Travel and Tourism Industry [Archive] - Page 27

sandwindstars

July 9th, 2010, 04:10 PM

No detours
By JULLIE Y. DAZA
July 9, 2010, 3:55pm

When Tourism Secretary Albert Lim met more than a handful – 90 confirmed – of “stakeholders” in the business, he asked them to go slow because “this is only my third day.”

They flew in from Cebu and Davao, they braved the traffic to represent their airline, agency, hotel, to shake his hand and “just to be here” (Manila Peninsula).

Dading and Aileen Clemente, Mila Abad, Rita Dy, Liela Salgado, Zenaida Chua, Tess Henderson, Lino Zapanta, Patrick Tan, Mamer Banatin, Charles Uy, Margret Fernan, Mimi Noble, Helen Hao, Carmita Francisco,
Monette Hamlin, Adelia Majaba.

The point of the exercise was to rally ‘round and tell the world they’re happy that at last, after 11 tourism secretaries, “Bertie” is it – he’s one of them.

They expect him to know as much as they do and to have all the solutions that they fantasize about. I asked if he was keeping the “WOW Philippines” brand and he said he found it “empty,” an “overpromise.”

I asked where his predecessors failed and how or where he might do better, and to phrase his answer in one quotable line.

His reply: “You’re asking me to make enemies.” After a thoughtful pause: “I’d rather stand on their shoulders and look out, ahead.”

Stakeholders? - There are missing components in that group. In most developed countries, the Tourism satellite account is composed of several sectors, including local components (e.g. chambers of commerce, lgu's, museums, attractions, etc) where tourism is the main driver of their local economy.

One of them? - lobby groups, single focused interest groups. To be honest, if any one of these were truly smart, they probably could have done much better in their own businesses. The smart ones are the Europeans/Koreans etc who have made investments, created their own marketing and brought their own tourists, making a killing inspite of perceptions that the Philippines is a "difficult"destination. I noticed, the group doesn't include a number of locally based foreign operators who do their own marketing.

WOW Philippines "Empty", "overpromise" - this guy just set himself up for a fall. Unless he can produce the numbers, (not only stats, but $$$) he will be eating his words. And tourism is a fickle industry. I think WOW Philippines was one of 2 campaigns that produced numbers. The other was the tourism boom during the Marcos time which unfortunately produced a downside - Manila as sin city, competing with that other sin city, Bangkok.

"I'd rather stand on their shoulders" - good choice of words. I hope he can build on the success.

sandwindstars

July 9th, 2010, 05:00 PM

BETGA is the Batad Eco Tourism Guides Association (not exactly sure but close enough) comprised of young villagers who make a living out of "guiding" tourists through Batad down to Tappia Falls. I came across this group in Batad village where tourists register. On the wall was a bristol board with a TO DO LIST - repair a few terrace walls (destroyed by the last typhoon); fix the trail all the way down to Tappia Falls, put up signs etc, with estimated costs. They are sanctioned by the baranggay council, and were asking for donations. I asked them why ask for donations, not get funding from the lgu, provincial, national governments or even corporate donors. The response was, "We're only small people. We need someone big to speak on our behalf. Then I suggested to charge P100.00 for each visitor wishing to go down the village. There is a viewing area which can be free, to go through the village, traverse the terraces can be for a fee. After all the terraces are like the residents' backyard.) These young folks are all untrained volunteers, earning a living from guiding, porters, etc.

The same situation I found in Callao Cave. The guide was a volunteer (trained by local DTI), they not only have earn their keep as guides, but also do the clean up work, and maybe the security of the guests. All the while one pays an entrance fee to the provincial government. The same situation I found at Olango Bird Sanctuary. The 2 environmentalists are volunteers deputized by DENR. But they were smarter, they charge P100 to go in with a guide. I asked why aren't there more deputized locals to maintain the security of the reserve, the answer was: the locals want to be paid, and DENR doesn't have money. These 2 dudes even maintain their own little displays too.

Until the Dept of Tourism and LGU's can harness the participation of the real stakeholders in tourism, the local community, then all the natural and man made heritage of the country may be lost.Donsol seems to be a good benchmark in sustainable grassroots tourism.

Filipinos (in the Philippines), govt's and individuals, themselves must support the communities that keep the places that you (and visitors) like to visit. Unfortunately, many can't even find a few pesos to drop in the pot, and expect everything to be free. I will always remember Gordon during his term as DOT. If we can't keep our backyard clean and tidy, who would want to visit you? True isn't it?

Rice Terraces (http://sandwindstars.blogspot.com/search/label/Banaue)
Batanes (http://sandwindstars.blogspot.com/search/label/Batanes)

SleMarKen

July 9th, 2010, 06:07 PM

An overpromise? :ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno:

So does he mean he won't continue that WOW branding? Change nanaman?
For me, inconsistency means nothing...:ohno:

I hope he will have his own branding na kakagatin ng mga turista...

SleMarKen

July 9th, 2010, 06:16 PM

Salamat sir... Batanes is one of the places that I truly fell in love with... I wish dun na lang ako nakatira...

haha, ano ka hello? Ako na kaya ang naka una na mag settle don...:D Gusto kong mamatay don. Kase heaven na ang tingin ko sa lugar sa ganda.

@bakasaurus...
yup, kahit MTA! wala sila sa paraisong Batanes...:cheers:
Adt nya ta bai, kuyog ta.

xxxriainxxx

July 9th, 2010, 06:33 PM

haha, ano ka hello? Ako na kaya ang naka una na mag settle don...:D Gusto kong mamatay don. Kase heaven na ang tingin ko sa lugar sa ganda.

@bakasaurus...
yup, kahit MTA! wala sila sa paraisong Batanes...:cheers:
Adt nya ta bai, kuyog ta.

hehehehe. ganda talaga ng Batanes... hayy... and the people man.... the nicest Ive ever met. Ibang klase.

fengrun

July 9th, 2010, 07:00 PM

By SEAIR from Manila is about 12K+++

ang mahal.. pwe! ampanget naman ng batanes!

punta na lang ako sa nayong pilipino. kita ko pa buong pilipinas

:lol:

wino

July 9th, 2010, 07:41 PM

^^ LOL :D

12k is a complete package for Boracay already..

for me.. a good slogan for Philippine Tourism is

7107

amigo32

July 10th, 2010, 04:25 AM

^^ LOL :D

12k is a complete package for Boracay already..

for me.. a good slogan for Philippine Tourism is

7107

High tide?

or

Low tide?:D

ang mahal.. pwe! ampanget naman ng batanes!

punta na lang ako sa nayong pilipino. kita ko pa buong pilipinas

:lol:

meron mas mura, 600 pesos lang:D pero 15 days travel

xxxriainxxx

July 10th, 2010, 05:17 AM

ang mahal.. pwe! ampanget naman ng batanes!

punta na lang ako sa nayong pilipino. kita ko pa buong pilipinas

:lol:

LOL.mahal talaga, pero sulit na sulit. hindi ka talaga magsisisi..:) at walang Koreanong nagagawi dun. hehehe. Walang restaurant na nagseserve ng kimchi so far. :D

xxxriainxxx

July 10th, 2010, 05:19 AM

^^ LOL :D

12k is a complete package for Boracay already..

for me.. a good slogan for Philippine Tourism is

7107

7107-- hmmm... mahirap yan bro, hindi lahat ng tao sa mundo alam yung number ng isla natin. I dunno. Marketing and Brand wise mukhang mahina yan.

wow philippines is good enough for me, basta consistent lang.

wino

July 10th, 2010, 06:50 AM

^^ i know. so it has to go on a series of promotion..

like put up BIG 7107 posters all over, billboards, commercials, logos on food products (ex. MCDO) .. then people would get curious what it is..
then at a certain date.. pag atat na atat na ang mga taong malaman kung ano tong 7107 n to.. we will unvail what this 7107 is all about..
the 7101 islands of the Philippines. :D

pretty expensive nga lang ang naiisip ko haha

amigo32

July 10th, 2010, 12:31 PM

wino

July 10th, 2010, 12:41 PM

^^ LOL .. unahan lang yan sa slogan. :D

Ady001

July 10th, 2010, 01:17 PM

^^ Magandang idea pero obvious. Baligtarin na lang natin. 7017. Magkakamot mga tao.

Greypilgrim

July 10th, 2010, 01:34 PM

^^Well, let's see. The Government and the people have a "very good" record in this department, just like what happened to Baguio and Puerto Galera, and to some extent even the Rice Terraces. :ohno:

And also the coves in Zambales. :ohno:

le Reine

July 10th, 2010, 03:58 PM

And also the coves in Zambales. :ohno:OH yeah I know! I forgot that one. My friends were pretty disgusted to see a very crowded Anawangin. :(

To think that just 2 years ago, it is not even on the tourist's radar screen. This is what we get when there's no regulation whatsoever.

Ady001

July 10th, 2010, 10:40 PM

How to be confused... Something to try when you're in Bicol...

Spicy ice cream, anyone?

By Ephraim Aguilar
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 19:30:00 07/10/2010

LEGAZPI CITY – Consistent with Bicol’s spicy food culture, a restaurant in the city serves spicy ice cream. How cool or hot is that?

Flavored with “siling labuyo” (chili), every scoop of the ice cream has tamed spiciness that blends well with cold creamy sweetness. And that can only be found at the 1st Colonial Grill, a homegrown restaurant that has built a name of its own.

But sili ice cream is just their dessert along with other innovative flavors like pili, coffee, “tinutong na bagas” (toasted rice), malunggay, kalamansi, and melon.

The 1st Colonial Grill also serves native dishes that remind one of his grandmother’s cooking, say restaurant owners Elmer Boy and Rowena Aspe.

The thriving restaurant, which now has a branch in a mall in this city, a newly opened one in Daraga, Albay, and a food court outlet in a mall in Naga City, was built on April 25, 2004.

No competition

Since then, for a homegrown restaurant, it has been competing well with national industry players and fast food giants.

Or it has not actually been competing at all. The 1st Colonial Grill stands securely in line with fast foods and big-named restaurants.

Elmer Boy says they never intended to compete with what had been there.

He says the 1st Colonial Grill has its own niche – people who want healthy comfort food with a twist served in a homey ambiance.

“Whenever our family had visitors from other places, we realized there were few choice restaurants we could bring them to. So we decided to put up the 1st Colonial Grill,” recalls Elmer Boy.

The 1st Colonial Grill is an offshoot of the Aspe family’s 60-branch pawnshop business in the Bicol region.

It is named such because its first branch was located in an old building built in the 1930s during the American Colonial Period.

Elmer Boy says they found it wiser not to compete but to offer something new, “If you compete with the fast food chains, the quality and the price will be sacrificed.”

Critics

With their three children as their critics, the Aspe couple know that the food they serve is of supreme quality and delectable taste.

“Before adding a new dish in the menu, we first have our children taste it. If they like it, then we offer it to our customers,” says Rowena.

The restaurant uses local ingredients from local sources, she says. They have once been offered cheaper and processed imported meat but they refused. While it could have saved them money, it would be very unhealthy.

Rowena says they also use vegetable oil to significantly reduce cholesterol levels in their dishes.

“We put health on top priority, because we and our children eat the food ourselves,” she adds.

Good food

The 1st Colonial Grill caters to all A, B, and C markets. “Everyone wants good food,” Elmer says.

The 1st Colonial Grill’s best sellers are Bicol Express (chilies cooked in gata); the Colonial Fried Chicken served in whole or half, which is an original family recipe; and the five-spice grilled chicken, which is marinated in five special spices.

Another best seller is vegetable kare-kare. The vegetables are supplied locally while the sauce and shrimp paste (bagoong) are homemade.

One can also have a taste of deep-fried vegetarian spring rolls, which are stuffed with mushroom, cabbage, carrots, vermicelli, bean sprouts, peanuts, and coriander served with a special sauce.

The restaurant also offers chop suey with a twist, that is, chop suey cooked in coconut milk with buko meat.

If there is Bikol Express, there can never be without “Tin-nu-to” (laing). This is dried gabi (taro) leaves cooked in coconut cream.

One cannot just say no to the restaurant’s Baby Back Ribs, a primal cut of pork meat cooked to be relatively tender, rubbed with spices and grilled.

All these main course dishes perfectly match with the unique “tinapa” (smoked fish) fried rice served in a “kawali.”

Service with love

Rowena says the entire family knows the ins and outs of the business, “We know how to do everything, from washing the dishes to cleaning the restroom.”

This is important if they want to pass on a culture of quality service on to their staff, she adds.
“We train the staff members ourselves. All we look for as qualifications are dedication and trainability,” says Elmer.

He claims most of their employees have been with them for a long time and they have seen how the business has grown over the years. This loyalty has bred in them a sense of ownership.

And the secret to a thriving business?

“To give real service, you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity,” Elmer says

kyril

July 10th, 2010, 11:04 PM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100709/wl_asia_afp/philippinesenvironmenttourismboracay_20100709095833#mwpphu-container

Philippines' famed Boracay island under threat

MANILA (AFP) – The Philippines' once pristine island of Boracay has become extremely overdeveloped, with its famous beach now choked by sewage and too many bars, the country's new tourism minister said Friday.

In a candid interview with AFP, Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim suggested it was time tourists visited equally beautiful beaches in the country other than Boracay, which the government said drew 650,000 tourists last year.

"If you go to Boracay you'd love the beach, you'd love the night life and the good restaurants. But it's so dense, it's so dense," Lim said.

"It is now, you know, too commercial. It's become Phuket," he said, referring to the much larger Thai beach resort island.

Lim, who joined President Benigno Aquino's cabinet when it took power on June 30, said the 10.3 square-kilometre (four square-mile) central Philippine island of Boracay was a different place a generation ago.

The sprawl that followed the tourist dollars caused the seawater off the four-kilometre (2.5 mile) white-sand beachfront to sprout algae, which was fed by sewage from the hotels and restaurants, he said.

"Thirty years ago they tried to set the rules but they were not successful. The local government did not cooperate... so people started overbuilding," Lim said.

"Of course, bad sewage -- that's why (you are seeing) algae at certain times of the year. It's green. It's the result of the sewage seeping out.

"The algae there is not yucky, it's moss. Maybe fish eat it. But it's an indication that there's a problem below the surface."

Asked if the problem, which first made world headlines in the mid-1990s, had been solved, Lim said: "I'm not sure. I don't think so, that's why at certain times of the year the algae forms."

Lim said environmental and zoning regulations were not being enforced, leading to structures even being built inside the high-water mark.

"And they continue to build. They're building huge hotels in the mountains."

Lim suggested the government may in the end be unable to halt overdevelopment.

"We have world-class laws but nobody follows them," he said, adding tourists may just have to look elsewhere.

"The thing about Boracay is the quality of the sand, (it is) very white. But there are other places that have better quality sand, but (they are) very expensive," Lim said.

Kintoy

July 10th, 2010, 11:11 PM

^^

they should also remove those bars with tranny shows in the island. and businesses that are run by dummies of Koreans

bakasaurus

July 11th, 2010, 04:06 AM

Hate to be a stickler here but when did algae become mosses? Hehe.

But it seems like there will be a major overhaul of our tourism strategy again? From what this new Sec has been spouting.

Narnian_King

July 11th, 2010, 04:57 AM

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/9248/23676028.jpg
http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/8549/95995068.jpg
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/258/34842463545332165809382.jpg
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Retro

July 11th, 2010, 01:50 PM

Tourism head to cut cost in promoting RP

By Helen M. Flores (philstar.com)
Updated July 11, 2010 04:45 PM

MANILA, Philippines - Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said he will streamline the Department of Tourism’s operations by cost-cutting and removing special teams in charge of growing markets and fully utilize tourism attaches instead as a better and inexpensive means to sell the Philippines.

Lim said the DOT, under his administration, will not spend much of the agency’s budget for marketing and promotion programs but on product development.

“There are better ways of doing the selling, no need to send teams,” he said. “Why send people from Manila when there are people who are already doing that?”

Lim said he will sit down with his team and work on the new branding of the Philippines focusing on the warmth and genial qualities of the Filipinos as a top sales pitch.

"We need to develop first-rate products and come up with impeccable services to draw more tourists. We have to be more visible by generating very good projects and we should deliver what we promised,” Lim said.

He also cited the need to hone professional guides.

Ady001

July 11th, 2010, 02:53 PM

^^ No budget, tapos budget cut pa... Rain... do your job... :D

fengrun

July 11th, 2010, 05:28 PM

^ and sinasabi may mga tao na di na dapat pa ipadala sa ibang bansa dahil may existing na dun. Tama naman. Marami kase na ginagamit lang ang posisyon para makapagbyahe ng libre. common yan sa gobyerno.

isa pa sa dapat tutukan ng gobyerno ang OWWA. Kung pwede lang paimbestigahan ang mga dating opisyal nyan. Madaming anomalya dyan.

wino

July 11th, 2010, 09:16 PM

yeah.. i think they are just cutting redundancy of jobs.

kyril

July 12th, 2010, 12:00 AM

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/afp/20100711/tbs-philippines-tourism-059e858.html

Philippines seeks boost to tourism

MANILA (AFP) - – The Philippines is aiming to double tourism revenues in six years while avoiding the mass-market route taken by some of its Southeast Asian neighbours, the country's new tourism minister told AFP.

The archipelago of more than 7,000 islands boasts some of the world's most beautiful white-sand beaches but annual tourist revenues are a paltry 2.25 billion dollars, Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said in an interview.

"We want double that, at least," said Lim, a former high-end resort developer who was appointed to President Benigno Aquino's cabinet on June 30.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand estimates that its country will earn 430 billion baht (13 billion US dollars) from tourism in 2010, but Lim said "I'm not sure whether I would like to emulate the Thai model.

"I would like to go for quality tourism and just make up for the lack of (tourist) numbers in revenues," he said.

"Unbridled tourism is also bad because the environment suffers. So we are very careful about the type of tourism we want. The people who come for culture, history and nature, maybe we can receive them."

While insisting backpackers were still welcome, Lim noted that they did not spend a lot, adding that "they leave waste."

The timeframe for doubling revenues is the six-year term of Aquino's presidency.

Just over three million tourists visited the country last year, down 3.9 percent from 2008 as tourism worldwide retreated amid the global financial crisis.

By contrast, tourist arrivals in Thailand, the industry leader in Southeast Asia, fell only 2.68 percent to 14.15 million last year, according to Thai government data.

Lim said the Philippines tourism industry had terrific potential, despite large areas of the south remaining off-limits to foreigners because of Muslim insurgents' penchant for kidnapping.

