Travel and Tourism Industry [Archive] - Page 38

Linguine

December 13th, 2010, 02:36 PM

Mediocrity, not advisories, bane of tourism
Monday, 13 December 2010 21:11 Estrella Torres / Reporter

TRAVEL and tour operators in the country are no longer hurting from the harsh travel advisories issued by the US and other Western countries, but are more worried that arrivals have remained stuck at the 1975 figure of 3 million a year owing to lack of infrastructure and traveler facilities.

Stakeholders in the tourism industry gathered on Monday at the Mandarin Hotel to formulate a unified approach to increasing tourism arrivals by attracting investments in the hotel and resort industry as well as boosting marketing.

The biggest hurdle to improving travel to the Philippines is the ban on the Philippine carriers flying to Europe imposed since April by the European Union.

At the moment, there is apparently an unresolved brouhaha in the Civil Aviation Administration Board that is hampering efforts by the country to regain the Philippine category 1 status, following the country’s downgrading by the US Federal Aviation Administration in 2007.

The International Civil Aviation Organization had a scheduled inspection this month of Philippine progress in reforms, but postponed it to early next year.

Alejandra Clemente, president of the Federation of Tourism Industries of the Philippines, said the industry has learned to live up to the regular travel advisories of Western countries. “It’s the right of every country to come out with travel warnings to caution their citizens abroad.”

In an interview at the sidelines of the Tourism Industry Stakeholders meeting, she added, “What we propose to do is to ignore them and come up with travel promotions that create a festive atmosphere in the country to counter these negative travel warnings.”

The US, Canada, New Zealand, France, Australia and Britain had renewed their travel warnings to the Philippines last month due to what they believe are imminent terrorist attacks in Manila and Southern Mindanao. President Aquino protested the travel warnings were unfair and harsh.

Clemente said the travel industry needs to focus on how to “bring in tourists,” and that includes increasing airline flights to the Philippines through the proposed open skies policy or pocket open-skies policy that will allow direct flights to Bohol, Cebu, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Davao.

She said the government, which remains tied to the controversies that hounded the open-skies policy, could implement the pocket open skies policy that increased tourist arrivals to Bali in Indonesia from 30,000 to 600,000 a year and Pattaya islands in Thailand.

She expressed optimism that tourist arrivals particularly from Japan and the US will increase when Japanese airline Nippon Air and American carrier Delta Airways reopen flights to the Philippines in February and April next year.

Three Indian airlines—Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher—are also set to start operations next year.

Jose Luis Yulo, director of the Philippine Association of Congress and Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers, said success of the tourism industry lies in the implementation of policy reforms that include the “removal of onerous taxes which make it uncompetitive  for foreign airlines to fly to the Philippines.”

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo welcomed measures implemented by the Department of Tourism and National Police to safeguard foreign tourists in the Philippines.

“It is important that our country has a conducive environment for our visitors.” 

The program was prompted by the disastrous hostage-taking incident on August 23 when a dismissed policeman took 22 Hong Kong tourists hostages at the Luneta Park and killed eight of them.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/top-news/4882-mediocrity-not-advisories-bane-of-tourism-

Kintoy

December 13th, 2010, 03:05 PM

thanks to GMA for the EU Ban!

wino

December 13th, 2010, 07:00 PM

^^ you are welcome.

kalbongdad

December 13th, 2010, 10:21 PM

thanks to GMA for the EU Ban!

ganti yun ng mga kano sa pinas ng suwagin ni little evil gloria ang kano sa paglalis ng pinas sa coalition of the willing sa iraq....pati yung mga pagpapatalsik kay nunal mga pakana yun ng kano na sinamahan pa ni tita cory....na hindi naman sila umubra kay nunal.....:lol: ngayon kaya pag tinira ang kano si pnoy sa pag panig nya sa china....ano kaya gawin?.... well hayaan na pala.....wala ng pera mga kano ngayon kaya pinas tuloy sa pag usog palapit sa tsina...isa pa yun sa kinaiinisan ng mga kano....kay nunal dahil sa lahat ng kontrata nakukuha ng mga intsik yung mga contractors nila nababalewala....northrail/ nbn-zte? remember it was not just about the corruption behind it.....may power play dun....medyo laliman ng kont ang analysis....:lol:

Rubinski

December 13th, 2010, 10:49 PM

Anyone has some information about cycle tourism (http://pedalepiaui.blogspot.com/2010/12/ciclo-turismo-esta-em-alta-nesta.html) in Asian countries?

kalbongdad

December 14th, 2010, 01:30 AM

Linguine

December 14th, 2010, 02:13 AM

Tourists ready for PH; PH not ready for tourists

By DJ Yap
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:21:00 12/14/2010

Filed Under: Tourism, Holidays or vacations, Government, Air Transport

MANILA, Philippines—It’s not about terrorists.

Tourists aren’t deterred by travel warnings to the Philippines, but by a host of other factors, major tourism industry players said Monday.

“There are not enough flights, not enough seat capacity, ill-prepared marketing and the quality of accommodations is not good enough,” said Alejandra Clemente, president of the Federation of Tourism Industries of the Philippines (FTIP).

Simply put, the Philippines is “not ready” to take in tourists in large numbers, Clemente said in a press conference at the Mandarin Oriental called by tourism stakeholders in support of embattled Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim.

Clemente said travel advisories cautioning foreigners about purported terrorist threats in the Philippines hardly made a dent in tourist arrivals.

She said 2.8 million arrivals had been so far recorded this year, including returning Filipinos, compared to about 3 million last year.

Even the Manila bus hostage-taking incident that left eight Chinese tourists and the Filipino gunman dead on Aug. 23 had not caused a noticeable decrease in the number of tourists, she said.

Holiday security

On Monday, Philippine National Police Director General Raul Bacalzo announced he was fielding more police units in tourist spots across the country for the Christmas holidays.

Bacalzo and Lim signed an agreement that will pave the way for the establishment of the Tourist-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection Program. Pilot projects will be set up in 14 travel destinations, according to the deal.

Clemente said the problem went deeper than security issues, noting that the government was not being aggressive enough in marketing the country and the lack of an open skies agreement with other countries heavily restricted potential tourism traffic.

But she said there was reason to be optimistic about the chances of the Philippines becoming a major tourism destination, if it effectively taps the lucrative Japan and Korean markets.

She noted that All Nippon Airways would begin direct flights from Japan to the Philippines at the end of February, while Delta Air Lines was expected to add two flights per week in its US-Japan-Philippines route.

Former Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Jose Luis Yulo said developed countries were shifting their attention to Asia, particularly China, and this opened a lot of possibilities for Philippine tourism.

“The Western world is not only looking at China, but other countries in Asia, and that’s where we should focus,” Yulo said during the open forum.

Slogan fiasco

Commenting on the “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” fiasco, the stakeholders said no tourism slogan could instantly solve the industry’s problems.

Marciano Ragaza, president of Travel Enterprise and former president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association, said the Department of Tourism had promised a more “democratic process” in choosing a new slogan.

The speakers mostly agreed that it was time to rest the “Wow Philippines” slogan, which former Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon had championed.

“It was already working for several years, so I feel we need a new slogan to boost our image, and to speak better to what we can sell,” said Margie Moran Floirendo, former president of the Davao Tourism Association and former chair of the Southern Philippines Regional Tourism Council. With a report from Alcuin Papa

mwg12a

December 14th, 2010, 02:50 AM

aray ko......sakit naman nyan......di ba bertie lim?....sino sumampal sa yo...:lol:

Ngek? What has Bertie Lim has to do with aviation services like FAA and EU who both barred the Philippine carriers to fly into their space territories or the FAA's downgrade the Philippines to Cat 2?:ohno::ohno::ohno: Pagsinabahan ko na bobo ito ako pa sigurado ang masama dito.:ohno::lol: hindi kase binabasa ang laman ng article at nag react lang sa title ng article e :lol:

Perseus II

December 14th, 2010, 03:09 AM

kalbongdad

December 14th, 2010, 06:05 AM

Ngek? What has Bertie Lim has to do with aviation services like FAA and EU who both barred the Philippine carriers to fly into their space territories or the FAA's downgrade the Philippines to Cat 2?:ohno::ohno::ohno: Pagsinabahan ko na bobo ito ako pa sigurado ang masama dito.:ohno::lol: hindi kase binabasa ang laman ng article at nag react lang sa title ng article e :lol:

ai nde makatiis.....sinusundan mo na ako.....love mo na ako ano? :lol:

Ady001

December 14th, 2010, 06:11 AM

EDITORIAL - Tourism cops
(The Philippine Star) Updated December 14, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (10)

Applicants must be at least 1.72 meters in height, with an athletic build, from 25 to 45 years old, and proficient in English or other foreign languages. That’s not a recruitment ad for the business process outsourcing industry but for the tourism police. The Department of Tourism signed a memorandum of agreement yesterday with the Philippine National Police to launch TOPCOP, or the Tourist-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection.

TOPCOP members will be fielded in areas frequented by tourists. The creation of the special unit is among several measures meant to reassure tourists of their safety in this country, particularly after the hostage fiasco in Manila’s Rizal Park on Aug. 23. That bloody incident, unfortunately, was carried out by a dismissed Manila police officer, and the Manila police SWAT team’s bungled response as the world watched further eroded the image of the Philippine police. The public can only hope that the new tourism cops will perform efficiently enough to erase that image of police incompetence created by the hostage incident.

Fielding a special team of cops to handle safety concerns of foreign tourists should be complemented by an intensified effort to improve law enforcement in general. There should be a sustained campaign against pickpockets and snatchers especially during the holiday season when crimes against property traditionally increase. The Department of Tourism and the PNP should coordinate with hotel operators to keep their premises safe from thieves. The so-called Bundol Gang of robbers operating along C-5 from the NAIA must be neutralized.

Merely improving police visibility will go a long way in improving peace and order, but fielding competent law enforcers will be even better. The DOT and PNP must ensure that those who become part of TOPCOP will get proper training in carrying out their principal mandate, which is to make the country’s guests safe from harm. At the same time, the government must work to improve overall peace and order. If Filipinos feel safe in their own country, so will foreign visitors.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=639066&publicationSubCategoryId=64

(At para sa mga ibang turista na may pagka-Mai Mislang ang ugali, dapat din kasing guapo ko. Seriously. :lol:)

amigo32

December 14th, 2010, 06:15 AM

naku, mga guapong pulis hanap nila:D

xxxriainxxx

December 14th, 2010, 06:26 AM

Manila’s resort world charms tourists
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Manila | Sun, 12/12/2010 1:48 PM | Travel A | A | A |

My flight, Singapore Airline SQ910, touched down at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila, the Philippines, at around 2 p.m. on Friday two weeks ago.

After clearing the immigration checkpoint, we were escorted by a young lady from the Department of Tourism to a van which later brought us to a hotel. It took only about 15 minutes from the airport to the hotel located in the complex of Resort World Manila which was celebrating its 1st anniversary.
I and fellow Indonesian journalists were in Manila for this festive celebration. Dozens of journalists from China, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore also came to the event dubbed the Grand Fiesta Manila 2010.

Colorful posters, banners and other decorations were seen in places around the Newport Boulevard and the Resort Drive in Pasay, Metro Manila.

For many Indonesians, the City of Manila – the capital of the Philippines – is not a major tourist destination. There is not much to see in the city, known as “Pearl of the Orient”. The main attractions in Manila are simply old buildings in Intramuros such as the San Agustin Church, Fort Santiago and Casa Manila. There is also the Manila Zoo, which is poorly managed, or the modern shopping center, Mall of Asia, boasting to be the largest mall in Asia.

Given this situation, Indonesian tourists normally go to Singapore, Bangkok or Hong Kong to spend their holidays. They go to Singapore to watch a play or a concert at the iconic Esplanade or simply stroll around some shopping centers on Orchard Road. Others might go to Hong Kong to shop in the Tsim Sha Tsui area or Bangkok for a cruise along Chao Phraya River.

Manila is not the favorite choice among Indonesians to spend their vacations. However, the presence of the Resort World Manila (RWM), which was opened last year, could potentially attract foreign tourists.

Offering a sophisticated 7.8 hectare entertainment complex, RWM could become the next destination for holidaymakers from Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries.

Resort World Manila marketing vice president Jeffrey R. Evora acknowledged that around 60 percent of the 2.5 million people that had visited the entertainment complex since it began operating were Filipino.

“But, we also see a growing number of tourists from China, Korea and Indonesia as well,” said Evora.

With only a short drive from the airport, the RWM complex tries to serve as an entertainment option for the whole family. The complex is connected to the five-star Marriott Hotel through a corridor and the six-star Maxims Hotel which will be in full operation soon.

Those who have a limited budget need not worry as another hotel with cheaper rates is now under construction and is scheduled to open in October next year.

As soon as we arrived at the Marriott hotel, we were brought to the Newport Park just across the hotel to watch Filipino dance performances. Clad in colorful attire, the dancers performed a welcome dance and other traditional dances.

Through these traditional dance performances, the organizers tried to highlight the cultural richness of Filipino traditions. Our tour guide Thomas Andrew said there was an idea to make Grand Fiesta Manila an annual event.
“Possibly, we will have a similar festival every year,” he said.

After the cultural show, we went back to the RWM complex to catch a glimpse of some of the entertainment facilities inside. Indeed, the complex is a haven for shoppers. Numerous outlets offering international brands line the corridor to the right and left of the main entrance. Just name an international brand and the chances are you will find it there.

The complex also offers various delicacies to satisfy the visitors’ culinary experience.

Both the foods and fashion brands may also be easily found at shopping malls in Jakarta and other big cities. One special thing about RWM is its spacious gaming center. While attending a business conference or on a family vacation in Manila, you can try your luck at the gaming center.

The RWM offers world-class gaming facilities which include more than 1,000 slot machines and 300 tables. The gaming floors are open 24 hours a day.
Different from the gaming center in Genting, Malaysia, which requires visitors to wear batik, there is no specific dress code for RWM visitors. People only need to avoid T-shirts, jeans and sandals to enter the casino.

The casino has become an attraction for people young and old as well. Young ladies wearing tank-top or mini-skirts and old people with sweaters were seen the night I came to the casino. The slot machines were occupied by people, many of them were smoking.

Some people, however, came to the casino simply to watch the live performance on a stage in the center of the casino hall. That night, visitors were entertained by five beautiful ladies wearing sexy dresses who sang various songs. On different occasions there is an acrobatic attraction.
The casino is entertainment for adults as only those aged 21 years and above are allowed to enter. If you bring your family along, you can try the performance at the Performing Arts Theater.

During the Grand Fiesta Manila, we had the opportunity to watch a musical and acrobatic show. It combined Euro-pean dancers, Chinese acrobats and a Spanish illusionist with his white lions and tigers.

“We are planning to build another entertainment complex for kids. It will include physical activities for the children,” Evora added.

Resort World Manila, which is jointly run by Alliance Global Inc. (AGI) and Genting Hong Kong (GHK), has just celebrated its 1st anniversary. It is still developing its complex with some more facilities to lure different visitors.
Once all the facilities in the complex are in full operation, it will be the right place to play – just like its slogan, “The place to play”, suggests.
What makes Manila’s resort world different from the ones in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore?

According to Evora it is the service of the Filipino people. “We are proud to say that our service is different. We hope more tourists from neighboring countries will come,” he said.

Mabuhay!

Tourism Academy helps boost hospitality

Resort World Manila (RWM) had tried to put a new spin on the entertainment complex, to set itself apart from those in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. According to RWM marketing vice president Jeffrey R. Evora, what makes RWM different from others is the unique hospitality of the Filipino staff.
Almost all staff members at the resort world are graduates from the Genting Star Cruise Academy, a hospitality training center. At the academy, students learn housekeeping, reception skills, food and beverage preparation and culinary arts.

Located across from the RWM complex, students have a chance to learn housekeeping through mock-up rooms built at the academy resembling the rooms at the Marriott, Maxims and Remington hotels. They also learn how to prepare hot and cold meals.

The Academy also provides a mock-up of the casino for students to learn how to run the gaming tables.

The Academy recently sealed an agreement with Australia’s University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) New South Wales to improve its education quality.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/12/12/manila%E2%80%99s-resort-world-charms-tourists.html

Parchie

December 14th, 2010, 06:26 AM

naku, mga guapong pulis hanap nila:D

Sana meron ding mga girlie cops! Vital statistics lang ang hahanapin!

xxxriainxxx

December 14th, 2010, 06:27 AM

UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

Manila: 1 ; Jakarta: 0.

Manila-X

December 14th, 2010, 06:56 AM

UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

Manila: 1 ; Jakarta: 0.

Metro Manila is a big city. There are lots of places to explore the only thing is some of them can only be accessed by car and public transportation heading to these areas is difficult.

Or some of these attractions are unaware to foreign tourists just like those found in Marikina.

Just like Singapore, what is there to explore outside The Downtown Core or Sentosa? Or even Jakarta besides Old Town?

Those concerts happening at The Esplanade also happens in The Cultural Centre, Cubao or MOA.

Manila-X

December 14th, 2010, 07:04 AM

How about watching a Tears For Fears concert at

Singapore
jvL28XDGNJ4

or in

Manila
U7Bv5pRf2to

NTprime

December 14th, 2010, 07:11 AM

Manila’s resort world charms tourists
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Manila | Sun, 12/12/2010 1:48 PM | Travel A | A | A |

...
For many Indonesians, the City of Manila – the capital of the Philippines – is not a major tourist destination. There is not much to see in the city, known as “Pearl of the Orient”. The main attractions in Manila are simply old buildings in Intramuros such as the San Agustin Church, Fort Santiago and Casa Manila. There is also the Manila Zoo, which is poorly managed, or the modern shopping center, Mall of Asia, boasting to be the largest mall in Asia.

Given this situation, Indonesian tourists normally go to Singapore, Bangkok or Hong Kong to spend their holidays. They go to Singapore to watch a play or a concert at the iconic Esplanade or simply stroll around some shopping centers on Orchard Road. Others might go to Hong Kong to shop in the Tsim Sha Tsui area or Bangkok for a cruise along Chao Phraya River.

