaging at two weeks.

It is the top source market in terms of growth with almost 35 percent increase in 2008 compared to the previous year’s.

Certified divers from post-Soviet states number 300,000, and in the years ahead, are projected to reach 900,000, according to the festival organizers.

“With 7,107 islands, we are an underwater paradise that offers more than just diving to our Russian market. We have fishing, yachting, windsurfing, kayaking, and water skiing — more reasons to expand our target in the booming Russian active travel segment,” Durano said.

Undersecretary for Tourism and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr. said, “Our sustained presence and strategic partnerships across all media platforms have helped promote Philippine diving to this region.”

Jarque reported that the DOT has over 150 releases published in the Russian National News Agency via RIA Novosti Network, 3 TV show features on diving, spa and fishing, as well as 3 feature documentaries on Philippine diving and spas, flash banners in 75 popular websites and portals, 7TV Press tour which produced over 15 feature publications in dive and travel magazines, and joint advertising with the Golden Dolphin Group of Companies for 120 billboards featuring the Philippine’s pristine waters.

The event was also an opportunity for the DOT to present its website www.mabuhay.ru to the Russian travel community. The newest addition to the department’s global links, the website in Russian language highlights colourful images of the country’s top tourism products such as diving, windsurfing, adventure package, spa, and island-hopping for the Russian travelers.

“The website is DOT’s official virtual headquarters which will also feature blogs on Philippine cuisine, spa and wellness, and diving, among others, to be moderated by specialists on the Philippines,” added Jarque.

During the event, there was a televised culinary match, where a Filipino chef battled culinary skills with a Russian chef. In the Philippine booth, guests were served local cuisine catered by Wok Studio café, Moscow’s first Filipino restaurant, while the Patiqueros played well-loved Filipino songs.

Verna Buensuceso, DOT Head of Tem Europe, added that aside from diving, spas are increasingly becoming popular to the Russian ladies, “The Argento group, which published the Philippine guidebook in Russia, will come out with a special feature on our country’s best spas.”

The Philippine guidebook has taken the top spot as the best-selling guidebook in Moscow, Buensuceso reported.

Sana matuloy ang mga-asawang Brad at Angelina sa vacation nila sa Boracay. Ang sabi sa news nagpa-reserve daw yung magasawa sa isang resort sa Boracay pero hindi sure kung tutuloy sila. Sana matuloy dahil sigurado media mileage na naman to para sa magandang isla natin.

Banyan Tree to develop Philippines’ premier integrated island resort

Apr 03, 09 | 1:55 am - http://ehotelier.com/hospitality-news/item.php?id=P15938


Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today led the ground breaking ceremony of Isla Diwaran, Philippines' premier integrated island resort in Coron, Palawan. The project is part of a joint venture agreement between Singapore-listed Banyan Tree Holdings Limited ("Banyan Tree" or the "Group") and its partner, Salvador B Zamora II of Tranzen Group. When fully developed, the integrated island resort will feature three resorts, a total of 600 keys, three award-wining spas, a marina and a town centre with full-fledged facilities.

To provide a capital efficient strategy for the Group's investments in the Philippines, Banyan Tree today announced plans to set up the proposed Banyan Tree-Philippines Hospitality Fund ("The Fund") to finance the development of Isla Diwaran, Philippines' premier integrated island resort, and another Banyan Tree resort in the Philippines in a site yet to be identified. This will enable the Group to gain a foothold in the growing Philippine tourism industry, in line with its global expansion plans.

As part of the ceremony, Banyan Tree also signed a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with BPI Capital Corporation and First Metro Investment Corporation, for the joint appointment of the two banks to assist in setting up and raising investment for the proposed Fund. A second MOU was signed with Tranzen Group for the proposed investment into the Fund. The event, which took place on Diwaran island, was also attended by Banyan Tree's Executive Chairman, Ho KwonPing as well as Palawan Governor Joel Reyes and Coron Mayor Marjo Reyes.

Located south of Manila in Palawan Province, Isla Diwaran integrated island resort is about 20 minutes by speedboat from the town of Coron. The sprawling 55-hectare development is surrounded by stretches of white-sand beach in an area known for its coral reefs and diverse marine life, as well as some of the world's best known dive sites.

To introduce its signature brand of Asian hospitality to the Philippines, Banyan Tree will master plan, provide architectural and interior design concepts for the development. This will include Banyan Tree Diwaran, which consists of 100 keys of beach, hill and water villas, and Angsana Diwaran, made up of 200 keys of one- and two-bedroom suites. A third hotel is also being planned. Upon completion, the development will have a total of 600 keys, three award-wining spas, a marina and a town centre with full-fledged recreation facilities, retail and food and beverage outlets. Development costs for the Banyan Tree and Angsana resorts are estimated at more than US$200 million, and the project is targeted to open in 2012.

"We are delighted to have found this ecological haven to plant our first flag in the Philippines. We are especially proud to be working with partners who share our core values and who have taken positive steps towards sustainable tourism and environmental conservation", said Banyan Tree's Executive Chairman, Ho KwonPing.

Since its founding, Banyan Tree has embedded Corporate and Social Responsibility ("CSR") as a core value in its business strategy, and has successfully implemented a host of CSR initiatives across its resorts. Most recently, it was recognised for its ongoing conservation efforts in Bintan island, Indonesia, with Banyan Tree Bintan Conservation Lab winning the 2008 Pacific Asia Travel Association Gold Award (Ecotourism Project category).

Mr Ho added, "We are confident that the Philippines will grow as an important luxury-tourist destination. The integrated resort development of Isla Diwaran heralds the arrival of Palawan as a serious tourism player and a new destination in its own right. We are looking to tap into Philippines' tremendous potential and replicate the success of our flagship Laguna Phuket in Thailand."

The Group has already developed Asia's largest integrated resort in Laguna Phuket spanning seven hotels, a golf course and residential development. A similar project - Laguna Hue - is also being planned in Vietnam.

Banyan Tree will be pushing ahead with its expansion plans this year: Following the soft-opening of Banyan Tree Mayakoba in Riviera Maya, Mexico in March, six more resort and hotel openings are scheduled in China, Indonesia, Mexico, Thailand and the Middle East.


Source: Banyan Tree

Sana matuloy ang mga-asawang Brad at Angelina sa vacation nila sa Boracay. Ang sabi sa news nagpa-reserve daw yung magasawa sa isang resort sa Boracay pero hindi sure kung tutuloy sila. Sana matuloy dahil sigurado media mileage na naman to para sa magandang isla natin.

ngayon pa na binalita sa TV yung pagpunta nila, malabo na silang matuloy since madaming bubulabog sa bakasyon nila. pero sana nga matuloy sila.

Banyan Tree to develop Philippines’ premier integrated island resort

Apr 03, 09 | 1:55 am - http://ehotelier.com/hospitality-news/item.php?id=P15938

and another Banyan Tree resort in the Philippines in a site yet to be identified. This will enable the Group to gain a foothold in the growing Philippine tourism industry, in line with its global expansion plans.



Source: Banyan Tree

wow. hindi pa nagsisimula ang construction ng resort sa palawan, may upcoming project ulit sila. siguro sa Boracay to compete with Shangrila. knowing na luxury resort ito, itatayo lang nila to sa mga lugar na accesible. pwede rin sa Panglao since may itatayong airport ito. Sana more luxury resorts for the country!

Candaba wetlands now top tourist destination (http://mb.com.ph/articles/201398/candaba-wetlands-now-top-tourist-destination)
By FRANCO G. REGALA

The wetlands of Candaba in the province of Pampanga have become top tourist destination – because of the many species of migratory birds that are continuously passing through the town, some coming from other Asian countries.

The Candaba swamps used to be the bane of farmers and residents, because of the year-long floods and rising water levels. Candaba folk have learned to live with it, and now have the migratory birds to thank for.

Because of the birds, the Candaba wetlands have become an important destination for tourists and environmentalists who enjoy bird watching and communing with nature. With the boom in local tourism, come town revenues and job opportunities for residents.

Environmentalists and experts were the first to discover the migratory birds passing through the swamps and flocking in the wetlands, escaping from the cold in China and Taiwan, and on their way south to Cebu and Mindanao, and probably Indonesia and Australia.

Today, April 5, the “Wetlands of Candaba,” the country’s first wetlands information center for wetlands conservation and wildlife protection, will be launched at the TOTAL North Gas Complex, North Luzon Expressway, in Apalit, Pampanga, right after the Candaba Viaduct.

This was announced by Abigail Tomas of G-Star and Ventures and Development Corporation.

Among the guests are Senators Loren Legarda and Bong Revilla Jr., along with Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza. They will be welcomed by Roger Quevedo, G-Star Ventures President, Dr. Candido Cabrido Jr., SCPD president and Mike Lu, WBCP president.

