Local tourism is all sold out!
DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco
The Philippine Star 02/20/2006

"We have hit the ceiling," a private sector tourism pioneer told me, "we can bring in more tourists here but where will we put them?" Another private sector tourism entrepreneur confirmed that assessment to me. "It’s so frustrating to be able to negotiate a charter of Japanese tourists only to be told by the hotels that there are no rooms available... that charter would go elsewhere."

I have been talking to those in the private sector who are at the frontlines of our tourism industry and the general consensus is that government, meaning the tourism secretary, is doing it the wrong way. "He is putting the cart before the horse in trying to promote the country with expensive exhibitions and other come-ons he does not have the budget to sustain. He should, as you said, do his homework and encourage investments in infrastructure first."

The private sector is all in favor of fast tracking the Gordon Tourism Bill that provides for the creation of a master plan to guide the development of the local tourism industry. "Everybody is talking about Bohol," one industry pioneer exclaimed, "but you can’t even find 500 truly five star hotel rooms in Bohol." Well, they all tell me it would be easy for them to sell Bohol to foreign tourists if only they have a decent airport terminal and of course, facilities like hotel rooms.

They explained to me that tourism development entails meticulous master planning, identifying specific tourist destinations to be developed and mustering the resources to bring them to world class standards. That is simply not happening now. With our haphazard approach to tourism, the 2.6 million visitors that the tourism secretary is now ecstatic about is just about it, they emphasize. Note that 600,000 of that figure are really Pinoy balikbayans.

The local tourism industry, despite the full hotels, is actually underperforming, I am told. The 17 percent increase in visitor arrivals can very easily be brought up to 25 percent, if we had the hotel rooms. The opportunity cost to the country because of this underperformance must be significant, given that the rest of the region is experiencing a tourism boom.

This is why the private sector leaders I talked to, can’t wait for the Gordon Tourism bill to be made a law. They are banking on it to provide fiscal incentives to those who would invest on building new hotel rooms and other facilities. They are also banking on it to provide uniform quality control on the tourism services we offer. The local government units that are now responsible for regulating the tourism industry simply do not have the expertise and the resources to do a good job, industry leaders told me.

One of the first lessons I learned when I was an apprentice in the advertising industry is to make sure you can deliver on the product or service before you promote it. One could be a victim of an effective promotional campaign. Applied to the tourism department’s current promotional program to attract the top Japanese female tourist market, it may attract its market, but if our hotels, particularly in Cebu and Boracay cannot accommodate them, excitement will just turn to frustration and make going back to that market after we finally get ready, more difficult.

Just as I had written in this column some weeks ago, the tourism secretary must do his homework, and that is, making sure his fellow Cabinet members help him put up the proper infrastructure that would make our tourism industry internationally competitive. I recall that when Gemma Cruz Araneta was tourism secretary, she told me she had to constantly nag then DOTC Secretary Rivera to help her with infrastructure. She has her priorities right.

Let us hope Congress, both houses, will take time out of their endless cha cha debates to do some real and meaningful work for a change and pass the Gordon Tourism bill. Malacañang has certified it as urgent and this is one time when the administration’s legislative railroad express can be put to good use. We do not have the luxury of time simply because we have a lot of catching up to do.

DoT launches ‘Wellness’ campaign in Japan
Link to the article (http://www.mb.com.ph/archive_pages.php?url=http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/02/20/TOUR2006022056734.html)

The Department of Tourism (DoT) has successfully launched the "Philippines: Wellness from the Inside Out" campaign in Japan.

The launch, held at The Westin Tokyo Hotel recently, was led by Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano with top Japanese fashion icon Anne Watanabe as campaign spokesperson and ambassador of goodwill.

Speaking to a large crowd of media people, Durano invited the Japanese to "visit and experience Premium Resort Islands Philippines, especially this 2006, the 50th year of Philippines-Japan diplomatic relations."

Durano’s message was echoed by Watanabe, who expressed her commitment, support and cooperation in promoting the Philippines as a health and wellness destination to Japanese women accounting for 7.2 million of Japan’s 17.4 million outbound market.

Watanabe’s remarks reaffirmed Durano’s message of friendship to the Japanese as she hailed 2006 as the Philippines-Japan Friendship Year.