He insisted the Philippines had fine-white beach sand superior to anything that its neighbours could offer.

"The beaches in the Philippines are better than Indonesia or Thailand," he said.

However, there were many areas that needed to be improved to lure the high-paying tourists.

Improving air access and customer service, educating rude and at times dishonest taxi drivers, building good link roads and developing niche markets were some of the new government's strategies, according to Lim.

"We'll make them (tourists) stay longer, enjoy the Philippines and so to do this we will have to improve the product that we offer," he said.

Lim's first priority is to open up Philippine skies further.

He pointed out that there were three times as many flights between Japan and Thailand as between Japan and the Philippines.

"Access creates investments, investments create hotel facilities and that will also lower prices," he said.

While government spending for the tourism sector rose during the past nine years of then president Gloria Arroyo's administration, Lim said the money was not targeted well and often rewarded supporters of the government.

"A problem of the past administration was the president, to keep herself in power, had to spread the budget thinly over different areas," he said, citing instances where airports were built where they were not needed.

Lim singled out nature tourism as one niche sector that, aside from scuba diving, had not fulfilled its potential.

Lim also said that the Philippines should maximise its potential of being an English-speaking nation.

He said the Philippines should be able to attract more medical tourists who felt comfortable with English-speaking doctors and nurses.

"They (Thailand) may offer better medical service, but people are anxious, right? They want to know what's happening to them," he said.

Lim also said that, while Philippine tour guides may speak English, they required more training and taxi drivers needed to improve their manners.

"Taxi drivers can speak English but there has to be some courtesy."

Few visitors also got to experience the country's rich cultural heritage since there were not that many museums to put artefacts on display, he said.

"We have so many beautiful artefacts that are sitting in warehouses. It's really almost criminal that they go to waste, and they are deteriorating. We should get museums in the old style, operating in the old city," he said.

Meanwhile, attractions like the white-sand beach of Boracay island were suffering from overdevelopment, and the 3,000 year-old rice terraces carved from the mountainsides of Banaue town in the north were crumbling, he said.

shadow_can2003

July 12th, 2010, 12:24 AM

flymordecai

July 12th, 2010, 03:35 AM

Ady001

July 12th, 2010, 04:57 AM

RP seeks tourist dollars outside mass market
By Cecil Morella
Agence France-Presse First Posted 11:28:00 07/11/2010 Filed Under: Tourism, Travel & Commuting
MANILA, Philippines—The country is aiming to double tourism revenues in six years while avoiding the mass-market route taken by some of its Southeast Asian neighbors, the country's new tourism minister told AFP.

The archipelago of more than 7,000 islands boasts some of the world's most beautiful white-sand beaches but annual tourist revenues are a paltry $2.25 billion, Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said in an interview.

"We want double that, at least," said Lim, a former high-end resort developer who was appointed to President Benigno Aquino III's cabinet on June 30.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand estimates that its country will earn 430 billion baht ($13 billion) from tourism in 2010, but Lim said "I'm not sure whether I would like to emulate the Thai model.

"I would like to go for quality tourism and just make up for the lack of (tourist) numbers in revenues," he said.

"Unbridled tourism is also bad because the environment suffers. So we are very careful about the type of tourism we want. The people who come for culture, history, and nature, maybe we can receive them."

While insisting backpackers were still welcome, Lim noted that they did not spend a lot, adding that "they leave waste."

The timeframe for doubling revenues is the six-year term of Aquino's presidency.

Just over three million tourists visited the country last year, down 3.9 percent from 2008 as tourism worldwide retreated amid the global financial crisis.

By contrast, tourist arrivals in Thailand, the industry leader in Southeast Asia, fell only 2.68 percent to 14.15 million last year, according to Thai government data.

Lim said the Philippines tourism industry had terrific potential, despite large areas of the south remaining off-limits to foreigners because of Muslim insurgents' penchant for kidnapping.

He insisted the Philippines had fine-white beach sand superior to anything that its neighbors could offer.

"The beaches in the Philippines are better than Indonesia or Thailand," he said.

However, there were many areas that needed to be improved to lure the high-paying tourists.

Improving air access and customer service, educating rude and at times dishonest taxi drivers, building good link roads, and developing niche markets were some of the new government's strategies, according to Lim.

"We'll make them (tourists) stay longer, enjoy the Philippines and so to do this we will have to improve the product that we offer," he said.

Lim's first priority is to open up Philippine skies further.

He pointed out that there were three times as many flights between Japan and Thailand as between Japan and the Philippines.

"Access creates investments, investments create hotel facilities and that will also lower prices," he said.

While government spending for the tourism sector rose during the past nine years of then president Gloria Arroyo's administration, Lim said the money was not targeted well and often rewarded supporters of the government.

"A problem of the past administration was the president, to keep herself in power, had to spread the budget thinly over different areas," he said, citing instances where airports were built where they were not needed.

Lim singled out nature tourism as one niche sector that, aside from scuba diving, had not fulfilled its potential.

Lim also said that the Philippines should maximize its potential of being an English-speaking nation.

He said the Philippines should be able to attract more medical tourists who felt comfortable with English-speaking doctors and nurses.

"They (Thailand) may offer better medical service, but people are anxious, right? They want to know what's happening to them," he said.

Lim also said that, while Philippine tour guides may speak English, they required more training and taxi drivers needed to improve their manners.

"Taxi drivers can speak English but there has to be some courtesy."

Few visitors also got to experience the country's rich cultural heritage since there were not that many museums to put artifacts on display, he said.

"We have so many beautiful artifacts that are sitting in warehouses. It's really almost criminal that they go to waste, and they are deteriorating. We should get museums in the old style, operating in the old city," he said.

Meanwhile, attractions like the white-sand beach of Boracay island were suffering from overdevelopment, and the 3,000 year-old rice terraces carved from the mountainsides of Banaue town in the north were crumbling, he said.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20100711-280417/RP-seeks-tourist-dollars-outside-mass-market

Ady001

July 12th, 2010, 04:58 AM

I love the 7107 slogan and the idea of having a staggered ad campaign by introducing it as simply the number for a mysterious effect and as a tease and then giving more information in subsequent ads.

How about the initial short teaser commercial with the numbers acting as a window to different places in the Philippines? Through the numbers, you can see calming images (and sounds) of four different places and islands of the country. Then at the end, fade to... "www.7107.com" :D

I made this quick Photoshop of what I mean:

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/jborlongan/7107.jpg

Bravo to the person who came up with the 7107 slogan!

Sa sinumang gumawa neto, bring it up to the DoT website and get those ideas going! :banana::banana:

flymordecai

July 12th, 2010, 05:35 AM

I created this image and the idea of 7107 as windows to the different places of the Philippines in commercials and ads, but using the number "7107" as a slogan is not my idea. :)

I really wish DoT would use this brand campaign!

RonnieR

July 12th, 2010, 05:54 AM

^^ I also like your idea of 7,107 windows.

Urban Adventure
Soaring through an extraordinary zip line only within the metro
By JULIUS P. VICENTE
July 10, 2010, 10:16am

http://www.mb.com.ph/sites/default/files/zip.jpg
Chill out like Superman. (Photo by Pinggot Zulueta)

Urban thrill seekers may not have to go too far to have an extreme flying experience as Treetop Adventure introduces its newest zip line attraction right at the heart of Metro Manila. Called Zoom, it is the latest attraction found inside Circulo Verde in Quezon City. Recognized as the first zip line in the country, it runs on electrically controlled motor cables for a more precise, realistic, and exhilarating feeling of flying.

Sue Jose, Treetop Adventure marketing head said that a motorized zip line has a greater advantage in flight speed and it provides a smoother and more consistent ride unlike zip lines that rely on the pull of gravity.

Moreover, the motorized zip line no longer needs trees for you to experience the ride of your life. In Zoom, the cables are securely attached to two steel towers rising to over 100 feet.

As of now, Zoom has two initial rides to choose from - the Superman and Silver Surfer. Riders can decide to fly horizontally like Superman to get high on speed as they survey the lush greenery of the property and the Marikina River. On the other hand, ride standing up on a pole alá Silver Surfer and sail on the power of the wind. Both have the chill ride that wildly travels back and forth on a 200-meter long cable.

Coming soon at Zoom are two new and exclusive attractions. First, the Parachute ride, which simulates a parachute fall where one feels weightless for less than two seconds after jumping off a 100-foot tower. After the opening of the parachute, it stops gently, much like the way Tom Cruise fell in Mission Impossible 1. This ride can be taken standing up or facing down.

Second is the opening of the Aero Musical ride, which is 140 meters long and 80 feet high. One can dance to music while flying through the air. The ride is programmed to move simultaneously on two axes, following the rhythm and beat of pre-set music. Riders in this zoom adventure can now do their version of the aerial dance sequence seen during the opening number of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
“If some superheroes can fly, so can we! Zoom is an easily accessed unique theme park destination. All the rides can’t be found elsewhere in the Philippines or even the world,” Sue concludes.
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/266129/urban-adventure

RonnieR

July 12th, 2010, 06:00 AM

Enchanting hudhud
Preserving this UNESCO’s masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage
By MA. GLAIZA LEE
July 10, 2010, 9:57am

http://www.mb.com.ph/sites/default/files/hh_1.jpg

http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/files/30991/11489173453hilippines_hudhud_260.jpg/hilippines_hudhud_260.jpg

The hudhud tradition is associated with the harvest. (Photo by Sylwin Solidum)

"Aliguyun Aligu Aliguyunana, an hi nak Amtalahau,
ad dalinda kamaligta adna ad Hanangaa.
An ungaungah Aliguyun Aligu
Aliguyunana eeeeeeya eee an nhi nak Amtalaw eeehem.”

While their hands meticulously and mechanically labored to reap the season’s produce, a group of women started chanting to break the monotony of the backbreaking labor while harvesting the rice. They were retelling the courageous deeds of mythical heroes and heroines who represent the best of Ifugao character.

While no one can explain how it originated, the Ifugao ancestors have been singing their hudhud while weeding or harvesting their rice fields, as sometimes during a bogwa, a funeral wake. Ifugao women sing hudhud epic; men, as a rule, cannot sing them. In fact, it is possible that many of the men don’t even understand them.

Hudhud is sung alternatively by the munha’w-e (the precentor) and the munhu’dhud (the chorister). The munha’w-e is more than just the soloist. She sets the tone and pace of the chanting. She sings a short tract, in a moderato tempo, to begin the chanting. When she comes to the part known by all, the precentor slows down and chants in adagio as if inviting the munhu’dhud to join in.

The Hudhud of Pumbakha’yon

According to legend, in the olden times, the Ifugao ancestors knew only one hudhud chant - the story of Pumbakha’yon – which they kept on singing again and again.

One day, while they were busy harvesting in the ricefield and singing hudhud, a man came out of the rice paddy and introduced himself as Pumbakha’yon. The man kept on dancing at the edge of the rice terraces, with a spear in his hand and red striped blanket slung over his shoulder. He had a dangling knife, hip-bag, and shining belt ornament.

After his dance, he sat on a big stone and shouted: “Enough, enough! My ears are tired of the noise you make, by always repeating my name. Listen, I shall tell you about the feats of our characters for your kihaw-a’yan [and] kihaldota’n (solo chant and sonorous unison chant).”

And Pumbakha’yon taught the people many hudhud such as the epic of Aliguyon, Bu’gan, Aginayao, Bulyu’nan, Gumini’gin, Dinula’wan, and many others. When the sun began to set, the man disappeared right where he sat.

But then, all the people who had seen him collapsed right on the spot where they stood. All, except two girls who were harvesting in the narrow paddies, situated far from the area where Pumbakha’yon was seen but near enough to hear his chants. The two girls eventually taught their relatives and villagers the various hudhud they heard from Pumbakha’yon.

To date, there are more than 200 versions of the hudhud. Each version has at least 40 episodes. In fact, one complete narration usually takes three to four days.

An Intangible Heritage

The conversion of the Ifugao to Christianity weakened their hudhud tradition as well as other indigenous cultural practices. Adding to this, the young people are not inclined to practice this old tradition. The few people who know the epics are now old, and there is little effort to pass it on to the next generation.

As an initiative to rekindle this dying heritage, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) through its Intangible Heritage Committee undertakes the inventory of the Philippine intangible heritage, such as hudhud, and safeguard them. The intangible heritage features oral traditions and expressions, performing arts, social practices and festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and universe, and traditional craftsmanship.

They also launched and created the Hudhud Perpetual Award as an annual recognition of performances in cultural context. It aims to encourage the community to be involved with its preservation and ensure the continuous practice of hudhud in its social-cultural context.

The NCCA-ICH has completed the UNESCO/Japan-supported three-year action plan of safeguarding and rekindling the hudhud tradition. This was in relation with the proclamation of the hudhud as a UNESCO’s Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

On March 18, 2001, the UNESCO awarded the title to 19 outstanding cultural spaces and forms of expression from different regions of the world. In Asia, there are six masterpieces, including the hudhud. The Darangen, a Maranao epic chant, was also proclaimed as another Philippine masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage on November 25, 2005.

Indeed, the Ifugao has been noted for establishing traditions that endure such as the Cordillera rice terraces, praised for its extensive engineering feat, and the hudhud. It is only but wise to emphasize the importance of protecting this outstanding but endangered heritage and of preserving cultural diversity.
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/266124/enchanting-hudhud

RonnieR

July 12th, 2010, 06:19 AM

nice....in Dumaguete City

^^ If that's not enough for you, sir jundem, then that's not only spreading in the national dailies.. Here's Los Angeles Times.. International na 'yan ha!

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs153.snc4/37002_1395205514528_1063896457_30967771_6920556_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs073.ash2/37002_1395205554529_1063896457_30967772_8091715_n.jpg

As usual, international exposure again!.. :banana:

flymordecai

July 12th, 2010, 06:56 AM

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/jborlongan/7107_2.jpg

Luzon. :D

I'm procrastinating heavily on my school project right now, so I'll make ones for Visayas and Mindanao when I have more free time. :)

wino

July 12th, 2010, 08:43 AM

I love the 7107 slogan and the idea of having a staggered ad campaign by introducing it as simply the number for a mysterious effect and as a tease and then giving more information in subsequent ads.

How about the initial short teaser commercial with the numbers acting as a window to different places in the Philippines? Through the numbers, you can see calming images (and sounds) of four different places and islands of the country. Then at the end, fade to... "www.7107.com" :D

I made this quick Photoshop of what I mean:

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/jborlongan/7107.jpg

Bravo to the person who came up with the 7107 slogan!

oh.. i think it's me.. LOL

THANKS!! you really caught my idea. Good job on the photo!! i loved it! :D

RonnieR

July 12th, 2010, 08:44 AM

SleMarKen

July 12th, 2010, 09:16 AM

I love the 7107 slogan and the idea of having a staggered ad campaign by introducing it as simply the number for a mysterious effect and as a tease and then giving more information in subsequent ads.

How about the initial short teaser commercial with the numbers acting as a window to different places in the Philippines? Through the numbers, you can see calming images (and sounds) of four different places and islands of the country. Then at the end, fade to... "www.7107.com" :D

I made this quick Photoshop of what I mean:

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/jborlongan/7107.jpg

Bravo to the person who came up with the 7107 slogan!

bro, sisimulan ko... allow me to post this on my facebook... with credits ofcourse :okay:

RonnieR

July 12th, 2010, 10:02 AM

Cruising along Bohol's newest crown jewel
By Karen Flores, abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 07/11/2010 3:58 PM | Updated as of 07/12/2010 11:29 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Bohol has long been considered as one of the country's main tourism hubs, capitalizing on its natural assets such as the Chocolate Hills, the pristine white beaches of Panglao island and the Philippine tarsier, one of the smallest primates on earth.

And just when we thought that we've seen everything, the tropical sanctuary of natural beauty surprises us with yet another tourist attraction -- a cruise along the winding Abatan river.

Using a 27-seater local river boat or bandong, the Abatan river tour passes the rustic towns of Cortes, Maribojoc, Antequera, Balilihan and Catigbian.

The area is home to up to 38 tree species and 25 species of mangroves, making it the country's second most diverse mangrove forest.

"Going hand-in-hand with the provincial government's vision in making the province of Bohol as a prime eco-cultural tourism destination, the Abatan River Tour will indeed open numerous opportunities for the locals, such as jobs and possible new businesses," said then Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

For his part, former Department of Tourism (DOT) Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque said, "In the coming months and years, we can anticipate an increase in the number of eco-tourists visiting the area, which in turn would translate to growth in eco-tourism facilities and services, to help meet the province's growing demand."

An eco-cultural experience

The Abatan river tour provides a laid-back and tranquil atmosphere, a wonderful respite from the hustle and bustle of highly urbanized living.

Beyond the placid waters and the lush green scenery, however, is a glimpse of traditional rural life. In each pit stop, travelers get to interact with friendly locals who offer native delicacies (from cassava cakes to sweet potato rolls) and perform cultural dances.

"Initiatives like this show empowered communities. We laud the efforts of the people of Bohol province, along with the 5 municipalities, in putting up a unique eco- and cultural tourism experience, another inspiring story of a community-led tourism endeavor," Durano said.

"This is not only a tourism project. This is also geared towards a deeper understanding on how to protect nature. The river is also full of history, there are so many stories to be told," added Bohol Governor Eduardo Chatto.

The tour takes about 4 to 5 hours, including the 13.5-kilometer cruise via bandong and a land trip to the upstream tour in the town of Catigbian. All tours are facilitated by trained community guides.

DOT said other eco-tourism activities such as bird watching, kayaking, trekking and camping will soon be available to complement the Abatan river tour.

On tribes and bells

Abatan came from the Boholano word abat, which means "to converge" or "to meet." As one of Bohol's most ancient waterways, Abatan served as an alternative highway for the people.

Back in 600 A.D., the area is said to be home to the Eskayas, a tribe in Bohol. Their remnants are said to still exist today in the hinterlands of Bohol, from their language to their religious practices.

There is a lot of folklore about the Abatan river, and one of them involves lingganay nga ugis or a white bell. It was said that the bell, which is 1.5 meters in diameter and can be heard 50 kilometers away, was snatched by a small native bird from the Spaniards and thrown into the Abatan river.

Several attempts were made to recover the white bell, but all failed. Old folks believed that the Bitoon portion of the river, where the bell is buried, is guarded by the encantos (evil spirits).

To date, it is claimed that the bell still lies beneath the river, waiting for someone who's brave enough to take it. -- Text and photos by Karen Flores, abs-cbnNEWS.com.

For more information, contact the Abatan River Development Management Council at (038) 416-0067 or log on to www.processbohol.org.

