RP: Asia's most popular destination (http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Tourism_24/RP_Asia_s_most_popular_destination.shtml)

MANILA, April 18 (PNA)--Professional jurors at the concluded World Travel Fair (WTF) 2009 in Shanghai, China named the Philippines as the "Most Popular Destination in Asia."

The jurors included the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration and VNU Exhibitions Europe.

“Our country's receiving the highest laurel in Asia’s leading source fair in China is a notable milestone in the industry’s optimism in sustaining the momentum generated from efforts to reach this important market segment,” Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said on Friday.

“The Philippines is one of the fastest growing destinations in China’s outbound travel industry, recording a 74 per cent month-on-month growth rate in visa issuances for February of this year," Durano said.

The Philippines was also the nearest tropical beach country for the Chinese, since Manila was only two hours away from Guangzhou, while Cebu was only three hours away from Shanghai, he said.

Durano also said the country’s competitive tour pricing, the remarkable progress of the transportation sector and the Filipino’s friendliness and hospitality contributed much to the citation given by the Chinese.

Dubbed as the ‘Outbound Travel Industry's Leading Source Fair in Asia, the WTF received thousands of travel buyers from China, Asia and the rest of the world, who came to hold exchanges with more than 500 exhibitors from 62 countries, held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre.

“The Chinese travelers rank our country’s beaches and heritage sites high, as proven by the various recognitions they have awarded to our tourist spots,” Durano said.

Beach holidays rank 79 percent among the top leisure activities undertaken by the Chinese, according to an outbound travel study in China.

The International Visitor Survey, conducted by the DoT, showed that foreign visitors rank the country highest for visitor satisfaction in terms of Filipino hospitality.

The tourism department has urged the transportation sector to open direct chartered flights and daily regular flights to Cebu and Manila.

The direct chartered flights to Cebu and Manila rose 61 percent last year.

Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque, Jr. said the country had always garnered positive feedback from Asian tourists.

“The Philippines has managed to secure, among others, the Best Leisure Destination in the last year’s WTF, for Boracay; the Top 10 Island Getaways for Chinese Summer Travel, for Bohol; the only Asian entry in the list of premier destinations in the acclaimed World Traveller Magazine; and Top 10 Most Searched Destination among Shanghai online users.”

Jarque was referring to Baidu, the biggest search engine in China, capturing 68 per cent of the Chinese online market (Google a distant second with 20 per cent market share), which listed the Philippines in the Top 10 most searched travel destination among Shanghai online users from its latest report.

Meanwhile, Arlene Alipio, head of DoT Team China, said that the flourishing outbound travel of China had been propitious to the Philippines as well.

Recent statistics from the China National Tourism Administration show that the number of Chinese travelers reached 34.4 million in the first nine months of 2008, up 14.8 percent year-on-year.

"In September alone, about 3.7 million Chinese people traveled overseas, an increase of nine per cent year-on-year. “

Shanghai-based Philippine Tourism Attaché to China, Gerry Panga, said: “The country’s continued and consolidated efforts in promoting a wide array of travel opportunities to its Asian neighbors have indeed resulted to our strong market performance despite the global crunch."

The Philippines posted a growth rate of 58.5 per cent in 2008 in terms of visa issuances for travel to the country from Eastern China plus Sichuan and Chongqing.
Current growth rate stands at 20 per cent from January to March 2009, making the Philippines one of the fastest growing outbound destinations for Chinese tourists. (PNA)

^^^^

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.

no , most foreigners are directed at the tourist district or belt and that is in Malate vicinity ,Manila, baywalk, intramuros. it's the more interesting area but it's filthy and from i heard getting filthier. it will their be their first and lasting impression of Manila. maybe the Asian tourists are the ones to frolic all oround Metro manila.

Umm....FYI, 360 degrees means that you're right back where you started from (read: no progress).

yes you got it.... i mean filipino need to stay as the same.... kasi mahilig tayo mag manyana....

RP: Asia's most popular destination (http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Tourism_24/RP_Asia_s_most_popular_destination.shtml)

MANILA, April 18 (PNA)--Professional jurors at the concluded World Travel Fair (WTF) 2009 in Shanghai, China named the Philippines as the "Most Popular Destination in Asia."

The jurors included the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration and VNU Exhibitions Europe.

“Our country's receiving the highest laurel in Asia’s leading source fair in China is a notable milestone in the industry’s optimism in sustaining the momentum generated from efforts to reach this important market segment,” Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said on Friday.

“The Philippines is one of the fastest growing destinations in China’s outbound travel industry, recording a 74 per cent month-on-month growth rate in visa issuances for February of this year," Durano said.

The Philippines was also the nearest tropical beach country for the Chinese, since Manila was only two hours away from Guangzhou, while Cebu was only three hours away from Shanghai, he said.

Durano also said the country’s competitive tour pricing, the remarkable progress of the transportation sector and the Filipino’s friendliness and hospitality contributed much to the citation given by the Chinese.

Dubbed as the ‘Outbound Travel Industry's Leading Source Fair in Asia, the WTF received thousands of travel buyers from China, Asia and the rest of the world, who came to hold exchanges with more than 500 exhibitors from 62 countries, held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre.

“The Chinese travelers rank our country’s beaches and heritage sites high, as proven by the various recognitions they have awarded to our tourist spots,” Durano said.

Beach holidays rank 79 percent among the top leisure activities undertaken by the Chinese, according to an outbound travel study in China.

The International Visitor Survey, conducted by the DoT, showed that foreign visitors rank the country highest for visitor satisfaction in terms of Filipino hospitality.

The tourism department has urged the transportation sector to open direct chartered flights and daily regular flights to Cebu and Manila.

The direct chartered flights to Cebu and Manila rose 61 percent last year.

Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque, Jr. said the country had always garnered positive feedback from Asian tourists.

“The Philippines has managed to secure, among others, the Best Leisure Destination in the last year’s WTF, for Boracay; the Top 10 Island Getaways for Chinese Summer Travel, for Bohol; the only Asian entry in the list of premier destinations in the acclaimed World Traveller Magazine; and Top 10 Most Searched Destination among Shanghai online users.”

Jarque was referring to Baidu, the biggest search engine in China, capturing 68 per cent of the Chinese online market (Google a distant second with 20 per cent market share), which listed the Philippines in the Top 10 most searched travel destination among Shanghai online users from its latest report.

Meanwhile, Arlene Alipio, head of DoT Team China, said that the flourishing outbound travel of China had been propitious to the Philippines as well.

Recent statistics from the China National Tourism Administration show that the number of Chinese travelers reached 34.4 million in the first nine months of 2008, up 14.8 percent year-on-year.

"In September alone, about 3.7 million Chinese people traveled overseas, an increase of nine per cent year-on-year. “

Shanghai-based Philippine Tourism Attaché to China, Gerry Panga, said: “The country’s continued and consolidated efforts in promoting a wide array of travel opportunities to its Asian neighbors have indeed resulted to our strong market performance despite the global crunch."

The Philippines posted a growth rate of 58.5 per cent in 2008 in terms of visa issuances for travel to the country from Eastern China plus Sichuan and Chongqing.
Current growth rate stands at 20 per cent from January to March 2009, making the Philippines one of the fastest growing outbound destinations for Chinese tourists. (PNA)

:cheers::cheers:

That's right keep up the good work!!

Good news coming from Asia's and one of the world's biggest economy. :)

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if you hadn't
mentioned it's
hamilo, i would
have thought it's
an ayala estate :D

RP: Asia's most popular destination (http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Tourism_24/RP_Asia_s_most_popular_destination.shtml)

MANILA, April 18 (PNA)--Professional jurors at the concluded World Travel Fair (WTF) 2009 in Shanghai, China named the Philippines as the "Most Popular Destination in Asia."

The jurors included the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration and VNU Exhibitions Europe.

“Our country's receiving the highest laurel in Asia’s leading source fair in China is a notable milestone in the industry’s optimism in sustaining the momentum generated from efforts to reach this important market segment,” Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said on Friday.

“The Philippines is one of the fastest growing destinations in China’s outbound travel industry, recording a 74 per cent month-on-month growth rate in visa issuances for February of this year," Durano said.

The Philippines was also the nearest tropical beach country for the Chinese, since Manila was only two hours away from Guangzhou, while Cebu was only three hours away from Shanghai, he said.

Durano also said the country’s competitive tour pricing, the remarkable progress of the transportation sector and the Filipino’s friendliness and hospitality contributed much to the citation given by the Chinese.

Dubbed as the ‘Outbound Travel Industry's Leading Source Fair in Asia, the WTF received thousands of travel buyers from China, Asia and the rest of the world, who came to hold exchanges with more than 500 exhibitors from 62 countries, held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre.

“The Chinese travelers rank our country’s beaches and heritage sites high, as proven by the various recognitions they have awarded to our tourist spots,” Durano said.

Beach holidays rank 79 percent among the top leisure activities undertaken by the Chinese, according to an outbound travel study in China.

The International Visitor Survey, conducted by the DoT, showed that foreign visitors rank the country highest for visitor satisfaction in terms of Filipino hospitality.

The tourism department has urged the transportation sector to open direct chartered flights and daily regular flights to Cebu and Manila.

The direct chartered flights to Cebu and Manila rose 61 percent last year.

Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque, Jr. said the country had always garnered positive feedback from Asian tourists.

“The Philippines has managed to secure, among others, the Best Leisure Destination in the last year’s WTF, for Boracay; the Top 10 Island Getaways for Chinese Summer Travel, for Bohol; the only Asian entry in the list of premier destinations in the acclaimed World Traveller Magazine; and Top 10 Most Searched Destination among Shanghai online users.”

Jarque was referring to Baidu, the biggest search engine in China, capturing 68 per cent of the Chinese online market (Google a distant second with 20 per cent market share), which listed the Philippines in the Top 10 most searched travel destination among Shanghai online users from its latest report.

Meanwhile, Arlene Alipio, head of DoT Team China, said that the flourishing outbound travel of China had been propitious to the Philippines as well.

Recent statistics from the China National Tourism Administration show that the number of Chinese travelers reached 34.4 million in the first nine months of 2008, up 14.8 percent year-on-year.

"In September alone, about 3.7 million Chinese people traveled overseas, an increase of nine per cent year-on-year. “

Shanghai-based Philippine Tourism Attaché to China, Gerry Panga, said: “The country’s continued and consolidated efforts in promoting a wide array of travel opportunities to its Asian neighbors have indeed resulted to our strong market performance despite the global crunch."

The Philippines posted a growth rate of 58.5 per cent in 2008 in terms of visa issuances for travel to the country from Eastern China plus Sichuan and Chongqing.
Current growth rate stands at 20 per cent from January to March 2009, making the Philippines one of the fastest growing outbound destinations for Chinese tourists. (PNA)

Chinese tourists are increasing in the Philippines, busloads of them....it's true. We are one of the few countries in Asia wherein the Chinese has successfully assimilated with the Philippine culture - there was no history of racial riots vs. the Chinese, Chinese schools and use of chinese language are allowed, chinese newspapers and radio stations still exist for so many decades, etc. We had Chinese Filipino President, military officers, government officials (current) and the like. :)

Tourism bill signed soon
By: Tess Bedico
President Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to sign anytime soon a new tourism law which declares a national policy for tourism as an engine of investment, employment, growth and national development.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde yesterday said the measure was transmitted to Malacanang last Friday.

“I can assure the industry and all its stakeholders that the bill will be signed very soon. This is good news for all stakeholders in the tourism industry,” Remonde said.

The bill pushes local governments to develop their own tourism sites and come up with a package that would be attractive to potential tourists.

Remonde meanwhile congratulated Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano for the gains in the tourism industry. He noted that the Philippines was voted as the best Asian tourism destination in the ongoing Shanghai Tourism Festival.

He also cited the efforts of all tourism stakeholders including the private sector investors and even taxi drivers, hotel chambermaids and tourist guides. “I think sila ang heart and soul ng ating tourism industry,” he said.

Chinese tourists are increasing in the Philippines, busloads of them....it's true. We are one of the few countries in Asia wherein the Chinese has successfully assimilated with the Philippine culture - there was no history of racial riots vs. the Chinese, Chinese schools and use of chinese language are allowed, chinese newspapers and radio stations still exist for so many decades, etc. We had Chinese Filipino President, military officers, government officials (current) and the like. :)

Are you referring to President Osmeña?

Are you referring to President Osmeña?

Aquino too

Are you referring to President Osmeña?

Aquino too

What about Marcos?

Are you referring to President Osmeña?

Aquino too

What about Marcos?

It could be all of the above but Marcos looked like Chinese due to his eyes but he claimed to be a man from Batac, Ilocos Norte. In NBN channel, they have this regular Chinese TV show hosted by Chinese Filipinos, every Sunday : AM @ NBN. It's a variety show, activities in the chinese community, singing, features about people, food or restaurants and places. It used to have a segment with learning basic Mandarin.

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.

The clean ups and facelifts should be tasked to the LGU to make their municipalities look better, at least in the areas where most tourists are. But again there is the question of funding.

Metro Manila is pretty much a daunting task, but I see hope in our areas that haven't been fully developed. Environmental laws should be strictly enforced so we could avoid another Boracay and Puerto Galera where clearly the environment has suffered because of the boom in development. We want development, but not at the cost of losing the very thing that made the place attractive.

We have leaders coming from the masses who think they know everything because they are the leaders. We should make efforts to educate these leaders too about the benefits and dangers of developing their tourism industry, especially in the places that have a lot of tourism potential.

no , most foreigners are directed at the tourist district or belt and that is in Malate vicinity ,Manila, baywalk, intramuros. it's the more interesting area but it's filthy and from i heard getting filthier. it will their be their first and lasting impression of Manila. maybe the Asian tourists are the ones to frolic all oround Metro manila.

Alot of foreign tourists and expats alike are also in the Makati vicinity since its the centre of business and finance in Metro Manila.

MANILA, April 18 (PNA)--Professional jurors at the concluded World Travel Fair (WTF) 2009 in Shanghai, China named the Philippines as the "Most Popular Destination in Asia."

Ow man.. that tickles.

The clean ups and facelifts should be tasked to the LGU to make their municipalities look better, at least in the areas where most tourists are. But again there is the question of funding.

Metro Manila is pretty much a daunting task, but I see hope in our areas that haven't been fully developed. Environmental laws should be strictly enforced so we could avoid another Boracay and Puerto Galera where clearly the environment has suffered because of the boom in development. We want development, but not at the cost of losing the very thing that made the place attractive.

We have leaders coming from the masses who think they know everything because they are the leaders. We should make efforts to educate these leaders too about the benefits and dangers of developing their tourism industry, especially in the places that have a lot of tourism potential.

Agree.:)

If Pasig and Marikina have done. Other metro cities can do it.

Look what happen to Manila during Atienza's time, a big portion of the city was renewed. Lim should follow the footstep of Atienza.

On the other hand, MMDA is there and the Metro mayors should work with BF to make



Alot of foreign tourists and expats alike are also in the Makati vicinity since its the centre of business and finance in Metro Manila.

Yes.

and hopefully, the whole Metro will be as organized as the Ayala district.

Look what happen to Manila during Atienza's time, a big portion of the city was renewed. Lim should follow the footstep of Atienza.



Based on what I read in the papers I think Lim did the opposite and reversed most of the urban renewal projects of Atienza.

I hope Metro Manila would have a unique setting. Same simple clean lamp posts, same sidewalk colors and design... etc.

Rather than each city having its different ideas. Just take Roxas Blvd as a sample. It passes thru Paranaque, Pasay ang Manila. You will notice the different lamp posts that were used along the whole stretch.

They should have atleast gone for uniformity.

Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand have uniform fixtures around their Metro, unless it is a special spot.

Satin kasi iba ibang idea, iba ibang contructors, kanya kanyang corruption yan sa projects e.

Not just that, pag nag iba ang Mayor, sisirain ang gawa ng previous adminstration kahit good condition. Like what Lim is doing to Manila.

If everything were uniform, check and balances can be tracked easier. They would have similar sources so same prices. Mas controlled ang gawa.

The whole metro would look neater.

I think during Imalda's time, as the Governor of Manila, everything was pretty uniform.

Agree.:)

If Pasig and Marikina have done. Other metro cities can do it.

Look what happen to Manila during Atienza's time, a big portion of the city was renewed. Lim should follow the footstep of Atienza.

On the other hand, MMDA is there and the Metro mayors should work with BF to make

Yes.

and hopefully, the whole Metro will be as organized as the Ayala district.

Thanks for mentioning Pasig but in my opinion, Pasig still has a long way to go. there's still plenty of room for improvement.
:cheers:

I hope Metro Manila would have a unique setting. Same simple clean lamp posts, same sidewalk colors and design... etc.

Rather than each city having its different ideas. Just take Roxas Blvd as a sample. It passes thru Paranaque, Pasay ang Manila. You will notice the different lamp posts that were used along the whole stretch.

They should have atleast gone for uniformity.

Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand have uniform fixtures around their Metro, unless it is a special spot.

Satin kasi iba ibang idea, iba ibang contructors, kanya kanyang corruption yan sa projects e.

Not just that, pag nag iba ang Mayor, sisirain ang gawa ng previous adminstration kahit good condition. Like what Lim is doing to Manila.

If everything were uniform, check and balances can be tracked easier. They would have similar sources so same prices. Mas controlled ang gawa.

The whole metro would look neater.

I think during Imalda's time, as the Governor of Manila, everything was pretty uniform.

The only way that will happen is if the MMDA has provincial powers like Imelda in the 1970s. Vested interests of the majority of these mayors, particularly that of Makati and Pasay, will sadly take precedence over order and progress.

Thanks for mentioning Pasig but in my opinion, Pasig still has a long way to go. there's still plenty of room for improvement.
:cheers:

It's because Pasig is just too big :)

It's because Pasig is just too big :)

Pasig's area is average. Its similar to that of Makati, Manila or Taguig's. Metro Manila as a whole is just too big. I mean only Metro Manila. Imagine if you include the neighbouring outer suburbs.

Anyway, Manila's metro lines can get you around the most important parts of the city centre whether its Makati, QC, etc.

Survey again names RP as top diving site

RECOGNIZED as the Most Popular Destination in Asia in one survey, the Philippines was again cited as one of the Top 5 Best Diving Areas, one of the Top 10 Most Desirable Destinations, and for having the Best Dive Resort and the Favorite Dive Operator.

“The Philippines continues to be an acknowledged marine explorers’ haven,” Tourism officials said on Wednesday, after the country garnered awards based on a survey participated in by more than 50,000 dive enthusiasts in Japan.

“There are more than one million Japanese divers who annually travel worldwide returning to their familiar dive spots or in search of new locations. The country gaining momentum in this niche activity signals our strong efforts in making people aware of the Philippines’ diverse marine life that is worthy of every traveler’s discovery,” Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said.

The Tourism department, he added, “sees these achievements as a positive result of the promotional campaigns specifically targeted for this market segment.”

Durano said that arrivals from Japan are seen to rise during the summer months as more vacation packages and even lower fares are being offered.

The list of top ten dive sites also includes Maldives, Palau, Ishigaki Island, Saipan, Okinawa Island, Zamami Island, French Polynesia, Mizako Island and Guam.

According to Tourism authorities, the Marine Diving Fair Awards are among the highly acknowledged commendations for must-visit dive destinations in the world.

Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr. said that the country’s participation in the annual awards will maintain and enhance the Philippines’ popularity among the Japanese divers.

“This is not the first time for the Philippines to win the award, we have always been on the list of the Top 10 best dive destinations. The positive feedback we received affirms the country’s standing as a premier dive destination,” Jarque noted.

Tourism officials also believe that the country’s excellent diving sites contributed largely to the naming of the Philippines as the Most Popular Destination in Asia at the recent World Travel Fair 2009.

“Our country receiving the highest laurel in Asia’s leading source fair in China is a notable milestone in the industry’s optimism in sustaining the momentum generated from efforts to reach this important market segment,” Durano said.

The country was chosen through a public vote and a strict evaluation process undertaken by professional jurors from the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration and VNU Exhibitions Europe.
-- Rommel C. Lontayao

Drive to save virginal isle launched (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090423-200920/Drive-to-save-virginal-isle-launched)

By Redempto Anda
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 07:13:00 04/23/2009

http://www.palawanparadise.com/galleryimages/panorama1
http://www.palawanparadise.com/galleryimages/Gallery2_16
http://www.palawanparadise.com/galleryimages/Gallery2_20



MANILA, Philippines—Having turned her back on the glitz and ease of Manila 20 years ago to live on a remote island in Northern Palawan with her French husband and daughter, Ditchay Roxas is facing eviction from what she calls “a piece of harmony” to give way to a government plan to convert her family’s hideaway into a luxury resort.

Boayan, an island teeming with wildlife, lush forests and a picture-perfect cove about an hour by boat from the mainland town of San Vicente, has been Palawan’s veritable tourism logo, appearing in countless brochures and travel guides.

Roxas, a onetime actress with the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and a daughter of economist Sixto Roxas, says she is fighting not just to retain her lease on the state-owned island but to save Boayan from the large-scale tourism development that has begun to overrun the town.

Recently, an investment group, Palawan Cove Development Corp., in partnership with the Boracay-based Discovery Shores, obtained the nod of the San Vicente municipal government to develop the island’s Daplac Cove into a high-end luxury resort.


Frenzied plans

The frenzied plans for San Vicente, which town officials are touting as the next tourism sensation, are threatening Roxas’ lease on the island property and negating the years of work that she and her husband put in promoting a grassroots-based ecotourism enterprise.

“We have successfully preserved this island, kept it in its purest form while working with the local community even as a lot of places in Palawan have gone the way of mass-scale tourism and artificial conversion. It’s a pity the government now wants Boayan to go the same way,” said Roxas.

Online campaign

Roxas and her husband, Philippe Girardeau, recently launched an online campaign to complement their legal efforts to save Boayan Island. They have so far recruited to their cause more than 500 members from the Facebook networking group and collected more than 300 signatures in an online petition (http://www.boayan.org).

“The Internet campaign is really to try to get the area declared a forest and marine reserve because we are afraid that with all the developments and privatization of the islands, there will no longer be island-hopping available, only resort-hopping,” Roxas said.

Development for whom?

Roxas’ predicament is shared by a group of San Vicente farmers who are engaged in a separate battle to keep their “basakan,” or rice fields, from being overrun by a 2-kilometer runway that is being constructed right in the center of town.

Nanay Diding Leido, a member of the Agutaynen minority of Palawan, is the leader of a group of 11 farming families which have refused to give up their land even as most other farming families have given up their claim on the land in favor of the government’s airport project.

“We don’t believe this project (the airport) will benefit us. It’s only the officials and politicians making money out of it,” said Leido.

Leido and her group claimed that the municipal government used harassment and intimidation to force most of the indigenous groups to give up their land, a charge that the mayor, Antonio V. Gonzales, has denied.

The group is getting legal assistance from the National Committee on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to contest the municipality’s appropriation of rice lands for the airport project.

Field of dreams

Behind the rapid pace of property acquisition and development in San Vicente, a town that was literally created by the logging activities of billionaire logger and businessman Jose Pepito Alvarez in the 1980s, is a grand tourism plan.

The town has world-class natural attractions, beginning with the 14-km Long Beach, still undeveloped but already being claimed by many to surpass the beauty and tourism potential of Boracay.

“The tourism potential of San Vicente is tremendous. All we need is to pump-prime development. You build it and they will come,” said Rep. Antonio Alvarez, recalling the 1989 Hollywood film about a baseball field that was built in the middle of nowhere.

Alvarez, a brother of Jose Pepito Alvarez and a former mayor of San Vicente, devised the original tourism plan that is now being implemented by the incumbent municipal administration.

That plan, Mayor Gonzales said, includes the building of at least 5,000 rooms to accommodate tourists.

“In five to 10 years, you should see all this come to fruition,” he said.

At least two major tourism players have already invested billions of pesos in property acquisition around San Vicente, focusing mainly around the 14-km beach and the outlying islands, including pristine Boayan.

Big investors here

“The big investors are already here. Anscor (developer of the exclusive Amanpulo Resort) has spent more than P300 million in property acquisition alone and Big Foot Entertainment spent over P1 billion in the same way. Right now, they are building a marina costing over P100 million,” said Gonzales.

Roxas claims that the environmental impact of the marina is already visible in the erosion of an entire hillside, filling up the old fishponds that can be found on the road between the poblacion and Barangay Panindigan.

“I do not know if they have all the proper papers. But even if they do, how could that be allowed?” she asked.

Isolated

Gonzales, a former executive of the Alvarez-owned logging company that operated in the town in the 1980s, said the town’s officials have endorsed Boayan’s development as part of a tourism master plan for the municipality.

“It’s a done deal and their (Roxas’) lease is expiring in a few years,” Gonzales said.

The airport runway being built in San Vicente, with funding of P600 million, is just a component of an international airport envisioned by municipal officials.

According to Alvarez, the airport is one of the key tourism projects that President Macapagal-Arroyo cited in her last state of the nation address.

“She had visited San Vicente when she was still a senator and she loved the place. When I saw her again while I was still town mayor, she asked me what needed to be done and she agreed to the airport,” he said.

Selling frenzy

While the tourists have yet to come, the main effect of the ongoing projects is to jack up land prices and trigger conflicts between the political leadership and local communities.

According to Vicente Blanco Jr., the assistant provincial assessor, the margin between the government’s valuation of prime properties in San Vicente and current market prices has shot through the roof.

“The market value that we peg for Long Beach is just around P100,000 per hectare. But we know that property being sold there has reached at least P15 million per hectare,” Blanco said.

Leido’s group has threatened to sue Mayor Gonzales, his chief of police and an alleged henchman of Jose Pepito Alvarez, who is rumored to be preparing to run for governor, for human rights violations for allegedly coercing people into giving up their rice lands.

Gonzales denies having threatened the Sabalo family, which refused to sell 6 hectares of rice land.

Forced to sell

“It is not true that there was harassment. I was even there when they signed a waiver that they were willing to sell,” Gonzales said.

Joanne Sabalo, 20, claimed that she was bodily dragged by the police when the sheriff came to execute an eviction order.

“We were forced to sign that agreement,” she said.

Here's a YouTube find that might interest those who have seen those countless ads promoting Seoul (like "Hi Seoul", "Seoul, Soul of Asia", etc.), since apparently it's only Seoul and Manila (as standalone cities, not the countries where these cities are located) actively promoting themselves worldwide based on what I see on TV (or, perhaps in the case of this find, on YouTube, since I have yet to encounter this ad on TV).

i3VzISeSrTw

RP seen as premier meetings destination

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Travel Agencies Association is pushing for the development of the Philippines as a premier destination for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) in Asia, as this can create a new revenue stream for the country.

In a statement issued yesterday, PTAA vice president John Paul Cabalza said the group was willing to support the government in its thrust to make the country the choice of companies hosting international meetings and conventions.

“This is a market that has yet to be fully developed. There is a lot of potential for MICE in the country, especially with the arrival of new hotel investments in the country,” he said.

Data gathered by the PTAA showed that the country had failed to make it to the top five destinations for MICE in Asia last year.

The top Asian MICE destinations are Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, which together accounted for 18 percent of the region’s $3.25-billion revenue from MICE.

The five countries raked in some $587 million in MICE-related revenue in 2008.

The Philippines’ becoming among the top MICE destinations in Asia, Cabalza said, would create a multiplier effect on the economy.

“MICE is an industry by itself. It is not just about tourism, as other industries benefit from it by attracting potential investors,” he said.

What the government, led by the Department of Tourism and the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corp., should do is to promote the country as a MICE venue initially on the local front, he said.

“The first step is for us to promote MICE among the different sunshine industries in the country because they count as companies and organizations that continually hold conferences and trade fairs,” he explained.

He said the opening of 20 new hotels worth P50 billion all over the country this year should help the Philippines claim a spot among the top MICE destinations in the region.

The new hotels included the Shangri-La Resort and Spa in Boracay, Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa in Cebu, and the Newport Marriot Hotel and Maxims Hotel in Manila, he said.

He said more new hotels were expected to open in Cebu, Palawan, Bohol and Metro Manila over the next three years, with a combined capacity of 8,000 new rooms

copied from cebu thread. tourism industry in the philippines is truly going up!:banana::banana::banana:

Cebu favorite destination of tourists; Palawan breaks record for domestic visitors
04/24/2009 | 09:08 PM
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MANILA, Philippines - Cebu and Palawan were the top destination of local and foreign tourists in the first quarter of 2009, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Friday.

The DOT also reported that tourist arrivals grew by 10.33 percent for a total of 1.3 million.

A bulk of the number trooped to Cebu, with a share of 32 percent or 184,790 arrivals, followed by Boracay (12 percent), Davao City (11.9 percent), Camarines Sur (11 percent), Zambales (seven percent) and Bohol (five percent).

Two famous destination sites in Palawan, the country’s so-called “last frontier," posted record-breaking growth as more flights were opened to these destinations.

Puerto Princesa City and Coron’s tourist arrivals grew by 392 percent with visitors pouring in from Manila, Cebu, and Caticlan as well as Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia.

The DOT added that water activities like wakeboarding and whale shark interactions have attracted tourists to the Bicol provinces of Camarines Sur and Sorsogon, respectively.

Recreation activities in the pristine beaches of Zambales (Subic), Ilocos Norte and La Union also resulted in double-digit gains in tourist arrivals.

“Overall, the volume of domestic tourists visiting key destinations grew faster at 13% while foreign arrivals recorded a 4% hike in the first quarter," the DOT said.

Increased passenger volumes resulting from cheaper fares of both budget airline Cebu Pacific and the Philippine Airlines (PAL) have enticed tourists to go on holidays — both foreign and local — during the summer season, the DOT earlier said. - Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV

:banana::banana::banana:

got this from PAL website.

SEAT-ALL-YOU-CAN PROMO

It's back!!!

Hurry!! Limited seats only!!! Avail of our newest promo fares for our domestic destinations!!! There is no better way to see the beautiful and scenic sights of the Philippines.

Red Arrow Book and buy your tickets now!!

Or you may call PAL Reservations at (632) 855-8888 or any Philippine-based sales ticket office or travel agent.

For sales and ticketing from 21 to 30 April 2009. For travel between 01 June - 15 December 2009.

Travel must be completed by 15 December 2009. See table below for the one way fares in PHP.
SECTOR FARE BASIS BCC ALL-IN ONE WAY FARE (PHP)
MANILA - CEBU or VV WXX W 488
MANILA - ILOILO or VV WXX W 488
MANILA - LAOAG or VV WXX W 488
MANILA - LEGASPI or VV WXX W 488
MANILA - BACOLOD or VV WXX W 788
MANILA - DUMAGUETE or VV WXX W 788
MANILA - KALIBO or VV WXX W 788
MANILA - PUERTO PRINCESA or VV WXX W 788
MANILA - ROXAS or VV WXX W 788
MANILA - TACLOBAN or VV WXX W 788
MANILA - TAGBILARAN or VV WXX W 788
MANILA - BUTUAN or VV WXX W 1888
MANILA - CAGAYAN DE ORO or VV WXX W 1888
MANILA - COTABATO or VV WXX W 1888
MANILA - DAVAO or VV WXX W 1888
MANILA - DIPLOG or VV WXX W 1888
MANILA - GENERAL SANTOS or VV WXX W 1888
MANILA - ZAMBOANGA or VV WXX W 1888


Cebu Pacific offers seat sale (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/158423/Cebu-Pacific-offers-seat-sale)
04/24/2009 | 03:22 PM

MANILA, Philippines- Gokongwei-owned Cebu Pacific Air, Inc.is offering a seat sale from all of its hubs in Manila, Cebu, Clark and Davao until Thursday for June, July, & August travel, vice-president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog said.

“We are positive that this seat sale will stimulate domestic and international travel during these traditionally lean months. This should support the growth of the tourism industry and help the country keep up with these challenging economic times," she said.

Cebu Pacific is offering a P599 one-way "Go Lite" fare for its Manila-Kota Kinabalu and Manila-Taipei services. This is also extended to services from Clark to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore.

It is also offering a one-way P1,099 "Go Lite" fare for its Manila-Hong Kong, and Manila-Macau services. One-way "Go Lite" fares for flights from Manila to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, and Singapore are sold at P1,599.

One-way "Go Lite" fares for CEB services from Manila to Shanghai, Jakarta, Guangzhou; Cebu-Hong Kong, and Cebu-Singapore are sold at P2,299. The P2,799 one-way "Go Lite" fare is available for flights to Kuala Lumpur, Incheon and Busan (Korea).

Cebu Pacific's one-way promo fare to Osaka, Japan is sold at P2,999.

For domestic flights, Cebu Pacific offers a P249 one-way ‘Go Lite’ fare for flights from Manila to Busuanga, Cebu, Iloilo, Laoag, Legaspi, Naga, and San Jose. One-way "Go Lite" fares for Manila-Bacolod, Manila-Dumaguete, and other Visayas destinations at P449.

One-way "Go Lite" fares from Manila to Mindanao destinations are sold at P1,349 except for Manila to Davao priced at P1,149.

Domestic fares are all-inclusive; international fares are exclusive of government taxes. Promo fares are non-refundable.

"Go Lite" fares are for passengers traveling with no check-in baggage. Passengers with check-in bags just have to add P200 to the fare. -GMANews.TV

Here's a YouTube find that might interest those who have seen those countless ads promoting Seoul (like "Hi Seoul", "Seoul, Soul of Asia", etc.), since apparently it's only Seoul and Manila (as standalone cities, not the countries where these cities are located) actively promoting themselves worldwide based on what I see on TV (or, perhaps in the case of this find, on YouTube, since I have yet to encounter this ad on TV).

i3VzISeSrTw

The vid's production value is kinda amateurish and juvenile, at best. Far from the polished ads from other nations that I've seen on TV. But, on the brightside, it's a good start in the promotion of the Philippines as an alternative tourist destination apart from the well established cities/countries in the region.

Japan ranks RP as Top 5 best diving area (http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Tourism_24/Japan_ranks_RP_as_Top_5_best_diving_area.shtml)

By Lily O Ramos
MANILA, April 25 (PNA) -- The Philippines was recently ranked and awarded by Japan's leading diving magazines as one of the world's top five diving areas.

The country also made it to the list of Top 10 Most Desirable Destination, Best Dive Resort (Bohol Tropics) and Favorite Dive Operator (Blue Coral, Cebu), according to a survey participated in by more than 50,000 Japanese dive enthusiasts.

Divers from Japan are seen to rise during the summer months as more vacation packages and even lower fares are being offered.

Survey voters included readers of top dive magazines in Japan namely; Marine Diving, Travel Dive, Marine Photo and I love Diving. These publications by Marine Art Co., Ltd., organizers of the 17th MDF, are best-selling magazines catering to serious divers in Japan.

Given at the recent 17th Marine Diving Fair (MDF) held in Tokyo, the largest diving fair in Asia, the MDF Awards are among the highly-acknowledged commendations for must-visit dive destinations in the world.

More than 65 countries representing various destinations, tourism boards, airlines, resorts, dive operators and other tourism-related companies were present in the 17th MDF, attracting close to 100,000 visitors.

“There are more than one million Japanese divers who annually travel worldwide returning to their familiar dive spots or in search of new locations. The country in gaining momentum in this niche activity signals our strong efforts in making people aware of the Philippines' diverse marine life that is worthy of every traveler’s discovery,” said Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

Durano added the Department of Tourism (DOT) sees these achievements as a positive result of the promotional campaigns specifically targeted for this market segment.

Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr. added, “The Philippine participation to the annual MDF wants to maintain and further the Philippines’ popularity among the Japanese divers.

“This is not the first time for the Philippines to win the award; we have always been in the Top 10 best dive destinations. The positive feedback we received affirms the country’s standing as a premier dive destination.”

Head of Team Japan, Director Benito Bengzon said, “The Philippines remains to be a favorite dive destination among the Japanese. For several years, Blue Coral Resort in Cebu has been voted as the number one Best Dive Operator.”

This year, the Philippine delegation exhibit booth featured a whale shark or ‘butanding’ backdrop and several sea water aquariums featuring small sea creatures found only in the Philippines, such as the multi-colored jelly fish.

Bengzon said “The Philippine participants are very happy with the outcome of the country's participation to the MDF. Optimism was evident despite the economic challenges, with their clients asking for return trips, and many prospective clients signifying strong interest.”

Part of the Philippine delegation was Kasai Village Resort from Moalboal, popular for their expertise in taking divers around spectacular wrecks in Cebu.

General Manager Michael Pettersson said, “Moalboal is one of the oldest centers of diving in the country. The sites here are famous for the pygmy seahorse and frog fish, to name a few.”

Kasai Village Resort will now be represented in Japan by Metropolitan Tours, one of Japan’s biggest tour operators.

Japan named the other places of top 10 dive sites as Maldives, Palau, Ishigaki Island; Saipan, Okinawa Island, Zamami Island, French Polynesia, Mizako Island, and Guam. (PNA)

WTF names RP as Asia's most well-liked travel destination (http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Tourism_24/WTF_names_RP_as_Asia_s_most_well-liked_travel_destination.shtml)

MANILA, April 25 (PNA) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Thursday expressed elation over the accolade heaped on the Philippines as the most popular and well- liked travel destination in Asia in this year’s World Travel Fair held in Shanghai, China.

The citation for the Philippines was made after a public vote and an evaluation process by professional jurors from the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration and the VNU Exhibitors Europe.

“In spite of the global financial crisis, things continue going our way,” the President said as she cited some very encouraging developments that have raised the Filipinos’ optimism about the future of the country.

These recent developments, she said, include the continued decline in self-rated poverty and the downward trend in poverty incidence as attested by the latest SWS surveys; the gains in the fight against graft and corruption as shown by the results of the PERC surveys which brought the Philippines from number one to number six; the stable outlook for the Philippine economy as expressed by Moody’s; and the hopeful business community outlook as evaluated by the well-respected Grant Thornton consulting firm.

“This unprecedented accolade given by the WTF is another special feather in our cap that places us over and above other tourism sites in the region, perhaps in the rest of the world,” the President said.

President Arroyo noted that the country’s competitive tour pricing, remarkable progress in transportation and tourism facilities, and the Filipinos’ innate friendliness and hospitality are some of the major factors that made the Philippines a most desired tourist destination and a haven for tourism investment.

“It is payback time for our efforts at creating a most inviting tourism industry and a resilient economy,” she added.

The Philippines is one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in China’s outbound travel industry, recording a 74-percent month-on-month growth rate in visa issuances for February this year.
Chinese travelers rank the country’s beaches and heritage sites high, as proven by the various recognitions they have awarded to the Philippines’ tourist spots. (PNA)

The vid's production value is kinda amateurish and juvenile, at best. Far from the polished ads from other nations that I've seen on TV. But, on the brightside, it's a good start in the promotion of the Philippines as an alternative tourist destination apart from the well established cities/countries in the region.

Officially, WOW Philippines has three ad sets: the "More than the Usual" set, the "Your Home in Asia" set (with Smart) and the current "Live Your Dreams" set. If you were to consider ads solely made by the DOT, then the "Your Home in Asia" set does not count, since Smart sponsored the ads, and because the ads are also meant to spur domestic tourism.

If you wanted "polished" ads, there's always the "More than the Usual" set.

"More than the Usual" (Asia):
YdBANriBrlw

"More than the Usual" (Europe):
9BJ_hbj306M

"Chocolate Hills"
IfkX2i1B7Ww

"English"
X04ZCNQ3DOo

"Islands"
HN6yaYKkLzM

"Shopping"
cDKnKi7b4VU

There are also a bunch of other videos, but I can't find them on YouTube.

RP tourist numbers up 10% in first quarter (http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20090425-201411/RP-tourist-numbers-up-10-in-first-quarter)

The tourism sector has shown signs of growth despite the financial crunch that left other industries struggling, first-quarter data from the Department of Tourism show.

According to the department’s first-quarter report, tourist arrivals in top destinations of the country during the first quarter of 2009 grew by 10.33% for a total of 1.3 million.

Overall, the volume of domestic tourists visiting key destinations grew 13% while foreign arrivals recorded a 4% growth in the first quarter.

Cebu attracted the biggest volume of tourists with a 32% share of visitors and 180,000 foreign tourist arrivals, the report said.

Cebu was followed by Boracay, a popular beach destination in the province of Aklan; Davao City; Camarines Sur; Zambales; and Bohol.

Domestic tourist arrivals to Puerto Princesa City and Coron in Palawan posted a record-breaking growth of 392% because of the increase in flights from Manila, Cebu, Caticlan, and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. ]

To further underscore the growth of the industry, the tourism department also announced that more rooms were opened in the first quarter of the year, a sign that investors were confident of the Philippines’ tourism prospects and that the industry continued to generate employment opportunities for Filipinos.

For the period January to March 2009, a total of 1,231 additional rooms were opened. With an aggregate cost of P8.016 Billion, these new investments directly employed 1,286 people, the department said.

Because of the healthy demand for tourism services, the DoT said it endorsed five development projects worth P6.3 billion in the first three months of the year.

These initiatives will generate 6,340 jobs for local residents.

The tourism department expects that 2,300 more rooms will open by year-end. The expanded accommodations, which are located in Manila, Cebu, Boracay, Tagaytay, Palawan, and Albay, will employ 2,000 Filipinos, the report added.

P8-B tourism investments create new jobs (http://mb.com.ph/articles/203742/p8b-tourism-investments-create-new-jobs)
By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT

Tourism investments of P8.016 billion have resulted in the opening of 1,231 additional tourist rooms in the first quarter this year and the employment of 1,286 people, the Department of Tourism reported.

The DoT further said that by year-end, some 1,946 people will be directly employed nationwide once the additional 2,315 hotel rooms become operational in other destinations.

With greater demand for tourism services, the DoT has endorsed five development projects worth P6.323 billion in the first quarter of the year. These initiatives will generate 6,340 employment opportunities for local residents in the host communities.

The DoT reported that the P3.18-billion Imperial Palace Water Park, Resort and Spa with 616 rooms contributed the bulk of the new hotel rooms created in the first quarter this year.

This new facility has increased the hotel room supply in Cebu by 4 percent to 14,792. The project has also provided employment to 780 workers.

San Remigio Beach Club also opened its convention facility in the northern part of Cebu to serve as venues for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) of both international and domestic markets.

Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa, a high-end 217-room resort in Boracay Island, opened just in time for the influx of tourists on vacation and long holidays. The resort has initially hired 488 workers to manage its various ranges of product offerings.

Seven locators investing in 28 cluster villas for a total cost of P761.9 million in the Amanpulo Tourism Enterprise Zone in Palawan also began their operation during the first quarter.