Manila is not the favorite choice among Indonesians to spend their vacations. However, the presence of the Resort World Manila (RWM), which was opened last year, could potentially attract foreign tourists.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/12/12/manila%E2%80%99s-resort-world-charms-tourists.html

Majority of Indonesians are generally not as well traveled (with the exception of their rich ones, of course) compared to Filipinos. Pinoys are like Chinese and Converse (they're everywhere), you can find them in almost all major urban centers worldwide. While there are not as many Pinoytowns as Chinatowns, Pinoys are frequently seen in both western and eastern cities. Indonesians are generally seen in SEAsia, and the Middle East. They also have exports of domestic help, especially to Singapore where their cooking is valued.

The highlighted text is why the Indonesians find Hong Kong fascinating, as well as Macau (well, Manila is nearer now for gambling). There are also limited air routes from Jakarta to North Asia (this was discussed in the NAIA thread), so not that many travel between these regions. But Indonesia is very near Australia (Christmas Island is in fact, nearer Java Island than the continental Australia), and Darwin is also nearer to Bali than Sydney.

But the cultures are worlds apart. Probably why not that many Indonesian tourists visit western countries. And for some time, Indonesia was on the terror list because of Jemayah Islamiyah.

Ady001

December 14th, 2010, 07:23 AM

Metro Manila is a big city. There are lots of places to explore the only thing is some of them can only be accessed by car and public transportation heading to these areas is difficult.

Or some of these attractions are unaware to foreign tourists just like those found in Marikina.

Just like Singapore, what is there to explore outside The Downtown Core or Sentosa? Or even Jakarta besides Old Town?

Those concerts happening at The Esplanade also happens in The Cultural Centre, Cubao or MOA.

And mind you, the most interesting are those found in the most unconventional places (no, no not those seedy joints in Quiapo mind you!)

Underrated talaga tayo :ohno:

David-80

December 14th, 2010, 07:33 AM

Majority of Indonesians are generally not as well traveled (with the exception of their rich ones, of course) compared to Filipinos. Pinoys are like Chinese and Converse (they're everywhere), you can find them in almost all major urban centers worldwide. While there are not as many Pinoytowns as Chinatowns, Pinoys are frequently seen in both western and eastern cities. Indonesians are generally seen in SEAsia, and the Middle East. They also have exports of domestic help, especially to Singapore where their cooking is valued.

The highlighted text is why the Indonesians find Hong Kong fascinating, as well as Macau (well, Manila is nearer now for gambling). There are also limited air routes from Jakarta to North Asia (this was discussed in the NAIA thread), so not that many travel between these regions. But Indonesia is very near Australia (Christmas Island is in fact, nearer Java Island than the continental Australia), and Darwin is also nearer to Bali than Sydney.

But the cultures are worlds apart. Probably why not that many Indonesian tourists visit western countries. And for some time, Indonesia was on the terror list because of Jemayah Islamiyah.

sorry but this argument that i bold are non sense. traveling and migrating are two different thing.

There are lot of Indonesian nowadays travelling especially since 2009 because local Indonesian doesnt have to pay outbound travel tax (120 us dollar) which is mandatory for Indonesian traveling abroad unless you have NPWP or tax number, but soon in 2011 this will be abolished

Why Indonesian found Singapore, KL, Hongkong, Bangkok are fascinating because 1. Shopping, 2. Shopping and 3. Amusement park (other than fascinating places like Buddhist temple, etc.)

Why Indonesian not traveling in many western countries, its not because of culture, simply because visa issue, but that doesn't stop Indonesian to study in Australia, US, UK and Europe. For example, In Melbourne CBD (i have an apartment there) the majority are Indonesian students.

now going back to the article that xxxrainxxx posted, its his (jakpost writer) personal opinion, lets not take that article seriously. Many Indonesian still visit manila for religious visit, especially for the Catholics, from Manila they go to Hong kong. We even have a tour package here to Manila-hk but sadly, the philippines promotion here is very lacking. :ohno:

Hope that explains, sorry to clear things out here. I just dont like people talk about a country which he never visited before, let alone living here. If its ryanr or RonnieR i will understand his opinion. because both of them were living in Jakarta before.:cheers:

cheers

Manila-X

December 14th, 2010, 07:38 AM

Manila-X

December 14th, 2010, 07:41 AM

And mind you, the most interesting are those found in the most unconventional places (no, no not those seedy joints in Quiapo mind you!)

Underrated talaga tayo :ohno:

It is not being underrated it is the lack of promotion.

I agree with the lack of infrastructure to promote tourism in The Philippines, also advertisements.

It is also surprising that alot of Manilans do not know their city very well especially some unique enclaves.

David-80

December 14th, 2010, 07:42 AM

NTprime

December 14th, 2010, 07:53 AM

sorry but this argument that i bold are non sense. traveling and migrating are two different thing.

There are lot of Indonesian nowadays travelling especially since 2009 because local Indonesian doesnt have to pay outbound travel tax (120 us dollar) which is mandatory for Indonesian traveling abroad unless you have NPWP or tax number, but soon in 2011 this will be abolished

Why Indonesian found Singapore, KL, Hongkong, Bangkok are fascinating because 1. Shopping, 2. Shopping and 3. Amusement park (other than fascinating places like Buddhist temple, etc.)

Why Indonesian not traveling in many western countries, its not because of culture, simply because visa issue, but that doesn't stop Indonesian to study in Australia, US, UK and Europe. For example, In Melbourne CBD (i have an apartment there) the majority are Indonesian students.

now going back why to the article that xxxrainxxx posted, its his (jakpost writer) personal opinion, lets not take that article seriously. Many Indonesian still visit manila for religious visit, especially for the Catholics, from Manila they go to Hong kong. We even have a tour package here to Manila-hk but sadly, the philippines promotion here is very lacking. :ohno:

Hope that explains, sorry to clear things out here. I just dont like people talk about a country which he never visited before, let alone living here. If its ryanr or RonnieR i will understand his opinion. because both of them were living in Jakarta before.:cheers:

cheers

OK, we have an interesting conversation here. As you probably see it, this is my opinion based on my encounters with Indonesians, both at work and when I was young. While I haven't been to Java, I've been to Bali (which is Hindu and different culturally from the rest of Indonesia).

Just some data I'd like you to elaborate on so I can likewise elaborate on what I said.

What are the countries where Indonesians usually go (not just the upper class Indonesians, but the common folk)? We can't use the argument of upperclass Indonesians in the same way as Filipinos because they are usually well traveled because of money.

But then, does Indonesia have an OFW phenomenon similar to the Philippines? Like sending all sorts of workers from domestic help to engineers to nurses, physical therapists to executives to other countries? That is one area I want to be clarified on (although this is the tourism thread, not the OFW thread). Again, my impression is that it is only the well to do who are traveling and seen in places like Melbourne, as you mentioned. How about the common folk?

I think we have to distinguish that there are indeed two issues here. Travel for work, and travel for pleasure/leisure. That is probably why you reacted immediately to my post. And I made sure I did not generalize, I said "majority" which is also the same with Filipinos. But we have about 10% (8 - 10 million) of our population abroad, if you go by various statistics. Can you also say that as many as 18-24 million Indonesians are abroad, in the same light as the previous sentence? That is what I meant by being "not as well traveled". And we don't have to even bring up the issue of those who are well traveled, because for sure, they would have been to more countries than other nationalities.

What I forgot to mention in my earlier post is that Indonesians indeed are fond of shopping. You even put it that way, shopping, shopping and amusement parks. Not culture. I will say that Filipinos also are fond of shopping, for obvious reasons that there are so many malls in this country.

In the end, I agree with you in that "traveling and migrating" are two different things. But then, you will probably agree with me that percentage wise, there are more Filipinos who migrate compared to Indonesians, especially in western countries.

As for the visa issue to western countries, it probably ties in to what I also mentioned. We can hear each other's side out regarding this as well.

Cheers.

NTprime

December 14th, 2010, 08:07 AM

If shopping is the primary reason on why Indonesians go to HK, honestly they are better off going to Singapore since it is closer plus most of the things that you can buy in HK you can also buy it there.

This is also the same for Pinoys choosing Singapore for shopping instead of HK.

It depends on what people would like to shop for when going to either Hong Kong or Singapore. From a Filipino perspective, in the 90s, HKG was the place to shop because prices were really good (this was when the peso to dollar exchange rate was favorable) and there were usual sales during the months leading into autumn. Also, PAL and CX had many flights to HKG compared to PAL and SQ flights to Singapore. And since airfare to HKG was cheaper, HKG would generally be the first destination for Filipinos traveling overseas for the first time, in the case of tourism.

You could get a tour package to HKG for under USD300-500 (depending on the hotel chosen) back then, whereas a similar trip to Singapore would set you back by USD 400-600 or even more, again depending on the hotel. Plus the time to go shopping in Singapore was limited, 3.5 hours flying time with flights generally leaving early and returning early, vs. 1.5 hours flying time to HKG with morning, afternoon and evening departures/returns. So a 3D2N package was worth it if a Pinoy tourist went to HKG instead of SIN, more time for shopping.

Fast forward to the past decade and still HKG has the most destinations on PAL and the LCCs. Plus of course land arrangements that can be had for under USD100 for 3D2N. With SIN, this coming year will be good because Tiger/Seair, ZestAir and Airphilexpress (flying already) will increase the number of seats to SIN. Plus of course, the opening of Universal Studios Singapore.

I would expect to see more Philippine traffic going to SIN in the coming months, and especially after the unfortunate hostage taking last August, still a number of Filipinos are hesitant to visit HKG. But that won't be obvious this month as a lot of domestic help will be returning for the holidays.

Now moving the topic to the reasons for Indonesians visiting SIN and HKG, wouldn't my example preclude that the nearer the destination, the more tourists it will get? Airfare is a large component (percentage wise) of a trip's expenses. I would tend to agree with Wanch that shopping would be a better draw in Singapore for Indonesians than shopping in Hong Kong.

xxxriainxxx

December 14th, 2010, 08:28 AM

And mind you, the most interesting are those found in the most unconventional places (no, no not those seedy joints in Quiapo mind you!)

Underrated talaga tayo :ohno:

I love Quiapo. :)

sorry but this argument that i bold are non sense. traveling and migrating are two different thing.

There are lot of Indonesian nowadays travelling especially since 2009 because local Indonesian doesnt have to pay outbound travel tax (120 us dollar) which is mandatory for Indonesian traveling abroad unless you have NPWP or tax number, but soon in 2011 this will be abolished

Why Indonesian found Singapore, KL, Hongkong, Bangkok are fascinating because 1. Shopping, 2. Shopping and 3. Amusement park (other than fascinating places like Buddhist temple, etc.)

Why Indonesian not traveling in many western countries, its not because of culture, simply because visa issue, but that doesn't stop Indonesian to study in Australia, US, UK and Europe. For example, In Melbourne CBD (i have an apartment there) the majority are Indonesian students.

now going back to the article that xxxrainxxx posted, its his (jakpost writer) personal opinion, lets not take that article seriously. Many Indonesian still visit manila for religious visit, especially for the Catholics, from Manila they go to Hong kong. We even have a tour package here to Manila-hk but sadly, the philippines promotion here is very lacking. :ohno:

Hope that explains, sorry to clear things out here. I just dont like people talk about a country which he never visited before, let alone living here. If its ryanr or RonnieR i will understand his opinion. because both of them were living in Jakarta before.:cheers:

cheers

1. I wish Filipinos do not have to pay travel taxes too. You are lucky.

2. I agree, travelling and migrating (and for the sake of this argument, I will include studying abroad, working abroad) are two different things, but amongst all my travels around Asia, I see more Filipinos than Indonesians in tourist places with the exception of Singapore where I bumped into a group of Indonesians while partying at the Ministry of Sound. I bumped into Pinoys in Siem Reap, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, China and elsewhere and these are not OFWs but tourists. AFAIK, Singapore and Malaysia are one of the top 10 markets for Filipino outbound tourists.

With cheaper flights, there are more Filipinos travelling now than ever before, that's why Thailand, Malaysia, Macau, HK and Singapore are heavily promoted in the Philippines.

3.Shopping. Let's see, there are around 100 shopping malls in Metro Manila.

Nuff said. :)

:cheers::cheers::cheers:

I will probably visit Indonesia end of next year and I might want to ask for your help about the best food in Jakarta. :)

xxxriainxxx

December 14th, 2010, 08:34 AM

From Brunei Times (http://www.bt.com.bn/features/2010/12/14/mounting-public-holidays-hurting-businesses-manila):

Mounting public holidays hurting businesses in Manila

MANILA
Tuesday, December 14, 2010

CAMPAIGNS to declare national holidays in the Philippines that would honour pets and fishermen are fuelling business anger over the mounting number of days off workers enjoy each year.

Too many holidays are forcing many potential investors to avoid the country while raising costs for employers by tens of millions of dollars, according to a study published by seven foreign chambers of commerce yesterday.

Filipino workers had 21 public holidays this year, compared with nine in Vietnam, 11 in Singapore and 12 in Taiwan, said the study.

"Every paid holiday goes to the bottom line of the balance sheet, and, like minimum wages, can pressure firms that operate on low-profit margins to reduce their work force, close, or move into the underground economy," it said.

"The government rarely consults business stakeholders, although each holiday adds tens of millions of dollars to their payrolls."

The study noted that the number of Philippine holidays had risen from 12 in 1987 to the 21 this year, mainly for religious festivals, and that parliament was considering 16 more.

Lawmakers were looking to declare holidays that would honour, among others, soldiers, families, children, farmers, fishermen, Chinese Lunar New Year, pets and human rights.

The business groups also took issue with the fickle and unpredictable nature of the holiday declarations, which they noted were sometimes done on very short notice, disrupting work schedules and increasing corporate costs.

"It makes us more uncompetitive," John Forbes, of the American Chamber of Commerce and the principal author of the study, told a news conference.

He said small companies that lacked the resources to pay extra holiday pay were often forced into the "underground economy", where no taxes were paid and laws safeguarding labour rights were ignored.

Meanwhile, potential foreign investors simply shunned the country, according to Forbes.

Oscar Sanez, president of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines, said the problem impacted heavily on outsourcing, one of the country's few globally competitive industries.

"If you operate on a low margin and your cost increases, then you start looking elsewhere," Sanez told AFP.

However, Cristino Panlilio, head of the trade ministry's Board of Investments, dismissed the issue as overblown, saying many of the Philippines' neighbours also had many holidays and remained competitive.

"They're wrong in saying it's costing us," said Panlilio. AFP

Manila-X

December 14th, 2010, 09:08 AM

It depends on what people would like to shop for when going to either Hong Kong or Singapore. From a Filipino perspective, in the 90s, HKG was the place to shop because prices were really good (this was when the peso to dollar exchange rate was favorable) and there were usual sales during the months leading into autumn. Also, PAL and CX had many flights to HKG compared to PAL and SQ flights to Singapore. And since airfare to HKG was cheaper, HKG would generally be the first destination for Filipinos traveling overseas for the first time, in the case of tourism.

You could get a tour package to HKG for under USD300-500 (depending on the hotel chosen) back then, whereas a similar trip to Singapore would set you back by USD 400-600 or even more, again depending on the hotel. Plus the time to go shopping in Singapore was limited, 3.5 hours flying time with flights generally leaving early and returning early, vs. 1.5 hours flying time to HKG with morning, afternoon and evening departures/returns. So a 3D2N package was worth it if a Pinoy tourist went to HKG instead of SIN, more time for shopping.

Fast forward to the past decade and still HKG has the most destinations on PAL and the LCCs. Plus of course land arrangements that can be had for under USD100 for 3D2N. With SIN, this coming year will be good because Tiger/Seair, ZestAir and Airphilexpress (flying already) will increase the number of seats to SIN. Plus of course, the opening of Universal Studios Singapore.

I would expect to see more Philippine traffic going to SIN in the coming months, and especially after the unfortunate hostage taking last August, still a number of Filipinos are hesitant to visit HKG. But that won't be obvious this month as a lot of domestic help will be returning for the holidays.

Now moving the topic to the reasons for Indonesians visiting SIN and HKG, wouldn't my example preclude that the nearer the destination, the more tourists it will get? Airfare is a large component (percentage wise) of a trip's expenses. I would tend to agree with Wanch that shopping would be a better draw in Singapore for Indonesians than shopping in Hong Kong.

It is also because Singapore was less advertised in The Philippines back in the late 20th century. Plus relationship between the two nations was tense especially during The Flor Contemplacion case.

Come to think of it, the time when Singapore is becoming a more popular destination compared to HK was after the later's handover back in 1997.

Anyway, I still find it crazy that most Filipino travelers are hesitant to travel to HK where in fact there are hardly any cases of any Pinoy visiting the city and has encountered any abuse. In fact there are none at all.

HK is still a safe place for Filipinos to visit. People there have moved on. The issue has already cooled down.

It is time for most Filipinos to re-experience Asia's World City especially when 2011 comes near.

SleMarKen

December 14th, 2010, 10:46 AM

xxxriainxxx

December 14th, 2010, 12:11 PM

Just today, UK issued Travel Advisory against the Philippines due to Rabies cases.
Umalma naman ang Tourism industry sa Cebu coz rabies declined 30% this 2010 compared last 2009 then why UK issued that kind of advisory. Other countries also have higher cases of rabies but they didn't issue Travel advisories on those countries :ohno:

source: TV Patrol Central Visayas 12-14-10

I saw that. The only rabies free continents are Australia and Antarctica. Hindi kaya rabies dahil sa mga #Azkals? :lol::lol::lol:

SleMarKen

December 14th, 2010, 01:05 PM

It is also because Singapore was less advertised in The Philippines back in the late 20th century. Plus relationship between the two nations was tense especially during The Flor Contemplacion case.

Come to think of it, the time when Singapore is becoming a more popular destination compared to HK was after the later's handover back in 1997.

Anyway, I still find it crazy that most Filipino travelers are hesitant to travel to HK where in fact there are hardly any cases of any Pinoy visiting the city and has encountered any abuse. In fact there are none at all.