---

E-mail the author at karen_flores@abs-cbn.com.

flymordecai

July 12th, 2010, 10:30 AM

oh.. i think it's me.. LOL

THANKS!! you really caught my idea. Good job on the photo!! i loved it! :D

Thanks! 7107, awesome. :D

Are you still a student?

Yup, an architecture student. :)

bro, sisimulan ko... allow me to post this on my facebook... with credits ofcourse :okay:

Sure! I wonder if we can make it trend on Twitter or something. :lol:

OtAkAw

July 12th, 2010, 12:04 PM

It's a good thing we can use the 7,107 slogan despite being only the second-largest archipelago.

SleMarKen

July 12th, 2010, 12:25 PM

^^second only interms of quantity but 1st interms of quality :okay:

7 is a good number though...

we can convert an advertisment into different languages.

Siete Diyes Siete...hehe

More compositions in one subject much better...

xxxriainxxx

July 12th, 2010, 12:57 PM

^^ Hindi papasa yan sa ABS CBN este sa Media Bureau ni Noy.

Ady001

July 12th, 2010, 12:59 PM

^^ 'di bale, pag digital na lahat, wala nang dos, singko, siyete.

amigo32

July 12th, 2010, 01:27 PM

^^ 'di bale, pag digital na lahat, wala nang dos, singko, siyete.

yuck:D zero and one na lang:D

anong channel pinapanood mo?

10011100011111111:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:toinks

gusto kitang ibalik sa digital elex:D

transmission medium lang namn yun, may siete at dos pa rin:D

Narnian_King

July 12th, 2010, 04:23 PM

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/object2/193/41/n119418201420012_4964.jpg
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/7107Philippines?ref=ts
Don't forget to tag along your friends and share The 7107 Islands of the Philippines to your wall.

:cheers:

crossboneka

July 12th, 2010, 05:43 PM

I love the 7107 slogan and the idea of having a staggered ad campaign by introducing it as simply the number for a mysterious effect and as a tease and then giving more information in subsequent ads.

How about the initial short teaser commercial with the numbers acting as a window to different places in the Philippines? Through the numbers, you can see calming images (and sounds) of four different places and islands of the country. Then at the end, fade to... "www.7107.com" :D

I made this quick Photoshop of what I mean:

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/jborlongan/7107.jpg

Bravo to the person who came up with the 7107 slogan!

i like ur idea para may curiosity factor. curiosity motivates specific exploration so kailangan mas weird mas ok. i think we should do away with scenic photos behind the numbers para it's not too predictable. dapat may mag sponsor na para makuha natn ung www.7107.com na domain name.

wino

July 12th, 2010, 07:55 PM

Thanks! 7107, awesome. :D

I'm very happy ang dami nagkagusto sa idea ko.
thanks for providing the visuals!! :D

FlashCollider

July 12th, 2010, 09:03 PM

^^
Gawan na yan ng facebook account. Love the IDEA...

7107

wino

July 13th, 2010, 01:15 AM

Parang ok ciang gawing print sa t-shirt. :D

7107

FlashCollider

July 13th, 2010, 02:28 AM

Pwede^^

OT:
¡Viva España! El Campeón de la Copa Mundial

7107

sandwindstars

July 13th, 2010, 03:06 AM

I'm very happy ang dami nagkagusto sa idea ko.
thanks for providing the visuals!! :D

It's a good idea. Was thinking about it before this talk of changing Wow Philippines. I believe PAL has used that theme a long time ago. (like 7107 islands or something.) But what I suggest is to put a memorable tagline with the 7107. Spain had a very memorable branding that goes with Miro's artwork: A Passion for Life which they used from 1992 to until recently. The new one "I need Spain" doesn't have the same bite.

So maybe, you can have a contest here to find a good tag with the 7107 - e.g. 7107 Ways to Live or similar to highlight the diversity of experiences in the Philippines. It's not only the diving, beach, but also the cultural, historical, ecology, the people etc. What we should sell is the experience of being in the country.

RonnieR

July 13th, 2010, 09:30 AM

Alliance Global to build 540-room hotel in Newport City
abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 07/13/2010 2:05 PM | Updated as of 07/13/2010 2:14 PM

MANILA, Philippines - Alliance Global Group Inc. will start building a 540-room luxury hotel within the 25-hectare Newport City across the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City.

The fourth hotel to rise in Newport City, Hamilton Hotel will bring to about 1,900 the total number of hotel rooms in this area when completed in 2012.

Alliance Global President Kingson Sian said the new development "demonstrates both our strong commitment in and our confidence in the potential of the tourism industry in the Philippines."

Hamilton comes on the heels of the Marriott and Maxims hotels, both already operational, and the ongoing Remington Hotel, which is slated for completion by the first half of 2011.

Alliance Global will break ground for Hamilton within the third quarter of this year. Two more hotels are programmed to rise in Newport City within the next 5 years, bringing the total room count to around 2,500.

The company expects the additional room capacity to boost the number of foreign visitors going to nearby casino and entertainment hub, Resorts World Manila, to 800,000 in the next 3 years. This can translate to tourist receipts of at least $1 billion, the company noted.

Alliance Global is the listed holding firm of tycoon Andrew Tan, with interests in real estate and consumer products.

wino

July 13th, 2010, 10:00 AM

It's a good idea. Was thinking about it before this talk of changing Wow Philippines. I believe PAL has used that theme a long time ago. (like 7107 islands or something.) But what I suggest is to put a memorable tagline with the 7107. Spain had a very memorable branding that goes with Miro's artwork: A Passion for Life which they used from 1992 to until recently. The new one "I need Spain" doesn't have the same bite.

So maybe, you can have a contest here to find a good tag with the 7107 - e.g. 7107 Ways to Live or similar to highlight the diversity of experiences in the Philippines. It's not only the diving, beach, but also the cultural, historical, ecology, the people etc. What we should sell is the experience of being in the country.

my idea is different.. I'm thinking of 7107 more of a "special zip code" or "POP code"... like when you say 7107, people would right away it's referring to the Philippines. (just like 90210 --- you'd know right away it's in beverly hills)

I find it anti-climatic if we add more tag to the simple numbers. I wanna keep it short, simple and very POP(through advertising). :D
but your idea could be better, this is just my opinion though.

in_a_rush

July 14th, 2010, 06:06 AM

What excites me more about the Philippine tourism industry is the entrance of big time investors such as Alphaland. They are building Alphaland Bay city which will become a landmark in Metro Manila, 500 hectare tourism complex in Aklan and another 500 hec island in Quezon. Also Banyan tree is building a hotel complex in an island in Palawan and not to mention Megaworld is building their 4th hotel in RWM. They are not just building hotels, they are building tourism complex! I hope we can get more of this.

Greypilgrim

July 14th, 2010, 10:38 AM

^^
Gawan na yan ng facebook account. Love the IDEA...

7107

Meron sa Facebook na http://www.facebook.com/#!/7107Philippines?ref=ts

Ady001

July 14th, 2010, 11:50 AM

I love the 7107 slogan and the idea of having a staggered ad campaign by introducing it as simply the number for a mysterious effect and as a tease and then giving more information in subsequent ads.

How about the initial short teaser commercial with the numbers acting as a window to different places in the Philippines? Through the numbers, you can see calming images (and sounds) of four different places and islands of the country. Then at the end, fade to... "www.7107.com" :D

I made this quick Photoshop of what I mean:

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r64/jborlongan/7107.jpg

Bravo to the person who came up with the 7107 slogan!

@Flymordecai, I'd like to promote your banner. Sana tayo din sa site na 'yon! Baka mapansin :D :D

Ady001

July 14th, 2010, 11:52 AM

Parang ok ciang gawing print sa t-shirt. :D

7107

I'm up for it!

mhek

July 14th, 2010, 06:29 PM

7107 FTW!

xxxriainxxx

July 14th, 2010, 06:31 PM

From a marketing perspective, hindi ako sold sa 7107. I don't know, ngayon lang ang ako nagcomment kasi ayaw kung maging nega, and I am trying to absorb the brand and giving it a benefit of the doubt, pero alang dating sa akin. sorry... Good attempt tho.

I really love the More Than The Usual na branding. IMO. Sorry guys.

in_a_rush

July 14th, 2010, 06:55 PM

I think 7107 was used a lot of times already. See, may Facebook account pa nga. baka maglabas din ang Indonesia ng 16,000+

xxxriainxxx

July 14th, 2010, 06:56 PM

I think 7107 was used a lot of times already. See, may Facebook account pa nga. baka maglabas din ang Indonesia ng 16,000+

Sa akin kasi walang impact.. I dunno. I am trying to sell it to myself, pero alang dating.

in_a_rush

July 14th, 2010, 07:00 PM

why not stick to WOW philippines or Awesome philippines. kahit papaano may recall factor na ang mga tourists.. BTW, sa www.awesomephilippines.com ilang beses na ginamit yung 7107

may 7107 secrets, 7107 stories, 7107 scenes sa website. its not really new.

ofw_cebu

July 14th, 2010, 09:01 PM

same concept sa Croatia . . . merong posters naka dikit sa mga London Buses . . . "Visit Croatia's 1,244 islands . . . "

kalbongdad

July 15th, 2010, 06:07 AM

sana nman yung mga itatalaga ni pnoy ay yung meron nman experience or expertise sa lugar na paglalagyan nila......sa na experience kung impierno sa lupa kahapon....sa naia t3.....daming kwento ng mga turista sigurado ang kakalat sa kapalpakan ng terminal na yan.....premier terminal supposedly natin....wtf...sana hindi lang yung kilala nya....wala ng mag kokudeta sa kanya...hindi na uso yun....hindi pinauso ni pgma...

xxxriainxxx

July 15th, 2010, 06:12 AM

wino

July 15th, 2010, 09:57 AM

^^ flight delays??

xxxriainxxx

July 15th, 2010, 01:06 PM

^^ But that's expected when there's a typhoon. Correct?

in_a_rush

July 15th, 2010, 01:44 PM

ininterview yung mga tourists sa airport kahapon. They said they understand the flight delays. kesa naman makipagsapalaran ka sa hangin sa lakas ng bagyo. better be safe than sorry.

xxxriainxxx

July 15th, 2010, 02:17 PM

ininterview yung mga tourists sa airport kahapon. They said they understand the flight delays. kesa naman makipagsapalaran ka sa hangin sa lakas ng bagyo. better be safe than sorry.

Onga naman, eh kung bumagsak yan at may namatay, eh di mas lalong nagkaproblema tayo.

wino

July 15th, 2010, 03:36 PM

^^ But that's expected when there's a typhoon. Correct?

yes, but flight delays are still inconvenient even if it happens for a good reason.
alam mo nman.. mahilig tayo magreklamo.. hehe

pulsephaze22

July 15th, 2010, 03:56 PM

New York Times says Boracay is SEA’s newest hot spot
Posted on July 14th, 2010 under Beauty of the Philippines

One of the world’s most prestigious publications The New York Times recently featured in an article entitled “Next Stop: In the Philippines, the next Phuket?” one of the Philippines’ premiere beach resort destinations. The story written by Lionel Beehner explores why Boracay is now one of the region’s must visit destinations.
Here is the article.
Next Stop: In the Philippines, the next Phuket?
by Lionel Beehner
Boracay, a speck of an island, is adding resorts and becoming Southeast Asia’s newest hot spot.
Don’t try to hoof it to the newly relocated Jungle Bar, at least not from Boracay’s main strip, White Beach, where it used to be a mainstay – you’ll never find it. Instead, hail a motorized rickshaw to Bulabog Beach, hang a right past a barren strip of bamboo shacks, and look for the colorful, ghoulish lanterns dangling from the coconut trees, which give this tiki bar the quirky feel of a Tim Burton-inspired guerrilla camp.
Here is the New York Times link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/travel/11Next.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
The décor will probably be familiar to most Bob Marley-listening beach bums, right down to the rooster named Pedro dozing on the bar, the shirtless Filipinos eating grilled fish, and the $10 cocktails with profanity-laced names. All that’s missing is a drum circle.
Yet this kind of anything-goes vibe is getting harder to find in Boracay, a speck of an island smack in the middle of the Philippines that in recent years has been making the leap from low-key tropical backwater to Southeast Asia’s newest hot spot. Even the Jungle Bar, which used to be squeezed in along the main walkway of White Beach, had to move this year after being priced out. It’s now in a desolate cove on the other side of the island – as close to Siberia as you can get on a slip of land about five miles long and a mile wide.
The Philippines’ tourism ministry has pushed to promote and develop many of its prized islands and to draw more visitors than the usual weekenders from Manila or honeymooners from Korea. Boracay, with its long stretches of powdery white sand and kite-surfing- and-dive-friendly coral reefs, remains the crown jewel, if not yet the cash cow, of the Philippine Islands.
“They’re going crazy on Boracay because they want it to become the next Thailand,” said Margaux Palau, 34, a local diving and yoga instructor originally from Spain, referring to Thailand’s touristy shores. “Boracay is much nicer, if you ask me, but it’s also much farther for most people, which is why it’s still unknown.”
But that is changing. In the first quarter of this year, the country’s prime tourism season, the number of foreign visitors to the Philippines was up by 8 percent from the same period a year ago; Boracay, which is less than an hour’s flight from Manila, had a 20 percent spike in tourism. Last year, this island’s 650,000 tourists – a third of them foreign – marked an all-time high, according to the department of tourism.
Most of the island’s attractions can be found along White Beach, its three miles of soft sand lined with thick groves of swaying palms. For better or worse, this part of Boracay has embraced its inner Phuket, with barking masseuses, all-you-can-eat buffets and resorts with more waterfalls than the Amazon.
The rising population and frenzied pace of development have put stress on this fragile island. To ease roadway congestion, a new byway is under construction, and plans are in place to clean up the sewage-tainted waters farther offshore. Meanwhile, a number of new Gatsby-esque villas and vacation homes are laying claim to the island’s limestone cliffs and virgin coastline.
Expansion of the closest airport, in Caticlan, a short ferry hop from the island, is also planned.
Bare-bones cabanas catering to backpackers are giving way to fancy resorts with all the perks. The tree-house-like cottages of Nami, an exclusive resort, were eclipsed last year by a new development, Shangri-La, which has its own private lagoon. The tiki-style bungalows of another resort, Fridays, were recently one-upped by Discovery Shores, whose “beach butlers,” down pillows and sunken pool bar have added a contemporary touch to Boracay.
While the dress code still skews beach style – de rigueur flip-flops, loose Hawaiian shirts – at least one woman in stiletto heels was trying her best to navigate the sandy boardwalk. The influx of visitors has even prompted a “Bor-a-CAY please, not Bora” campaign among natives, a gentle jab at those who truncate the island’s name.
But the island’s emerald-blue waters have a way of keeping almost everyone happy. After all, you can kite-surf in the morning, dive through underwater caves and shipwrecks in the afternoon, and still have time for island hopping by sundown – just flag down any of the pawans, or outrigger sailboats, along White Beach. If a water sport exists, chances are you can find it on Boracay, and someone will likely shove a flier in your face to try it out for a “low price” (“Sir! Dragon-boat racing?”).

http://goodnewspilipinas.com/?p=12104

watcher09

July 15th, 2010, 05:08 PM

wino

July 16th, 2010, 01:59 AM

where is San Vicente? .. please enlighten me. :D

kiretoce

July 16th, 2010, 02:49 AM

Chinese, the future face of RP tourism (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/columns/columns/view/20100715-281276/Chinese-the-future-face-of-RP-tourism)

High on my list of things to do before I kick the proverbial bucket is to visit the Shanghai World Expo 2010 and I did just that, right after I checked off another item on my list that I thought would be near impossible—“Witness the inauguration of an honest Philippine president.”

The Shanghai Expo, which opened on May 1 and will last until October 31, 2010, is expected to draw anywhere from 70 to 100 million people, almost all of whom will be Chinese. More than 190 countries and 50 international organizations have set up pavilions in this the largest, most expensive Expo ever. China has poured $4 billion into this event—twice what it spent on the Beijing Olympics—and this figure does not even include the $50 billion it invested in infrastructure improvements for the Expo.

When I visited the Philippine pavilion here, I was impressed by how much was done with very limited resources. It is supremely modest compared with those of its rich Asean neighbors Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia, and dwarfed by the monoliths Japan, China, and South Korea.

It is a rectangular-shaped pavilion built without any walls to subdivide the different sections within it—food court, handicraft bazaar, tourist photo exhibits, and two live music stages.

The Indonesian pavilion right next door is easily four times the size of the Philippine structure and probably 10 times more in cost and is composed of several floors of exhibits featuring the country's vast mineral resources, cultural legacies, and its commitment to preserving the ecosystem.

The Philippine pavilion offers live musical performances featuring folk dances and a Freddie Aguilar-like guitarist-singer belting "Anak," a crowd favorite. I was told that after their pavilions close at night, many exhibitors troop to the Philippine pavilion to enjoy the live music and unwind.

On the walls surrounding the pavilion are photos of Filipino hands—caring hands that massage, play music, clap, and touch.

At least 20,000 visitors stream through the Philippine pavilion daily attracted by the live music, colorful lights, native food, handicrafts, and soothing massage. The visitors are also enticed by the chance to win a free PAL round trip ticket to the Philippines, offered daily to a lucky pavilion entrant.

It's a mistake for PAL to offer a free RT ticket to the Philippines daily, it should offer 5 a day. The lucky winners will undoubtedly bring along friends and relatives and will tell everyone in their town or village about the Philippines which will attract even more visitors.

As you wander through the Expo's 240 pavilions (which will take weeks to explore), you will notice that there are hardly any westerners (Americans or Europeans) and you will also quickly realize why China is the most populous country in the world (1.3 billion).

When I inquired as to why there were so few Western visitors to the Expo, the explanations from both the few Americans and the many Chinese I spoke to were the same: “It’s the economy.”

Americans and Europeans are still reeling from the global recession which denies many of them the means to go on trips abroad as they used to do in the past. But that is not a problem for the Chinese. Aside from the fact that it's their home turf, they have also racked up a huge trade surplus with the United States and Europe, accumulating over $2 trillion in foreign currency reserves. This surplus has allowed the Chinese masses to travel within China and abroad.

According to official statistics, 47.66 million Chinese went abroad in 2009 and this year the number is expected to increase to 54 million. The China National Tourism Administration projects that in five years, more than 100 million Chinese mainlanders are expected to travel abroad where they are expected to spend at least $100 billion.

What all these facts mean is that the future of tourism in the Philippines lies not with the West but with China.