In Metro Manila, there were 320 additional rooms with the opening of the Legend International’s Park, Bed and Breakfast Hotel, Eurotel Hotel Branch in Makati, and the expansion of Oakwood Serviced Residences.

By this year, some 1,946 people will be directly employed nationwide once the additional 2,315 rooms become operational.

These include Manila Ocean Park (120 rooms), The Picasso Serviced Residences (136 rooms), Newport Marriott Hotel (342 rooms), and Maxims Hotel (178 rooms), and Radisson Hotel in Cebu (400 rooms).

The Boracay island will have new rooms with the opening of Crowne Regency (449), Phonex Hotel (130 rooms), Boracay Regency Lagoon (120 rooms), Seven Stones (100 rooms), Grand Water (100 rooms).

Other hotels include Microtel Inns and Suites in Palawan (50 rooms), Summer Ridge in Tagaytay (108 rooms) and Discovery Bay Misibis in Albay (82 rooms).

RP tourism explores new frontiers (http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20090426-201460/RP-tourism-explores-new-frontiers)
By Tina Arceo-Dumlao

MANILA, Philippines -- Not everything in the Philippines is adversely affected by the global financial crisis, which is strangling the economies of the United States and some countries in Europe and Asia.

In fact, some sectors in the Philippines are looking up, such as the business process outsourcing and tourism industries.

These vibrant sectors, coupled with remittances from Filipinos overseas, are expected to drive the growth in the country’s gross domestic product this year by between 3.1 percent and 4.1 percent.

Realizing that a lot of the country’s fortunes is riding on the tourism sector this year, the Department of Tourism under Secretary Joseph H. Durano is laying out grand plans to get the sector moving at full throttle.

In an e-mail interview with the Inquirer, Durano shares some of the ways by which the department plans to head off a slowdown in the sector, given that traditional sources of tourists like Korea and Japan are weighed down significantly by the crisis.

1. Given the economic turmoil affecting our traditional sources of visitors, what is the department doing to keep those tourist arrival numbers growing?

Our projection for 2009 is 3 to 3.1 million foreign tourists and 8 to 8.5 Filipino/Philippine resident tourists or a total of about 11 million tourist volume this year; a 9-percent increase compared to last year’s figure. This is the primary reason why various destinations and tourism-related businesses in the country continue to expand to meet this growth despite the global economic downturn.

In terms of the department’s international programs, we have maintained our pre-global economic crisis level of engagement in the United States, Japan, Korea, United Kingdom, Germany and some Asean markets.

Regarding international demand, the first two months of 2009 registered a 20-percent increase for the Middle East. Hong Kong recorded a 14-percent increase, Vietnam grew by 19 percent and France by 11 percent, among others. Programs in these growth markets are being intensified.

2. What about the prospects for domestic travel?

Aside from growth opportunities in the global market, demand from the home market is also growing rapidly. In the past four years, we have been partnering with industry stakeholders and other private sector entities to encourage travel around the country by Filipinos and Philippine residents.

Together with our major travel industry association partners, we hold three major travel marts in the country where a wide range of travel packages featuring various destinations in the country are promoted and sold. These are the Philippine Travel and Tour Expo in February, Philippine International Travel Fair in June and the Philippine Travel Mart in September.

Every summer, the Department with the Philippine Tour Operators Association, airlines and other transport groups and participating hotels and resorts introduce the Island Getaway Promo.

With a strong presence and robust performance in key global markets coupled with a vibrant domestic travel market, the continuous growth of the tourism sector is on very solid foundation.

3. What are the major constraints that need to be addressed to further increase those arrival numbers?

The constraints are physical tourism-related infrastructure, environmental consciousness and practices of host LGUs and communities. With growth in demand for our destinations, there is a need to expand physical infrastructure in and around these destinations to accommodate the demand and ensure the sustainability of these destinations.

The required physical infrastructure include upgraded airports and air services, road networks, hotels and resorts, and environmental protection and conservation infrastructure, like water treatment facilities, sewerage, drainage and water distribution systems.

The other constraint, however, is social in nature. Our challenge in more developed destinations, such as Boracay and Baguio, is to adjust the rate of growth to a sustainable level. These require engaging and equipping the LGUs, enabling them to formulate and enforce regulations that will place greater emphasis on environmental conservation, protection and restoration.

These more developed destinations can learn from the best practices of Bohol and Puerto Princesa, Palawan where the well-being of rural communities and the environmental conditions are given greater weight and importance in the development of their respective tourist attractions.

The challenge is to manage the growth and defend the environment from deterioration.

4. What new tourism spots in the country are gaining popularity?

Destinations breaking into the mainstream tourism circuit of the country are Bicol, Bohol and Palawan. These destinations provide a fresh new model for tourism development with greater weight on local livelihood generation and environmental protection and restoration.

5. What other programs are we embarking on this year for the tourism sector to contribute to total GDP growth?

A major program of the Department is GREET or Grassroots Entrepreneurship in Eco-Tourism. Through this program, we maximize the role of the country’s tourism growth for poverty alleviation. One of the fastest growing market segments in global travel is eco-tourism.

This is an opportunity for us to harness the various idle natural and cultural assets throughout the archipelago to economically and socially empower the host communities.

Under GREET, we impart technologies for sustainable use of natural and cultural resources, capitalize and empower host communities to become the tour operators, showcasing their natural and cultural wonders. Butanding interaction in Donsol, Sorsogon is just one of the many successful GREET programs of the Department.

Under GREET, we link local eco-tourism related enterprises to the mainstream tourism traffic in the country, making such enterprises viable and profitable, and also, we interweave the prosperity of the host communities with the posterity of their natural and cultural environment, creating a virtuous cycle of rural empowerment.

Camarines, Bohol now in tourist radars (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news5_april25_2009)
Manila Standard (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news5_april25_2009)

INTERNATIONAL visitor arrivals in the top 15 provincial destinations outside Metro Manila grew 4.25 percent in the first quarter of 2009, a Tourism Department report says.

But the report does not include arrivals in Metro Manila, which accounts for more than half of the total arrivals in the country.

Data showed that foreign arrivals in 15 destinations led by Cebu, Boracay and Davao reached 383,608 in the first quarter this year compared with 367,973 a year ago.

Domestic arrivals rose faster, at 12.9 percent, to 857,673 from 759,893. Together, foreign and domestic arrivals grew 10.3 percent to 1.31 million from 1.19 million.

Foreign arrivals in Cebu rose by just 0.51 percent, while foreign arrivals in Boracay fell 6 percent. Foreign visitors in Camarines Sur, the Philippines’ wakeboarding capital, jumped 104 percent.

The provincial government there recently opened an 18-hectare man-made lake called Lago del Rey, the biggest in the country, to complement the wakeboarding park set up in 2005. The facility offers family-oriented activities such as boat rides, fishing and swimming.

Cebu was the most frequently visited destination by foreign tourists with 184,790 arrivals followed by Boracay (63,903), Zambales (25,252), Camarines Sur (24,976), and Bohol (24,350).

The Tourism Department said that with the increase in domestic and foreign arrivals, capacity in key tourist destinations had been increased by 1,231 new rooms in the first quarter, entailing a total investment of over P8 billion.

“With an aggregate cost of P8.016 billion, these new investments directly employed 1,286 people,” the department said.

The opening of the P3.18-billion Imperial Palace Water Park, Resort and Spa increased the room supply in Cebu by 4 percent to 14,792. With 616 rooms, the resort provided employment to 780 workers.

Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa, a high-end, 217-room resort on Boracay Island, opened just in time for the influx of tourists on vacation and long holidays. The resort has initially hired 488 workers.

Seven companies investing in 28 cluster villas, and for a total cost of P761.9 million in the Amanpulo Tourism Enterprise Zone in Palawan, also began operating during the first quarter.

In Metro Manila, the opening of Legend International’s Park, Bed and Breakfast Hotel, Eurotel Hotel Branch in Makati, and the expansion of Oakwood Serviced Residences, increased the total room supply by 320.

The department said that by year-end, another 1,946 people would be employed once the additional 2,315 rooms became operational in various parts of the country.

These include Manila Ocean Park (120 rooms), The Picasso Serviced Residences (136 rooms), Newport Marriott Hotel (342 rooms), and Maxims Hotel (178 rooms) in Metro Manila.

Also set to open are Radisson Hotel (400 rooms) in Cebu, Crowne Regency (449), Phonex Hotel (130 rooms), Boracay Regency Lagoon (120 rooms), Seven Stones (100 rooms), Grand Water (100 rooms) in Boracay, Microtel Inns and Suites (50 rooms) in Puerto Princesa, Summer Ridge (108 rooms) in Tagaytay, and Discovery Bay Misibis (82 rooms) in Albay.

The department said it also endorsed five projects worth P6.323 billion in the first quarter this year. These will generate 6,340 jobs for local residents.

A $200-million luxury spa and resort is also set to be developed by Banyan Tree on a 55-hectare property on Diwaran Island of Palawan. This project will generate 8,000 direct and indirect jobs during the planning, construction and operational stages from 2009 to 2012.

In Subic, Harbor Yacht Services Philippines is building a restaurant and resort in a marina with an investment of P36.1 million.

A P500-million Wakeboard Park was also set to rise up on a 12-hectare area in Silang, Cavite, the department said. Roderick T. dela Cruz

http://www.vaildaily.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=VD&Date=20090425&Category=AE&ArtNo=904249967&Ref=AR&Profile=1078&MaxW=550&title=1

Vail travel: San Agustin Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located inside the historic walled city of Intramuros in Manila. Built in 1607, it is the oldest church still standing in the Philippines.

VAIL, Colorado — When in the middle of April it is still snowing in Vail, Colorado, it is not that difficult to leave it all behind for a while and try to get warm.

So it is off to a new country, to a new environment with its own scenery and culture. I have not had the opportunity to visit the Philippines before and it should be a great experience.

So, I am off on my long flights from Denver to San Francisco to Taipei to Manila, arriving there about 24 hours later. I have booked a hotel from Vail and that is something I try to do whenever I travel. I try to make a hotel reservation in the next city I plan to stop.

Most of the time this works out well (you don’t have to lug your suitcase around so much from place to place) and when it doesn’t, you just change hotels. It is that simple.

This also means that you are wise to acquire a local telephone or at least a SIM card. It makes for a lot more convenient way of contacting hotels, guides, tour agencies etc., saving you a lot of money in the long run — plus people can easily reach you once they have your local number.

Leaving it to chance

My schedule. Well, you might remember from previous trips that my schedules are somewhat loose, to say the least. I have read up a bit on the new country, found some sights I want to see, but for the rest I kind of leave it up to when I get there and have had a chance to talk to people.

Some of the sights I want to explore in the Philippines are the famous terraced rice paddies in Northern Luzon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as the numerous volcanoes that are supposed to dot the countryside.

It will be interesting to see how these sites will stack up against the spectacular ones I saw in Indonesia last year. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Then of course there are the beaches with palm trees, snorkeling (I haven’t done any diving lately, but I am taking my certificate along, just in case), the various churches and of course the local population. I seem to like markets a lot, because they give you a good feeling about the locals. Additionally, I can always find a barber there for a good shave.

Gridlock at 11 a.m.

Flying into Manila, I’m looking out of the window and it reminds me of an American city. I see larger lots with neat single homes and I am a bit surprised. However, the comparison doesn’t last long.

There are basically three things which immediately stand out on my drive to the hotel. First of all the pollution, which remind me of L.A., and my eyes are burning.

The second one is the lack of motorcycles compared to the rest of Southeast Asia. Cars are much more prevalent and that explains the gridlock at 11 a.m.

The last one is the language. Like in Indonesia, there is a disproportionate number of the letter “A” in the Philippine language and it is amazing. I see as many as six “As” in one word.

The beginning of this trip reminds me a bit of my last European voyage, where I also arrive on time, but my suitcase doesn’t land until 24 hours later. Unfortunately, I am not staying with my friend but in a hotel and therefore have to wear the same somewhat unsuitable clothing.

I have nothing, not even my camera. Now I understand better how angry people can become when the airline loses their luggage at the beginning of a trip. If you only have one or two weeks an are without luggage, it is not a lot of fun.

North from Manila

Despite it all I explore the old town a bit but it is very hot. And knowing that I will have to come back here when my camera arrives takes the fun out of it a bit. In any case, I go through Intramuros, the reasonably well preserved Spanish section with the San Agustin church, the oldest church in Manila and a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating from the end of the 16th century.

I visit the Manila Cathedral, which has been rebuilt five times, the last time in 1951. It has been destroyed repeatedly by earthquakes.. I walk though Rizal park and though some local neighborhoods looking for a book. Interesting city, but a bit too big for my taste, a bit too much pollution. Three nights is enough and I head north.

Note. Must be the way I look, or my age, but in various places street vendors come up to me trying to sell Viagra. When the last one comes up and tell me he has Viagra, I tell him he better use it because he looks like he needs it. He shuts up.

newsroom@vaildaily.com

DoT, OMA push 'halal tourism' to attract Middle East visitors

By EDD K. USMAN
Manila Bulletin, April 26, 2009, 6:40pm


In the spirit of President Arroyo's Memorandum Order No. 201 to upgrade the country's halal industry, the Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA) headed by Executive Director Datu Ali B. Sangki and the Department of Tourism (DoT) have joined hands in promoting "halal tourism" to attract Muslim visitors from the Middle East and other countries.

This developed as many Arab and Muslim tourists have been avoiding the United States and members of the European Union because of stereo-typing and profiling arising from the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 against America.

As a result Muslim travelers, particularly from the Middle East, have made Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei their preferred destinations, where there are also easily available Muslim-friendly food (halal) and hotel facilities (with a copy of the Holy Qur'an and Makkah-prayer direction in each room).

Singapore and Thailand have also been cashing-in on the petro-dollar tourists from the Middle East.
On the other hand, the Philippines, because of lack of credible halal industry and insensitivity of hotels to the needs of Muslims, has yet to really gain from the influx of Middle East visitors.

DoT Director for Special Projects Shahlimar Tamano and OMA Director for External Relations Datu Tahir Lidasan Jr. said this is one of the reasons their two offices have joined hands to promote halal-tourism.

"The project was initiated by the office of Director Shahlimar Tamano of the Special Projects of DoT and OMA is supporting the initiative," Lidasan said. Also the current OMA officer-in-charge because of Sangki's trip to Saudi Arabia to make arrangements for the hajj and also halal-related concerns, Lidasan lauded the overwhelming response of the hotel and restaurant industry to promote the Philippines as a halal-sensitive country.

This was shown when the DoT and OMA conducted a public forum on "Halal Accreditation and Advocacy" at the DoT Auditorium last April 23. Representatives of hotel establishments and restaurants, as well as halal culinary arts students from Most Institute led by Chef Abdulatif "Tato" Sangcupan joined the forum.

RP tourist numbers up 10% in first quarter (http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20090425-201411/RP-tourist-numbers-up-10-in-first-quarter)

The tourism sector has shown signs of growth despite the financial crunch that left other industries struggling, first-quarter data from the Department of Tourism show.

According to the department’s first-quarter report, tourist arrivals in top destinations of the country during the first quarter of 2009 grew by 10.33% for a total of 1.3 million.

Overall, the volume of domestic tourists visiting key destinations grew 13% while foreign arrivals recorded a 4% growth in the first quarter.

Cebu attracted the biggest volume of tourists with a 32% share of visitors and 180,000 foreign tourist arrivals, the report said.

Cebu was followed by Boracay, a popular beach destination in the province of Aklan; Davao City; Camarines Sur; Zambales; and Bohol.

Domestic tourist arrivals to Puerto Princesa City and Coron in Palawan posted a record-breaking growth of 392% because of the increase in flights from Manila, Cebu, Caticlan, and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. ]

To further underscore the growth of the industry, the tourism department also announced that more rooms were opened in the first quarter of the year, a sign that investors were confident of the Philippines’ tourism prospects and that the industry continued to generate employment opportunities for Filipinos.

For the period January to March 2009, a total of 1,231 additional rooms were opened. With an aggregate cost of P8.016 Billion, these new investments directly employed 1,286 people, the department said.

Because of the healthy demand for tourism services, the DoT said it endorsed five development projects worth P6.3 billion in the first three months of the year.

These initiatives will generate 6,340 jobs for local residents.

The tourism department expects that 2,300 more rooms will open by year-end. The expanded accommodations, which are located in Manila, Cebu, Boracay, Tagaytay, Palawan, and Albay, will employ 2,000 Filipinos, the report added.

This is really good news. I came from legaspi and was surprised to see young French tourists in the flight and the usual Korean and Chinese tourists...they were seated behind me, noisy but I think,based on their conversation, they enjoyed the massage and pedicure/manicure...cheap 'coz they talked of the prices in pesos with excitement and sometimes giggling! so bad, I can't understand French. :)

^^ Weren't there some news about Bicol a few months back, that some French TV show was taping episodes from there?

^^That's Survivor France in Caramoan, Camarines Sur. That's last year. I think Survivor Israel is now renting the place.

^^ Weren't there some news about Bicol a few months back, that some French TV show was taping episodes from there?

^^That's Survivor France in Caramoan, Camarines Sur. That's last year. I think Survivor Israel is now renting the place.

Ah yes.....I was thinking the French tourists would fly to/from Naga instead of Legaspi...I guess, spilled over Bicol. :cheers:

History stroll thru postal stamps
Visit the link:http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20090425-201434/History-stroll-thru-postal-stamps
Walking tours of city’s rich heritage
By Jeannette Andrade
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:41:00 04/25/2009

Filed Under: Tourism, Hobbies, Culture (general), history

MANILA, Philippines -- It could be a magical mystery tour with a slight twist and a different setting.

The postal heritage walking tour around Manila hopes to resurrect the dying art of stamp collecting in an age of e-mail and instant messaging through leisurely strolls around historic sites around the country’s capital.

What’s magical about the tour is the Filipinas Stamp Collectors’ Club’s (FSCC) ability to uncover hidden gems of history around Manila using postage stamps as its guide.

Lawrence Chan, FSCC vice president and tour guide, conceded: “Stamp collection is a dying art. Let’s face it, people would rather send an e-mail rather than send snail mail.”

Chan told the Inquirer that the primary aim of the postal heritage walking tour is “to promote through philately our rich cultural heritage.”

Philately is defined by the Philippine Postal Service in its website as “the world’s most fascinating hobby. Through philately, you can learn of a country’s history, art, culture, and industry as depicted in special commemorative stamps.”

Chan said his group has organized the walking tours to “show participants how diverse and rich our culture is.” The tours are usually scheduled every third Sunday of the month but can be held on other days depending on requests made by students or other interested groups.

He pointed out that sometimes, they even spend for the participants just so they could join a tour.

The FSCC officers and members usually meet weekly on Sundays at the Postal Museum and Philatelic Library to trade or sell stamps.

Josie Cura, FSCC president, told the Inquirer that her group accommodates people who want to start their own stamp collections.

Cura, who has been collecting stamps since 1966, said that people can write them through snail mail and ask for free stamps to start the hobby. “As long as they enclose self-stamped envelopes, we can give them stamps.”

The FSCC was first organized by stamp collectors in October 1994 as the Manila Stamp Collectors’ Club aimed at catering to beginners and intermediates at the hobby.

It was later renamed as the FSCC in January 2000 and has some 70 active members to date.

The Philippine postal heritage walking tour kicked off at the Aduana or the Customs House, where goods including mails were brought from overseas and declared.

What could be seen now of the then “Intendencia” is its ruins at the heart of Intramuros. The building was built from 1823 to 1829 , was demolished in 1872, and a new one replaced it four years after to house the customs offices, the Intendencia General de Hacienda (Central Administration), the treasury, as well as the casa moneda (mint).

It was destroyed by American artillery in 1945 and was restored and used by the Central Bank of the Philippines, the national treasury, and the Commission on Elections until it was completely ravaged by a fire in 1979.

The Puerta Isabel II monument and gate is marked by the bronze statue of the Spanish queen which was first erected near the Teatro Alfonso XII (now the Metropolitan Theater) in Arroceros (now Plaza Lawton) on July 14, 1860.

Moves to dismantle the statue after the queen’s downfall was thwarted by a sympathizer who hid the monument in his home.

In 1896, the statue resurfaced and was erected in front of the Malate Church for some 70 years until Typhoon “Yoling” (international code name Patsy) toppled the statue. It was only in 1975 during the visit of then Prince and now King Juan Carlos of Spain that the monument was erected on its present site.

Liwasang Bonifacio was also part of the itinerary. The park which is known as the venue for most rallies used to be known as Plaza Lawton until it was renamed in the 1960s after the Plebeian hero Andres Bonifacio.

The Manila Cathedral inside the walled Intramuros was also part of the tour as it was also previously featured in stamps when its bell tower has not yet been constructed.

The final leg of the tour showed a virtual trove of philately in the form of the Postal Museum and Philatelic Library which is located within the Manila Central Post Office compound.

The postal museum is hidden at the third floor of the building of the Security Inspection Services Division and Postal Police Force that any Manileño would scratch his head in wonder at not knowing that it exists and is in fact the oldest museum in southeast Asia.

It was organized in 1992 to enable the public to view the country’s rich repository of stamps and items used by the post office through the years including: Old mail boxes, typewriters, awards, paintings, stamps, philatelic magazines, as well as books and catalogues.

Chan revealed that the Philippines is the first country in Asia to issue stamps, printing and releasing them on Feb. 1, 1854.

He disclosed that the first stamp is highly collectible because of the error in printing where “correos” was misspelled as “corros” and could fetch a price ranging from P5,000 to as much as P25,000 a piece.

Another collectible stamp is the June 30, 1981 Philippine issued stamp and souvenir sheet without any indication of the country of origin and carried “new republic” on its face.

A Sept. 25, 1995 issuance honoring Cesar Bengson bore the picture of his brother instead. When the error was discovered, 2,070 stamps had already been sold while the rest were recalled and replaced.

Chan pointed out that errors and mistakes in printing of stamps make them precious to stamp collectors.

He lamented that the hobby is no longer as thriving as it was during the snail mail era and the museum is not being promoted when other countries take pride in their culture.

“We have a very rich history. We should just take time, take it slow to enjoy what we have,” Chan stressed.

The FSCC can be reached by prospective hobbyists through Manila P.O. box 2986 or through 7355001.

Laguna Horticulture, Heritage & Culinary Tour
MAY 02, 2009 (SATURDAY) FIELD TRIP

Tour itinerary:

Petty john Pottery – Bucal, Calamba, Laguna

This pottery factory is unique in Southern Luzon , It creative designs and award winning potteries earned its distinction worldwide as being innovative. Jon Petty lives and works together with his wife (artist potter Tessy) in Laguna. He has spent many years in the Philippines experimenting with, learning about and sometimes teaching pottery. Jon is of Phil-American descent. He has learned his craft in Barcelona , Spain , where he started out as an apprentice at a small studio. His work is almost "one of a kind" or extremely limited editions. Jon makes traditional functional pottery.

Note: A short demonstration on traditional pottery will be conducted during the tour

Ms. Dorie Bernabe's Garden

(Pansol, Laguna)Mrs. Adoracion S. Bernabe or popularly known as Tita Dorie among her peers in the horticultural world. Her farm cum resort style had a lot of things to offer . Her over 30 years of collection is housed in her Pansol farm . She is an active member and an officer of over half a dozen horticultural societies and is considered as a bulwark in the horticultural industry. Her award winning collections is not only known locally but also in the international circuit. Her farm had been a favorite meeting place of various societies and She was featured recently in one of the Philippines top rating prime time show " Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho " aired on GMA channel 7 last January 10, 2009 " Cactus episode" .

Collection of ornamental, cactus, etc.

Botanical Garden- Los Baños, Laguna

This botanical reserve had been developed by the Americans, Home to the majestic Medinillas or locally known as Kapa-kapa this plant is marveled worldwide on its magnificent floral bracts the forest garden is home to various Philippine hardwood trees such as kamagong, molave, guijo, ipil, bitaog, mahogany, and narra; flowering trees such as caballero, saracca, Palawan cherry, ilang ilang, and white santan and mussaendas .

Note: Please bring orchid species plant (if you have ) to donate at the botanical garden.

Valesol Haven House and Farm – Los Baños , Laguna

This ancestral house of the Lazaros is one of the unique structures in the heart of UPLB, The house is made from bamboos and old Philippine hardwoods, the bamboos were specially treated in salt water that had stood the weather and tear of time. The house is over 55 years old and had been an architectural marvel in a city looming with industrialization.

This half-hectare farm is abloom with cattleyas, dendrobiums, vandas , anthuriums and other various species of colorful flowers in varying stages of growth. Its proprietor, Mr. Carlos Lazaro (President of Philippine Orchid Society and Los Baños Orchid Society) also provides lectures on orchid and anthurium propagation.
(Lunch) – Laguna specialties like Buko pie, native kakanins, pancit and delicacies will be served.

Orchid and Plant Laboratory – UPLB

See and marvel tiny plants and orchid seedlings grown from sterile media in a bottle and the adjacent greenhouse of the laboratory where rare, indigenous, endemic and endangered orchids and ornamental plants are carefully nurtured and grown in a systematic way.

Los Baños Orchid and Garden Show- UPLB Seniors Hall

If you are looking for new and hard to find plants, this is the place to go. New plant cultivars like the Red Christina, a new cultivars from Christina or Pink Eugenia, and a limited number of Mussaenda Emerlinda Roman (President of University of the Philippines ) will be on sale at the show for the first time.
Garden shows like this in Los Baños help to promote the Philippine ornamental plant Industry and inspire our local plant breeders to come up with new plant hybrids for the local and international trade through plant competitions. It is through this event that most of the Philippine plants are conserved and mass propagated, providing sustainable livelihood to thousands of plant propagators and collectors in the Calabarzon area. Filipinos are also distinguished landscape artists, and with these events, their skill in landscaping is continuously sharpened. New Philippine hoya species will also be displayed.
Tour inclusive of entrance fee to botanical garden, donation fee, UPLB garden show, lunch, merienda and lectures

UPLB ART CENTER ( If we have time)

Deadline for confirmation and payment: April 28, 2009

Assembly place: Manila Seedling Bank Foundation / Magallanes station 6:30am
Time: 5:00 am to 6am
Tour leaves at approximately at 6am
Estimated time of arrival: 6pm

Fees: Php 900 for members of Philippine Orchid Society
Php 1,200 for non-members

Office Address:
Unit 209 Delsa Mansion, 44 Scout Borromeo corner Scout Torrillo Streets, Barangay South Triangle, Quezon City, 1103 Philippines.

TeleFax Numbers:
+632-929-4425
+632-926-5061
+63 917-848-5468, +63 922.895.9544 mobile number (Jenny Rivera)

Contact Person: Mr. Lawrence Chan – Corporate Secretary (0919-3901671)
Email- L_rence_2003@ yahoo.com
Office Staffs: Ms. Jenny Rivera and Mr. Edilberto Capague Time: 5:30am

Departure: 6:00 am

ETA: from Laguna – 6:00pm – 7:00pm

Gov't steps up development of tourism infrastructure

TACLOBAN CITY, April 29 (PNA) -- Citing tourism as a major pillar of the country’s economy, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday said the government is pursuing more infrastructure development projects, especially in areas with vast tourism potentials.

The President said the country as a whole boasts of some of the most beautiful beaches, mountain terrains and lush forests in the world that continue to attract tourists and help the country’s economy.

“We have some of the best beaches, best dive sites, best surfing sites, the best mountains and the best rainforests in the world. That’s why tourism is very important for us,” the President said during a regional media interview with Action Radio DYVL-Manila Broadcasting Company here.

The Chief Executive said one of her visions is to align Eastern Visayas tourism development with other tourism destinations in Central Philippines Super Region, known as the Tourism Hub of the Philippines.

“That’s why the works of the government is to liberalize the airline industry and to do infrastructures,” she said.

To push the development of tourism facilities, the government is spending more on vital infrastructures like roads, bridges, airports and ports in the different provinces of Eastern Visayas, the President pointed out.

She said this includes the creation of the Eastern Nautical Highway linking Region 8 to Luzon via Biliran, and the improvement or concreting of access roads to roll-on, roll-off (RORO) ports such as the Naval and Maripipi ports.

The government has allocated some P308 million for infrastructure support to tourism hubs from Borongan to Guiuan in Samar province.

The President also noted that Philippine Airlines and other domestic airlines are now flying to areas like Calbayog, Catarman in Samar and Ormoc in Leyte.

“So, we have flights coming in because of our liberalized air policies,” she said.
“With projects like these, we are improving transportation and access to the top tourism destinations in Region 8 in order to increase tourist arrivals and thus, generate more economic activity,” she added. (PNA)

Aklan plans to reclaim 2.6-hectare in Caticlan

BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan, April 29 (PNA) - The provincial government plans to reclaim 2.6 hectares of land in Caticlan to pave the way for the establishment of a resort and spa that will complement the tourism industry in this island.

"We are planning to establish a wellness and health project for the reclamation area. We are planning to put up a resort and spa as our contribution to the medical tourism program," said Aklan Gov. Carlito Marquez.

Marquez has called on multi-national companies to explore for other business potentials of the Boracay Island to complement the planned reclamation project.

St. Luke Medical Center in Quezon City has expressed interest in expanding its services in this resort island, it was gathered.

"We are expanding the tourism industry in Boracay. There is always room for business potentials in this resort island. Records of the Department of Tourism revealed that Boracay is surviving the economic recession," said Marquez.
The provincial government is also contemplating on the possibility of putting up a cable car facility for Boracay and an ocean park .(PNA)

^^ That's going in the right direction though I don't have the same sentiment for an ocean park in Boracay. The public and private sectors should start decongesting Boracay by putting up more tourism facilities and attractions in the mainland of Panay.

^^:okay: sang-ayon ako dyan, more facilities pa, masyado nang crowded ang Boracay especially during holidays.

^^ That's going in the right direction though I don't have the same sentiment for an ocean park in Boracay. The public and private sectors should start decongesting Boracay by putting up more tourism facilities and attractions in the mainland of Panay.

i second the motion. ocean park in my opinion would be a redundant addition in boracay since you can see them (the fishes and other marine organisms) in actual diving activities. better to put up ocean park in metropolitan areas instead.

The Manila Ocean Park is a great addition to Metro Manila. A similar facility would not add to Boracay's grandeur. Instead it will add to the congestion. We need tourist facilities in Manila as right now, there's not much to do in the metro area except the malls.

The old Manila Baywalk would have been fine except I think it got out of control. If you've been to Waikiki lately, what the Baywalk is a similar attraction, but this time it should be better planned.

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

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

The president is set to sign Tourism Act of 2009. This will tremendously help other local tourist hubs to be developed and advertised.

The goal of this law is to delegate to the LGU's the duty to promote their own tourist destinations. They now have the responsibility to encourage tourists (local or foreign) to visit their localities. One of the goals of the law is to find other potential tourist destinations that have world-class quality.

This healthy competition among our LGU's can certainly boost our tourism industry.

its better if they will put the 2nd ocean park of the philippines in cebu.

its better if they will put the 2nd ocean park of the philippines in cebu.

an ocean park in boracay will actually destablize cebu and palawan's tourism advantage. boracay is about approximately the size of mactan island in cebu or panglao island of bohol and would want to become the number one tourist destination of the country. there is a stiff competition for tourists both local and foreign and each place is trying to edge out one another. an ocean park can be an added attraction to boracay.

The Manila Ocean Park is a great addition to Metro Manila. A similar facility would not add to Boracay's grandeur. Instead it will add to the congestion. We need tourist facilities in Manila as right now, there's not much to do in the metro area except the malls.

Agree here!:cheers:

That is why it is also difficult to attract tourists in the Philippines. Spots are all far apart. That can be expensive.

RP tops ticket booking sales in France (http://www.positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Tourism_24/RP_tops_ticket_booking_sales_in_France.shtml)

By Lily O Ramos


MANILA, April 30 (PNA) -- With a record 60 percent growth in ticket sales issued by nearly all airlines in France, the Philippines has become the No.1 Asia-Pacific destination of French tourists.

According to the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP), figures representing the number of tickets issued by all airlines in 4,000 travel agencies in France, the Philippines is the strongest in terms of progression for Asian destinations for the January-February 2009 period.

Department of Tourist (DOT) Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, who was the guest of honor at the launching of the Hands on Volunteer Vacation (HOVV) on Wednesday at the Ocean Park Oceanarium at the back of Quirino Grandstand in Manila, said the DOT office in France reported booking from all travel agencies this year was much, much higher compared to the figures entered in 2008.

He added that the "Philippines' aggressive European marketing campaign in several major trade fairs has allowed us to strengthen our established links with the sophisticated French market."

"Our Tourism department has continued to enhance our campaign for high-spending French travelers, promoting the country’s nature, adventure and culture," said Durano.

Durano attributed the growth in ticket bookings to the country’s myriad of adventures and travel options such as diving and other exciting activities from all kinds of water sports to exhilarating expeditions such as hiking, trekking, spelunking, to name a few.

"We also have bird-watching, which is fast gaining acclaim from eco-travelers,” he said.

Tourism Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr. said, “The French market has been familiar with our destinations because of key reasons, among which is the country’s active participation in travel trade fairs and our partnership with the TV program Koh Lanta, which featured Caramoan in Camarines Sur, and Palawan."

The Tourism First Quarter Report showed that Camarines Sur and Palawan were the leading major destinations in terms of growth rate, at 43.23 percent and 93.29 percent, respectively. (PNA)

^^ Hopefully that will translate into either PAL restarting service to Paris or Air France restarting service to Manila. :D

OT:
Is it possible to have direct flight to the philippines from any part of europe? Considering the distance, kaya ba ng mga airlines?

OT:
Is it possible to have direct flight to the philippines from any part of europe? Considering the distance, kaya ba ng mga airlines?

Malapit lang namn ang europe, ang problema yung mga agreements.

OT:
Is it possible to have direct flight to the philippines from any part of europe? Considering the distance, kaya ba ng mga airlines?

KLM has direct flights to Manila from Amsterdam.

May schedule of Horticultural events, field trip, walking tours

May 1 Labor Day

May 2- Laguna Horticulture, Heritage, Culinary Tour (Philippine Orchid Society)
our itinerary:

Pettyjohn Pottery – Bucal, Calamba, Laguna

This pottery factory is unique in Southern Luzon , It creative designs and award winning potteries earned its distinction worldwide as being innovative. Jon Petty lives and works together with his wife (artist potter Tessy) in Laguna. He has spent many years in the Philippines experimenting with, learning about and sometimes teaching pottery. Jon is of Phil-American descent. He has learned his craft in Barcelona , Spain , where he started out as an apprentice at a small studio. His work is almost "one of a kind" or extremely limited editions. Jon makes traditional functional pottery.

Note: A short demonstration on traditional pottery will be conducted during the tour

Ms. Dorie Bernabe's Garden

(Pansol, Laguna)Mrs. Adoracion S. Bernabe or popularly known as Tita Dorie among her peers in the horticultural world. Her farm cum resort style had a lot of things to offer . Her over 30 years of collection is housed in her Pansol farm . She is an active member and an officer of over half a dozen horticultural societies and is considered as a bulwark in the horticultural industry. Her award winning collections is not only known locally but also in the international circuit. Her farm had been a favorite meeting place of various societies and She was featured recently in one of the Philippines top rating prime time show " Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho " aired on GMA channel 7 last January 10, 2009 " Cactus episode" .

Collection of ornamental, cactus, etc.

Botanical Garden- Los Baños, Laguna

This botanical reserve had been developed by the Americans, Home to the majestic Medinillas or locally known as Kapa-kapa this plant is marveled worldwide on its magnificent floral bracts the forest garden is home to various Philippine hardwood trees such as kamagong, molave, guijo, ipil, bitaog, mahogany, and narra; flowering trees such as caballero, saracca, Palawan cherry, ilang ilang, and white santan and mussaendas .

Note: Please bring orchid species plant (if you have ) to donate at the botanical garden.

Valesol Haven House and Farm – Los Baños , Laguna

This ancestral house of the Lazaros is one of the unique structures in the heart of UPLB, The house is made from bamboos and old Philippine hardwoods, the bamboos were specially treated in salt water that had stood the weather and tear of time. The house is over 55 years old and had been an architectural marvel in a city looming with industrialization.

This half-hectare farm is abloom with cattleyas, dendrobiums, vandas , anthuriums and other various species of colorful flowers in varying stages of growth. Its proprietor, Mr. Carlos Lazaro (President of Philippine Orchid Society and Los Baños Orchid Society) also provides lectures on orchid and anthurium propagation.
(Lunch) – Laguna specialties like Buko pie, native kakanins, pancit and delicacies will be served.

Orchid and Plant Laboratory – UPLB

See and marvel tiny plants and orchid seedlings grown from sterile media in a bottle and the adjacent greenhouse of the laboratory where rare, indigenous, endemic and endangered orchids and ornamental plants are carefully nurtured and grown in a systematic way.

Los Baños Orchid and Garden Show- UPLB Seniors Hall

If you are looking for new and hard to find plants, this is the place to go. New plant cultivars like the Red Christina, a new cultivars from Christina or Pink Eugenia, and a limited number of Mussaenda Emerlinda Roman (President of University of the Philippines ) will be on sale at the show for the first time.
Garden shows like this in Los Baños help to promote the Philippine ornamental plant Industry and inspire our local plant breeders to come up with new plant hybrids for the local and international trade through plant competitions. It is through this event that most of the Philippine plants are conserved and mass propagated, providing sustainable livelihood to thousands of plant propagators and collectors in the Calabarzon area. Filipinos are also distinguished landscape artists, and with these events, their skill in landscaping is continuously sharpened. New Philippine hoya species will also be displayed.
Tour inclusive of entrance fee to botanical garden, donation fee, UPLB garden show, lunch, merienda and lectures

UPLB ART CENTER ( If we have time)

Deadline for confirmation and payment: April 28, 2009

Assembly place: Manila Seedling Bank Foundation / Magallanes station 6:30am
Time: 5:00 am to 6am
Tour leaves at approximately at 6am
Estimated time of arrival: 6pm

Fees: Php 900 for members of Philippine Orchid Society
Php 1,200 for non-members

Office Address:
Unit 209 Delsa Mansion, 44 Scout Borromeo corner Scout Torrillo Streets, Barangay South Triangle, Quezon City, 1103 Philippines.

TeleFax Numbers:
+632-929-4425
+632-926-5061
+63 917-848-5468, +63 922.895.9544 mobile number (Jenny Rivera)

Contact Person: Mr. Lawrence Chan – Secretary General (0919-3901671)
Email- L_rence_2003@ yahoo.com
Office Staffs: Ms. Jenny Rivera and Mr. Edilberto Capague Time: 5:30am

Departure: 6:00 am

ETA: from Laguna – 6:00pm – 7:00pm

May 10- Mother’s Day / Cactus and Succulent Society of the Philippines monthly meeting

May 12, Feast of Sta. Ana , Manila

May 16- Fern and Nature Society of the Philippines monthly meeting

May 17 – “ Free” Postal Heritage Walking Tour
Theme “May Flower and Mother’s Day ”

Assembly Place: Liwasang Bonifacio, fountain area.

Assembly Time: 12:30 to 1pm
Tour leaves at: 1 p.m.

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 up to May 15.

Just indicate your name, address, and contact information:
Lawrence Chan – Filipinas Stamp Collectors' Club
Email: L_rence_2003@yahoo.com
Vice President and Tour Officer

May 23- Philippine Horticultural Society monthly meeting

May 23 – Philippine Orchid Society – Tagaytay Farm, Horticulture, Health, Wellness and Culinary Tour (Will keep on posted for the tour itinerary)

Contact Information:
Mr. Lawrence Chan – Secretary General

Office Address:
Unit 209 Delsa Mansion, 44 Scout Borromeo corner Scout Torrillo Streets, Barangay South Triangle, Quezon City, 1103 Philippines.

TeleFax Numbers:
+632-929-4425
+632-926-5061
+63 917-848-5468 mobile number Ms. Jenny Rivera
+63 0919-3901671 mobile number Mr. Lawrence Chan

Office Hours: Monday to Saturday : 9:00 am to 5p.m.

RP tops ticket booking sales in France (http://www.positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Tourism_24/RP_tops_ticket_booking_sales_in_France.shtml)

By Lily O Ramos


MANILA, April 30 (PNA) -- With a record 60 percent growth in ticket sales issued by nearly all airlines in France, the Philippines has become the No.1 Asia-Pacific destination of French tourists.

According to the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP), figures representing the number of tickets issued by all airlines in 4,000 travel agencies in France, the Philippines is the strongest in terms of progression for Asian destinations for the January-February 2009 period.

Department of Tourist (DOT) Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, who was the guest of honor at the launching of the Hands on Volunteer Vacation (HOVV) on Wednesday at the Ocean Park Oceanarium at the back of Quirino Grandstand in Manila, said the DOT office in France reported booking from all travel agencies this year was much, much higher compared to the figures entered in 2008.

He added that the "Philippines' aggressive European marketing campaign in several major trade fairs has allowed us to strengthen our established links with the sophisticated French market."

"Our Tourism department has continued to enhance our campaign for high-spending French travelers, promoting the country’s nature, adventure and culture," said Durano.

Durano attributed the growth in ticket bookings to the country’s myriad of adventures and travel options such as diving and other exciting activities from all kinds of water sports to exhilarating expeditions such as hiking, trekking, spelunking, to name a few.

"We also have bird-watching, which is fast gaining acclaim from eco-travelers,” he said.

Tourism Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr. said, “The French market has been familiar with our destinations because of key reasons, among which is the country’s active participation in travel trade fairs and our partnership with the TV program Koh Lanta, which featured Caramoan in Camarines Sur, and Palawan."

The Tourism First Quarter Report showed that Camarines Sur and Palawan were the leading major destinations in terms of growth rate, at 43.23 percent and 93.29 percent, respectively. (PNA)

Good work!:)

yup, indeed the French are invading the Philippines especially Boracay and Bohol (aside from CAMsur and Palawan)!!:cheers:

RP tops ticket booking sales in France (http://www.positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Tourism_24/RP_tops_ticket_booking_sales_in_France.shtml)

By Lily O Ramos


MANILA, April 30 (PNA) -- With a record 60 percent growth in ticket sales issued by nearly all airlines in France, the Philippines has become the No.1 Asia-Pacific destination of French tourists.

According to the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP), figures representing the number of tickets issued by all airlines in 4,000 travel agencies in France, the Philippines is the strongest in terms of progression for Asian destinations for the January-February 2009 period.