Tomas said this project by G-Star Ventures and Development Corporation, is in partnership with the Society for the Conservation of the Philippine Wetlands, Inc. (SCPD) and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP).

G-Star Ventures hosts TOTAL Gas Station, Bonjour convenience store, popular fast food restaurants, and clean restrooms for the convenience of northbound motorists. Just located after the Candaba Viaduct, this property also serves as a refuge for some of the country’s migratory, endemic, and local birds.

The area sits at the edge of the Candaba Swamp, 300 hectare complex of freshwater ponds, swamps and marshes that serve as a bird sanctuary. TOTAL Gas Complex provides a glimpse of the protected area, Tomas said.

Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo is among the first officials advocating for wildlife conservation and bird watching especially in Candaba. He convinced then Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye to give it a try.

Migratory birds fly down south from September to December every year to escape the harsh winter in China, Siberia, Alaska and other places. These migratory species fly thousands of miles every day to seek shelter and one of their destinations is the Philippines.

After the Candaba wetlands, their next stop is Cebu. Migratory birds are monitored passing by Olango Island, in Lapu-Lapu City.

Atienza said the migratory birds are known to feed in Candaba Swamps in Pampanga, Iloilo, Bicol, Ormoc Bay and in Cagayan de Oro City in Mindanao.

May tourist visa kaya itong mga birdie na to? baka kung anong gagawin nila rito itlog doon itlog dito:D:D:D ipot doon ipot dito:D

i don't if this has been posted before. Boracay is #26 in the New York Time's list of 44 places to visit in 2009!

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/01/11/travel/20090111_DESTINATIONS.html

Guys pwede pong magtanong?
Tungkol po sa procedure ng renewal ng Filipino Passport sa abroad (Paris)?
Nagparenew po kasi ako noong wednesday?
Nagbayad po ako ng 101 euros (6000 pesos) para daw sa
Passport=50 euros
Telex=26 euros
affidavit=25 euros (Kailangan daw kasi issued sa Manila?)

Tapos two months pa daw po makukuha yung passport? Normal lang ba po yung presyo?
parang sobrang mahal at sobrang tagal.

Salamat po.

i don't if this has been posted before. Boracay is #26 in the New York Time's list of 44 places to visit in 2009!

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/01/11/travel/20090111_DESTINATIONS.html

Thanks for posting this article. :cheers:

Guys pwede pong magtanong?
Tungkol po sa procedure ng renewal ng Filipino Passport sa abroad (Paris)?
Nagparenew po kasi ako noong wednesday?
Nagbayad po ako ng 101 euros (6000 pesos) para daw sa
Passport=50 euros
Telex=26 euros
affidavit=25 euros (Kailangan daw kasi issued sa Manila?)

Tapos two months pa daw po makukuha yung passport? Normal lang ba po yung presyo?
parang sobrang mahal at sobrang tagal.

Salamat po.

Saan ka ba nag pa renew sa embassy ng Filipinas sa Paris kasi yong sister in law ko nag pa renew rin ng passport sa consulate sa San Francisco pero nakuha din agad nila yong passport hinde ko lang alam kung magkano yong ibinayad sa renewal fee.

sa pinagdadaanan ng economy ngayon, hindi na talaga sulit pa mag-stay sa mamahaling hotel kung ang balak mo naman ay maglibot at mag-sightseeing the whole day. kaya siguro pati robinsons at SM nagbabalak magtayo ng mga budget hotels nila..

Phinma’s hospitality arm looking for sites for 16 more hotels

THE PHINMA GROUP is on the lookout for sites on which to build branches of Microtel Inns & Suites, noting that demand for budget hotels remains high.

The local holder of the Microtel Inns & Suite franchise wants to open 16 more branches within the next two years. — www.microtelphilippines.com

In an interview, Jose Mari R. del Rosario, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Phinma unit Microtel Inns & Suite Pilipinas, Inc., said the company wants to open at least 16 more in two years. Among the sites the company being considered are the cities of Dagupan, Angeles, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, and Naga.

"We are still cautious but we remain confident on domestic tourism," Mr. del Rosario said.

Data from the Tourism department show that "economic" hotels have bucked declining occupancy rates among the four hotel categories in Metro Manila, going up by half a percentage point to 62.3% last year.

In contrast, the average occupancy rate for de luxe hotels went down to 70.1% from 73.8% in 2007. The occupancy rate of first-class hotels tumbled to 69% last year from 75.9% the previous year. For standard hotels, the rate slipped to 70.8% last year from the 71.8% in 2007.

"This is proof that we are in the right market. We only charge $35 to $40 per night," said Ramon R. del Rosario, Jr., president and CEO of Philippine Investment Management, Inc. or Phinma.

Microtel’s Jose Mari R. del Rosario said the total project cost for each hotel is around P85 million or P1.8 million per room.

It takes around 10 months to complete a Microtel, he said.

The company already has nine branches with the opening of a hotel in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the Phinma hospitality arm’s first beachfront hotel.

Mr. del Rosario said construction has begun for the 10th Microtel in the country, which will be in the SM Mall of Asia complex. This will be the first Microtel in Metro Manila.

Microtel has branches in Baguio, Sto. Tomas in Batangas, Boracay, Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija, General Trias in Cavite, Davao, Mactan in Cebu, and Luisita in Tarlac.

Except for Mactan and the future hotel at the SM Mall of Asia complex designed for 160 and 150 rooms, respectively, most Microtels branches have an average of 50 to 60 rooms.

"Baguio and Batangas have a 90% occupancy rate while Tarlac and Cavite are a bit weaker," Mr. del Rosario said.

All Microtels in the country are managed by the Phinma group’s Microtel Development Corp. The company is the franchise holder of the Atlanta-based Microtel Inns & Suites hotel chain.

Brisk business in the hotel segment has prompted the Gokongweis’ Robinsons Land Corp. to venture into economic hotels. It plans to target businessmen and backpackers. — Kristine Jane R. Liu

I agree on her statement. napaka-baba pa ng tourist arrivals ng Pilipinas. we have no way but to go up.. mataas naman talaga ang demand ng tourists sa pinas its just that kulang lang talaga tayo sa infra at hotel rooms, now that they are addressing the problem specially on hotel rooms, siguro naman tataas or mamaintain man lang yung tourist visitors. :banana:

Tourism weathering the crisis

PHILIPPINE TOURISM has so far been weathering the effects of the global economic crisis despite a drop in the number of tourists in other countries in the region.

Ma. Paz R. Alberto, president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), said in a phone interview over the weekend that the industry expects to continue to grow.

"We are blessed because if there is a global downturn in tourism, it’s not yet noticeable. In fact, we are blessed because we will continue to have positive growth [sic] which is different from what is happening in other countries in the region," said Ms. Alberto.

She added that tourism figures of the Philippines can only go up because "we have not yet reached the maximum number of tourists, unlike countries like Malaysia."

The United Nations World Tourism Organization said in a recent report that "tourism plays a crucial role in the creation of employment, which is especially important during the current economic crisis."

Tourism Xecretary Joseph H. Durano said that the resilience of Philippine tourism can provide jobs for about 3,000 Filipinos this year.

"This year alone, 14 multi billion peso hotel/resort projects will open, directly employing 3,000 Filipinos. Aside from this, there are 6,000 new hotel/ resort rooms under construction employing thousands of construction workers and slated to open in 2010 and 2011," Mr. Durano said in a mobile "text message" yesterday.

Ms. Alberto attributes the continued growth of tourism to the diverse tourism attractions of the country. She said that markets such as medical and wellness tourism, ecotourism, education and tourism sites bring a wide variety of visitors to the country.

"That’s why we package tours in tandem with our other offerings like pairing a golf package with wellness, because the wives of golfers who do not play golf want to go to the spa." — ENJD

Welcome the new breed of tour guides (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=goodLife1_april2_2009)

Thirty-something Veronica Go loves traveling. She finds every place a new cause for exploration, a discovery that shouldn’t be kept hidden from everyone. Her top tourist spot? The Philippines, of course.

Brian Ocampo, 29, feels the same. He loves his country so much he thinks it is his sacred duty to tell the world of its beauty, a responsibility he means to do exceptionally well.

Go, an aspiring fashion designer, and Ocampo, a BPO employee, are the new (and first-ever) recruits of Mabuhay Guides, the latest brainchild of Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano. The program aims to produce a new breed of tour guides that are not only professional but internationally competitive and savvy, as well. The six-week seminar program, headed by Travel Time host Susan Calo-Medina, is facilitated by some of the country’s National Artists, foremost lecturers and professors.