Japan, reeling from its prolonged economic downturn, understands this new economic reality and is actively seeking to cash in on Chinese tourism. Starting July 1, 2010, the income requirement of Chinese applying for tourist visas to Japan was cut from $37,000 to $10,000 and Japan has increased the number of consulates in China accepting applications from 3 to 7. Japan expects to increase Chinese tourists from 110,000 last year to 1.5 million this year.

According to the Philippine tourism attaché in Beijing, some 180,000 Chinese tourists visited the country last year, up 13.3 percent from 2008. China is currently the Philippines’ No. 4 source of tourists but this number will certainly grow more in the years to come.

Newly appointed Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim does not seem to grasp this new economic reality yet as he declared in a recent interview with Agence France Press (AFP), which appeared in the Malaysian Mirror I read, that he wants the Philippines to “maximize its potential of being an English-speaking nation” to attract more medical tourists who feel comfortable with English-speaking doctors and nurses (those who haven't immigrated to the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK yet).

Lim’s focus on English-speaking tourists is misplaced. Last year, the East Asia market—composed of China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan—accounted for 41.78 percent of the 848,518 tourists who visited and stayed in Metro Manila hotels and accommodation facilities.

But Lim, who used to operate a high-end tourist resort in Palawan, may just be relying on his own limited experience. In due time, he may come to realize that teaching Filipinos some Mandarin may be the more productive way to go in the future.

I hope his learning curve is short because one thing the Philippine pavilion can do right now to boost tourism, with more than three months still remaining in the Shanghai Expo, is to emulate Peru and Indonesia. The Peruvian pavilion features a wall devoted to the history of the Chinese in Peru while the Indonesian pavilion pays tribute to Admiral Cheng Ho, the greatest Chinese explorer of the 15th century.

With limited funds, a wall in the Philippine pavilion could be easily set up devoted to the distinguished history of the Chinese in the Philippines and could feature bios of prominent Chinoys (Chinese Filipinos) like Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal and the current president of the Philippines, Noynoy Cojuangco Aquino, whose mother, the late former President Cory Aquino, once visited the ancestral village home of the Co family in China. The Chinoy exhibit could also include the bios of the current secretary of tourism and his sister, prominent broadcast journalist Cheche Lim Lazaro.

Let's start learning Mandarin. Ni hao ma? (How are you?)

Nanflexal

July 16th, 2010, 04:44 AM

where is San Vicente? .. please enlighten me. :D
see below
http://i30.tinypic.com/118g75c.jpg

there is a lot of beautiful beach in Coastal area of matnog including Tikling Beach and Subic Beach.

We're planning to provide broadband access in Coastal area of matnog and San Vicente is not far from bon-ot big. we can provide Broadband access there once our network become operation but we need to build 200 feet tower in San Vicente to do this.

here is our project.
http://www.adamos.org/services/broadband-internet

xxxriainxxx

July 16th, 2010, 09:05 AM

in_a_rush

July 16th, 2010, 11:03 AM

LOL! he is actually referring to San Vicente in Palawan! dubbed as the next Boracay! as far as i know.. the airport should be finished at the end of 2010!

in_a_rush

July 16th, 2010, 11:22 AM

Chinese, the future face of RP tourism (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/columns/columns/view/20100715-281276/Chinese-the-future-face-of-RP-tourism)

no offense to the chinese people here.. pero dito kasi sa pinas, may image yung mga chinese to be "kuripot". kaya siguro yung ibang tourism stakeholders dont focus to much on them. pero in actuality sila dapat ang gawing target ng DOT. lumalaki ang economy nila at mas nagkakaroon ng power ang mga Chinese to travel. Russian may be the big spenders pero Chinese tourist go in big groups. pansin ko kapag namasyal sila kasama lolo,lola, tito at tita. mainly because of their strong family ties. If in 5 years, 100 million chinese tourists are about to travel, ma-capture lang natin yung 5 percent nun which is 5 million e quota na tayo! :lol:

Manila-X

July 16th, 2010, 11:43 AM

no offense to the chinese people here.. pero dito kasi sa pinas, may image yung mga chinese to be "kuripot". kaya siguro yung ibang tourism stakeholders dont focus to much on them. pero in actuality sila dapat ang gawing target ng DOT. lumalaki ang economy nila at mas nagkakaroon ng power ang mga Chinese to travel. Russian may be the big spenders pero Chinese tourist go in big groups. pansin ko kapag namasyal sila kasama lolo,lola, tito at tita. mainly because of their strong family ties. If in 5 years, 100 million chinese tourists are about to travel, ma-capture lang natin yung 5 percent nun which is 5 million e quota na tayo! :lol:

Tsinoys and Mainland Chinese are very different especially when it comes to culture and tradition.

Most Chinese in The Philippines are from The Fujian province where "hokkien" is the dialect spoken over "mandarin". And there are still the traditional Chinese families in your country when it comes to culture so they are sometimes deemed as "kuripot"

HK has its positive and negative views of Mainland tourists especially when it comes to behaviour.

But I'm sure The Philippines will get along with them.

xxxriainxxx

July 16th, 2010, 12:30 PM

LOL! he is actually referring to San Vicente in Palawan! dubbed as the next Boracay! as far as i know.. the airport should be finished at the end of 2010!

And that map showed San Vicente near Masbate and Samar.

xxxriainxxx

July 16th, 2010, 12:35 PM

icarusrising

July 16th, 2010, 12:48 PM

Hay naku... :ohno::ohno::ohno:

The goals may not be mutually exclusive. I mean look at the Koreans, most of them come here for English.

Long_mane

July 16th, 2010, 12:55 PM

^^Nice one. Boracay's powdery white sands are incomparable. Although, San Vicente's longer beach (twice that of Boracay) poses as a close rival with an International Airport at its doorstep. Also, Palawan's beaches are more virginal, cleaner and "untouched" by developments.

where is San Vicente? .. please enlighten me. :D

LOL! he is actually referring to San Vicente in Palawan! dubbed as the next Boracay! as far as i know.. the airport should be finished at the end of 2010!

The long beach in San Vicente, Palawan is said to be the longest in the Philippines that stretches up to 14 kms. in length (not sure about this,I only saw it sa youtube video). BOracay's white beach is only 4 kms.

http://en.wikipilipinas.org/images/1/10/Ph_locator_palawan_san_vicente.png

-gPeBRa2uio

xxxriainxxx

July 16th, 2010, 12:56 PM

The goals may not be mutually exclusive. I mean look at the Koreans, most of them come here for English.

I dunno, but I am not so sure about Lim's goals. I think he is looking at Tourism in a VERY STRANGE way.

xxxriainxxx

July 16th, 2010, 12:58 PM

The long beach in San Vicente, Palawan is said to be the longest in the Philippines that stretches up to 14 kms. in length. BOracay's white beach is only 4 kms.

http://en.wikipilipinas.org/images/1/10/Ph_locator_palawan_san_vicente.png

-gPeBRa2uio

What about the sand quality? Anyway, let's benchmark it to other beaches outside the Philippines.

watcher09

July 16th, 2010, 02:47 PM

What about the sand quality? Anyway, let's benchmark it to other beaches outside the Philippines.

Yes, they say it's more or less 14kms. If you've been to Palawan, you would see that most of its islands have the same sand texture. Samples are shown below.

http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae303/watcher09/IMG_3441.jpg

http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae303/watcher09/IMG_3540-1.gif

icarusrising

July 16th, 2010, 02:58 PM

Not as fine as Boracay but it's also from coral and limestone based on what I've seen.

Starfish Island within Honda Bay...

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs148.snc4/36752_448864336180_591166180_6621488_3390065_n.jpg

Pandan Island within Honda Bay...

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs015.snc4/34099_448864851180_591166180_6621519_1407531_n.jpg

Sabang Bay...

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs051.snc4/34922_449306311180_591166180_6635917_6501603_n.jpg

xxxriainxxx

July 16th, 2010, 03:12 PM

Yes, they say it's more or less 14kms. If you've been to Palawan, you would see that most of its islands have the same sand texture. Samples are shown below.

http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae303/watcher09/IMG_3441.jpg

http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae303/watcher09/IMG_3540-1.gif

Yes I've been to Palawan at least twice..

Not as fine as Boracay but it's also from coral and limestone based on what I've seen.

Starfish Island within Honda Bay...

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs148.snc4/36752_448864336180_591166180_6621488_3390065_n.jpg

Pandan Island within Honda Bay...

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs015.snc4/34099_448864851180_591166180_6621519_1407531_n.jpg

Sabang Bay...

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs051.snc4/34922_449306311180_591166180_6635917_6501603_n.jpg

Yep, been to all of these too. ^^

watcher09

July 16th, 2010, 03:13 PM

...there is a lot of beautiful beach in Coastal area of matnog including Tikling Beach and Subic Beach.

This is a different place, though, I've been there in Matnog. Please see pictures below.

Subic Beach

http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae303/watcher09/IMG_5577.jpg

Tikling Beach

http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae303/watcher09/IMG_5669.jpg

mwg12a

July 16th, 2010, 04:40 PM

There is a white sand beach in Olongapo? Subic? Wow, didn't know that.

bakasaurus

July 16th, 2010, 05:22 PM

What about the sand quality? Anyway, let's benchmark it to other beaches outside the Philippines.

Tol. Pakiclarify lang po. Aren't any of our beaches in the Philippines enough as a benchmark of quality in terms of sand??!

I might have misinterpreted it, because the statement is especially strange coming from you.:lol:

xxxriainxxx

July 16th, 2010, 06:11 PM

This is a different place, though, I've been there in Matnog. Please see pictures below.

Subic Beach

http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae303/watcher09/IMG_5577.jpg

Tikling Beach

http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae303/watcher09/IMG_5669.jpg

There is a white sand beach in Olongapo? Subic? Wow, didn't know that.

That is Big and Little Subic in SORSOGON. Not Olongapo.

Tol. Pakiclarify lang po. Aren't any of our beaches in the Philippines enough as a benchmark of quality in terms of sand??!

I might have misinterpreted it, because the statement is especially strange coming from you.:lol:

I am just trying to avoid the pataasan ng ihi between different destinations sa bansa natin. Alam mo naman ang "Better than Boracay" tag. I mean, we should market it as better than say Palau, better than Maldives, better than Thailand, etc etc.

It's almost like CVC between Boracay and other destinations. Minsan nakakapikon na yung ganitong mga hirit. ;)

bakasaurus

July 16th, 2010, 06:17 PM

That is Big and Little Subic in SORSOGON. Not Olongapo.

I am just trying to avoid the pataasan ng ihi between different destinations sa bansa natin. Alam mo naman ang "Better than Boracay" tag. I mean, we should market it as better than say Palau, better than Maldives, better than Thailand, etc etc.

It's almost like CVC between Boracay and other destinations. Minsan nakakapikon na yung ganitong mga hirit. ;)

Ah, I see. I get your drift.:)

watcher09

July 17th, 2010, 09:29 AM

Ah, I see. I get your drift.:)

Me too. Actually, the quality of the sand really does matter. Although, people have different favorites depending on their preferences. As for me, I prefer beaches with white sands, clear water, with areas which are rich in corals, fish,etc., tranquility. Which is better? I don't care, they make me happy and I love them all.

bakasaurus

July 17th, 2010, 03:49 PM

A true sea creature like me would know that every beach is a special beach. Lol.
I'm an eclectic when it comes to beaches. Boulder beaches are nice, especially those with very rounded stones, black mica-sand beaches are also fun in a way but you can't walk on them at midday on a sunny day, white sand beaches are dazzling and good for nightswimming, but what I love most about the sea are also its creatures, so maybe I love best sand beaches which are not so sloping. Those with sand but where the ledge is also near so you don't have to swim too far to get to the maximum coral reef growth zone. Beaches with cliffs are very nice, and those which also drop off to depths of 20 to 50 m a few steps from the shore are also very exciting!

Okay, I'll stop now. I'm already gushing. I shouldn't have started. Lol.

Ady001

July 18th, 2010, 12:38 PM

RP 3rd cheapest tourist destination in Southeast Asia
By Ted P. Torres (The Philippine Star) Updated July 18, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines has been ranked the third cheapest tourist destination in Southeast Asia, a survey made by one of the leading financial publications in Asia showed.

The survey conducted by FinanceAsia, one of the leading business publications in the region, utilized Mandarin Oriental’s rack rates as basis for the reader’s outlook.

Topping the list of best tourist destinations in Southeast Asia are Indonesia and Thailand, while Malaysia came fourth after the Philippines.

“Despite our readers’ increasingly eccentric voting patterns, Indonesia seems a reasonable choice,” FinanceAsia said.

It added: “A cursory glance at Mandarin Oriental’s rack rates shows a deluxe room in August costs $345 a night in Bangkok, which would get you a club room in Manila – plus change for a taxi to the airport. In Jakarta, a deluxe room is just $173 (and about the same in Kuala Lumpur), which is literally half the price of Bangkok.”

Another method used is The Economist’s Big Mac Index, which uses the price of burgers around the world as a light-hearted measure of relative currency values, and used as a benchmark for tourists to work out how expensive an unfamiliar country is going to be.

However, the evidence of this data is the opposite of the Mandarin data: a Big Mac in Indonesia costs $2.28 – more expensive than either Thailand ($2.16) or Malaysia ($2.12).

On the upside, readers stuck in Hong Kong for the summer can take advantage of the second-cheapest Big Macs in the world — cheaper even than China.

“But anecdotal evidence suggests that it is lower than in either Thailand or Malaysia,” it stated. That makes the Philippines the cheapest place for both burgers and hotel rooms, the report noted. The peso also has the advantage of getting cheaper. The rupiah, on the other hand, has strengthened so far this year. It costs about Rp9,000 to buy a dollar today, compared to Rp9,350 at the start of the year. Baht and ringgit exchange rates have also strengthened.

The peso on the other hand, is almost unique in the region, having consistently weakened against the dollar this year.

Tourism traffic in the Philippines hit over 8.9 million in 2009, or 14.19 percent higher compared to 7.8 million in 2008. In the same period, 1,056 new hotel rooms were opened in Metro Manila.

xxxriainxxx

July 18th, 2010, 01:57 PM

Philippines
What they say: If I want an island holiday in Asia, I just do Bali or Phuket.
What we say: The Philippines is an easy place for Aussies to travel to because most Filipinos are friendly and speak excellent English. Those who love Bali for its beaches will be spoiled for choice in the Philippines, where 7107 islands offer many beautiful white sandy beaches with crystal-clear waters for swimming, snorkelling and diving.

The capital, Manila, has some of the best shopping and nightlife in South-East Asia. And Filipino cuisine is a delicious blend of Spanish, Chinese and South-East Asian influences. The Spanish left a legacy of fascinating historical forts and churches around the country.

Most importantly, the favourable exchange rate means that the Philippines is an affordable destination for Aussies.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/travel/holiday-ideas/the-worlds-most-underrated-destinations/story-e6frfqd9-1225892599052#ixzz0u2BbgfaP

From News.Com.Au

:)

Narnian_King

July 19th, 2010, 04:29 AM

RonnieR

July 19th, 2010, 08:05 AM

The 7107 Islands of the Philippines's Photos - 7107 Spotlight: Up Close and Personal w/ Mayon by Jojie Alcantara
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=285846&id=119418201420012#!/photo.php?pid=285688&id=119418201420012&fbid=139175979444234
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs085.ash2/37583_139175979444234_119418201420012_285688_6985122_n.jpg

so beautiful.......

Boracay beguiles with pristine White Beach
English.news.cn 2010-07-19 09:40:25
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/travel/2010-07/19/c_13404099.htm

BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhuanet) -- The tiny Philippine island of Boracay is famous for its 4-kilometer-long White Beach and there Zhang Qian met a Shanghai couple who packed it in, bought a yacht and moved to the tropical paradise.

If long, unspoiled tropical beaches are your thing, the tiny Philippines island of Boracay is a tempting destination with its 4-kilometer-long White Beach.

Boracay, around an hour's flight from Manila, is world famous for its beach, which rivals popular stretches in the Caribbean, Thailand and Malaysia.

Boracay is only 7 kilometers long and shaped like a dumbbell, the widest part being 4 kilometers wide.

The best vacation season is from November to April when the White Beach side is calm and the water is perfect for swimming; the other side of the island enjoys strong winds and waves perfect for surfing and wind surfing. The situation is reversed in the rainy season from June to October. The heavy weather may include typhoons, and sand invades the hotels and bars. Still, some visitors love this season and for years they religiously come to Boracay in what others call bad weather.

"We have the best sand beach in the world," says Tony Deng, a Chinese guide in Boracay. The sand on the best part of the beach is fine and white, just like milk powder, so it is sometimes called milk powder sand.

The sand is very, very white, and the sky intensely blue. The view from an airplane is striking.

Many people walk everywhere barefoot.

The long beach is divided into three sections with three boat stations. The widest area at Station 1 is where the prime hotels and resorts are located. There actually is no dock - the beach is considered a treasure, so dock building is not allowed.

Thus, anyone who wants to get into a boat must wade into the shallow water, maybe 30 to 40 meters from the shore, and climb aboard. The water only reaches mid-thigh. Skippers are happy to pull visitors onboard and give tours.

Boating is one of the best ways to have a general look around the island and most guides recommend it.

Paraws, the local outrigger sailboats, are the most common water transport. The hull is the principal axis and outrigger beams extend on each side. Visitors in life vests can sit on the beams and keep their belongings in the boat, and visitors balance the boat on both sides.

Boracay beguiles with pristine White Beach
English.news.cn 2010-07-19 09:40:25 FeedbackPrintRSS

Bancas, bigger boats with motors and more than 12 seats, are used for longer sailing. They too have outriggers, so it looks like a giant crab.

Tourist can rent sailboats. Now they can sail aboard a yacht owned by American Steve and Shanghainese girl Lilyan. The two, both successful in media and public relation, have been trying to get away from crowded and hectic cities and made their first visit to Boracay in July last year when they were working in Shanghai. After a few more visits they bought their love boat Mahal and left the rat race behind.

"Stepping on the fine sand beach, watching the fairy tale-like sail boats in the blue sea, and chatting with the simple and friendly residents here, I told myself and Steve that I would like to stay," says Lilyan.

The couple offers five-hour day sails and two-hour sunset sails; advance booking is required.

Water sports such as wind surfing and jet skiing are popular. Boats can be rented for sea fishing and for diving and snorkeling; beginners should find a professional diving coach if they're interested in scuba.