...


whoa, this made my day!:cheers:

Good to know the most visited country in terms of tourism in the world is choosing to visit us :okay:

Whatever happened to those charter flights from Russia?

Good work!:)

yup, indeed the French are invading the Philippines especially Boracay and Bohol (aside from CAMsur and Palawan)!!:cheers:

this is the type of invasion that i want. i hope more european countries would visit us. kudos to ace durano and his team.

Hopefully that will translate into either PAL restarting service to Paris or Air France restarting service to Manila. :D

I'm more upbeat about PR's return to Europe than AF's return to MNL since KL (via their AMS hub) is already their current "representative" flying to the Philippines.

OT:
Is it possible to have direct flight to the philippines from any part of europe? Considering the distance, kaya ba ng mga airlines?

Yes, it is possible to mount direct nonstop flights between the Philippines and Europe.

I'm more upbeat about PR's return to Europe than AF's return to MNL since KL (via their AMS hub) is already their current "representative" flying to the Philippines.

Codeshare then, perhaps? I think this will boost PAL's chances of being invited into an airline alliance. :D

Codeshare then, perhaps? I think this will boost PAL's chances of being invited into an airline alliance. :D

It would indeed. I know you want PR to join SkyTeam, while I want them in OneWorld. ;)

Philippine Tourism Explores New Frontiers (http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=8320)

Not everything in the Philippines is adversely affected by the global financial crisis, which is strangling the economies of the United States and some countries in Europe and Asia.
In fact, some sectors in the Philippines are looking up, such as the business process outsourcing and tourism industries.

These vibrant sectors, coupled with remittances from Filipinos overseas, are expected to drive the growth in the country's gross domestic product this year by between 3.1 percent and 4.1 percent.

Realising that a lot of the country's fortunes is riding on the tourism sector this year, the department of tourism under Secretary Joseph H. Durano is laying out grand plans to get the sector moving at full throttle.

Meeting with reporters recently in Manila, Durano shared some of the ways by which the department plans to head off a slowdown in the sector, given that traditional sources of tourists like Korea and Japan are weighed down significantly by the crisis.

1. Given the economic turmoil affecting our traditional sources of visitors, what is the department doing to keep those tourist arrival numbers growing?

Our projection for 2009 is 3 to 3.1 million foreign tourists and 8 to 8.5 Filipino/Philippine resident tourists or a total of about 11 million tourist volume this year; a 9-percent increase compared to last year's figure. This is the primary reason why various destinations and tourism-related businesses in the country continue to expand to meet this growth despite the global economic downturn.

In terms of the department's international programmes, we have maintained our pre-global economic crisis level of engagement in the United States, Japan, Korea, United Kingdom, Germany and some Asean markets.

Regarding international demand, the first two months of 2009 registered a 20-percent increase for the Middle East. Hong Kong recorded a 14-percent increase, Viet Nam grew by 19 percent and France by 11 percent, among others. Programmes in these growth markets are being intensified.

2. What about the prospects for domestic travel?

Aside from growth opportunities in the global market, demand from the home market is also growing rapidly. In the past four years, we have been partnering with industry stakeholders and other private sector entities to encourage travel around the country by Filipinos and Philippine residents.

Together with our major travel industry association partners, we hold three major travel marts in the country where a wide range of travel packages featuring various destinations in the country are promoted and sold. These are the Philippine Travel and Tour Expo in February, Philippine International Travel Fair in June and the Philippine Travel Mart in September.

Every summer, the Department with the Philippine Tour Operators Association, airlines and other transport groups and participating hotels and resorts introduce the Island Getaway Promo.

With a strong presence and robust performance in key global markets coupled with a vibrant domestic travel market, the continuous growth of the tourism sector is on very solid foundation.

3. What are the major constraints that need to be addressed to further increase those arrival numbers?

The constraints are physical tourism-related infrastructure, environmental consciousness and practices of host LGUs and communities. With growth in demand for our destinations, there is a need to expand physical infrastructure in and around these destinations to accommodate the demand and ensure the sustainability of these destinations.

The required physical infrastructure include upgraded airports and air services, road networks, hotels and resorts, and environmental protection and conservation infrastructure, like water treatment facilities, sewerage, drainage and water distribution systems.

The other constraint, however, is social in nature. Our challenge in more developed destinations, such as Boracay and Baguio, is to adjust the rate of growth to a sustainable level. These require engaging and equipping the LGUs, enabling them to formulate and enforce regulations that will place greater emphasis on environmental conservation, protection and restoration.

These more developed destinations can learn from the best practices of Bohol and Puerto Princesa, Palawan where the well-being of rural communities and the environmental conditions are given greater weight and importance in the development of their respective tourist attractions.

The challenge is to manage the growth and defend the environment from deterioration.

4. What new tourism spots in the country are gaining popularity?

Destinations breaking into the mainstream tourism circuit of the country are Bicol, Bohol and Palawan. These destinations provide a fresh new model for tourism development with greater weight on local livelihood generation and environmental protection and restoration.

5. What other programmes are we embarking on this year for the tourism sector to contribute to total GDP growth?

A major programme of the Department is GREET or Grassroots Entrepreneurship in Eco-Tourism. Through this programme, we maximise the role of the country¡¯s tourism growth for poverty alleviation. One of the fastest growing market segments in global travel is eco-tourism.

This is an opportunity for us to harness the various idle natural and cultural assets throughout the archipelago to economically and socially empower the host communities.

Under GREET, we impart technologies for sustainable use of natural and cultural resources, capitalize and empower host communities to become the tour operators, showcasing their natural and cultural wonders. Butanding interaction in Donsol, Sorsogon is just one of the many successful GREET programs of the Department.

Under GREET, we link local eco-tourism related enterprises to the mainstream tourism traffic in the country, making such enterprises viable and profitable, and also, we interweave the prosperity of the host communities with the posterity of their natural and cultural environment, creating a virtuous cycle of rural empowerment.

^^^^

Very good plan.

Hopefully, the private sector (resort owners) will also improve their facilities and help the government improve our tourist infrastructures.

Specific targets: airports, roads, transport, sewage

^^ yup, private sector is most welcome to capitalize on these opportunities.

Aside from that, tapping our people also included to avoid job mismatch? :D

Connected in Coron (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=463296&publicationSubCategoryId=73)

More Filipinos are discovering Coron, a small town belonging to the Calamianes group of islands located in the northernmost part of Palawan.

The first-quarter report of the Department of Tourism (DOT) shows that domestic tourist arrivals to Coron and the capital city of Puerto Princesa, grew by a record-breaking 392 percent. The DOT attributes this to the increase in flights from Manila, Cebu, and Caticlan. Coron is an hour away from Manila by plane.

For Al and Mae Linsangan of Calamian Expeditions Travel & Tours, however, getting there and back is just one aspect of the experience. Equally important is communications, says Mae.

Coron enjoys mobile connectivity, dominantly from Smart Communications Inc., which has installed 12 3G/High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) and GSM base stations to serve the Calamianes group of islands, with five dedicated to the town proper. Hence, the signal is strong not only in Coron but in the waters and islands surrounding the municipality.

It’s a big advantage to the Linsangans, who adopt a community approach to tourism, involving local tour guides, mountain guides, resort and lodge operators, boat operators, transport operators, indigenous cultural groups and adventure seekers. Often mobile, they are all reachable by cellphone, given Smart’s coverage.

Tourists, too, enjoy the convenience of being connected even in the remote islands. A must-do for travelers is sending wish-you-were-here messages — with MMS photos of themselves, say, swimming in the crystal-clear waters of Kayangan Lake, the cleanest lake in the Philippines. Kayangan is the only one of 15 lakes in Coron open to the public. There are many other attractions.

Coron is best known as the jump-off point to what is considered as one of the best dive sites in the world, with 12 sunken World War II Japanese shipwrecks found in its waters.

Snorkeling is best at Siete Pecados and other nearby sites, which boast of a thriving marine population and stunning coral reefs. Other options are swimming in the turquoise waters of Coron Island’s inland lakes and nearby beaches, rejuvenating at Maquinit hot springs and exploring the iconic limestone cliffs and ridges.

With so much to see and do, it’s almost a crime for tourists not to have a camera handy, especially in this photo-blog age. Smart’s HSPA service has boosted Web activity in the town, with the majority of Coron’s Internet cafés powered by Smart Bro, the wireless broadband service of Smart Broadband Inc.

With nightlife limited to a few bars and cafés, Internet connectivity is now being offered as an alternative in more resorts and lodging houses.

SeaDive Resort, which boasts of the biggest diving and accommodation facility on the waterfront, offers free Wi-Fi service via Smart Bro in its restaurant, enabling tourists to check their e-mails, post photos on their social networking sites, surf the Web, access YouTube, or do online gaming. Foreigners take the chance to chat with folks back home via video streaming.

The Linsangans themselves operate an Internet café, Calamian Planet Online, located just beside their office and art gallery. An enterprising businessman and a true resident of Coron, Al started off with a souvenir shop called Corong Galeri Lokals, which sells Calamianes’ traditional products, arts, and handicrafts made by locals, including Filipino tribal minorities from the island barangays and upland communities.

The couple has since expanded to related ventures, including Palawan Outdoors, an adventure products and equipment shop, and Al 3 Studio, which offers graphic design and conceptualization, layout, large format printing, digital photo and photography services. Al, a photographer who knows the Calamianes’ many picturesque spots, frequently goes island-hopping to take pictures for travel publications.

Like most entrepreneurs in Coron and in the nearby islands, the Linsangans publicize their services on their website (www.corongaleri.com.ph) and coordinate with clients via mobile phone.

“The communications provided by Smart is crucial to our business,” says Mae, who is rarely without her cellphone and booking sheet. Not a day goes by that she and Al don’t get phone or e-mail queries from foreign and domestic tourists who had accessed their website or had been referred by satisfied customers. When you come right down to it, all they really need to run their business — and tell more people about Coron — is their cellphone.

first quarter pa lang yang increase. i bet mas mataas pa ang figure sa 2nd quarter since summer months to. medyo baba sa 3rd quarter since tag-ulan at tataas ulit pagdating ng holidays. nice job DOT!:banana::banana:

DOT Q1 Report: RP gains more tourists, robust increase in investments, widened travel and employment

By Lily O Ramos

MANILA, May 2 (PNA) —- Amidst the worldwide economic downturn, Philippine tourism expanded in terms of investments, travel and employment for the 2009 first quarter, according to the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) plans and program report.

The report submitted to Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said that from January to March this year, new hotels and resorts opened a total of 1,231 additional rooms at the cost of P8.16 billion and hired 1,286 employees.

For instance, the opening of Cebu’s P3.18-billion Imperial Palace Water Park, Resort and Spa increased the room supply to 14,792 which provided jobs to 780 workers.

The P8.5-million San Remigio Beach Club in the northern part of Cebu also opened its new facilities by building a convention center to capture the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) of both international and domestic markets as an investment.

In Boracay Island, the high-end 217-room Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa opened just in time for the influx of tourists on vacation and long holidays, thus, initially hiring 488 workers to manage its various ranges of product offerings.

In Palawan, seven locators investing in 28 cluster villas for a total cost of P761.9 million in the Amanpulo Tourism Enterprise Zone also began their operation during the first quarter.

Metro Manila is on boom with the opening of the Legend International’s Park, Bed and Breakfast Hotel, Eurotel Hotel Branch in Makati City, and the expansion of Oakwood Serviced Residences increased the total room supply by 320.

By year-end, some 1,946 people will be directly employed nationwide once the additional 2,315 rooms become operational in the following destinations:

•Metro Manila: Manila Ocean Park (120 rooms), The Picasso Serviced Residences (136 rooms), Newport Marriott Hotel (342 rooms), and Maxims Hotel (178 rooms).

•Cebu: Radisson Hotel (400 rooms).

•Boracay: Crowne Regency (449), Phonex Hotel (130 rooms), Boracay Regency Lagoon (120 rooms), Seven Stones (100 rooms), Grand Water (100 rooms).

•Puerto Princesa: Microtel Inns and Suites (50 rooms)

•Tagaytay: Summer Ridge (108 rooms).

•Albay: Discovery Bay Misibis (82 rooms).

To meet the increasing demand for tourism services, the DOT endorsed five development projects worth P6.323 billion in this year’s quarter, which will generate 6,340 employment opportunities for local residents in the said tourist areas.

A US $ 200-million luxury spa and resort is also set to be developed by Banyan Tree in a 55-hectare property in Diwaran Island off Palawan to generate 8,000 direct and indirect jobs during the planning, construction and operational stages from 2009 to 2012.

In Subic, Harbor Yacht Services (HYS) Philippines will construct a restaurant and resort in a marina facility with an investment package of P36.1 million. New tourist products up

The country's biggest man-made lake, the P20-million, 18-hectare Lago del Rey, was opened recently to tourists by the provincial government of Camarines Sur.

This new tourist product complements the wakeboarding park set up by the LGU in 2005, which also offers family-oriented activities such as boat riding, fishing, and swimming, among others.

Up north in Cagayan, the Anguib beach has started to draw foreign and domestic wind and kite surfing enthusiasts because of its unspoiled natural wealth and wider and bigger reef ideal for the sports.

To promote the area, the DOT and Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) have organized a windsurfing exhibition which was attended by international and local windsurfers.

With increased demand for nature and wildlife adventure, the DOT and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines have jointly developed birdwatching tours in coordination with tour operators and LGUs in key destinations.

The most notable bird watching sites are in Balanga City, Candaba Swamp, Paitan Lake, Pantabangan Dam, Puerto Princesa, Hundred Islands National Park, Subic Bay, Olango Island and Mount Apo.

The Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, a leading conservation organization in the United Kingdom, will dispatch a fact- finding mission in May 2009 to assist the DOT and other agencies in the preservation and promotion of wetlands for wildlife habitat.

A most recent sea kayak competition was also designed by the DOT and the LGU of Alaminos in the Hundred Islands National Park in Pangasinan.

Managed by the Hundred Islands Eco-Tour Association (HIETA), a community-based organization of out-of-school youth, the package involved a half- and whole-day kayak clinic and tour of the charming islets of the Hundred Islands as well as camping experience in Bolo Beach.

The HIETA has been tapped by the DOT and Sun and Sea Kayaks to provide tour services during the Kayak Explore Hundred Island Summer Eco-Challenge in April 2009.

In Silang, Cavite, a P500-million Wakeboard Park will rise to cap the popularity of the CamSur Wakeboarding Camp in a 12-hectare area. Increased tourist destinations

Foreign visitors in top destinations of the country during the first quarter of 2009 grew by 10.33 percent for a total of P1.3 million.

Cebu attracted the biggest volume of visitors with a share of 32 percent, followed by Boracay (12 percent), Davao City (11.9 percent, Camarines Sur (11 percent), Zambales (7 percent) and Bohol (5 percent).

Cebu was the most frequently visited destination by foreigners with 184,790 arrivals, followed by Boracay (63.903), Zambales (25.252), Camarines Sur (24,976) and Bohol (24,350).

Domestic tourist arrivals in Puerto Princesa City and Coron in Palawan posted a record-breaking growth of 392 percent as more flights were mounted to these destinations from Manila, Cebu, and Caticlan as well as Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. Likewise, local visitors flocked to Camarines Sur for wakeboarding, Surigao del Sur, Sorsogon (Donsol) for whale shark interaction, Zambales (Subic) for recreation, Ilocos Norte and La Union for sightseeing and beach holiday resulting in double-digit gains in these destinations.

Overall, the volume of domestic tourists visiting key destinations grew faster at 13 percent while foreign arrivals recorded a four percent hike in the first quarter. (PNA)

an ocean park in boracay will actually destablize cebu and palawan's tourism advantage. boracay is about approximately the size of mactan island in cebu or panglao island of bohol and would want to become the number one tourist destination of the country. there is a stiff competition for tourists both local and foreign and each place is trying to edge out one another. an ocean park can be an added attraction to boracay.

I don't understand why this should be viewed as a competition between local destinations i.e. which place on the Philippine map gets the most number of tourists. :dunno:

Increase in tourist arrivals to continue during holidays -- DOT

By Lily O Ramos

MANILA, May 2 (PNA) -- Foreign tourist arrivals significantly increased during the Lenten Season in April and more are expected to come during the coming holidays and throughout the year, according to the Department of Tourism Research and Statistics Division (DOTRSD).

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said on Thursday that “projection of a surge in group bookings will continue over the upcoming holidays" due to the availability of affordable fares and packages.

"The long weekends certainly give time for tourists to extend travel plans, and an opportunity to explore the country and help spur local economic growth," Durano said.

He added, “This is healthy not only for the tourism industry, but more importantly, it provides an avenue for families and big groups to have more meaningful recreation time together.”

The island resort of Boracay hit a growth rate of 24.54 percent in tourist arrivals, compared to last year’s numbers.

Hotels in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) reached an occupancy rate of 71.87 percent, while resorts and other tourist-related establishments in the region hit 59.69 percent.

“The Department is thankful to the private sector for their response in the increasing demand for tourist activity by providing reasonable and family friendly-packages and exciting travel options even during peak season,” Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr. said.

Jarque also advised travelers to plan early for their vacation to get the best accommodation because of the high tourist influx in the country in the coming weeks and months.

In Region III, gastronomic tourism and the mystic Mt. Pinatubo enticed travelers and families as hotel occupancy surged to 7,690 for the period of April 8-12.

Region IV’s statistics skyrocketed to a total of 1,248.66 percent growth rate for total arrivals to the Underground River, Coron, and Puerto Galera.

Region V reported a total of 7,078 arrivals for the Lent duration, with Camarines Sur as the top tourist drawer.

Destinations like Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, which comprise Region VII, recorded a total of 14,710 visitors.

Eco-adventure establishments in Davao, Region XI, such as the Philippine Eagle Foundation, Crocodile Park, Davao Wild Water Adventure, and Wind&Wave received 6,475 tourists over the same period, while arrivals in Region XII reflected an increase of 28.08 percent. (PNA)

an ocean park in boracay will actually destablize cebu and palawan's tourism advantage. boracay is about approximately the size of mactan island in cebu or panglao island of bohol and would want to become the number one tourist destination of the country. there is a stiff competition for tourists both local and foreign and each place is trying to edge out one another. an ocean park can be an added attraction to boracay.

i dont think tourism spots in PI are competing with one another. actually, there is already a flight between palawan-boracay, boracay-cam sur, cebu-palawan, cebu-cam sur etc. to offer more choices to our tourist visitors. they are not competing but rather complementing each other. :banana:

The Philippines should invest more in the European Market. It seems that they're only targetting the UK and in someway Germany. France,Spain,Italy have also a potential market of travellers.

i dont think tourism spots in PI are competing with one another. actually, there is already a flight between palawan-boracay, boracay-cam sur, cebu-palawan, cebu-cam sur etc. to offer more choices to our tourist visitors. they are not competing but rather complementing each other. :banana:

agree.

Tourists should visit them all!:cheers:

agree.

Tourists should visit them all!:cheers:

yeah complementing is the right word if you are not in business. but for those who are, you're in for the competition.:bash::bash::bash::bash:

yeah complementing is the right word if you are not in business. but for those who are, you're in for the competition.:bash::bash::bash::bash:

Actually there will always be competition in any industry. However, my interest is piqued by how you tend to view things. While most of us here see the putting up of an oceanarium in Boracay in the context of it being bad for Boracay itself or having an oceanarium being a good attraction for the nation, you see the regional conflict between the different tourist spots in the country... as if being the number one tourist spot should take more preeminence over attracting the tourists to the Philippines and the sustainability of the development. So what gives? :dunno: Isn't that being myopic? Shouldn't we be thinking about being competitive as a nation?

yeah complementing is the right word if you are not in business. but for those who are, you're in for the competition.:bash::bash::bash::bash:

Competition is great. You will be forced to improve your services...

or, it would be better to offer something different.

Nonsense if you put down efforts of promoting all destinations in the Philippines.

Resort owners here in the country must work together to create a big market so that they can share the earnings.

Kanya-kanya kasi yung iba...it redounds to nothing.

an ocean park in boracay will actually destablize cebu and palawan's tourism advantage. boracay is about approximately the size of mactan island in cebu or panglao island of bohol and would want to become the number one tourist destination of the country. there is a stiff competition for tourists both local and foreign and each place is trying to edge out one another. an ocean park can be an added attraction to boracay.

Why use the word destabilize?

Very strong negative word.

I see this as a good move.

Tourists will be enticed to keep on coming back to the Philippines and visit all our islands.

If the focus will only be on Cebu...people might grow tired of it.

Kung baga sa ulam baka magsawa. Same old menu or recipe.

I think we should get a holistic approach on developing tourism not only those of the "star destinations" such as Boracay or Cebu. It wouldn't be healthy for the macro-economic point of view and at the same time would greatly affect the "star destinations" development in a negative way.

You see, tourists would always and always seek something new aside from the usual. Monopolizing development in tourism is not a good approach albeit very dangerous if you're gonna see it.

Think about Thailand and other top tourist destination countries in the world...they have options in order to capture different tourist markets. Different places means more jobs to a bigger region instead of a limited area, depriving of the development and employment necessary for the area.

Competition is good. It really makes yourself improve the services and planning, this IS the business sense. Now, competition that would "destabilize" is something that any mature urban planner or national government official would deem immature and myopic. If we are to centralize focus of development, then it would turn out to be another Manila of the tourism center...ever imperial and centralized.

No, it shouldn't be. It should complement other areas as well and develop new destinations by investing on infrastructure as well as services. At least nowadays, the once inaccessible or difficult to access places have now flights coming from either Manila, Cebu or Davao hubs...once "missionary flights" are now "profitable flights."

It should be holistic. Sustainable and would contribute more in countryside and urban development in this country.

BOI gives nod to new Davao resort project

By Abigail L. Ho
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:43:00 05/04/2009


MANILA, Philippines—Real estate developer 8990 Housing Development Corp. has gotten the Board of Investments’ nod to put up an eco-tourism resort in Davao City.

The local firm was granted nonpioneer status for its P69.9-million wakeboard camp, which is scheduled to start commercial operations next month.

Upon opening, the Deca Wakeboard Camp-Davao is expected to directly employ 39 individuals, with possible additional employment in various establishments to be located within the resort.

To make wakeboarding possible in the resort, the company will construct five masts with a 730-meter cable system as well as a seven-hectare artificial lake.

Other amenities planned for the resort include a clubhouse, cottages, food shops and view parks.

“Wakeboarding is getting to be a more popular sport, especially among foreign tourists. Several competitions are held regularly so the construction of this facility will be a good opportunity to offer a new venue in the southern Philippines,” the BOI brief for the project stated.

“At this time when other industries are feeling the pinch of the global financial crisis, this project certainly ushers in a new wave of economic opportunities,” it added.

Apart from the wakeboard camp, 8890 also has 12 other projects registered with the BOI, mostly buildings, houses, apartments and other related structures.

This is the company’s first tourism-oriented project, according to the BOI.

http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20090504-203072/BOI-gives-nod-to-new-Davao-resort-project

:cheers::cheers::cheers:

I think we should get a holistic approach on developing tourism not only those of the "star destinations" such as Boracay or Cebu. It wouldn't be healthy for the macro-economic point of view and at the same time would greatly affect the "star destinations" development in a negative way.

You see, tourists would always and always seek something new aside from the usual. Monopolizing development in tourism is not a good approach albeit very dangerous if you're gonna see it.

Think about Thailand and other top tourist destination countries in the world...they have options in order to capture different tourist markets. Different places means more jobs to a bigger region instead of a limited area, depriving of the development and employment necessary for the area.

Competition is good. It really makes yourself improve the services and planning, this IS the business sense. Now, competition that would "destabilize" is something that any mature urban planner or national government official would deem immature and myopic. If we are to centralize focus of development, then it would turn out to be another Manila of the tourism center...ever imperial and centralized.

No, it shouldn't be. It should complement other areas as well and develop new destinations by investing on infrastructure as well as services. At least nowadays, the once inaccessible or difficult to access places have now flights coming from either Manila, Cebu or Davao hubs...once "missionary flights" are now "profitable flights."

It should be holistic. Sustainable and would contribute more in countryside and urban development in this country.

Very well said.

World pro golfers tour the Philippines (http://www.positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Tourism_24/World_pro_golfers_tour_the_Philippines.shtml)

By Lily O Ramos

MANILA, May 5 (PNA) -- The Department of Tourism (DOT), in cooperation with Rajah Tours and US-based Activentures, recently hosted members of the world’s largest and most respected working sports association, the Professional Golf Association (PGA) of America.

They golfers toured key cities and played at prime golf destinations like Manila, Cavite, Batangas and Cebu during their week-long Philippine Golf Familiarization tour.

They also played in some of the country’s world-class and PGA masters-designed golf courses like the Orchard Golf and Country Club, Riviera Golf Club, Manila Southwoods, Eagleridge and Cebu’s Alta Vista Golf Club.

The tour participants also conducted a two-day golf clinic, free of charge, for the members of the Alta Vista Club in Cebu.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said the familiarization or “fam” tour is in line with the efforts of the Tourism department to position the Philippines as a premier golf holiday destination for North Americans.

“Together with diving, adventure, health and wellness, and medical tourism, golf is one of the niche activities that we have identified as having great potential with various tourist groups including Fil-Ams,” said Durano.

“After all, we have world-class golf courses here that are comparable, if not better, than those in most expensive destinations. And on top of golf, there are much more to see and appreciate as we have fantastic nature and tourism facilities to complete the package,” the Secretary added.

PGA member and Professional Golf Manager of Coyote Country Club in Los Angeles Kenneth Yuson, who joined the fam tour, could not agree more: “Priced well, golfing in the Philippines will be a great success!”

A golf tour operator and wholesaler, Yuson is pursuing to package with ActiVentures an all-inclusive golf tour to the Philippines in October 2009. He is also aiming to have a Filipino-American golfer to become a member of the PGA.

Indeed, aside from getting challenged by the golf courses, the familiarization tour participants experienced the best of Filipino hospitality as they went on city tours, spa treatments, site inspections of five-star and deluxe hotels to feast on sumptuous Filipino dishes.

Australian Open player and First Assistant Golf Professional of Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton, California, John “JJ” West summed up his Philippine experience by saying “From unique golf courses, to the excellent service, to the wonderful people, a golf trip to the Philippines is not to be missed. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Tourism Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque, Jr. said, “Golfing in the Philippines indeed spells total recreation for any tourist. Our luxurious, world-class golf courses can be found both in the cities, as well as in nature-rich provinces like Boracay where you have many more awesome tourist destinations to enjoy.”

Florida-based Diedric Holmes, senior director of a non-profit, PGA-accredited educational program for the youth through golf scholarships called “The First Tee World Golf Village” was impressed enough with what he saw during the fam tour to want to set up the very first “The First Tee” program (www.thefirsttee.org) in the Philippines someday.

“Everything you can want from scuba diving to the golf courses to the people – it is a perfect destination.

"Wonderful experience, you will see things in the Philippines that you will not see anywhere else!” said Michael Robason who is a professional golf instructor representing Metropolitan Golf Club.

During the fam tour leisure break, Robason went to Anilao for his first Intro Dive and loved it. His experience in Anilao proved to him that the Philippines is indeed a multi-activity tourist destination. (PNA)

New thread! (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=864768) :colgate:



:lock:

Biggest European travel operator comes to RP (http://www.positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Tourism_24/Biggest_European_travel_operator_comes_to_RP.shtml)

By Lily O Ramos


MANILA, May 6 (PNA) -- A total of 265 officers, agents and partners representing Europe's biggest and top-selling travel agencies in Germany and Austria plus 10 foreign media members of European travel publications under Meir's Weltreisen recently received a warm welcome reception by the Department of Tourism (DOT) at the National Museum near Manila City Hall.

The group, composed mostly of Germans and Austrians, was in the country to hold its much-coveted event, the Far East Live Seminar (FELS), a four-day convention and ocular inspection of hotels and resorts.

The FELS has been proven to increase tourism arrivals in Asian countries where it has been previously held. In 2006, Vietnam’s arrivals went up by 40 per cent, while in 2007, Thailand experienced a double growth in tour package bookings.

At the reception, the National Museum's main entrance was lined up with members of DOT’s welcome party dressed up in Filipiniana and ethnic costumes.

A red carpet was laid out from the bottom of the steps into the entrance where the welcome committee composed of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr., Undersecretary for Sports and Wellness Cynthia Carrion, and Hotel Sofitel Philippine Plaza General Manager Bernd Schneider, greeted each and every member of the Meier’s group.

Meier’s Vice President Matthias Rotter acknowledged the country’s unwavering support to European tour operators.

“We feel honored that we are celebrating our 20th year here in the Philippines, with your warm people, sunny destinations and unwavering support of your tourism industry,” he said.

Durano presented Rotter a Manunggul Jar as a gift that symbolizes the country’s historical and cultural artistry.

“Bringing the Meier’s FELS here in the country has been accomplished through our partners in tourism -- the transportation sector, hotels and resorts, and travel operators, among others.

"And we can’t thank our partners enough for making the Meier’s 20th year a milestone for them and for us, as we welcome them to the country for the first time,” said Durano.

Jarque added that the European market is growing steadily as the Europeans keep discovering a wide range of tourism packages in the country.

“They are always looking for something different to do, and we have almost all - diving, sky rides, heritage sites tour, trekking, birdwatching, water sports, that are offered at value-for-money rates.”

The group’s itinerary includes city tour and hotel inspection in Manila, FELS workshop at Boracay Shangri-La Resort and Spa, and ocular inspection of Boracay resorts.

The annual workshop is furthermore a recipient of the ‘Willy Scharnow Prize," a prestigious award in the travel trade industry which is presented during the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Berlin. (PNA)


:cheers:

^^ great news.i hope they get to tour Palawan and Cebu as well.

Cebu needs more air routes (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=464695&publicationSubCategoryId=108)
Updated May 06, 2009 12:00 AM


CEBU, Philippines – Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort and Spa general manager Raymond Bragg said that the key to promote Cebu to the international market as a premier “Island Destination” is to invite more airlines to open up new routes.

“The most important thing is airlines. Unless they get here, we can’t compete with other destinations like Bali, Kota Kinabalu and other resort destinations in Asia,” he said.

Bragg said it is important for Cebu tourism stakeholders to work closely with the airline companies, as accessibility is far more important for tourists.

Bragg said there are so many factors that need to change in Cebu, specifically in branding the island as a “Holiday Destination.”

He said Cebu is an island, it is very important that tourists will be given access to direct flights.

If there is access, increase will follow, and Cebu will be able to get a bigger chunk of the holiday vacationers around the world.

Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa for instance is now effectively attracting the Chinese market due to the strong network of Shangri-La chain worldwide, and its strong presence in China.

In the past few months, Shangri-La’s Mactan noted an average 50 percent increase of Chinese patrons, he said.

Bragg said it is good for Cebu to sustain its strength as a “Holiday Island Destination” in Asia, and that united advocacy between private sector stakeholders, in partnership with the government is very important to invite airline companies to consider Cebu for international direct flight routes.

On the other hand, the Department of Tourism (DoT) earlier announced that it would consider mounting more direct international flights from target markets as a short-term priority to boost the tourism industry in Cebu.

In Asia, countries like China, Korea, Japan and India are considered to be top market priorities of the Philippines.

Durano said the tourism sector is also determined to capitalize on the fast growing tourism markets in New Delhi and Mumbai, both in India.

Durano said that DoT is now currently negotiating with national carrier Philippine Airlines for a direct Philippines-India route.

To help attract more European tourists to Cebu, Durano said the Department of Transportation and Communications has increased the seat frequency of the Doha, Qatar-Cebu route.

International airline company Qatar Airways which opened the direct Doha-Cebu route now has a 90 percent load factor, he said, attributing it to the increase of European visitors coming to the province.

However, the lack of international flights to Cebu is one of the factors that hamper the growth of the tourism industry in the province, and this has made it less attractive to foreign tourists compared to Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Indonesia.—Ehda M. Dagooc

Cruising through Mactan
C'EST CEBU By Honey Jarque Loop Updated May 07, 2009 12:00 AM

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/5906/lif1i.jpg
Tourism Secretary Ace Duran with Island Cruises’ Jay Aldeguer

The island of Mactan, Cebu, is famous for its beaches and with summer here, it beckons city dwellers back to nature and frolic in the sun, sand and sea. Island Banca Cuises (IBC) offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy hopping around the islands of Mactan in a convenient and comfortable fashion.

To formally launch its maiden voyage, Jay Aldeguer, the dynamic entrepreneur who certainly revolutionized souvenir shopping by breaking into the traditional hold of small cottage industry retailers, invited an intimate group of friends to experience first hand what Island Banca Cruises has to offer.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, and Romanian Romania Valeriu Gheorghe were guests of honor. They were joined by Provincial Board Member Agnes Magpale and former Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Robert Go. Amenities and services awaited guests as they boarded the carefully thought-out name of the largest banca called Butandin. Attendants in signature orange T-shirts welcomed guests with fresh towels and cold beverages.

Ultra comfortable beanbags were strategically placed on the wide deck equipped with iPod docks and is Wi-Fi capable.

The Island Banca Cruises offers a variety of tour packages that include captivating island destinations such as the marine sanctuaries of Nalusuan and Gilutungan that are abundant in marine life with a wide variety of corals and colorful reef dwellers.

The pristine white beach of Pandanon is ideal for swimming and snorkeling or simply enjoy the inviting crystal clear water. Special trips can be arranged. They have sunset cruises within whispering waves and gentle breezes that showcase culinary treats expertly prepared by some of Cebu’s well known chefs. A candle-lit dinner for two can likewise be set.

Other options include barbeque picnics that can be had on board or on a sandbar. Snorkeling, scuba diving, fish feeding adventure in the shallows of the island , sea kayaking and dolphin watching are exhilarating experiences in the waters of Cebu.

Of interest to divers is the dive safari on one of the best dive spots in the Visayas. Moalboal is a popular destination while Pescador Island is one of the favorites because of its sheer variety of fish. It draws large barracudas, resident white tip sharks, sea turtles, snappers, sweet lips and many more.
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=464945&publicationSubCategoryId=81

Art From Junk in Manila
oFzb4o8P_3Y
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=video+of+recycle+arts+in+manila&rls=p,com.microsoft:*:IE-Address&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADBF&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=J_oCSteyDeKwmAeIrtnqBA&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title#
http://www.javno.com/en-bestseller/video--art-from-junk-in-manila_256201

i wonder why ngayon lang sila na-invite. bad thing bumabagyo pa naman ngayon..

European tourism junket ongoing on Boracay

By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Inquirer Visayas
First Posted 16:46:00 05/06/2009

Filed Under: Tourism

ILOILO CITY, Philippines—More than 200 travel agents from the biggest European tour wholesaler are on a familiarization tour of Boracay Island in what tourism officials expect to be a big boost in drawing more Europeans to the resort.

Around 260 tour agents and counter staff of tour consolidator Meier's Weltreisen arrived on the island on Tuesday for a three-day familiarization tour and seminar on the island, Edwin Trompeta, regional director of the Department of Tourism, said in a telephone interview.

The tour for travel agents and staff from 220 travel agencies in Germany and Austria is part of the company's 20th annual Far East Live Seminar (FELS). The group arrived in Manila on May 3.

Travel writers from Germany and Austria and travel trade press representatives also joined the seminar.

The participants are billeted at the newly opened Boracay Shangri-la Resort and Spa, the main venue of the seminar.

They have been doing their rounds of the bars, restaurants, hotels and the beachfront "to get a pulse of the place and the people," according to Trompeta.

Trompeta said the tour was expected to have a big impact on tourist arrivals from Europe especially in Boracay because Meier's Weltreisen accounts for 30 percent of tourist arrivals in Asia.

He cited the impact of Meier's FELS on destinations where it conducted its seminars.

Vietnam's tourist arrivals increased by 40 percent after the 2006 FELS in the country, he said. Tourism also rose in Khao Lak in Thailand after the 2007 FELS there.

He said the activity is estimated to initially bring in around P15 million in tourist revenues to the country.

Germany and the United Kingdom are among the country's biggest tourist markets in Europe. Around 55,000 Germans visit the country each year with more than 5,000 also going to Boracay, according to Trompeta.

Foreign tourist arrivals in the country grew by an average of 10.6 percent in 2004-2008, considered one of the best performing destinations in the world, according to Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano in an earlier interview.

Domestic tourism also grew by an average of 18 percent yearly with Boracay Island among the top tourist destinations.

Boracay has reported high occupancy for its 5,800 hotel rooms, and 340 more rooms are under construction.

The tourist arrivals have been boosted by direct flights from Taiwan and Shanghai to the Kalibo airport on the Aklan mainland.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last March announced that investors are also coming in to develop an international airport in Caticlan, the jump-off point to Boracay. Another airport is being eyed on the nearby Carabao Island.

Tourism eyes 20,000 additional jobs in 2012

ABOUT 20,000 additional jobs will be generated in the tourism sector up to year 2012 with additional expansion in investments beneficial in perking up our economy amid the global financial meltdown.

Thus bared the Department of Tourism in its first-quarter report for the year.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde cited the efforts of Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano in pushing the tourism business despite the recession being experienced by many Western countries including the United States of America.
Employment opportunities

This year alone, about 10,000 new jobs will be created following the opening of new hotels and expansion for additiional rooms to accommodate influx of foreign tourists in top destinations of the country during the first quarter of this year, posting a 33 percent growth for a total of 1.3 million.

For the period January to March 2009, a total of 1,231 additional rooms were opened. With an aggregate cost of P8.016 billion, these new investments directly employed 1,286 people.

The opening of the P3.18-billion Imperial Palace Water Park, Resort and Spa increased the room supply in Cebu by 4% to 14,792. With 616 rooms, this new tourism project provided employment to 780 workers.

The San Remigio Beach Club in the northern part of Cebu has also opened its new facilities during the first quarter.

Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa, a high-end 217-room resort in Boracay Island, opened just in time for the influx of tourists on vacation and long holidays. The resort has initially hired 488 workers to manage its various ranges of product offerings.

By year-end, some 1,946 people will be directly employed nationwide once the additional 2,315 rooms become operational.

These include Manila Ocean Park in Metro Manila (120 rooms), The Picasso Serviced Residences (136 rooms), Newport Marriott Hotel (342 rooms), and Maxims Hotel (178 rooms); Cebu Radisson Hotel (400 rooms); Boracay Crowne Regency (449), Phonex Hotel (130 rooms), Boracay Regency Lagoon (120 rooms), Seven Stones (100 rooms), Grand Water (100 rooms); Puerto Princesa’s Microtel Inns and Suites (50 rooms); Tagaytay’s Summer Ridge (108 rooms) and Albay’s Discovery Bay Misibis (82 rooms).

New destinations

An 18-hectare manmade lake called Lago del Rey, the biggest in the country, was opened to tourists by the provincial government of Camarines Sur.

With the cost of P20 million, this new tourist product complements the wakeboarding park set up by the LGU in 2005.

Anguib Beach in Sta. Ana, Cagayan, has started to draw foreign and domestic wind and kite- surfing enthusiasts because of its unspoiled natural wealth and wider and bigger reef ideal for the said sports.

With increased demand for nature and wildlife adventure, the DOT and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines have jointly developed bird-watching tours in coordination with tour operators and LGUs in key destinations.

The most notable bird- watching sites are in Balanga Ciy, Candaba Swamp, Paitan Lake, Pantabangan Dam, Puerto Princesa, Hundred Islands National Park, Subic Bay, Olango Island and Mount Apo.

Increased travel

Cebu attracted the biggest volume of visitors with a share of 32% followed by Boracay (12%), Davao City (11.9%), Camarines Sur (11%), Zambales (7%), and Bohol (5%).

Domestic tourist arrivals to Puerto Princesa City and Coron in Palawan posted a record-breaking growth of 392% as more flights were mounted to these destinations from Manila, Cebu and Caticlan as well as Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. Efren Montano

^^^^

Im hoping it will come into reality because of alot of Pinoys were laid off in this period of recession.:)

Tourism is indeed one of our best bets in fighting this global recession.:)

RP to become oasis for high-spending Mideast tourists (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/160475/RP-to-become-oasis-for-high-spending-Mideast-tourists)
Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV


MANILA, Philippines - While the Middle East is seen as an employment haven for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) amid the economic crisis, the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) hopes to lure Arab tourists, who are deemed big spenders in the country.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said tourists from the Middle East have a high potential for the growth of the Philippines’ tourism industry.

“This market offers a bright potential due to the high spending capacity of its travelers. In 2008, the country received a total of 40,508 arrivals from the Middle East," Durano said.

To attract Arab tourists, the DOT has participated in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the industry’s leading travel and tourism exhibition, this week in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Arab tourists flocked to the country last year and registered a 13.51 percent growth compared to the previous year. In the first quarter of 2009, visitor numbers have already grown by 20 percent.

Tourism Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque, Jr. said the Philippines’ participation in the ATM would unlock vast opportunities for the country’s tourism advancement.

“Travelers from the Middle East find our country suitable for shopping, conventions and investments. Expanding travel options for this segment is a direction the DOT is taking," he said.

The annual tourism fair has attracted over 14,000 visitors representing 114 countries last year.

:cheers:

RP to become oasis for high-spending Mideast tourists (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/160475/RP-to-become-oasis-for-high-spending-Mideast-tourists)
Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV



Arab tourists flocked to the country last year and registered a 13.51 percent growth compared to the previous year. In the first quarter of 2009, visitor numbers have already grown by 20 percent.

Tourism Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque, Jr. said the Philippines’ participation in the ATM would unlock vast opportunities for the country’s tourism advancement.

“Travelers from the Middle East find our country suitable for shopping, conventions and investments. Expanding travel options for this segment is a direction the DOT is taking," he said.



Good news!:cheers:

BOHOL DIVE SITE OPERATOR WANTS A GLASS BOTTOMED BOAT AS POPULARITY GROWS


Balicasag, Bohol’s island paradise dive site

http://www.balitapinoy.net/clients/balitapinoy/5-8-2009-10-27-03-AM-9565287.JPG

By Ben Cal
http://www.balitapinoy.net/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=236&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=21756&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1696&hn=balitapinoy&he=.net

BALICASAG ISLAND, Bohol, May 8 2009

Chosen as one of the top 20 diving spots in the world, this 25-hectare island off the tip of Bohol province in Central Visayas is a fish sanctuary of over 2,000 species that make marine biologists and scuba divers agog each time they dive.

It features a never-ending undersea spectacle of such sea creatures as giant stingrays, sea turtles, napoleon rash, whale sharks, white tip-sharks, devil mantas, colorful clown fish, tuna, to name a few, that make the coastal waters around the island their permanent abode. Thousands of caves and caverns underneath also abound in the island.