“When we look at tourism, the first thing that comes to mind when we invest is the physical infrastructure, the hotels, airports, but essentially, part of the experience, the positive experience anyway, is really the tour guide that you were fortunate or unfortunate enough to be assigned with,” says Durano during a speech at the Mabuhay Guides graduation rites held at Almacenes Reales, Fort Santiago, on March 30.

According to Durano, tour guides are among the most important frontline service providers similar to flight attendants in airlines or frontdesk personnel in hotels. They provide an initial glimpse of what the country has to offer.

“Tourists will have a few chances of meeting the people [in each destination],” says Eduardo Jarque Jr., undersecretary for tourism planning and promotions. “They [tour guides] will be the key to breaking the ice among the Filipinos these tourists will meet. The tour guides will be the tip of the iceberg. And we have prepared nothing but the best.”

More than a hundred hopefuls applied for the six-week intensive program. Out of that number, only 21 were chosen. The selection was spearheaded by the tourism chief himself, along with Jarque, Victoria Jasmin, director at the Office of Tourism Standards; and Benito Bengzon, tourism attaché and head of DoT’s Team Japan. Lecturers like National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario (Philippine literature), Eric Torres (art), Flor Hornedo (Philippine history), and Felipe de Leon Jr. (Philippine cultural identity) taught these participants in the different areas of communication arts, personality development, first aid, and protocolar training.

Guides from London

The Tourism Department also invited Nicola Godfrey-Evans and Roger Rajah from the prestigious London Blue Badge to teach these new breed of tourist guides some of the nitty-gritty of the profession.

Evans and Rajah trained for two years in London encapsulating their experiences into bite-sized, informative lesson that applicants would digest in three-days. Evans and Rajah taught basics like making eye-contact, minimizing hand gestures and standing in strategic spots.

“They are extremely bright students,” says Evans, a guide with 32 years of experience. “They’ve been very carefully selected. They are very fast learners. We [Evans and Rajah] both train [other tour guides] a lot, over the past 20 years or so, and we found [the Filipinos] among the fastest learning students we have come across. Probably because they are young so they have fantastic memories. Guiding is all about a combination of information and entertainment and that’s a message that we are trying to get across.”

The applicants had to pass written and practical to graduate. On March 30, the new tour guides were presented to the key players in the industry, members of the press, their professors and mentors alike through an intimate graduation ceremony. Prior to that, they also signed a contract with the DoT, certifying them as accredited Philippine tour guides.

“Every month we have a group of either travel media or tour operator or travel wholesalers and these are the opinion makers and the word that they [tour guides] will spread will make or break us,” concludes Durano.

I created this thread 4 months ago in the Travel & Geography forum to promote the philippines.

(Some damn Breathtaking) Philippines Travel Pictures
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=759378

Common guys and girls, contribute to the thread (Some damn Breathtaking) Philippines Travel Pictures. Anybody can post, but you must only post good quality philippine pictures. You can even repost philippine pictures found from Philippine Travel and Tourism Industry Thread, Hotels and Resorts in the Philippines Thread, Philippine Beach Destinations Thread and so on.

Post Philippine pictures to this link
(Some damn Breathtaking) Philippines Travel Pictures
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=759378

The thais, the malaysians, the indonesians, the europeans promote there countries why not you filipinos promote the Philippines through pictures.

World Wakeboarding Chmapionship Pics

http://www.camsurwatersportscomplex.com/photo_album/main.php?cmd=image&var1=Guest+Photos%2F2009%2FRiders+for+2009+Worlds+-+March+23%2C+2009%2F1+%2811%29.JPG&var2=0_85_cwc_large.png_RD

http://www.camsurwatersportscomplex.com/photo_album/main.php?cmd=image&var1=Guest+Photos%2F2009%2FRiders+for+2009+Worlds+-+March+23%2C+2009%2F1+%2817%29.JPG&var2=0_85_cwc_large.png_RD

http://www.camsurwatersportscomplex.com/photo_album/main.php?cmd=image&var1=Guest+Photos%2F2009%2FRiders+for+2009+Worlds+-+March+23%2C+2009%2F1+%2837%29.JPG&var2=0_85_cwc_large.png_RD

http://www.camsurwatersportscomplex.com/photo_album/main.php?cmd=image&var1=Guest+Photos%2F2009%2FRiders+for+2009+Worlds+-+March+23%2C+2009%2F1+%2856%29.JPG&var2=0_85_cwc_large.png_RD


http://www.camsurwatersportscomplex.com/photo_album/main.php?cmd=image&var1=Guest+Photos%2F2009%2FRiders+for+2009+Worlds+-+March+23%2C+2009%2F1+%2861%29.JPG&var2=0_85_cwc_large.png_RD

http://www.camsurwatersportscomplex.com/photo_album/main.php?cmd=image&var1=Special+Events%2FAwarding+Party+for+2009+Wakepark+World+Championships+03-29-09%2FIMG_9433.jpg&var2=0_85_cwc_large.png_RD

http://www.camsurwatersportscomplex.com/photo_album/main.php?cmd=image&var1=Special+Events%2FSpring+Fever+Masquerade+Ball+03-28-09%2F_MG_0219.jpg&var2=0_85_cwc_large.png_RD

Originally posted by Naga_boy at Naga thread

cool pics...CAMSUR has gone a long way.....:)

nice naman dun..

ang layo na talaga ng narating ng Cam Sur!:banana:

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By BETH DAY ROMULO (http://mb.com.ph/articles/201799/selling-philippines-european-tourists)
April 8, 2009, 5:02pm

The other day I had occasion to speak with a Swiss national, Beat Studer, who is on his seventh visit to the Philippines. Why does he return? "I really love the Filipino people, he said simply.

The odyssey started a decade ago, when he was purchasing an interior decorating shop in Lucerne, and decided he would make a round-the-world trip before taking it over. The seller, however, insisted he take it in three months time — which didn't allow time enough for the trip he envisioned. It was the Filipino wife of a Swiss friend, living in Lucerne, who suggested he go to a warm climate, and filled him in with information about the Philippines.

"In Switzerland, we don't know about the Philippines," he commented ruefully.

He is not the first or only European to tell me that the Philippines is not promoted widely as a tourist destination in Europe. Not like Thailand, which, regardless of whatever political instability they are going through, gets a constant stream of tourists. I asked a friend who visits Thailand regularly, what the Thais do that we do not. "In the first place they have wonderful infrastructure," she said, "and when the political scene looks forbidding, the hotels slash their prices and advertise incredible bargains. $30 a night at a five star hotel." Who can resist that?

Besides the lack of tourist information to promote the Philippines, another point that Mr. Studer brought up, is the gradual deterioration that he has observed over seven years in our two World Heritage sites — The Banaue rice terraces and the grand old houses in Vigan. "The local people leave, move away, and no one takes care of them." He also decried the change from leaf-thatched roofs to tin roofs on the native houses in Banaue. "The leaves make the house cool in the day, and warm at night," he observed, "while tin does the reverse — making the house hot in the day and cold, at the altitude, at night." The reason, I was told when I checked Banaue historian Jill de Villa was the likelihood of fires. "Grass burns."

But Mr. Studer keeps coming back. He has found friends here, and is often a houseguest in Manila. On his first trip to Vigan he was looking for a place to stay and found a beautiful old house which also serves as a hotel, with three bedrooms to rent. The owner told him proudly that the room he stayed in was the one Tom Cruise chose when he was in Vigan on location, shooting "Born on the Fourth of July."

Perhaps Hollywood knows more about what the Philippines has to offer than Europe. When he visited Pagsanjan he was told he was traversing the area used by the cast of "Apocalypse Now."

The Philippines is doing a good job with regional and domestic tourism, attracting visitors from neighboring Asian countries, and different provinces in the Philippines. And perhaps that is what should be focused upon in these bad financial times. But the Philippines has so much to offer foreign guests — great diving sites, bird-watching, good hotels on the beach fronts. And all the history that goes with it — from Spanish Intramuros to World War II's last Philippine outpost on Corregidor, with a Sound and Light show in Malinta tunnel that equals anything in Europe, and the actual standing remains of military barracks, instead of merely cemeteries.

Like Mr. Studer, there are a lot of Europeans that, once here, would wish to return. Former Tourism Secretary, Senator Richard Gordon, has recently authored a bill, The Tourism Act of 2009, which, if signed into law, would regulate and promote tourism, establish tourism areas, and provide for the necessary infrastructure. Combined with international promotion, that would help attract the European market.

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wow! ang ganda ng mga videos na to! sikat na sikat na talaga yang camsur na yan! iba na talaga ang bicol ngayon ah! buhay na buhay!

ask ko lang, ang french survivor ba ang nagopen up sa tourism potential ng camsur to the rest of the world? ;)

^^I guess so. Since the French Survivor, tourist arrival continues to grow. Actually, there are four other Survivors planned to be shot there. I just forgot the countries.