Small hotels with charming rooms are just a minute's walk from the beach and are very popular, especially with couples, Many hotels have no more than 40 rooms.

Beach-front hotels have their own stretch of beach and provide lounge chairs and umbrellas. Upscale hotels have all the luxuries and visitors can sit in a bath and enjoy the seaside scenery.

Vendors approach visitors on the beach, trying to sell shell jewelry, fruit shakes, ice cream, sunglasses, massage and other things.

Mango shakes are extremely popular as the Philippines claims to have the best mangoes in the world. Getting a coconut oil massage as you lie on the beach under a palm tree and watch the water is a great experience.

The Boracay nightlife is lively and gets going at sunset. Lounge chairs are replaced by barbecues, buffets, bars and small stages for entertainment.

If you go:

Direct flights from Shanghai to Kalibo International Airport near Boracay were resumed in July. The flight is just three hours. There are two direct flights from Shanghai on Monday and Thursday, departing around 10pm from Pudong International Airport.

A shuttle bus from the airport takes 90 minutes to reach the jetty port in Caticlan, the port of entry for Boracay. Outrigger boats or "bancas" shove off every few minutes for Boracay.

(Source: Shanghai Daily)

Askal82

July 20th, 2010, 01:45 AM

Kintoy

July 20th, 2010, 03:48 PM

Harper out of Intramuros; Lapid as trade-off in PTA?

abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 07/20/2010 3:44 PM | Updated as of 07/20/2010 7:05 PM

MANILA, Philippines - Newly-appointed Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim has chosen businessman Jose “Junjun” Capistrano, Jr. to replace Anna Marie “Bambi” Harper as administrator of the historic walled city of Intramuros.

Lim told ANC’s Headstart on Tuesday that he needed someone who would make Intramuros “a truly heritage site, a destination that Manila needs.”

The Intramuros administrator is responsible for making the former seat of Spanish colonial rule into a prime urban tour destination in the country.

The Intramuros Administration is an attached agency of the Department of Tourism.

This will not be the first time for Capistrano, a former Ateneo Alumni Association President, to sit as Intramuros administrator.

He had a short stint during former President Corazon Aquino’s term but was immediately transferred to the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA). As PTA chief, he helped privatize Fort Ilocandia.

Lim described Harper a “very accomplished culturati.” He said, however, that Harper is co-terminus with former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

There are groups that want Harper to remain as Intramuros administrator.

As the DoT-attached agency’s chief, she became controversial in 2008 when she allegedly allowed the cutting of decades-old trees at the Plaza de Roma in front of the Manila Cathedral.

Lapid as trade-off?

Meanwhile, Lim remains mum on the fate of former Pampanga Governor Mark Lapid as general manager and chief executive of the PTA.

Lapid, the son of former movie actor and now senator Lito Lapid, was appointed by Arroyo in 2008.

Lim shrugged off allegations that Lapid is being retained in exchange for his father’s support for the administration’s bet in the Senate presidency, Senator Francis Pangilinan.

“He was there for 2 years already so he was a concession in the last administration or he was capable. I still have to evaluate his performance. It’s very hard to evaluate the performance of the PTA,” Lim said.

PTA is a corporate entity attached to the DoT. It is tasked to harness the private sector into tapping available resources for the purpose of boosting the tourism industry.

“There’s so much money and so many requests from so many people to fund this or that. You don’t know what is necessary. So, I guess as chairman, I have to review and say these are our priorities. It’s up to the [PTA] to execute,” Lim said.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/07/20/10/harper-out-intramuros-lapid-trade-pta

Ady001

July 21st, 2010, 02:05 AM

^^ OK, marunong ba siyang mag English? Please... mas OK pa si Carlos Celdran...

palawan_buddy

July 21st, 2010, 02:15 PM

Tol. Pakiclarify lang po. Aren't any of our beaches in the Philippines enough as a benchmark of quality in terms of sand??!

I might have misinterpreted it, because the statement is especially strange coming from you.:lol:

My family collected sands from places we have been and we had the opportunity to compare them side by side.

the best we got was from amanpulo palawan. it was finer than boracay's and whiter if placed side by side with the former. next to boracay, the one from el nido is less fine compared to the two and more pink than white. the one in puerto princesa is not as fine and as white as the three, although we took our puerto princesa sample from honda bay.
The one in sabang puerto princesa might have different quality because its a different place/area than the one in honda bay. we have no sample from san vicente, palawan-- which is near sabang than honda bay; and coron-- which is near el nido.
if you have been to underground river, would you agree that the quality of sand near the mouth of the cave is different than the nearby sabang beach? farther north coast from the cave will be san vicente.
They say el nido sand is still better than that of san vicente.

Juan Pilgrim

July 21st, 2010, 02:19 PM

^^Buddy, that's a very interesting observation. You should write an article about it.
Baka ma-publish pa in Travel or Nature magazines.

:horse:

bledzoe

July 21st, 2010, 02:46 PM

manila_eye

July 21st, 2010, 05:09 PM

celdran is the most knowledgeable person about intramuros and manila as a whole. sya na lang for intramuros admin head.

Kintoy

July 21st, 2010, 06:24 PM

hmm does he have the skills to manage an organization?

Kintoy

July 21st, 2010, 06:25 PM

tsk tsk tsk. PTA is being held hostage because of a mere vote for Senate Presidency. :ohno:

ironic kasi Mark Lapid was appointed as a concession to Lapid the Senator.

kalbongdad

July 22nd, 2010, 06:01 PM

hmm does he have the skills to manage an organization?

baka chicharongin lang nya yun...:lol: ito naman si mark lapid.....na nilangaw ang mga pelikula....maghukay na lang dapat ito ng lahar kikita pa ito...wag ng pakialaman....yang turismo......siguro kala nya dahil turista sya ok na sya sa lugar nya...:lol: kidding baka barilin ako ni leon guerrero...:lol:

marlowe_cano

July 22nd, 2010, 07:08 PM

baka chicharongin lang nya yun...:lol: ito naman si mark lapid.....na nilangaw ang mga pelikula....maghukay na lang dapat ito ng lahar kikita pa ito...wag ng pakialaman....yang turismo......siguro kala nya dahil turista sya ok na sya sa lugar nya...:lol: kidding baka barilin ako ni leon guerrero...:lol:

apir tayo jan! :rofl:

Kintoy

July 22nd, 2010, 10:19 PM

Mark Lapid's sole qualification for the PTA post is this:

K6cufhldqSU

Ady001

July 23rd, 2010, 02:15 AM

Spouting one weird script after the other... :ohno:

Ady001

July 23rd, 2010, 02:16 AM

My family collected sands from places we have been and we had the opportunity to compare them side by side.

the best we got was from amanpulo palawan. it was finer than boracay's and whiter if placed side by side with the former. next to boracay, the one from el nido is less fine compared to the two and more pink than white. the one in puerto princesa is not as fine and as white as the three, although we took our puerto princesa sample from honda bay.
The one in sabang puerto princesa might have different quality because its a different place/area than the one in honda bay. we have no sample from san vicente, palawan-- which is near sabang than honda bay; and coron-- which is near el nido.
if you have been to underground river, would you agree that the quality of sand near the mouth of the cave is different than the nearby sabang beach? farther north coast from the cave will be san vicente.
They say el nido sand is still better than that of san vicente.

Better write about it man... Palawan is like uncharted for the rest of us but it's a beautiful gem of an island...

neilkhulet

July 24th, 2010, 03:56 AM

watcher09

July 24th, 2010, 09:59 AM

sana gawing promoter/endorser ng tourism department si Charice.laki ng hatak nya sa ASEAN countries pati sa Japan at S.Korea lalo na sa U.S at Canada!:D Sana mababa lang TF o kaya kahit wala na para naman sa PINAS e!:D

Nice idea. In every concert tour/album promotion in every city/country that she would go into, plug n'ya ang Philippines. Especially sa fans n'ya. Hehe!

the glimpser

July 24th, 2010, 04:39 PM

Introducing Filipinos to the Philippines

By Tina Arceo-Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 18:58:00 07/24/2010

IT’S A shame, really, that many well-traveled Filipinos know more about other countries than they do their own, making them the proverbial strangers in their own homeland.

One reason is cost, because traveling to some parts of the Philippines may indeed be more expensive than going to Hong Kong, Macau or Singapore. Another could be plain ignorance of where to go and how to get there.

Some might just need a little bit of convincing that they should know more about what makes the Philippines unique and why they should be proud to be called Filipino.

To address these concerns, the Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa), the country’s biggest association of travel and tour operators, formulated “fun, innovative and educational” tour packages to suit every budget, from as low as P100 a person for the Hop On/Hop Off Pasig Ferry Cruise to P8,999 a person for a three-day, two-night tour of the orchid farms, fruit stands and historical sites of Davao.

Enticing

Philtoa president Cesar Cruz says the tour packages are specifically designed to entice Filipinos to their own culture, and the accent is on “experiencing” the places to be visited, not just look at them and take pictures.

This type of tour particularly appeals to young Filipinos who are eager to go out, spend and experience the world.

With the Kulinarya packages, for example, travelers will get to enjoy the desserts, pastries, homegrown delicacies, savory meals and the unique take on seafood of provinces known for their culinary heritage, such as Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan and Pampanga. These tours will just take a day – eight hours – and cost only between P1,850 and P2,500 a person for a minimum tour group of six.

For those who want to throw in a long drive, Philtoa has come up with Pack and Go Island Getaways featuring Banaue (P2,999 a person), Vigan (P3,390 a person), Puerto Galera (P3,500 each) and Bicol (P7,950 a person). The three-day, two-night package includes the use of air conditioned coaches/ferry as well as accommodation, breakfast and select activities.

New sights

For those looking to discover new sights within flying distance, Philtoa has its fly and go island getaways to Bacolod, Bohol, Boracay, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Laoag and Palawan. Prices ranging from P6,800 to P8,999 include the roundtrip airfare, accommodation, breakfast, on-site transfers and tours.

Even those who are pressed for time have something to look forward to because Philtoa has prepared City Break packages.

These include the Manila Jeepney Experience for a guided tour of Manila (P500 each), the Binondo Culinary Walking Tour (P950 a person) and the Pasig Ferry Cruise (P100 each).

Cruz is optimistic that Filipinos will snap up these special tour packages to be featured during the 21st Philippine Travel Mart from September 3-5 at SM Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall because there is a palpable and growing desire among Filipinos to see and experience more of what the Philippines has to offer.

Last year, Philtoa members booked P45 million in sales, and Cruz is optimistic that the sales this year will easily top that level.

Providing a big boost, he says, is that lingering feeling of optimism with the start of the Aquino administration.

“The country has so much to offer in terms of tourism, and we are hoping that a lot of people will see the splendor of our culture by exploring local attractions. We are working together with the government to make it accessible to more Filipinos,” he says.

http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20100724-282918/Introducing-Filipinos-to-the-Philippines

metrosuburban

July 24th, 2010, 10:01 PM

^^^ That is still expensive!!

GodIsNotGreat

July 25th, 2010, 04:31 AM

What the heck, I live in this country all my life but i"ve never been to Palawan. Folks, I just made a resolution. I'm gonna visit Palawan before I die ( I hope of old age ).

Wonders abound off the beaten track
By Jennifer Campbell, Postmedia News

There are places that are undeniably touristy, yet so spectacular that they are worth braving the spates of like-minded visitors. Paris, London and Manhattan come to mind. But there are times when you want a quieter vacation, in a place off the average tourist's radar, but with charm and scenery enough that it should be there.

Ready to break away from the tourist pack? Here are five destinations to consider.

Palawan, Philippines

The entire country is a treasure, as are its friendly people -- even those who are the most impoverished.

Though Manila can be a dirty, busy city, rural Philippines is charming and beautiful. Highly recommended are climbing the breathtaking rice terraces, visiting beach resorts and riding in jeepneys. (The most common form of public transit in the Philippines, these are reconditioned U.S. military jeeps left over from the Second World War. They're outrageously decorated, inconceivably crowded and your seatmate might be a rooster, but they're a must to get a first-hand sense of the culture.)

After all this, check out the island of Palawan. On the west side of the country, it is one of its most pristine coral-fringed islands in the Sulu Sea. Get there by plane or ferry from Luzon, the Philippines' main island.

Don't miss: Palawan boasts world-class diving, snorkelling and jungle-hiking. Northern Palawan in particular offers a chance to find new islands, beaches and reefs and, says the Lonely Planet travel guide, the "seascapes of the Bacuit Archipelago, the wrecks around Coron Town and the magical lakes of Coron Island should rank high on any visitor's list."

Jose Brillantes, Philippines ambassador to Canada, recommends Puerto Princesa Underground River in Palawan, which was one of the finalists for the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Wonders+abound+beaten+track/3300394/story.html

SleMarKen

July 25th, 2010, 05:23 AM

Just wanna share:) :okay:
http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2010/islands/asia-islands/23

http://a.imageshack.us/img30/9903/tlcebu.jpg

Greypilgrim

July 26th, 2010, 12:02 AM

My family collected sands from places we have been and we had the opportunity to compare them side by side.

the best we got was from amanpulo palawan. it was finer than boracay's and whiter if placed side by side with the former. next to boracay, the one from el nido is less fine compared to the two and more pink than white. the one in puerto princesa is not as fine and as white as the three, although we took our puerto princesa sample from honda bay.
The one in sabang puerto princesa might have different quality because its a different place/area than the one in honda bay. we have no sample from san vicente, palawan-- which is near sabang than honda bay; and coron-- which is near el nido.
if you have been to underground river, would you agree that the quality of sand near the mouth of the cave is different than the nearby sabang beach? farther north coast from the cave will be san vicente.
They say el nido sand is still better than that of san vicente.

I also did this. I observed that the sand of Matukad Island in Caramoan is finer than Boracay's. Hmmm.

amigo32

July 26th, 2010, 01:59 AM

ipagbawal sana ang sand vs. sand thread:D baka pagmulan ng away:D hahaha

xxxriainxxx

July 26th, 2010, 03:30 AM

I also did this. I observed that the sand of Matukad Island in Caramoan is finer than Boracay's. Hmmm.

Nope. Not true. Been to Matukad, sand is moderately fine to rough (reminds me of the beaches in Coron). It was okay but nowhere near Boracay's. Speaking of Matukad, I wonder if they have tried fixing the graffiti on the limestone wall on that island.

ipagbawal sana ang sand vs. sand thread:D baka pagmulan ng away:D hahaha

^^ True.

rapuy

July 26th, 2010, 05:12 AM

xxxriainxxx

July 26th, 2010, 05:28 AM

cyrusal

July 26th, 2010, 07:24 AM

^^
Di ba po bawal mangulekta ng sands kahit saang beaches?:ohno::ohno:

Sa lahat ng mga beaches na napuntahan ko, nothing still compares to Boracay, kahit na yung mga sinasabi nilang "the next Boracay" or "Boracay of the ...". Sana po wag na nilang i-compara ito sa Boracay dahil may kanya-kanyang charm ang bawat lugar. Maganda po ang Boracay kahit sabihin pa nila na overcrowded at commercialized na ito.

And, the closest sand quality to Boracay IMO, is that of Carabao Island, and to no surprise... magkatabi lang ang dalawang isla na ito.

Have you heard of Quezon beach in Jolo? Many have said that in terms of beach quality, it surpasses that of Boracay...

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/1552/51955149dsc00045quezonb.jpg

http://s2.hubimg.com/u/1767397_f520.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e132/restardo/Zamboanga/51955127.jpg

http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/4403/jolobeachfd3.jpg

Nanflexal

July 26th, 2010, 07:37 AM

Have you heard of Quezon beach in Jolo? Many have said that in terms of beach quality, it surpasses that of Boracay...

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/1552/51955149dsc00045quezonb.jpg

http://s2.hubimg.com/u/1767397_f520.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e132/restardo/Zamboanga/51955127.jpg

http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/4403/jolobeachfd3.jpg

development nalang ang kailangan nito. no question ask.

kaya lang sicurity lang siguro ang magiging problem d2.

rapuy

July 26th, 2010, 07:46 AM

^^
Yeah, no question about that. Sana maayos na ang situasyon sa lugar, para pwede syang puntahan.

BTW, here's a sample of the one in Carabao island

http://images.raphroad.multiply.com/image/14/photos/8/600x600/3/carabao-03.jpg?et=%2CYfV2dyVC7qTTOIJs%2Ct2oA&nmid=162607523

dancethingy

July 26th, 2010, 08:49 AM

I have heard of this island mr. cyrusal. The beach must be crazy beautiful. What a shame regarding the security here.

Have you heard of Quezon beach in Jolo? Many have said that in terms of beach quality, it surpasses that of Boracay...

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/1552/51955149dsc00045quezonb.jpg

http://s2.hubimg.com/u/1767397_f520.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e132/restardo/Zamboanga/51955127.jpg

http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/4403/jolobeachfd3.jpg

xxxriainxxx

July 26th, 2010, 08:49 AM

Have you heard of Quezon beach in Jolo? Many have said that in terms of beach quality, it surpasses that of Boracay...

http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/4403/jolobeachfd3.jpg

Marami dyan sa border na magagandang lugar, security lang ang problema. pero ayan na naman ang argumento ng "better than Boracay". Ala na bang ibang pagkumparahan? :ohno::ohno:

shyaman

July 26th, 2010, 11:27 AM

xxxriainxxx

July 26th, 2010, 11:41 AM

^^ Maybe the people who made the comparison have only been to beaches where Boracay came out to be the best beach they've been to, before coming to Jolo's Quezon beach?

You can't, and it's not fair, to compare a place that you've never set foot. Each and every traveler has his own standard of comparison, and that is dependent on what he has seen or experienced. It's very subjective.

Exactly. But I noticed people who haven't even been to Boracay yet, make a comparison.

Nakakasawa lang ang "Better than Boracay" argument. Nakakabobo din kasi yan ang klaseng marketing campaign na hindi man lang pinag-iisipan.

icarusrising

July 26th, 2010, 11:43 AM

ipagbawal sana ang sand vs. sand thread:D baka pagmulan ng away:D hahaha

LOL...:lol:

Seriously, I'm wondering what makes Boracay sand cool to the feet even at midday. I haven't been to any other beach that does that.

dancethingy

July 26th, 2010, 02:36 PM

^^ Maybe it's because the sand is very white. Doesn't white reflect more sunlight than any other color? Thus the darker the sand, the warmer and the whiter the sand, the cooler.

kalbongdad

July 26th, 2010, 02:50 PM

development nalang ang kailangan nito. no question ask.

kaya lang sicurity lang siguro ang magiging problem d2.

have you also heard of abu sayaf and milf renegade groups? :lol: sori po joke lang....dami talaga yan dito sa pinas....

icarusrising

July 26th, 2010, 03:29 PM

^^ Maybe it's because the sand is very white. Doesn't white reflect more sunlight than any other color? Thus the darker the sand, the warmer and the whiter the sand, the cooler.