This writer made a survey of the area last April 29 and concurred that indeed, Balicasag is not only a diver’s paradise but also lately has become a perfect getaway place for honeymooners, who savor the ambiance of the sea with flock of birds flying overhead and fresh sea breeze blowing on 24/7.

Ms. Mayen Go, the energetic resident manager of the Balicasag Dive Resort operated by the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA), said that “foreign and domestic tourists are coming to the island paradise in droves after they learn from friends by word of mouth on how spectacular this tiny island is.”

“Newly-married couples have found their way to Balicasag during the past two years, and all are in unison on how they enjoyed their stay here,” she said.

Balicasag has master divers stationed on the island, ready to teach visitors who wish to learn about scuba diving.

One of them is Aldo Mercado, 46, a veteran diver, who trains newcomers to become scuba divers in three days in open water course training.

“It’s fun to be a scuba diver,” said Mercado, who has logged over 5,200 dives during the past 20 years.

“I average 260 dives a year,” Mercado quipped.

Mercado has practically roamed the 1,001 undersea caves of Balicasag and encountered face-to-face various kinds of fish, including sharks and man-eating barracuda during his diving sorties all these years unharmed.

Being one of the country’s top diving sites, Ms. Go is planning to improve further the world-class facilities of Balicasag.

At present, the resort has 10 duplex cottages and a dormitory with a total of 20 rooms. The dormitory has two big rooms which can accommodate 10 persons each. The rooms are all air-conditioned, with beautiful beds and bathrooms.

Tourists are fully secured as the Balicasag resort has its own security guards patrolling the vicinity 24 hours.

In addition, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has a detachment in the area ready to respond to any emergency at a moment’s notice.

Visitors need not worry as the island is virtually crime-free. Not a single crime has been committed here the past 30 years!

The resort has an elegant restaurant by the sea. The cuisines are just perfect for food connoisseurs. Their specialty is the so-called “Balicasag soup” which is a mixture of seafood and vegetables.

Ms. Go said the resort is only occupying 1.5 hectares of the 25-hectare island with a population of 735 people living in 130 houses. Many years ago, Balicasag’s population was only 20 families.

In the early 1970s, the government had seen the tourism potentials of the island that then President Ferdinand E. Marcos declared the island as a naval reserve to protect it from dynamite fishers and illegal poachers, after biologists discovered the thousands of fish species abounding in the seawaters of Balacasag.

According to Ms. Go, she will recommend to PTA chief Mark T. Lapid the construction of a boat that has a transparent bottom to enable tourists visiting Balicasag to peer the sea bottom without scuba diving.

A few feet from the sandy white beach, the depth is from 30 to 90 feet where schools of fish of various species crisscross in symphonic rhythm. It is this spectacle that tantalizes divers.

The Island of Balicasag has six famous diving sites, including the Resort Wall, Black Coral Forest, Cathedral Wall, Turtle Point, and the Cavern.

The Resort Wall is an excellent diving site with a depth of from 30 to 50 meters where there is a proliferation of reef fish like lionfish and scorpion fish. The current is quite strong in this area.

Divers must not miss the Black Coral Forest where a bush-like black coral is found, abounding with school of tropical fish such as morrfish idols, batfish, lionfish and hosts of others.

Cathedral Wall located on the southwest of the island is where huge caves and recesses are found. Divers have to carry torches to explore the sea caves. The spectacle is a kaleidoscope of marine life with schools of fish darting in and out of the caves.

Turtle Point is just magnificent. Divers have to be patient to watch giant turtles called “B-52” swimming out from their secret lairs. Triggerfish, mackerel and other fish species are also abundant in this area.

Northeast of the resort is the Cavern, situated some 25 meters down the drop-off wall where an array of small caves abound.

It is customary of divers to sit on the small caves to watch giant fish passing by. The best time to dive is just before sunset where torrid activities take place when daytime and nighttime organisms change shifts, feed and breed.

So spectacular is Balicasag Island that former President Fidel V. Ramos used to dive here, particularly during his active years in the military as Constabulary chief, Armed Forces chief of staff, Defense secretary and during his presidency.

One of the most recent visitors to Balicasag was no other than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Ms. Go said.

Thinking of a perfect vacation? Balicasag Island Resort is the answer. You will never regret choosing it. (PNA)

Philippine Star

GMA set to sign Tourism Bill tomorrow

Updated May 11, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo will sign into law a bill seeking to strengthen the Department of Tourism (DOT) and boost the tourism industry after a Cabinet meeting in Cebu tomorrow, Malacañang said yesterday.

Speaking on government-run radio station dzRB, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the main agenda of the Cabinet meeting is the report of Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto on his Global Recession Improvement Monitoring (GRIM).

Stakeholders and leaders of the tourism industry were invited to the meeting, he added.

Remonde said Mrs. Arroyo will also open in Cebu the P3.18-billion Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa, owned and developed by the Philippine BXT Corp., a tourism operator and developer registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.

The resort is a foreign-funded investment and was a response to the call of the Philippine government for more investments in the tourism sector.

It is managed by the Imperial Palace Hotel Group, an international hotel management group that also manages two other hotels in Seoul, South Korea and Fukuoka, Japan.

In a statement, Malacañang said once enacted into law, the bill will empower the DOT to prescribe and regulate standards for the tourism industry.

It will make the tourism industry “an engine of investment, employment, growth and national development and strengthen the (DOT),” the statement added.

Malacañang said the DOT shall evolve a system of standard in the accreditation of tourism enterprises in accordance with the relevant tourism development plan.

The DOT and local governments shall ensure strict compliance by tourism enterprises with these standards, the statement said.

A corporate body known as the Tourism Promotions Board shall be created to be chaired by the tourism secretary with the TPB chief operating officer as vice chairman.

The board will formulate and implement an integrated domestic and international promotions and marketing program for the department.

Funding for the TPB shall come from the following:

• Investment earnings of the Tourism Promotions Trust;

• An appropriation of P500 million annually for at least five years from its constitution;

• Seventy percent of the 50 percent net income of the Duty Free Philippines Corp. accruing to the DOT, in lieu of its statutory remittance to the national government;

• Twenty-five percent of the 50 percent national government share remitted by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to the National Treasury; and

• At least 25 percent of the government share remitted by the international airports and seaports to the treasury. – Paolo Romero
:cheers::)

FOR 1ST QUARTER OF 2009
Cebu now RP’s top tourist destination

By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Inquirer Visayas
First Posted 21:53:00 05/10/2009

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo—Cebu has become the country’s top tourist destination based on tourist arrivals, according to the Department of Tourism.

The province led 14 other key tourist destinations in the country, including the world-famous Boracay Island in tourist arrivals from January to March.

Data from the DOT on tourist arrivals for the first quarter showed that 422,239 tourists went to Cebu, nearly 3 percent higher than the 410,597 tourists who went to the province during the same period last year.

Boracay was second with 158,030 arrivals, followed by Davao City (156,468), Camarines Sur (140,220), Zambales (88,718), and Bohol (71,876).

The increase reflected the growth in over-all tourist arrivals in the country during the period, reaching 10.33 percent or a total of 1.3 million from last year’s 1.1 million, the DOT said.

Cebu was also the most frequently visited destination by foreign tourists with 184,790 arrivals, or drawing nearly half of the 383,608 foreign tourists who visited the country. It was followed by Boracay (63,903), Zambales (25,252), Camarines Sur (24,976), and Bohol (24,350).

Overall, the volume of domestic tourists visiting key destinations grew faster at 13 percent while, foreign arrivals recorded a 4-percent increase in the first quarter.

Eduardo Jarque, tourism undersecretary for planning and promotions, credited the rise of tourist arrivals in the regions, especially Cebu, to more and cheaper direct flights, and better infrastructure, including hotels, pensions houses, and ancestral homes to accommodate tourists.

“Manila has become a stopover for leisure travelers who proceed to the regions like Cebu,” Jarque told the Inquirer in a phone interview on Sunday.

He said it has developed into a lifestyle for expatriates and other tourists to head to the provinces and beaches for a vacation.

Cebu has become a center of the tourism upswing because it combines a rich historical backdrop, modern infrastructure, and varied destinations, according to Jarque.

But, he said, tourist arrivals on Boracay continue to grow with more hotel rooms needed because the existing hotels are always fully booked.

“Among island resorts, Boracay remains the top tourist drawer with tourist arrivals growing by an average of 6 percent annually for the past decade,” said Edwin Trompeta, tourism director of Western Visayas.

Cockfighting ‘must-see-event’ for tourists

By Manolo Iñigo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 06:01:00 05/11/2009
http://www.foxnews.com/images/256907/0_61_012407_cock_fight.jpg
Billed as the biggest, richest and most prestigious cockfighting event in the planet, the three-day World Slasher Cup II 8-Cock International Derby gets going tomorrow at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

More than 100 entries from around the world are competing in this blue-ribbon affair hosted by the Pintakasi of Champions and Big Dome owner sportsman Jorge “Nene” Araneta.

Also returning are the three unlikely winners of the World Slasher Cup opener last January, namely MJRG, a group of four Filipino cockers based in Chicago; Spoiled sa Amo of Rodel Costales a.k.a. RC Amoyong and Benson a.k.a. Swallow and Cucamonga fielded by Jorge Torres of California and former Davao Rep. Claude Bautista.

The MJRG team is composed of Rolly Gabon from Daet, Camarines Norte, and Dipolog City’s Martin Baria, Joe Carcillar and Robert Te, who are all members of the Zamboanga del Norte Gamefowl Breeders Association.

Cockfighting or sabong in the vernacular, is deeply ingrained in our culture that even the government has little hope of stopping it.

“How can we fight cockfighting when our lawmakers are cockfighters and breeders themselves?” an official once asked of the country’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

He added: “Our laws protect only endangered species and bigger animals like dogs, cats, horses, whales, sharks and monkey-eating eagles, but not chickens.”

This is very much unlike in the United States where animal rights advocates have succeeded in their campaign to ban cockfighting for good. Now Louisiana is the only American state where cockfighting is legal.

Former US President George W. Bush has signed a legislation that makes it a felony to ship or transport across state lines, or to export dogs and chickens used in fights. Violators will suffer a penalty of up to three years in jail and a stiff fine of as much as $250,000. Because of this, cockpits across the United States have ceased operations.

When the Bureau of Animal Industry eased the importation of chickens from the US a few years ago, many Filipino cocking aficionados were able to acquire quality broodstocks from topnotch American breeders. This development created a healthy interaction and provided the needed infusion of bloodlines to our fighting cocks that improved their stock.

The local economy is likewise boosted in terms of taxes earned from the country’s more than 2,000 cockpits spread from as far south in Davao and Zamboanga to as far north in Aparri. According to rough estimates, the country benefits by more than P50 billion from cockfight betting, breeding farms (boxing hero Manny Pacquiao owns several cock farms) and selling feed and drugs, among others.

There are also many national television shows exclusively devoted to cockfighting, which is—beyond a shadow of a doubt—the Filipinos’ favorite pastime.

As bullfighting is to Spain so is cockfighting to the Philippines. Sabong events, like the yearly World Slasher Cup, have become a “must-see-event” for tourists visiting the country.

Aside from the World Slasher Cup, other big time derbies are being held, including the forthcoming National Cockers Alliance (NCA) World Championship Derby at the Ynares Center in Pasig City on May 19, 21 and 23. Other cockpits which stage world-class derbies are the Makati Coliseum, Roligon Mega Cockpit, San Juan Coliseum, Las Piñas, Parañaque cockpits and Bacoor Coliseum in Cavite.

^^I remember a tv program before that some folks in kansas and texas are planning to move their breeding farms here since their respective states were planning to ban it. this is a good move however for our tourism:cheers:

FOR 1ST QUARTER OF 2009
Cebu now RP’s top tourist destination

By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Inquirer Visayas
First Posted 21:53:00 05/10/2009

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo—Cebu has become the country’s top tourist destination based on tourist arrivals, according to the Department of Tourism.

The province led 14 other key tourist destinations in the country, including the world-famous Boracay Island in tourist arrivals from January to March.

Data from the DOT on tourist arrivals for the first quarter showed that 422,239 tourists went to Cebu, nearly 3 percent higher than the 410,597 tourists who went to the province during the same period last year.

Boracay was second with 158,030 arrivals, followed by Davao City (156,468), Camarines Sur (140,220), Zambales (88,718), and Bohol (71,876).

The increase reflected the growth in over-all tourist arrivals in the country during the period, reaching 10.33 percent or a total of 1.3 million from last year’s 1.1 million, the DOT said.

Cebu was also the most frequently visited destination by foreign tourists with 184,790 arrivals, or drawing nearly half of the 383,608 foreign tourists who visited the country. It was followed by Boracay (63,903), Zambales (25,252), Camarines Sur (24,976), and Bohol (24,350).

Overall, the volume of domestic tourists visiting key destinations grew faster at 13 percent while, foreign arrivals recorded a 4-percent increase in the first quarter.

Eduardo Jarque, tourism undersecretary for planning and promotions, credited the rise of tourist arrivals in the regions, especially Cebu, to more and cheaper direct flights, and better infrastructure, including hotels, pensions houses, and ancestral homes to accommodate tourists.

“Manila has become a stopover for leisure travelers who proceed to the regions like Cebu,” Jarque told the Inquirer in a phone interview on Sunday.

He said it has developed into a lifestyle for expatriates and other tourists to head to the provinces and beaches for a vacation.

Cebu has become a center of the tourism upswing because it combines a rich historical backdrop, modern infrastructure, and varied destinations, according to Jarque.

But, he said, tourist arrivals on Boracay continue to grow with more hotel rooms needed because the existing hotels are always fully booked.

“Among island resorts, Boracay remains the top tourist drawer with tourist arrivals growing by an average of 6 percent annually for the past decade,” said Edwin Trompeta, tourism director of Western Visayas.

Sana lang alagan at wag maabuso ang mga tourist spots sa cebu;)

'Awesome Philippines' on
Updated May 10, 2009 12:00 AM
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=465910&publicationSubCategoryId=87


MANILA, Philippines – MTV Asia and the Department of Tourism (DOT) have launched “Awesome Philippines,” a first-of-its-kind national tourism campaign for the country.

Executed as part of MTV Revelations, the campaign uses a series of video vignettes and new media to promote the Philippines to youth travelers in 11 overseas markets — United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Korea, Canada, Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore.

MTV VJs from overseas are featured in the video vignettes showcasing a number of the best destinations and attractions that the Philippines can offer to youth travelers.

One of those VJs is VJ Taya, who shares her latest vacation in various video vignettes with her fans over the Internet. To film these vignettes, Taya traveled to various parts of the Philippines, including Manila, Batangas, Bicol, Bohol, Boracay, Cebu and Palawan.

“It was my first time in the Philippines and it was simply awesome. I’ve heard so much about the Philippines from my friends and was just raring to go on this trip. It definitely turned out well beyond my expectations. With hundreds of sights to see, things to do and cultures to experience, a trip to one of their many beautiful islands will guarantee unforgettable memories for you to take home. I am already planning my next trip there. I love the Philippines!” says Taya.

Showing Taya around the Philippines in the vignettes was Christine Gambito, better known by her screen name HappySlip, an advocate of Philippine tourism.

“Many people are unaware of the many amazing experiences that the Philippines has to offer. I’m honored that I got the opportunity to represent my home. I hope through this, people will be excited to come and explore the ultimate Philippine experience,” says Gambito.

The DOT chose MTV Asia as partner for its Awesome Philippines campaign because of the resonance that the MTV brand has among the youth market worldwide.

In the vignettes, the youth connection is distinctive as it employs a style that is synonymously MTV — fast-paced, vivid and visually engaging.

On its official website, www.awesomephilippines.com, an online contest, Video Remixes, allows you to create your own dream holiday in the Philippines in a creative video story that could possibly come true.

On the site, find different clips of specific destinations. Just pick and edit cuts of the different travel clips and photos based on your own storyline, then choose the soundtrack for your video from the songs available.

Register online to enter the contest which is ongoing until May 24. Videos with the highest ratings from other users stand a chance to win a dream holiday with a friend.

RP to host 5th Asean Bartending Championship
Updated May 10, 2009 12:00 AM
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=465914&publicationSubCategoryId=87

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is hosting the fifth ASEAN Bartending Championship on June 19 at the World Trade Center.

Organized by the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP) in coordination with the Department of Tourism, the international event will be featured as one of the major highlights of MAFBEX Foodshow 2009.

Under the umbrella of the ASEAN Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHRA) consisting of the 10 ASEAN member-nations — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam — the event will gather young skilled professional bartenders of the ASEAN region to further promote and improve the standards of ASEAN bartending in the hotel and restaurant industry.

The Philippine team was selected from the national competition staged at the Century Park Hotel yesterday Winners received cash, trophies, medals, and certificates.

Judges of the ASEAN Bartending Championship will be selected from among the experienced and recognized professionals of the hospitality industry in the Philippines, the Department of Tourism and the major sponsors.

The Philippine Wine Merchant, as major sponsor, will provide the liqueurs and spirits of the competition participants, while member-hotels, including Century Park Hotel, Pan Pacific Hotel, Bellevue Hotel, Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Heritage Hotel and Hotel Kimberly, will provide the accommodations of the ASEAN participants.

Cash sponsorships and in-kind arrangements have been provided by PLDT-SME Nation and Marco Polo Restaurant.

great goodness for Philippines tourism. more to come, please! :cheers:

Tourism jobs will help RP weather economic storm (http://mb.com.ph/node/200206)


“The country’s brisk tourism activity will secure the future of some three million Filipinos employed in this industry and even increase their number significantly to help tide the nation over the lingering global economic storm.”

Thus said Tourism Secretary Ace Durano in announcing the industry’s ironically rising need for manpower even as those of several other sectors were on the decline.

Durano said the 1.3 million volume of foreign and domestic tourists in the first quarter was a substantial uptrend, indicating another banner year for Philippine tourism and more jobs for Filipinos despite the global crisis.

He said an additional 1,231 rooms worth P8 billion had been opened and another 2,315 would follow suit by yearend, thus increasing the industry’s capacity to accommodate a much bigger volume of tourists and employ a lot more people.

These new facilities are part of the P550-billion expansion projects of various investors involving some 7,000 new hotel and resort rooms.

“Such developments necessarily create jobs and livelihood. So rest assured that we in the DoT (Department of Tourism) and the private sector are working very hard to keep our tourism booming and help fill up some gaps in the economy,” Durano said.

“But while employment creation could always serve as a noble goal for any industry, it could also work as a noble means to spawn more job-generating tourism enterprises and businesses. This is the virtuous cycle that we want to establish and perpetuate through investment promotion at one end and through the annual TST (Trabaho sa Turismo) fair on the other. In fact, the global competitiveness of our tourism professionals as regularly promoted during the TST is one of our key selling points in attracting investors,” Durano explained.

The TST Manila 2009 fair is slated at the SMX Convention Center on May 22 and 23. This early, 270 employers have been confirmed as participants, 54.3 percent more than last year’s 175, thus indicating a bigger number of job openings available for this year.

The Manila fair follows a highly successful staging of TST Cebu last March at the SM City Cebu, offering some 8,404 applicants from Visayas and Mindanao a total of 8,598 jobs from 131 employers-exhibitors. Supported by Smart Communications, Mercury Drugstore and media partners ABS-CBN and Manila Bulletin, this annual event is the country’s only tourism-focused jobs fair.

CEBU, RP's TOURISM CAPITAL

PGMA signs tourism law in Cebu, RP's tourism capital

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signs Tuesday (May 12) the Tourism Act of 2009 in Cebu City, the country’s tourism capital. The signing into law of the tourism bill will coincide with the opening of the newest and one of the biggest hotels in the southern island province.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the President will sign the law “in a very special ceremony at the tourism capital of the country, which is my home city, at 12 noon in conjunction with the inauguration of the new Imperial Hotel in Cebu.”

The President will also hold the Cabinet meeting in Cebu City on Tuesday.

Tourism push ‘all out’ despite flu scare (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090512-204530/Tourism-push-all-out-despite-flu-scare)
By Christian V. Esguerra, Vicente Labro

DoT chief sees 11M tourists in ‘09

MACTAN, CEBU -- The Department of Tourism has no intention of going slow in encouraging foreign tourists -- even from countries where the potentially deadly A( H1N1) flu virus has broken out -- to come to the Philippines.

“It’s still all-out,” Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano told reporters here, referring to the government’s tourism campaign.

Durano said he was supporting the government’s approach of vigilantly monitoring inbound passengers and providing stringent health management to those who might be suffering from the virus.

He said the department has been sending advisories to travel agencies around the world so they could inform their clients that the Philippines remained free from the A(H1N1) virus.

He said this fact -- coupled with the country’s “political stability” and strong private sector investment -- was helping keep the tourism industry strong.

Durano said the government was expecting at least 11 million tourists this year. Of the number, at least three million were projected to be foreign, he said.

In a separate interview in Basey town, Samar province on Monday, Durano said he was confident that the tourism would continue to grow in 2009.

The DoT earlier reported that 1.3 million tourists came to the Philippines from January to March this year, which was 10.33 percent higher that the 1.1 million visitors who came to the country during the same period in 2008.

"If we started at 10 percent [growth], that would be the basis in forecasting that the entire year will be a very good one," he said.

Tourist arrivals start slow at the start of the year but picks up later in the year as cols weather sets in other countries, Durano said.

About 60 percent of the country's foreign tourists come from countries in north Asia such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and China, he said.

European tourists make up about 10 percent of arrivals and another 10 percent come from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. The rest are Americans and tourists from other countries.

He said that Chinese, Russian, and French tourists comprised the "fastest growing" sector among visitors to the country.

In an interview Monday afternoon on a board a river boat making its maiden cruise on the Golden River of Basey, Durano told reporters that the DoT has been pushing for ecotourism, which helps attract more foreign tourists to visit the country.

He said the country's tourism industry had once lost the French, Hong Kong and Singapore markets, but with the promotion of ecotourism, tourists from these countries have started coming to the Philippines.

"It's because many of them, especially those in the younger generation, are looking for nature-based, adventure-type of travel," he said.

‘Tourism road’ to link Donsol, Albay towns once complete (http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/regions/10001-tourism-road-to-link-donsol-albay-towns-once-complete.html)
Written by Danny Calleja / Correspondent
Thursday, 07 May 2009 22:30

LEGAZPI CITY—The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will build a multi-million-peso road network that would link three major towns of Albay to Donsol, Sorsogon, the whale shark capital of the world.

The road, a 26.9-kilometer stretch of cement concrete, would include five bridges with an aggregate length of 75 linear meters. The project would need P814.5 million to complete and the Regional Development Council (RDC) had already asked the National Economic and Development Authority for the money.

Engineer Oscar Cristobal, the DPWH assistant regional director for Bicol, said the project would perk up tourism, trade and agriculture development in the towns of Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, Jovellar and Donsol—the local sanctuary of whale sharks, locally called butanding, the biggest fish in the world.

Donsol lies at the western tip of Sorsogon province along the coastlines of Ticao and Burias passes, separating Masbate from mainland Bicol. The town is a destination for local and foreign tourists who would like to interact with the whale sharks.

“We see this project would have a high positive impact on tourism, particularly to Donsol,” as the travel time to that town would now be shorter and safer, Cristobal said.

Designed as a triangular network, the road would link hundreds of agriculture villages to strategic thoroughfares, particularly the Maharlika Highway, he added.

The road project will, likewise, influence economically areas planted to coconut and corn, as well as fishing villages along major fishing grounds given the direct benefits from improved access to farm inputs and market outputs, he said.

During RDC’s regular meeting on Wednesday, chairman and Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said the project would also support the proposed Bicol International Airport in Alobo, Daraga, Albay, and the proposed Philippine National Railways Mainline South Extension to Sorsogon.

“Fund for this project would come from the Secondary National Road Development Program of the Millennium Challenge Account, Philippine Compact Program,” Salceda said.

The project conforms to the thrust and priorities of the region as it would link other modes of transportation together and complement other sectors, particularly manufacturing, agriculture, tourism and social services.

The Albay-Donsol road is separate from the P854-million Guinobatan-Camalig-Daraga-Legazpi (Guicadale) platform, a network of circumferential and new arterial roads that would start from the urban centers of this city and the municipalities of Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan and Jovellar.

The Guicadale platform also includes new road openings and the improvement of existing roads with a total length of 109.3 kilometers. It would consist of 17 sections of which 11 would cover the circumferential road and 16 sections of arterial roads.

TOURISM ACT - LAW

http://images.inquirer.net/media/newsinfo/inquirerheadlines/nation/images/pic-05130641270786.jpg
BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090513-204670/Arroyo-can-run-for-prime-minister)
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appears relaxed at the Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort Hotel and Spa in Mactan, Cebu, even as she carries on with the affairs of state. Earlier, she addressed the One Visayas Summit on Climate Change where she said that it is bad for the economy, particularly for the Visayas whose future is in eco-tourism. EDWIN BACASMAS / 05-13-09

GMA signs Tourism Act (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=467025&publicationSubCategoryId=63)
Philstar Online
By Marvin Sy Updated May 13, 2009 12:00 AM


http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/5534/gen2sqh.jpg
President Arroyo signs into law Republic Act 9593, or the Tourism Policy Act of 2009, during the One Visayas Summit on Climate Change at the Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort Hotel in Lapu-Lapu City yesterday. With her are Tourism Secretary Ace Durano (far right) and the authors and sponsors of the law led by Sen. Richard Gordon (left front).

MACTAN, Cebu, Philippines – President Arroyo has signed into law the National Tourism Policy Act of 2009, which aims to solidify the status of the tourism industry as an engine of growth and development.

The President chose to sign Republic Act 9593 at the new Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa here to emphasize the emergence of Cebu as the country’s premier tourist destination.

Under the new law, the Department of Tourism (DOT) and its attached agencies will be strengthened in order to effectively and efficiently implement the national policy of tourism.

The Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC) will be reorganized as the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), a corporate body 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 now be known as the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), a corporate body mandated to designate, regulate and supervise tourism enterprise zones (TEZs) as well as develop and supervise tourism projects in the country.

Duty Free Philippines will also be reorganized and renamed the Duty Free Philippines Corporation (DFPC), a corporate body mandated to operate the duty- and tax-free merchandising system in the country.

R.A. 9593 provides that the TPB and TIEZA will each have capitalization of P250 million subscribed by the national government.

Funding for TPB will be sourced 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 Department; at least 25 percent of the national government share remitted by international airports and seaports to the National Treasury.

On the other hand, the funding for TIEZA would come from 50 percent of travel tax collections; a reasonable share from the collections of the Office of Tourism Resource Generation; income from projects managed by the TIEZA; and subsidies or grants from local and foreign sources.

The capitalization for DFPC was set at P500 million and funding for its operations will be sourced from internally generated income and other receipts.

New incentives for investors

Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano noted that some new incentives for investors in the tourism sector would be provided on top of the existing ones given by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Durano admitted that there would be some revenue implications with the new incentives as he noted that investors were already happy with the existing incentives.

“So we just have to iron out with the Department of Finance how we can soften the additional incentives under this new law and we can do that through the implementing rules and regulations (IRR),” Durano said.

He said that the IRR would iron out some of the provisions of the law, particularly the transfer of supervision of some agencies such as the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA).

Durano pointed out that the PRA would be transferred to the DOT from the DTI under the new law.

“The DOT will also now be a member of the Civil Aeronautics Board and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines so all these moves would have to be coordinated among the concerned agencies,” he said.

Senator Richard Gordon, the principal author of the bill in the Senate, said that the law would “equip the Tourism Secretary and tourism stakeholders with all the power, funds and tools, that if used properly will lead to an exponential growth in foreign tourist arrivals.”

Gordon, in a statement, said that the law would also help the government cope with the harsh impacts of the global financial crisis.

“If we reach four to six million foreign tourist arrivals a year, within two or three years, we will be able to provide enough jobs for new graduates as well as our OFWs who are coming home prematurely because of the global recession,” Gordon said.

Joining the President at the signing of the law were Gordon, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, Reps. Raul del Mar, Deputy House Speaker Amelita Villarosa, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, among others.

Before signing the bill into law, the President granted an interview to the local media here and delivered a speech during the One Visayas summit forum on climate change.

The Cabinet meeting was also held at the Imperial Palace Resort.

10,000 foreign couples to marry in RP (http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=121200265760&h=W_Acp&u=WIyhw&ref=nf)
Posted on April 30th, 2009 under Beauty of the Philippines

The Philippines is set to become the “wedding destination in Asia.” The Department of Tourism revealed the Association of Wedding Planners in the United States will bring in 10,000 couples in order to get married here.

“The association said they can easily bring in 10,000 couples this year. This is partly the reason why despite the global economic downturn, U-S arrivals in the first two months of this year is up by seven percent,” the DoT said.

The Tourism department lauded the new development, saying the US-based wedding planners association coordinated with the DoT for the necessary arrangements including wedding ceremonies and reception venues, among others.

http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/couple2.jpg

“It’s not only going to be the couples that are coming but also their friends and relatives. Imagine what it can greatly contribute to the visitor arrivals from the US this year,” the DoT Secretary Ace Durano said.

The Philippines, being a tropical country, is a viable destination mostly for beach wedding ceremonies. Durano said Cebu, Bohol, Boracay, and Palawan may top the couples’ list for beach wedding sites.

However, Durano said Cebu has been targeted to lead the Philippines in marketing the country as the premier wedding capital of Asia because of the accessibility of the international airport from the world-class resort-hotels in the province.

“Cebu to the foreign market is famous for its beaches and resorts. It’s mainly for leisure travelers. It will soon become the wedding and honeymoon center of the Philippines. Even besting Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore,” Durano said.

He cited resort-hotels here that have already established their market in beach wedding ceremonies and reception such as in Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort and Spa, Hilton Cebu Resort and Spa, and Plantation Bay Resort and Spa.

Shangri-La Mactan has built a wedding chapel, called “Ocean Pavilion,” primarily catering to the increasing number of foreign and local guests, while holding the wedding reception also in the resort.

In addition, Plantation Bay Resort and Spa hosted an underwater wedding ceremony two years ago.

City-based hotels in the Metro Cebu like Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, Waterfront Cebu City Hotels, and Casino, and Cebu City Marriott Hotel, are also providing facilities for city-garden wedding ceremonies for both local and foreign couples.

Durano is encouraging local wedding coordinators to now capitalize on this new tourism development by partnering with travel operators and tour guides.

^^ a lot, 10,000 couples :)

Gusto ko yung mga taxi driver sa Cebu, sinusuklian ka,:D sa Manila karamihan dinodoble ang singil:D

Gusto ko yung mga taxi driver sa Cebu, sinusuklian ka,:D sa Manila karamihan dinodoble ang singil:D

agree, kahit piso, nagsusukli talaga...at kahit malapit, isasakay ka. there was one instance that I took a cab there and I didn't know that it was near, the driver gladly took me in....di nga gumalaw ang meter... :)

Gusto ko yung mga taxi driver sa Cebu, sinusuklian ka,:D sa Manila karamihan dinodoble ang singil:D
sa Baguio din. :)

Bohol resort is Visayan furniture showcase


By Marge C. Enriquez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:31:00 05/12/2009

Filed Under: Tourism & Leisure, Interior Design

MANILA, Philippines – After a French writer waxed poetic about Amarela in Panglao Island, Bohol, and its motley of local folk furniture, his countrymen have been checking the resort out to see if the write-up was honest or mere hype. This three-year-old, 26-room resort has become a must-go place.

Corporate lawyer Lucas Nunag was planning to build a vacation house in his home province. But when he started doing the paperwork for its construction, a clause cited that buildings should have a commercial tourism purpose in a tourism estate like Panglao.

Riding on the tourism boom in Bohol, the Nunags set up the resort named after their favorite color, yellow, which in Portuguese means amarela. The main three-story edifice was built from architectural salvages while the modern annex uses floorings from tiles and woodwork from old houses.

The colors are painted in bright yellow to enhance the wood tones; they’re complemented by blue. The main areas are the atrium, where shafts of light penetrate, and the dining area that faces the Mindanao Sea.

Amarela’s charm lies in the proliferation of vintage Visayan folk furniture and their reproductions whose simple and functional lines complement the building. Although in their time these furniture pieces were as plebian as today’s Monobloc chairs, their modest provenance strikes a familiar chord, especially to Boholanos.

The locals would tell the owner they once saw similar pieces in their grandparents’ home. The presence of these folk furniture in the new environment adds warmth and introduces the enticing quality of the aged, the time-worn and the most cherished. They provide the important ambiance of comfortable equanimity and mellow well-being.

According to connoisseur and furniture maker Osmundo Esguerra, Bohol, Leyte, Cebu and Siquijor share the same design aesthetics. The lines are spare, the pieces are held together by solid mortis-and-tenon joinery. Carving is not as elaborate as the furniture from the other provinces and the favored woods are molave or tugas and balayong or bayong, which are abundant in Bohol. Esguerra says the more sophisticated craftsmanship are those made for the ilustrados and the churches.

In “Tubod: The Heart of Bohol,” cultural historian Ramon Villegas wrote that during the late 19th century, the local furniture makers tried to mimic the imported styles for the mass market. However, the furniture lacked the proportion, refinement and craftsmanship. Chairs of mediocre standard were called “silyang bastos” or the common chair. He notes that in that era, Bohol furniture pieces became shoddy, using substandard materials.

Esguerra says vintage common furniture is also low in value, between P3,000 to P5,000.

Tradition survives

Today Bohol furniture-making has survived. Still, the quality of their production pales in comparison to their precedents. Even Nunag laments that craftsmen resort to cheaper materials instead of pure rattan to make cane weaving.

Nunag set up a furniture workshop to give jobs and to reproduce furniture for Amarela. He also established a gallery which features modern artists. A recent exhibit paid homage to the icon paintings, religious paintings similar to the Byzantine style, done on wood.

All these local crafts are in danger of extinction. Amarela, in its own way, is keeping them alive. This is a good example of how tourism brings benefit to a sustainable future.

By Dan Mariano
(http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/may/13/yehey/opinion/20090513opi2.html)
Tourism is booming in the island-province of Bohol in the Central Visayas, and even first-time visitors can quickly see why.

Paradoxically, besides its world-famous Chocolate Hills and tarsiers, there is little that physically distinguishes Bohol from the rest of the Philippines. Beaches, dive sites, Spanish colonial-era churches, etcetera dot the archipelago.

What sets Bohol apart are its people—and, equally important, a focused tourism development program, which has successfully involved and benefited Boho-lanos from all walks of life.

Boholanos are, of course, well-known for their industriousness—which is why they tend to stand out in a part of this country where the work ethic is, well, laid-back. Afraid of work, the Boholanos certainly are not. It is not for nothing that they are sometimes referred to as the Ilocanos of the South.

Cooperation is also another trait that other ethnic groups would do well to take a cue from the Boholanos. Even a brief tour of the province gives visitors the impression that Boholanos know how—and, just as importat, are willing—to work together for their common benefit.

They are hospitable, but not to the point of obsequiousness. Sure, they see in tourism a path to prosperity, but they are not pushy about it. For one thing, tourists are not assaulted by hordes of hawkers that in other places shove everything from snacks to handicrafts on the faces of visitors. The Boholanos are a lot more disciplined and orderly.

A group of newsmen from Manila—upon the invitation of Coca-Cola executives, whose company has a large stake in the province’s burgeoning soft-market—got to see this and more for themselves last week. They were as impressed with Bohol’s natural and historical attractions as with the smart way the tourism industry is being developed in the province.

An hour or so by Airbus from Manila, Tagbilaran City is the entry point to what has become the top tourist destination in the Philippines. The daily flights of Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and ZestAir are often packed, and booking seats can be a problem. Many travelers, whether from Manila, Bacolod, Davao or other cities, fly first to the regional aviation hub of Cebu, then take fast ferry boats to Tagbilaran.

The volume of visitors is growing so quickly that a new international airport is now being built on the nearby island of Panglao, where many of the province’s beach resorts are located. Work on the new airport is due to be completed next year, according to officials.

Also under construction are bridges connecting Panglao and Dauis to Tagbilaran and the rest of mainland Bohol, aside from numerous other civil works.

Plans are reportedly afoot to include Bohol as one of the ports of call of cruise ships that ply the South China Sea—bringing with them the prospect of even more foreign visitors from China, Japan, South Korea and other Southeast Asian countries.

Getting around the province is no hassle, thanks to its network of well-paved roads—not to mention those rarest of facilities in this country, clean restrooms.

A typical island tour usually starts with a morning visit to the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon. The original structure, still in use, was built by Spanish Jesuit missionaries in 1595. Beside it is an old convent, which also houses a museum containing relics, artifacts and other antiquities, dating back to the 16th century. Included in the collection are relics of St. Ignatius of Loyola and carabao-hide manuscripts of Latin hymns.

On the way to the Chocolate Hills in Carmen municipality, visitors usually make several stops.

The first of these is a spot in Loay where Zicatuna, or Sikatuna, made a blood compact with Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. Contrary to common lore, native chief and Spanish conquistador made incisions, not on their forearms, but on their chests to draw blood, which they then mixed with wine and drank as a gesture of brotherhood.

Lunch can be taken in either Loay or Loboc aboard floating restaurants that cruise the Loboc River, whose banks are lined with nipa palm and other estuarine vegetation.

Yet another tourist stop along the highway is a small menagerie whose residents include tarsiers. Several specimens of what are said to be the smallest primates are kept in enclosures, which may not appeal to animal lovers but nonetheless attract many curious, camera-toting tourists.

The highpoint, literally and otherwise, of the island tour are the Chocolate Hills in Carmen municipally. The grass on over 1,000 cone-shaped limestone hills turn brown in the dry season—making them look like massive bonbons.

Postcards don’t do justice to these enigmatic natural formations as well as to Bohol’s other attractions. They have to be experienced firsthand.

And growing numbers of domestic and foreign visitors are doing just that—turning Bohol into the brightest spot in Philippine tourism.

dansoy26@yahoo.com

Bohol is indeed beautiful esp. Chocolate Hills and Loboc river cruise. I have 4 friends from Jakarta who will visit the place this coming July.

more news on Phil. tourism...

Tourism Act will bring tourists and dollars
FROM THE STANDS By Domini M. Torrevillas Updated May 14, 2009 12:00 AM

The signing into law by the President of the National Tourism Policy Act of 2009 is deemed to bring in foreign tourists — and dollars — and help get the country up and away from global financial straits.

Very happy about the signing is Independent Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon, principal author of Tourism Act of 2009, which, he says, will equip Tourism Secretary Ace Durano and tourism stakeholders with “all the power, funds, and tools that if used properly, will lead to an exponential growth in foreign tourist arrivals.”

Dick, a former tourism secretary himself, said he had crafted the bill with “the vision of empowering the entire tourism sector and creating a policy environment conducive to the growth of the industry.” The law will make the tourism industry “an engine of investment, employment, growth and national development.”

The law establishes “tourism enterprise zones” in strategic areas in the country. Former chairman of the Subic Metropolitan Authority, Dick proved that tourism can transform wastelands into havens for investment. In Subic, investments reached $3 billion a few years after the United States military abandoned it.

The new tourism law provides measures that will make it easier for foreigners to set up business within tourism zones. Section 77 of the law mandates the establishments of offices where prospective Tourism Enterprise Zone investors can register to obtain incentives and benefits as well as all necessary licenses and permits.

Section 86 of the law provides for incentives such as income tax holidays spanning six years which will be given to investors; gross income taxation of only 5 percent; 100 percent exemption on all taxes and customs duties on the importation of capital equipment; and the exemption of transportation and spare parts from tariffs and duties.

Foreign investors will also be allowed to lease land in the Philippines for a period of 50 years which can be renewed once for a period of 25 years.

It will also be noted that during his stint as tourism secretary, Dick launched the “WOW Philippines!” campaign, which he used to transform the country’s tourism industry, then plagued by a negative image of kidnappings and the SARS disease. The WOW! Program resulted in the increase in foreign tourist arrivals from under one million in 2001 to two million a year in 2003.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=467419&publicationSubCategoryId=64

I am so glad that our country is really driving it's tourism potential to the max. And hopefully, each one of us will give our support on this, like taxi drivers should be polite and honest, police officers should be helpful and attentive and all other things that would make our country a safe, comfortable and enjoyable place to visit.

Now, let's not forget our BPO, manufacturing, export, agriculture and fishery sector... :)

Me and my Filipino officemates don't stop promoting Filipino products here in our office...At first, we gave them "pasalubong" whenever we come back to Philippines, but later on, the prefer to order (kasi nahihiya na daw sila) from us.

Dos pesos lang po... :)

Bohol is indeed beautiful esp. Chocolate Hills and Loboc river cruise. I have 4 friends from Jakarta who will visit the place this coming July.



great! did you invite them to come over?

I've been to Cebu and it has really nice tourist spots. With the recently signed law which strengthens the government agencies concerned with the tourism sector, the only way is up. After all, we already know that we have great destination spots here. Why not be proud of it?

Plane fares are now lower than usual. The promos are now more affordable which keeps the tourism industry alive. Now, with the Tourism Act, we can expect more appropriate projects to boost the tourism sector and the economy.

great! did you invite them to come over?

yes....i might join them to cebu as well. :)

Gusto ko yung mga taxi driver sa Cebu, sinusuklian ka,:D sa Manila karamihan dinodoble ang singil:D

agree, kahit piso, nagsusukli talaga...at kahit malapit, isasakay ka. there was one instance that I took a cab there and I didn't know that it was near, the driver gladly took me in....di nga gumalaw ang meter... :)

kasi hindi naman kalayuan ang mga lugar dito sa cebu kaya no choice mga drivers kundi bumigay nalang. hehe... another thing, mahirap din naman ang buhay sa manila compare sa cebu kung kayat hindi uso sa MM ang metro at sukli. however sometimes, as human beings, sa cebu gumaganti din ang mga taxi drivers esp. sa panahon na tagulan. bihira ka lang hihintuan ng mga yan kasi naman pag tuwing taginit din, wala ring sumasakay sa kanila kaya gantihan issue lang yan at pagmalayo ang pupuntahan nyo at umuulan, malamang malaki ang chansya na hindi ka pasasakayin. :lol::lol::nuts:

I haven't been to Cebu so wala ako masabi. Hehe. Pero gusto ko attitude ng taxi drivers sa Baguio.

yes....i might join them to cebu as well. :)

My German brother-in-law just visited Bohol a few weeks ago, and they(with his son and wife) just loved it there.