^^
is that true? wow! hanep ah! mabuhay ang bikol! mabuhi ang bikol! :cheers:

Guys pwede pong magtanong?
Tungkol po sa procedure ng renewal ng Filipino Passport sa abroad (Paris)?
Nagparenew po kasi ako noong wednesday?
Nagbayad po ako ng 101 euros (6000 pesos) para daw sa
Passport=50 euros
Telex=26 euros
affidavit=25 euros (Kailangan daw kasi issued sa Manila?)

Tapos two months pa daw po makukuha yung passport? Normal lang ba po yung presyo?
parang sobrang mahal at sobrang tagal.

Salamat po.

wahhh.. ang mahal nman pla sa Paris magparenew ng passport kala dito na sa Singapore pinakamahal. halos 3k inabot yun parenew ko ng passport dito sa SG and the following day mo makukuha yun passport minsan pwede mo hintayin yun bago mo passport. newei, dapat tinanong mo sa embassy kung bakit ganun katagal yun processing. mukhang hndi normal yun unless sa Pinas ka magparenew.

cam sur has gone a loooong way. this just proves that anything can be done if you have vision plus action. congrats to lray villafuerte, and all the people of camsur.

^^Indeed! Lray has made his vision into reality! He has very innovative ideas which he's not afraid to materialize.

wahhh.. ang mahal nman pla sa Paris magparenew ng passport kala dito na sa Singapore pinakamahal. halos 3k inabot yun parenew ko ng passport dito sa SG and the following day mo makukuha yun passport minsan pwede mo hintayin yun bago mo passport. newei, dapat tinanong mo sa embassy kung bakit ganun katagal yun processing. mukhang hndi normal yun unless sa Pinas ka magparenew.

that too much here in riyadh, saudi aabia i only paid the equivalent of 2,000 pesos ata and since bago nang yong passport nating machine readable passport magagaling pa daw sa pinas kaya it takes 4 - 6 weeks bago mo makuha...... date it take only one day to get it the old type of passport

RP tourist traffic up despite global crisis (http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20090411-198787/RP-tourist-traffic-up-despite-global-crisis)

First-quarter indicators show an increase in tourist traffic in the country, a sign that the sector has not been seriously affected by the global recession, the Department of Tourism said.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said data from airlines and other transport players show that more and more foreign and local tourists are traveling to and within the Philippines.

“We are confident that despite the challenges, we can expect a big volume of arrivals this year, as already indicated by initial reports of our partner stakeholders in the transport sector,” Durano said.

According to the official, Cebu Pacific reported an increase of 28 percen in passenger volume to 1.98 million in the first quarter of the year from last year’s data.

The Philippine Airlines, on the other hand, has opened new local and overseas routes. New schedules in summer destinations like Boracay and Busuanga were added; the airline also opened new routes to Vancouver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

In the shipping industry, Europe’s premier cruise company, Costa Cruises, has announced the launch of its new ship that will include the Philippines in its route, Durano said.

Costa Cruises recently debuted Costa Classica to double its voyages in Asia. The shipping company is also set to replace Costa Allegra, which started its Asian cruise line in 2006, in 2010 with an even bigger vessel called the Costa Romantica.

Costa Classica will be calling at Manila in October, targeting a 43 percent increase in scheduled port of calls to the country over the last year.

Durano also noted that the Tourism department is in talks with another cruise company, Holland America Line, to put the country in its itinerary.

“We are exploring proposals with MS Volendam to augment the frequency of their trips to the country, as they carry European tourists mostly from the high-spending segment,” Durano noted.

MS Volendam, a ship owned by Holland America, will dock in Manila sometime in April, as part of its 47-day Orient and Alaska voyage.

Last year, 3.14 million tourists visited the Philippines. The Tourism department said the sector is expected to buck the economic slowdown that dragged other industries in 2009, noting that investments continue to pour in and arrivals continue to flow.

=================================================================

Woohoo! The Philippines will be one of the port-of-calls in the cruising itineraries of the major cruiselines! :banana:

Romantic Island is a light romantic drama which was shown in Korean theaters last Christmas 2008. The movie features scenes from Manila and Boracay, Philippines. Actors: Lee Seon-gyoon, Lee Soo-kyeong, Lee Min-ki and Eugene (Yoo Jin Kim).

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wow cruise line stopping in Manila, even more of an incentive to clean and beautify Manila. make it really tropical and green and more Filipino native structures around the metro.

Thanks for the movie link @Bledzoe :cheers:

Thanks for the movie link @Bledzoe :cheers:

my pleasure!:cheers:

Tourist traffic up, reports Durano (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20090413-199007/Tourist-traffic-up-reports-Durano)
By Kristine L. Alave

MANILA, Philippines—First quarter indicators are that tourist traffic in the country has risen, a sign the sector has not been seriously affected by the global recession, according to the Department of Tourism.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said data from airlines and other transport players indicated more foreign and local tourists were traveling to and around the Philippines.

“We are confident that despite the challenges, we can expect a big volume of arrivals this year, as indicated by initial reports from our partner stakeholders in the transport sector,” Durano said.

He said Cebu Pacific Air reported an increase of 28 percent in passenger volume to 1.98 million in the first quarter of the year from last year.

Philippine Airlines, on the other hand, has opened new local and overseas routes. The airline now flies to prime domestic tourist destinations like Boracay and Busuanga. PAL has also opened routes to Vancouver, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Europe’s premier cruise company, Costa Cruises, has announced the launch of a new ship that will include the Philippines on its route, Durano said.

Costa Cruises recently debuted the Costa Classica to double the number of its voyages in Asia.

taken from Naga and Camarines Sur thread:

Bicol agro-tourism hub offers ‘pick-your-own-vegetable’ treat (http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Tourism_24/Bicol_agro-tourism_hub_offers_pick-your-own-vegetable_treat.shtml)

BAAO, Camarines Sur, April 14 (PNA) — A four-hectare agro-tourism hub along the national highway here is not only a leisure farm where one can find respite and take time to commune with nature but a “pick-your-own-vegetable” organic food production base.

Under this treat, visitors of the La Huerta De los Santos farm in Barangay Sta. Teresita of this prime farming town some 20 kilometers northeast of Naga City can harvest for themselves the vegetables of their choice that they wanted to buy at farm gate prices either for take home or cook them fresh for dining.

Vegetable varieties available on seasonal basis are bitter gourd (ampalaya), white gourd (upo), string beans, eggplant, tomato, okra, squash and several other high-value food crops grown through organic farming.

Also available are herbal and ornamental plants planted all over the artistically designed landscape and inter-cropped with mix varieties of shade and fruit-bearing trees providing lush vegetation all over the place that serves as a preserved area of nature.

Although located just along the busy Maharlika Highway, the rich vegetation and diverse crops - a mix of food crops, ornamental and herbal plants planted all over the place make tourists and visitors think that they are in some far away rural barangay.

This one of a kind farm was single-handedly developed and being run by Bernadette de los Santos who was once a medical sales representative, a teacher and an artist.

“This venture is not only fun and enjoyable. It gives you a sense of appreciation of the bounty and wonders of farming and nature", De los Santos said on Monday as explained why she developed interest in farming even as it was not her line of education and experience.

De los Santos holds degrees in business administration and education from Ateneo de Manila University and her first employment after graduation was as a medical representative for a prestigious pharmaceutical firm in Metro Manila.

She later on accepted a teaching career offered by a posh private elementary school in the metropolis but cut short her stint with it when she was enticed by a relative to migrate of London where she worked for a while.

She then went to the US and after passing board examinations for teachers in California and Oregon, she pursued her teaching career there.

While in the US, she dabbled in water color painting as a hobby she took seriously and mounted an exhibit of her works at the Walter Lee Avery Gallery in Seattle City, Monterey California.

Part of her pastimes in the US was visiting and observing farm activities at the vast agricultural farms in Salinas, California which is considered the "salad bowl" of the USA.

De los Santos said, she was amazed by the productivity of the highly mechanized vegetable farms. She also visited various ornamental gardens.

It was then that she developed keen interest on farming and when she returned home to here, Delos Santos said she developed the four-hectare family farm which had been left idle for sometime into something productive.

She started planting ornamental plants as she planned to go into landscaping business, which is getting popular. As she believes that business should be a hands-on thing, she began reading about and started attending seminars and trainings on landscaping, plant nursery management and gardening.

She also attended seminars and trainings on gardening and landscaping at the Technology Resource Center in Manila.

After which she started buying mother plants and with an initial capitalization of P50,000, she started her landscaping business applying her fine artistic and culture sense.

She utilized a portion of her farm for the techno-demo of the hybrid tomato (Diamante variety) of the East-West Seeds company and using organic fertilizer, she harvested an average of 111 kilos of tomatoes per harvest and earned an income of about P17,000.