Did some googling and found out it's about the sand's mineralogical component...

"According to Dr. Ricarte Javelosa of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the DENR, the sand at Boracay is unlike those in other beaches. The others have sand composed largely of silica, which explains why they get very hot under the midday sun. The powdery sand at Boracay, on the other hand, comes from finely polished crushed coral from the bedrocks of Caticlan."

Source (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=576163&publicationSubCategoryId=64)

bakasaurus

July 26th, 2010, 05:32 PM

Did some googling and found out it's about the sand's mineralogical component...

"According to Dr. Ricarte Javelosa of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the DENR, the sand at Boracay is unlike those in other beaches. The others have sand composed largely of silica, which explains why they get very hot under the midday sun. The powdery sand at Boracay, on the other hand, comes from finely polished crushed coral from the bedrocks of Caticlan."

Source (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=576163&publicationSubCategoryId=64)

Hahaha. They needed pa an expert opinion. But I don't agree with it, because from my experience, white sand beaches are almost always cool to the feet even at noontime because they simply reflect most of the heat. Not just Boracay, but many other white beaches.

Black, mica-dominated sand beaches on the other hand are so hot at noontime and you can't walk on them barefooted.

Re: the better than Boracay ads, it is actually a tribute to Boracay. It means that it's the sand/beach to beat. When it comes to sands, please remember that we have more than 7,000 islands and almost all of them have beaches. There is a very high probability that you can find beaches of finer sand than Boracay, but IMO, beaches aren't to be judged just by the sand.

icarusrising

July 26th, 2010, 09:33 PM

Hahaha. They needed pa an expert opinion. But I don't agree with it, because from my experience, white sand beaches are almost always cool to the feet even at noontime because they simply reflect most of the heat. Not just Boracay, but many other white beaches.

Black, mica-dominated sand beaches on the other hand are so hot at noontime and you can't walk on them barefooted.

Re: the better than Boracay ads, it is actually a tribute to Boracay. It means that it's the sand/beach to beat. When it comes to sands, please remember that we have more than 7,000 islands and almost all of them have beaches. There is a very high probability that you can find beaches of finer sand than Boracay, but IMO, beaches aren't to be judged just by the sand.

There's more to it than just color to explain the the temperature of the sand. Though I agree that it is generally true between sands that are of lighter color and sands of darker hue. Tried it with Antique, Guimaras, Pagudpod, Coron, Puerto Galera, Puerto Princesa white-sand beaches. Couldn't walk barefoot in them when the sun's high up there. Common to these white sand beaches are the presence of limestone formations and corals in the environment which are the sources of calcite, the mineral which I believe is mostly responsible for the whiteness and the powdery feel. Quartz, is another light-colored mineral but feels course because it's an angular mineral by nature so I'm guessing Boracay sand has comparatively less quartz. I've seen mica in beaches and they look like mirror flakes. It must be a mixture of the properties of the minerals that comprise the sand or the relative purity of the mineral content that's contributing to its "coolness".

GodIsNotGreat

July 26th, 2010, 09:36 PM

Great pics of our beaches! I am tempted to go out and have fun like what some of these guys are doing. Chill out yourself.

pSm7BcQHWXk

lightning099

July 27th, 2010, 01:53 AM

I have heard of this island mr. cyrusal. The beach must be crazy beautiful. What a shame regarding the security here.

It should remain as it is, no tourists, unspoilt.

marlowe_cano

July 27th, 2010, 01:59 AM

Exactly!

I never been there, but I wish to try it. My uncle have been there, and he claimed Quezon Beach is 5x better than Boracay.

Have you heard of Quezon beach in Jolo? Many have said that in terms of beach quality, it surpasses that of Boracay...

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/1552/51955149dsc00045quezonb.jpg

http://s2.hubimg.com/u/1767397_f520.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e132/restardo/Zamboanga/51955127.jpg

http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/4403/jolobeachfd3.jpg

crappypants

July 27th, 2010, 02:37 AM

Ady001

July 27th, 2010, 04:04 AM

bawal. 2500PhP multa.

Hindi mo kailangan mangulekta ng sand to know the difference.

hmm... Dapat lang sa mga tao, magpa-bury under the sand, tapos pag maligo, todo smuggle :D

However, where to put it... I'm unsure...

xxxriainxxx

July 27th, 2010, 09:23 AM

hakz2007

July 28th, 2010, 05:58 AM

DOT bats for private-public partnership in tourism development
ILOILO CITY, July 27 (PNA)-– The Department of Tourism (DOT), while happy that it got special notice in the first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino, bats for the importance of private-public partnership for more tourism development.

DOT Regional director Edwin Trompeta said that as mentioned by the president to flourish the tourism industry in the country then the private-public partnership could really be a key for its realization.

“Let us seize the opportunity of having interested private investors to invest even in our tourism industry,” Dir. Trompeta said.

He said that in this partnership the government can provide incentives and create climate for investors to be competitive, and efficiently process the necessary documents like institutionalizing the one stop shop to handle this.

“If there will be a one stop shop then the investors would no longer undergo the tedious process of having their fire clearance, mayor’s permit and zoning so they can complete it in less than one week,” Trompeta said.

On the other hand, the private sector because they have the resources which the government does not have can then invest to realize the development plan.

Trompeta said that hopefully with the strengthened private-public partnership more economic opportunities could be generated with more jobs provided for the people. http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=6&sid=&nid=6&rid=290353

watcher09

July 29th, 2010, 09:01 AM

Exactly!

I never been there, but I wish to try it. My uncle have been there, and he claimed Quezon Beach is 5x better than Boracay.

In terms of what? What are your uncle's bases? Actually, according to a friend in Mindanao, the waters of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi are super clear. He didn't mention the quality of the sands, though, the pictures tell of long and wide fine beach comparable to that of Boracay's.

chrismartin

July 29th, 2010, 12:03 PM

Wow, ganda nung beach sa Sulu ah. :D

xxxriainxxx

July 30th, 2010, 04:15 AM

Please share:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VC_YkHE3LOo/TFGT7MZMn-I/AAAAAAAADkk/BRnY9K8BSgU/s400/intramurostalk.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VC_YkHE3LOo/TFGT6kML2wI/AAAAAAAADkc/oeb_YSkqEQw/s400/chocolatehills.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VC_YkHE3LOo/TFGT6dV7NuI/AAAAAAAADkU/QWFWw8Kalxw/s400/taalvolcano.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VC_YkHE3LOo/TFGT5uHnliI/AAAAAAAADkM/W__q5i0pbWU/s400/sulusea.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VC_YkHE3LOo/TFGpH_0fwaI/AAAAAAAADks/8-p4Zg7XgVY/s400/taktak.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs191.snc4/37903_412439314063_86996579063_4799051_5089011_n.jpg

From Team Manila. :)

http://celdrantours.blogspot.com/2010/07/awesome-awesome.html

le Reine

July 31st, 2010, 01:19 AM

OMG! I didn't know that "panghihilot" (primitive medicine) is now also considered as tourist attraction. :lol:

http://www.lonelyplanet.tv/Clip.aspx?key=9865683FC615D47A

amigo32

July 31st, 2010, 03:45 AM

kasama sa medical tourism yun.

le Reine

July 31st, 2010, 04:02 AM

^^:rofl::rofl::rofl:

icarusrising

July 31st, 2010, 04:13 AM

Please share:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VC_YkHE3LOo/TFGpH_0fwaI/AAAAAAAADks/8-p4Zg7XgVY/s400/taktak.jpg

From Team Manila. :)

http://celdrantours.blogspot.com/2010/07/awesome-awesome.html

The last time I was there, Hinulugang Taktak wasn't worth the visit.

shyaman

July 31st, 2010, 05:30 AM

^^ Wala nang tumataktak?

amigo32

July 31st, 2010, 06:26 AM

meron pero may kasamang borak:D toinks

pi_malejana

July 31st, 2010, 06:32 AM

^^ uy hindi naman..:D

kung mga talon sa Rizal area ang hinahanap mo, Daranak Falls na lang...:D:okay:

[dx]

July 31st, 2010, 07:35 AM

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/4843084920_10d815fa95_z.jpg

b_two

July 31st, 2010, 07:38 AM

^^^^

sa tingin ko mas maganda kung mga actual photos.

wino

July 31st, 2010, 08:18 AM

^^:rofl::rofl::rofl:

LOL

but seriously.. HILOT is slowly being introduced as a Filipino style of massage. ok nman cia eh. i think there is a SPA in MALATE that only uses hilot as their massage style. It could be a tourist attraction in the future.

wino

July 31st, 2010, 08:18 AM

^^^^

sa tingin ko mas maganda kung mga actual photos.

agree. :D

le Reine

July 31st, 2010, 08:24 AM

LOL

but seriously.. HILOT is slowly being introduced as a Filipino style of massage. ok nman cia eh. i think there is a SPA in MALATE that only uses hilot as their massage style. It could be a tourist attraction in the future.Yeah I know hilot (the type of massage), but I was talking about panghihilot (traditional "healing") yung may kasamang spiritual thingy. :lol:

amigo32

July 31st, 2010, 08:31 AM

Yeah I know hilot (the type of massage), but I was talking about panghihilot (traditional "healing") yung may kasamang spiritual thingy. :lol:

hindi mo ba alam na maraming forenjer na nagpupunta sa Pinas para magpagamot sa ating mga faith healer, haler, nasa tv kaya yun:D toinks may kasama pang opera, opera, may pa dugo dugo pa kahit walang blade na ginamit, eh paano may dugo ng manok nilagay toinks:D:lol::lol::lol:

icarusrising

July 31st, 2010, 08:48 AM

They're related. Hilot that's being offered in some spas now alongside Thai and Swedish massage was originally not for relaxation but for healing. The technique is from the traditional healers- manghihilot or albularyo. Some manghihilot believe that their efficacy to cure has a spiritual dimension to it. You'd see some of them wearing talismans and carrying images not different from what Filipino Catholics would have.

xxxriainxxx

July 31st, 2010, 09:20 AM

OMG! I didn't know that "panghihilot" (primitive medicine) is now also considered as tourist attraction. :lol:

http://www.lonelyplanet.tv/Clip.aspx?key=9865683FC615D47A

Yeah I know hilot (the type of massage), but I was talking about panghihilot (traditional "healing") yung may kasamang spiritual thingy. :lol:

Hilot is actually one of the most expensive massages in 5 star hotels in Manila. I don't see anything funny with that, after all, the Japanese promoted Shiatsu, and the Thais and the Swedish got their own too. You also have the Ayurveda (kasama ang mga spiritual chuchu). It's not "primitive medicine" , it's called "alternative medicine". And people/tourists pay top dollar for that kind of service.

The last time I was there, Hinulugang Taktak wasn't worth the visit.

^^ uy hindi naman..:D

kung mga talon sa Rizal area ang hinahanap mo, Daranak Falls na lang...:D:okay:

Yep, Daranak and Batlag in Tanay are better. Check out my travel guide on Rizal- (http://tourism-philippines.com/rizal) you will be surprised what to find there right on Manila's doorstep.

^^^^

sa tingin ko mas maganda kung mga actual photos.

This is just design wise, we need to have "cooler" - internationally recognizable iconic designs. May mga real photos na tayo.

pi_malejana

July 31st, 2010, 09:27 AM

Yep, Daranak and Batlag in Tanay are better. Check out my travel guide on Rizal- (http://tourism-philippines.com/rizal) you will be surprised what to find there right on Manila's doorstep.

ayus ah!!:okay: madami ka talagang pwedeng puntahan din, pagkain, simbahan, tanawin/nature etc...:D
sa tinagal-tagal ko sa Rizal, kakaunti pa lang ang napuntahan ko (Tanay, Morong, Angono, Antipolo)...:ohno:

:cheers:

xxxriainxxx

July 31st, 2010, 09:34 AM

ayus ah!!:okay: madami ka talagang pwedeng puntahan din, pagkain, simbahan, tanawin/nature etc...:D
sa tinagal-tagal ko sa Rizal, kakaunti pa lang ang napuntahan ko (Tanay, Morong, Angono, Antipolo)...:ohno:

:cheers:

I think my guide on Rizal is one of the most extensive ever written for Rizal you can find online. Dyusme, inabot yata yan ng 5-6,000 words..

Sa kalapit lapit ng Rizal, wala silang masyadong turista, I know one of the civic leaders and now konsehal sa Tanay and he wants to develop Tanay as a tourist destination...

le Reine

July 31st, 2010, 09:59 AM

I think my guide on Rizal is one of the most extensive ever written for Rizal you can find online. Dyusme, inabot yata yan ng 5-6,000 words..

Sa kalapit lapit ng Rizal, wala silang masyadong turista, I know one of the civic leaders and now konsehal sa Tanay and he wants to develop Tanay as a tourist destination...Ang ganda at ang galing ng nagsulat. Ikaw ba nagsulat? Although info overload pero masaya.

Kaya lang ang most recommended mo Thunderbird Resorts? My gulay, ang mahal kaya dun. Rich kid ka ano?!

Tsaka para sa akin parang hindi na kailangang ilagay yung ibang negative things like why not go there section and yung broken latches. :lol:

dessertfox

July 31st, 2010, 10:17 AM

Ang ganda at ang galing ng nagsulat. Ikaw ba nagsulat? Although info overload pero masaya.

Kaya lang ang most recommended mo Thunderbird Resorts? My gulay, ang mahal kaya dun. Rich kid ka ano?!

Tsaka para sa akin parang hindi na kailangang ilagay yung ibang negative things like why not go there section and yung broken latches. :lol:

Siya ang nagsulat nang lahat nang yan at napakaraming lugar pa ang mababasa mo sa kanyang site. Kaya nag PM ko siya, bow ako sa kanyang dedication sa Philippine Tourism. Good Luck!!!!@riain, kaya lang pareho na tayong lagalag:lol:

Yong tema nang style nya is not for the reader to expect a perfect place but more as guidelines for what to expect and see. Negatives are needed for betterment.

wino

July 31st, 2010, 10:25 AM

hindi mo ba alam na maraming forenjer na nagpupunta sa Pinas para magpagamot sa ating mga faith healer, haler, nasa tv kaya yun:D toinks may kasama pang opera, opera, may pa dugo dugo pa kahit walang blade na ginamit, eh paano may dugo ng manok nilagay toinks:D:lol::lol::lol:

inexposed kaya yun sa international news.. ung dugo dugo hilot ek ek..
fake na fake haha

ano ba tawag dun sa gagamit ng baso with fire? it actually feels good. I think the Chinese also do it.

amigo32

July 31st, 2010, 10:37 AM

ano yun, parang masipsip ata yung pus:D kasi nilalagyan ng apoy:D

le Reine

July 31st, 2010, 10:46 AM

Naiyak ako dito. A comment made by an expat:

Scott,

You and I have worked together so you know I have lived here almost 5 years. I have lived both like a Filipino and like an expat during my time here. This has given me a unique perspective on the people.

I agree this is a beautiful country with some wonderful people. Like all countries the Philippines has it good points and its bad points.

I think the best answer to your question is the reason why the Philippines is viewed in such a bad light is many Filipinos paint their country in that bad light.

I have been here almost 5 years as I said. I have heard a lot of Filipinos saying many bad things about their country. This is no different than an American talking badly about their government leaders or another issue. But the divergence comes when Filipinos go overseas and continue to say bad things about their country to people from other nations.

When was the last time you saw an American saying, “The USA sucks! I hate it there!” I would bet you would be hard pressed to name more than one incident of that occurring in a long time.

As I said I have lived here a while and when people ask me if I like it here I simply say, “Sometimes.” There are things about here I love and things I hate. Meralco (power company) being one of them. I hate seeing men urinate anyplace they want and I hate watching people (of all classes) ignore their children as they run into a busy street or around a crowded mall unsupervised.

I love how hospitable and respectful MOST Filipinos are. I love how ingenuitous and persistent they are. I love how gorgeous the women are and how friendly most of them are.

I hate to see the street kids and I feel bad but I love how they never give up.

Filipinos are probably one of the greatest people in Asia but they have their bad points just like everyone else.

There are times I want to strangle them and there are times I marvel at their strength and perseverance.

source: http://tourism-philippines.com/viewing-the-philippines-in-a-different-light/

Tama nga siya, kasalanan naman natin kung bakit masama ang imahe natin sa ibang bansa. Tayo mismo nagkakalat nun unlike other nationalities and expats.

xxxriainxxx

July 31st, 2010, 06:01 PM

Ang ganda at ang galing ng nagsulat. Ikaw ba nagsulat? Although info overload pero masaya.

Kaya lang ang most recommended mo Thunderbird Resorts? My gulay, ang mahal kaya dun. Rich kid ka ano?!

Tsaka para sa akin parang hindi na kailangang ilagay yung ibang negative things like why not go there section and yung broken latches. :lol:

Salamat po. Ako po ang nagsulat nyan. The thing is, I want it to be a realistic review as possible, yung talagang naranasan ko. Hindi yung niresearch ko lang sa libro at sa internet.

Isang trip lang po yan, one weekend. Inimbita kami ng Thunderbird (mahal nga, pero okay naman, kasi wala talaga kaming kaalam alam sa mga lugar sa Rizal). Regarding why not to go, well, editorial policy yan, hindi lahat ng destinations pwede sa lahat ng tao, kagaya ng isang babaeng ayaw sa Batanes kasi wala daw mall. ;)

xxxriainxxx

July 31st, 2010, 06:11 PM

inexposed kaya yun sa international news.. ung dugo dugo hilot ek ek..
fake na fake haha

ano ba tawag dun sa gagamit ng baso with fire? it actually feels good. I think the Chinese also do it.

cupping, pero may specific term dyan. I forgot na kung ano, mahal pa. :D

Siya ang nagsulat nang lahat nang yan at napakaraming lugar pa ang mababasa mo sa kanyang site. Kaya nag PM ko siya, bow ako sa kanyang dedication sa Philippine Tourism. Good Luck!!!!@riain, kaya lang pareho na tayong lagalag:lol:

Yong tema nang style nya is not for the reader to expect a perfect place but more as guidelines for what to expect and see. Negatives are needed for betterment.

ay senxa na sir kung hindi na ako nakasagot sa mga email mo, sobra talaga akong busy ngayon sa trabaho at pag nadagdagan pa sa Philippine Embassy, mukhang wala na itong tulugan for the next 3 years.