DOT says 'alternative travelers' flocking to RP

By Lily O. Ramos

MANILA, May 14 (PNA)--Tourists and "alternative travelers" are continuously flocking to the Philippines despite the worldwide recession and threat of swine flu, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).

DOT Secretary Ace Durano cited the growing impact of European alternative travel markets because of unconventional tour groups attracted to the country's eco-tourism.

“We are now seeing a more significant number of high-spending tourists looking for places of raw and rustic charm without the trappings of mass tourism. We are equipped for these shifts in the tourism industry’s landscape,” he said.

Durano made the announcement during the recent Far East Live Seminar (FELS) of more than 250 travel retailers of Meier’s Weltreisen’s, Europe’s biggest long-haul travel firm from Germany.

A trip to a destination that takes between 10-15 hours is considered long-haul travel by Europeans.

The FELS workshop entailed pretours of Baguio, Banaue, Bohol, Boracay, Cebu, Dumaguete, Negros, Palawan and Sagada.

For most of the agents, the Banaue Rice Terraces stood out as a one-of-a-kind heritage site they haven’t encountered anywhere in the world.

The caves, hills, and hanging coffins of Sagada were also cited for their distinctive and idyllic appeal even for seasoned travelers.

“Most of them have been to our country for the first time. They are surprised to discover the wide range of eco-tourism adventures that we offer,” Durano said.

Following Meier’s, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is set to receive a new batch of 100 travel specialists from four major Swiss travel operators, Wettiene, Tour Asia, Flex and Kuoni, in the present and succeeding months.

Undersecretary for Tourism and Planning and Promotions, Eduardo Jarque, Jr., said the country has managed to build a continuing relationship with Europe’s tourism industry through its participation in major travel missions, aggressive marketing of European-based tourism offices, concessions with local partners and strong presence in foreign media.

“This is not an overnight success, but rather a long journey of negotiations, promotions, and involvement, complemented with the unyielding support of our partner hotels, resorts, transportation firms, and travel operators,” Jarque said.

The country is likewise a year-round destination, another desirable rarity for Europeans, explained Venus Tan, DOT Director for Western, Central and Eastern Europe.

Dorie Tan, handler of DOT's Europe promotion team, for her part, said: “They (Europeans) are interested in unique culture so they plan their visits at different times of the year. They want to experience a country’s diversity also through festivals and celebrations.”

The Philippines holds around five major festivals in a month, sometimes in just one region, adds Tan.

Sedat Tatli, director, Division for Asia of Meier’s Weltreisen, was quick to point out another factor that draws tourists to the Philippines: “It’s easy to hop around the islands because almost everybody speaks English.”

Eric Roufs, travel retailer for Dutch operator Paul Crombag, fully agreed.

“Some of my clients will ask me to buy them a ticket to the Philippines then they go on their own to book flights and accommodations to the other islands. Accessible language and transportation allow them to add spontaneity to their holidays.” (PNA)

^^ wow! this is a good strategy not going the road of thailand and the likes. we should promote raw tourism rather than getting those tourists inside a posh hotel. it will be more memorable for them.

^^ wow! this is a good strategy not going the road of thailand and the likes. we should promote raw tourism rather than getting those tourists inside a posh hotel. it will be more memorable for them.

Made me think of those "banig" at the Luneta. :lol:

sa Baguio din. :)
No wonder tourists dont always include Manila in their travel itenerary bcoz aside from being expensive, inefficient, madumi, mataas na crime rate, marami pang balasubas na taxi drivers tsk tsk Dapat i-train ang mga taxi drivers to become a pseudo tour guide.

DOT says 'alternative travelers' flocking to RP

By Lily O. Ramos

MANILA, May 14 (PNA)--Tourists and "alternative travelers" are continuously flocking to the Philippines despite the worldwide recession and threat of swine flu, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).

DOT Secretary Ace Durano cited the growing impact of European alternative travel markets because of unconventional tour groups attracted to the country's eco-tourism.

“We are now seeing a more significant number of high-spending tourists looking for places of raw and rustic charm without the trappings of mass tourism. We are equipped for these shifts in the tourism industry’s landscape,” he said.

Durano made the announcement during the recent Far East Live Seminar (FELS) of more than 250 travel retailers of Meier’s Weltreisen’s, Europe’s biggest long-haul travel firm from Germany.

A trip to a destination that takes between 10-15 hours is considered long-haul travel by Europeans.

The FELS workshop entailed pretours of Baguio, Banaue, Bohol, Boracay, Cebu, Dumaguete, Negros, Palawan and Sagada.

For most of the agents, the Banaue Rice Terraces stood out as a one-of-a-kind heritage site they haven’t encountered anywhere in the world.

The caves, hills, and hanging coffins of Sagada were also cited for their distinctive and idyllic appeal even for seasoned travelers.

“Most of them have been to our country for the first time. They are surprised to discover the wide range of eco-tourism adventures that we offer,” Durano said.

Following Meier’s, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is set to receive a new batch of 100 travel specialists from four major Swiss travel operators, Wettiene, Tour Asia, Flex and Kuoni, in the present and succeeding months.

Undersecretary for Tourism and Planning and Promotions, Eduardo Jarque, Jr., said the country has managed to build a continuing relationship with Europe’s tourism industry through its participation in major travel missions, aggressive marketing of European-based tourism offices, concessions with local partners and strong presence in foreign media.

“This is not an overnight success, but rather a long journey of negotiations, promotions, and involvement, complemented with the unyielding support of our partner hotels, resorts, transportation firms, and travel operators,” Jarque said.

The country is likewise a year-round destination, another desirable rarity for Europeans, explained Venus Tan, DOT Director for Western, Central and Eastern Europe.

Dorie Tan, handler of DOT's Europe promotion team, for her part, said: “They (Europeans) are interested in unique culture so they plan their visits at different times of the year. They want to experience a country’s diversity also through festivals and celebrations.”

The Philippines holds around five major festivals in a month, sometimes in just one region, adds Tan.

Sedat Tatli, director, Division for Asia of Meier’s Weltreisen, was quick to point out another factor that draws tourists to the Philippines: “It’s easy to hop around the islands because almost everybody speaks English.”

Eric Roufs, travel retailer for Dutch operator Paul Crombag, fully agreed.

“Some of my clients will ask me to buy them a ticket to the Philippines then they go on their own to book flights and accommodations to the other islands. Accessible language and transportation allow them to add spontaneity to their holidays.” (PNA)

I guess the Philippines' relatively late arrival in the tourism scene is ultimately something to be thankful for. I think part of the charm of our country is how 'different' it is from the rest of Asia, owing to more than three centuries of foreign rule. Not to rag on Thailand or Malaysia, but I think the markets they corner are of the less sophisticated sort (i.e., mostly rich Americans, lol). Thus the sights become 'tourist-ified' and as a result, are not as "authentic", (by this I mean that they seem to be experienced out of their original context) I think. It remains THE primary task for us Filipinos, though, to preserve the Philippine-ness of the Philippines. Hopefully this is something we will all take on with enthusiasm.

They say that Pilipinas led "convention tourism" in South East Asia during the Marcos Era. How true is this?

kasi hindi naman kalayuan ang mga lugar dito sa cebu kaya no choice mga drivers kundi bumigay nalang. hehe... another thing, mahirap din naman ang buhay sa manila compare sa cebu kung kayat hindi uso sa MM ang metro at sukli. however sometimes, as human beings, sa cebu gumaganti din ang mga taxi drivers esp. sa panahon na tagulan. bihira ka lang hihintuan ng mga yan kasi naman pag tuwing taginit din, wala ring sumasakay sa kanila kaya gantihan issue lang yan at pagmalayo ang pupuntahan nyo at umuulan, malamang malaki ang chansya na hindi ka pasasakayin. :lol::lol::nuts:

I'm very strict with the taxi drivers, may it be Manila or Cebu...Whatever I say, is being followed...just to avoid going around in circles so that the metro would increase bit by bit because of that.

If it's traffic, I recommend where to go...although I do not underestimate their street knowledge but it is one way to avoid overcharging.

They say that Pilipinas led "convention tourism" in South East Asia during the Marcos Era. How true is this?

Not just SEA but in the whole of Asia. We are the first to have an international convention facility in this part of the world so we pioneered "MICE tourism" so to speak. We are the trend-setter and other countries in the region simply followed. The first one it catered for is the IMF-WB annual meetings and it soon became a favorite venue in Asia-Pacific.

Breaking News UK lifts travel restriction to parts of Mindanao (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/newreply.php?do=postreply&t=864768)
Updated May 15, 2009 11:34 AM


MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs said in a news release today that according to a report from the Philippine Embassy in London, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has amended its travel advisory to the Philippines.

The amended travel advisory lifted travel restrictions to the east side of Mindanao, report said.

The British Government has advised its citizens not to travel to any part of Mindanao due to “terrorist and insurgent activity” for more than two years. This discouraged British travelers from travelling to Mindanao.

According to the DFA, "the amendment to the UK’s travel restrictions to Mindanao is a positive development that could now allow British citizens to obtain travel insurance for purposes of enjoying the surfs of Siargao, the idyllic sands of Pearl Farm in Davao City and white-water rafting in Cagayan de Oro, among others.".

British tourists account for the biggest number of European tourists to the Philippines. In 2008, a total of 70,807 UK citizens visited the Philippines, representing a year-on-year increase of around 14 percent.

The Department of Tourism is working to attract more British tourists with the introduction of varied travel packages including scuba diving and bird-watching, the DFA said.

^^^^
Yes!!:cheers:

I'm very strict with the taxi drivers, may it be Manila or Cebu...Whatever I say, is being followed...just to avoid going around in circles so that the metro would increase bit by bit because of that.

If it's traffic, I recommend where to go...although I do not underestimate their street knowledge but it is one way to avoid overcharging.

bai @berns, that you may say so coz i presume you already knew about cebu and manila streets kaya hindi ka na maloloko ng mga taxi drivers sa nasabing mga lungsod pero what if hindi mo pa kabisado ang isang lugar, wala ka talagang magagawa kundi magassume na hindi ka niloloko ng driver mo. :lol::)

^^ Dapat di ako magpapaloko...mahirap na kasi panahon ngayon...
I dunno but I think taxi drivers should have a seminar with DOT and work together with LTFRB regarding "tongpats" or "negosasyon" because its really turning off the tourists.

Manila is not cheap when it comes to taxis...especially there are ones overcharging. I really do not like these excuses "wala na akong barya..." may patong na yun na sampung piso over the metered rate! :bash:

By Dan Mariano
(http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/may/13/yehey/opinion/20090513opi2.html)

They are hospitable, but not to the point of obsequiousness. Sure, they see in tourism a path to prosperity, but they are not pushy about it. For one thing, tourists are not assaulted by hordes of hawkers that in other places shove everything from snacks to handicrafts on the faces of visitors. The Boholanos are a lot more disciplined and orderly.



Sorry, but personal experience begs me to differ.

I went to Bohol last year with a group of friends (three were foreigners and first-time visitors to the Philippines). As soon as we stepped out of Tagbilaran airport with our luggages we were immediately surrounded by a pack of vultures, aka taxi drivers. I thought the rates they were offering were unreasonably high (probably because of my foreign companions) so I told them--very kindly and politely--to give us some space so we could decide what to do. However, they didn't leave; instead, they followed us around and stuck close to us, even interjecting themselves into our discussion, so that it was impossible to talk amongst ourselves.

I finally lost my temper and told them off--we were tired and sleepy as we were coming from Boracay (had to get up early to take the first boat back to Caticlan, then a van to Kalibo, board a plane back to Manila then board another one to Bohol). And of course, it dismayed me that while I was trying hard to show my friends the other (ie beautiful, positive) side of the Philippines, these drivers on the other hand were sabotaging my efforts.

Finally, we got a driver that was willing to take us for a reduced fee, but it seemed he had a little too much to drink, so one of my friends kept chatting with him so that he wouldn't nod off while driving.

Other than that, we had a fantastic time in Bohol. We stayed in nipa huts that were just a few yards away from the banks of the Loboc River, and rented a jeepney to take us around the island.

Just got back from Metro Manila and it is definitely frustrating and saddening to think that Metro Manila could be at par with the rest of the world when it comes to its tourism potential but the people lack the will to make it to a fruition. Local authorities and the populace lack the pride to make their city world class. Dirty, polluted, congested, smoggy, traffic ridden......... Metro Manila in particular the Roxas Blvd bay area is similar to Honolulu BUT Honolulu has cleaner air, *****cleaner sidewalks***** and definitely well kept surroundings....

Im not ranting just commenting on what I have seen on my brief stay in Metro Manila. Yes, my sixth trip in six years this time on an emergency trip to pick up my mother who got ill while on vacation in the Philippines but anyway on a lighter note I checked out SM Marikina for some shopping in the mall for gifts to my family.:)

They say that Pilipinas led "convention tourism" in South East Asia during the Marcos Era. How true is this?
Not just SEA but in the whole of Asia. We are the first to have an international convention facility in this part of the world so we pioneered "MICE tourism" so to speak. We are the trend-setter and other countries in the region simply followed. The first one it catered for is the IMF-WB annual meetings and it soon became a favorite venue in Asia-Pacific.That's true. Aside from that, almost 20 hotels (the so-called Imelda hotels) were built to complement it. Tourism wasn't really a serious business then (World Tourism Organization being established only in the last decade) but the Philippines was already a trendsetter. Aside from that, the Philcite along Roxas was also built for the same purpose. And the most insane idea of Imelda was to have the UN General Assembly hosted here. According to the book, Imelda: Steel Butterfly of the Philippines, the US ambassador said it was too expensive to have it done her, which implies that it is not really impossible, it would only cost them much though.

Sorry, but personal experience begs me to differ.

I went to Bohol last year with a group of friends (three were foreigners and first-time visitors to the Philippines). As soon as we stepped out of Tagbilaran airport with our luggages we were immediately surrounded by a pack of vultures, aka taxi drivers. I thought the rates they were offering were unreasonably high (probably because of my foreign companions) so I told them--very kindly and politely--to give us some space so we could decide what to do. However, they didn't leave; instead, they followed us around and stuck close to us, even interjecting themselves into our discussion, so that it was impossible to talk amongst ourselves.

I finally lost my temper and told them off--we were tired and sleepy as we were coming from Boracay (had to get up early to take the first boat back to Caticlan, then a van to Kalibo, board a plane back to Manila then board another one to Bohol). And of course, it dismayed me that while I was trying hard to show my friends the other (ie beautiful, positive) side of the Philippines, these drivers on the other hand were sabotaging my efforts.

Finally, we got a driver that was willing to take us for a reduced fee, but it seemed he had a little too much to drink, so one of my friends kept chatting with him so that he wouldn't nod off while driving.

Other than that, we had a fantastic time in Bohol. We stayed in nipa huts that were just a few yards away from the banks of the Loboc River, and rented a jeepney to take us around the island.Aside from the pesky cab drivers, what is your (and your friends as well) general insight about Bohol and Philippine tourism?

matututo pa kaya ang mga pinoy na magtapon ng basura sa basurahan at hindi sa kalsada?

matututo pa kaya ang mga pinoy na magtapon ng basura sa basurahan at hindi sa kalsada?

noong sumakay ako ng barko, sa dagat sila nagtatapon:D hay buti na lang hindi ako Pinoy:D:lol:

^^pinay.:lol:

^^pinay.:lol:

hindi rin:D:lol:

Bisaya ako:D

^^ :lol::lol::lol:

^^ Dapat di ako magpapaloko...mahirap na kasi panahon ngayon...
I dunno but I think taxi drivers should have a seminar with DOT and work together with LTFRB regarding "tongpats" or "negosasyon" because its really turning off the tourists.

Manila is not cheap when it comes to taxis...especially there are ones overcharging. I really do not like these excuses "wala na akong barya..." may patong na yun na sampung piso over the metered rate! :bash:

very true! :okay:

Just got back from Metro Manila and it is definitely frustrating and saddening to think that Metro Manila could be at par with the rest of the world when it comes to its tourism potential but the people lack the will to make it to a fruition. Local authorities and the populace lack the pride to make their city world class. Dirty, polluted, congested, smoggy, traffic ridden......... Metro Manila in particular the Roxas Blvd bay area is similar to Honolulu BUT Honolulu has cleaner air, *****cleaner sidewalks***** and definitely well kept surroundings....

Im not ranting just commenting on what I have seen on my brief stay in Metro Manila. Yes, my sixth trip in six years this time on an emergency trip to pick up my mother who got ill while on vacation in the Philippines but anyway on a lighter note I checked out SM Marikina for some shopping in the mall for gifts to my family.:)

IMO the baywalk has already lost its charm! mas nagagandahan pa nga akong maglakad dun sa may SM MOA eh...:ohno::ohno:

hindi rin:D:lol:

Bisaya ako:D

toinks! :lol::lol::laugh:

IMO the baywalk has already lost its charm! mas nagagandahan pa nga akong maglakad dun sa may SM MOA eh...:ohno::ohno:





Baywalk lost its appeal many moons ago and so goes the many visitors including myself who would have spent money there if it stayed the way it was back during Atienza's tenure as Mayor of Manila. As far as MOA I did not bother go there but instead went to Malate for a relaxing massage at Sanctuario but sadly my trip back to Marikina via the overhead trains just ruined it for me. Too many people packed like sardines. Not enough trains to accomodate the riders on both the LRT and MRT. The train going to Santolan was better with less riders. Just think, students are not even back in school and yet the trains were really packed. So much for my relaxing massage at Sanctuario. Hahaha!

Brian Poturnak Promotes Travel to the Philippines
Canadian expat encourages business and leisure travel to the islands.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES, May 16, 2009 /24-7

Brian Poturnak, successful businessman from the City of Makati, has recently launched an awareness campaign, aimed at promoting tourism and travel to the Philippines. The Canadian expatriate has lived there for 14 years and is encouraging others to consider the Southeastern Asian country as a vacation or business travel destination.

"The Philippines is a beautiful country and I want to let others know that it's a great place to both visit and live," said Brian Poturnak, father of three and successful entrepreneur.

"With over 7,100 islands, there are a lot of potential destinations that visitors can choose from. The country is not only an excellent tourist destination, but there are also unique business opportunities here as well," Poturnak added.

Brian Poturnak noted that he is promoting his country of residence because it makes "good business sense" and wants to spur economic and tourist activity. Poturnak also wants others to experience the beauty of the islands.

With volcanic landscapes, vibrant coral waters, beautiful mountains and an emerging economic system, the Philippines has something for everyone.

"I enjoy tennis, golf, jet skiing and hiking -- all of which are readily available," noted Brian Poturnak.

Much like other countries around the world, he said the Philippines were affected by the recent economic downturn. There are signs, however, that the worst may be over.

"Recent reports suggest that things are bottoming out and are showing signs of an economic recovery. The future looks very bright here," Porturnak said.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/may/17/yehey/metro/20090517met6.html

Living in Subic Bay Philippines
Leo19

Live your life in Subic Bay without leaving America. That's right, you can settle down in Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) in the Philippines without worrying about lifestyle change and cultural adjustments that one has to go through when settling down in a foreign land. If you are an American, a retiree or one who is just looking for a place to settle down, you will love it here in Subic.

When Subic Naval Base was converted into a Freeport zone by the then Mayor and now Senator Richard Gordon, through an enabling law, the rules on discipline as espoused by the Americans, were not changed and were in fact adapted and continued to be enforced by the local authorities. That is why; one would say that once you enter the gates of Subic Freeport, you are actually in an American territory. Traffic rules and regulations are patterned after the American system and are strictly enforced. Traffic enforcers are strict and cannot be bribed. All existing structures and utilities were made following US standards and specifications.

Subic Bay Freeport Zone is located in Zambales, Philippines. This place was once the home of the largest American Naval base in the world. In 1992, the US abandoned the Naval Base after the eruption of nearby Mount Pinatubo in 1991, the largest volcanic eruption in over 100 years that practically covered the entire naval base with ash fall causing a significant numbers of buildings inside the base to collapse. This American Naval Base was the home of the US 7th Fleet. The last ship, USS Belleau Wood left in November 24, 1992, signaling the end of the American military presence in the Philippines.

Subic Bay today is home to some of the world's blue chip companies including Hanjin Shipbuilders of South Korea, FedEx, Acer, Hitachi, etc. A Taiwanese, Japanese and Korean Industrial Parks were constructed inside the Freeport industrial area and are now home to some of the world's biggest exporters of electronic and other manufactured products to the world.

The Freeport has a complement of topnotch infrastructure and accommodations facilities. The Zone is host to a large Naval facility and a topnotch airport that were originally constructed by the US Armed Forces. Aside from hotels and retirement facilities, the Freeport offers private homes that you can actually own or lease for 50 years for a very reasonable price. These housing facilities were used by the officers of the US military establishment during their tour of duty in the Philippines. Condominiums and Townhouses are likewise available for sale or lease to foreigners.

Among the facilities and amenities inside the Freeport are fine restaurants, movie houses, hospitals, supermarkets, duty-free shops, casinos, hotels and resorts, first class beaches, ocean parks, Island resorts, etc. Outside of the Freeport are new first class villages and self-contained communities.

If you are a foreigner, the easiest way to start life in Subic is for you to avail of a retiree visa that is being offered by the Philippine Retirement Authority. You don't have to be a Senior Citizen to qualify so long as you are at least 39 years old when you apply. You can bring along your family and you can also work if you have an employer. The other way is for you to invest in the country by setting up a business inside the Freeport Zone. If you qualify, you can stay on as Zone investor and be entitled to various tax incentives and exemptions. There are of course other ways of making your stay legal like getting married to a Philippine citizen, obtaining a work permit, etc.

Subic is approximately 130 kilometers from Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. Travel time by car takes a little over one hour via the new toll way that connects Clark Freeport Zone to Subic in Zambales
http://www.bukisa.com/articles/29222_living-in-subic-bay-philippines


Living in Cebu, Philippines

By Leo19
If you wish to explore the Asia-Pacific region to settle down or to just stay for a while to enjoy, include Cebu in your list of places to consider. You will be surprised to find out that Cebu is now teeming with expatriates from all over the world.

Cebu is located in Southern Philippines. It is one of the very historic places in the country. It was in Cebu where Spanish maritime warrior Ferdinand Magellan conquered the Philippines in 1521 but was later killed after a fierce battle with Lapu-Lapu, a tribal Filipino warrior, in the historic Battle of Mactan. More than 40 years later, another Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legaspi sailed to Cebu with about 500 armed men and with Agustinian and Franciscan Friars, succeeded in colonizing the islands. His religious entourage would later succeed in spreading the Christian faith into the mainstream of the Philippine society; eventually making the Philippines known today as the bastion of Christianity in Asia.

Cebu City Today: A Vibrant Metropolis

Today, Cebu City is teeming with Expatriates from all over the world. Notably, the City is the favorite place of Australians, Europeans, Americans, Chinese, Japanese and Koreans. They are lured into the City for its relative peace and order situation, a vibrant economy, topnotch tourism attractions, affordable hotel and housing accommodations, exciting nightlife and entertainment and most of all, for its hospitable and English- speaking population. Most of these expatriates have been living in Cebu for many years. Some of them are retirees who enjoy life in Cebu with their meager pension money. A single guy who gets a US$1,000.00 monthly pension can “live like a king” in Cebu. With his pension money, he can afford to hire a personal driver, a house maid, a decent housing accommodation and still save extra money for food and other personal needs.

Cebu Hotels and Outdoor Facilities

Cebu is famous for its white sand beaches and inland attractions. Cebu has a number of upscale hotels and resorts of international stature. Some of the world class hotels that operate in the city include Marriot, Marco Polo, Shangri-La, Hilton, Parklane, Waterfront, Plantation Bay, Maribago, Days Inn, among others. There are smaller and budget hotels that offer first class accommodations at affordable rates.

If you are the kind of person who enjoys outdoors, Cebu is an ideal place for you. And if you live in the city, most of the beachfront resorts and hotels are just a few minutes away. You can enjoy the clear sea lanes of Cebu and popular water sports are available including fishing and scuba diving.

Cebu Nightlife

Cebu City is known for its popular bars and nightspots in the islands. Nightclubs and bars abound in the city offering fine food, drinks and entertainment. If you feel lucky, try your luck in a local casino. You can drink to your hearts content without hurting your pocket. Ice Cold San Miguel Beer, the world famous Philippine Beer can be had for less than 1 US dollar. Fresh sea foods abound at surprisingly low prices. If you are a guy who wish to talk the night away with the local hospitality ladies, Cebu City is the place for you. But if you hate nightlife, Cebu also offers exiting and wholesome places to see including the island provinces in Central Philippines.
http://www.bukisa.com/articles/29228_cebu-city-a-new-haven-for-expats-in-the-philippines

Living in Subic Bay Philippines
Leo19

Live your life in Subic Bay without leaving America. That's right, you can
settle down in Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) in the Philippines
without worrying about lifestyle change and cultural adjustments that one
has to go through when settling down in a foreign land. ...

Subic Bay Freeport Zone is located in Zambales, Philippines.
This place was once the home of the largest American Naval base in the world. In 1992,
the US abandoned the Naval Base after the eruption of nearby Mount Pinatubo in 1991,
the largest volcanic eruption in over 100 years
that practically covered the entire naval base with ash fall causing a significant
numbers of buildings inside the base to collapse.
This American Naval Base was the home of the US 7th Fleet.
The last ship, USS Belleau Wood left in November 24, 1992,
signaling the end of the American military presence in the Philippines.

Subic is approximately 130 kilometers from Manila, the capital city of the
Philippines. Travel time by car takes a little over one hour via the new toll
way that connects Clark Freeport Zone to Subic in Zambales

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/29222_living-in-subic-bay-philippines


IMO. the sale pitch was almost PERFECT until the gruesome details
of the eruption of the PINATUBO VOLCANO was mentioned.
Too much information!! Conjures images of BRIMSTONE & FIRE!

:speech: :skull::skull::skull: :runaway:





:horse:

Kembali Resort opens
Written by: Roque , Marilyn
Mindanao Times
Friday, 15 May 2009


UPSCALE resort residences in the Island Garden City of Samal are now opening through Filinvest Land Inc.,which has been working with stakeholders to preserve and protect the marine life within the project’s coastline.

FLI vice president for Visayas and Mindanao regional operations Tristan Las Marias said the Kembali Coast Residential Beach Resort aside from a good dive site can boast of its marine sanctuary life.

FLI’s corporate social responsibility plays a big role in coming up with environmentally friendly concept projects to preserve and protect marine sanctuaries.

Because marine resources is an attraction in the area a photo exhibit was launched featuring interesting pictures taken by professional photographers. Proceeds of the exhibit will be turned over to World Wildlife Fund which spearheads the conservation program in the area in coordination with the local government of Samal City.

According to Las Marias, a briefing was conducted by the local government on the damage of marine resources caused by dynamite fishing. With the concerted efforts of stakeholders, Filinvest hopes there will be a continuing rehabilitation of the marine life and resources which need to be preserved.

More details regarding the project will be disseminated but FLI is supporting the moves that will restore and improve the marine sanctuary in Kaputian, in the Island Garden City of Samal.

Among the photos displayed during the exhibit at Marco Polo Davao on Saturday, March 25 were taken by John Neri, certified dive inspector of PADL who donated the Butanding (blue whale) pictures. Cebu-based Erwin Lim, DMD, well-renowned photographer who contributes to Mabuhay Magazine (the in-flight magazine of Philippine Airlines and others) won numerous photography awards including Best Photo in the Association of South East Asian Nations Tourism Association, grand prize in the Sinulog 2008 photo contest and awards across three categories in the Sinulog 2009 photo contest.

Sylvie Rodriguez, a French national who spends lots of time in the Philippines and indulges in diving and photography discovered in Kembali an incredible diversity, like a nursery of different kinds of animals from babies to adults.. Hitoshi Onozawa, a Japanese national who comes from a family of divers and started diving in 1964 has been into underwater photography for the last 40 years and underwater videography for the last 30 years. He specializes in underwater photos particularly in Davao and Cebu but has been diving all over the Philippines and Asia.

Las Marias says they are into the second phase of the Kembali project and receive numerous inquiries especially from expats in General Santos City. He is proud to say that it is only Kembali so far which offers a real beach residential resort at this time adding that Phase 1 is 70 percent developed and ready to start construction of houses.Basic requirements like power is now in place while water is about to be complete.

Part of the plan is the putting up of a wellness center and spa for the homeowners and their guests aside from the aqua sports facilities that have already been installed in Kembali.

Transportation is by speed boat with travel time of 30 minutes. The site can also be reached by land.

Baywalk....in Atienza era it was really pang-turista. In Lim era, it was another condotel and resort for vagrants. :ohno:

Cebu Lifestyle
2009 Summer Diary: Distinctly Davao
By Leahliz A. Sia Updated May 13, 2009 12:00 AM


CEBU, Philippines – As a young HR professional, I used to frequent Davao City for business trips. My last visit to the largest city in the Philippines was in 2006. Thus, when the opportunity to visit Davao recently presented itself, we quickly booked ourselves on a Cebu Pacific Go Lite plane ride.

On previous visits, I had already made the usual tourist stops: Pearl Farm Beach Resort in Samal Island (incredibly romantic); Eden Nature Park (one visit is enough to engage in soul searching since the place is a bit remote); Marco Polo Davao (which is just as nice and elegant as Marco Polo Cebu).

This recent visit was another experience altogether due to the new friendships we had made and reconnected with in Davao; feasting on the infamous durian; and new thrilling adventures we encountered. Here are highlights of the trip…

Day 1

As soon as we landed, we were whisked away by our fellow JCI Davao brothers to Las Casitas Inn Spa & Resto, a twenty minute ride from the airport. This is a business class inn located in downtown Davao and upon entering its lobby, it strikes one of its homey, all-wood interiors. The rooms were cozy and well-appointed. The only thing we found inconvenient was that they served free dinner instead of breakfast, and their in-house massage service was open only at 4 PM with no Sunday schedule.

Since we were craving for durian, the hotel staff directed us towards the durian fruit stand a block away from our hotel called Anda’s. Following where our nose pointed us to, we had our pick of durian varieties to choose from the fruit stand vendor. This place, which is open 24 hours, also has rickety wooden tables and chairs where you can eat the durian right then and there with your bare hands, which is exactly what we did.

After the durian attack, and since we had to conduct a training session the next day, we had our nails done at Sheila Magpale Salon & Spa. This is located next door to the Grand Menseng Hotel. The parlor staff was quite nice and accommodating and our only “complaint” was that a simple manicure/pedicure cleaning took them two hours to accomplish!

Day 2

We conducted training the whole day in the spacious campus of University of the Philippines Mindanao. That night, after dinner, we went around the city. We observed that Davao has lots of little cafes around town which reminded us of Europe’s cafes. There are also tons of dining establishments and bars to choose from.

We ended up at Annipie’s, a cinnamon bakeshop which is owned by 2008 JCI Davao Chapter President Nick Partoza’s family. His sister, Andrea Partoza manages the place. We sampled their chocolate cinnamons. The original flavored cinnamons and the group consensus was that Annipie’s cinnamons taste softer and creamier than the popular Cinnabons. We ordered several boxes to take home to Cebu.

Day 3
On our last day, we checked out a food and commercial complex just a stone’s throw away from our hotel, the Paseo de Legaspi. Owned by Peter Lat and his family, this elegant complex houses offices, restaurants, bars and a coffee shop called Tata Benito’s (a whole latte love). Peter shared that it is named Paseo de Legaspi since it is located in the old Legaspi Street. The Lat ancestral home, located in the center of the complex, has been converted into a hotel. According to Peter, the Japanese and American soldiers used to stay there during the Second World War.

After a delicious lechon lunch, about a dozen of us opted to try out the zipline activity offered by Outdoor Adventure, the largest ropes course facility situated in a private nature sanctuary just minutes from downtown Davao City. We ziplined on the Xcelerator, a zip ride 250 feet off the ground. Outdoor Adventure is operated by Project Challenge Adventure, Inc., a non-profit organization created to teach values formation and positive life skills to the youth of Davao.

Afterwards, we stopped by Chime’s department store (the Davao version of Rustan’s), where we had snacks and coffee. Dinner that night was at the sumptuous Diamond Chinese Restaurant located in Victoria Plaza.

We didn’t have time to visit these places anymore but we were told that for lechon manok, a recommended stop is Penong’s or Banok’s. Both brands have around five restaurants each scattered around the city. And for the “best halo-halo in the Philippines,” one should try Aling Foping’s located in Matina Town Square (which was closed when we dropped by on a Sunday afternoon).

Indeed, we truly enjoyed our visit to the “City in Bloom,” inspired and enriched from our adventures and friendships!

* * *

Our deepest appreciation to the JCI Central Davao 2nd ACM/RCM Area 5 Working Committee for ensuring we had a worthwhile visit, most especially to their 2009 Chapter President Ted Espinosa and Area 5 National Vice President Richard Tandoc.

Many thanks also go to our new, special friends from JCI Davao, Inc.: 2008 Chapter President Nick Partoza, Steve Arquiza, and Mark Basili for spending extra time with us while in Davao.

Daghang salamat and we hope to see all of you in Cebu soon!

* * *

About Davao

Davao City is a sprawling metropolis of over a million people located in the Southeastern part of Mindanao. It is one of the largest cities in the world with a land area of 2,443.61 square kilometers. The nearby cities of Cagayan De Oro and Butuan are just six hours away by private vehicle. One can also take the Rural Bus Liner, which has an hourly schedule to these destinations.

PhilStar (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=467029&publicationSubCategoryId=111)

Originally posted by Dinabaw at the Davao thread...

Cebu Lifestyle
2009 Summer Diary: Distinctly Davao
By Leahliz A. Sia Updated May 13, 2009 12:00 AM


CEBU, Philippines – As a young HR professional, I used to frequent Davao City for business trips. My last visit to the largest city in the Philippines was in 2006. Thus, when the opportunity to visit Davao recently presented itself, we quickly booked ourselves on a Cebu Pacific Go Lite plane ride.

On previous visits, I had already made the usual tourist stops: Pearl Farm Beach Resort in Samal Island (incredibly romantic); Eden Nature Park (one visit is enough to engage in soul searching since the place is a bit remote); Marco Polo Davao (which is just as nice and elegant as Marco Polo Cebu).

This recent visit was another experience altogether due to the new friendships we had made and reconnected with in Davao; feasting on the infamous durian; and new thrilling adventures we encountered. Here are highlights of the trip…

Day 1

As soon as we landed, we were whisked away by our fellow JCI Davao brothers to Las Casitas Inn Spa & Resto, a twenty minute ride from the airport. This is a business class inn located in downtown Davao and upon entering its lobby, it strikes one of its homey, all-wood interiors. The rooms were cozy and well-appointed. The only thing we found inconvenient was that they served free dinner instead of breakfast, and their in-house massage service was open only at 4 PM with no Sunday schedule.

Since we were craving for durian, the hotel staff directed us towards the durian fruit stand a block away from our hotel called Anda’s. Following where our nose pointed us to, we had our pick of durian varieties to choose from the fruit stand vendor. This place, which is open 24 hours, also has rickety wooden tables and chairs where you can eat the durian right then and there with your bare hands, which is exactly what we did.

After the durian attack, and since we had to conduct a training session the next day, we had our nails done at Sheila Magpale Salon & Spa. This is located next door to the Grand Menseng Hotel. The parlor staff was quite nice and accommodating and our only “complaint” was that a simple manicure/pedicure cleaning took them two hours to accomplish!

Day 2

We conducted training the whole day in the spacious campus of University of the Philippines Mindanao. That night, after dinner, we went around the city. We observed that Davao has lots of little cafes around town which reminded us of Europe’s cafes. There are also tons of dining establishments and bars to choose from.

We ended up at Annipie’s, a cinnamon bakeshop which is owned by 2008 JCI Davao Chapter President Nick Partoza’s family. His sister, Andrea Partoza manages the place. We sampled their chocolate cinnamons. The original flavored cinnamons and the group consensus was that Annipie’s cinnamons taste softer and creamier than the popular Cinnabons. We ordered several boxes to take home to Cebu.

Day 3
On our last day, we checked out a food and commercial complex just a stone’s throw away from our hotel, the Paseo de Legaspi. Owned by Peter Lat and his family, this elegant complex houses offices, restaurants, bars and a coffee shop called Tata Benito’s (a whole latte love). Peter shared that it is named Paseo de Legaspi since it is located in the old Legaspi Street. The Lat ancestral home, located in the center of the complex, has been converted into a hotel. According to Peter, the Japanese and American soldiers used to stay there during the Second World War.

After a delicious lechon lunch, about a dozen of us opted to try out the zipline activity offered by Outdoor Adventure, the largest ropes course facility situated in a private nature sanctuary just minutes from downtown Davao City. We ziplined on the Xcelerator, a zip ride 250 feet off the ground. Outdoor Adventure is operated by Project Challenge Adventure, Inc., a non-profit organization created to teach values formation and positive life skills to the youth of Davao.

Afterwards, we stopped by Chime’s department store (the Davao version of Rustan’s), where we had snacks and coffee. Dinner that night was at the sumptuous Diamond Chinese Restaurant located in Victoria Plaza.

We didn’t have time to visit these places anymore but we were told that for lechon manok, a recommended stop is Penong’s or Banok’s. Both brands have around five restaurants each scattered around the city. And for the “best halo-halo in the Philippines,” one should try Aling Foping’s located in Matina Town Square (which was closed when we dropped by on a Sunday afternoon).

Indeed, we truly enjoyed our visit to the “City in Bloom,” inspired and enriched from our adventures and friendships!

* * *

Our deepest appreciation to the JCI Central Davao 2nd ACM/RCM Area 5 Working Committee for ensuring we had a worthwhile visit, most especially to their 2009 Chapter President Ted Espinosa and Area 5 National Vice President Richard Tandoc.

Many thanks also go to our new, special friends from JCI Davao, Inc.: 2008 Chapter President Nick Partoza, Steve Arquiza, and Mark Basili for spending extra time with us while in Davao.

Daghang salamat and we hope to see all of you in Cebu soon!

* * *

About Davao

Davao City is a sprawling metropolis of over a million people located in the Southeastern part of Mindanao. It is one of the largest cities in the world with a land area of 2,443.61 square kilometers. The nearby cities of Cagayan De Oro and Butuan are just six hours away by private vehicle. One can also take the Rural Bus Liner, which has an hourly schedule to these destinations.

PhilStar (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=467029&publicationSubCategoryId=111)

Originally posted by Dinabaw at the Davao thread...

so now cagayan de oro and butuan are nearby cities of davao? which is 6 hours away by car. damn what a nearby city it is. mas duol pa man siguro ang zamboaga city sa davao kaysa cdo or butuan.

Living in Cebu, Philippines

By Leo19
If you wish to explore the Asia-Pacific region to settle down or to just stay for a while to enjoy, include Cebu in your list of places to consider. You will be surprised to find out that Cebu is now teeming with expatriates from all over the world.

Cebu is located in Southern Philippines. It is one of the very historic places in the country. It was in Cebu where Spanish maritime warrior Ferdinand Magellan conquered the Philippines in 1521 but was later killed after a fierce battle with Lapu-Lapu, a tribal Filipino warrior, in the historic Battle of Mactan. More than 40 years later, another Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legaspi sailed to Cebu with about 500 armed men and with Agustinian and Franciscan Friars, succeeded in colonizing the islands. His religious entourage would later succeed in spreading the Christian faith into the mainstream of the Philippine society; eventually making the Philippines known today as the bastion of Christianity in Asia.

Cebu City Today: A Vibrant Metropolis

Today, Cebu City is teeming with Expatriates from all over the world. Notably, the City is the favorite place of Australians, Europeans, Americans, Chinese, Japanese and Koreans. They are lured into the City for its relative peace and order situation, a vibrant economy, topnotch tourism attractions, affordable hotel and housing accommodations, exciting nightlife and entertainment and most of all, for its hospitable and English- speaking population. Most of these expatriates have been living in Cebu for many years. Some of them are retirees who enjoy life in Cebu with their meager pension money. A single guy who gets a US$1,000.00 monthly pension can “live like a king” in Cebu. With his pension money, he can afford to hire a personal driver, a house maid, a decent housing accommodation and still save extra money for food and other personal needs.

Cebu Hotels and Outdoor Facilities

Cebu is famous for its white sand beaches and inland attractions. Cebu has a number of upscale hotels and resorts of international stature. Some of the world class hotels that operate in the city include Marriot, Marco Polo, Shangri-La, Hilton, Parklane, Waterfront, Plantation Bay, Maribago, Days Inn, among others. There are smaller and budget hotels that offer first class accommodations at affordable rates.

If you are the kind of person who enjoys outdoors, Cebu is an ideal place for you. And if you live in the city, most of the beachfront resorts and hotels are just a few minutes away. You can enjoy the clear sea lanes of Cebu and popular water sports are available including fishing and scuba diving.

Cebu Nightlife

Cebu City is known for its popular bars and nightspots in the islands. Nightclubs and bars abound in the city offering fine food, drinks and entertainment. If you feel lucky, try your luck in a local casino. You can drink to your hearts content without hurting your pocket. Ice Cold San Miguel Beer, the world famous Philippine Beer can be had for less than 1 US dollar. Fresh sea foods abound at surprisingly low prices. If you are a guy who wish to talk the night away with the local hospitality ladies, Cebu City is the place for you. But if you hate nightlife, Cebu also offers exiting and wholesome places to see including the island provinces in Central Philippines.
http://www.bukisa.com/articles/29228_cebu-city-a-new-haven-for-expats-in-the-philippines

Bakit naging Southern Philippines na ang Cebu? I thought the area being promoted by government as the focal point of tourism is supposed to be Central Philippines with Cebu City as its hub...

^^ ako kapag narinig ko ang southern philippines ang naiisip ko ay mindanao.

Bakit naging Southern Philippines na ang Cebu? I thought the area being promoted by government as the focal point of tourism is supposed to be Central Philippines with Cebu City as its hub...

Cebu is definitely part of Central Philippines.

kaya lang the media is often MANILA-CENTRIC
any area SOUTH OF MUNTILUPA,METRO MANILA
is probably considered SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES.



NORTHERN PHILIPPINES
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Metro_manila_map_%281%29.png
SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES





:horse:

^^ Funny but somehow true, Doc. :D I wish our writers would take time to churn out articles more in tune with the government and DOT's frame of reference to really show they are one in spirit with the country's thrust for progress.