The lady farmer since then became an advocate of organic farming as she set up a compost pit in a portion of her farm where grasses, rice hull, leaves and other farm wastes are decomposed and later used as fertilizer.

The rest of the farm was planted to other variety of vegetable that now serve as her pick-your-own-vegetable treat to visitors and tourists coming around.

"I patterned this 'pick-your-own vegetable' that is widely practiced in the US where buyers or consumers buy directly from the farm and harvest the vegetables of their choice so that they themselves are given the chance to appreciate the wonders of farming as I do", De los Santos said.

She also expresses joy over the fact that farmers in her neighborhood have also followed after her. They have started planting tomatoes and other vegetables-utilizing the once vacant lots under coconut.
Her innovativeness and receptiveness has been acknowledged by her fellow farmers in the municipality and she was elected president of the Organized Vegetable Areas (OVA) in the municipality. (PNA)

RP slips in 2009 travel, tourism competitiveness
Top News
Written by Cai Ordinario / Reporter
Wednesday, 04 March 2009 21:59

DESPITE maintaining the same 3.7 score it posted in 2008, the Philippines slipped five notches in the 2009 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR) released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Wednesday.

The 2009 TTCR, with the theme “Managing in a Time of Turbulence,” showed the country now ranked 86th from 81st last year. The 2009 ranking of the Philippines was the same as its ranking in 2007. There were 133 economies included this year.

In the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines ranked 16th overall out of 25 economies.

The WEF said the 2009 report reflected the many difficulties the industry currently faces, which must be overcome to ensure strong sectoral growth. The report also explored issues such as the impact of oil prices on the tourism industry, the importance of price competitiveness for attracting tourists, and the extent to which the TTCI explains differences in travel intensity between countries.

“Our study aims to measure the factors that make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism industry of individual countries. [High] rankings 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 for fostering an environment that is attractive for developing the travel and tourism sector,” said senior economist Jennifer Blanke of the WEF’s Global Competitiveness Network, in a statement.

The areas that remain challenges for the Philippines include the protection of property rights, rules related to foreign investment and the difficulty of starting a business in the country.

Other matters of concern are safety and security where the Philippines ranked 113th, health and hygiene levels, 87th, and transport, tourism, ICT infrastructure that require significant upgrades.

The Philippines’ strengths, on the other hand, are natural resources, ranking 23rd for the number of World Heritage natural sites; and 40th for having the total known fauna and flora species in the world.

The report also said the Philippines benefits from excellent price competitiveness where it was ranked 16th overall, particularly hotel prices and low ticket taxes and airport charges.

The overall ranking was based on the scores in three subindices, travel and tourism regulatory framework, business environment and infrastructure, and human, cultural, natural resources.

The three subindices, in turn, are based on the scores of countries in the “12 pillars” measuring a country’s competitiveness in travel and tourism—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, ICT infrastructure, price competitiveness in the industry, human resources, affinity for travel and tourism, natural resources and cultural resources.


here the link for the full report

http://www.weforum.org/documents/TTCR09/index.html

So far so good. (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=457610&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco Updated April 15, 2009 12:00 AM

I just got back from a trip to Singapore and Penang and it seems that Asians take their difficulties better than the Westerners. It was obvious that the global financial crisis has affected the Singaporeans and the Malaysians but they are carrying it off a lot better… none of the whining you feel in a Western city. It is business as usual in these Asian cities and the taxi drivers and other common folks are as confident and optimistic about the future as one could be at these times.

As for the Philippines, no one knows how to bear a crisis better than us. We know how to survive these things in our patented easy going ways. And sometimes, it is precisely our easy going ways that make us late for the parties but save us from the trouble that too much partying brings. How else can one explain our seeming good fortune compared with our neighbors in the region?


There was a time when we were envious of the high economic growth rate enjoyed by some of our Asean neighbors with so-called tiger economies. Well… not anymore… at least I didn’t get that feeling any more and for good reasons. A fairly recent paper (dated April 3) of UBS Investment Research should give us plenty of reasons to feel good about our pussy cat economy and maybe to commiserate with our previously high achieving dragon economy neighbors.

The Philippines economy, UBS Research observed, has performed relatively well in recent months. “Firstly real GDP actually grew 1 percent on the quarter (seasonally adjusted) in the final quarter of 2008 against a contraction in every other Southeast Asian economy. Secondly Philippine FX and bond markets have performed relatively well during a period of extraordinary turmoil.”

It is because, UBS Research pointed out, our “relatively limited financial and trade vulnerabilities.” The Philippines’ limited financial vulnerabilities reduce the chance of a risk event that might push the Philippine economy off the rails, the Swiss bank reassures.

The paper showed that the higher the financial vulnerability, the greater the tendency for GDP to fall sharply in the face of the financial market turbulence of late 2008. “It also appears to be the case that the more export orientated Asian economies have experienced a greater shock for a given financial risk score.”

This is why our situation is better than the rest. “With a comparatively low export to GDP ratio and a relatively slight financial risk score, the Philippines was somewhat insulated from the financial shock that hit the globe and the trade shock that hit Asia.”

Just like many of us skeptics, the UBS research paper also wondered why we seem to be just getting along fine. “To be sure, one can argue that the Philippines’ performance may be a little too good to be true. We suspect that when the dust settles and Philippine Q4 growth is put in the context of the (likely lower) growth rate in Q1, the performance will look less positive.”

“But,” the study continued, “the key point is that the Philippines economy may avoid the extent of the contraction seen in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. In particular the changes in the Philippines economy that led to a low financial risk score – subdued domestic credit growth, the rise in the current account surplus and the related fall in the fiscal deficit – have combined to allow an almost virtuous feedback loop where domestic and external financial stability enabled relatively real economy stability which in turn supported the FX and bond markets.”

Where do we go from here?

The UBS paper expects “slower Philippines growth going forward, and the peso remains at risk from meaningful deterioration in the current account or fiscal balances. We do not anticipate such a deterioration at this stage. Nonetheless, remittance flows, the trade balance and the fiscal balance will be important signposts in coming months.”

UBS expects the peso to be at P48 to the USD at the end of 2009. “Despite the financial market turmoil of the last year, the peso has essentially performed in line with the ringgit and the Singapore dollar, while significantly outperforming the Indonesian rupiah against the US dollar.”

UBS thinks the level of remittances has fallen, but “are clearly not plummeting in the same way as regional trade.” The paper warns that the decline in GDP globally must mean that declines in employment in Asia and further a field should be expected. This in turn will weigh on remittances. UBS is assuming a five percent average decline in remittances, but acknowledge a larger decline is possible.

UBS finally warned that “if the some of the improvement in Philippines financial vulnerability is not to be undone the National Government’s fiscal policy must be seen as sustainable. We expect the fiscal deficit to rise to 2.6 percent of GDP or 200bn pesos, wider than the government projection of 2.2 percent of GDP. In our view this is sustainable ...”

UBS expects “real GDP growth will slip below two percent in 2009 remains in place, with a point forecast of 1.8 percent.” We may feel good about our economy in comparison with our neighbors but as UBS points out, “there is no question that the trade and financial market shock of recent quarters is impacting the Philippines.”

UBS thinks “the outlook for fixed investment and OFW employment prospects are not bright. Nonetheless, it seems increasingly likely that the Philippines may have avoided the worst of the shock.”

Just as I said… so far… so good!

Penang

Penang is an island state of Malaysia on the Andaman Sea side. It is 80 percent Chinese in terms of ethnicity and probably has more in common with Singapore than the rest of peninsular Malaysia. When Intel established a base in Malaysia, it selected Penang. So did a number of other semiconductor firms.

Penang was an important trading post in the East India/British crown days. Today, tourism is an important industry for Penang (as with the island of Langkawi a little further north) and for good reasons. The people are a natural to this kind of business and the island is endowed with interesting natural beauty that tourists look for. And both Penang and Langkawi benefit from established tourism infrastructure and a highly integrated tourism marketing campaign that does not change whimsically with every change of a tourism minister.

I first visited the island way back in 1969, as part of a student group from UP on an exchange visit with our counterpart student leaders from the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. We took a school bus up North from KL and visited Penang. We had to take a ferry because the bridge that connects the island to the mainland didn’t happen until 1986.

Today, Penang is a far cry from the Penang I first saw. I was amazed to see feverish construction activity on the island when I visited it last week. I wondered if there are enough rich people to buy all those luxury condominiums and I was consistently assured that there is a strong market. More astonishingly, I was told the buyers are mostly island residents rather than rich folks from KL who want a vacation place away from the city.