Naiyak ako dito. A comment made by an expat:

Tama nga siya, kasalanan naman natin kung bakit masama ang imahe natin sa ibang bansa. Tayo mismo nagkakalat nun unlike other nationalities and expats.

I so know the guy who posted this comment. Tsk. May point sya, but thinking in the context of what I knew of this guy (because I also worked with him), uhm, nevermind. Tama yung point nya however na tayo mismo ang nagkakalat ng kanegahan kaya pagtingin ng ibang nasyonalidad kasingbaba din ng tingin natin sa ating mga sarili.

[dx]

August 1st, 2010, 08:06 AM

cupping, pero may specific term dyan. I forgot na kung ano, mahal pa. :D

inexposed kaya yun sa international news.. ung dugo dugo hilot ek ek..
fake na fake haha

ano ba tawag dun sa gagamit ng baso with fire? it actually feels good. I think the Chinese also do it.

Bentusa yata

Bentusa is a procedure wherein heat is used to produce a vacuum under a series of strategically placed glasses. This sucks the skin taking away the negative energy that contributes to back and shoulder pain. I use this when patients have more severe problem and are not responding to normal massage. Bentusa can also be used on a periodic basis as a preventative measure before a serious condition takes hold in the body. ~ Source (http://www.filipinohilot.com/hilot_html/filipino_bentusa.html)

Tama nga siya, kasalanan naman natin kung bakit masama ang imahe natin sa ibang bansa. Tayo mismo nagkakalat nun unlike other nationalities and expats.

Tama! Ang galing natin mag generalize at mag 'put down' ng sarili nating bansa at mga kababayan. Hehe

xxxriainxxx

August 1st, 2010, 10:50 AM

;61255969']Bentusa yata

Bentusa is a procedure wherein heat is used to produce a vacuum under a series of strategically placed glasses. This sucks the skin taking away the negative energy that contributes to back and shoulder pain. I use this when patients have more severe problem and are not responding to normal massage. Bentusa can also be used on a periodic basis as a preventative measure before a serious condition takes hold in the body. ~ Source (http://www.filipinohilot.com/hilot_html/filipino_bentusa.html)

Tama! Ang galing natin mag generalize at mag 'put down' ng sarili nating bansa at mga kababayan. Hehe

ay oo Ventusa/Bentusa nga. I remember kasi papamasahe sana ako nyan sa Batanes kaya lang absent ang masahista, nasa Manila raw. Boinks!

amigo32

August 1st, 2010, 11:05 AM

;61255969']

Tama! Ang galing natin mag generalize at mag 'put down' ng sarili nating bansa at mga kababayan. Hehe

may kilala akong SSCer, na laging masama sinasabi nya about Pinas:D sana wag na lang sya umuwi dito:D kasi pagbalik nya andaming reklamo:lol:

sana wag na rin nya sabihing pinoy sya, sana sabihin nya taga china sya, taga bangladesh, taga india o burma:D mukha namng syang burmese eh:Djj/k

Ady001

August 1st, 2010, 12:19 PM

^^ I don't know why... Pati mentality ko sa music yan rin... If I listen to a song's aesthetics I often find myself siding with slick foreign productions of some albums instead of being proud of our own... Pero I'm trying to buy only pinoy made CDs to support our artists, even those from perceived go with the flow groups. I do not support artists though who sing revivals.

PINOYmeat

August 2nd, 2010, 05:06 AM

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x102/pinakamaldito/3rdbest.jpg

CEBU IS 3RD BEST ISLAND IN ASIA
Travel+Leisure magazine 2010 poll: Cebu improves ranking
By Boboi Costas
Cebu Daily News First Posted 08:10:00 08/02/2010

Cebu has done it again.

It has made it as one of the bestislands in Asia, climbing one notch higher than its previous rank last year.

Discovery Shores, a resort on world-renowned Boracay Island in Aklan, also made it to this year’s list as one of the Best Resorts in Asia.

Travel + Leisure magazine recently released the results of its World’s Best Awards 2010, a listing of the best hotels, airlines, cruises islands and cities all over the world.

Cebu got a rating of 87.50 points up by 8 points of last year’s 79.68 points to climb to the number three spot from fourth last year.

Discovery Shores was ranked at no. 14 with a rating of 90.35 – a feat considering that last year, no Philippine resort made to the listing.

Cebu trailed behind Bali (88.70) and Maldives (88.00) which maintained their last year’s ranking. Following Cebu are the islands of Koh Samui (84.63) and Phuket (80.80), both in Thailand.

Cebu was shut out from the coveted list of Top Islands Overall.

Galapagos (90.25) dislodged Bali (which came in first last year) on the top position with Kauai (89.00) and Cyclades (except Santorini, Greece) (88.89) behind. Bali came in fourth at 88.70 points.

Rounding the Top Islands Overall are Hvar, Croatia (88.60), Santorini, Greece (88.46); Sicily (88.39), Maui (88.16), Maldives (88.00) and Big Island, Hawaii (87.71).

Cyclades, Hvar, Santorini and Sicily were not among the top-ranked last year.

“The spirit of exploration also prevailed in the choice of the Galápagos as Best Islands in the World,” says Nancy Novogrod, editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure.

Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, was named the World’s Best City Overall.

But Novogrod explained that “it's worth noting that our survey took place before the political upheaval in Bangkok began in May, and that the U.S. travel warning has now been lifted.”

The Best Islands awards were divided into geographical categories: Continental US and Canada; Hawaii; the Caribbean; Mexico and Latin America; Europe; Asia; and Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Two Manila-based city hotels made it to the Top 25 City Hotels in Asia: Makati Shangri-La (at no. 13 with 91.03) and The Peninsula (at no. 15 with 90.82).

A questionnaire developed by the editors of Travel + Leisure, in association with ROI Research Inc., was made available to Travel + Leisure readers at TLWorldsBest.com from Dec. 15, 2009, to March 31, 2010.

Readers were invited to participate through Travel + Leisure magazine (January, February, and March issues), and online at TravelandLeisure.com.

Respondents were asked to rate the islands with the following categories and characteristics: natural attractions, activities and sights, restaurant and food, people and value.

For hotels, respondents were asked to rate on rooms/facilities, location, service, restaurants/food and value. Hotel types were determined using the number of rooms and suites. Resorts have 40 rooms or more. Large city hotels have 100 rooms or more while small city hotels have fewer than 100 rooms.

For each characteristic, respondents were asked to rate a candidate on a scale of 1 to 5 where “1” means poor and “5” means excellent. Required component ratings were then averaged, creating an overall score.

A minimum number of responses were necessary for a candidate to be eligible for inclusion in the World’s Best Awards listings.

In the Condé Nast Traveler annual Readers’ Choice Survey, Cebu has occupied the seventh spot in the best island destination in Asia/Indian Ocean four times: last year at 72.6; in 2008 at 70.9 which is two points short of 2007’s 72.3 points and 2004’s 72.8 points.

Twice, it has been ranked 8th best island destination: in 2006 with 71.0 points and in 2005 with 69.5 in the same magazine survey.

Both Travel + Leisure Magazine and Condé Nast Traveler are American publications based in New York.

HERE (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/news/view/20100802-284483/TravelLeisure-magazine-2010-poll-Cebu-improves-ranking)

xxxriainxxx

August 2nd, 2010, 05:13 AM

This Travel + Leisure Mag, what are their criteria for this ranking? I am curious.

-edit-

*online poll pala.

RonnieR

August 2nd, 2010, 05:28 AM

Yeah I know hilot (the type of massage), but I was talking about panghihilot (traditional "healing") yung may kasamang spiritual thingy. :lol:

They're related. Hilot that's being offered in some spas now alongside Thai and Swedish massage was originally not for relaxation but for healing. The technique is from the traditional healers- manghihilot or albularyo. Some manghihilot believe that their efficacy to cure has a spiritual dimension to it. You'd see some of them wearing talismans and carrying images not different from what Filipino Catholics would have.

hilot with spiritual healing as tourist attraction? :)

I've tried that before. This manghihilot used a certain gadget na parang nakukuryente ang katawan mo. She uttered like prayers while massaging.

Anyway, this is good news for our entertainment industry.

Belle, Harrah's in advanced stage of talks for casino project (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=598813&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
By Zinnia B. Dela Peña (The Philippine Star) Updated August 02, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The owners of Belle Corp. and Leisure & Resorts World Corp. are in an advanced stage of negotiations with US-based Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., to build the country’s largest casino complex, estimated to cost around $350 million.

On the sidelines of LRWC’s annual stockholders’ meeting Friday, Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, said Harrah’s – the world’s largest provider of branded casino entertainment –has an edge over the two other casino players it is in talks with and it is hoped an agreement would be signed in August or September. “Among the three groups we’re talking to, the one with Harrah’s has moved to the advanced negotiation level,” he said.

Harrah’s which generates around $10.8 billion in yearly revenue, owns and operates about 50 casinos under the Bally’s, Caesars, Horseshoe, and Rio brandnames, primarily in the US and the United Kingdom. It also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos and the World Series of Poker.

Owned by Apollo Management and Texas Pacific Group, Harrah’s secured leadership position in the global gaming industry after it acquired rival Caesars Entertainment for $9.4 billion in 2005. It also acquired Planet Hollywood’s Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, adding to the group’s plethora of locations on the Las Vegas strip

Benitez, former president and majority shareholder of LRWC, said the two other entities have a presence in Asia but refused to name them. LRWC was tapped by Belle to run the casino as the holder of the management contract for the gaming component of the project.

He said the multi-billion peso casino which will rise on a 6.2 hectare property near the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, will be nearly two times bigger than Resorts World Manila, a flagship integrated entertainment project of Alliance Global Group Inc. and the Genting Group of Malaysia.

The gaming operation will be developed in three phases over a five-year period. The first phase will include the construction of the casino with around 100 VIP suites to cater to high-rollers. Two 15-storey hotel towers of 500 rooms with a Planet Hollywood theme will eventually be built to complement the casino operations.

Benitez said the Las Vegas style casino, which is targeted for opening in the third quarter of 2011, will feature 1,500 slot machines and 250 tables.

Belle’s entry into the gaming market was formalized last year following its acquisition of Premium Leisure and Amusement Inc. from SM Commercial Properties Inc. The PLAI holds a franchise from Pagcor for the operation of a casino complex in the 800-hectare Bagong Nayong Pilipino Manila Bay Entertainment City.

Together with the SM Group, Belle has committed to inject $1 billion into the project over a 25-year period.

The SM Group will be in charge of non-gaming developments which include hotels, a sports arena, museum, and an oceanarium.

Aside from its real estate projects, which include its crown jewel Tagaytay Highands, Belle also generates earnings from Pacific Online Corp. the exclusive online lottery systems provider in Visayas and Mindanao.

xxxriainxxx

August 2nd, 2010, 05:32 AM

^^ Sana tuloy tuloy na! More jobs for Filipinos! :D

RonnieR

August 2nd, 2010, 05:39 AM

cupping, pero may specific term dyan. I forgot na kung ano, mahal pa. :D

ay senxa na sir kung hindi na ako nakasagot sa mga email mo, sobra talaga akong busy ngayon sa trabaho at pag nadagdagan pa sa Philippine Embassy, mukhang wala na itong tulugan for the next 3 years.

I so know the guy who posted this comment. Tsk. May point sya, but thinking in the context of what I knew of this guy (because I also worked with him), uhm, nevermind. Tama yung point nya however na tayo mismo ang nagkakalat ng kanegahan kaya pagtingin ng ibang nasyonalidad kasingbaba din ng tingin natin sa ating mga sarili.

mahal natin ang SSC kahit gaano ka busy, we still attend to it. Nice articles xxxrain.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x102/pinakamaldito/3rdbest.jpg

CEBU IS 3RD BEST ISLAND IN ASIA
Travel+Leisure magazine 2010 poll: Cebu improves ranking
By Boboi Costas
Cebu Daily News First Posted 08:10:00 08/02/2010

Congratulations Cebu!

To Amigo: si bakekang? hehehe. He looks Burmese or Cambodian to me.

xxxriainxxx

August 2nd, 2010, 05:46 AM

mahal natin ang SSC kahit gaano ka busy, we still attend to it. Nice articles xxxrain.

Congratulations Cebu!

To Amigo: si bakekang? hehehe. He looks Burmese or Cambodian to me.

** Salamat sir.. I wish I can get back to writing articles again.. para na akong zombie dito sa trabaho. hayz.

b_two

August 4th, 2010, 07:12 AM

mukhang walang activity dito lately a.

amigo32

August 4th, 2010, 08:01 AM

nabawasan na kasi ang puro daldal lang. baka nagsampa na lang sila ng kaso, kaysa mag dakdak dito:D tama yun, wag na mag ingay sa halip gawin anong dapat gawin:D kasuhan ang dapat kasuhan, pag napatunayan yun, isa ako magbantay na hindi makalabas sa kulungan ang duwende:D nge, dapat pala pang duwende kulungan, baka makalabas yun ng wala kahirap hirap:D weng weng asan ka na?:D

Kintoy

August 4th, 2010, 01:28 PM

Kintoy

August 4th, 2010, 01:29 PM

ano ba tawag dun sa gagamit ng baso with fire? it actually feels good. I think the Chinese also do it.

ventosa

kalbongdad

August 4th, 2010, 02:52 PM

you can do ventosa....by just practice.....ordinary glass will do....

bakasaurus

August 4th, 2010, 05:15 PM

I saw this done before on my uncle. But in Cebu, it was called "tandok" Hehe.

SleMarKen

August 4th, 2010, 05:17 PM

This Travel + Leisure Mag, what are their criteria for this ranking? I am curious.

-edit-

*online poll pala.

Online poll pala? Sure? Online lang, nag babasa ka ba? O wala ka lang tiwala sa Magazine. Siguro maniniwala kana sa magazine pag ang lugar mo na ang naging best... Well, best wishes nalang.

:ohno:

RonnieR

August 5th, 2010, 05:15 AM

Dapitan to enhance tourism
August 4, 2010, 5:22pm
http://www.mb.com.ph/node/270659
DAPITAN CITY, Zamboanga del Norte (PNA) – Since tourism is the major industry of this city, the local government here has lined up programs and plans aimed to further enhance the knowledge of the tourism stakeholders.

Porlas Rodiolan, officer-in-charge (OIC) of the City Tourism Office, announced that they will be conducting training and seminars on culture tourism for guides, drivers, as well as attendants of pension houses and hotels.

Rodiolan said the training and seminars, which will be held this month, are aimed to impart knowledge to the concerned stakeholders on how to deal with their guests regardless of what nationality, to include religious sect.

“The training and seminars are important since there are lots of tourists who are coming to our city,” Rodiolan said.

The number of tourists to include foreign and domestic who visited this city in 2009 reached almost 300,000 which is almost double compared to that in 2008, based on the records from Rodiolan’s office.

He said there was a total of 298,945 foreign and domestic tourists who visited this city last year as compared to only 184,100 in 2008.

Majority of the tourists visited this city during special occasions like the “Kinabayo Festival” and “Handuraw Festival.”

Kinabayo Festival is an exotic and colorful pageant re-enacting the Spanish-Moorish wars, particularly the Battle of the Covadonga, wherein the Spanish forces took their last stand against the Saracens.

The Kinabayo Festival, with centerpiece events from July 16 and culminating in July 25, coincides with the annual feast of St. James the Greater, this city’s patron saint.

“Handuraw” is a Visayan word which means flashback, and Handuraw Festival is a three-day event conducted from December 28 to 30, honoring the works and achievements of Dr. Jose Rizal during his four-year exile in this city.

Rodiolan said they will also conduct training and seminars on entrepreneurship, where participants will be taught how to make souvenir items and delicacies with the tourists as their target market.

The city government is expecting that the number of tourists coming to this city will be further increased since the tourism stakeholders are upbeat in developing potential eco-tourism sites.

b_two

August 5th, 2010, 09:15 AM

I saw this done before on my uncle. But in Cebu, it was called "tandok" Hehe.

tandok is quite popular in the provinces. even in cagayan valley this kind of treatment is also widely patronized especially for dog bites.

xxxriainxxx

August 6th, 2010, 04:29 AM

Online poll pala? Sure? Online lang, nag babasa ka ba? O wala ka lang tiwala sa Magazine. Siguro maniniwala kana sa magazine pag ang lugar mo na ang naging best... Well, best wishes nalang.

:ohno:

Ano ba ang problema mo? Basahin mo nga ang mga replies ko and ang news article.

Readers were invited to participate through Travel + Leisure magazine (January, February, and March issues), and online at TravelandLeisure.com.

Andami mo namang reklamo. World's Best City? Ano yung criteria na ginamit? Yung subjective na criteria dapat hindi lang yan ang basehan, dapat isama ang standards of living, etc etc kagaya ng ginagawa ng Mercer Consulting at HDI.

Any half wit could vote several times on an online survey. Dami ka namang hirit na ewan.

xxxriainxxx

August 6th, 2010, 04:30 AM

I saw this done before on my uncle. But in Cebu, it was called "tandok" Hehe.

Meron ding ganyan sa Panay and I believe tandok din ang tawag.

Ady001

August 7th, 2010, 04:40 AM

^^ Now I remember! Tandok is an old practice... Para sa Rabies naman siguro yun... Pero it's banned in some areas

xxxriainxxx

August 7th, 2010, 05:23 AM

^^ Now I remember! Tandok is an old practice... Para sa Rabies naman siguro yun... Pero it's banned in some areas

oh yes... I remember! rabies nga yata.. why banned daw?

RonnieR

August 9th, 2010, 08:38 AM

In Singapore, Filipino tourists ranked no. 5 in terms of spending.

Singapore's Top Tourist Spenders
http://www.asianewsnet.net/home/news.php?id=11811
Melissa Pang
The Straits Times
Publication Date : 09-05-2010

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/6696/touristspender.jpg
Source: http://www1.yoursingapore.com/annualreport/pdf/TourismReceipts.pdf

xxxriainxxx

August 9th, 2010, 03:41 PM

In Singapore, Filipino tourists ranked no. 5 in terms of spending.

^^Sarap magshopping sa Singapore eh, lalo na pag sale. :D

I guess we are an important traveling sector now for Singapore at least. :)

RonnieR

August 10th, 2010, 10:55 AM

^^Sarap magshopping sa Singapore eh, lalo na pag sale. :D

I guess we are an important traveling sector now for Singapore at least. :)

I was actually surprised why the Malaysians ranked lower. They are neighbors. :) SG government knows that a lot of able and rich Pinoys go to their island state and splurge.