HK is still a safe place for Filipinos to visit. People there have moved on. The issue has already cooled down.

It is time for most Filipinos to re-experience Asia's World City especially when 2011 comes near.

There's none happened, zero case of abuse by the HKngers but we can't deny that the hostage crisis happened... And that's it, that's the reason about your question.

And there's Singapore as an alternative, it is just there's this alternative. If there's none, maybe Filipino tourists will still visit HK.

But still Singapore is very expensive... Ang miniral water, napa nga nga ako sa mahal...lol
But worth visiting lang talaga...:okay:

Kintoy

December 14th, 2010, 02:00 PM

Singapore is a tad boring, compared to HK, which is more dynamic.

hakz2007

December 14th, 2010, 03:34 PM

“Biyahe Ta Mindanao” seen to boost Mindanao's tourism sector
DAVAO CITY, Dec. 14 (PNA) – “Biyahe Ta Mindanao” (Let’s Travel Mindanao), a brainchild of the Mindanao Tourism Council (MinTC) and Davao Council of Travel and Tours and Allied Agencies (DCTTAA), heightened its promotion with government tourism officers, tour operators and travel agencies and some members of the media by cruising Mindanao island.

MinTC president Araceli Ayuste said the group journeyed to South Cotabato, Sarangani Province and General Santos City (SOCSARGEN) for its second leg in line with its goal to sell Mindanao as one.

Ayuste said the group cruised for three days from Nov. 27-19, 2010 the potential tourism destinations of SOCSARGEN.

The scenic view of Lake Sebu in Tupi, South Cotabato, the summer capital of Southern Mindanao, exactly ascertains the wonder and beauty of nature.

In Lake Sebu lies Punta Isla Resort, a place where life blends with nature. In Punta Isla, one will experience the panaromic view of the lake.

For tilapia eaters, Punta Isla is the place to go because it serves over 50 different tilapia menus, including the very delicious “chicharong tilapia”.

Today, more tourists are packing to Lake Sebu not only for its seven magical waterfalls but also to take pleasure in riding the breathtaking zip line sashaying across the falls.

For only P200, one can ride the zip line facility and gaze at how marvelous Lake Sebu’s seven rushing waterfalls and vast forest.

Sarangani also offers scenic resorts among others, the White Haven Resort in barangay Gumasa, Glan, and Isla Jardin Del Mar. The entire white sand beachfront is the venue of Sarangani Bay Festival.

When in Sarangani, domestic and foreign divers don’t miss to visit Lemlunay Dive Resort the so called “Scuba Divers Paradise” in Tinoto, Maasim, southwest corner of Sarangani Bay.

Aside from their snorkeling and diving activities in crystal clear deep sea blue waters, the resort also has a new infinity pool.

Sarangani vice governor Steve Solon in Lemlunay Dive Resort said visitor arrivals in Sarangani, including during festivals, have markedly increased from 2005 to current year.

His wife Michelle, owner of Go Sarangani Travel, said data collated by the Sarangani Tourism Investment and Promotion Center showed that local and foreign tourist arrivals in Sarangani resorts alone posted a total of 35,308 in 2005; 270,222 in 2006; 352,064 in 2007; 285,840 in 2008; and 361,628 in 2009.

Apparently, the dip of visitor arrivals in 2008 was due to the impact of the failed signing of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the memorandum of agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for the Bangsamoro people, she said.

Composed only of seven towns, Sarangani Province has great economic and tourism prospects and easier to manage, Solon said.

Still very rural, Sarangani is a come on to investors particularly tourism-related businesses such as resorts.

For this, the Sarangani Provincial government is targeting to develop the province as an eco-tourism destination in Mindanao.

“So we’re targeting adventure tourists, but we still need to improve our facilities, and eyeing for more investors,” Solon said.

He said elected leaders of SOCSARGEN are closely working together to develop further SOCSARGEN’s tourism potentials to find a place in the world tourism map.

Solon also includes World boxing icon Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao as a tourism asset for Sarangani.

“The presence of Manny here is a draw,” he said.

“Biyahe Ta Mindanao” second leg toured Pacquiao’s 12-hectare farm in Sarangani. Aside from mango fruit bearing trees, the farm is haven to Pacquiao’s hundreds of fighting cocks.

Pacquiao’s mansion in General Santos City has also become a tourist destination after Pacquiao has transformed into a very famous and wealthy man in the world, according to Dr. Tranquilino Ruiz, owner of Sarangani Highlands, an overlooking hotel and restaurant located in Tambler, General Santos City.

Tambler is the last barangay of General Santos City before reaching Sarangani Province.

The hotel is also breathtaking because you can experience the panaromic view of Sarangani Bay while eating in its restaurant vastly surrounded with a relaxing garden ambiance.

Ayuste is confident “Biyahe Ta Mindanao” could help sell Mindanao as one to domestic and foreign tourists and slowly ease the negative perception that it is a no-no destination for travelers from the country and abroad.

Meanwhile, Ayuste said “Biyahe Ta Mindanao” third leg will tour Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte the surfing hub of the Philippines and other key destinations of Western Mindanao.

However, she said the date of the tour is still to be planned.

Ayuste said the tour kicked off on October 2-4 touring Northern Mindanao specifically Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro, Oroquieta, Ozamis and Dapitan.

The group had its first stop in Seagull Valley in Budda, Bukidnon with its overwhelming scenery and freezing weather and proceeded to Gloria's Fantasyland, the so-called Disneyland of the Philippines, Dakak Beach Resort, Rivercruise Dining in Dampa Marine Park and the historical place of Jose Rizal's exile in Dapitan City.

The group on its way back to Davao explored Cagayan de Oro and visited some of its tourist sites such as the Gardens of Malasag, Museum of Three Tribes and Makahambus Cave. http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=6&sid=&nid=6&rid=318541

Juan Pilgrim

December 14th, 2010, 09:16 PM

^^ There are really many places to visit in the Philippines. It needs to be packaged and promoted well.

Visit Mindanao NOW!

:cheers2:
__________________________________________________-
Filipinos shouldn't be defensive of other people's opinion and impression of our country/ city. We should listen and learn!

xxxriainxxx

December 15th, 2010, 03:30 AM

I love love Mindanao. So many places to explore and visit and the cultures are very diverse.

Parchie

December 15th, 2010, 04:30 AM

I love love Mindanao. So many places to explore and visit and the cultures are very diverse.

Yeah, very true!
I left a part of my heart in Mindanao! Nothing compares to the beauty in there! I really mean "beauty" as in a beautiful woman from that place!
Araykopo!

Manila-X

December 15th, 2010, 06:28 AM

Singapore is a tad boring, compared to HK, which is more dynamic.

Both cities are dynamic. It is more the thing you're looking for when you travel abroad.

If it's shopping, both HK and SG have wide selections of goods from clothes to electronics to toys, etc.

The only thing is between HK and SG, the former has more places to shop.

Personally, what I like to see when traveling is culture. Both HK ang SG are multicultural though SG is less segregated.

Manila-X

December 15th, 2010, 06:30 AM

Just today, UK issued Travel Advisory against the Philippines due to Rabies cases.
Umalma naman ang Tourism industry sa Cebu coz rabies declined 30% this 2010 compared last 2009 then why UK issued that kind of advisory. Other countries also have higher cases of rabies but they didn't issue Travel advisories on those countries :ohno:

source: TV Patrol Central Visayas 12-14-10

This issue should be a big deal on the first place.

But there are lots of stray dogs around The Philippines especially in Metro Manila. They should be impounded.

SleMarKen

December 15th, 2010, 06:43 AM

^^I can accept na maraming stray dogs sa Pilipinas pero why single out the Philippines. Why they did not issue such advisories in Vietnam, Myanmar, Nepal etc. have higher cases of rabies than the Philippines.

In Cebu alone, last year 9 cases were reported, this 2010, reduced to 6 cases.
6 cases out of 4 million cebuanos is not critical.

I'm sure NCR also have low cases of rabies.

chrismartin

December 15th, 2010, 06:51 AM

Yep maganda ang Mindanao, been to CDO, Camiguin, Surigao del Norte and Bukidnon.. sure would like to visit Davao, Zamboanga and Gen San in my next vacations.. :D

xxxriainxxx

December 15th, 2010, 07:26 AM

Manila-X

December 15th, 2010, 08:04 AM

SleMarKen

December 15th, 2010, 08:10 AM

so media of the Philippines nanaman ang may kasalanan...lol
Pero ang bobo ay ang UK government sa pagkakataong ito...:yes:

Sleepwalker

December 15th, 2010, 08:17 AM

^^Those western countries are being unfair to Philippines, so why listen? They may have the biggest voice, but it does not mean they are always right.

SleMarKen

December 15th, 2010, 08:20 AM

^^just sing listen :D

Parchie

December 15th, 2010, 12:00 PM

But there are lots of stray dogs around The Philippines especially in Metro Manila. They should be impounded.

Let our friends from Ilocandia handle this small problem! In demand ang mga iyan dun! The problem is, huhulihin ng mga pulis mag transport ng mga aso!

FlashCollider

December 15th, 2010, 09:26 PM

^^
I just hope they will put all stray dogs and cats to sleep. Isama na din ang mga asong di naman inaalagaan talaga ng mga may ari. Nakakaawa lang ang mga ito.

hakz2007

December 16th, 2010, 02:27 AM

WIND OR NO WIND SMORGASBOARD 1
by Boom Dayupay (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=547777153)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1364.snc4/163682_10150100131962154_547777153_7274136_4709455_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1171.snc4/154337_10150100129507154_547777153_7274079_6327408_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1385.snc4/163696_10150100128472154_547777153_7274069_7157867_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1388.snc4/164008_10150100130902154_547777153_7274110_412743_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1377.snc4/164908_10150100128027154_547777153_7274066_965507_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs596.ash2/154821_10150100134807154_547777153_7274187_5552804_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs596.ash2/154894_10150100130267154_547777153_7274098_5545070_n.jpg

Ady001

December 16th, 2010, 02:28 AM

^^Those western countries are being unfair to Philippines, so why listen? They may have the biggest voice, but it does not mean they are always right.

There's always a hidden agenda why they're calling the kettle black.

hakz2007

December 16th, 2010, 02:36 AM

WIND OR NO WIND SMORGASBOARD 1
by Boom Dayupay (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=547777153)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs615.ash2/156705_10150100136302154_547777153_7274214_2271510_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs692.snc4/63232_10150100137437154_547777153_7274237_3237514_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs737.snc4/65774_10150100218172154_547777153_7275453_5532593_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1398.snc4/165030_10150100136802154_547777153_7274226_7893944_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1206.snc4/155863_10150100138182154_547777153_7274256_4893958_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1356.snc4/162841_10150100217202154_547777153_7275413_7528764_n.jpg

Linguine

December 16th, 2010, 03:48 AM

Traveling A-Z: Nueva Ecija
By VINCE G. LOPEZ
December 15, 2010, 11:09am

Often described as the “Rice Granary of the Philippines,” the province of Nueva Ecija features a vast expanse of fertile land.

The simplistic rural living is the prevailing ambience of the province as agriculture serves as its main source of living. But beneath this peaceful idyll is a valiant history that is of great importance to the country’s history. Nueva Ecija is one of the eight provinces that initially revolted against the Spaniards. This is represented in the Philippine flag, making it one of the most interesting historical destinations in the North.

Natural wonders, historical landmarks, as well as man-made attraction abound in this quaint and simple province. The land locked province’s capital is Palayan City and its borders include Bulacan, Nueva Vizcaya, Pamapanga, and Pangasinan provinces.

Fast facts:

Local Dialect: Filipino/ Tagalog

Festival:

Taong Putik Festival of Aliaga – A celebration that portrays a scene in St. John the Baptist’s life. Mud covered devotees ask for alms or candles from townsfolk, and a special mass culminates the entire feast.

Must See:

Minalungao Park - Its view of the deep and narrow Penaranda River is a breathtaking perspective of nature’s might. Declared as a national park, the site is surrounded by 16-meter high limestone walls.

General Luna Falls - This hidden treasure of Central Luzon is nestled beautifully in the footsteps of Sierra Mountain.

Capintalan – Its low lying hills make it ideal for hiking and communing with nature.

Gabaldon Falls - The majestic 10-foot falls is surrounded by big rock formations and numbing cold water.

Aloha Falls – Aside from being a great picnic site, this nature park is also great for trekking and hiking as it is surrounded by green foliage.

Dalton Pass - Located in Capintalan, Carranglan, the five-hectare area is blessed with a cool climate and houses the monument of General Dalton as well as a tower that borders the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya. Uphill is a World War II memorial in black marble where a historical account of the war had been etched in English and Japanese.

How to Get There:

Major bus companies ply the Nueva Ecija route, leaving their terminals every thirty minutes depending on the week of the day. The province is approximately 2-3 hours of travel from Manila.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/292940/traveling-az-nueva-ecija

Linguine

December 16th, 2010, 08:37 AM

Japan, Korea hold key to tourism boom

by Eric B. Apolonio

THE Federation of Tourism Industries of the Philippines said that there was reason to be optimistic about the chances of the Philippines becoming a major tourism destination if it effectively taps the lucrative Japan and Korean markets.

FTI president Alejandra Clemente said that tourists from these markets are not deterred by travel advisories to the Philippines, and security issues are not a major stumbling block for them to visit the country.

But a multitude of other factors such as shortages of flights, limited seat capacity to local destinations, and limited or substandard accommodations are, she explained.

Records obtained from the Office of Tourism Research and Statistic Division of the Department of Tourism show that the top five sources of visitor arrivals to the Philippines by country of residence from January to September 2010 were South Korea with 532,013, the United States of America with 445,679, Japan with 272,655, Taiwan with 109,362, and China with106,324.

FTIP is the biggest organization in Philippine tourism and is composed different associations representing travel agencies, tour operators, hotels, resorts, airlines, and other industry sectors.

Clemente noted that the government was not being aggressive enough in selling the country, and the lack of open skies agreements with other countries heavily restricted potential tourism traffic.

“The non-competitiveness of the Philippines as an Asian destination has long been felt not only by the major industry players but also by the government tourism office because of infrastructure development put in place by most, if not all, of the countries in the region. The airport, in particular, is the most important consideration in increasing traffic movement from all markets,” Clemente said.

She said 2.8 million arrivals had been so far recorded this year, including returning Filipinos, compared to about three million last year.

Of the 10.97 million passengers that came to the country by air in 2009 only 2.9 million were tourist.

She noted that All Nippon Airways would begin direct flights from Japan to the Philippines by end-February, while Delta Air Lines was expected to add two flights per week in its US-Japan-Philippines route.

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideMetro.htm?f=/2010/december/16/metro4.isx&d=2010/december/16

xxxriainxxx

December 16th, 2010, 10:08 AM

AirAsia to launch Philippine joint venture
(AFP) – 43 minutes ago

MANILA — Southeast Asian budget carrier king Tony Fernandes on Thursday launched a joint venture airline in the Philippines, giving what he described as an underserved market a big jolt of competition.

AirAsia Philippines, in which he will hold a 40 percent stake, should begin flight operations in August next year using either Clark or Subic -- two former US military bases near Manila -- as its base, the Malaysian said.

"We do expect to be profitable straight away," Fernandes told a news conference without giving fleet, destination or capitalisation details.
He said internal funds would capitalise the joint venture, in which Filipino investors led by Antonio Cojuangco, a cousin of Philippine President Benigno Aquino, hold a combined 60 percent, the minimum local equity stake set by law.

"Many of the routes that Air Asia Philippines will be going to are already being exploited by other Air Asia companies, so the set-up cost for Air Asia Philippines is very low," Fernandes said.

This will allow the joint venture to offer low fares compared with its rivals, he added. Local competition includes surging budget carrier Cebu Pacific Air and loss-making flag-carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL).

"Cebu Pacific has done a fantastic job," Fernandes said, praising its equally low-cost, no-frills model but saying there was more than enough room for the AirAsia group to grow.

"I think PAL could have, I'm sure, done a better job," he added.
Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia has set up similar joint ventures in Thailand and Indonesia and has previously announced plans to set up a unit in Vietnam.
However, Fernandes said Thursday that AirAsia was now giving priority to the Philippine joint venture before proceeding with the Vietnam project.

The flashy 46-year-old tycoon, who also heads the Lotus Formula One team, said that just a tiny segment of the Philippine population of 95 million people were currently making use of air travel, giving the project huge potential.
Marianne Hontiveros, a Filipino music industry executive, will be the AirAsia Philippines chief executive, with Cojuangco as chairman.

"We need tourism badly in our country, and we have so much to offer," Hontiveros told the news conference.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g9k_UGFn59JzCT4n7CHhc42bNl5g?docId=CNG.5cdc3784fcd8b456c2c09787cc17a856.761

Goodbye 5J.

Panzer_18

December 16th, 2010, 01:28 PM

Both cities are dynamic. It is more the thing you're looking for when you travel abroad.

If it's shopping, both HK and SG have wide selections of goods from clothes to electronics to toys, etc.

The only thing is between HK and SG, the former has more places to shop.

Personally, what I like to see when traveling is culture. Both HK ang SG are multicultural though SG is less segregated.

^^:lol::lol:SG and HK are comparable with its dynamism, strengths and excellency....
ang SG at HK are having the best place to enjoy with your whole family, barkada and etc which has the presence of there theme parks.......
Ang SG at HK are having the same reputations of financial centers in asia, which post the highest economic activity in the region....
:):):)Well shopping it goes for HK rather than SG for me ..... HK shopping is the best place to shop in the whole region... low prices:lol::lol:

hakz2007

December 17th, 2010, 02:32 AM

CamSur, Naga top tourist drawers anew
LEGAZPI CITY --- Leading by a mile, CamSur and Naga City closed in to hit the 2 million mark in tourist arrivals as it dashed a total of 1,879,192 domestic and foreign tourists that visited the city and province during the period January to September of this year alone.

Second runner Albay/Legazpi City was far behind registering only a combined total of 235,562 domestic and foreign tourists during the same period. Albay/Legazpi, however, posted the highest growth rate of 65.05 percent compared to other Bicol provinces and cities, overtaking the 142,976 it posted during the same period last year and showing signs of ambitious improvements.