Indeed, if prosperity can be measured by the severity of the traffic jams, Penang’s claim to riches is instantly validated. But then again, I was told that while the island has the largest concentration of cars in Malaysia per square kilometer, lack of road infrastructure is a better explanation for the traffic jams. I can understand that… coming from a metropolis suffering from the same malady.

We stayed at the Golden Sands Resort, a Shangri-la hotel that is a very poor version of our own Mactan Shangri-la resort. My son got a good deal for our room on the Internet but I must say I expected more from a Shangri-la property. Maybe it needs upgrading in terms of the physical plant and the service. I am happy to report it is nowhere near our own Mactan Shang.

I am convinced more than ever that we have more to offer in terms of tourism and there should be no reason why our neighbors are luring more of them to their shores.

^^ I think we still lag behind in terms of infrastructure and peace and order. There's plenty of room for improvement. Nevertheless, lets try to validate what Boo Chanco said. For comparison purposes, we have the two Shangri-la Hotels:

Shangri-La Golden Sand Resort, Penang, Malaysia.
by geoff-inOz
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2187/1771071951_cec34a41f4.jpg?v=1193476542

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2045/1770741771_f766134a3b.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2303/1771027360_bf107e5420.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2112/1774811781_67c06aaae5.jpg?v=0

Shangrila's Mactan Resort and Spa
Cebu, The Philippines

http://baliwww.com/asia/images_hotel/Philipines/Shangri-La%20Mactan%20Resort%20and%20Spa/Mactan%20View.jpg

http://www.farawayholidays.co.uk/faraway/mactan_island_shangri_la_resort_and_spa/Shangri_La_MActan_island-AerialShot-1.jpg



Now folks, what do you think?

Some picturesque sceneries from Butuan. Which one is your favorite?

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/4802/butuan5.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/my.php?image=butuan5.jpg)

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/8500/butuan6.jpg (http://img5.imageshack.us/my.php?image=butuan6.jpg)

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/2424/butuan4.jpg (http://img9.imageshack.us/my.php?image=butuan4.jpg)

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/8880/butuan1.jpg (http://img16.imageshack.us/my.php?image=butuan1.jpg)

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6488/butuan2.jpg (http://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=butuan2.jpg)

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1240/butuan3.jpg (http://img11.imageshack.us/my.php?image=butuan3.jpg)

http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/4562/butuan7.jpg (http://img2.imageshack.us/my.php?image=butuan7.jpg)

taken from the following website: http://butuantoday.tumblr.com/

By the way, my personal favorite is the last one. I even made it as my desktop background. :cheers:

another welcome addition in the Hotel industry.

Nira Diwa – Fort Bonifacio, Manila :banana:

http://www.nirahotelsandresorts.com/htmlver/images/manillahtml.jpg

Number of Rooms: 154
Expected date of opening – Mid 2011

In Filipino, “diwa” means essence or soul, presenting an appropriate suffix to Nira. It indicates a true substance that is the inspiration for life.

Manila’s rare blend of cultural diversity and chic style makes it one of Asia’s great cosmopolitan playgrounds.

With 170,000 sqft. Nira Diwa will be an intimate 154-room hotel, the only one of its size in Manila. Catering to the discerning business traveler as well as the luxury adventurer exploring the Philippines, Nira Diwa enjoys a unique location at the crossroads of business and entertainment at Fort Bonafacio.

Nira Diwa is a blend of old world charm and contemporary sophistication. It is an exclusive urban retreat where sunlight chiseled rooms vault open to views of Manila’s glittering cityscape and the best of Manila just steps away from the front door.

Accommodations
Imaginative and daring in the design, the rooms integrate several little surprises for guests to uncover during their stay. With
wi-fi internet and iPod docking stations every effort has been made to cater to all the guests’ needs.

Food and Beverage
From centuries of European, Asian and Indian influence, Filipino cuisine is beloved as the original fusion cuisine, not by invention but by providence. Evolving at various mealtimes, the restaurant takes on formal hue in the evenings to become one of the City’s premier Steakhouses. The lunchtime Pan-Asian cuisine lends itself beautifully to the open kitchens and animated stations.

In the evenings, the rooftop bar is a serene cocoon, nestled in the bustle of the city providing a beautiful sanctuary to relax and unwind from hectic corporate life.

thanks for the tip, islandson.ph!

looks very interesting! checked through the different websites who owns 'nira'. apparently, it's headed by hotelier mps puri, and is a london-based botique luxury hotel management company.

according to hotelworld network (http://www.hotelworldnetwork.com/international/mps-puri-launches-nira-hotels-resorts-4341):

"Nira Diwa will feature a rooftop swimming pool, a fully-equipped gym on each floor, and an entire floor of meeting studios. The restaurant will evolve through various mealtimes.

"During lunch, the Pan-Asian cuisine will be augmented by open kitchens and animated stations. It will take on a more ceremonial hue in the evenings, serving the finest steaks from around the world. Additionally, the spectacular rooftop bar will lend glamour and fun to Manila's nightlife.

"Nira Diwa is being designed by Tan Hock Beng of MAPS Design. The award-winning Hock Beng is a leading international figure in the field of tropical architecture and resort design. Hospitality projects have included W Retreat and Residences in Samui, Thailand; Park Hyatt Lijang, China; and The Wharf, Seychelles among many others."

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/8500/butuan6.jpg (http://img5.imageshack.us/my.php?image=butuan6.jpg)

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1240/butuan3.jpg (http://img11.imageshack.us/my.php?image=butuan3.jpg)




nice place... where ito sa Butuan?

Some picturesque sceneries from Butuan. Which one is your favorite?


http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1240/butuan3.jpg (http://img11.imageshack.us/my.php?image=butuan3.jpg)


taken from the following website: http://butuantoday.tumblr.com/

Is this fresh body of water? I can see lotuses...

What do you guys think of the current efforts of Dept of Tourism in terms of promoting Phils as an international tourist destination?

Without a doubt we can compete with the asean region in terms of tourists spots. But... are we really maximizing our capabilities to promote RP?

Is the tourism dept doing enough? IMHO, not at all. Is it lack of funds? dont think so either. I'm no expert in this area but as an ordinary person and a potential tourist at that, I would normally go to areas being advertised and seen in media.

Philippines is not doing a good job in terms of that.

Thailand for one is by 10 fold ahead of us interms of tourists. Vietnam is fast becoming a very popular destination as well.

Why are we being left behind?

A big break was already up for takes for the Phils during the Tsunami incidents that haltered tourism in many Asean countries, specially Thailand.

But we did not capitalize on this for tourism.

Mahina tayo sa adverstising our country internationally. You will notice India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and even Cambodia's ads always shown in CNN and other international channels promoting their tourism.

They all have nice slogans. Whatever happened to Wow Philippines? It may not have been as catchy but it still did the job.

You can hardly see Phils. Minsan minsan lang makita ads ng phils, local channel pa.

What do you guys think of the current efforts of Dept of Tourism in terms of promoting Phils as an international tourist destination?

Without a doubt we can compete with the asean region in terms of tourists spots. But... are we really maximizing our capabilities to promote RP?

Is the tourism dept doing enough? IMHO, not at all. Is it lack of funds? dont think so either. I'm no expert in this area but as an ordinary person and a potential tourist at that, I would normally go to areas being advertised and seen in media.

Philippines is not doing a good job in terms of that.

Thailand for one is by 10 fold ahead of us interms of tourists. Vietnam is fast becoming a very popular destination as well.

Why are we being left behind?

A big break was already up for takes for the Phils during the Tsunami incidents that haltered tourism in many Asean countries, specially Thailand.

But we did not capitalize on this for tourism.

Mahina tayo sa adverstising our country internationally. You will notice India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and even Cambodia's ads always shown in CNN and other international channels promoting their tourism.

They all have nice slogans. Whatever happened to Wow Philippines? It may not have been as catchy but it still did the job.

You can hardly see Phils. Minsan minsan lang makita ads ng phils, local channel pa.

Advertising is really expensive. I believe that DOT has done its best to promote our country by attending international tourism fairs given the budget allotted to them.

I really think that the best advertisement that we could do is personal promotion by millions of Filipinos around the world. When I was in the states, I promoted our country as the best and cheapest retirement haven. Seriously, we don't need to appear in CNN all we need to do is be friendly and approach our foreign friends and tell them how great this country is. Just be proud.

Marami kasi akong kilala at nakasalamuha na mga pinoy sa abroad na walang ginawa kundi siraan ang pilipinas. puro pagkumkumpara ng pinas at sa bansa na kung nasaan sila. kasehodang matrapik, puro basura, polluted etc. susme, nakaapak lang sa ibang bansa akala nila taga roon na talaga sila. mamatay silang lahat!

What do you guys think of the current efforts of Dept of Tourism in terms of promoting Phils as an international tourist destination?