Good news.

Philippines aims to strike gambling gold
Agence France-Presse
Posted at 08/10/2010 3:58 PM | Updated as of 08/10/2010 4:01 PM

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is aiming to become Asia's next big gambling hub with casino and entertainment resorts built in key tourist spots across the country, the nation's gaming regulator told AFP on Tuesday.

An "Entertainment City" in Manila to rival boom towns Macau and Singapore is at the heart of the plan and will hopefully be finished by 2014, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) chairman Cristino Naguiat said.

"The casino industry here in the Philippines has a very huge potential in terms of revenues," Naguiat, who took over as chairman a month ago, said in an interview with AFP.

"We are way behind Macau and Singapore in terms of the casino industry... (but) we would like to be positioned right at the top."

Naguiat said the government was looking to eventually build integrated casino and entertainment resorts in other parts of the Philippines, including picturesque Palawan island and Cebu, the nation's second biggest city.

He said PAGCOR was open to hearing from foreign players interested in building entertainment resorts around the Philippines.

"We would like to receive their proposals with regards to this," he said.

But Naguiat emphasized only proposals that incorporated other entertainment aspects aside from gambling, such as amusement centers and museums, would be considered.

"It has to be an integrated resort, not just a casino and a hotel," he said.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/08/10/10/philippines-aims-strike-gambling-gold

mwg12a

August 10th, 2010, 11:02 AM

^^Sarap magshopping sa Singapore eh, lalo na pag sale. :D

I guess we are an important traveling sector now for Singapore at least. :)

Atleast man lang sa Singapore ma balanced out and status ng pinoys. Dapat magshopping na rin ng magshopping sa HK para ganuon din at hindi puro DH ang natatandaan nila sa mga pinoy. he he

RonnieR

August 10th, 2010, 11:06 AM

Atleast man lang sa Singapore ma balanced out and status ng pinoys. Dapat magshopping na rin ng magshopping sa HK para ganuon din at hindi puro DH ang natatandaan nila sa mga pinoy. he he

Most Singaporeans I met don't look down at Pinoys. There are so many Filipino professionals now in that island state. Some of them are visible and well known in the elite society.

mwg12a

August 10th, 2010, 11:10 AM

Most Singaporeans I met don't look down at Pinoys. There are so many Filipino professionals now in that island state. Some of them are visible and well known in the elite society.

Yes, I heard that. I actually found out lately that I have cousins now residing in Singapore together with their families. That's a milestone if you ask me. Alteast they have all their kids with them and is not separated as what most cases are if one of the parents has to work overseas.

Sleepwalker

August 10th, 2010, 11:29 AM

Atleast man lang sa Singapore ma balanced out and status ng pinoys. Dapat magshopping na rin ng magshopping sa HK para ganuon din at hindi puro DH ang natatandaan nila sa mga pinoy. he he

Outnumbered kasi nang mga DH ang mga non-DH sa HK. I think, sa SG, ang ratio is just near balance.

manila_eye

August 10th, 2010, 01:13 PM

^^ actually mas marami nang professionals na pinoy sa singapore kaysa sa dh. see, we can improve naman.

xxxriainxxx

August 10th, 2010, 02:01 PM

I was actually surprised why the Malaysians ranked lower. They are neighbors. :) SG government knows that a lot of able and rich Pinoys go to their island state and splurge.

Good news.

Philippines aims to strike gambling gold
Agence France-Presse
Posted at 08/10/2010 3:58 PM | Updated as of 08/10/2010 4:01 PM

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is aiming to become Asia's next big gambling hub with casino and entertainment resorts built in key tourist spots across the country, the nation's gaming regulator told AFP on Tuesday.

An "Entertainment City" in Manila to rival boom towns Macau and Singapore is at the heart of the plan and will hopefully be finished by 2014, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) chairman Cristino Naguiat said.

"The casino industry here in the Philippines has a very huge potential in terms of revenues," Naguiat, who took over as chairman a month ago, said in an interview with AFP.

"We are way behind Macau and Singapore in terms of the casino industry... (but) we would like to be positioned right at the top."

Naguiat said the government was looking to eventually build integrated casino and entertainment resorts in other parts of the Philippines, including picturesque Palawan island and Cebu, the nation's second biggest city.

He said PAGCOR was open to hearing from foreign players interested in building entertainment resorts around the Philippines.

"We would like to receive their proposals with regards to this," he said.

But Naguiat emphasized only proposals that incorporated other entertainment aspects aside from gambling, such as amusement centers and museums, would be considered.

"It has to be an integrated resort, not just a casino and a hotel," he said.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/08/10/10/philippines-aims-strike-gambling-gold

hindi naman ako rich, pero sarap magshopping dyan. bagsak presyo ng CK sa Takashimaya sa Orchard. :D

Yung 300 SGD na sweater na CK, nasa 150 SGD na lang nung Great Singapore Sale. :D Sana may Philippine Baratillo din tayo, yung tipong bagsak presyo lahat ng shopping centres natin across the country. As in yung totoo ha, yung hindi kunwa kunwarian lang gaya ng mga sale sa SM.

xxxriainxxx

August 10th, 2010, 02:02 PM

^^ actually mas marami nang professionals na pinoy sa singapore kaysa sa dh. see, we can improve naman.

so far the face of Pinoys dito sa VN ay kami ~ educators, managers.

leechtat

August 10th, 2010, 04:18 PM

^^ and Accountants.. i have few clients na accountants or in finance in Vietnam. Ok daw than SG. Will be in Vietnam this Oct naman.

I agree sa SG sale. Naubos ang sgd ko sa Uniqlo. haha...

Nice din the new mall at somerset which has Pedro and Celio ata... and the ion orchard mall, na super eye-candy. last year wala pa yun.

mwg12a

August 11th, 2010, 08:11 AM

^^ actually mas marami nang professionals na pinoy sa singapore kaysa sa dh. see, we can improve naman.

mabuti naman. Nawawalan na rin lang tayo sa pinas ng professionals atleast ang mga umaalis nagtatrabaho pa rin sa mga fields nila at hindi naman abang aba ang mga trabaho. Nakakaawa din naman at nakakakunsinsiya pag may nakita kang pinoy na ofw's tagaktak ang pawis ka tatrabaho. Similar nuon sa cruise na sinakyan ko, ako pusturang pustura, kumakain sa mga resto nila tapos paglakad mo sa hallway may mga seaman na nag kukudkud ng kalawang. I mean disente naman ang trabaho nila at karangal rangal din pero hindi mo talaga maiwasan ma kunsiyensa kaya atleast man lang sa mga waiter na pinoy, medyo nilalakihan ko ang tip at kinakausap ko sila na parang usual lang, kamustahan and kaunting biruan at tawanan. Ganoon talaga ang buhay .hindi ba?

Sleepwalker

August 11th, 2010, 08:14 AM

^^Maganda yong ginawa mong treatment sa mga kabayan natin, Lord of LMAO.

Kasi naman, pag nasa ibang bansa ka, sarap nang pakiramdam nang may mga kababayan kang makausap.

amigo32

August 11th, 2010, 08:15 AM

:D lord of LMAO:D

oo nga, dapat lakihan mo pa ang tip:D

teka magkano ba yung malaki mo?:D toinks
baka malaking barya lang yun na dos pesos, yung luma pa:D na may kalabaw, malaki nga yun:D

xxxriainxxx

August 11th, 2010, 09:08 AM

xxxriainxxx

August 11th, 2010, 09:10 AM

mabuti naman. Nawawalan na rin lang tayo sa pinas ng professionals atleast ang mga umaalis nagtatrabaho pa rin sa mga fields nila at hindi naman abang aba ang mga trabaho. Nakakaawa din naman at nakakakunsinsiya pag may nakita kang pinoy na ofw's tagaktak ang pawis ka tatrabaho. Similar nuon sa cruise na sinakyan ko, ako pusturang pustura, kumakain sa mga resto nila tapos paglakad mo sa hallway may mga seaman na nag kukudkud ng kalawang. I mean disente naman ang trabaho nila at karangal rangal din pero hindi mo talaga maiwasan ma kunsiyensa kaya atleast man lang sa mga waiter na pinoy, medyo nilalakihan ko ang tip at kinakausap ko sila na parang usual lang, kamustahan and kaunting biruan at tawanan. Ganoon talaga ang buhay .hindi ba?

ako din, kontodo din ang tsismis ko sa mga DH sa Malaysia. grabe din naman, ang lakas ng loob nila... May mga ibang Pinoy pero parang nandidiri sa kanila- ang yabang yabang, pangit naman.

juniordiscovery

August 11th, 2010, 07:04 PM

In Singapore, Filipino tourists ranked no. 5 in terms of spending.

In addition, sa Macau, isa ang mga Pinoys sa mahilig bumisita doon...

Ady001

August 12th, 2010, 02:44 AM

hindi naman ako rich, pero sarap magshopping dyan. bagsak presyo ng CK sa Takashimaya sa Orchard. :D

Yung 300 SGD na sweater na CK, nasa 150 SGD na lang nung Great Singapore Sale. :D Sana may Philippine Baratillo din tayo, yung tipong bagsak presyo lahat ng shopping centres natin across the country. As in yung totoo ha, yung hindi kunwa kunwarian lang gaya ng mga sale sa SM.

OK din naman ang SM kung may sale. At least nagagamit yung card ko :lol:

RonnieR

August 12th, 2010, 04:36 AM

RP air travel recovers to pre-crisis level, bookings post 10% increase
By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT
August 11, 2010, 5:37pm

BANGKOK – The Philippine travel industry has recovered to pre-crisis level after posting a 10 percent growth in air travel bookings in the first half of 2010 versus the same period last year leading a recovery in the Asia Pacific region, said global airline IT solutions provider Amadeus.

In its report to the Philippine media, Amadeus Asia Pacific vice president for the airline group John Chapman said that travel bookings for the January-June period this year have been up 22 percent over 2009 and a slight improvement of 1 percent over 2008.

“Things are looking very good this year, we have very positive feedback and the Asia Pacific is leading in terms of recovery,” Chapman said.

“The Asia Pacific s leading in air travel growth with global profits expected to reach $2.5 billion this year for the industry,” Chapman said.

Amadeus Philippines country manager Albert Villadolid explained that the Philippines 10 percent growth in the first semester this year may appear slower than the 22 percent posted in the Asia Pacific-wide growth, but this was largely due to the fact that the Philippines was not severely affected by the steep decline in the region in 2009.

Villadolid explained that the 10 percent growth in the first semester this year meant a full recovery to the pre-crisis level in 2008 for the Philippines air travel.

“The Philippines was not severely affected in 2009 versus other countries, so the growth last year was therefore tempered,” Villadolid said.

The growth was largely fueled by the robust growth from the low cost carriers that dominate travels in the region in the first half of 2009.

The Philippine travel market has been dominated by the aggressive campaigns of Cebu Pacific, the country’s low cost carrier which has already overtaken PAL as the country’s biggest airline company.
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/271850/rp-air-travel-recovers-precrisis-level-bookings-post-10-increase

RonnieR

August 12th, 2010, 05:15 AM

Alliance Global income up 43% in first half
By Zinnia B. Dela Peña (The Philippine Star) Updated August 12, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (0) View comments

MANILA, Philippines - Alliance Global Group Inc. (AGI), the listed investment holding firm of tycoon Andrew Tan, said its net earnings jumped 43 percent in the first half this year, mainly driven by robust sales from its property business.

In its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, AGI said its net income reached P3.69 billion from P2.58 billion a year earlier. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization rose 21 percent to P6.3 billion from P5.2 billion.

Consolidated revenues went up 22 percent to P21.26 billion – 46 percent of which came from AGI’s real estate arm, Megaworld Corp. – owing to higher sales from residential projects such as McKinley Hill, Newport City and Manhattan Garden City, and an increase in revenue from its BPO office rentals.

AGI’s consumer business, through Emperador Distillers and Golden Arches Development Corp. (GADC), contributed 44 percent of total revenues.

Emperador Distillers produces leading brandy labels Emperador and Generoso. In the last few months, the company launched Emperador Light and The Bar flavored alcoholic beverages, both of which are enjoying brisk sales. GADC, on the other hand, is the master franchise holder of McDonald’s in the Philippines.

AGI’s fourth business leg, Travellers International Hotel Group Inc., contributed equity earnings of P595 million in the first half of the year. Travellers International is the developer and operator of Resorts World Manila (RWM), the country’s first 24/7 integrated tourism estate in Newport City located across Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Travellers International is a joint venture between AGI and Genting Hong Kong Ltd. (formerly named Star Cruises Ltd. of Hong Kong), the third largest cruise line operator in the world and is part of Malaysian conglomerate Genting Berhad.

Travellers International will likewise develop Resorts World Bayshore City, to be located within the 90-hectare Bagong Nayong Pilipino Entertainment City Manila.

“We are quite pleased that our results show strong revenue growth across all lines of business. Our results confirm that our strategy to focus on key industries and accelerate growth, particularly in the tourism industry, is working,”AGI president Kingson Sian said.

To demonstrate its strong commitment and confidence in the potential of the Philippine tourism industry, AGI recently announced that it will be building a fourth hotel in Newport City, the 540-room Hamilton Hotel. Set for ground breaking this third quarter, Hamilton comes after the Marriott and Maxims hotels located within RWM in Newport City, both already operational, and the ongoing Remington Hotel, expected to be completed by the first half next year.

Hamilton Hotel, once completed in 2012, will bring the total number of hotel rooms in Newport City to about 1,900. Another two hotels are programmed to rise in the same location within the next five years, bringing the total room count to around 2,500. This will make Newport City the country’s single real estate project with the largest concentration of hotel rooms.

Apart from the hotels, RWM’s facilities include a shopping mall, a 1,500-seat performing arts theater, cinemas, restaurants, luxury shops, an exclusive lifestyle club, spas and gaming areas.“While our priority is to drive profitable growth for our shareholders, we remain mindful of the needs of our country, particularly in the tourism sector, and, therefore, align our focus with the government’s thrust to boost tourist arrivals in the country and expand the impact of the tourism industry on the rest of the economy,” Sian said.
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=601788&publicationSubCategoryId=66

mwg12a

August 12th, 2010, 05:34 AM

:D lord of LMAO:D

oo nga, dapat lakihan mo pa ang tip:D

teka magkano ba yung malaki mo?:D toinks
baka malaking barya lang yun na dos pesos, yung luma pa:D na may kalabaw, malaki nga yun:D

25 dollars me, hindi ko alam kung anong amount ang dapat para makunswelo sila at hindi mainsulto. Mahal yuong diner nila kaya tama na rin yan :lol: Sa kuripot kong ito galante na nga ako niyan. he he, I'm sure malaki ang mga kinikita nila sa tips lang ng mga tao/pasahero. Yuong isa na nagoffer na ipagluto kami ng pinoy food instead na nasa menu, nilakihan ko pa ng kaunti, sus, yuong beer or alcoholic beverages na charge sa rooms namin, sila ang nag aabot sa akin at inaadvice na sila ang hanapin. Hindi nila sini-swipe yuong card para libre na ang beer. Hindi naman ako makapag salita dahil hindi ko sure kung mainsulto sila, pero natakot din ako na baka sila masisante o mapauwi dahil lang duon. Galing lang ng technique niya, sinabihan ako na abot mo sa akin yang room charge card mo, ilalapat sa makina pero hindi pinadadaan, mabilis lang . Pero masarap lang talaga at magaling silang makisama.

xxxriainxxx

August 12th, 2010, 06:14 AM

25 dollars me, hindi ko alam kung anong amount ang dapat para makunswelo sila at hindi mainsulto. Mahal yuong diner nila kaya tama na rin yan :lol: Sa kuripot kong ito galante na nga ako niyan. he he, I'm sure malaki ang mga kinikita nila sa tips lang ng mga tao/pasahero. Yuong isa na nagoffer na ipagluto kami ng pinoy food instead na nasa menu, nilakihan ko pa ng kaunti, sus, yuong beer or alcoholic beverages na charge sa rooms namin, sila ang nag aabot sa akin at inaadvice na sila ang hanapin. Hindi nila sini-swipe yuong card para libre na ang beer. Hindi naman ako makapag salita dahil hindi ko sure kung mainsulto sila, pero natakot din ako na baka sila masisante o mapauwi dahil lang duon. Galing lang ng technique niya, sinabihan ako na abot mo sa akin yang room charge card mo, ilalapat sa makina pero hindi pinadadaan, mabilis lang . Pero masarap lang talaga at magaling silang makisama.

Sa Shanghai, mahilig magpainom dun ang mga Pinoy na nagtatarabaho sa mga bar ng libre. :D

May bar dyan sa may The Bund, pag nalaman na Pinoy ka, malalasing ka talaga. :D

amigo32

August 12th, 2010, 09:32 AM

Sa Shanghai, mahilig magpainom dun ang mga Pinoy na nagtatarabaho sa mga bar ng libre. :D

May bar dyan sa may The Bund, pag nalaman na Pinoy ka, malalasing ka talaga. :D

gosh:D, sasabihin ko me, no pilipin, me, burmese:lol:

NTprime

August 12th, 2010, 11:17 AM

RonnieR

August 12th, 2010, 11:36 AM

gosh:D, sasabihin ko me, no pilipin, me, burmese:lol:

ahhh pilipin, pilipin... hehehehe....in Malay and Bahasa Indonesia, it is "Orang Filipina" regardless of sex...

So it looks like Andrew Tan just cast his lot with NAIA (for now) as he is putting up 4 hotels in the area. Has he ever considered anything similar for DMIA? If Clark were to attract business from transiting passengers, they should also put up airport hotels.

Since this is the travel & tourism thread (not the DMIA thread), I was wondering who would be the target market of these four hotels? For obvious reasons, RWM should have at least one hotel for the transiting passenger (both domestic and international) market...but four? Perhaps these are the areas being targeted: 1) Cruise ship passengers/employees of Star Cruises 2) gamblers and high rollers (just like Genting Highlands) 3) business folks/employees of companies with operations in McKinley Hill (since there is no hotel there) and Bonfacio Global City (while Shangri-la at the Fort is still being constructed). 2,500 new hotel rooms in Newport City seems far bigger than what Makati has gotten in the last 2-3 years.

This is a very bold move by Andrew Tan but also a show of confidence in the local property market...after all, that is where he made his billions.

According to news reports, 10,000 people visit RWM daily, 2,000 are foreigners.

RWM is very successful. In few months, those high end shops will open.