On the other hand, CamSur/Naga, posting an improvement of 53.00 percent over the 1,229,029 tourist arrivals it registered during the same period last year, remains to have produced the highest number of tourist arrivals by a wide margin over the other Bicol provinces and cities. In fact, CamSur/Naga’s combined figure for the first nine months of 2010 represents more than 2/3 of the Bicol regional total of 2.5 million, as it was the case during the same period of the previous year where Bicol had a total tourist arrival of 1.7 million.

On foreign tourists, CamSur/Naga posted the biggest number at 310,083 compared to Albay/Legazpi’s 90,956 during the same 9-month period this year.

It is worthy to note, however, that while the white beach rimmed island province of Catanduanes is at the bottom of the comparative data on regional distribution of travelers in Bicol with a growth rate of -24% covering both domestic and foreign tourist arrivals for the period ending Sept. 2010, it was able to churn out 46,989 foreign tourists, placing third in this category after CamSur/Naga and Albay/Legazpi. Whereas, Masbate, known for its clear sea waters and manta rays, could only muster 1,590 foreign tourists during that period.

Following are the comparative data on regional distribution of travelers for both domestic and foreign tourist arrivals for the period January to September 2010 as released by the regional office of the Department of Tourism based in this city: CamSur/Naga, 1,879,192; Albay/Legazpi, 235,562; Masbate, 124,530; Sorsogon, 87,937; CamNorte, 87,131, and; Catanduanes, 66,558.

The final annual report, covering the January-December 2010 period, will be out by January next year, according to the DOT regional office based in Legazpi City. It is possible that by the end of this year, total arrivals in Bicol would have reached a total of three million, the highest ever in the region’s tourist arrival history.

Tourist arrivals are based on the registry books of accommodation establishments in the respective provinces, according to the DOT.

Tourism Director Nini Ravanilla identified Mayon Volcano, CWC, Caramoan and the Butanding as the prime tourism icons of Bicol; whereas, the annual Peñafrancia fiesta in Naga City is the biggest religious and socio-cultural festival that draws over a million devotees and guests who cannot be fully accommodated by the limited number of hotels, and thus find the rest of the guests scrambling for rooms in the homes and other non-traditional shelters of friends and relatives during the season.

Of the top 5 markets of foreign tourists visiting the region, the Americans topped the total number of guests with 61,689 during the same reporting period. They were followed by the British, 34,850, then Israelites, 27,665. On fourth place are the Australians, 22,959, followed by the South Koreans, 21,392 which placed fifth.

Following is the regional distribution of foreign tourist arrivals for the period January to September this year: CamSur/Naga, 310,083; Albay/Legazpi, 90,956; Catanduanes, 46,989; Sorsogon, 25,443, Camarines Norte, 6,702, and; Masbate, 1,590. http://www.bicolmail.com/issue/2010/dec16/xtop.html

clintbennie

December 17th, 2010, 04:48 AM

hello!

this is my very first post here. just want to share some photos i took at my sagada trip. So far the best trip ive had

http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab271/JackNDBeanstalk/2.jpg
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reign

December 17th, 2010, 05:23 AM

CamSur, Naga top tourist drawers anew
http://www.bicolmail.com/issue/2010/dec16/xtop.html

Wow ! more than 2 million tourists for 2010. Congrats Camsur for being the undisputed no. 1 tourist destination in the country ! :cheers:

hakz2007

December 17th, 2010, 05:37 AM

hello!

this is my very first post here. just want to share some photos i took at my sagada trip. So far the best trip ive had

Breathtaking photos :cheers:

you can also post your Sagada photos here - Abra, Apayao, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Provinces (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=725652) :okay:

Skyprince

December 17th, 2010, 05:44 AM

Am going to Philippines again, this January 8th-10th ( 2 nights )

Will spend 2 nights in Palawan :cheers: Sorry Ronnie and frens, I have to skip Manila this time...

I felll in love with Philippines !!

hakz2007

December 17th, 2010, 06:18 AM

Wind or No Wind
by Cam Sur (http://www.facebook.com/camsur)

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hakz2007

December 17th, 2010, 06:36 AM

CWC Wind or No Wind Event
by Tom Court (http://www.facebook.com/courtintheact)

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hakz2007

December 17th, 2010, 06:42 AM

CWC so far
by James Boulding (http://www.facebook.com/james.boulding)

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hakz2007

December 17th, 2010, 06:47 AM

Going to Mt. Isarog National Park
by Tom Court (http://www.facebook.com/courtintheact)

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Ady001

December 17th, 2010, 06:54 AM

Skyprince

December 17th, 2010, 08:52 AM

^^ Thanks. Is ther anyone from Palawan ?

Ady001

December 17th, 2010, 09:05 AM

^^ One of my friends, (offline) is from Palawan but there are some forumers here from the island.

hakz2007

December 17th, 2010, 10:03 AM

CWC Goes High
by Jamie Barrow (http://www.facebook.com/jamiebarrownz)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1354.snc4/162653_10150140997568765_503008764_8080955_2542413_n.jpg

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Linguine

December 17th, 2010, 12:21 PM

After Rizal Park, DoT plans to help improve Intramuros
By LEONARD D. POSTRADO
December 17, 2010, 6:37pm

MANILA, Philippines — Tourism officials are planning to restore the centuries-old, Walled City of Intramuros in Ermita, Manila, after renovations at the historic Rizal Park landmark is completed by the first quarter of 2011.

In a chance interview during the re-launching of the newly furbished Rizal Park Central Lagoon Musical Dancing Fountain, Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim told reporters that they will next prioritize the overhaul of Intramuros once work at Rizal Park is already finished.

“The restoration of Intramuros will be the Phase II of our project in Manila in order to attract more (foreign) tourists to stay in the city. Manila desperately needed to have a tourist attraction to lure foreign guests,” he said.

When asked on where he will get the budget for the said project, Lim said they will seek the help of public donors and non government organizations (NGOs) in restoring the 64-hectare Spanish fortress.

“There will be tie-ups from different organizations as well as probably donations just like what we did in Rizal Park. We will be working on that once we finish our job here in Rizal Park,” he said.

Lim said that they expect the completion of the restoration and renovation of Rizal Park on March 2011 and set the re-launching of the historic park during the 150th birthday of national hero Jose Rizal on June 19, 2011.

Still to be repaired at the Rizal Park are the Relief Map, the Chinese Garden, the Chess Plaza, and the Orchidarium, he said.

Intramuros, which was built in 1571 along the southern bank of Pasig River, is separated from the rest of Manila by towering walls. The Spanish fortress housed the Roman Catholic churches, like Manila Cathedral and St. Augustine Church, as well as the Governor’s Palace, the official residence of Spanish officials sent to the Philippines, and Fort Santiago, where national hero Jose Rizal was detained.

In October, Manila’s renowned Walled City of Intramuros and Fort Santiago were included in the list of more than 200 global heritage sites in the developing world that are facing “irreversible loss and damage.

The Global Heritage Fund (GHF), a California-based NGO, said in a 68-page report titled “Saving our Vanishing Heritage” that the two Spanish era remnants in the Philippines are suffering from “insufficient management and development pressures.”

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/293411/after-rizal-park-dot-plans-help-improve-intramuros

kalbongdad

December 17th, 2010, 03:05 PM

kenken94

December 17th, 2010, 04:15 PM

^ And the historical buildings. Even those Government buildings like the City Hall of Manila and those in Burnham Park. The City for instance, It's color scheme isn't quite nice to look at. Well that's on POV guys. ^_^

kalbongdad

December 18th, 2010, 12:27 AM

sandwindstars

December 18th, 2010, 04:04 AM

le Reine

December 18th, 2010, 05:57 AM

Ayaw na nilang ayusin yung RADO flower clock sa Luneta. :cry:

Bosnyboy

December 18th, 2010, 06:14 AM

it's about time.....well i think this one agree ako.....sana matuloy......

I really hope they could do something about the illegal settlers near san agustin church. The only place thats nice in intramuros is the road between manila cathedral and san agustin, the rest looks like a big IS community. If theyre goin to transform intrmuros, I hope they setup shops and restaurants and giftshops whose income could help sustain intramuros.

Juan Pilgrim

December 18th, 2010, 03:21 PM

The "squatting" problem is really a big problem in Intramuros and of course all over the metropolis.

It is a huge turn off to many visitors to the area. One doesn't feel at ease and safe as long as they are around.

NTprime

December 18th, 2010, 03:56 PM

About time. Let's make sure they don't anywhere near a paintbrush lest these historical monuments start looking like Rizal's House in Calamba - green puke courtesy of Ambeth Ocampo.

They should preserve the natural look of these buildings. I agree the City Hall, the Congress and Manila Hotel have these ugly colours. They should go back to the original colours - white.

Yeah, the green color scheme of Rizal's house is pathetic! Although I read somewhere that claimed that houses back in Rizal's day had shades of green, but that kind of green?

Historical sites are best painted the way they were back during the time they were built, and with similar materials. Not with some glossy latex paint. Can you imagine the Sistine Chapel being painted with modern acrylic?

Parchie

December 18th, 2010, 04:07 PM

Yeah, the green color scheme of Rizal's house is pathetic! Although I read somewhere that claimed that houses back in Rizal's day had shades of green, but that kind of green?

Historical sites are best painted the way they were back during the time they were built, and with similar materials. Not with some glossy latex paint. Can you imagine the Sistine Chapel being painted with modern acrylic?

I have seen an old villa (circa 1880 or thereabout I was told) colored green - dark green! Definitely not the kind of green that the Rizal House is painted with! It's a dishonor to restore something differently from what it used to be, IMO.

sandwindstars

December 19th, 2010, 01:14 AM

Yeah, the green color scheme of Rizal's house is pathetic! Although I read somewhere that claimed that houses back in Rizal's day had shades of green, but that kind of green?

Historical sites are best painted the way they were back during the time they were built, and with similar materials. Not with some glossy latex paint. Can you imagine the Sistine Chapel being painted with modern acrylic?

The original Spanish house in the Philippines were stone houses - grey thick stones, and brown wood. The ones with paint were white washed, and with trims, darkish green not lime green, but only the trims. Usually the roof were the red Vigan style roofing or sometimes grey (from age). I read that green explanation as well, but that could be natural from the stone and moss growing on the stones. Last time I saw Rizal's house it was grey stone, with brown on the second floor (wood).

hakz2007

December 19th, 2010, 01:14 AM

Come one, come all, to CamSur
The young governor chose to keep it simple and said his main reason for embarking on an ambitious goal is an adage as old as he is young-—if you build it, they will come. And true enough, they did.

Today the once poor province of Camarines Sur is enjoying not only local acclaim but international recognition for its efforts in creating a world—class tourism destination, the CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC). The sports complex is now “the place” to be for the rich and the powerful, the athletic and the enthusiast, and practically all local and foreign adventurers who want to enjoy the thrills of various water sports.

But the CWC is just the tip of the iceberg, as Gov. LRay Villafuerte puts it. These days CamSur is also known as the first local government unit (LGU) to support Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). The province recently passed a local ordinance that allows Camarines Sur to undertake its own joint-venture (JV) projects with the private sector.

Through this, Villafuerte said the province already expects over P1 billion worth of investments to hit its shores by next year. This amount may be peanuts compared with the P106 billion worth of 10 PPPs that the national government is tendering to the private sector next year. But, for a province once considered among the poorest in the country, this is something life-changing and worth looking forward to.

Villafuerte believes that CamSur’s experience is a testament that even LGUs are capable of achieving through innovative ideas such as PPPs. All that is needed is the will to take the first step and the resolve to stay the course.

Rags to riches

When the young governor assumed office in 2004, CamSur was just dust on the beaten path of development. It was ranked among the poorest provinces in the country, along with other provinces in the Bicol region. A significant number of people were living below $1 and $1.25 a day, many children were not in school, and many more were homeless.

Based on the 2003 Small Area Estimates data released by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), the poverty incidence in Camarines Sur reached an average of 60 percent. Some municipalities even had a level of 61 percent.

Believing his provincemates deserved much more, the young governor embarked on a local and international roadshow promoting CamSur’s beaches and other natural attractions. This was done in the hope of spurring tourism development in the country and creating employment opportunities for the people. To his dismay, no one took notice. Not yet.

“When I became governor in 2004, I promoted CamSur for a year going around the country, going all over the world saying that we have one of the best beaches in the world, in the country. Nobody was buying it. Why? Because in the Philippines all people talk about is Boracay, Bohol, Palawan and that’s it. So I said, okay, if you don’t want to believe what we’re doing, we will do the investing,” Villafuerte related.

The results of his efforts were nothing short of a miracle, considering that the province was practically scraping off “leftover” tourists who did not have the budget for Boracay, Bohol or Palawan and did not know where else to go.

From the letdown, Villafuerte started building. The local government then built the CWC and the world-class resort in Caramoan. Both resorts are now considered top tourist destinations in the country. As icing on the cake, the top-rated TV series Survivor decided to shoot in Gota island off the coast of Caramoan for Survivor France at around the same time. From there, the province found itself in the thick of tourism development and there was no turning back.

Partnering with the private sector

Having proven its viability for investment, CamSur started developing other aspects of the economy to help more people improve their lives and living conditions. This started with the local government’s efforts to provide free training for those who want to go into the Call Center and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry.

Villafuerte said that when it comes to development, more often than not, it’s a “chicken and egg” situation. For investors, they will not invest in a particular location without enough manpower resources and for applicants, they will not stay in a province where no jobs are available.

To break this vicious cycle, the province invested in the free training of applicants and partnered with investors by putting public lands on the table, as well as undertaking the construction of office buildings for investors use. The training not only included call-center agent training but also medical transcription and animation.

With this, CamSur became the only LGU in the country that has built and established ecozones such as a tourism park, IT zone, and agroindustrial zone, which are more known to be initiated by the private sector rather than LGUs. Usually ecozones are created or declared by the national government through the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza).

Villafuerte is also proud to note that CamSur was also able to undertake a partnership with Sutherland Global Services Inc. The province provided the land, constructed the building and trained the manpower for Sutherland. There are now 2,000 call-center seats in CamSur.

With average incomes of around P12,000 to P15,000 a month for agents, the call-center alone provides an additional boost to the economy in the amount of P24 million to P30 million a month. This translates to P288 million to P360 million additional income for people in the province every year.

This does not yet include the income the province generates from the rent paid by companies to the LGU for the use of the land and the buildings. In fact, after six years in office, Villafuerte said he was able to triple the LGU’s budget to P2 billion from only P800 million in 2004.

Another project is building homes together with nongovernment organization (NGO) Gawad Kalinga. The province was able to construct as many as 4,700 homes in the province.

The governor explained that assuming the construction of each home amounted to P70,000 to P80,000 each, which translates to an investment in the province of P400 million.

“The problem, not just in CamSur everybody all over the country, is the problem with squatting and people not having homes. The problem of the province then was we had all the lands, Gawad Kalinga’s problem [was they] lacked lands. So we partnered with them,” he said.

These partnerships are also very pioneering in a sense that they happened even before the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) released and implemented its JV guidelines.

[B]MDGs exceeded

Through the earlier partnerships with the private sector the LGU undertook, CamSur has since been able to meet and even exceed national targets particularly in meeting the Millennium Development Goals.

Based on the 2008 National Nutrition Survey of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, CamSur was able to reduce its malnutrition rate by over 45 percent and has since been able to boost the Bicol Region’s economy to 8.2 percent in 2009, according to the Gross Regional Domestic Product data provided by the NSCB.

Data from the Neda Region V Regional Development Council show that through the CWC, CamSur attracted six out of every 10 tourists in Bicol and even emerged as the top tourist destination in the Philippines in 2009.

Villafuerte also proudly noted that the Commission on Audit (COA) ranked the province as the 10th richest province in the Philippines, from being 39th. Using 2007 data, CamSur’s net income reached P233.85 million and its total equity increased to P1.993 billion, COA said.

This despite the fact that the province derives most of its funds to develop all these projects from their Internal Revenue Allotment and borrowings from government financial institutions like the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).

The success of these projects resulted in higher revenues that allowed the local government to continuously meet its obligations. The DBP even gave the LGU a P2-billion credit line because of the viability of the projects that CamSur is investing in.

“We presented to DBP proposals for projects, additional projects for schools and roads, but we have income-generating projects like the IT park, [which] we financed through our DBP loan. [For] all the money we borrowed, the net effect was very positive so coming from that, we [thought we] should expand this concept,” Villafuerte said.

The first PPP LGU ordinance

In support of the cur-rent administration’s goal of pushing for PPPs to finance infrastructure projects, CamSur passed Ordinance 003 or An Ordinance Prescribing Guidelines and Procedures for Entering into Joint Venture Agreements with Private Entities Consistent with the Neda Guidelines on Joint Venture Agreements.

According to Villafuerte, around 95 percent of the local ordinance was based on the Neda JV guidelines, but some provisions were localized, such as the creation of a local JV Selection Committee (JV-SC) to evaluate and select a private-sector partner for a selected joint-venture undertaking.

The JV-SC is led by the Chairman, a third ranking officer in the province followed by a Secretary which will be assumed by a legal officer of the province; two LGU officers knowledgeable in finance and management and operation of the JV; and a representative from and selected by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

Based on the guidelines, the governor can also create a technical working group to be composed of personnel from the public and private sector operating in the province who have the expertise to share in specific JV undertakings.

The governor said the local government will exert all efforts to promote transparency and accountability in all JV projects and undertakings. All that CamSur is looking for from the national government is support—a guarantee that they will also help in disseminating information that certain projects in the LGUs are also being undertaken through PPPs.

“What we want from the national government is simply for it to help us promote public-private partnerships. It will also relieve them, [since] instead of us asking money from them, all we need is for these projects to be part of their list, [considering they are] viable. Of course now, we also want clear guidelines from the national government supporting LGU public-private partnerships by providing a guideline for LGU partnerships,” Villafuerte said.