Without a doubt we can compete with the asean region in terms of tourists spots. But... are we really maximizing our capabilities to promote RP?

Is the tourism dept doing enough? IMHO, not at all. Is it lack of funds? dont think so either. I'm no expert in this area but as an ordinary person and a potential tourist at that, I would normally go to areas being advertised and seen in media.

Philippines is not doing a good job in terms of that.

Thailand for one is by 10 fold ahead of us interms of tourists. Vietnam is fast becoming a very popular destination as well.

Why are we being left behind?

A big break was already up for takes for the Phils during the Tsunami incidents that haltered tourism in many Asean countries, specially Thailand.

But we did not capitalize on this for tourism.

Mahina tayo sa adverstising our country internationally. You will notice India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and even Cambodia's ads always shown in CNN and other international channels promoting their tourism.

They all have nice slogans. Whatever happened to Wow Philippines? It may not have been as catchy but it still did the job.

You can hardly see Phils. Minsan minsan lang makita ads ng phils, local channel pa.

Do you think tourism is simply only about advertising? Tourism industry is a major, long-term investment. You have to put up infrastructure projects like airports, transportation links, communication facilities, hotels as well as development of potential tourist spots. In addition, you also have take into account of the sanitation, waste and environmental management. People's attitude and behavior in the host country should also change, so investment in education about the preservation of nature, heritage sites and other points of interests that represents the history, culture and natural wonders of the country is significant. Once each one of these obstacles are addressed, tourists will simply keep coming.

However, with the recent developments in the country today, I'm quite satisfied that it tries to clean up its image in the international community and the number of infra as well as hotels in popular and potential tourist spots, and extensive international media coverage in the country are manifestations of a burgeoning tourism industry. :)

^ Don't forget security and peace and order.

Just last night, National Geographic Channel featured in Locked Up Abroad an episode Kidnapped in the Philippines.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/locked-up-abroad/4382/Overview25#tab-greg-answers-questions

This coming Sunday, April 19, they will show another episode about the incident that happened with the Burnhams.

These visitors still love the Philippines and its people but without reading their accounts, the people will just read about them as foreigners that were kidnapped in the Philippines .

I know tourism is not about advertising alone and yes infrastructure is a huge factor too.
These infras are key to tourist retainment and attraction. But ads play a big part of it as a starting point. It is a way for people to be aware of the place. It is a way of reaching out to potential visitors. Its an invitation. I'm only referring to dept of tourism and thus most of these infras are not handled by them anyway.

CNN is just to sight a sample of a media advertisement. It can also be through other means of media, be it in newspapers, travel books or radio.

Philippines is not yet well known worldwide, and it is a very good way to be known specially to areas where our own countrymen could not do a personal promotions.

Its just that I think we can do better.

^ Don't forget security and peace and order.

Just last night, National Geographic Channel featured in Locked Up an episode Kidnapped in the Philippines.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/locked-up-abroad/4382/Overview25#tab-greg-answers-questions

This coming Sunday, April 19, they will show another episode about the incident that happened with the Burnhams.

These visitors still love the Philippines and its people but without reading their accounts, the people will just read about them as foreigners that were kidnapped in the Philippines .

The most overlooked but equally significant component for attracting tourists.

I know tourism is not about advertising alone and yes infrastructure is a huge factor too.
These infras are key to tourist retainment and attraction. But ads play a big part of it as a starting point. It is a way for people to be aware of the place. It is a way of reaching out to potential visitors. Its an invitation.

CNN is just to sight a sample of a media advertisement. It can also be through other means of media, be it in newspapers, travel books or radio.

Philippines is not yet well known worldwide, and it is a very good way to be known specially to areas where our own countrymen could not do a personal promotions.

Its just that I think we can do better.

Sometimes word of mouth and media is the most powerful form of advertisement. No amount of advertising can overpower the influence of media when the country is being consistently featured as a bad place to visit.

For me, I try to paint picture of Philippines in the positive light as much as I can to balance out the negativity being portrayed in the media. I even recommend some of them to visit this site. :)

We had the Wow Philippines promo a few years ago, and I think there was the "Not the usual..." campaign sometime back also.

Question is, are we prepared for the influx of tourism here in the Philippines?

Can our tourism products, airports, transport facilities handle tourism traffic? I'm sure we have enough manpower for all of this, but are we investing enough in our tourism products so that they have the proper facilities, accommodations, and safeguards to ensure sustainability?

Ok, let's say we have 10 million visitors next year, will our current facilities be able to handle all of this? What's our current carrying capacity?

But then there's the chicken and egg question, do you build the infrastructure first or do you wait until there is enough demand?

Yes, there is a huge potential for the Philippines to be the tourist haven but we Filipinos are very Pessimistic. We always speculate. We never try; we always wait for the result. Not just like others Asian country. Look at Vietnam because of the optimism of the citizen the country flourished. Who want to go to a war turn country, communist country?

Filipinos need to change 360 degrees. All what is happening in the country should blame to it citizen itself.

I see a lot of Filipino here where so pessimistic. Common people pls. believe on our race and nationality.


Let's act as one show to the world that we are united. One Race, One Voice toward progress.

Yes, there is a huge potential for the Philippines to be the tourist haven but we Filipinos are very Pessimistic. We always speculate. We never try; we always wait for the result. Not just like others Asian country. Look at Vietnam because of the optimism of the citizen the country flourished. Who want to go to a war turn country, communist country?

Filipinos need to change 360 degrees. All what is happening in the country should blame to it citizen itself.

I see a lot of Filipino here where so pessimistic. Common people pls. believe on our race and nationality.


Let's act as one show to the world that we are united. One Race, One Voice toward progress.

I definitely agree with that old school pessimism, this was the type of thought that pervaded most of the 80s and early 90s. I notice this with the older generation, its a sort of negative reinforcement thing to goad us into action.

But I think things are changing in terms of attitude with the current generation, newspapers and local television are no longer our only source of information and thus new attitudes are now influencing our mindset.

Times are changing, and I think development will just be around the corner so we must all be ready for it. And when the Philippines is touted as the newest tiger economy in Asia, an influx of tourists will definitely come. Are we ready for it?

We had the Wow Philippines promo a few years ago, and I think there was the "Not the usual..." campaign sometime back also.

Question is, are we prepared for the influx of tourism here in the Philippines?

Can our tourism products, airports, transport facilities handle tourism traffic? I'm sure we have enough manpower for all of this, but are we investing enough in our tourism products so that they have the proper facilities, accommodations, and safeguards to ensure sustainability?

Ok, let's say we have 10 million visitors next year, will our current facilities be able to handle all of this? What's our current carrying capacity?

But then there's the chicken and egg question, do you build the infrastructure first or do you wait until there is enough demand?

Chicken and egg myth has been busted already. We are now in new generation. We are now hatching egg in space…….

LOL....

http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/fri/apr17h34.htm

Cebu Pacific plans flights to Brunei, Oz

MANILA - Cebu Pacific has filed a petition before the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to mount flights to Australia and Brunei following the conclusion of air service agreements with the two countries, BusinessWorld reported.

"We're very interested to operate flights to Brunei and Australia. We've been asking for entitlements so that we can offer low fares for these markets," Candice A Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice-president for marketing, said.

Budget-airline Cebu Pacific sought 540 seat entitlements for a thrice-weekly Manila to Sydney flight, 300 seat entitlements for a twice-weekly Manila to Melbourne flight, and 360 seat entitlements for a twice-weekly Manila to Brisbane flight.

Cebu Pacific has also applied for a petition for "designation as official Philippine carrier to Brunei" since there would be daily flights to Brunei's Bandar Seri Begawan airport.

Flag-carrier Philippine Airlines, Inc (PAL), meanwhile, said that it has no plans now to increase flights to Australia.

"We are on status quo for our flights to Australia," Jonathan P Gesmundo of PAL's Corporate Communications office said.

Last October, Lucio C Tan-led PAL hiked its flights to Melbourne and Sydney to daily from five times a week.

Gesmundo said PAL has yet to consider whether to mount flights to Brunei.

Businessman Alfredo M Yao said his budget airline Zest Airways, Inc would also apply for entitlements to Australia.

"Yes, we have plans to mount flights to Australia as we are really aiming to carve niche markets in our flights. We also see some demand from there," Yao said.

As for mounting flights to Brunei, Yao said the company board is still studying it.

The country's air panel finished air service negotiations with their counterparts from Australia last March. The two-day talks increased seat entitlements to 6,000 seats from 2,500, for flights between Manila and Clark to Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

Flights between other regional airports in Australia and airports in the Philippines have no capacity or frequency restrictions.

The country also sealed new air service agreements with Brunei last April, with flight entitlements for both countries increased to two carriers from the previous one, and to seven flights a week from five.