Affordable, beautiful Cebu (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=468255&publicationSubCategoryId=87)
By Joy Angelica Subido Updated May 17, 2009 12:00 AM

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/9770/travel2.jpg
Cool blue view of the pool and ocean from the pink Hilton Cebu Resort and Spa

MANILA, Philippines – With down right cheap air fare rates now available to every Juan these days, traveling to some distant island is a more fetching option than stewing in traffic for hours on your way to any of the “nearby” haunts just outside the metro. The only dilemma left is in deciding where to go. With Cebu Pacific’s easy-on-the-pocket airfare deals, the options get even better. Cebu Pacific, after all, flies to numerous Philippine destinations. Flying off to any of your favorite Philippine vacation spots for an action-packed weekend – or even just for a lazy day of relaxation and recharging — will most definitely feel like a judicious way to make the most of what is left of summer.

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/3373/travel2b.jpg

For us on that particular weekend, it had to be Cebu — the perfect place to relax on the beach or enjoy the urban of a charming city. Although we took the early morning flight, the Cebu Pacific stewardesses were bright, perky and enthusiastic. The airline is well known for the games played on board, where they give out small prizes to passengers. But recognizing that most passengers were still in the Twilight Zone and barely awake at the early hour, there were no such games on our flight. In no time at all, we were in Cebu, whisked through the efficient airport, and deposited right in front of the Hilton Cebu Resort and Spa in Mactan.

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/3730/travel2c.jpg

The bright, birthday-cake pink color of the hotel effectively woke our group of sleepy zombies and put us in active party mode. The hotel pool is built beside an enclosed lagoon, with the aquamarine and turquoise ocean stretching beyond it. Water enthusiasts will surely be hard-pressed to decide where to swim first.

“The hotel is actually called the pink icon,” said general manager Harald Feurstein. “We cater to a diverse variety of clients.” And as we surveyed a group of golden-skinned youngsters cavorting in the water and silver-haired couples contentedly sipping their cold drinks under the shade of umbrellas, we decided that it was a happy mix. Hilton Cebu marketing and communications manager Sigfred Catalan shares that they have themed beach parties, with a constant extra effort to plan interesting activities for the enjoyment and entertainment of both hotel guests and Cebu locals, while tours can be arranged for both adventurous and lazy souls.

We were definitely in the lazy category. A quick freshening up at the hotel, and then we were off to Olango Island in one of Islands Banca Cruises’ party boats. Known to bird enthusiasts as a prime destination for bird watching, Olango is just five kilometers east of Mactan Island. But part of the fun is getting there. Since the bancas are outfitted with comfortable cushions and beanbags, an iPod dock, plus a cooler packed with cold drinks, one can truly chill out on the ride. Want more of the luxurious lifestyle? One can arrange for an onboard masseuse to soothe away your muscular kinks caused by urban stress.

A quick stop in Talima to try and feed the already overfed fish that ignored the breadcrumbs we dropped overboard, and we were soon on our way to one of the restaurants on stilts that ring the island.

For food enthusiasts, the selection is just glorious. Certainly, food styling is a rudimentary art form here, with all dishes uniformly decorated with random rings of onion and tomato. Definitely not much to look at. But the flavors were simply superb. We had freshly steamed saang shells whose chewy meat was delicious with a dipping sauce of chili-tinged vinegar; fat crabs with orange aligue that we mixed with white, steaming rice; scallops and mussels and shrimps; grilled unicorn fish; crunchy, briny lato or sea grapes and a fat fried eel that looked too brown and ordinary outside, but had delicious, white and cottony flesh within. We washed it all down with long draughts of coconut water. Never mind the bulging swimsuits.

It was an extended luncheon and we still could have stayed longer, but decided to check out Cebu’s city life. We dozed throughout the boat ride to Mactan and the car ride to the city.

As in all Philippine cities, the malls are a big attraction. Cebu is no different. However, we tasted a lovely, light and feathery bibingka in a restaurant called Laguna at an Ayala mall. There was also an ongoing Cebu Pacific promotion during our visit, where unused bus or ferry tickets to Siargao, Cotabato and Dumaguete could be traded for airline tickets. Passengers lined up outside the SM Mall to do just that. Good idea. Saves time to do fun things, we thought, remembering all we did in our few hours in Cebu. The rest of the afternoon was spent meandering around the malls.

One would think that we already had too much to eat. But locals are the best authority in finding gems of local restaurants, and we couldn’t pass up the chance to try out new local fare. Ria Redulla, marketing communications head of the Islands Group who joined us in the banca ride, suggested we try Rica’s in Paseo Saturnino on Ma. Luisa Road and, of course, we did. For supper, the dulong pasta made with tiny fish was delicious, and so was the highly recommended salpicao. Others in our group who had steak, pizza and other types of pasta also enjoyed their meal and we all swore that we would be back to try other items on the menu.

Later that night, as we sipped our cocktails at Manny O’s and enjoyed the sight of our pink hotel, and the fish swimming in the lighted lagoon below, we marveled at how much we were able to do in a day. The amazing thing was that we weren’t tired at all. Well, maybe a bit sleepy after all that gorging on eats. And so it was off to the wonderful spa, a good night’s rest and a hassle-free flight to Manila the next morning. Thank goodness for affordable air travel!

Davao City is most visited destination for Lakbay Aral

Duterte, Hotline 911 are main attractions

DAVAO CITY – At five visits each week, this city may be one of the most visited places in the Philippines under the “lakbay aral” program, a supposedly visitors' learning travel program.

The Community Relation Program Office of the city government has logged an average of five visits from local governments across the country under their Lakbay Aral program and from private groups and institutions.

Oscar Casaysay, office coordinator, said that the city has been receiving this many visits for several years already, and added that the city government has officially assigned his office to do the coordination work.

The size of the delegation varied, from a low of ten to as large as 300. “Many are really big delegations of more than 50 and 100. Many are councilors, provincial board members, vice mayors. Mostly government officials and personnel.”

“There are also from the universities, civic organizations, medical associations,” he said. “And there are many walk in delegations and they would just call us up for courtesy calls.”

He said that all these visits came from all over the country.

Most of requests were about learning about how the Emergency Hotline 911 operates and the best practices in local governance “but all wanted to hear and see Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in person”.

“While many Lakbay-Aral travels are believed to be junket travels, we assure them that they would really have a learning experience about the city, its governance and what to expect,” he said.

“We would ask them to sit down with us for a while, to listen to our briefing and to take them around to selected locations,” he said.

What also attracted, and surprised, the visitors were innovations in governance.

“They would be surprised and amazed that we have representatives from the tribal communities and that we have designated deputy mayors for the major Muslim groups in the city,” said Resci Angelli R. Rizada, this year's Mutya ng Dabaw, whose many duties also include receiving Lakbay Aral delegations.

Rizada said many local government delegations would suggest that “your mayor and his programs in the city should be shared to the rest of the country”.

“They should not be applied only in Davao City,” Rizada said, quoting a delegation from Albay, composed of councilors, provincial board members and members of the Sangguniang Kabataan.

She said a similar statement was aired recently by a Lakbay Aral delegation from Iloilo City, composed of councilors and their vice mayor.

“They wanted the mayor to run for President, and they assured that they would work for his election,” Rizada said.

Casaysay said that the visitors also “appreciated it at how we implemented the No Smoking law and they were interested at how this was implemented”.

He said that the city has not quantified the benefit of these surge of the study tours but he said that this has helped the city economy in terms of revenues as well as energizing further the activities of the travel and tour operators.


He said that his office has already accredited 20 tour operators in the city to provide the transportation needs of the visitors

“We have agreed with them that they take the visitors at least to the Museo Dabaw, the People's Park and the 911,” he said.

http://awimailbox.blogspot.com/2009/05/davao-city-is-most-visited-destination.html

Originally posted by MtapoStandard at the main Davao thread...

mas mura ba ang dried mango sa CEbu?

IMO. the sale pitch was almost PERFECT until the gruesome details
of the eruption of the PINATUBO VOLCANO was mentioned.
Too much information!! Conjures images of BRIMSTONE & FIRE!

:speech: :skull::skull::skull: :runaway:

:horse:
haha yes, very scary. I wonder if they'd attract more people to live near that volcano again. :lol:

mas mura ba ang dried mango sa CEbu?

pag sa supermarket mo binili kahit nasa Cebu ka, mahal pa rin:D

Cebu Pacific 3rd largest budget airline in Asia—magazine (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/print/54197)
abs-cbnNEWS.com
Created 05/14/2009 - 19:49

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 05/14/2009 7:49 PM

There's no way but up for the Philippine 's most aggressive low-cost airline.

In a statement, Cebu Pacific boasted that Airline Business Magazine's May issue has cited the Gokongwei-led carrier as third largest in Asia and 22nd in the world.

The aviation magazine also cited Cebu Pacific as the fastest growing carrier in Asia for posting a 23 percent increase in its 2008 total passengers. It flew 6.7 million last year compared to 5.5 million the year before. The magazine based this on traditional aviaiton industry measures, including passenger carriage and revenue passenger per kilometer.

“Our continued growth can be attributed to the increase in our seat capacity and trademark low fares, which are big factors especially during these difficult economic times,” company president and CEO Lance Gokongwei said. He added that with new destinations within the country and in other Asian countries, the company hopes to reach a record 9 million passengers this year.

Cebu Pacific is the second largest airline in the country, next to legacy carrier Philippine Airlines, which dominates profitable international routes, including the prime overseas Filipino workers' destinations, the United States and Middle East.

Cebu Pacific has a fleet of brand new Airbus aircrafts delivered a just few years ago. It has 10 A319s, 11 A320s, and 8 turbo-prop ATR72 aircrafts.

Tourists flock to Quezon's 'Pahiyas festival' (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/05/15/09/tourists-flock-quezons-pahiyas-festival)

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 05/15/2009 9:55 PM

Visitors flocked to Quezon Province on Friday to witness this year's "Pahiyas Festival", one of the most popular fiestas in the country.

The sheer volume of visitors eager to witness the festival caused traffic up to three towns away. Since some streets in the province are barred from cars, others opted to walk on foot in order to see the beautifully ornamented houses in Lucban, Quezon.

One such house was painstakingly designed for 2 months by Ellen Rada, who chose to adorn her home with ginger, string beans, and "kiping" or a colorful rice flour concoction. A few houses away, Enrique Elloso said he spent about P10,000 for decorations.

Tourists as far away as the Middle East even came to participate in the celebrations, like Israeli couple Shira and Benjamin Rubenstein. Although they have experienced a similar festival back in their homeland, the Rubensteins attest that they haven't seen a celebration so colorful.

Aside from house designing, marching bands and musicians lended their talents to the festivities, making the general mood more upbeat. The fiesta is traditionally celebrated in honor of San Isidro Labrador, patron saint of farmers, in thanksgiving to a bountiful harvest.

According to the Department of Tourism, the Pahiyas Festival is the second most popular fiesta in the whole country next to the "Sinulog Festival" in Cebu. Every year, more than 10,000 people flock to Lucban to take part in the celebrations.

whoa, keep em coming...

Subic Bay Freeport Zone is located in Zambales, Philippines. This place was once the home of the largest American Naval base in the world. In 1992, the US abandoned the Naval Base after the eruption of nearby Mount Pinatubo in 1991, the largest volcanic eruption in over 100 years that practically covered the entire naval base with ash fall causing a significant numbers of buildings inside the base to collapse. This American Naval Base was the home of the US 7th Fleet. The last ship, USS Belleau Wood left in November 24, 1992, signaling the end of the American military presence in the Philippines.

///////
The US didn't abandon Subic Bay or Clark. They were kicked out by RP after the Senate approved the non-renewal of the base treaty. Although devastated by Pinatubo, there would have been more human damage to the base after the Americans pulled out had it not been for the heroic contributions of Dick Gordon and his thousands of volunteers who, hand-in-hand protected Subic's remaining assets. That made it easier for SBMA to become what it is now.

Cebu is definitely part of Central Philippines.

kaya lang the media is often MANILA-CENTRIC
any area SOUTH OF MUNTILUPA,METRO MANILA
is probably considered SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES.


^^ Funny but somehow true, Doc. :D I wish our writers would take time to churn out articles more in tune with the government and DOT's frame of reference to really show they are one in spirit with the country's thrust for progress.


Actually, anything south of Makati is already considered SOUTH...:lol:

Here is one thing that shows Manila is not the Philippines....If indeed Manila wants to represent the whole country, then they better start to educate their taxi drivers.. :)

Monday, May 18, 2009

Tabije: This is Davao, Sir!
By Ismael D. Tabije
Monday Notions

A FEW years ago when I was still stationed as UN Consultant in Timor Leste (formerly East Timor), I came home for a vacation. The air route I took was Dili (Timor-Leste)-Bali (Indonesia)-Singapore-Davao.

I arrived in Singapore about noon time but had to stay overnight there to wait for my connecting flight to Davao the following day. After lunch, I went to a department store to pass the time.

As I was walking around, I stopped to marvel at a store displaying very beautifully tailored suits. The Singaporean haberdasher approached me and engaged in sales talk. I told him that it is not possible for me to have a suit ordered as I was leaving the following morning.

His answer shocked me, "Don't worry, sir, we can finish your suit tonight. We'll deliver it to your hotel at 8 p.m." That was then 2 p.m.
"Are you sure?" was my incredulous reply. I knew for a fact that a suit ordered in the Philippines takes two weeks, at least.

"Don't worry, sir, this is Singapore. We do what we say. And, if by any chance we can't finish it before you depart, we will send it by air freight to anywhere in the world, free of charge."

That "boastful" claim really piqued my curiosity. I was forced to take up his offer even if it was a bit pricey. "Tingnan nga natin ang yabang mo," I murmured.

I chose the cloth to be used and ordered a coat, two pants and one long sleeved shirt. At 2:30 p.m., we were done with my measurements.

At 8 p.m., I got a call in my hotel room apologizing for some delays. They promised to be done by 10 p.m. I started to doubt. 10 p.m. came and still no delivery. More doubts. Then at 10:10 p.m. it arrived.

Still doubtful, I checked the suit thoroughly just in case they delivered a previously-sewn suit. When I confirmed that it was exactly the textiles I chose and the fit was perfect I was absolutely bowled over by the fact that they did a complete suit with an extra pair of pants in just 10 hours!

Now, why am I telling you this story? Because I love the haberdasher's catch phrase, "This is Singapore, sir." It shows a lot of nationalistic pride borne out of confidence that they can do what they promise. It explains succinctly why Singapore has progressed tremendously.

I think the City Government and the concerned national agencies, e.g., Department of Tourism (DOT), can start a campaign with a slogan, "This is Davao, sir!" The objective is to make the Dabawenyos prouder of their place and work harder to improve its image.

Let me drive home the point a bit further via a true story.

A few years ago, a friend from Manila narrated a story to our group. She said she took a taxi from her hotel to our office. The taximeter showed P56. When she gave P60, he was totally surprised that the driver promptly gave him a change of P4. Never in Manila. "This is Davao, Sir."
Suddenly, one of those in the group, also from Manila, shared that his experience is even more "unbelievable". He took a taxi and the meter showed P84. When he gave P100, the driver apologized that he had no change and requested for an exact fare. My friend told the driver that his loose change is only P80. The driver said it's okay, took the P80, and cheerily drove away.

"Pambihira, ako pa ang nabigyan ng tip," was my friend's comment, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is Davao, Sir!"
The campaign can be expanded to trumpet the relative peace and order condition of Davao that allows the people to roam the streets even at night, the people's friendliness, the cleaner air, the lesser traffic, the convenient access to world-class beach and mountain resorts and more.

"This Davao, Sir!"

Sun-Star (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/tabije-davao-sir)

Gusto ko yung mga taxi driver sa Cebu, sinusuklian ka,:D sa Manila karamihan dinodoble ang singil:D

agree, kahit piso, nagsusukli talaga...at kahit malapit, isasakay ka. there was one instance that I took a cab there and I didn't know that it was near, the driver gladly took me in....di nga gumalaw ang meter... :)

sa Baguio din. :)

Sarangani Bay Festival The biggest beach party in Mindanao
Written by: pelima , Russtum
Monday, 18 May 2009


GUMASA, Sarangani – The provincial tourism office sees tourists to double their number on this year’s celebration of the Sarangani Bay Festival.
Packed for a three-day summer fun and beach sports (May 28-30), Sarangani Bay Festival is tagged as the biggest beach party in Mindanao.

“Now we have teams competing for our historic 15-kilometer swim across the bay with contesting teams not only in Mindanao but also from Boracay and Palawan,” organizer Nemrod Butil said.

Boracay and Palawan have held three-kilometer swim challenges in the past two years. But Sarangani’s swim would be their longest, crossing Sarangani Bay from one town to another.

Ten teams will be competing for the swim challenge on May 29 from Tinoto reef in Maasim town to Reycon beach in Glan.

“The celebration is actually a tribute to the bay for the bounty it provides to the community especially our marginalized fisher folk who depend much on fishing from the bay,” said Michelle Solon, president of Sarangani Tourism Industry Association.

Sarangani is composed of seven municipalities. Six of these municipalities are along the 230-kilometer Sarangani Bay coastline.

Connecting the province’s six coastal towns is a 170-kilometer highway from the eastern towns of Glan, Malapatan and Alabel crossing General Santos City, farther to the west coast composed of Maasim, Kiamba and Maitum towns. Malungon, the only landlocked municipality, is located up north.

A bike adventure race on May 28 will start along the coastal highway from Maitum to Glan with six pit stops.

The three-day festival opens in Kiamba on May 28 with a lumba bugsay, a boat race with the use of paddles among local fisher folk, while jet-speed motorized bancarera competition will be held in Gumasa on May 30.

During the day, an underwater photography contest and scuba fest will be held in Lemlunay Diving Resort in Maasim town. Professional divers frequent at the resort as it is an all-year round diving spot.

Final day for skimboarding participated in by skimboardists from South Cotabato, General Santos City, Sarangani and Davao will be held in Kiamba on the same day.

Beach sports such as beach volley ball, beach football will be played at the white sand beaches of Gumasa. For beach sports wannabes, organizers will provide free clinics for jetsking and skimboarding on the third day.
See also Sarangani’s hot baybodies competition on May 29 in Gumasa, with beach concert and DJ mix party.

In 2006, Kiamba mayor and former provincial board member Rommel Tomas Falgui passed a resolution protecting and celebrating the beauty and natural bounty of the bay.

Sarangani Bay has been the passage for trade, businesses and social contacts with the Philippines’ southernmost tip and neighboring countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei for hundreds of years.

But in particular, the bay provided a safe route to Sangils of Northern Indonesia and established trade and social relations with the Blaan natives of Glan some 500 years ago.

Sarangani Bay’s biodiversity is twice richer than Carigara Bay in Northern Leyte, Sogod Bay in Southern Leyte, Bais Bay in Negros and Illana Bay in Northwestern Mindanao.

PIA Press Release
2009/05/16
IIEE holds National Mid-Year Convention
By Cyrielle Panisa

Davao City (16 May) -- The Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers of the Philippines, Inc. (IIEE) launched a convention dubbed "Achieving Excellence Amidst Global Challenges" to enhance the linkages among the electrical engineering practitioners and professionals in different fields of practice of electrical engineering employed in industry, in the government and related companies.

This National Mid-Year Convention will be hosted by the IIEE Davao Chapter and will be held at CAP Convention Center, Anda Street, Davao City on May 21-23, 2009.

IIEE National President Engr. Arthur Escalante, on a press conference held at Philippine Information Agency (April 15), said that the convention will provide a venue for the Filipino electrical engineering practitioners and professionals to upgrade their skills and knowledge.

The National Mid-Year Convention will also cover diversity of sectors where electrical engineers can have more opportunities for career and personal development, he added.

Engr. Arthur Escalante said that this convention will give the delegates and viewers supplementary information about the current developments overseas that can be applied in their companies and workplaces, earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE), and will witness a range of companies showcasing their products and practices.

There will also be presentations of guiding principles on energy conserving designs on buildings and utility systems, and the most recent technologies and best practices in efficient lighting during this convention.

The IIEE is inviting all electrical engineering practitioners and professional to participate in the upcoming National Mid-Year Convention, as well as the press and media to cover the event. (PIA XI) [top]

Actually, anything south of Makati is already considered SOUTH...:lol:

Heck, anything south of QC is already South.

PIA Press Release
2009/05/16
IIEE holds National Mid-Year Convention
By Cyrielle Panisa

Davao City (16 May) -- The Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers of the Philippines, Inc. (IIEE) launched a convention dubbed "Achieving Excellence Amidst Global Challenges" to enhance the linkages among the electrical engineering practitioners and professionals in different fields of practice of electrical engineering employed in industry, in the government and related companies.

This National Mid-Year Convention will be hosted by the IIEE Davao Chapter and will be held at CAP Convention Center, Anda Street, Davao City on May 21-23, 2009.

IIEE National President Engr. Arthur Escalante, on a press conference held at Philippine Information Agency (April 15), said that the convention will provide a venue for the Filipino electrical engineering practitioners and professionals to upgrade their skills and knowledge.

The National Mid-Year Convention will also cover diversity of sectors where electrical engineers can have more opportunities for career and personal development, he added.

Engr. Arthur Escalante said that this convention will give the delegates and viewers supplementary information about the current developments overseas that can be applied in their companies and workplaces, earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE), and will witness a range of companies showcasing their products and practices.

There will also be presentations of guiding principles on energy conserving designs on buildings and utility systems, and the most recent technologies and best practices in efficient lighting during this convention.

The IIEE is inviting all electrical engineering practitioners and professional to participate in the upcoming National Mid-Year Convention, as well as the press and media to cover the event. (PIA XI) [top]

I can't believe that IIEE is doing convention outside of MM. It's been years since I last served this great institution. Dami ring politika dito kahit sa student arm lang nila.

Aside from the pesky cab drivers, what is your (and your friends as well) general insight about Bohol and Philippine tourism?


Some observations and lessons learned:

1. Island hopping was a lot more difficult than I imagined. I thought it would be a simple matter of flying from one island to another, only to find out that flights were very limited--that was why we had to come back to Manila to fly to Bohol, instead of flying to Bohol directly.

2. Filipinos really do love meat--usually not an issue unless one is a vegetarian. Unfortunately for me, one of my friends was a vegetarian. It was a challenge trying to find something that she could eat.

3. The article praised Bohol's "network of well-paved roads"--not true, at least when we went. There were stretches of roadway that still need to be paved. I can still recall the thick layer of dust that settled on the seats of the jeepney. But Bohol was truly nice; my favorite part was drifting along the green waters of the Loboc River and admiring the general solitude of the place.

4. Air pollution seriously needs to be addressed. Although some people might think it's pretty magical how the buildings and roadway structures change to an unflattering color thanks to vehicle emissions, still, there are health issues to consider. My young niece developed a skin problem when she visited the Philippines because of the poor quality of the air. In addition, when I ask people who are first time visitors to the Philippines about their impressions of the country, one of the first things they cite is the pollution.

5. When we went to Kalibo for the Ati-Atihan festival, the city was packed. I have no idea where the hordes of visitors were rooming in as I did not see a lot of hotels in the area. The one we were staying in was pretty basic, and I assume the other hotels were the same. I would suggest building nice hotels, or at least renovating the existing ones. I noted that there were also several foreigners in attendance (who might not be accustomed to having cold showers).

6. While we were resting on top of the Taal Volcano after an hour-long hike, another group of tourists started pouring in. Some of them apparently weren't exhausted enough by the climb so they entertained themselves by firing at something (birds? ex-extinct Taal Lake monster? taxi drivers?). Ruined the ambience for me at least; I guess I just don't particularly care for loud gunshots.

My friends liked the shopping in Manila (they were impressed with the huge malls and they loved SM) and the fact that the people in general spoke english. They even contemplated the idea of buying a property in the Philippines--I assume the proximity of the Philippines to the other countries in Asia and the cheapness of the flights added to the appeal--so I guess they did enjoy their stay, despite a very unpromising beginning: a few months before our trip, Glorietta had an explosion (initial reports pointed to a bomb as the cause) and the Manila Peninsula had a siege (right after we booked our rooms there--what perfect timing!).

I should add that my larger concern in the drive to promote tourism is that people might neglect to protect or take care of the environment and its inhabitants. I thought that Boracay was already teeming with hotels but somehow people are still finding space and building additional hotels. The tarsiers in Bohol--there may be some that are in private captivity and put on display for tourists without much regard for the health and welfare of the animals. Furthermore, I have read somewhere that there are regulations for diving underwater to interact with the whale sharks (such as limiting the number of divers) but they are not being observed.

(I hope I didn't ramble on too much, and I know you asked for my general insight, but I thought a detailed reply would be more satisfactory and informative.)

^^That's fine. At least you gave an honest reply. I've actually anticipated that those would be your concern.

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/3561/dwpw.jpg

Tourists flock to Quezon's 'Pahiyas festival' (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/05/15/09/tourists-flock-quezons-pahiyas-festival)
According to the Department of Tourism, the Pahiyas Festival is the second most popular fiesta in the whole country next to the "Sinulog Festival" in Cebu. Every year, more than 10,000 people flock to Lucban to take part in the celebrations.

Is this true? I haven't been to the Sinulog, but I was fortunate to attend both the Pahiyas and Ati-Atihan festivals, and between the two, I would say the latter was a lot more fun and crowded (imo, of course).

Because our country contain so many beautiful natural resources our government should invest more on tourism for we have a big tourist potential if we used all the resources correctly we can attract foreign tourist by buiding more modern infrastructures around the country for safer and faster travel around the country.

Because our country contain so many beautiful natural resources our government should invest more on tourism for we have a big tourist potential if we used all the resources correctly we can attract foreign tourist by buiding more modern infrastructures around the country for safer and faster travel around the country.

I just hope that the newly enacted law - Philippine Tourism Act would address it.

Here's an interesting blog/article.

A Dutch Summer in the Philippines
The rain should not be enough to stop you enjoying travel
Joey C. Aglasi (JOSHtice) Email Article Print Article

Published 2009-05-13 16:10 (KST)

The summer season seems to be different this time. With the rains pouring mostly in the afternoons, it makes it lousy for anyone to be out from their shells and would rather watch CSI re-runs or Dr. House until the roof gets calm. Yet, despite the summer's apparent imbalance, businessmen and vacationers still stride to go in for what is sating.

So, this is summer 2009 in the Philippines.

A Dutch Summer in the Philippines

With all the setbacks going on, I brooded over doing things that should make a real good summer for me. At a bus stop one time I went down to Manila, there was nothing much delightful to munch, and especially something that should not trouble the stomach. I found myself in front of a table delighted with Filipino food -- pancit, puto, palitaw, and camote (sweet potato). The sweet potato was enough for me.

At that very minute, a tall young European approached the table and asked the seller about that same stuff I had in my hand.

She answered shyly, "Uhmm, camote sir."

Still unenlightened, I interrupted "It's a sweet potato, sir. It's sweetened sweet potato. Don't wonder why it's sweetened when it's already sweet?" Short laughs exploded.

He joined me at a vacant table.

A graduate of Economics and from Netherlands, Koen has been traveling around Asia. He's Dutch. His purposeful personal travels at his tender years are just so remarkable. His admirable physicality's not even more than his congeniality, humbleness and unconventionality that let conversations flow pleasurably.


He opened up talking about his first day in Manila which didn't sound very well as I expected, and shed light on the fact that Filipinos usually get difficulty going out of the country which I strongly gave my nod. Our short talk was interrupted with our bus paging. He's seated somewhere in the middle where the vacant seat next to him was somehow reluctantly occupied. If that last seat wasn't vacant, I would have taken the seat next to him and we might have talked incessantly at the beginning of the trip.

Being in the bus is practically one great way of meeting and influencing people and making friends.

The Dutch and the City

Finally, we arrived in Baguio, my hometown. With the lightness of feeling that came into view, I tendered my time to go around my turf with Koen and for him to be my guest. He agreed with a bright smile. It was past seven in the evening when we reached the terminal, and the rain did not excuse us from its unceasing wrath.

It has been raining since the first week of April and environmentalists could've reasoned, "This is global warming!"

Mindless of the rain, we moved up to Session Road where we found a reasonable inn. Koen's not on to luxurious suites or rooms. A room with bed and toilet would be alright for him.

"This one's on me," I said.

"Oh no, you don't need to. We don't usually..." I interrupted him and both of us were persistent.

"You're my guest, and this is what they call Filipino hospitality," hoping I did not offend him in any ways. Dutch people are known for "going Dutch" but Filipinos are also known for their great hospitality or generosity which made our stands clash.

The young Dutch was waiting outside the inn, just as I promised I'd be back after an hour to get him around and see what can be considered a real ball at night in the city. My old car was to our advantage that made it easy hopping from one place to another. The meal at Central Park, my favorite Chinese restaurant filled our empty bags first before hitting the booze. There wasn't much to show Koen but bars that serve anti-freeze good for the chilly night.

In a country bar we went to, people roared seeing him there, distinctively, as he swayed like a tower looking over the black heads of the rest. It was funny. It was a blast. We ended up walking back to his hotel after some coffee at a 24- hour donut shop. It was early morning that we needed a good rest after such tiring night. I got back home tipsy, but was really drowsy.

The City in Bloom and Gloom

A text message from Koen woke me up from a bottomless sleep the following day. It was almost noon, and he's waiting at the city central for a day tour I promised. A drizzle was there again to meet the day, but that should not hold the plan for that Saturday.

There was no particular place I felt noteworthy but Camp John Hay, the place that was once occupied by the Americans. Maybe we went there at wrong time, but it was just heart-breaking to see a supposed national antiquity preserved for its historical sense drastically changed. We didn't need to see more. We immediately revved going to PMA (Philippine Military Academy) where I know a light of pride was guaranteed. There were many visitors in the place. The environment remained intact as far as my memory is involved. I felt relieved to bring Koen there.

And as we walked along the pathways, local female tourists showed going ga-ga over the pleasant young man. Tall, Dutch and handsome as I called him, the girls couldn't help but to take pictures with him. Feeling a little abashed, he wanted to move away from the estrogen crowd.

A sudden pour of heavy rain trapped us in the roofed bleachers witnessing the drills going on in the field. He was a little surprised to see the military exercise. We waited until the rain slowed down, and ran we went to the parking lot. It was a little better being there. We continued going around ending up at The Mansion House and Mines View Park. Then we headed at the strawberry farm somewhere in La Trinidad. Still, the rain continued pouring. It was almost 7pm when we reached back the city center.

"Ey dude, I guess it's time to have something heavy for our tummies. What about that?" I asked just to break the little silence going.

"Sure Josh," in his very deep voice, "but can we drop by some place first where we can check some books?" I brought him to the Center Mall, but The Memoirs of Geisha can't be found.

To his little disappointment I offered him, "Well if you're a hardcore fan of Ludlum, I can bring you one from my collections tomorrow." He gave back some friendly gesture.

He didn't have enough time to waste, as we're supposed to see more of the city. Due to heavy rain, we got stuck instead in Sab-atan Restaurant serving gratifying quantity and cooking in Cordilleran way. We couldn't just really avoid but to get irked by the non-stop burst of rain. And as we finished our bottles of San Mig Light, we decided to call it a night for tomorrow trip in Sagada -- a far province from Baguio.

If one is fond of caving, Sagada Mt. Province can bring the challenge. The last time I visited the place was way years ago, where the fun restored in my memories are the circle of few friends together daringly prowling inside the dark caves, diving into the rivers, trekking the woods and cemetery and clicking our non-digi cameras in maddening angles. The ambiance of the place retained in my mind, and then I fell in love with her.

Koen and I took the 7:30 a.m. bus to have enough time to see what surprises await us there upon arriving. The usual trip takes an almost 7 hours.

"I am almost done with this. Do you want it? You'll like this," the kind young Dutch speaking in his bass voice.

"Oh, that. I have seen half of its movie version." I replied.

"I am sure you will like the book, better than the movie," Koen.

"Ok, would love to," I answered enthusiastically. It's The Kite Runner non-original copy xeroxed and bound in Vietnam.

Unlike before, the roads all the way are made concrete now, which should iron a smooth run of vehicles except on those usual eroding part of the mountains. The rice paddy-fields, the green terrains, rivers, villages and innocent-looking children along the roads were all there to catch the eye without being bored from the tedious ride.

The time was right as we reached the heart of Sagada. I was kind of lost throwing my glance around. I was looking for something I couldn't figure myself. It was just so different. We checked-in in a lodging house recommended by a friend, which reminded me of more friends who used to live there.

Frustrated to find them, Koen and I started our long walks going to the sight of a lake tagged enchanted. It was a way far, but my dude got longer legs to enjoy it. Along the way was a small house of pot-making, and a woman was kind enough to show us how.
In as much as we could, we had to find things that would sate our visit there. As we returned, the rain made its crazy fall again. We'd be wasting time waiting for it to stop if we don't proceed to our aim. Less minding getting wet, we continued trekking the way to the Echo Valley passing through the village cemetery, right after there can also be found most of the hanging coffins on high rocks. It was kind of spooky in a way. We were so wet, that we had to go back to our lodge.

http://image.ohmynews.com/down/images/1/joshtice_385222_1[674792].jpg
Wooden coffins stuck on rocky parts of the mountains in Sagada.
©2009 Joshua Aglasi

It was past 5 p.m. when the rain slowly stopped. Koen wanted to see the caves because tomorrow, he'd be heading alone going to Bontoc -- another place I wanted see once more. Bontoc is another province a few hours away from Sagada.

"Dude, I wished you could join me?"

"Yeah, it's just that I really wanted to nail that job. Schmuck!" I blurted. I had an interview set the following day.

As we reached the spot of the famous cave, it started to rain angrily and it was getting so dark. We didn't mind at all so long as we content our aim. IT WAS DARK ALREADY. AND RAINING. It was the craziest thing to do. We weren't even able to get inside the cave (of course). We were soaked wet! We headed back and I was shivering plus the pain I felt on my short legs. Koen kept going like nothing nutty going on, with his small folding umbrella on his right hand trying to protect his leather bag and until he removed his black shirt. It was so unimaginable for me, looking like wet ducks following the dark foggy road. It was outrageously hilarious!

"We better have something to make us warm dude," upon reaching a local eatery along the road. Food and coffee and coffee were all I had in my mind that time, chilling a little because of my wet clothes. I just got amazed of Koen that it seemed nothing got affected over his big spine and nerves. He's just really so calm with his long hair pony-tailed.

The food wasn't mouth-watering but we got to have something more than the bananas we had for lunch. My company was really good because he wasn't picky at all.

As soon as we got back to our lodge, we just thought of drying up and of total hitting of the sack. The upper floor we were into was so quiet though three rooms including ours were occupied by other foreigners and some local couples. In as much as we wanted to talk, we'd rather we read to avoid causing disturbance. I handed him "The Matarese Countdown."

"Better start reading that," I said, "and I'll start with this. Thanks a lot. I will treasure this!" It's The Kite Runner. "A dedication on it please," commandingly.

No goodnights, we just lied down like dead logs on each bed with my phone on my side alarmed at 4:45 a.m. I had to make it back to Baguio on the first trip.

Still feeling sleepy, I grabbed my small pack and things and Koen woke up too. It was too bad I had to leave. It was a warm good-bye from my Dutch dude, saddening actually.

The four days spent going around having happy moments with Koen made me ponder on things, though we were with the worst company of the rain most of the time.

Great thing to say is the fact that despite everything going to the brink, people try to balance things and life by holding on with their smiles and control, by biting the reality and facing it happily without exploding - by doing even some short travels. I have made one myself impulsively actually which helped me contemplate more on life, friendship, and on considering better decisions.

Well, with the chaotic, unpredictable things we are inevitably having in life like the economic global crisis, unemployment, swine flu, the drastic changes of the seasons, and the coming elections -- Arrgh! One would truly need some break -- even if it's not one with a Dutch!
http://english.ohmynews.com/ArticleView/article_view.asp?no=385222&rel_no=1

^^ its so nice of this guy to give the best Filipino hospitality to this Dutch whom he had just met for the first time in the bus terminal. i wouldn't be surprise if the Dutch probably would reciprocate and invite him to come over to Netherlands. by the way, it would be nice if he has posted a picture of both of them (to add more credibility to his story).

^^ its so nice of this guy to give the best Filipino hospitality to this Dutch whom he had just met for the first time in the bus terminal. i wouldn't be surprise if the Dutch probably would reciprocate and invite him to come over to Netherlands. by the way, it would be nice if he has posted a picture of both of them (to add more credibility to his story).

Our best tourism asset..This type of Pinoy!!:cheers:

^^ its so nice of this guy to give the best Filipino hospitality to this Dutch whom he had just met for the first time in the bus terminal. i wouldn't be surprise if the Dutch probably would reciprocate and invite him to come over to Netherlands. by the way, it would be nice if he has posted a picture of both of them (to add more credibility to his story).

Parang may sexual tension sa kanilang dalawa or is it just me?:lol:

Parang may sexual tension sa kanilang dalawa or is it just me?:lol:

toink:lol::D:D:D guapo daw eh:D at ayaw sa babae:D

Parang may sexual tension sa kanilang dalawa or is it just me?:lol:

I was thinking, na ako lang ang medyo nakahalata sa takbo nang blog... :lol::lol::lol:

^^ Haha... Kayo talaga. natawa naman ako don. hindi ko na kasi tinapos basahin. i was just so mesmerized by the generosity of our compatriot. :)

Baywalk....in Atienza era it was really pang-turista. In Lim era, it was another condotel and resort for vagrants. :ohno:


oo nga! ewan pero IMO parang hindi na safe dun maglakad during dusk coz ang daming vagrants na parang ginawa ng "housing" ang baywalk! goodness!! :ohno::ohno::nuts:

The Sohoton eco-adventure tour: be one with nature (http://www.mb.com.ph/node/200854)
By MA. GLAIZA LEE
May 19, 2009, 4:38pm

The Philippines has 7,100 islands, each with panoramic summits and mountain ranges, virgin rainforests which are home to exotic faunas and floras, awe-inspiring caves and caverns, majestic waterfalls, and white-sand beaches. Not to mention the many urban infrastructures, historical and cultural landmarks that complement these natural attractions.

It is no wonder that these natural marvels and attractions are the most competitive tourism products in the Philippines. As Department of Tourism (DoT) Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano puts it, we can’t compete with man-made structures, theme parks, and high-rises of other countries, but when it comes to natural tourist destinations, the Philippines is quite competitive.

“One of our objectives in tourism is to further spread the benefits of tourism throughout the Philippines. One thing common to all the places in the country is ecotourism products. These natural wonders are unique not only to the Philippines but also in the global setting,” says Sec. Durano.

He continued: “In fact, ecotourism destinations are the products that brought back the markets that we have lost in the past like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. During the early millennium, we really lost these markets because of the changes in the tourism landscape. Before, we were positioning the Philippines for urban lifestyle, but this was during the time when these countries were still developing. Today, they already have their own urban lifestyle.”

To bring these markets back, the Tourism department started to look at a segment, particularly the young segment, that is looking for adventure and ecotourism with focus on ecotourism products.

“This is a very new product. In fact, we have not promoted this internationally yet. We have to develop more. We saw its potential in the international market. Like the French market. Ecotourism lures back the French tourists. At first, it was because of scuba diving, but now it’s expanding. They are now going here to wakeboard, to watch whale sharks and fireflies."

Sec. Durano believes that ecotourism has a big potential, it’s just a matter of developing tourism services and accommodation to make it comfortable and convenient for most tourists. “Otherwise, it would only be the extreme adventurers that could experience it, but of course, we want a broader market.”

A NEW TOURISM PRODUCT

One of the newest ecotourism products being marketed by the DoT is the Sohoton Eco-Adventure, a community project wholly operated and managed by the Basey Tourism Services Association (BATOSAN), whose 34 members are comprised of farmers, out-of-school youth, and housewives.

The association was established through the community-based sustainable tourism project of the Department of Tourism, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program, Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, and the local government of Basey.

All members underwent training on cave guiding, kayak guiding, business management and operation, first aid, tour planning and marketing, effective customer relations, and food service and preparation in the early quarter of 2008.

Through a livelihood grant program of the government, dubbed Grassroots Entrepreneurs for Ecotourism (GREET), the Basey association was able to finance a river boat with a capacity of 40 people which plies from Bgy. Binungtuan through the Golden River to Bgy. Inuntan.

The whole eco-adventure is composed of different attractions such as kayaking along the Golden River, spelunking at Sohoton caves, trekking along foot trails going to other cave networks such as Rawis Caves, Panhulugan Caves, and Balantak Falls.

ONE WITH NATURE

The Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park, which was created in 1935 to protect the unique rock formations, caves and rainforest in the 840-hectare ecological area along Sohoton River, has three caves: Panhulugan 1, considered as the largest; Sohoton, the most spectacular; and the Bogasan III.

The Panhulugan cave got its name from a waray-waray term “hulug” which means to drop from atop. It is said that during the Filipino-American war, the rebels used the cliff as an ambush area. They would drop rocks and stones atop the cliff to ensnare their enemies.

Thirty minutes away, one can cross the Natural Bridge which is a huge arch-shaped rock formation that connects two mountain ridges spanning the Sohoton River; thus, it is named Suhuton, a waray-waray term for passing through.

Tourists can paddle along the Cadac-an River, also known as the Golden River because of the color that is reflected off the clay in the soil. Using a kayak, they can tour from Bgy. Inuntan to the entrance of the park.

Tourists have an option to do a river cruise, instead of kayaking, in a Lagkaw which is a floating restaurant that offers local cuisine and entertainment. The journey starts at Bgy. Binungtuan to Bgy. Inuntan, the jump-off point to Sohotan Caves and Natural Bridge.

Aboard the boat, guests can try the indigenous food such as wild fern salad, ginataang rattan, eels, snails, seafoods, and native delicacies such as moron and binagol, all served in delicately weaved plate made of nito, rattan, and other local vines. Fresh buko and other native fruit juices as well as tuba or bahalina (native wine) are also served.

“We have to understand that the ecotourism services can’t have the same standard as we usually follow in resorts and in the metropolis. Iba ang standard for ecotourism. It has to be authentic and natural as possible. Instead of hotels, we have home stays. Instead of cemented and concrete walkways, we have natural pathways, and river systems as the highways,” says Sec. Durano.

For the cave tour, tourists will have a sense of the bygone years as the guides recount significant historical and cultural tidbits about the Golden River. Be amazed by the ingenious imagination of the tour guides as they explain each speliothem and rock formation that are found inside the cave, as well as the different chambers of the cave. They also share information on how to conserve and protect the caves such as why people should not touch the stalagmite and stalactite (Answer: Because oil from human hands will exterminate these rock formations).