He thinks this will also encourage other LGUs to undertake their own JVs with the private sector for local PPP projects. Based on their experience, LGUs can easily cut business processing time. He said CamSur was able to do half of the business requirements for investors by simply providing a place to operate in.

Villafuerte said this also cuts the costs incurred by businesses operating in CamSur. He said it is CamSur’s business-friendliness that’s behind the decision of many establishments to set up shop in the province.

“I think the LGU is the key to the economic development of this country. Think global, start local. You can implement global projects locally,” the governor said.

PPPs on the horizon

By next year, Villafuerte expects over P1 billion worth of investments will stream into CamSur in the form of PPPs. Several agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, environment, and other projects will be offered as PPPs in CamSur by next year.

One of these projects is a chili processing plant in the province. While it is not unlikely for the province to go into en masse chili processing—being known for serving up the country’s hottest viands—it has never been done before. Villafuerte intends to capitalize on this untapped potential.

There is, he said, a big demand for chili production because of the increase in demand for condiments like Tabasco or chili powder for seasoning. Since the province has a lot of land—approximately 30,000 hectares of it—land can already be the province’s equity as well as the manpower. The private sector can put in the technology and the capital that can be used for processing.

“What we want to do now is create a large-scale chili plantation as a high-value crop and process it into powder. So it’s like this, we plant it for you, you buy it from us, you process it, then we share. It’s an innovative approach to governance. Me, I’m very positive, very optimistic that we can do it. We’ve pioneered the ordinance to do it, it just takes time. Of course, all of these is in the parameters of government transparency, accountability, fairness; anybody can come in, provided that it’s advantageous to the government,” the governor said.

Another long-time project is a diversion road that will cut travel time from Manila to Camarines Sur by an hour. The diversion road will be a toll road that a private-sector entity can operate and lease from the government, depending on which arrangement is beneficial to both parties.

The province is also keen on developing solar and renewable-energy projects to help in solving the power problem in the country. By providing land, power companies can already come in and build whatever facilities are necessary to operate a solar or renewable-energy facility.

“We don’t have enough money, we need a partner and now is the right time for a partnership. Why? Because we’ve proven our worth. Meaning, CamSur is viable, fastest-growing, from nothing to something, from poorest to richest,” Villafuerte enthused.

Only time will tell whether these PPPs will indeed bring about the expected results of the local government but based on their experience, and assuming that future leaders of the province will have the same vision as the young governor, PPPs will be a staple in the province.

On hindsight, said Villafuerte, even if there was some political backlash at the onset of his innovative approach to governance, people subsequently started seeing clearly what his vision was. Soon, the attacks stopped and the projects received international and local acclaim.

Meanwhile, other LGUs are consulting with him on how to go about PPPs and having a local ordinance to support PPPs in their province. This is something the province welcomes because that is also where CamSur was not so long ago—poor and underdeveloped.

To naysayers, the governor said that while it is true that the government must step aside when it comes to businesses or corporate activities, especially when there are private-sector players, its not always the case for provinces in the Philippines.

“The government must encourage private enterprise but in our case, if we don’t do it, we will never be able to prosper. If we did not build the CWC, CamSur will still be poor and the only reason why we did it is [that] no private sector wanted to invest,” the governor said. “I always believe, build it and they will come, and we built it and people started to come.”http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/top-news/5086-come-one-come-all-to-camsur

sandwindstars

December 19th, 2010, 01:16 AM

Congrats to Cam Sur! Nice to see tourists having a go at it, and enjoying. Can you just imagine, instead of fish pens or fish ponds they created a water park. I think those guys are Kiwis, maybe some sort of travel or adventure show on tv down under.

reign

December 19th, 2010, 05:02 AM

I wish all other LGUs have a vision and political will like Gov. Villafuerte.I cant imagine that they can beat Cebu and Boracay as the no. 1 tourist destination in the country in a span of just five years. Congrats Camsur !

Linguine

December 19th, 2010, 05:58 AM

^^

Thanks for posting this mods hakz, I am a great believer in what has been done by the officials of CamSur for the province, how I wish our officials here in negros occidental and bacolod city could learn from CamSur and maybe follow what CamSur officials especially the governor have done for the development of CamSur......:okay:....:cheers:

Linguine

December 19th, 2010, 06:00 AM

Candaba: From catch basin to tour site

By Tonette Orejas
Central Luzon Desk
First Posted 03:48:00 12/19/2010

Filed Under: Tourism & Leisure, Youth, Philippines - Regions

CANDABA, Pampanga, Philippines—Guided to the port by students dressed as birds, 200 tourists were introduced to the Pampanga River cruise on Thursday, with local officials promising that it would soon become the country’s newest natural tourism destination.

“It’s very nice,” Senator Pia Cayetano said after she returned from the 5-kilometer test tour. Actress Gloria Diaz said: “It’s [a] refreshing (trip).”

For Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda, it was a good start for more leisurely cruises in 2011.

They all rode in a small rainbow-colored ferry that led a flotilla of 10 colorful boats named after some of the 105 species of local and migratory birds already sighted in Candaba.

Department of Tourism officials, travel agents, businessmen, some foreigners and students joined the day’s trip. The guests were treated to street dancing by the town’s youth who moved in ways of birds, which have made this town popular among bird watchers and conservationists.

Visitors were also served rice cooked in banana leaves and adobo, native sausages and salted eggs with tomatoes wrapped in a lotus leaf.

The river journey, though short for the inaugural run, stopped twice at the banks where residents sold locally grown vegetables, fruits and snacks.

The cruise did not venture farther because the water level was lower at this time of the amihan (northeast monsoon), said Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo.

Pineda said the cruise’s main facility, a two-story fiberglass boat estimated to be worth P5 million, would be manufactured. The lower floor features a buffet of native Kapampangan dishes and delicacy.

Pelayo said each river cruise can be combined with other activities. Guests can choose from a wide range of activities like bird-watching, watermelon picking, sunset gazing, lotus farming, mangroves planting, church visits, fishing and native cooking.

“Tour operators should notice that Candaba is a peaceful town,” said the mayor.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20101219-309796/Candaba-From-catch-basin-to-tour-site

pi_malejana

December 19th, 2010, 07:10 AM

I have seen an old villa (circa 1880 or thereabout I was told) colored green - dark green! Definitely not the kind of green that the Rizal House is painted with! It's a dishonor to restore something differently from what it used to be, IMO.

The original Spanish house in the Philippines were stone houses - grey thick stones, and brown wood. The ones with paint were white washed, and with trims, darkish green not lime green, but only the trims. Usually the roof were the red Vigan style roofing or sometimes grey (from age). I read that green explanation as well, but that could be natural from the stone and moss growing on the stones. Last time I saw Rizal's house it was grey stone, with brown on the second floor (wood).

like this one from Bulacan??

Old Houses of Bustos Bulacan

http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af8/williamroi/-utf-8-B-SU1HMDEzNDEtMjAxMDEwMDMtMTEwMy5qcGc--756622.jpg
photo credits to the owner. (http://pinoybyahero.blogspot.com/2010/10/old-houses-of-bustos-bulacan.html)

Ephesus29

December 19th, 2010, 11:36 AM

mwg12a

December 19th, 2010, 11:41 AM

I always tell people that they have to "google it" everytime they ask me about Philippine tourist destinations.. Thailand, China, Malaysia and Singapore always have a TV spot from August to Decemenr and even well into Spring. And not even 5 sec spots for PI, pitty. Can someone in this forum nudge the DOT officials, please!!!!!!:lol::lol::lol:

I don't think I've seen Philippines as tourist destination here in the (those in Cali feel free to correct me on this one) US, especially in the midwest. I always see Korean Airlines and Cathy Pacific ads but not PAL or Philippine commercial ads.

Ephesus29

December 19th, 2010, 12:09 PM

I don't think I've seen Philippines as tourist destination here in the (those in Cali feel free to correct me on this one) US, especially in the midwest. I always see Korean Airlines and Cathy Pacific ads but not PAL or Philippine commercial ads.

Pal flies to Vancouver 7 days a week, but never seen a single ad on TV, about PAL, and Philippine tourist destinations. Except in Travel Agency.
It is quite disconcerting, knowing that there are plenty of Places to see in PI, but are not being marketed here in Canada like Hon Kong, SG, Thailand, Malaysia and China. DOT Philippines should agressively promote Philippine tourism around the world, including Canada, and the US midwest.

Linguine

December 19th, 2010, 02:35 PM

SEAIR daily Clark-Singapore flights seen to boost tourism
By ROY C. MABASA
December 19, 2010, 6:11pm

MANILA, Philippines – To boost tourism in in the country, South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR), the second oldest airline in the country, started last week its first regional international operations with daily flights between Clark and Singapore at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA).

Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) President and CEO Victor Jose I. Luciano said SEAIR’s Singapore operations at DMIA will further boost the airport’s development as it serves more passengers, especially overseas Filipino workers which will be brought closer to their families, tourists, businessmen and travelers through the said flight.

“We welcome this development because it will start the bigger operations of SEAIR with their first regional international flight,” Luciano said in a statement.

DMIA averages 11 flights per day provided by foreign and local budget carriers since 2003.

SEAIR is a pioneer locator and airline at the Clark Freeport Zone, starting operations in 1995. It currently operates domestic flights such as its Boracay flight via the DMIA in Clark. Other destinations include Cebu and Davao, among others.

President Benigno S. Aquino III earlier led the blessing of Airbus A-319 at the SEAIR hangar inside the Clark Civil Aviation Complex.

“Using the new 144-seater aircraft and with our projected 90 percent load factor for the Singapore flight, SEAIR projects monthly passenger traffic in Clark to increase by more than 60 percent,” SEAIR President and CEO Avelino Zapanta pointed out.

He said SEAIR will offer low-cost flights to its customers at DMIA and compete with other foreign and local budget carriers flying out of Clark.

SEAIR, Zapanta said, is eyeing more international flights that includes Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea and Japan to increase their presence in the Asian Region by 2011.

He said two more Airbus A-319 aircraft are expected to be delivered by the first half of 2011.

Zapanta stressed that the reason why SEAIR is pushing for open skies is because they find it problematic to acquire additional points where they could operate.

“We are advocating open skies so that we will be able to operate on all of the points, from Clark to Southeast and Northeast Asia, and in the next 3 years we hope to connect not only Northeast and Southeast Asian destinations but also our trunk-line domestic destinations so that the people of North and Central Luzon will also have all the transportation they need to go to other parts of the Philippines,” Zapanta pointed out in his speech during the launching of SEAIRS's Clark-Singapore-Clark flight.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/293812/seair-daily-clarksingapore-flights-seen-boost-tourism

filcan

December 19th, 2010, 03:20 PM

kalbongdad

December 19th, 2010, 03:33 PM

we seem to be feeding tourists to singapore.....not the other way around.....:ohno: anong kababalaghan ito....?

Parchie

December 19th, 2010, 03:50 PM

^^two words: no budget. :D

That's crazy, IMO. I was once using that kind of reasoning when asked by a boss of mine (an American expat) why something that is very necessary for operations was not bought. I replied "I have no budget for that, this year, XXX!". You know what? He gave the longest lecture in life! Told me that we already have a Budget/ Finance Officer in the company and I am not that person. My job spec'd I call the shots in my field! From then on, I realized, what's needed should be brought to the higher-ups so that the operations will be smooth and your area gets to be productive!
Can't the government agencies charged with advertising not inform Manila of their needs? Budget thing is BS! It is just a guide so that your business can prosper! That's why we always hear, over the budget, deficit, and within budget! If it were fixed, the previous words should never be heard!

wino

December 19th, 2010, 06:30 PM

we seem to be feeding tourists to singapore.....not the other way around.....:ohno: anong kababalaghan ito....?

market dictated it..

Pinoys seems to go gaga over Singapore nowadays...
maybe bacause of UNIVERSAL.. they can't go the LA, so they instead go to Singapore..

sandwindstars

December 19th, 2010, 06:33 PM

like this one from Bulacan??

Yes, sort of deep green sometimes with bluish tinge, not the green on the roof which is current. Have seen that elsewhere in Lat Am as trims, plus beige, brown and brick red. The house looks like early American colonial type. Saw on GNN a documentary of American colonial architecture in the Philippines, many were of that type. But here's something that I came across in another forum from the Australian. It is a recreation of old houses in Ilocos Norte but I'm not sure about the blue roof:

Spanish sanctuary on the South China Sea
(http://www.theaustralian.com.au/travel/world/spanish-sanctuary-by-the-south-china-sea/story-fn30269g-1225888927294)

NTprime

December 20th, 2010, 03:37 AM

I've been here in Canada for a number of years and I haven't seen any ads about Tourism in the Philippines. We can also afford to fly to the Philippines, given the opportunity, not only Americans, or Europeans.:lol::lol::lol:
May be frugal, yeah, but not cheap.:lol::lol::lol:

Anyways, I've seen some of the wonderful places to see in the country through SSC, and of course other website. But never on TV. What's going on?
Is our loony not as valued as Uncle Sam?:lol::lol:

I always tell people that they have to "google it" everytime they ask me about Philippine tourist destinations.. Thailand, China, Malaysia and Singapore always have a TV spot from August to Decemenr and even well into Spring. And not even 5 sec spots for PI, pitty. Can someone in this forum nudge the DOT officials, please!!!!!!:lol::lol::lol:

I don't think I've seen Philippines as tourist destination here in the (those in Cali feel free to correct me on this one) US, especially in the midwest. I always see Korean Airlines and Cathy Pacific ads but not PAL or Philippine commercial ads.

Pal flies to Vancouver 7 days a week, but never seen a single ad on TV, about PAL, and Philippine tourist destinations. Except in Travel Agency.
It is quite disconcerting, knowing that there are plenty of Places to see in PI, but are not being marketed here in Canada like Hon Kong, SG, Thailand, Malaysia and China. DOT Philippines should agressively promote Philippine tourism around the world, including Canada, and the US midwest.

^^two words: no budget. :D

That's crazy, IMO. I was once using that kind of reasoning when asked by a boss of mine (an American expat) why something that is very necessary for operations was not bought. I replied "I have no budget for that, this year, XXX!". You know what? He gave the longest lecture in life! Told me that we already have a Budget/ Finance Officer in the company and I am not that person. My job spec'd I call the shots in my field! From then on, I realized, what's needed should be brought to the higher-ups so that the operations will be smooth and your area gets to be productive!
Can't the government agencies charged with advertising not inform Manila of their needs? Budget thing is BS! It is just a guide so that your business can prosper! That's why we always hear, over the budget, deficit, and within budget! If it were fixed, the previous words should never be heard!

Actually, having no budget (but let me qualify this later) is really one of the reasons why advertising is not happening everywhere else except maybe on the internet (cheapest way compared to print ads, billboards, and TV spots).

It's not NO budget, it's really ... how much of the budget is allocated to advertising vs. foreign trips/junkets or other expenses. I remember here in SSC a couple of months after PNoy took office the disapproved (or cut back on) the travel budget of the DOT people (but it was a small amount, not the billion pesos total budget). Saying no budget is just like budgeting for your household expenses. If advertising is a variable expense, then depending on who sits at the helm and what his/her stance is regarding advertising may make or break the company/product/service. In the case of the DOT, I think only Dick Gordon was sincerely interested in making it work...sure Ace Durano did a lot of advertising, but these were more self-promotion with his face all over billboards and the like compared to the WOW Philippines campaign of Gordon. Durano was present in many international conventions (good marketing effort as it's personalized), but that was to the trade industry that benefited from this, not the direct target market themselves. Now we know that in these trade fairs and conventions, everyone makes the same (some even more) sales pitch, so what's to guarantee that your product will stand out from the rest who are also there?

With their meager budget, the DOT should have invested in an effort where they will see returns down the line. Not in individual selling by government officials paired off with a junket, but in MASS MARKETING. With mass marketing they will get more than word of mouth, especially if they use a well known figure to promote their brand.

Again, it's not NO BUDGET, but WHERE the budget will be allocated.

Sorry to my friend mwg12a, I don't think the marketing effort of PAL or the Philippine government will get to your TV screens courtesy of your local station out there in the midwest (or even further east of LAX, SFO and YVR). If they can't even advertise on CNN (which has the widest coverage worldwide), what more in smaller towns where PAL doesn't even have flights to? Same thing goes with newspaper ads and travel magazines...these have a limited market (usually travel people who know other better product offerings), so you can't expect PAL to put their money their. And since PAL's market is usually the OFW or balikbayan crowd (i.e. non-premium crowd), they will have a hard time selling to the business executives, first class passengers, world travelers, etc. where the profits are.

Now going to PAL and its international/domestic advertising campaign, they were too complacent because way back in 1995 when Lucio Tan bought PAL he inherited the industry leader (in fact, PAL was a monopoly back then), which had very strong image and branding. And look what his minions did in the span of one generation...they got the airline shut down for 2 weeks in 1998, got into receivership with no foreign partner, they lost the domestic market share to Cebu Pacific, and when things were looking good and started buying planes again, got affected by the world financial crisis as well as the Category 2 downgrade! Sure, not all of the problems were of their making, but the issue there is they DID NOT ADAPT. Lack of foresight, underestimating their competition, neglecting their passengers, the list goes on.

It would have been better if LT entered the aviation field as a number 2 player, just like what Gokongwei did with Cebu Pacific. Look at Lucio Tan's companies which are no. 2 --- take for example Asia Brewery, especially Manila Beer --- do you see how focused their marketing campaign is? (well, still a far second from San Miguel but at least they are trying hard). If they are the underdog, they will work harder, but because they got into PAL when it was top dog, they did not strive to keep their leading position. Which is to me, one of the major reasons why they have lost the luster all these years. Add to that the belligerent stance towards labor, then you have a formula for disaster.

Bosnyboy

December 20th, 2010, 04:12 AM

market dictated it..

Pinoys seems to go gaga over Singapore nowadays...
maybe bacause of UNIVERSAL.. they can't go the LA, so they instead go to Singapore..

Singapore is the new HK. Maybe we are tired of seeing inefficiencies, pollution, traffic, garbage, chaos, stupid, corrupt, indifferent and arrogant govt officials that's we want to go to singapore for a change. A place where things work and then hopefully we can get some inspiration and bring some of it home.