Local carriers so far have no flights to Brunei. PAL, though, has code-sharing agreement with Royal Brunei Airlines, which flies five times a week between Manila and Brunei

Filipinos need to change 360 degrees.

Umm....FYI, 360 degrees means that you're right back where you started from (read: no progress).

Umm....FYI, 360 degrees means that you're right back where you started from (read: no progress).
he he which is probably what he meant , no progress. :jk:
no take it back it's at least five degrees of progress. :jk: again.
nah, just kidding , keep your heads up pinoys, the future is great, progress is nearby.
and i don't mean that just for the RBs :lol:

nah, just kidding , keep your heads up pinoys, the future is great, progress is nearby. and i don't mean that just for the RBs :lol:

:lol: That's funny, Marites. And to quote The Queen, "napatambling ako doon, ah." :rofl:

We had the Wow Philippines promo a few years ago, and I think there was the "Not the usual..." campaign sometime back also.

Question is, are we prepared for the influx of tourism here in the Philippines?

Can our tourism products, airports, transport facilities handle tourism traffic? I'm sure we have enough manpower for all of this, but are we investing enough in our tourism products so that they have the proper facilities, accommodations, and safeguards to ensure sustainability?

Ok, let's say we have 10 million visitors next year, will our current facilities be able to handle all of this? What's our current carrying capacity?

But then there's the chicken and egg question, do you build the infrastructure first or do you wait until there is enough demand?

it's not really chicken and egg . of course if you build the infrastructure they will come, but like someone here said you have to approach it holistically . You can't have a spanking new five star hotel and a block a way is squalor.
which i've seen in the PHils for example the beautiful five star Hyatt hotel but the moment you walk out on the street ,it's garbage everywhere.
If you build it you have to build it nicely , the visitors can't be holed up in the hotel their entire stay, they need activities, great food, nice sights. I guess it's cooperation and coordination with all the stake holders but we are all stake holders because we will all benefit from a well oiled tourism industry.
the leaders' job is how to teach this to the local people who are new to the tourism concept.

IS-Magazine (Singapore)
March 27th, 2009

http://is-magazine.com/feature/thriller-manila-0

Thriller in Manila

Winnie Yeung hits up the capital of the Philippines

http://is-magazine.com/sites/default/files/image/452/10_Travel.jpg

Admit it—Manila has never been high on the list of Asian cities to visit. But with more money pouring into the city, there’s suddenly an abundance of things to see and do. Here are some of our top finds.


Wining and Dining

Filipino Food

With a new generation of overseas-trained chefs returning to their homeland, the restaurant scene in Manila is booming. Rolando Laudico is a young chef who hopes to bring his national cuisine into the international arena with his restaurant, Bistro Filipino (Net Two Building, 3rd Avenue, The Fort, 856-0634). Take the prawn taramind bisque, for example. Many think that bisque is a western dish, but actually, it’s modernized from “sinigang,” the Philippines’ version of tom yum soup. Made with seafood, coconut milk and tamarind (which contributes to its sourness), the soup is traditionally served in a big bowl during a family meal. But Chef Laudico serves it in a martini glass—the sinigang is made into a jelly at the bottom with hot lemongrass and coconut foam on top. You stir the jelly and foam up at the same time to get the perfect flavor and texture.


Japanese Eats

You might not know it, but Japan imports a lot of fish from the Philippines to meet the huge demand back home, which of course means affordable and deliciously fresh sashimi abounds in the capital city. John and Yoko (2/F, Greenbelt 5, 729-8698) is a hugely popular contemporary Japanese eatery in the high-end mall Greenbelt (more on that later). We recommend the huge, delicious platter called “We Found Nemo” which has generous portions of four types of sashimi and three types of creative sushi rolls.


Vintage Beers

Curious as it may sound (the fresher the beer, the better, right?), “vintage beer” is readily available in Manila. You probably haven’t heard of it before, because it’s not exactly cost-effective—it’s brewed like normal beer before going through fermentation again in hardened bottles, stoppered with champagne corks. According to beer importer Denny Wang, who owns Yats Wine Cellar (3003C East Tower, Philippines Stock Exchange Center, Ortigas, 633-1566, www.yatswinecellars.com), five years fermentation is needed for a beer to achieve complexity of taste. He even said we could pair it with food. We tried the 2003 Maudite from Canada—we wouldn’t say it has a complex flavor but it certainly has a better aftertaste than “fresh” beer and a higher alcohol content to boot. We liked it, but it was quite expensive, so we probably wouldn’t wash it down like San Miguel. The real clients are, in fact, gamblers who win big in their casinos.


Art and Culture

A must-do in Manila is joining a historical tour with Carlos Celdran. He runs a morning tour around Intramuros, the walled city built 400 years ago during the Spanish occupation. Unfortunately, there’s little left inside those walls due to the bombings of World War II. But the real highlight is Celdran’s personalized (and highly animated) tour. For just S$27 (two hours, book at celdrantours.blogspot.com or through The Peninsula if you stay there), you can enjoy his one-man show as he colorfully tells the country’s 400-year history with props and costumes. The San Agustin Church—the only unharmed structure remaining in the walled city—is also not to be missed. At first glance, it looks like a European-style House of God. But look closer: All the “sculptures” and “carvings” on the ceiling are actually just drawings, making clever use of shading to leave them looking like actual, three-dimensional sculptures—the Europeans call it “trompe l’oeil.” “That’s what Filipino style is—decorate anything to death,” says Celdran.

Meanwhile, Pasay City, despite being an area rife with squatters and poorly designed buildings, is home to a vibrant art and design compound. Built as an estate for expats back in the 1950s, the compound has more than a dozen retro American-style bungalows shaded by trees. Albert Avellana opened the Avellana Art Gallery (House A-19, 2680 F.B. Harrison St., 833-8357) in one of these houses. “The décor creates a nice juxtaposition,” he says.


Shopping

With money pouring into the capital, it’s no surprise that high-end malls like Greenbelt at Makati (Ayala Center, Makati City 1224, 817-5015) have sprung up. It’s as high-class and stylish as one can get—even by Singapore standards. The mall is a 1.3-million-square-foot retail complex, with shops ranging from the biggest brands to inexpensive local labels. One shop we loved was Religioso (2/F, Greenbelt 5, 729-9061), a local fashion brand that has avant-garde but highly wearable dresses. A sci-fi-inspired dress is only around S$100.


Spas

Who doesn’t love a bargainous spa when they go on holiday? Our favorite in Manila was the Sanctuario Spa (1829 Jorge Bocobo St., 450-1127), which is located in a bungalow in the Bohemian area at Malate. For just S$67, you get the two-hour Banahaw Mystique, which is a package of traditional Filipino healing rituals. It starts off with an herbal steam, then an Albularyo seven-herbs bath to soothe aches, followed by Bentosa cupping (similar to the Chinese variety) and finally ends with a strong Hilot massage. The bungalow itself might be too local for lovers of luxury, but it’s certainly relaxing, unpretentious, and actually helps to alleviate travel fatigue.

Alternatively, try out the Chi Spa at Edsa Shangri-la (1 Garden Way, Ortigas Centre, 633-8888). It’s pure indulgence. We tried the exclusive two-hour Himalayan Tsangpo Ritual (S$220). The treatment is done at a decked-out spa suite and starts with a Tethys sea salt scrub to detoxify the body and Himalayan red mountain mud on a heated plinth to rejuvenate your skin. A head and scalp massage completes the treatment. With the treatment and the room (and the fab ginger tea they serve), we’d say it’s a good soul-cleansing routine—especially after the excesses of the holiday. -


Essentials

Dialing code: +63-2

Currency: S$1=PhP30

Getting There

Philippine Airlines flies to Manila from Singapore several times a day. Fares start from S$188 return (tax not included).

Reservations: Philippine Airlines, Singapore Ticket Office, #10-02 Parklane Shopping Mall, 35 Selegie Rd., 6336-1611 or www.philippineairlines.com.

Staying There

The Peninsula Manila is one of the first big luxury hotels in the country, and while the ’70s retro exterior tells its history, the interior is classical luxury. The newly-renovated Makati Tower has spacious rooms overlooking the buzz of Makati. Modern amenities include a flat-screen TV, free broadband access, fax machines and a two-line phone. It is also just five minutes away from the two major mega malls: Glorietta and Greenbelt. The Peninsula Manila, corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues, 887-2888, www.peninsula.com.

^^^^

So there is a need to clean up and rebuild Metro Manila including decaying Pasay and some parts of Manila.

Its a good thing MM mayors like the Pasig, Taguig, Mandaluyong and Marikina ang redeveloping their respective areas.

BF is right in redeveloping Tondo, the eyesore of manila.

Foreigners always see the Philippines through the NCR not just Manila.