MAINTAINING BALANCE BETWEEN TOURISM AND NATURE

Tourism generates income for the communities surrounding the tourist destinations. Aside from the economic benefits it can give, ecotourism links the prosperity of the community with the protection of the environment. For example in Donsol, fishermen used to kill butanding because they needed to earn a living. But when they became interaction officers and started earning a living by being protectors and tour guides for the butanding, they are now the ones protecting the endangered sea creatures.

“In places like this that are ecologically subsidized, the tourism program has an objective of protecting. If you link the livelihood of the people with the existence of these natural wonders, then you put the incentive to the people to protect the environment, keep it pristine as well as restore the area. In a way, we use ecotourism to protect natural wonders,” enthuses Sec. Durano.

He continued: “In the country, we used pricing [to keep balance between tourism and conservation of the environment]. The conflict is always how much tourists you want. We really just have to understand and accept that there is always a point when you have too much foot traffic in the area, it really affects the ecology. Like in Donsol, we set up a system where there can’t be 60 boats in the sea at the same time. But because there are many tourists going there now, we’re working with the local government to increase their price next year. We use marketing mechanics to manage the volume. That’s how you maintain the balance.”

Although ecotourism is a market-driven system, we can find balance in protecting the ecology while enhancing the economic well-being of the community. In a way, it could become a way of life for the people

DoT welcomes Japanese seniors (http://www.mb.com.ph/node/200847)
May 16, 2009, 10:24am

http://www.mb.com.ph/sites/default/files/kak.jpg
Gunma Philippine Society presented a kokeshi doll to DOT Director and Team Japan Head Benito C. Bengzon, Jr.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) hosted a welcome luncheon to a group of 32 senior Japanese tourists who were in the country recently for a memorial tour of the Philippines.

Organized by the Gunma Philippine Society (GPS), the biennial Memorial Tour of the Philippines aims to promote and enhance peace and understanding between the people of Japan and the Philippines through tourism.
The tour brought the Japanese seniors to Corregidor, Angeles, Baguio, Banaue, and Nueva Ecija, where the visitors offered prayers for their family members who were assigned in the Philippines during World War II.

The visiting Japanese seniors are from the Gunma Prefecture in central Japan.

Gunma is an inland prefecture home to specialties including silk fabric and okirikomi, a local dish representative of the prefecture’s unique wheat culture.

According to Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, “Japanese travelers have contributed significantly to Philippine tourism. We welcome every opportunity to promote the country to the Japanese market, especially to the silver market who may find it a perfect haven where they can spend their retirement years.”

Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque, Jr. said, “Among many other niche markets, the Philippines also look to the senior Japanese market to further invigorate the country’s tourism industry.
What we can give them is a promise that the Philippines, with its health and wellness products and wonderful gifts of nature, can indeed cater to the aspirations and lifestyle of the senior Japanese populace.”

RP to hold Dream Trip/MICE Mart for foreign buyers (http://www.mb.com.ph/node/200846)
By Arlene Foz
May 16, 2009, 10:22am

The Philippines will host around 250 foreign buyers from different countries during the July 5-11 Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) Buyer Invitational Program dubbed: Travel/I Explore, with Dream Trip Program and MICE Mart as two major components.

The first component will allow buyers to engage in a visual, experiential, and gastronomic trip of Manila, among other top Philippine tourist spots to showcase the country’s viability as a MICE destination. It will also provide local MICE suppliers the chance to introduce their services and facilities to the foreign MICE buyers.

Initiated by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC), the Dream Trip and MICE Mart will be the year’s biggest travel and trade event.

Foreign buyers will be treated to the famed Filipino hospitality amid the best settings in various major attractions such as Bohol, Boracay, Camarines Sur, Cebu, Davao, Ilocos, Palawan, and Marinduque.

As the second component, MICE Mart will be a one-on-one business session between invited foreign buyers and the local suppliers of MICE travel products on a pre-scheduled basis.

Slated at the SMX Convention Center in Manila, the MICE Mart’s three components include MICE Market seminars, buyer/seller business exchange, and travel café meetings.

At the helm will be invited international buyers, tourism attaches, and heads of the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) top markets: China, North America, India, Japan, Asia-Pacific. Pre-appointment meetings will be capped with consultations or discussions.

Among the well-screened international buyers are incentive houses, destination management companies, association executives, meeting planners, and congress/exhibition organizers.

Participating local sellers include airlines, conference venues, congress/exhibition organizers, destination management companies, exhibition centers, hotels, incentive houses, meeting equipment suppliers, resorts, party planners, restaurants, and tour operators.

A collaborative effort between government agencies and the private sector, the ultimate visual, experimental, and gastronomic journey specifically planned to give the best impression to foreign buyers about the Philippines is slated in partnership with Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila, Pan Pacific Hotel, Manila Diamond Hotel, Dusit Thani Manila, Edsa Shangri-La Manila, Hotel Intercontinental Manila, Makati Shangri-La Manila, New World Renaissance Hotel, and The Peninsula Manila.

iMO, instead of running for congress he better use his money to venture into bussiness..

Pacman for tourism
Top News
Written by Cai U. Ordinario / Reporter
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 22:33

THE world’s best pound-for-pound fighter, Manny Pacquiao, is planning to venture into a mixed-use tourism development in his native General Santos City which could be turned into a tourism economic zone (ecozone) through the government’s support.

Representatives of Manny Pacquiao Heights Development Corp. recently paid a visit to National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Director General Ralph Recto to discuss how the company could get government support in this endeavor.

“They [Pacquiao’s representatives] wrote a letter asking for government support for their business plan in General Santos City. They plan to focus on tourism, which could be declared an ecozone,” Recto told reporters.

In a letter to Recto, Manny Pacquiao Heights said it has developed a business plan for a certain location in General Santos City. It will focus on various tourism projects, such as medical-tourism facilities with power, water and other basic utility services.

The company also said the project will provide employment through livelihood programs for local residents, while the power and other utilities aspect of the project will complement the government’s infrastructure programs, such as farm-to-market roads in General Santos City.

Recto told reporters that the Pacquiao firm is looking at a mixed-use tourism development which could be turned into a tourism ecozone. Recto said he referred Pacquiao’s company to seek the help of Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) Director General Lilia de Lima.

The Neda’s recommendation was the same that was given to the company by the Departments of Tourism (DOT) and of Health (DOH), and the Board of Investments.

Recto said the Peza will be the best agency to help the company and could guide it in the proper and legal direction to have the project declared an ecozone.

The Peza, however, merely oversees and administers incentives to developers/operators and locators in world-class, ready-to-occupy, environment-friendly, secured and competitively priced special economic zones.

It is an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, the agency tasked to promote investments, extend assistance, register, grant incentives to and facilitate the business operations of investors in export-oriented manufacturing and service facilities inside selected areas throughout the country proclaimed by the President of the Philippines as Peza special economic zones.

There are several kinds of ecozones in the Philippines. These are the manufacturing economic zones, information technology parks/centers, agro-industrial economic zones, tourism economic zones, and medical tourism parks/centers.

According to the Peza, there are 64 manufacturing economic zones in the country; around 118 information technology parks/centers; two agro-industrial economic zone; nine tourism economic zones; and two medical tourism parks/centers.

Ecozones enjoy fiscal and nonfiscal incentives, such as four-year income-tax holiday upon the establishment of the ecozone; an option to pay a special 5-percent tax on gross income earned in lieu of all national and local taxes, except real property taxes on land owned by developers after the expiration of the four-year income tax holiday; permission to employ foreign nationals and incentives under the build-operate-transfer law.

The nine tourism economic zones are the Boracay Eco-Village Resort Tourism Ecozone, Eastbay Arts, Recreational and Tourism Zone, Fort Ilocandia Tourism Ecozone, John Hay Special Tourism Ecozone, Misibis Resorts and Estates, Newport City CyberTourism Zone, Pamalican Island Tourism Ecozone, Philippine BXT Corp. Tourism Economic Zone, and the San Lazaro Tourism and Business Park.

The medical tourism parks/centers, meanwhile, are the St. Luke’s Medical Center Bonifacio Global City and the Saint Frances Cabrini Medical Tourism Park.

Government CPAs to
convene in Davao City
Mindanao Daily Mirror
May 20, 2009

The 10,000 members of the Government Association of Certified Public Accountants (GACPA) from its 24 chapters nationwide will hold their 31st national convention at the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) Convention Center from May 20 to 22. The Davao City Chapter, led by its president Atty. Purita A. Bernales, hosts the annual event, which has the theme “GACPA for Knowledge and Action Towards Good Governance”.

According to Emma Linda B. Faria, GACPA national president, the three-day event will feature “presentations aimed to provide government accountants with the right perspective and knowledge in good governance, economics, risk management, fiscal discipline, the new accounting and reporting standards, and overall accountability mandate as the government undertakes development projects in the midst of the global economic slowdown.”

Vice President of the Philippines Noli “Kabayan” De Castro leads the list of speakers. The list also includes guests from the Commission on Audit, the National Economic Development Authority, Department of Finance and of Budget and Management, the Asian Institute of Management, and the accounting firm Sycip, Gorres, Velayo and Co. City Mayors, and Freddie Tinga of Taguig. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Vice Mayor Sara Duterte will also be sharing their views to the participants.

The GACPA, the first sectoral association of CPAs in the country, is an organization of accounting professionals who are working individually in various government agencies nationwide. Its membership, directly involved in the planning, management, and review of the use of government resources, commits to be a catalyst for change towards the attainment of economic development and a better quality of life for the Filipino people. These can be achieved by promoting a high standard of technical competence and professio-nalism among its members, promoting the use of state-of-the-art accounting practices in government, and fostering cordial, harmo-nious, and fruitful relationships among government CPAs.

iMO, instead of running for congress he better use his money to venture into bussiness..


Agree.:)

THE KUWAITIS ARE COMING

5,000 Kuwaitis coming to Cebu to study - DOT
Updated May 20, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines – Department of Tourism (DOT) regional director Dawnie Roa yesterday said at least 5,000 Kuwaiti nationals are expected to arrive in Cebu next week to take up courses in different local universities.

“There would be an increase in our revenue from this,” Roa said during the 888 News Forum held at Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino yesterday afternoon.

Last week, President Arroyo signed into law the Tourism Act of 2009 that will increase tourism infrastructure in the country.

Republic Act 9593, or the Tourism Act of 2009, outlines a policy for tourism as an engine for investment, employment and national growth. It also seeks to strengthen the operations of DOT and its attached agencies.

Meanwhile, Cebu Provincial Board Member Agnes Magpale, chair of the PB committee on tourism, said those visiting Kuwaiti nationals would be invited to the “Suroy-suroy Sugbo.”

Magpale said that “Suroy-suroy sa Sugbo” is the best form of advertisement made by Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to promote Cebu to the world.

DOT records showed that for the first quarter of this year, Cebu had the most number of tourist arrivals in the country.

There were 422,239 tourists who came to Cebu from January to March this year, surpassing the figures for Boracay and Davao.

On the other hand, Roa talked about selling Cebu in Dubai, the financial center of United Arab Emirates.

Cebu’s strategic location as gateway to the rest of the country will be easier for tour operators to create inter-island linkages and tourism packages.

“If we sell Cebu, then Bohol and other neighboring provinces will benefit from the spill over of tourists.” Roa said. - Johanna T. Natavio/LPM (THE FREEMAN)

I think it's the biggest hotel resort in Cebu

Imperial Water Park Resort & Spa with the EGI condos - Mactan Is., Cebu

flickr pic by @Sean.Caco
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2005/3538136199_a608bab7cc_b.jpg

Davao-Darwin sisterhood to promote tourism in both cities
PIA Press Release
2009/05/20


Davao City (20 May) -- The forging of a sisterhood agreement between Davao City and Darwin City can be mutually beneficial to the tourism industry of both sectors as this is a complementary resource between the two cities.

"I am hoping to meet with some officials from Darwin City to possibly discuss the proposed sisterhood agreement between the two cities," councilor Rachel Zozobrado said before she left for Darwin, Australia as part of the delegation sent by the city for the Arafura Games.

She said while the primary reason for going to Darwin is the Arafura Games she will also try to follow up with the Australian official who met with her in Davao prior to the Darwin trip to discuss the sisterhood agreement.

Zozobrado said Darwin in Northern Territory is known for its mining and tourism industry. But more than anything else, she said, it is the tourism sector which the two cities can explore since it is very feasible. At least 8% of Darwin's residents are employed by the tourism sector and the city is gearing up for a major tourism boost both for domestic and international tourism.

Like Davao City which is proud of its Kadayawan Festival, she said, Darwin too has its own festival—the Darwin Festival. Tourism is a big thing for both cities and perhaps we can encourage exchange visits among our people to promote the tourism of both cities.

Zozobrado said that like Davao City, Darwin also has lots of beaches that offer unpolluted swimming to both locals and tourists. Sports is also another complementary area among the two cities. Darwin, she said, has been hosting the Arafura Games every two years since 1991 with the exception of the year 2003 when there was a SARS outbreak. (PR/PIA XI) [top]

PIA News (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p090520.htm&no=06&r=ALL&y=&mo=)

Kayaking seen gaining ground because of country’s vast coastlines
Manila Times
17 May 2009 | 6:00 AM
By Alvin V. Evangelio

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/1669/27756235076f3301165foi.jpg (http://img199.imageshack.us/my.php?image=27756235076f3301165foi.jpg)
kayaking in Davao River

photos by Ely Villarosa (http://http://digitalphotographer.com.ph/forum/showthread.php?t=22641)

Among the popular and exciting water sports that can be patronized by Filipinos is kayaking, which can be done in the rivers, surf zones and white water courses.

Globally, kayaking is the second fastest growing sports in terms of popularity. It is even the third most watched sport at the Olympics and one of the most popular aqua sports worldwide belonging to the paddling community, which includes canoeing, sculling, dragon boating and most recently, surf board paddling.

In the Philippines, kayaking is getting a boost through the tireless efforts of the Philippine Kayaking Association (PKA) led by its founder, Val Camara, and through Sun and Sea Sports System Inc.

Camara started his involvement in kayaking in 1993, when Mike Rickets, a dealer of ocean kayaks, introduced sit-on-top kayaks to him and his wife, Didi, in a concession in Puerto Azul.

Sun and Sea, which Camara owns, introduced and promoted kayaks in boat shows, events, travel marts and the media. Their promotions focused on resorts and clubs in Luzon, Cebu and Davao.

“My wife and I started to import and distribute ocean kayaks after the year it was introduced to us and by 1997, we organized the PKA and started holding kayaking events, which boosted the kayak recognition as a fast upcoming paddling sport in the country” said Camara in an interview.

This year, Sun Sea together with the Department of Tourism and the North Philippines Visitors Bureau, has scheduled this year a kayaking event that has three legs.

The first leg is the Hundred Islands 25-kilometer kayak marathon that has a five-kilometer novice race, while the second leg is the Cavite-Corregidor-Bataan race. The third leg is the Cebu-Bohol Expedition run.

During the first leg of the kayaking series held from April 24 to 26, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said he sees kayaking as growing in popularity since the country has the natural assets for the sport. He even said the kayaking event would help create a Philippine kayaking trail, which could attract paddlers from different countries. Of the country’s 79 provinces, 64 have coastlines that can be ideal for kayaking.

yehey sports (http://www.yehey.com/sports/full_article.aspx?id=239862)



Originally posted by Dinabaw at the Davao main thread

I think it's the biggest hotel resort in Cebu
That pic would make a great banner.

^^ I agree. A very nice banner material.

Could someone please ask the owner? :D (hehe nang utos pa)

Kayaking seen gaining ground because of country’s vast coastlines
Manila Times
17 May 2009 | 6:00 AM
By Alvin V. Evangelio

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/1669/27756235076f3301165foi.jpg (http://img199.imageshack.us/my.php?image=27756235076f3301165foi.jpg)
kayaking in Davao River

photos by Ely Villarosa (http://http://digitalphotographer.com.ph/forum/showthread.php?t=22641)




Davao has really a lot to offer. Mabuhay ang Mindanao!





:horse:

Environmental groups
celebrate Ocean Month
Mindanao Daily Mirror
May 21, 2009


The Save Davao Gulf Foundation (SDGF) in cooperation with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, City Government of Davao, National Commission for Culture and Arts, and other non-government organizations are celebrating the Ocean Month of May with the conduct of the Davao Living Arts Festival.

The said festival will be held in various locations namely People’s Park, Matina Town Square, Matina Aplaya, and malls.

Part of the festival components is the conduct of two conferences that seek to create a synergy between the local legislators and the artists.

The venue for the two conferences will be at SM Entertainment Center, 2nd Floor, SM Mall, Ecoland, Davao City.

The first conference, organized in tandem with Save Davao Gulf Foundation (SDGF), hailed as “Saving Davao Gulf: Stakeholders Conference cum Exhibition” will kick off today.

During this conference, there will be a dialogue between the stakeholders, local legislators and representatives from concerned agencies within Davao Region, with the end view of locating the gains as well as the constraints in both policies and practice towards the conservation of the marine ecosystem.

Its main objective is to provide the public with substantial information on the current appraisal of the marine resources within the Gulf area. Historical significance of the marine ecosystem to the socio-economic and cultural life of the people within and outside of the Davao Region will also be highlighted.

Conversely, the second conference dubbed “Legislative Action on Culture-and-Development and Culture-in-Governance will be on May 22, Friday. This will be in cooperation with the National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCCA). Its main feature is the discussion with the invited local legislators in helping shape specific legislative action-agenda that would support the further development of culture and the arts in Mindanao.

Local legislators and cultural workers shall discuss significant cultural policies and successful practice in integrating culture-and-development as well as in interfacing culture-in-governance is its main objective.

A registration fee of PhP500.00 will be collected to cover the meals for the 2-day conference.

For more details regarding the conference, contact the Secretary of the Save Davao Gulf Foundation at telephone numbers: (082) 2353389/3032316 or mobile number 09186985643 or visit their website at davaogulfmanagementcouncil.org. PIA XI/C. Panisa-Intern

Toastmasters International District
75 holds Discon '09 in Davao City
Mindanao Daily Mirror
May 21, 2009

District 75 Toastmasters International will hold this year's Annual National Convention on May 22-24 at Marco Polo Davao.

One of the highlights of this year's convention activities is the Youth Prepared Speech Contest which will be held right after the opening cere-monies.

Jemimah Pearl C. D'Longsod, a fourth year high school student of South Point School will represent Division E of Davao City having bested eight other contestants during the inter-high school elimination level helds last March.

The other nine contestants from the different divisions in Districts 75 are: Division A-Caroline V. Tee, Division B-Ma. Evarlyn R. Santos, Division C-Jeziel Ann L. Sanchez, Division D-Jared Karl Ulric D. Rubin, Division F-Jeannie Love Pelonio, Division G-Brenda Marjorie Reyes, Division H-Marvin Ryan Santos, Division I-Marvince Angelo Puentespina Berame, Division K-Rikki Danielle de la Paz.

The contestants will deliver their speeches on the theme: Pilipinas, My Country; My Home.

District 75 Governor Adelina "Deling" C. Royo, Discon '09 chair ATM-S Victoria Leuterio and the rest of the district officers look forward to an extra-ordinary convention, an honor Davao City has earned as convention host

UNESCO to declare
a World Heritage Site
Mindanao Daily Mirror
May 21, 2009


SAN ISIDRO, Davao Oriental – Mount Hamiguitan, located within the boundaries of Mati, Governor Generoso, and this town, will soon be declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco).

In a recent meeting of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) here, the local governments of Mati and Governor Generoso were urged to fast-track the passage of their respective trekking and conservation ordinances for their respective jurisdiction to be included and be harmonized into one Comprehensive Management Plan, part of the requirements needed by Unesco as basis for the declaration.

Another requirement needed by Unesco is the establishment of the Management Center of PAMB and the Protected Area Supervisory Unit (PASU) Office that were already provided by Mayor Apolinar Ruelo Sr. of this town.

Mt. Hamiguitan and its vicinities was declared a protected area under the category of wildlife sanctuary and its peripheral areas as buffer zone by virtue of Republic Act 9303 on July 30, 2004.

It is a sanctuary of endemism of outstanding universal value and is the only protected forest noted for its unique bonsai field or “pygmy” forest of 100-year old trees in an ultramafic soil.

The whole Mt. Hamiguitan Range covers an area of about 31,000 hectares.

Governor Corazon Malanyaon wants the undeclared 10,000 hectares, a portion of the 31,000-hectare Mt. Hamiguitan Range, to be included in the protected area.

Mt. Hamiguitan is part of the reason the Philippines ranks seventh among the 17 biological rich countries of the world and represents the fast disappearing habitats of globally important species of plants and animals.

Board member Justina Yu of the second district of Davao Oriental said Mt. Hamiguitan also serves as protector of Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal against strong winds, typhoons, and tidal waves. sarx lanos/ipid news

Discovering fun at Playa Azalea
Thursday, May 21, 2009
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BEACH fun for everyone! Lounge, stroll, frolic, play, swim, and relax.

There is something for every member of the family as Playa Azalea invites everyone to discover fun along the shores of this exclusive development enclave.

It gives everyone a glimpse of what is to come in this place you will call home. But more than imagining, Playa Azalea is making it happen for you and your loved ones.

While Dad can read his novel in quiet seclusion and Mom takes a much-needed break and have her own personal masseuse in our spa corner, the kids can have the time of their lives from sunrise to sundown along the beach or take part in the specially conceived activities of guaranteed fun.

The Playa Azalea innovative team declares, "It's definitely more than swimming in the azure waters of the island or building sand castles of white sand on this special day."

They are making sure it's one summer the kids and everyone will never forget and stretching fun with an extra mile with face painting, bubble show for the kids, and even a scavenger hunt.

The family comes first and Playa Azalea will make it a bonding moment. Teamwork is required in the rest of the entertaining events that will surely draw cheers and chuckles.

When was the last time you played the old-time Filipino outdoor games?

The kids may have the edge with their gadgets, but dads can now show sons and moms their daughters how they do it on the field with a very cool line-up of surprising games.

It's a picnic. Summer concoctions of shakes, ice cream, and delicious tummy fillers for energy will be available for free.

And to seal the memories of this summer special, why not have a family picture in the exclusive photo booth?

Playa Azalea is making the future happen today. This is what fun will be all about in your new home in the island. Limited slots available. For inquiries and reservations please call the Playa Azalea at 273-6166.

Home » Sun.Star Davao » Feature
Fiestas in the cities
By Adi C. Quisido
My Scene

WHEN I ambled over to the SM Davao Event Center last May 16, I was in what I call my summer stupor a sort of a miasma that surrounds me when assailed by either the unforgiving heat of the summer sun or the humidity of an unexpected rainfall.

I so looked forward to sitting at the Event Center to watch the show and take advantage of the mall's cool interior.

I was pleasantly jolted out of my haze when SM Davao opened their "Fiestas in the City" program.

There were brilliant yellows, dazzling turquoises, deep blues and greens, vivid reds, bright oranges, and luminous pastels in pink, sky blue, flesh, peach-there were too many hues to mention.

It was like an explosion of colors happened onstage and bonded on the costumes worn by the dancers. The youthful performers danced, shook, twirled, and delighted in their rendition of the festival dances.

If their boundless energy, colorful costumes, and cheerful faces weren't enough to rouse your spirits, I don't know what will.

"Fiestas in the City" is a weeklong event of vividly colorful costumes, lively performances, and interesting exhibits representing the most vibrant and lavish festivals in Davao Region.

Organized by SM Davao in cooperation with the Community Relations Program Team of the City Mayor's Office, the daily performances gave SM mall goers an exciting show every afternoon of the week.

The Opening Program featured the Aliwan Festival, an annual gathering of cultural festivals in the country highlighting Filipino's vibrant culture and rich heritage.

The Kadayawan and the Caracoles Cultural Shows followed in the afternoon of May 17 and 18, respectively, showing the exciting features that made these festivals famous.

Tagum's Musikahan Festival took center stage on May 19, displaying the Filipino talent in composing, performing, and producing music.

On May 20 to May 23, SM Davao featured the Living Arts Festival, which is a hodgepodge of events in theater, dance, music, film, literature, visual arts, among many others.

SM also brought to Davao the eye-popping "Solidarity Ring" on May 20-24, a main attraction in the Bulawan Festival of the Comval Province.

Touted to be the largest golden ring in the region, and probably in the whole country as well, the Solidarity Ring is the Bulawan Festival's most symbolic feature.

All these fiestas will be highlighted by the "queen" of all fiestas, the Santacruzan, which SM will celebrate with the "Sagala Grand Parade and Gown Competition" on Saturday, May 23, and the "Little Sagala Grand Parade, Garbo Com Valenyo" on Sunday, May 24, as the culmination.

SM Davao effectively captured the essence of each fiesta celebration presented in the daily afternoon shows for the entertainment of its shoppers.

For the uninitiated, it proved educational as well, as the presentations gave them a peek of what each festival has to offer.

Apart from the pleasurable experience of shopping at SM, the "Fiestas in the City" was another reason to go back to SM every day this week.

It heated up Davao's summer spirit by bringing to fore the vibrant energy and unbridled joy of fiesta celebrations, making you realize that, hey, summer's not over just yet.

(adi.quisido@gmail.com)

Kids on the Block and the Kalumon
Written by: Soco , Joan Mae
Thursday, 21 May 2009


THE NIGHT when I saw the Badjao kids dance and sang their hearts without begging for what have-we(s) gave me a chill; it happened during the ‘Duyog sa Pagsaulog’ staged by the Kalumon Performing Ensemble (read as aa’nsaambul) last May 16 at the People’s Park. The Badjao kids who were the guest performers of the event told the audience their stories on the road through theatrical performance.

“Naa mi ninyo makita sa dalan, ug tingali, nagkasugat na ta. Kami to’ng gapanuktok sa inyong sakyanan, mangayo og pagkaon o di ba kaha mangayo og kwarta,“ says a performer while she was dancing to the rhythm of the song, Gingharigat (which means Kingdom).

I saw the audience in awe at the Badjao performers and what seemed to be an ordinary showcase of talents and culture turned out to be a tearjerker when in a dialogue, they asked, “Naa pa kaha mi luna sa inyong mga kasingkasing, madawat pa kaha mi ninyo sa inyong komunidad?” I’m sure everyone in the park that night whispered a silent yes.

Well, that was the opening salvo of Duyog sa Pagsaulog. The rest of the night displayed an energetic rendition of songs by Joey Ayala, Bayang Barrios, and Kalumon themselves. Also, dances of the different tribes here in Mindanao like the Bagobo, Manobo, B’laan, and the Subanen were showcased the whole night.

Another eye-opening, laughter-inducing part of the event was the group’s presentation of excerpts from the Mindanawon play, Antigong Agong, which was written and directed by Carlos Palanca recipient Arnel Mardoquio and choreographed by no less than Mario Leoffer Lim. The play mirrors the life and folkways of the Tausug youth in Jolo, Sulu – happy and hopeful despite the constant threats from the war.

Looking at another dimension, the play mirrors as well the lives of the actors, continuously fighting the decadent culture among the urban youth in a happy and hopeful disposition.

I am so proud of Kalumon! The group is composed of students and out-of-school youths and they started the ‘Duyog sa Pagsaulog’ just last year with totally meager resources. Now, they have trailed successfully into moving it as an annual event. Fortunately, the passion of these young ones for promoting culture caught the eye of those who are willing and able to help.

With the support of SPACE Foundation headed by Ms. Margie Moran Floirendo, the Davao City Tourism Operations Office, and a load of Kalumon’s personal friends and supporter, Kalumon Performing Ensemble and their guest performer from the Badjao Community ended the night, despite the rain, with a total blast.

Cebu, Boracay, Davao top RP destinations
Posted on May 21st, 2009 under Beauty of the Philippines

Cebu Cebu has become the country’s top tourist destination based on tourist arrivals followed by Boracay and Davao.

The Department of Tourism said Cebu led 14 other key tourist destinations in the country, including the world-famous Boracay Island in tourist arrivals from January to March.

DOT data on tourist arrivals for the first quarter showed that 422,239 tourists went to Cebu, nearly 3 percent higher than the 410,597 tourists who went to the province during the same period last year.

Boracay was second with 158,030 arrivals, followed by Davao City (156,468), Camarines Sur (140,220), Zambales (88,718), and Bohol (71,876).

The increase reflected the growth in over-all tourist arrivals in the country during the period, reaching 10.33 percent or a total of 1.3 million from last year’s 1.1 million, the DOT said.


Boracay Cebu was also the most frequently visited destination by foreign tourists with 184,790 arrivals, or drawing nearly half of the 383,608 foreign tourists who visited the country. It was followed by Boracay (63,903), Zambales (25,252), Camarines Sur (24,976), and Bohol (24,350).

Overall, the volume of domestic tourists visiting key destinations grew faster at 13 percent while, foreign arrivals recorded a 4-percent increase in the first quarter.

Eduardo Jarque, tourism undersecretary for planning and promotions, credited the rise of tourist arrivals in the regions, especially Cebu, to more and cheaper direct flights, and better infrastructure, including hotels, pensions houses, and ancestral homes to accommodate tourists.

“Manila has become a stopover for leisure travelers who proceed to the regions like Cebu,” Jarque said.

He said it has developed into a lifestyle for expatriates and other tourists to head to the provinces and beaches for a vacation.


Davao Cebu has become a center of the tourism upswing because it combines a rich historical backdrop, modern infrastructure, and varied destinations, according to Jarque.

But, he said, tourist arrivals on Boracay continue to grow with more hotel rooms needed because the existing hotels are always fully booked.

“Among island resorts, Boracay remains the top tourist drawer with tourist arrivals growing by an average of 6 percent annually for the past decade,” said Edwin Trompeta, tourism director of Western Visayas.


Good News Pilipinas (http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp/?p=5453)

ano ba yan kakalito namn yan? Boracay Cebu, tapos Davao Cebu:D:D:D
ayoko pa namn mag isip:D

Tagum City Festivals
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http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt14/Jheaux/Tagum%20Davao%20del%20Norte/1TagumFestivals.jpg

Friday, 22 May 2009
Philippines. Spain seal air deal

Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20090521-206376/RP-Spain-seal-air-deal

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines and Spain agreed to make 28 direct flights available for their respective airlines to serve weekly, as representatives of both countries wrapped up bilateral air services negotiations in Madrid recently.

The two parties allocated daily flight entitlements from Manila to Madrid and Barcelona, and vice versa.

Clark’s Diosdado Macapagal International Airport got 14 weekly flights to and from Madrid and Barcelona.

Other points in the Philippines, except Manila and Clark, were allocated daily flights to and from other points in Spain, except Madrid and Barcelona.

Manila was granted rights to service 200 tons of cargo per week while Clark got 300 tons per week. Both points of origin were allowed daily cargo flights to and from Spain. “The original agreement was signed in 1951 without frequencies,” Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Carmelo Arcilla, who is a member of the Philippine air panel, said.

Currently, there are indirect flights from Madrid and Barcelona to the Philippines and back. The routes are served by Asian airlines such as Singapore Airlines and a number of Middle Eastern carriers such as Qatar Airways.

Philippine aviation officials have not disclosed whether any airline, including flag carrier Philippine Airlines and Spain’s Iberia, expressed interest in serving the direct flight entitlements agreed upon.

This is the eighth air services deal entered into by the Philippines this year.

The Philippines has completed aviation talks with Qatar and United Arab Emirates in January, Kuwait and Bahrain in February, and Brunei and Australia in March, and Singapore earlier this month.

The International Air Transport Association has projected that world travel may decline by 3 percent in 2009.

The Philippines’ transport department views air deals as part of preparations for the eventual recovery of the global economy and the resurgence in air travel.

Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza said having more air service agreements would be good for the country.

Tourism boom produces robust increase in investments; widens travel, employment -- DOT

By Lily O Ramos

MANILA, May 22 (PNA) —- Amid the worldwide economic downturn, the Philippine tourism industry expanded in terms of investments, travel and employment this year as a result of the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) persistent and focused campaign on local and international levels.

”We’ve been participating in tourism campaigns abroad, joining travel and trade fairs and inviting foreign travel sales agents and hotel, resort and restaurant owners, as well as media to come over and discover the Philippines’ natural beauty, its rich history and culture, various products, medical tourism and conducive investment climate. I’m glad our efforts are paying off,” said Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Hotchkiss Durano.

Indeed, travel/tourism is one of the country’s top money-makers; the other one represented by the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who continue to remit billions of dollars to the national coffers.

”This year, the Philippines has been topping travel ticket sales and widespread publicity in Continental Europe’s most influential and leading travel magazines and trade publications.

”Travel sales agents and bookings have been increasing because we have not yet experienced the A(H1N1) pandemic that’s been troubling several countries. So far, we have not suffered any cancelled bookings,” said Durano.

For its contribution to the government’s Comprehensive Livelihood Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP, the DOT, through the "Trabaho sa Turismo" (TST) has opened an annual recruitment fair for tens and thousands of applicants nationwide for hotel and restaurant workers, tourist guides, water travel personnel, etc. by some 300 companies on May 22-23.

The DOT is also promoting the country’s top tourist spots to second and third generation Americans and Canadians by holding an annual Ambassadors, Consuls General and Tourism Directors Guide Tour (ACGTD) on July 11-17 with some 500 participants, highlighted with a once-in-a lifetime experience of meeting President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo during a lunch with her.

The DOT is constantly upgrading its campaigns and projects in quality and quantity when it comes to infrastructure facilities and intangibles like media and food service.

“We have to keep up with the world, the competition is particularly stiff but we can survive if we have foresight translated to action,” the Tourism honcho said.

For the first quarter of 2009, the DOT’s Plans and Promotions Division reported that new hotels and resorts opened a total of 1,231 additional rooms at the cost of P8.16 billion and hired 1,286 employees.

For instance, the opening of Cebu’s P3.18-billion Imperial Palace Water Park, Resort and Spa increased the room supply to 14,792, which provided jobs to 780 workers.

The P8.5-million San Remigio Beach Club in the northern part of Cebu also opened its new facilities by building a convention center to capture the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) of both international and domestic markets as an investment.

In Boracay Island, the high-end 217-room Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa opened just in time for the influx of tourists on vacation and long holidays, thus initially hiring 488 workers to manage its various ranges of product offerings.

In Palawan, seven locators investing in 28 cluster villas for a total cost of P761.9 million in the Amanpulo Tourism Enterprise Zone also began their operation during the first quarter of the year.

Metro Manila is likewise on boom with the opening of the Legend International’s Park, Bed and Breakfast Hotel, Eurotel Hotel Branch in Makati City, and the expansion of Oakwood Serviced Residences which increased the total room supply by 320.

By the end of 2009, at least 1,946 more people will be directly employed nationwide once the additional 2,315 rooms become operational in the following destinations:

•Metro Manila: Manila Ocean Park (120 rooms), The Picasso Serviced Residences (136 rooms), Newport Marriott Hotel (342 rooms), and Maxims Hotel (178 rooms).

•Cebu: Radisson Hotel (400 rooms).

•Boracay: Crowne Regency (449 rooms), Phonex Hotel (130 rooms), Boracay Regency Lagoon (120 rooms), Seven Stones (100 rooms), Grand Water (100 rooms).

•Puerto Princesa: Microtel Inns and Suites (50 rooms)

•Tagaytay: Summer Ridge (108 rooms).

•Albay: Discovery Bay Misibis (82 rooms).

To meet the increasing demand for tourism services, the DOT endorsed five development projects worth P6.323 billion in this year’s first quarter, which will generate 6,340 employment opportunities for local residents in the said tourist areas.

A US$ 200-million luxury spa and resort is also set to be developed by Banyan Tree in a 55-hectare property in Diwaran Island off Palawan to generate 8,000 direct and indirect jobs during the planning, construction and operational stages from 2009 to 2012.

In Subic, Harbor Yacht Services (HYS) Philippines will construct a restaurant and resort in a marina facility with an investment package of P36.1 million.

With regards to new tourism facilities, the country's biggest man-made lake, the P20-million, 18-hectare Lago del Rey, was opened recently to tourists by the provincial government of Camarines Sur.

This new tourist product complements the wakeboarding park set up by the local government unit (LGU) in 2005, which also offers family-oriented activities such as boat riding, fishing, and swimming, among others.

Up north in Cagayan, the Anguib beach has started to draw foreign and domestic wind and kite surfing enthusiasts because of its unspoiled natural wealth and wider and bigger reef ideal for the sports.

To promote the area, the DOT and Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) have organized a windsurfing exhibition which was attended by international and local windsurfers.

With increased demand for nature and wildlife adventure, the DOT and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines have jointly developed birdwatching tours in coordination with tour operators and LGUs in key destinations.

The most notable bird watching sites are in Balanga City, Candaba Swamp, Paitan Lake, Pantabangan Dam, Puerto Princesa, Hundred Islands National Park, Subic Bay, Olango Island and Mount Apo.

The Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, a leading conservation organization in the United Kingdom, will dispatch a fact- finding mission this May 2009 to assist the DOT and other agencies in the preservation and promotion of wetlands for wildlife habitat.

A kayak competition in April was conducted by the DOT and the LGU of Alaminos in the Hundred Islands National Park in Pangasinan.

Secretary Durano, who is batting to make Hundred Islands the Kayaking Center of the Philippines, said "if we could get at least 10 to 25 percent of the more than two million American kayakers to visit the place, it would greatly boost tourism, investment and employment for the Pangasinenses on the South China Sea."

Managed by the Hundred Islands Eco-Tour Association (HIETA), a community-based organization of out-of-school youth, the package involves a half- and whole-day kayak clinic and tour of the charming islets of the Hundred Islands as well as camping experience in Bolo Beach.

The HIETA has been tapped by the DOT and Sun and Sea Kayaks to provide tour services during the Kayak Explore Hundred Island Summer Eco-Challenge in April 2009.

In Silang, Cavite, a P500-million Wakeboard Park will rise to cap the popularity of the CamSur Wakeboarding Camp in a 12-hectare area.

Foreign visitors in top destinations of the country during the first quarter of 2009 grew by 10.33 percent for a total of 1.3 million.

The number is constantly monitored to pinpoint which places might need help and improvement.

Cebu attracted the biggest volume of visitors with a share of 32 percent, followed by Boracay (12 percent), Davao City (11.9 percent, Camarines Sur (11 percent), Zambales (7 percent) and Bohol (5 percent).

Cebu was the most frequently visited destination by foreigners with 184,790 arrivals, followed by Boracay (63.903), Zambales (25.252), Camarines Sur (24,976) and Bohol (24,350).

Domestic tourist arrivals in Puerto Princesa City and Coron in Palawan posted a record-breaking growth of 392 percent as more flights were mounted to these destinations from Manila, Cebu, and Caticlan as well as Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia.

Likewise, local visitors flocked to Camarines Sur for wakeboarding, Surigao del Sur, Sorsogon (Donsol) for whale shark interaction, Zambales (Subic) for recreation, Ilocos Norte and La Union for sightseeing and beach holiday resulting in double-digit gains in these destinations.

Overall, the volume of domestic tourists visiting key destinations grew faster at 13 percent while foreign arrivals recorded a four percent hike in the first quarter. (PNA)

sobrang aggressive na talaga ng cam sur in promoting tourism. last night i saw their ad sa primetime TV. sa abs-cbn. it doesnt look baduy or tacky like the other DOT commercials. it looks cool and meaningful at the same time. tourism will surely bring money and improve the life of the citizens. i hope boracay, palawan and cebu will have their own tv ads too. :banana::banana:

by the way here is the link..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJEPCToRT1A&feature=related

Listen for fish, hear music (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/travel/view/430780/1/.html)

Tired of Manila’s relentless nightlife and mega malls, I left the city to check out the fishing village of San Miguel in the country’s north-east.

Situated three-and-a-half hours by bus from the Philippine capital and tucked in the coast of Zambales province, San Miguel is off the radar for most tourists. There are no shopping centres, spas or golf courses here, but there is plenty of beauty — in the land, the warmth of the people and oddly, for this is an obscure village, in the strains of classical music.

The music is thanks to Casa San Miguel, a community-based arts centre that nurtures the talents of local children in various disciplines. The centre is run by music director Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata, an alumnus of the Julliard School of Music in New York and the University of Indiana.

The San Miguel experience starts with the journey. From Manila, the trip is a scenic one, with villages and verdant rice paddies making up the landscape. Along the coast, travellers will see the infamous Subic Bay — a former US naval base that saw numerous Japanese ships sunk in its water during World War II — as well as the clear blue of the South China Sea and lush green mountains.

The bus stops at the town of San Antonio en route to Olongapo City. San Miguel is a 10-minute pedicab ride away. The area is worth a three day stay for the bucolic atmosphere alone.

First up, hire a fishing boat for 700 pesos ($22) to reach Anawangin, a crescent-shaped island-cove better known to Filipinos than tourists. Many come from Manila to picnic and set up tents under the shelter of the soaring pine trees lining the beach. The sand is soft, the sea clear, with fish and turtles in abundance. It’s all very idyllic, the secluded location of the cove a boon for those weary of the tourist crowds.

Back on the mainland, the laidback island mood makes way for artistic fervour at Casa San Miguel. Coke, who heads the arts centre cum school, had quit his job as a professional musician in New York to set up the centre. It was his way of giving back to the community.

Situated on his family’s mango orchard, Casa San Miguel has a two-storey visual arts gallery, residences for artists, a hall that can accommodate chamber orchestra concerts and a 1,000-seat circular outdoor theatre set amid the cool shades of the mango trees.

The centre is where the young of San Miguel can get a quality education in the arts, be it visual arts, photography or music. Most of the students are children of fishermen and farmers from the village, but some hail from affluent neighbourhoods in Manila. Classes and workshops are conducted by Coke and volunteer Filipino artists.

The school’s alumni have gone on to win prizes in the Philippines as well as been talent spotted by agents from the Julliard School of Music whom Coke invites to the village’s annual showcase of artistry.

Indeed, the opening night of the 16th Pundaquit Festival of Music and the Arts on March 28 saw the Pundaquit Virtuosi — a string orchestra featuring gifted children from five to 15 — giving a stunning performance that would not be out of place at the best concert halls in the world.

The festival’s events run well into October. For a slice of local life, one will have to wake up at 3am, for that’s when fishing boats return from their 12-hour shifts at sea. As each fish or squid laden vessel lands on the beach, the male-folk — both young and old — rush to help haul it further onto land. For their services, each is rewarded with a small “catch of the day”. These are accumulated and sold for extra cash to supplement the family income.

The beach is a five-minute walk from Casa San Miguel. In the wee hours of the morning, it is packed with villagers, men and women waiting patiently for the boats to come in.