How many times have we heard our fellow filipinos exclaim "wow ganda ng singapore, ang linis, ang sarap ng pagkain"? Those adjectives maybe the norm for every singaporeans but for us to compare it with our own well its like comparing heaven and hell.

Panzer_18

December 20th, 2010, 04:36 AM

^^Heaven---- ang ganda ng place, linis, mayaman at iba pah(blah,blah,blah).... Hell---- wow superb standard of living.. ang taas ng rates sa housing,tax,transport fees and everything you need to ...... singapore is the best place for vacation, yet living there is expensive

Manila-X

December 20th, 2010, 06:31 AM

market dictated it..

Pinoys seems to go gaga over Singapore nowadays...
maybe bacause of UNIVERSAL.. they can't go the LA, so they instead go to Singapore..

Also The Sands.

I noticed that as well. Sad though for us HKERS :(

But it just shows that alot of Pinoy can afford to travel.

Manila-X

December 20th, 2010, 06:35 AM

Singapore may be a clean and efficient place but what is there to do there outside The Downtown Core, Sentosa and to some extent, travel to Malaysia?

There are a whole lot of things to do in The Philippines than in Singapore.

The city state has its own social problems the fact that there are plenty of Singaporeans who would rather be elsewhere than in their homeland.

Acer_Cyle

December 20th, 2010, 07:14 AM

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj264/Acer_Cyle/CiertoCosasyLugaresQuePuedeUstedesMiraDentroDelCiudaddeZamboangaelAntesRepublicadeZamboangaVive1899-1903_A3.jpg

ricoyan

December 20th, 2010, 07:56 AM

xxxriainxxx

December 20th, 2010, 09:14 AM

Also The Sands.

I noticed that as well. Sad though for us HKERS :(

But it just shows that alot of Pinoy can afford to travel.

Kita ko new photos of my co-workers who went to SG, puro nga photos ng Marina Bay Sands. May Gerry's Grill dun. LOL.

Btw, I ask my students all the time where they want to go, or which country they think is great, they would always say Singapore. Strange, Hanoi is much closer to SG than HK, but rarely do I hear them talk about HK. Most of my students go to SG rather than HK.

xxxriainxxx

December 20th, 2010, 09:29 AM

Top 10 countries where you will have higher chances of diarrhoea for travelers:

Top 10 places for travellers diarrhoea
Kate Midena From: news.com.au December 15, 2010 11:15AM

TRAVELLER'S diarrhoea may be commonly known as Delhi belly, but it should really be renamed Cairo cramp after Egypt was named the country where holidaymakers are most likely to fall ill.

Britain's Health Protection Agency estimated there were 82 cases of stomach illness for every 100,000 visits to Egypt, compared to 65 cases for India.

They were followed by Thailand, Pakistan and Morocco.

The report divided travel destinations into three levels of risk, classifying visits to Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia as the most dangerous for gastrointestinal infection.

Of the top 10 most popular destinations for English, Welsh and Northern Irish tourists, Portugal had the highest rate with 6.6 cases per 100,000 visits.

The study also found that half of the 24,322 laboratory-confirmed cases between 2004 and 2008 were caused by salmonella. Particular germ risk areas were unhygienic restaurants and swimming pools.

Travellers were advised to wash their hands regularly, carry alcohol gel and be cautious about drinking water.

Dr Jane Jones, a travel health expert with the HPA, said: "There are measures people can take to protect themselves while they are away, and it is also important that travel health specialists and the travel industry work together to increase awareness of travellers' diarrhoea and to actively promote prevention strategies in high-risk destinations.

"We know from studies that travellers may not follow health advice consistently while abroad.

"Personal hygiene and precautionary measures against food and water-borne illness are important at all times anywhere, but particularly when travelling to countries with less robust sanitary infrastructure.

"Taking sensible precautions such as avoiding tap water and ensuring food is properly cooked will help to keep a holiday at any time of the year both enjoyable and healthy."

COUNTRY AND RATE OF GI ILLNESS PER 100.000
Egypt = 81.92 :toilet:
India = 64.85 :toilet:
Thailand = 64.50 :toilet:
Pakistan = 60.16 :toilet:
Morocco = 40.32 :toilet:
Kenya = 40.10 :toilet:
Tunisia = 34.39 :toilet:
Caribbean = 27.60 :toilet:
Mexico = 13.39 :toilet:
Malta = 8.59 :toilet:

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/travel/world/revealed-the-top-10-places-for-travellers-diarrhoea/story-e6frfqai-1225971410446#ixzz18de9zHGG

Ph Man

December 20th, 2010, 10:53 AM

^^ unhygienic swimming pools? :nuts:
And Thailand? I thought it's a lot cleaner than Manila. I wouldn't mind eating street foods in Bangkok. Something I can't do here in Manila.

Glad not to see Ph in the list.

By the way, i've seen the latest copy of Reader's Digest. (Asia) It features Manila as "Asia's next shopping capital."

I'm not usually a big fan of RD, but since it's got free Discovery Channel mag, I grabbed one without thinking twice. :lol: Almost forgot which of the two mags is free.

Parchie

December 20th, 2010, 11:01 AM

SleMarKen

December 20th, 2010, 11:11 AM

Singapore may be a clean and efficient place but what is there to do there outside The Downtown Core, Sentosa and to some extent, travel to Malaysia?

There are a whole lot of things to do in The Philippines and in Singapore.

The city state has its own social problems the fact that there are plenty of Singaporeans who would rather be elsewhere than in their homeland.

This is the main reason wy I chose SG over HK...:yes:
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/5671/atos18.jpg

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/268/atos39.jpg

chrismartin

December 20th, 2010, 11:33 AM

I'm going to Egypt for a vacation this April at isa sa importanteng bilin sa aking ng travel agent ay yung pagiwas sa pagkain ng raw foods (e.g. salad) at paginom ng non-bottled water sa Egypt. Totoo yung maraming nagkakasakit sa tyan like diarrhea during their vacation in Egypt. :D

xxxriainxxx

December 20th, 2010, 11:38 AM

xxxriainxxx

December 20th, 2010, 11:40 AM

Panzer_18

December 20th, 2010, 12:15 PM

This is the main reason wy I chose SG over HK...:yes:
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/5671/atos18.jpg

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/268/atos39.jpg

^^i've try swimming in infinity pool of marina bay sands .....a lot of memories in there...... Kudos to SG

Linguine

December 20th, 2010, 12:26 PM

11 foreign tourists rescued in Batanes
By JOHN CARLO CAHINHINAN
December 20, 2010, 6:26pm

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 11 foreign tourists consisting of Singaporean, Malaysian, Indonesian and Australian nationals were rescued by elements of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) late afternoon of Sunday after encountering giant waves while having a kayaking and canoeing adventure along Sabtang Island in Basco, Batanes.

Captain George Ursabia, district commander of the Coast Guard Northern Luzon (CGNLZ), said that the PCG Basco Station received an urgent phone call from Batanes Governor Vicente Gato reporting that 11 Singaporean nationals were in distress after their boat was hammered by giant waves and rough sea condition somewhere in Sabtang Island while conducting kayaking activities in the island.

“The sea condition that time was very rough due to northeast monsoon (amihan) phenomenon in the area which caused their kayak boat to capsize,” Ursabia said.

He added that this rough sea phenomenon along the eastern part of Batanes usually last from September until February during the height of the northeast monsoon winds.

The CGNLZ district commander immediately dispatched four rescue teams at 5:15 p.m. and were able to rescued nine of the 11 distressed tourists in which two of them managed to return to Sabtang Island on their own before being placed by the PCG to safety, four were able to reach the Port of Basco at 6 p.m. while the other three were rescued by the Coast Guard Station-Basco at vicinity around six nautical miles from the town’s shoreline.

The two earlier missing were finally rescued at 11:45 p.m. and safely arrived at the port terminal.

Ursabia later identified the survivors as Sim Cher Huey, Chan Tau Chou, Carol Leung Ho Wing, Karen Chao Sin Hui, Ong Yong Hui, Amos Sim, David Cho Kah Long and Khor Yong Kok, all Singaporean nationals; Tin Kam Kathy Wong, an Australian; Umartono Bimo, an Indonesian; and Moira Khaw, a Malaysian national.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/293946/11-foreign-tourists-rescued-batanes

GodIsNotGreat

December 20th, 2010, 01:01 PM

NTprime

December 20th, 2010, 02:26 PM

It sounds perverse, that a natural calamity resulting in death and misery can be touted, indeed promoted, as a tourist attraction. This is claimed to be happening in Indonesia, where intrepid travel agencies are bringing tourists to witness the devastation caused by the recent eruption of Mount Merapi. They bring tourists to see villages that suffered from the disaster.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/eruption-indonesia-turns-disaster-tourism-20101215-203830-628.html

On the other hand, one can surmise a bias by the writer of the article who was writing for a Western news agency. It is possible that what really is the selling point to the tourists was the spectacle of viewing the after-effects of a volcanic eruption, one of nature’s most violent manifestations.

I understand that local and foreign tourists are regularly trekking Mount Pinatubo, but this started years after the eruption, when the risk to life has abated, and the primary draw to the tourists were the newly formed crater lake and the odd scenery of a landscape shaped by the lahar flows and new and sparse vegetation; there is also the possible visit to an Aeta tribe.

Another derivative of leisure travel voyeurism is slum tourism; Mumbai’s slums were visited by a few inquisitive tourists even before the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” was released. After the release of the movie and its triumph as “Best Picture” in the Oscar Awards and Golden Globes, tours to the slums just took off. Similarly, after the abolition of apartheid, slum tourism to the ghettos of Soweto in South Africa became popular; ditto for the favelas of Brazil.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/slumdog-millionaire-boosts-mumbais-slum-tourism-industry/413939/2

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11568243

It turns out that slum tourism goes way back, to the late 1800’s.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/opinion/10odede.html?_r=1&ref=kenya

I wonder if similar promotions are helpful to the tourism campaign of our country. Local travel operators can have an easy destination for the slum category: Tondo, or the communities along the railtracks and even the shanties along the esteros. For the disaster category, continue to build up Mount Pinatubo.

One can only hope they wouldn’t promote the hills of Maguindanao where the massacre happened. The thing that happened there was of a different kind: man-made. That would really be perverse.

Depends what kind of disaster. If it is a natural disaster, then the tourism promoting it should be positive, probably a realization that as humans, we can't fight the forces of mother nature. Now if it is a man made disaster (e.g. Exxon Valdez, Maguindanao massacre, Chernobyl, etc.), it is a reminder how stupid humans are sometimes.

Many volcanic eruptions are actually tourist spots, especially the ongoing lava flows of Kilauea, Hawaii Island. BTW Kilauea, as part of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, is the world's most visited volcano, getting millions of visitors each year. The other semi-active volcano (Mauna Loa) is also a tourist attraction, but not on the scale of Kilauea.

Not sure if the bankrupt country of Iceland has capitalized on its volcanoes, although I doubt it as the most recent eruption of Eyjafjallajökull (tough to pronounce, had to google that) is not a pleasant reminder of how nature thwarts mans plans when it disrupted flights in northern Europe this year. In Europe, Pompeii, having been buried when Vesuvius erupted in 79AD, has become a tourist spot for quite some time.

Earthquakes are not an ideal disaster tourism site because of the dangers they pose. Same goes for places devasted by tidal waves. Even New Orleans hasn't fully recovered from Hurricane Katrina.

Slum tourism? Not for me.:nuts:

xxxriainxxx

December 20th, 2010, 02:29 PM

chrismartin

December 20th, 2010, 03:12 PM

^ Ba't kaya sila pinayagan ng tour guide nila or resort kung saan sila nag-stay. From safety standpoint, I'd rather have disappointed but safe tourists than dead tourists. lol. :D

manila_eye

December 20th, 2010, 03:15 PM

kayaking in that part of batanes is suicide indeed. their tourist guides should know better.

xxxriainxxx

December 20th, 2010, 03:25 PM

^^ May matitigas lang talagang ulo na mga turista, I know the people there would never allow it.

SleMarKen

December 20th, 2010, 03:27 PM

Amihan is strong in batanes now... Strong winds and rains this time of the year...:ohno:

kalbongdad

December 20th, 2010, 09:04 PM

yung feeling of orderliness ang habol ng mga pinoy dun......sa hk kowloon side kadiri din naman mga tao dun....dahak ng dahak....ewwwww yung mga nag si serve ng fud sa mga restos....kulang sa breeding :lol: ibab din sa mainland hk sa kowloon side....kahit hindi mo kita ang kahirapan ng physical na buhay nila...ramdam mo ang paghihirap nila.....by their demeanor.....para bang mga daga na palaging naghahanap na maiimbak na pagkain...work to death ika nga....at yung mga tirahan nilang bldgs....parang mga hawla ng kalapati.... well kanya kanya kultura...nasa yo naman kung san ka....sa work to death soceity pero may kita....o sa pawardi wardi soceity na wala...:)

Aerin

December 20th, 2010, 09:17 PM

^^ unhygienic swimming pools? :nuts:
And Thailand? I thought it's a lot cleaner than Manila. I wouldn't mind eating street foods in Bangkok. Something I can't do here in Manila.

I love eating street food in Manila. Haven't gotten sick so far! (*knock on wood*)

I'm going to Egypt for a vacation this April at isa sa importanteng bilin sa aking ng travel agent ay yung pagiwas sa pagkain ng raw foods (e.g. salad) at paginom ng non-bottled water sa Egypt. Totoo yung maraming nagkakasakit sa tyan like diarrhea during their vacation in Egypt. :D

Which places in Egypt will you be visiting?

Avoid eating ice cream, even the packaged ones. Everyone in my group (including me) who ate one ended up getting sick with flu-like symptoms, despite getting our shots before our arrival in the country. I was at least fortunate that I got sick on the last day, so I didn't miss out on anything.

Manila-X

December 21st, 2010, 02:55 AM

Manila-X

December 21st, 2010, 02:58 AM

This is the main reason wy I chose SG over HK...:yes:

The Sands and Universal Studios are ways to attract more tourists to SG.

But again, HK does not need them. If you want to gamble you can just take a jetfoil to Macao.

Manila-X

December 21st, 2010, 03:00 AM

So stupid. Kayaking in Batanes at this time of the year is suicide. I crossed from Sabtang to Batan around this time last year and the waves are scary!

It may be stupid but it just shows that there are South East Asian tourists coming to The Philippines.

Ph Man

December 21st, 2010, 03:10 AM

I'd like to see the big waves of Batanes...:cheers: I mean from a distance, not close range kayaking.

I haven't maybe you can post a link here.

By the way our expat writer eats street food in Manila and there's no problem with it. I eat street food in Manila.

It's a hard print. So maybe I should take photos of it?

@ SleMarKen, how much does it cost to go up there and take a dip at the Sands Infinity pool?

xxxriainxxx

December 21st, 2010, 05:03 AM

It may be stupid but it just shows that there are South East Asian tourists coming to The Philippines.

Of course, there still are. But like what I always tell every tourist/traveler, no need to tempt fate. Safety all the time wherever you are.

I'd like to see the big waves of Batanes...:cheers: I mean from a distance, not close range kayaking.

It's a hard print. So maybe I should take photos of it?

@ SleMarKen, how much does it cost to go up there and take a dip at the Sands Infinity pool?

Sige.. photo na lang siguro.. :)

The crossing between Sabtang and Batan is where the Pacific and the South China Sea meets. Waves are horrible.

Check mo to, we were on a flat bottomed boat:

qBwraK0tDlA

Aerin

December 21st, 2010, 05:13 AM

Depends what kind of disaster. If it is a natural disaster, then the tourism promoting it should be positive, probably a realization that as humans, we can't fight the forces of mother nature. Now if it is a man made disaster (e.g. Exxon Valdez, Maguindanao massacre, Chernobyl, etc.), it is a reminder how stupid humans are sometimes.

Human stupidity has a potential in tourism:

Kiev Sees Chernobyl as Tourist Hot Spot (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703727804576017720342095028.html?mod=googlenews_wsj)
KIEV, Ukraine—Ukraine's government wants to turn Chernobyl, the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, into a tourism hotspot.

Ukraine's Emergency Situations Ministry said Monday it is working on a plan to open the area around the defunct plant—where a reactor exploded on April 26, 1986, spreading radiation across the then-Soviet states of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia—to visitors starting next month.

The ministry said radiation levels in certain parts of the so-called exclusion zone, which stretches 30 kilometers (19 miles) around the exploded reactor, were now returning to normal levels. Visitors will be able to take in views of the nuclear plant, as well as towns and villages that were abandoned in the disaster's aftermath.

Note that I'm not suggesting that the Maguindanao massacre should likewise be promoted as a tourist attraction. I'd make the distinction at least that the Chernobyl disaster was the accidental kind of human stupidity whereas the massacre was not.

Edit: Just remembered that Nazi concentration camps have become tourist attractions. I guess nothing is off-limits...
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g315834-d243700/Dachau:Germany:Dachau.Concentration.Camp.html

SleMarKen

December 21st, 2010, 05:25 AM

I'd like to see the big waves of Batanes...:cheers: I mean from a distance, not close range kayaking.

It's a hard print. So maybe I should take photos of it?

@ SleMarKen, how much does it cost to go up there and take a dip at the Sands Infinity pool?

nah! I did not try and I did not as either....:D

I don't have a nice body...ehehehe

chrismartin

December 21st, 2010, 05:41 AM

I love eating street food in Manila. Haven't gotten sick so far! (*knock on wood*)

Which places in Egypt will you be visiting?

Avoid eating ice cream, even the packaged ones. Everyone in my group (including me) who ate one ended up getting sick with flu-like symptoms, despite getting our shots before our arrival in the country. I was at least fortunate that I got sick on the last day, so I didn't miss out on anything.

Hi Aerin. Thanks for the heads-up on Egypt. I'll add ice cream on my not to eat/drink list.

These are the places that I will be visiting in Egypt:

1. Cairo - 5 days (includes visit to the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid at Dashur)
2. Alexandria - 1 day
3. Nile River Cruise - 8 days (Luxor, Edfu, Aswan, Abu Simbel)
4. Hurghada - 1 day
5. Mt. Sinai and St. Catherine Monastery - 2 days
6. Sharm El Sheik - 3 days

Appreciate more tips on what not to do/eat/drink in Egypt. Thanks. :D

chrismartin

December 21st, 2010, 05:48 AM

Yung Step Pyramid pala sa Saqqara kasama din sa IT namin. :D

chrismartin

December 21st, 2010, 05:53 AM

Of course, there still are. But like what I always tell every tourist/traveler, no need to tempt fate. Safety all the time wherever you are.

Sige.. photo na lang siguro.. :)

The crossing between Sabtang and Batan is where the Pacific and the South China Sea meets. Waves are horrible.

Check mo to, we were on a flat bottomed boat:

qBwraK0tDlA

Yep, safety first. For the longest time, I've been wanting to visit Batanes and the Babuyan Group of Islands.. laging hindi natutuloy. Next visit ko sa Pilipinas, priority na ito including yung Sagada.. :D

Aerin

December 21st, 2010, 07:05 AM

Hi Aerin. Thanks for the heads-up on Egypt. I'll add ice cream on my not to eat/drink list.

These are the places that I will be visiting in Egypt:

1. Cairo - 5 days (includes visit to the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid at Dashur)
2. Alexandria - 1 day
3. Nile River Cruise - 8 days (Luxor, Edfu, Aswan, Abu Simbel)
4. Hurghada - 1 day
5. Mt. Sinai and St. Catherine Monastery - 2 days
6. Sharm El Sheik - 3 days

Appreciate more tips on what not to do/eat/drink in Egypt. Thanks. :D

Cairo - I don't think I went to Dashur? But I'm guessing the 5 days would also include visits to Coptic Cairo and the Citadel? (They should!)

Alexandria - I recommend the fish here. Probably the best I ever had in my life.

Nile River Cruise - 8 days (Luxor, Edfu, Aswan, Abu Simbel) - fantastic temple sites, especially Karnak temple in Luxor. They have light and sound shows at night (also in Giza) which you might consider attending (although they're kinda cheesy).

Hurghada - yes, 1 day is good enough here.

Mt. Sinai and St. Catherine Monastery- If you're planning on hiking up Mt. Sinai (an activity not for the weak nor fainthearted), bring a flashlight, as you'll be doing it in the dead of night (that is, if you want to catch the sunrise).

Sharm El Sheik - 3 days seem excessive to me? I don't think there's much to do here...unless you're into beaches...

If you could modify your tour, I would suggest making a side trip to Jordan to visit Petra, which was featured in the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and is now one of the new 7 wonders--although this might mean taking the ferry to Aqaba, Jordan (horrible, horrible experience), but once you see it, I think you'd be awed like me.

Except for the ice cream, I think the food should generally be okay as you'll probably be taken to places approved by the local health department (assuming you're taking a guided tour). Also, tipping (called baksheesh) is HUGE--yes, HUGE--in Egypt so be careful when taking pictures of the locals and posing with them because they will demand a tip.

Well, if you have any other questions just let me know and I'd be happy to answer them to the best of my knowledge. I know you'll have fun in your trip--because I did! :)

chrismartin

December 21st, 2010, 07:32 AM

Ph Man

December 21st, 2010, 08:16 AM

nah! I did not try and I did not as either....:D

I don't have a nice body...ehehehe

Hm, is it a requirements. hehe...

Of course, there still are. But like what I always tell every tourist/traveler, no need to tempt fate. Safety all the time wherever you are.

Sige.. photo na lang siguro.. :)

The crossing between Sabtang and Batan is where the Pacific and the South China Sea meets. Waves are horrible.

Check mo to, we were on a flat bottomed boat:

Lol @ "Nakabuang beach" - careful when you go there
@ the shy carabao

you did a nice finale there.
Thanks for sharing your vid.
I wanna see that cliff where the lighthouse is.

Aerin

December 21st, 2010, 08:36 AM

Hi Aerin.. thanks so much.

1. Yes, our Cairo leg includes visit to Coptic sites like the Hanging Church. Islamic Cairo is also part of the tour. Too bad the new site of the Egyptian Museum is not opened yet but we'll be spending a day in the current Egyptian Museum. Mga museum buffs itong kasama ko. I'd love to see the golden mask of Tutankhamun.

2. Nile River Cruise. -- I dont know if we will attend the Karnak Temple light show at Luxor. I will ask. Pero the Giza sound and light show, we will definitely go.

3. Mount Sinai -- yes we will be climbing Mt. Sinai. Excited ako dun, I am reasonably in good health. I will play Moses. lol. :D

4. Sharm El Sheik - I love the sea and will be doing snorkelling and scuba diving in the Red Sea. I hope yung incident ng shark attack will be long gone before my vacation in April. Makikiparty din ako sa mga beautiful people ng Sharm El Sheik.. My Egyptian friends here told me stories about the wild parties in Sharm.. So there, I think 3 days are not enough pa. lol. :D

5. The tipping is what scares me. hehehe.. We were told to prepare small Eyptian bills pero may centralize tip na din naman na inorganize yung travel agent namin. Yung guide na namin ang magbibigay ng tip sa kung sino man para hindi hassle yung tour.

6. Did you try the hot air balloon ride at Luxor? Medyo expensive pero I am planning to do it. :D

7. Regarding Petra.. I am planning to have a separate tour of Jordan. Mura lang yung package dito for a week tour of Jordan (Petra, Amman and the Dead Sea). So minabuti ko ng ibang lakad yun. Maybe during the Eid holidays. :D

Thanks again Aerin.. I will ask questions from time to time until my trip to Egypt.

Oops, I can't believe I forgot to mention the Egyptian Museum -- one of the best museums in the world, IMO. I'm sure your companions will be delighted. I didn't know that they're building a new one? I hope they're still keeping the old building because I like its classic design, both inside and out. But wow, their collection is so impressive--they have so much stuff they've ran out of places to display them, so some of the objects are just stacked up on the floor. No photos allowed though :( (I hate when museums have that policy.)

Nile River Cruise - also forgot to mention that if they offer an upgrade on the boat cruise, definitely take it.

Sharm - Not really a highlight for me. I went during off-season, I guess, so the place was pretty dead. Also, the young locals were very rude, pretending to be friendly but actually making fun at our expense. I like Hurghada better; water is much clearer there too.

Tipping - have your own bills to hand out too when you're wandering around. But yeah, tipping there is just extreme. I remember when my friend took out her camera to take pictures of the local scenery as we were going along the highway. We passed by these 2 kids on a bike who immediately held out their hands to us asking for money because, apparently, they saw my friend with her camera snapping pictures of them.

Hot air balloon - didn't get to try it for several reasons, I think. One of them probably was that our time was limited? We also visited other temples, in addition to the Valley of the Kings. But you should do it--once in a lifetime experience, you know! :)

Well, if you're going to visit Jordan on a separate trip, you should also include Wadi Rum Desert in the itinerary.

Hope this helps!

chrismartin

December 21st, 2010, 02:22 PM

Panzer_18

December 21st, 2010, 03:12 PM

amigo32

December 21st, 2010, 03:18 PM

lactobacilli nila yun eh:D

Panzer_18

December 21st, 2010, 03:23 PM

^^Yakult :lol:

jimPUNKZ

December 21st, 2010, 04:02 PM

^^:lol::lol::D
Top 10 countries where you will have higher chances of diarrhoea for travelers:

Top 10 places for travellers diarrhoea
Kate Midena From: news.com.au December 15, 2010 11:15AM

TRAVELLER'S diarrhoea may be commonly known as Delhi belly, but it should really be renamed Cairo cramp after Egypt was named the country where holidaymakers are most likely to fall ill.

Britain's Health Protection Agency estimated there were 82 cases of stomach illness for every 100,000 visits to Egypt, compared to 65 cases for India.

They were followed by Thailand, Pakistan and Morocco.

The report divided travel destinations into three levels of risk, classifying visits to Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia as the most dangerous for gastrointestinal infection.

Of the top 10 most popular destinations for English, Welsh and Northern Irish tourists, Portugal had the highest rate with 6.6 cases per 100,000 visits.

The study also found that half of the 24,322 laboratory-confirmed cases between 2004 and 2008 were caused by salmonella. Particular germ risk areas were unhygienic restaurants and swimming pools.

Travellers were advised to wash their hands regularly, carry alcohol gel and be cautious about drinking water.

Dr Jane Jones, a travel health expert with the HPA, said: "There are measures people can take to protect themselves while they are away, and it is also important that travel health specialists and the travel industry work together to increase awareness of travellers' diarrhoea and to actively promote prevention strategies in high-risk destinations.

"We know from studies that travellers may not follow health advice consistently while abroad.

"Personal hygiene and precautionary measures against food and water-borne illness are important at all times anywhere, but particularly when travelling to countries with less robust sanitary infrastructure.

"Taking sensible precautions such as avoiding tap water and ensuring food is properly cooked will help to keep a holiday at any time of the year both enjoyable and healthy."

COUNTRY AND RATE OF GI ILLNESS PER 100.000
Egypt = 81.92 :toilet:
India = 64.85 :toilet:
Thailand = 64.50 :toilet:
Pakistan = 60.16 :toilet:
Morocco = 40.32 :toilet:
Kenya = 40.10 :toilet:
Tunisia = 34.39 :toilet:
Caribbean = 27.60 :toilet:
Mexico = 13.39 :toilet:
Malta = 8.59 :toilet:

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/travel/world/revealed-the-top-10-places-for-travellers-diarrhoea/story-e6frfqai-1225971410446#ixzz18de9zHGG

buti nalang walang PILIPINAS dito,,,,,,:lol:
lalong supal-pal ang turismo natin kung andyan pilipinas:nuts::lol:

Aerin

December 21st, 2010, 06:58 PM

^ Wow, thanks again for the tips. Yes, they're building a new Egyptian Museum near the Giza Pyramids. I was hoping they would open in time for my visit this April. Pero na-moved daw to 2012. Sayang! :D

Ayun nga, tips and naughty Egyptians, definitely on my watch out lists. :lol:

Did you visit Dahab? You think its worth it to go there?

Speaking of pyramids, you can enter the Great Pyramid of Giza, but you'd have to pay. There's also a smaller pyramid nearby where you can enter for free. Note that the entrances are very small, so you'd have to crouch and watch your head as you move along.

No, I didn't get to visit Dahab. I don't know anything about it actually?

xxxriainxxx

December 22nd, 2010, 04:11 AM

Hm, is it a requirements. hehe...

Lol @ "Nakabuang beach" - careful when you go there
@ the shy carabao

you did a nice finale there.
Thanks for sharing your vid.
I wanna see that cliff where the lighthouse is.

Which lighthouse? Uhm, there is a lighthouse on Batan and Sabtang...

This one is on Batan:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs072.snc3/13969_217548221281_530586281_4650096_321989_n.jpg

This is the one Sabtang:

http://multiply.com/mu/xxxriainxxx/image/1/photos/127/600x600/65/DSC00387.jpg?et=DTnvJYkcYkuIGcH8pnMndg&nmid=301346789

chrismartin

December 22nd, 2010, 05:27 AM

@Aerin.. yep, entering the Great Pyramid of Giza costs US$18, according to extra costs provided to us by our travel agent. I will do that. :D

Mas tahimik daw sa Dahab compared to Sharm. Pretty much Sharm was 30 years ago. Some of my tour mates are going there instead of Sharm El Sheik. :D

Ph Man

December 22nd, 2010, 05:40 AM

juniordiscovery

December 22nd, 2010, 05:40 AM

Come one, come all, to CamSur
http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/top-news/5086-come-one-come-all-to-camsur

I have read this article this morning. It is very inspiring. Hope other LGUs will follow...

Skyblade

December 22nd, 2010, 05:49 AM

Philippines to meet 3.3-M tourist target in 2010, despite bus hijack (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/12/21/10/philippines-meet-33-m-tourist-target-2010-despite-bus-hijack)
Agence France-Presse
Posted at 12/21/2010 8:00 PM | Updated as of 12/21/2010 8:00 PM

MANILA, Philippines - The tourism department is optimistic of achieving its target of 3.3 million tourist arrivals this year, even after a deadly bus hijacking and terrorism warnings by key Western nations.

January-October arrivals rose 15.85% from a year earlier to 2.84 million tourists, putting the full-year target within range, Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Philippines attracted about 3 million tourists in 2009, the laggard in a tropical region of white-sand beaches where neighbors routinely draw double or triple those numbers.

"Growth in some markets boosted the performance vis-a-vis last year's. We are looking at roughly an additional 455,000 tourists which November and December as traditional peak months can deliver," Lim said.

He said the Philippines campaigned in key markets such as China, Russia, Japan, Britain and the United States after it was blacklisted by Hong Kong following the deaths of eight Hong Kong tourists in an August bus hijacking.

It also worked to improve tourist security with the deployment of special police units in popular tourist areas, Tourism Undersecretary Maria Victoria Jasmin said.

"The goal is to see a 2,000-strong tourist police force by 2011 to be responsible for the safety and security requirements in the top 14 destinations," she said, including Manila, Cebu, Boracay, Bohol and Palawan.

After the Manila bus hijacking fiasco, in which police bungled a rescue attempt after a disgraced ex-police officer took a busload of tourists hostage, the Philippines was hit by warnings of an imminent terror attack.

The government robustly disputed the basis of the travel advisories issued by Australia, Britain, Canada, France, New Zealand and the United States.

Australia and France subsequently revised the advisories to remove references to an imminent attack.

xxxriainxxx

December 22nd, 2010, 05:50 AM

I think the one in Sabtang. I'd like to meditate where I can have a good feel of the rolling waves was they break through the rocky shores.

My hometown is Cauayan (Isabela) same region as Batanes. Yes it's not accessible even for us.

nice shots by the way. :okay:

You can go to the Babuyan Islands, heard they have similar fantastic seascapes.

I just took these photos using my camera phone. Sira yung camera ko nun eh..

juniordiscovery

December 22nd, 2010, 07:44 AM

pulsephaze22

December 22nd, 2010, 09:08 AM

^^:lol::lol::D

buti nalang walang PILIPINAS dito,,,,,,:lol:
lalong supal-pal ang turismo natin kung andyan pilipinas:nuts::lol:

Pero pansin ko karamihan ng mga nasa listahan eh yung mga bansang mataas ang tourist arrivals eh

Panzer_18

December 22nd, 2010, 09:12 AM

^^ France and Italy are not also listed because these are top tourist destination currently now, buti nlng hindi sila napapabilang because these places are strict and often very regulated pah ang lahat nito .......

xxxriainxxx

December 22nd, 2010, 09:34 AM

A German friend told me a couple of years ago that the travel advisory on their website are different in English and German, with the German one a little more candid (i,e, scathing).

Muffstar

December 22nd, 2010, 02:21 PM

Tourist arrivals seen on track as of October

THE GOVERNMENT said Tuesday it was optimistic of achieving its target of 3.3 million tourist arrivals this year, even after a deadly bus hijacking and terrorism warnings by key Western nations.

source: http://bworld.com.ph/main/content.php?id=23285

This is good news, this country has so much to offer. What they need to do is knock down the old T1 terminal and build a new one, this would be the worst airport in Asia and having good infrastructure can only encourage more tourists.

Parchie

December 22nd, 2010, 03:08 PM

. . . . . . What they need to do is knock down the old T1 terminal and build a new one, this would be the worst airport in Asia and having good infrastructure can only encourage more tourists.

That's a good suggestion! Unluckily, I don't see it in the list provided by Pnoy and his cabinet. We'll just have to wait for the next administration for that suggestion of yours to be realized. Just we keep on dreaming, there is no limit to it!

Ephesus29

December 22nd, 2010, 07:12 PM

Vancouver Sun: Teusday Dec. 21, 2010; By Nita Bhalla

Lacks of toilet costs Indian Economy $54b annually, World Bank finds.

New Delhi- A lack of toilet and poor hygiene practices in India cost Asia's third largest economy almost $54 billion every year, the World bank said.
Premature deaths, treatment for sick, wasted time and productivity, as wll as lost TOURISM revenues, are the main reason for high economic losses, the bank said int the report.
"For decades, we have been aware of the significant impacts of inadequate sanitation in India," Christopher Juan Costain of World banks told news conference.
World bank experts say there are 450,000 death out of 575 million cases of diarrhea in every year in India, where millions of people in both rural and urban areas still have to defecate in the open, do not was their hands and cope with drainage system.........
Tourism revenues suffered from the lack of proper sanitation and costing the country about $260 million, Costain said.

Thought this might of interest to everyone in the forum. Impact of "HYGIENE" on tourism.

Ady001

December 23rd, 2010, 02:35 AM

^^ There's a report though that there are more cellphones than toilets in India. You can see that in the poop-poop-de-poop thread in Samahan.

Panzer_18

December 23rd, 2010, 02:39 AM

^^i remeber in one documentaries in Nat.geo cha. ... Indian people believed the cows are the most sacred animals for them. In other words, they drink the urine of the cow for having the sake of reconciliation and forgiveness of there gods... That is one thing for me why they are having highest cases diarrhea ...

michael_ray

December 23rd, 2010, 11:51 AM

From Cagayan de Oro Travel and Tourism Thread
If you are in CdeO, you can go to the nearest town Manolo Fortich and experience this newest adventure.

Ultralight flying – newest adventure in NorMin
Posted on December 20, 2010 by damarre
cagayandeorodev.wordpress.com

http://cagayandeorodev.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/484550_med.jpg?w=400&h=300

Ultralight flying is now the latest of adventure-crazy Northern Mindanao. It was just first conceived as a hobby by a Filipino-American retiree, Cal Frias who has settled in nearby Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.

The plane is locally called “Flying Gecko” and flies for about 15-20 minutes over the towns of Manolo Fortich, Libona and sometimes Cagayan de Oro City. As stated earlier, it was just a hobby by Frias but others wanted to experience flying with the Gecko that they willingly paid for the gas. Since then, the “Flying Gecko” has become popular that it was finally opened to the public…and Mr. Frias is planning to buy another one.