As the sun rises, lighting up the fishing village and the feverish activity on the beach, and as the waves crash and the roosters crow, it’s apparent that another kind of symphony is at play here.

For anyone who wants to experience the rural bits of the Philippines, there’s magic in such simplicity.

Getting there: San Miguel is not a common tourist destination but a trip is worthwhile. Various airlines fly to Manila. From there, take a coach from Cubao Bus Terminal in Quezon City en route to Olongapo City. A one-way trip on the comfortable, air conditioned bus costs 260 pesos ($8). Stop at the town of San Antonio and take a pedicab to the fishing village of San Miguel. This costs about 40 pesos per person.

Stay: Casa San Miguel provides freelodging to volunteer who contributes to its programmes. Otherwise, travellers can find guesthouses in nearby San Antonio.

See: The Pundaquit Festival of Arts and Music is held at Casa San Miguel from April to October and features music, film and visual arts events. All are free.

Tourism jobs abound, but there are no takers
Updated May 23, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines – Jobs abound in the country, but there are only few takers.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said tourism-related companies and other commercial establishments nationwide are offering so many jobs, but only few are applying.

Durano said that in yesterday’s “Trabaho sa Turismo” job fair, more than 25,000 jobs were up for grabs, yet only 15,000 new graduates and other jobseekers arrived and applied for vacancies.

“There are more vacancies than job applicants so the possibility of being hired is higher,” Durano pointed out.

About 300 companies participated in the annual job fair, which the DOT initiated in 2006 in an effort to facilitate the immediate employment of new graduates and other jobseekers.

Last year, 175 companies offered 18,000 jobs while more than 10,000 applied for the vacancies.

Some of the applicants who were hired on the spot last year disputed misconception among new graduates that they would have difficulty finding jobs due to lack of experience.

Sherein Gaviola, who is employed as desk officer at Sofitel Philippine Plaza said she just walked in to the jobs fair, submitted her resume and was hired even without experience.

Meantime, one of the jobseekers, Aileen Nidua, said she is now looking for local employment after working abroad while computer science graduate Marlon Junio said he is willing to accept whatever local job that will suit his skills.

Officials of JobsDB.com, one of the DOT’s partners in the project, said there is no need for new graduates and other jobseekers to apply abroad because thousands of jobs are available locally.

“There is more risk if you will work abroad, so it would be better if you will apply for local jobs,” one of the officials added.

This year’s job fair, Durano said, is more significant mainly because the country is hurdling the adverse effects of the global economic crisis that has resulted in displacement of 50,000 workers in the country.

“We are happy that the industry can ably stand up to the challenge, sustaining the flow of tourists, attracting investments and creating jobs across the country,” Durano said. – Mayen Jaymalin

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=470395&publicationSubCategoryId=66

i repost it together with other related ads

GJEPCToRT1A&feature=related

tdk1vOYFUVc&feature=related

ENB7Ua8P2Lg&feature=related

i repost it together with other related ads

GJEPCToRT1A&feature=related



I like this one. This is a good and innovative way of marketing by the province of cam sur. Tourism benefiting the children :cheers:

Discovering fun at Playa Azalea
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 07:00
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/7981/azaleadiscoverfun1.jpg (http://img193.imageshack.us/my.php?image=azaleadiscoverfun1.jpg)


BEACH fun for everyone!  Lounge, stroll, frolic, play, swim, relax. There is something for every member of the family as Playa Azalea’s invites everyone to discover fun along the shores of this exclusive development enclave.  It is giving everyone a glimpse of what is to come in the place you will call home. But more than imagining, Playa Azalea is making it happen for you and your loved ones.  While Dad can read his novel in quiet seclusion and mom takes a much-needed break and have her own personal masseuse in our spa corner, the kids can have the time of their lives from sunrise to sundown along the beach or take part in the specially conceived activities of guaranteed fun.  

The Playa Azalea innovative team declares, “It’s definitely more than swimming in the azure waters of the island or build sand castles of white sand on this special day.” They are making sure it’s one summer the kids and everyone will never forget and stretching fun with an extra mile with face painting, bubble show for the kids and even a scavenger hunt.  The family comes first and Playa Azalea will make it a bonding moment. Team work is required with the rest of the entertaining events will surely draw cheers and chuckles.  

When was the last time you played the old-time Filipino outdoor games? The kids may have the edge with their gadgets but Dads can now show sons and Moms their daughters how they do it on the field with a very cool line-up of surprising games.  It’s a picnic. Summer concoctions of shakes and ice cream will be the cooler, delicious tummy fillers for energy will be available for free.  

And to seal the memories of this summer special, why not have a family picture in the exclusive photo booth?  Playa Azalea is making the future happen today. This is what fun will be all about in your new home in the island.  Limited slots available. For inquiries and reservations please call the Playa Azalea at 273-6166.

Edge Davao (http://www.edgedavao.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=475:discovering-fun-at-playa-azalea&catid=44:indulge--lifestyle&Itemid=77)

ganda ng ad.

Friday, 22 May 2009
Philippines. Spain seal air deal

Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20090521-206376/RP-Spain-seal-air-deal

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines and Spain agreed to make 28 direct flights available for their respective airlines to serve weekly, as representatives of both countries wrapped up bilateral air services negotiations in Madrid recently.

The two parties allocated daily flight entitlements from Manila to Madrid and Barcelona, and vice versa.

Clark’s Diosdado Macapagal International Airport got 14 weekly flights to and from Madrid and Barcelona.

Other points in the Philippines, except Manila and Clark, were allocated daily flights to and from other points in Spain, except Madrid and Barcelona.

Manila was granted rights to service 200 tons of cargo per week while Clark got 300 tons per week. Both points of origin were allowed daily cargo flights to and from Spain. “The original agreement was signed in 1951 without frequencies,” Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Carmelo Arcilla, who is a member of the Philippine air panel, said.

Currently, there are indirect flights from Madrid and Barcelona to the Philippines and back. The routes are served by Asian airlines such as Singapore Airlines and a number of Middle Eastern carriers such as Qatar Airways.

Philippine aviation officials have not disclosed whether any airline, including flag carrier Philippine Airlines and Spain’s Iberia, expressed interest in serving the direct flight entitlements agreed upon.

This is the eighth air services deal entered into by the Philippines this year.

The Philippines has completed aviation talks with Qatar and United Arab Emirates in January, Kuwait and Bahrain in February, and Brunei and Australia in March, and Singapore earlier this month.

The International Air Transport Association has projected that world travel may decline by 3 percent in 2009.

The Philippines’ transport department views air deals as part of preparations for the eventual recovery of the global economy and the resurgence in air travel.

Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza said having more air service agreements would be good for the country.
This is a good deal if they can transport passengers and PAL improves its in-flight entertainment system. You can't even imagine how we are making richer other airlines every year because in Europe or in the ME there is no a single PAL flight.

I like this one. This is a good and innovative way of marketing by the province of cam sur. Tourism benefiting the children :cheers:
And the Politician that showed up in the last 10 sec of the ad.
It was great till that ,you almost had me... Sorry CAMSUR I will never go there blame ur politician.

^^ grabe!!! sabagay the presence of lray is really a turn off but i still give credit to the guy. he really is a marketing specialist.

PAL should and must go back to ME and Europe fast! i agree na sobrang yumayaman ang ibang airlines dahil satin. imagine how many thousands if not millions of pinoys go back and forth in EU and ME.

CWC is Lray's brainchild. i share manila_eye's opinion that its alright to give credit to him.

http://cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/mk_kaogma_cover.jpg

http://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/opening-parade.jpghttp://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/practical-shooting.jpg

http://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/hot-buys.jpghttp://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/lago-fun.jpg

http://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/motocross.jpghttp://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/Night-Airsoft.jpg

http://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/dalan-sa-kalangitan.jpghttp://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/tour-of-cam-sur.jpg

http://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/hot-kids.jpghttp://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/RC.jpg

http://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/buruntolan.jpghttp://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/street-parade.jpg

http://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/nationals.jpghttp://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/miss-kaogma.jpg

http://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/4x4.jpghttp://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/national-skateboarding.jpg

http://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/music-fest.jpghttp://www.cwcwake.com/images/kaogma2009/hot-hot-million.jpg

Originally posted by fil07at Naga Thread

^^

WOW! ang daming activities ngayon sa camsur ah at and astig pa! talagang adrenaline pumping ang mga activities! great! AYOS to ah! GO CAMSUR!!!! :cheers::applause::applause:

Misibis Bay Raintree: Your luxury island playground (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=470634&publicationSubCategoryId=87)
RENDEZVOUS By Christine S. Dayrit Updated May 24, 2009 12:00 AM


http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/5254/travel1.jpg
Misibis Bay Raintree: The pinnacle of luxury seaside living in Albay, Bicol. Photos by Yvonne Dayrit-Romualdez

Do I remember more than I have seen or have I seen more than I remember?”

This is the query of the heart of a traveler whose wanderlust once seemed insatiable. Fortunately, a recent trip to Misibis Bay Raintree Resort in Cagraray Island, Albay, Bicol proves there is no need to look any farther than in our own shores.

Once in a while, our senses are arrested by a force, an experience far greater than ourselves. Like a paradigm shift, we stop for a precious moment to look back, evaluate and redirect our lives as we embrace a treasured find — something we have been searching for all these years is now found, in home ground.


My passion for globetrotting has taken me to among the most gratifying havens — elite destinations that belong to the roster of the prestigious “Small Luxury Hotels of the World, ” of which Misibis Bay Raintree is a now distinguished member. My other SLH sojourns include an exhilarating safari to Ngala Private Games Reserve in Kruger National Park in South Africa, idyllic sojourns in Oberoi in Bali and Lombok Island, the grandeur of Chateau Eza in the south of France and Wedmore Place at the Williamsburg Winery in Virginia, among others. These magical journeys may have been privileged vacations but what is far more important is the sublime synergy that these bespoke properties have created with their respective environments.

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Beyond enjoying five-star hospitality, the ultimate in choice offers unique experiences in new corners of the Earth. SLH advocates that whether you are seeking adventure, relaxation, culture or pure unadulterated indulgence, every one of these hotels offers an unforgettable, joyful experience.

My youngest sister Yvonne, her family and our friends are still on cloud nine from our unforgettable weekend where we celebrated her birthday in style in Misibis Bay Raintree. We experienced a picture-perfect scenario of world-class luxury, all- villa accommodations, dynamic interactions with the colossal 30-foot whalesharks, helicopter rides in the rain to take photos of the majestic Mayon Volcano, driving the all-terrain-vehicles around the Legazpi and Cagraray island and very soon a cable car system that will allow one a most scenic view of the Mayon across the Sula channel. As if that wasn’t enough, we savored delectable fiery Bicol cuisine and sumptuous international fare concocted by corporate chef David Pardo de Ayala and executive chef Danilo Gonzales and their team. We were pampered by impeccable service displaying Filipino hospitality at its finest. The synergy and spellbinding energy is simply infectious as each step here is one made in awe and reverence.

The impact on me goes far beyond the superlatives which Misibis Bay Raintree has perfected to the tee — the gorgeous trappings of posh properties, the thread count of their sheets, the density of their mattresses, champagne upon arrival, the finest amenities and mind-boggling spas. There is a far more priceless connection that the soul seeks and finds here. Our very own Misibis Bay Raintree Resort offers a kind of lifestyle that focuses on what is real, exceptional, experiential, individual and authentic. This luxury management icon assures the satisfaction of the most discriminating traveler. This same company under the indefatigable leadership of Annabella Santos-Wisniewski, congenially known as Ms W, and her innovative team also manage the Discovery Suites in Ortigas, Discovery Country Suites in Tagaytay and Discovery Shores in Boracay.

“Perhaps life was not always as easy and privileged,” enthuses gracious resort manager Ian Varona. Nature’s boon is nature’s bane. “If in the past, the Bicol region was often associated with typhoons, volcanic eruptions, cataclysmic earth movements, the fortuitous time has come to appreciate the province for what it has become,” he adds. Even the people of Cagraray who once envied city life and yearned to surrender to urban decadence now realize the beauty and grace of their naturally blessed abode. Inevitably, things look drastically different these days.

Our group, privy to such veracity, arrived in the Legazpi airport where we were warmly welcomed by Marivic Fajardo, Misibis Bay’s marketing communications head at the nearby boutique property Hotel Venezia where one feels as though one is in a lovely boutique hotel in Europe.

From a restful night here, we traveled by van just 40 minutes away on well-paved roads, passing through the most lush and idyllic scenery to Misibis Bay Raintree, where time passes as beautiful as it can be.

Immerse yourself in the immaculately stunning all-villa accommodation with WiFi connection, 24-hour butler service, two delightful restaurants “deLaPlaya”, “Spice Market,” and “Sula” bar. You must try their fabulous version of local cuisine like Angus beef sinigang, boneless crispy pata, laing and Bicol express pizza, chicken inasal and kare-kare. For dessert, try their insanely delicious chocolate cake made from local cocoa. “This is the best chocolate cake in the planet,” we declared in unison. Their turon, made with the sweetest banana and jackfruit, is thickly slathered with leche flan and wrapped in lumpia sheets before being deep fried, then topped with vanilla ice cream. This epicurean feast is created with a twist of nouvelle while retaining the flavors and recipes of yesteryears.

There are also meandering swimming pools allowing relaxing views from the villas, interactive splash zone for children, infinity pool, water sports activities and whatever else you have in mind. You can leave your appointments behind because the only appointment you will need to make is with yourself. Here you will find quality time to commune with your loved ones, with yourself and the God who created it all.

Though Misibis Bay Raintree resort has been situated in the midst of this scenery for a month, it is as if it has always belonged there. The modern design utilizing wood and glass is one that embraces you as your senses come up close and personal with its luxury. The detailed touches — fresh flowers, local rice cakes like palitao, pichi-pichi and inipit with sweet little notes placed by your bedside — create the warmth of home. The resort offers traditional massages that can be given in the privacy of your suite villa. You can soak calmly in flower petal baths or have a soothing foot massage.

A delightful nightcap over refreshing frozen buko lychee martini and margaritas with charming group manager for brand and style Ferdi Salvador gave an inspiring understanding of the hotel’s service. “People here don’t simply serve you, they shower you with so much loving kindness that emanates from their hearts,” Ferdi quipped.

It’s actually quite healing. What with our bodies and spirits bruised from the stress, pressure and chaos of our rigid lives. For the staff of Misibis, what they do is not just a job, it’s a way of life, a gracious lifestyle we all wish to imbibe.

This expansive development of privileged luxury is a commission—to create a world class resort in a world famous environment with the guiding principle of inspiring a whole generation, a whole continent. People now want their travel experience to be blissful and made special by what is really meaningful to them—time for themselves and loved ones, replete with unobtrusive yet attentive service, tranquility, nature and above all, a true sense of place. We often appreciate a place that is in touch with its location. This integration is what makes it one-of-a-kind, a class of its own.

Every morning the gods let rain that resemble gold dust fall on Cagraray. When shortly before dawn, the night lights flare up, emitting a fragile glow on the landscaped lushness making the entire resort resemble a glittering carpet of luxurious indulgence. While I sit on the veranda from our two-bedroom villa, which overlooks the sea like a lodge, I watch the world go by. You can choose to bathe in the sunshine or bask in the glow of the moonbeams. As for me. I lay on the pristine beach, the sky my roof, the constellations, seemingly my blanket.

God must have personally placed this island in the ocean after he had finished with the rest of the world. Ever since, the Bicol region has lain like a priceless pearl, too beautiful for any advertisement. Here one savors the drama of a timeless culture, a travelers deluxe dream vacation. If not for a whole lifetime, then for a holiday at the very least.

* * *

DOT job fair: Tourism hot amid crisis
By Marlon Ramos
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:39:00 05/25/2009 (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090525-206941/DOT-job-fair-Tourism-hot-amid-crisis)

MANILA, Philippines—Nico de la Cruz’s “lola” was right: The country’s tourism sector would always have room for fresh minds and talents.

The 21-year-old De la Cruz could still remember how his grandmother last year insisted that he check out this TV ad about a job fair sponsored by the Department of Tourism (DOT).

Just to please her, the tourism major from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, prepared his resumé and registered online.

A month after attending the fair, Nico made his lola proud.

“The DOT job fair really helped many fresh graduates like me find work. I can now pay for my family’s basic expenses,” said De la Cruz, who now mans the front desk at Legend Villas, a three-star hotel in Mandaluyong City.

De la Cruz on Friday joined Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano in endorsing the latest, two-day DOT job fair which opened at SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Over 15,000 job seekers on opening day flocked to “Trabaho sa Turismo” for the more than 25,700 vacancies advertised at the fair, which was cosponsored by the online job matching company JobsDB.com.

“Dela Cruz and the other [successful applicants] are here to inspire,” Durano said. “They are here to prove that there are really opportunities in this job fair.”

From 170 companies that participated in 2008, up to 300 companies joined this year’s “Trabaho,” the fourth to be held by the DOT.

For Durano, this showed how the local tourism industry had remained strong and even capable of modest growth despite the global economic slowdown.

The secretary noted that 70 percent of the jobs offered at the 2009 fair were related to tourism, while the rest accounted for other industries, among them call centers.

Some P6 billion in fresh foreign capital gave the local tourism sector a boost in the first quarter, reflecting a one-percent increase in investments from the same period last year, Durano reported.

About 2,500 new hotel and resort rooms would also be constructed within the year, Durano said.

Expanding market

The DOT chief also cited the expanding, international market of Philippine destinations.

“Unlike five years ago when most of our tourists came from the United States and Europe, now we have visitors from India, Korea, China and Russia. Even the local tourists now go to the provinces instead of traveling abroad,” he said.

Since the government reinvigorated its tourism program a few years ago, Durano said the industry had raked in some P500 billion in total revenues.

This year’s total earnings were expected to reach at least P20 billion, he said, adding: “We expect the total spending in tourism to reach [at least] $4 million this year.”

Durano, however, noted that the national government should do its share by building more airports, road networks, water systems and other facilities for the tourism industry to keep the momentum.

Less hassle

Sherein Gaviola, a communication arts graduate from Letran College, also tried her luck in last year’s fair. But unlike De la Cruz, she failed to have her resumé ready for the online registration and simply went as a “walk-in” applicant.

Still, a few weeks later, she managed to land a job as a front desk officer at Sofitel Philippine Plaza.

“Although my first love was really journalism, I find my work in the hospitality sector rewarding,” said Gaviola, 21.

De la Cruz noted how the DOT job fair served as a “one-stop shop” that spared job hunters the usual hassle of going from one office to another.

Another convenience was introduced to “Trabaho” this year in the form of a “paperless” application system, according to Immanuel Jay Avelino, project officer of JobsDB.com.

‘Career cards’

Unlike before when applicants had to bring multiple copies of their resumés, now they only had to present so-called “career cards” to companies taking part in the fair, Avelino said.

The plastic card, which looks no different from an automated teller machine (ATM) card, contained their “digital resumé” which recruiting officers could easily access through a bar-code scanner, he explained.

The DOT set up to 200 desks where job hunters could upload basic information from their resumé into a database and have their cards ready in a matter of minutes. The DOT provided the service free of charge.

“Career cards provide an equal playing field to applicants. One doesn’t have to worry that he or she would not get the job simply because the paper used was not appealing to the eye,” Avelino said.

Japanese tourists look for ‘alternative travel’ (http://www.mb.com.ph/node/201795)
May 23, 2009, 11:14am

http://www.mb.com.ph/sites/default/files/pp.jpg
Pinakbet Pizza - Herencia Restaurant

The Philippines, priding itself with 7,107 islands and a diverse culture, continues to attract niche tourists, particularly the discriminating Japanese who looks for ‘travels with a twist.’

According to the Department of Tourism (DOT) – Team Japan, alternative travelers among the Japanese are looking more and more for destinations beyond the usual. At present, an increasing demand for cultural and historical travel is evident in their choices.

“Our country is blessed with a rich cultural heritage recognized the world over. Promoting these sites not only encourage tourist activity, but also rekindle a love for knowing our roots,” tourism chief Ace Durano said.

Durano has been noted for his optimism in tourism growth, amid the global challenges, and continues to enhance marketing campaigns in specific target markets. He mentioned that the Department’s positive outlook for the year ahead is not unfounded.

In fact, Japan Travel Bureau (JTB) Corp.’s Prospective Travel Trends for 2009 revealed that despite the present economic and financial environment, outbound travel for Japan will continue, with more of their tourists spending their long vacations within Asia.

He added, “The notable increase of Japanese travelers seeking for heritage travel is a significant result of the efforts to not only tell travelers about our noteworthy UNESCO-listed sites, but more so, to encourage the protection of these timeless treasures.”

Destinations such as Cebu, Bohol, and Ilocos have been popular with the Japanese, where heritage sites abound. The DOT’s recent marketing efforts tap various media outfits from specific segments to highlight the country’s potential as a prime heritage destination.

Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque, Jr. said, “The Philippines’ exposure in Japan media as an ‘alternative destination’ indeed made a significant difference in intensifying the country’s position as an important historical destination.”

Aside from our cultural sites, he also noted that Japanese tourists come to the Philippines for our top-rate dive sites (recently rated among the top destinations by diving enthusiasts in Japan), delectable cuisine, diverse performing arts, and eco-tourism areas.

Jarque added, “More than visiting the country for the scenic landscapes and leisure activities, it is the warmth and hospitality of the Filipino people that leave an indelible mark in every traveler’s experience; it is our people who complete their trip and make it a truly memorable and rewarding visit.”

“We see an emergence of niche travelers within the Japan market; those who are enticed by the extraordinary. They travel to discover and explore not only sites, but stories of people,” Dir. Benito Bengzon, Jr., Marketing Team Head for Japan, shared.

Citing a specific instance where their team toured a media group from Japan, “They heard of the love story that spared Vigan from a certain bombing in World War II, and immediately wanted to go and witness the place.”

Ilocos is also home to the unique pinakbet pizza, made famous by Herencia Restaurant; burnay, or traditional pottery; and the roster of antiques lined up along its cobble-stoned streets of Vigan, all of which the Japanese guests experienced.

The country’s tourism industry expects to welcome an increased number of Japanese arrivals for 2009, based on the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)’s Strategic Intelligence Centre.

Tourism forecasting experts from PATA projected numerical trends for Asia for the year, and emphasized that Japan will continue to be a viable source market for its Asian neighbors.

P800M garden resort project
gets doctors as key market
Mindanao Daily Mirror
May 27, 2009

BY JUDY QUIROS
RJP Realty and Development Corp., developer of the P800 million Samal Highlands Garden Resort project in San Isidro, Babak, Island Garden City of Samal, is counting on the medical profession as a major market for its huge project.

General manager Ramon Ortiz said most of the takers of the Emilia Garden Residences, which is the first phase of the Samal Highlands Garden Resort project, are local physicians.

Samal Highlands Garden Resort has a total area of 45 hectares, to be developed within a period of three years.

Ortiz and the company’s CEO and proprietor, Lemuel Podador, were guests of yesterday’s Davao City Business Forum held at The MediSpa SM City Davao.

The project is divided into four phases: Emelia Garden Residences, Terrazas de San Isidro Ridge Lot and Villas, Costa de Azure Beachfront Development, and San Isidro Cove Marina and Yacht Club.

Forty percent of the P250 million Emelia Garden Residences is now taken, most of them by doctors, Ortiz said. It has a total area of 188,165 square meters with 119 lots to be generated.

The project started construction in February this year and expected to be completed in June, 2010.

The other three phases of the entire project are targeted to be completed by 2012.

Optimistic of getting more takers from the medical sector, the company is eying to develop a medical facility and a hospital within a five-hectare property of the identified project area, Ortiz said.

A wellness project is also being considered, he added. He said an Indian investor, one of their prospects, has already expressed interest to venture into the planned medical facility.

The investor has already visited the area and reiterated his interest to help build a hospital in the site.

Ortiz and Podador showed the media copies of necessary permits such as environmental compliance certificate, development permit from the IGACOS city government, license to sell and certificate of registration from the Housing Land Use Regulatory Board.

In line with the company’s social responsibility, the developer is also committed to building a classroom and a barangay hall in San Isidro.

Podador said they are also eying to develop a three hectare property into a fish sanctuary as part of its commitment to the city government.

Multi-million development project rises in Samal
Home » Sun.Star Davao » Business
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
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By Carlo P. Mallo


A REAL estate developer poured in an initial investment of P100 million for the multi-use high-end development project on the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos), which is set to be completed in the next three years.

The project, dubbed as the Samal Highlands Garden Resort, is pegged to cost an estimated P800 million for both its resort complex and residential estates.

In a press forum Tuesday, Lemuel Podador, proprietor and chief executive officer of RJP Realty Development, developer of the multi-million project, said the high cost of the procurement of land property and the cost of shipping materials across the gulf are some of the factors that are behind the high investment cost.

"It is a high-end development, with about 19 hectares of residential development for the first phase, another five hectares of residential for the second phase, and the beachfront development," Podador said.

The first phase of the project is dubbed as Emilia Garden Residences, which is composed of 119 farm lots. The second phase is dubbed as Terazzas de San Isidro, and the third phase, a resort complex, has been dubbed as Costa de Azure.

A grand launch for the multi-million project is slated by Podador sometime in July.

"The market has been good, with about 40 percent of the property (Emilia Residences) already put on reserved or purchased already," Podador said.

ZamboPen has enormous tourism potential, says PGMA (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p090529.htm&no=84&r=r09&y=&mo=)
by Jocelyn P. Alvarez

Zamboanga City -- "Infrastructure is the key to modernization." This was the outright reply of President Arroyo when asked about the potential opportunities of Zamboanga in the area of tourism and how to best promote and develop the tourism industry in this part of Mindanao.

"Go where the market leads you" advises the economist-President who said Zamboanga should be able to identify the demand of the public according to the potential of the city and invest in that area where there is an available market.

She also stressed "make sure that potential investors will get good investment here in Zamboanga City"

Mrs. Arroyo said Zamboanga Peninsula has enormous tourism potential with its beautiful beaches, lakes, waterfalls, lots of seafood and fresh fruit and vegetables and a number of historical sites, but one problem that hindered the full development of tourism here was accessibility.

"That is why we started improving our transport facilities since 2001 and accelerated the infrastructure development program when we were able to source more funds" the lady President said.

resident Arroyo was here this morning to inspect the Phase II of the port extension project of Philippine Ports Authority and the oath taking of Crisanto De La Cruz as PA for Western Mindanao.

PGMA said "This P434M project took over two years and was finished in January this year." She further said "the expansion allows Zamboanga Port to better receive and transport cargo from and to our southernmost provinces of Sulu and Tawi-tawi, as well as other ports."

It can be recalled the Phase I of the project which amounted to Php 325,347,878.27 was completed in January 2007 with J.E. Manalo Construction & Co. as its contractor.

With the completion of the newly expanded Port of Zamboanga, it is expected that economic development will definitely be hastened not only for the City of Zamboanga but also for the entire Southern Mindanao.

Australians awed by RP’s
dentists and dental service


In a first in Philippine dental history, an Australian group came here on a “Meditour’s Health Holidays Educational Trip” from May 19 to 27.

The group was composed of Australia’s 12 biggest travel agents. They visited the country’s foremost dental clinics, aesthetic centers, spas, and resorts with the sole purpose of selling the Philippines for health and wellness holidays, with especial focus on getting dental services and treatment during their vacation.

The Department of Tourism’s (DOT) Team Asia-Pacific, supported by the Makati Tourism Foundation—in collaboration with Australian Robert Graham, who owns All About Asia, a specialist wholesale travel supplier based in Birsbane—facilitated the trip for the group from Down Under.

With the current global financial crisis, many people from developed countries now find traveling a prohibitive luxury.

Health problems, however, must be attended to at once. And once potential patients learn about the world-class health and dental care available in the Philippines at a small fraction of the cost in their countries, they get sold on this country as their tourism destination.

The Meditour’s Health Holidays Educational trip here included a trip to Boracay—where else. But they also meet—in Metro Manila—a group from Palawan.

They stayed at the Dusit Thani, in Manila, they saw Intramuros (Fort Santiago and Casa Manila), Binondo and the Ayala Museum. They saw the facilities of the Makati Sports Club.

They went to The Farm at San Benito, inspected its facilities and some enjoyed the spa.

Being travel agents the group also had business meetings with Filipino counterparts and of course their DOT hosts.

They went on inspection visits to clinics and more spas at the Gutierrez Dental Clinic, the GAOC Dental Clinic, Beverly Hills 6750, Beverly Hills Medical Group, Makati Medical Center (MMC) and had lunch hosted by the MMC doctors.

They also inspected (and some enjoyed) the Zen Institute Medispa, the NuU Asia Dental Clinic, the Smiles Dental Clinic, the Devanara Spa and the Royal Bellagio Hotel.

In Boracay, the Aussie group did island hopping at Crystal Cove and some did some snorkeling. They inspected the Boracay Tropics, after which they went to the Mandala Spa and Villas.

They experienced actually venturing into Boracay’s local restaurants—some went to Aria, others to Cyma.

They did ATV Quad biking at Mount Luho and inspected the Two Seasons and Discovery Shores.

Some industry experts say the Philippines is not yet on the radar of Australians as a tourism destinations—much less as a medical tourism and wellness destination.

These Australians left very impressed with Philippine dental, medical, spa and other wellness facilities—not to mention the regular things tourists want to enjoy, like swimming and shopping.

Joyce Alumno, who is among DOT’s communication consultants, says: “If we are able to show the world how good we are in dental service, executive checkups, aesthetics, spas, etc., the US and other markets will most likely come naturally as we prepare for more hospitals to get international accreditation. This is going to be a good progression of our medical and wellness tourism—more geographic and treatment-focused that creates the niche for the Philippines.”

Nick Bowditch of Nick Bowditch Travel, known as “Australia’s Family Travel Expert” wrote in his blog about the Philippines.

He asked Robert Graham (of All About Asia), “Why would you choose a holiday to the Philippines instead of somewhere else in Asia?”

Nick made a full disclosure: “As some of you know, I am a massive fan of the Philippines having lived and worked there in scuba diving. It is really an amazing and impossibly beautiful place in some parts and I think more Australians should consider it as a holiday destination.

“Crystal clear water, some of the whitest, most beautiful beaches in the world, and locals who are very friendly and who are renowned for quality service.

“But don’t just take my word for it.

“I recently interviewed Robert Graham, from All About Asia in Brisbane, and asked him why Aussies should think about seeing the Philippines.”
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/may/31/yehey/top_stories/20090531top4.html

Travel exec urges support for Tourism Act of 2009 (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=472898&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
Updated May 31, 2009 12:00 AM
Philstar.com (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=472898&publicationSubCategoryId=66)

MANILA, Philippines – Tourism, already the second biggest money maker and job provider in the country, is likely to emerge as the principal industry soon, directly benefiting millions of Filipinos all over, according to a prominent businessman.

“Tourism is jobs and business and stronger tourism means more jobs and more business,” according to Robert Lim Joseph, chairman emeritus of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies Inc. (Naitas).

He stressed this as he asked all tourism stakeholders to support the recently enacted Tourism Act of 2009, which he said will make the industry the principal engine of growth and development of the country.

Joseph, also consul general of Latvia, cited Spain where tourism is the No. 1 industry and where millions in the cities and in the countryside benefit as tourist workers or as entrepreneurs catering to tourists.

Here in the Philippines, in the first quarter of this year alone, new hotels and resorts, costing P87.16 billion, have already provided employment to 1,286 employees, Joseph said.

By the end of this year, he said, at least 1,946 more people will be directly employed nationwide once the additional 2,315 hotel rooms are operational in Manila, Cebu, Boracay, Puerto Princesa, Tagaytay, and Albay.

Joseph said more jobs are forthcoming because the Department of Tourism has recently endorsed five development projects worth P6.32 billion which will provide 6,340 new jobs in places where the hotels and resorts will rise.

He said thousands more who are not directly connected with tourism will derive income from it like the carpenters who build hotels and resorts and farmers and fishermen who supply food to bars and restaurants.

“Everyone is actually a stakeholder, including tricycle drivers in towns and provinces who ferry tourists to local destinations or the cigarette vendors who sell outside bars and restaurants,” Joseph said.

He said expectations are high that Philippine tourism will get stronger despite the downturn in world travel business because of the new law that provides fiscal incentives to new investments in tourism projects and a master plan for tourism that will develop new tourist spots and new travel destinations.

Joseph said the tourism law will open new facets, like the development of community tourism where customs and rituals of a locality, like planting or harvest festivals, become tourist attractions.

That is why Naitas has started a program since 2001 for a culture of tourism all over the country so that everyone realizes the value of tourism in daily life and all help to insure the success of the industry, he said.

Australians awed by RP’s
dentists and dental service


In a first in Philippine dental history, an Australian group came here on a “Meditour’s Health Holidays Educational Trip” from May 19 to 27.

The group was composed of Australia’s 12 biggest travel agents. They visited the country’s foremost dental clinics, aesthetic centers, spas, and resorts with the sole purpose of selling the Philippines for health and wellness holidays, with especial focus on getting dental services and treatment during their vacation.


How about Philippine bananas?:lol:

^^ I guess we cannot bury the banana issue haha :lol: "let them eat bananas" said Marie Antoinette :banana:

^^ i think it was "cakes", let them eat cakes.

^^he was
obviously joking :lol:

I remember there was a DOT ad campaign about "Philippine Smiles", maybe they could use that for the Dental Tourism thing...

Sulu as a tourist haven? (http://www.mb.com.ph/node/202995)
By BEN CAL (http://www.mb.com.ph/node/202995)
May 30, 2009, 10:00am

A bird’s eye view of the scene island and the proposed cottages when fully completed that will hopefully start Sulu’s full development as a tourist spot that rivals the best in the world.

A bird’s eye view of the scene island and the proposed cottages when fully completed that will hopefully start Sulu’s full development as a tourist spot that rivals the best in the world.

The mere mention of the name Sulu sends a chilling effect mechanism. Yet this would soon be a thing of the past as the island province's government has unveiled a master plan designed to erase the island's stigma of being a war-torn island. A plan is afoot to build a P50 million resort on this scenic islet.

The indefatigable Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan unveiled the ambitious plan to develop the Panglima Tahil beach resort, some 10 kilometers west of Sulu and make it a haven for tourists. Sulu is situated in the southernmost portion of the country and it is blessed with rich natural resources both in land and sea.
But because of the problem of law and order, the development of Sulu has remained stagnant through the years.

Tan said that the island’s potential has not been tapped. Such potential can uplift the economic conditions of its citizens, and curtail the “conflict status” that has besieged the province for many years.

Sulu boasts of pristine beaches, particularly on the island municipality of Panglima Tahil, the site of the world class beach resort. It is located in front of the capital town of Jolo and is just a 10 minute ride by motorized boat.

Panglima Tahil is composed of five barangays and has total land area of 4,950 hectares. According to a census held in 2007, the island population is pegged at 6,192 persons.

Private investors, however, are reluctant to venture in this project because of the perceived peace and order problem prevailing.

But seeing the immense potential of Panglima Tahil, Tan said the provincial government is initiating a public investment to lure foreign and local investors to invest in the province.

Among the many pristine beaches in the province, Panglima Tahil is the most feasible considering its proximity to the town of Jolo and the most peaceful municipality among the 19 municipalities of Sulu. It is very easy to secure and very attractive for diving activities.

Objective

The project is geared to install Sulu as one world class tourist destination and showcase its natural beauty, and promote a different and positive Sulu in the mindset of its people and the global community.

The establishment of a beach resort on the island municipality of Panglima Tahil will improve the peace and order in Sulu, because it will bring socioeconomic benefits to the people through the creation of jobs and the sale of indigenous and local products. This will help in addressing the high poverty incidence in the province.

Project Description

The beach resort plan is a complex replete with modern recreational facilities such as water sports, diving activities, court games, and production-cum-sale parks for ethnic ware such as jewelry, traditional clothes and handicrafts. It will have its own power and water supply system, Tan said.
The scheme also proposes an artisan village, a venue and school for performing arts and modern telecommunication centers.

The Sulu governor said the hotel resort will have 100 rooms, including function rooms to cater for conferences/seminars, weddings and other social related activities.

Tan also said that the proposed beach resort will have modern telecommunications systems such as telephones, internet with wi-fi facilities, satellites, video, television and other amenities.

Project Benefits

“The project will generate employment, especially to the local populace. This will also improve the peace and order situation in the province and remove the wrong perception of the people about Sulu as a war torn area.,” he said.

“This will also locate Sulu in the map of tourism and investment destination in Southern Philippines. It would also bring significant revenues that other investors would see the viability of the tourism industry in the province,” Tan said.

Initially, the provincial government of Sulu in collaboration with the Municipal Government of Panglima Tahil will manage the project, but private partnership will also be encouraged.

^^ I mean why not? Sulu and the rest of Sulu archipelago has this beauty that can match that of Sipadan Malaysia or Boracay...isolated white sand beaches in Indanan and the rest.

The only thing that the name "Sulu" is associated with the greater public is its image of Moro banditry, kidnapping and civil war...unfair but this is the projected image (and the reality as according to my Tausug friends) of once powerful sultanate. Something challenging for the Tausugs and Sulu itself.

^^he was
obviously joking :lol:

thats what i thought too until i noticed the quotation marks.:)

Sulu as a tourist haven? (http://www.mb.com.ph/node/202995)
By BEN CAL (http://www.mb.com.ph/node/202995)
May 30, 2009, 10:00am

A bird’s eye view of the scene island and the proposed cottages when fully completed that will hopefully start Sulu’s full development as a tourist spot that rivals the best in the world.

A bird’s eye view of the scene island and the proposed cottages when fully completed that will hopefully start Sulu’s full development as a tourist spot that rivals the best in the world.

The mere mention of the name Sulu sends a chilling effect mechanism. Yet this would soon be a thing of the past as the island province's government has unveiled a master plan designed to erase the island's stigma of being a war-torn island. A plan is afoot to build a P50 million resort on this scenic islet.

The indefatigable Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan unveiled the ambitious plan to develop the Panglima Tahil beach resort, some 10 kilometers west of Sulu and make it a haven for tourists. Sulu is situated in the southernmost portion of the country and it is blessed with rich natural resources both in land and sea.
But because of the problem of law and order, the development of Sulu has remained stagnant through the years.

Tan said that the island’s potential has not been tapped. Such potential can uplift the economic conditions of its citizens, and curtail the “conflict status” that has besieged the province for many years.

Sulu boasts of pristine beaches, particularly on the island municipality of Panglima Tahil, the site of the world class beach resort. It is located in front of the capital town of Jolo and is just a 10 minute ride by motorized boat.

Panglima Tahil is composed of five barangays and has total land area of 4,950 hectares. According to a census held in 2007, the island population is pegged at 6,192 persons.

Private investors, however, are reluctant to venture in this project because of the perceived peace and order problem prevailing.

But seeing the immense potential of Panglima Tahil, Tan said the provincial government is initiating a public investment to lure foreign and local investors to invest in the province.

Among the many pristine beaches in the province, Panglima Tahil is the most feasible considering its proximity to the town of Jolo and the most peaceful municipality among the 19 municipalities of Sulu. It is very easy to secure and very attractive for diving activities.

Objective

The project is geared to install Sulu as one world class tourist destination and showcase its natural beauty, and promote a different and positive Sulu in the mindset of its people and the global community.

The establishment of a beach resort on the island municipality of Panglima Tahil will improve the peace and order in Sulu, because it will bring socioeconomic benefits to the people through the creation of jobs and the sale of indigenous and local products. This will help in addressing the high poverty incidence in the province.

Project Description

The beach resort plan is a complex replete with modern recreational facilities such as water sports, diving activities, court games, and production-cum-sale parks for ethnic ware such as jewelry, traditional clothes and handicrafts. It will have its own power and water supply system, Tan said.
The scheme also proposes an artisan village, a venue and school for performing arts and modern telecommunication centers.

The Sulu governor said the hotel resort will have 100 rooms, including function rooms to cater for conferences/seminars, weddings and other social related activities.

Tan also said that the proposed beach resort will have modern telecommunications systems such as telephones, internet with wi-fi facilities, satellites, video, television and other amenities.

Project Benefits

“The project will generate employment, especially to the local populace. This will also improve the peace and order situation in the province and remove the wrong perception of the people about Sulu as a war torn area.,” he said.

“This will also locate Sulu in the map of tourism and investment destination in Southern Philippines. It would also bring significant revenues that other investors would see the viability of the tourism industry in the province,” Tan said.

Initially, the provincial government of Sulu in collaboration with the Municipal Government of Panglima Tahil will manage the project, but private partnership will also be encouraged.

^^ I mean why not? Sulu and the rest of Sulu archipelago has this beauty that can match that of Sipadan Malaysia or Boracay...isolated white sand beaches in Indanan and the rest.

The only thing that the name "Sulu" is associated with the greater public is its image of Moro banditry, kidnapping and civil war...unfair but this is the projected image (and the reality as according to my Tausug friends) of once powerful sultanate. Something challenging for the Tausugs and Sulu itself.

I for one would be willing to go there for a vacation.:)

^^ sulu i believe has the best islands in SEA if not in asia. kelangan lang talaga maayos ang peace and order. sipadan in malaysia has not match in beauty per se... not even the overrated boracay.

^^ I am willing to go to Indanan...closer to the capital Jolo if given the money right now...and I'm not kidding...:)

Lakas ng tama ng show ni Diego Buñuel sa akin ah, hehehe!!! :D
"Don't tell my Mother, That I'm in Sulu" :D

^^

Ironically I think the reasons the beaches of Sulu are untouched is because of the poverty and the insurgency, which I don't think is gonna end soon.

I remember there was a DOT ad campaign about "Philippine Smiles", maybe they could use that for the Dental Tourism thing...

Just watch Wowowee and the Philippines really smiles. Ang daming bungi at bungal. I hope that the state of dental care will improve first for our local population as well as those tourists who can pay.

The Sulu Archipelago is indeed a thing of beauty. It's so sad that a source of income is wasted due to its long-standing peace and order problem. If we can only get rid of the banditry, it will have a greater payoff for the locales. Not only will tourism boom but their quality of life will definitely improve.

Just watch Wowowee and the Philippines really smiles. Ang daming bungi at bungal. I hope that the state of dental care will improve first for our local population as well as those tourists who can pay.


:lol: I guess Willie chooses them para manalo ang have dentures.

Just watch Wowowee and the Philippines really smiles. Ang daming bungi at bungal. I hope that the state of dental care will improve first for our local population as well as those tourists who can pay.

:lol: Wala atang credibility ahahaha, maybe we could promote tooth extractions instead