Once in the air, you can have a bird’s eye view (literally) of the vast pineapple plantation, landmarks in Manolo Fortich and Libona, and if you’re lucky, a glimpse of Cagayan de Oro City. Too bad if you’re afraid of flying…

http://cagayandeorodev.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/img_8300.jpg?w=468&h=351

http://cagayandeorodev.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/img_8290.jpg?w=468&h=351

http://cagayandeorodev.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/dsc09396-800x600.jpg?w=421&h=315
Del Monte Golf Course

The runway is located at Camp 3 in the middle of the vast pineapple plantation of Del Monte Phils., Inc.

http://cagayandeorodev.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/e4d183a9-edf3-e1f8-ef72-910edc403d07wallpaper.jpg?w=421&h=315
Runway at Camp 3

Unfortunately, the Flying Gecko is currently unavailable due to some technical concerns. However, they’re optimistic it will fly again next year. For bookings, just contact Mr. Frias himself at 09165937034 or call Ms. Gina Amador of La Montana Tours HERE.

http://cagayandeorodev.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/ultra.jpg?w=468&h=312

http://cagayandeorodev.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/ultralight-flying-bukidnon-carlito-frias.jpg?w=468&h=293

Watch the The Flying Gecko at http://vimeo.com/8690937

jimPUNKZ

December 23rd, 2010, 12:47 PM

^^WOW:rock: astig bai:)

wino

December 23rd, 2010, 04:35 PM

that "ultralight flying" looks awesome.. i wish they have that at the Banaue area..

Ph Man

December 23rd, 2010, 05:44 PM

cool! i wanna try Lightweight too.

by the way, as promised, here are photos of the Dec 2010 issue article for Manila malls:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5288/5285362665_07532c03e3_o.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5285362669_b9963fd040_o.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5087/5285362681_cf6b57022e_o.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5248/5285362683_09a5edfbe2_o.jpg

OtAkAw

December 23rd, 2010, 06:33 PM

^^OMG, how safe is that?

neil02

December 24th, 2010, 02:50 PM

Ph Man

December 24th, 2010, 04:06 PM

opps, sorry I forgot to mention. It's from Reader's Digest Asia. Dec 2010 issue.

Bosnyboy

December 25th, 2010, 03:58 PM

Bosnyboy

December 25th, 2010, 03:59 PM

This should boost foreigners curiosity on boracay island.

Ady001

December 26th, 2010, 01:07 AM

^^ And of course, perceived notions about safety will also improve.

filcan

December 26th, 2010, 06:47 AM

I wonder if Charice had something to do with his decision to choose the Philippines for a vacation...

Narnian_King

December 26th, 2010, 06:59 AM

I wonder if Charice had something to do with his decision to choose the Philippines for a vacation...

Si Harry Shum, Jr. siguro.

Linguine

December 26th, 2010, 01:21 PM

Musical Dancing Fountain lures .5M to Rizal Park
Sunday, 26 December 2010 20:12

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/images/stories/daily_images/2010/December2010/12272010/top01.jpg

THOUSANDS of Filipinos flocked to the world-renowned Rizal Park to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as data obtained by the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC) confirmed that almost half-a-million Filipinos gathered in the park to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

NPDC executive director Juliet Villegas said Filipinos traditionally visit the park on Christmas and New Year’s Day. But the number had a remarkable fivefold increase this year—from 100,000 in past years to 500,000 visitors this year.

The NPDC recognized that the newest, biggest, and most colorful attraction that can be found in the park—the Rizal Park Musical Dancing Fountain project of the Department of Tourism—caught the curiosity of the public since it was inaugurated on December 16.

The Rizal Park Children’s Playground, inaugurated on December 1, has also been one of the Filipino families’ favorite leisure spots, as it offers clean picnic areas, lifelike murals and attractions suited for children of all ages.

“The big number of people who visited Rizal Park this Christmas Eve has been expected and anticipated by our office. While it has been the tradition of several Filipino families to spend Christmas in Rizal Park, others just opt to stroll around before heading home in time for their noche buena. Nonetheless, we prepared ourselves to ensure that we give the public the perfect Yule celebration, whether they spend Christmas here in Rizal Park or in the warmth of their homes,” explained Villegas.

The inauguration of these attractions is just part of the first phase of the total renovation of Rizal Park. In January, the Philippine Relief Map, alongside the Japanese and Chinese Gardens, will be renovated for the public’s leisure.

Meanwhile, the DOT and NPDC’s campaign to maintain the safety and security of the public in Rizal Park is a joint effort of the Rizal Park Security Forces, the Rizal Park Tourist Police and the Community Brigade Auxillary headed by P/Chief Insp. Efren Pangan.  The authorities are aided by CCTV cameras.

Villegas said the public could take part in the Rizal Park’s New Year Countdown on December 31 starting at 9 p.m. Expected to perform is Lady Valerie and the Orchestra, topped with brilliant firework displays and an exciting Dance Party for all the guests.

In Photo: The Department of Tourism opened just before Christmas the biggest and most vibrant musical dancing fountain in the country at the Rizal Park. The timing paid off: the number of parkgoers this Christmas rose fivefold, officials said. (Roy Domingo)

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/top-news/5408-musical-dancing-fountain-lures-5m-to-rizal-park

Kintoy

December 26th, 2010, 01:26 PM

Breaking news: Glee star Mark Salling who plays the character Noah Puckerman on the hit tv show is in boracay right now spending Christmas. Check out fotos on the web just google and also his tweets about his stay.

somebody from Facebook, a local from Boracay, said that the island is abuzz with the Glee person who took home a ladyboy last night.

Kintoy

December 26th, 2010, 01:37 PM

Revived dancing fountain draws 1.8 M visitors to Rizal Park—officials

MANILA, Philippines—The iconic Rizal Park in Manila has been revived this holiday season, with the National Parks Development Committee estimating 1.8 million visitors, and counting, since Christmas Eve.

NPDC Media Information Bureau chief Kenneth John Montegrande said it was a new record for the park, which usually saw only 50,000 to 100,000 visitors during the same holiday period.

He attributed the renewed interest in the park to the newly installed musical dancing fountain at the Central Lagoon, spanning 21,950 square meters.

The NDPC is expecting the number of visitors to increase until the New Year. A New Year countdown and public dance party at the park is in the works, according to officials. An orchestra has also been invited for the program, Montegrande said.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20101226-311039/Revived-dancing-fountain-draws-18-M-visitors-to-Rizal-Parkofficials

Ady001

December 26th, 2010, 01:53 PM

somebody from Facebook, a local from Boracay, said that the island is abuzz with the Glee person who took home a ladyboy last night.

Hmmm... That seems pretty... well... :lol::lol:

Bosnyboy

December 26th, 2010, 02:51 PM

I wonder if Charice had something to do with his decision to choose the Philippines for a vacation...

Judging from his tweet, I think the boracay trip was a "biglaan" thing. And from the looks of his pictures taken in boracay, he seemed to have come alone. He even made a new fren, a local askal doggie. Maybe read some article about boracay and got tired of the snow in UK where he just came from, he just hopped on a plane and went straight to sunny boracay.

Bosnyboy

December 26th, 2010, 02:52 PM

Lady boy??!! What?! He could take home any woman he wants in that island. Im sure it wont be a problem with him. Well anyway I hope this is not some black propaganda coz with him in boracay right now, DOT seemed to have some work cut out for them with regards to promoting the country's tourist spots. And also to tell the whole world that despite the black travel alert issued against the philippines, big celebrities still chose to come here to spend the holidays.

Kintoy

December 26th, 2010, 03:20 PM

^^

http://i877.photobucket.com/albums/ab335/kin_toy/12-26-201010-17-53PM.png

filcan

December 26th, 2010, 03:30 PM

reign

December 26th, 2010, 03:48 PM

Awesome fountains ! :cheers:

-SNPKLSDMBLDR-

December 26th, 2010, 04:59 PM

Kintoy

December 26th, 2010, 05:38 PM

If he enjoyed the ladyboy he will surely "come" back hehe

Narnian_King

December 26th, 2010, 06:05 PM

chrismartin

December 26th, 2010, 06:59 PM

^ lol @ Manny Pacquia as the ladyboy.. gumulong ako sa kakatawa.. :lol:

Bosnyboy

December 27th, 2010, 05:29 AM

baka naman sa sobrang pagka usisero ng mga pinoy ay hindi na bumalik ang mga foreign artists para magbakasyon sa atin, baka di sila makalabas ng hotel room nila ng hindi nakikilala at hinahabol ng mga fans. :lol:

Kaya nga eh, sana lets stop spreading nasty rumors, unverified facts. Lets just focus on the positive effects of Pucks's visit to boracay and its contribution to philippine tourism.

kalbongdad

December 27th, 2010, 09:55 AM

6BEg7gHQysQ

^^Great addition to Manila.

and its right next door to this...

lVe9LW30Lk8&feature=related

:)

para sa wlang pambayad....sa luneta dancing fountain....para sa meron dun sa MOP :lol:

mwg12a

December 27th, 2010, 05:30 PM

Is that something permanent at Rizal Park? I mean the music and dancing feature? I am glad they revived the Rizal Park fountain and even improved it.

filcan

December 27th, 2010, 11:38 PM

para sa wlang pambayad....sa luneta dancing fountain....para sa meron dun sa MOP :lol:

^^Haha!...that was funny..

kalbongdad

December 28th, 2010, 04:42 PM

well as they say....para maligaw ang mga tao....sa totoong nangyayari.....aliwin mo sa pamamagitan ng mga entertainment.....para hindi nila mapansin na bumabagal ang ekonomiya......tumataas ang langis....ang mga toll fees sa slex at nlex....ang lrt at mrt....tataas din....wow yan ang plataporma that will sure make people poorer....as the recent report said....tumaas ang poverty incident ngayon.....sabi ng media.....ahhh konti lang naman pala....:ohno: what could be more stupid comment than that....kala ko ba mapapabuti tayo....mapapasama pa pala....

mwg12a

December 28th, 2010, 06:34 PM

News like these does not help in Philippine tourism, it's like it's almost a normal occurance it seems like. And foreign countries just issued travel warnings into the feelings post Quirino Grandstand and terror attack alerts.

As to whoever did this, they can't even give Christians the proper time to celebrate Christmas!:bash: Seems like the Abu Sayyaf or MILF lost command again...:bash::bash:

6 hurt in Jolo Christmas church blast (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20101225-310887/6-hurt-in-Jolo-Christmas-church-blast)
By Abigail Kwok
Agence France-Presse, INQUIRER.net
First Posted 08:13:00 12/25/2010

ZAMBOANGA--(UPDATE 2) Six people were wounded Saturday when a bomb went off in a church during Christmas Mass in Jolo, Sulu, a southern Philippine island known as a hotbed of Islamic extremism, authorities said.

Military officials would not immediately name any suspects in the blast on Jolo Island but the island is a known bastion of the Abu Sayyaf, a group linked to the Al-Qaeda network.

"The explosion occurred at around 7:15 in the morning while the mass was going on. Six people were slightly wounded in the explosion," military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Cabangbang said.

Among those wounded was the priest officiating the mass, a certain Fr. Bacolcol, Emma Tan, 29, Antonette Quinones, 30, a Dr. Lao, and two others, added the spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command.

.

well as they say....para maligaw ang mga tao....sa totoong nangyayari.....aliwin mo sa pamamagitan ng mga entertainment.....para hindi nila mapansin na bumabagal ang ekonomiya......tumataas ang langis....ang mga toll fees sa slex at nlex....ang lrt at mrt....tataas din....wow yan ang plataporma that will sure make people poorer....as the recent report said....tumaas ang poverty incident ngayon....sabi ng media.....ahhh konti lang naman pala....:ohno: what could be more stupid comment than that....kala ko ba mapapabuti tayo....mapapasama pa pala....

Kailan ba bumaba ang poverty level sa filipinas? Kaya nga lalong dumadami ang OFW hindi ba? Sa panahon ni arroyo, sinasabi nila na lumalakas ang economy pero ang poverty level hindi naman bumaba at mahal pa rin ang bilihin, OFWs dumadagsa sa pagalis ng filipinas.

Pagtaas ng langis, hindi maisisisi sa gobyerong filipinas world wide

hakz2007

December 29th, 2010, 12:22 AM

'Philippines one of top holiday hotspots for 2011'
MANILA, Philippines - An Australian travel website considers the country as one of the must-see destinations next year, primarily because of its untapped pristine beaches.

Travel.com.au has released a list of top holiday hotspots and airlines for 2011, citing travel trends and statistics. Other countries included in the list are Brazil, India, United States and New Zealand.

"While affordable airfares and its rich culture were the key factors for Brazil's selection, interest in India continues to rise as well as the Philippines, which is becoming increasingly popular due to the political unrest in Thailand and its untapped beaches," reported news.com.au.

The Australian travel website is also expecting a change in holiday patterns as travelers start to book months in advance to get cheap seats. Among the carriers to watch out for in 2011 are Singapore Airlines, V Australia, Asiana Airlines, Emirates, Thai International Airlines and Korean Airlines.

A small Philippine island was recently named by Travel and Leisure Magazine as one of the world's most romantic travel spots. Pamalican island, more popularly known as Amanpulo, is said to provide couples with "luxurious seclusion" with its 40 pitched-roof traditional villas and a pristine beach with sand "so white it's blinding."

Other islands that made it in Travel and Leisure Magazine's list are Rangali Island in Maldives, Santorini in Greece, and Harbour Island in Bahamas, among others.

Aside from Amanpulo, other popular tourist destinations in the Philippines include Boracay island, Bohol, Camarines Sur and Ilocos. A recent Boracay visitor is Mark Salling who plays "Puck" in the hit TV musical series "Glee."http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/12/28/10/philippines-one-top-holiday-hotspots-2011

Ady001

December 29th, 2010, 01:45 AM

^^ Which is quite a big paradox since Australia issued a travel warning to us...

bagumbayani

December 29th, 2010, 04:15 AM

Tourism development is about accessibility
DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco (The Philippine Star) Updated December 29, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (3)

NASUGBU, Philippines – Two of my kids were home for Christmas. In past visits, we spent the post Christmas holidays in Cebu, Boracay and Palawan. My daughter had also been to Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte and just before Christmas my son and daughter went to Coron. Last year, we were in Misibis in Albay with our son.

We thought of going to CamSur but the travel agent warned that Caramoan is quite distant and there is no guarantee we can catch the flight back to Manila. My daughter is flying back to San Francisco before the New Year so I thought we might just as well go somewhere we can just drive to rather than fly to.

I have heard a lot about the Hamilo Coast development in Nasugbu of the SM Group of Henry Sy. A supposedly luxurious complex of condos with sports facilities had just been inaugurated. Named after Mt. Pico de Loro, the Pico de Loro development is the pet project of my UP Prep high school classmate Jess Lucas. I thought it is a good time to check it out.

The main reason I had hesitated to come here earlier is the long drive. Their website claims that the 112 kms can be covered in 2.5 hours. Another guide claims the distance is more like 190 kilometers from Makati Shangri-La to Pico de Loro. The drive from the Greenmeadows area of Quezon City took us some four hours last Sunday because of a traffic jam on the Santa Rosa exit of SLEX and a really horrible traffic jam on the Tagaytay highway.

I didn’t expect such heavy traffic on a Sunday morning, lulled perhaps by the smooth flowing traffic in Metro Manila for two days before and during Christmas. All of a sudden it seemed all the cars were on the Tagaytay highway. And the heavy flow was on both directions.

I have heard of monstrous traffic jams in the obviously narrow Tagaytay highway on normal Sunday afternoons when those who spend the weekend in the beaches of Batangas go home. But the following Monday was still within the Christmas break. The only explanation for the heavy traffic is that the Tagaytay highway can no longer handle what is now its normal volume. The growing numbers of restaurants along the highway with cars moving and out are also slowing traffic flow down.

Other than better traffic management on the part of the Tagaytay city government, DPWH must make plans to widen this highway. Or fix up and finish the alternative highway that goes around the Cavite coast that leads to Nasugbu. I am told only a short stretch needs to be completed. DPWH must also widen the Santa Rosa road to Tagaytay, given its current volume of traffic.

The biggest problem of any tourism program for the Metro Manila area is the time needed to get anywhere interesting… from the rapids of Pagsanjan to the beaches of Batangas. If our tourism officials really want to promote domestic tourism in Metro Manila, they will have to make it easier to access these tourist areas.

I realize the beaches here are nothing in comparison to Boracay or Bohol. But the relative proximity to the Metro area should be exploited for local and foreign visitors. The luxury property developments here, from the Punta Fuego community to this budding community at Hamilo Coast already provide good reasons for the development of better access routes.

The SM people have apparently given up hope and have taken things in their own hands. Starting next year, they will provide a ferry service for unit owners, club members and their guests to get to Pico de Loro from a ferry landing at the back of the Mall of Asia. That would cut travel time to about an hour and a half.

The 1,800-hectare Hamilo Coast development is an interesting experiment in sustainable development. Looking at the many buildings housing the condo units, I can’t help being a little skeptical about this claim on being the first community in the country planned with ecological sustainability in mind. But I sure hope they succeed because it would be a pity to lose that rich natural beauty in the area.

Their website claims that the SM people are working with the WWF or the World Wildlife Fund in making sure that the property’s ecological footprint is not going to damage the environment. In other words, they will make sure the amount of resources used in daily operations will not exceed the land’s capacity for regeneration.

What makes things hopeful is that the main selling point of the development, pristine nature at its best, makes it necessary for the SM people to be very conscious of their footprint. They in fact promise that they will be able to manage their impact on the ecological balance of the Hamilo Coast development so that their unit owners, members and guests can enjoy natural splendor without damaging it.

Looking at the holiday crowd and on-going construction, I am not too sure that is an easy promise to keep. They are also investing a pretty bundle in the development and I can’t see how they can recover with a worthwhile margin without being somewhat commercial. But then again, Hamilo Coast is still work in progress so maybe the presence of the WWF there will help keep them true to their words… that they can deliver on the promise of an environmentally manageable ecological footprint.