The DoT’s Team Japan is the first marketing team to tap a brand endorser and spokesperson for its campaign, whose main target are Japanese women.

"Today’s Japanese women are well-traveled, have their own sense of values and set of standards. The core desire behind their choices is to improve one’s self in the realms of health, beauty and mind," said DoT Team Japan Head Rosvi C. Gaetos.

"Thus, it is essential to speak of the Japanese woman’s interest and communicate with her in a language she understands by delivering highly impressive messages in promoting the Philippines as a place for healing the mind and body and for self-rejuvenation," Gaetos explained, pointing to the 20 to 50 age bracket as the primary target.

"This age group has been considered trendsetters in the travel and leisure industries. They have more time and money to spend on themselves," Durano said.

"Considerably, winning over this core group to travel to the Philippines will help the DoT achieve its goal of one million Japanese arrivals by 2010, or around 20 percent of the total target of five million by that year," Durano added.

The campaign’s press launch was conducted in cooperation with Philippine Airlines, the DoT offices in Tokyo and Osaka, and the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo.

The "Philippines: Wellness from the Inside Out" campaign would enhance, sustain and complete the country’s brand image as Premium Resort Islands, which was vigorously promoted and marketed in Japan last year.

The highly successful marketing efforts, which contributed significantly to the country’s 2.6 million foreign arrivals in 2005, also laid the groundwork for the 1st Philippine Business Mission (PBM) to Japan in that year and the 2nd PBM in May this year. "The 2nd PBM will firm up the agreements made in the 1st PBM," Durano said.

Scheduled in Osaka on May 22, Nagoya on May 24, and Tokyo on May 26, the 2nd PBM will encompass trade and investments in various aspects of tourism such as leisure, sports, retirement, beauty and wellness, shopping, adventure, golf, and eco-tourism.

Through the 2nd PBM, members of the local tourism industry can find Japanese buyers or sellers of travel packages, investors in new projects, and partners for joint ventures and other business linkages.

"With the PBM, being an official government-led mission, our local tourism players won’t have problems in seeking out their Japanese counterparts and making arrangements for business meetings. The Japanese government will assist the Philippine delegation on this matter, with all the warm welcome and support they can provide," Durano said.

Durano is inviting the members of the local industry to join the mission. For inquiries or registration, interested parties may call the DoT Team Japan secretariat (tel. 525-1153, or e-mail pcvcmemb@dotpcvc.gov.ph)

Pagcor sees $3B in 'gaming' investments
Posted: 2:06 AM | Feb. 23, 2006

Elizabeth L. Sanchez
Inquirer

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STATE-OWNED Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) expects at least $3 billion in new gaming investments to come this year if Congress extends its 25-year franchise to operate gaming ventures, Pagcor chairman Efraim Genuino said Wednesday. Pagcor's mandate allows it to regulate all games of chance sanctioned by the law. The fate of its charter, which will expire in 2008, now lies in the hands of the Senate after the House of Representatives agreed to extend it for another 25 years. Genuino said four foreign investors had expressed interest in developing a casino and entertainment complex on the 65-hectare reclaimed land of the Public Estates Authority (PEA) along Roxas Boulevard. Genuino spoke before reporters Wednesday at the Asia's Gaming and Entertainment Leisure Expo in the World Trade Center in the Manila Bay land reclamation area.

In 2003, the Department of Finance considered allowing PEA and Pagcor to jointly transform the Roxas Boulevard property into an entertainment complex. The market value of the property then was estimated at P12-P18 billion. Genuino also said two investors were interested in building a similar entertainment leisure complex in the Clark Special Economic Zone, north of Manila, but said specific details were not immediately available.

"If the [Pagcor] charter is approved within the year, we are sure of no less than $3 billion in investments, in the form of development of leisure park, entertainment complex and tourism infrastructure," Genuino said.

He said that among the interested investors, an American group was looking at the Roxas Boulevard property while a European investor was willing to invest a billion euros in the Clark project. He declined to identify the potential investors.

Pagcor generated P24 billion in gaming revenues last year and expects P25 billion this year, Genuino said.

A Las Vegas-based consultancy firm, Globalysis, expects casino revenues in Asia to expand 20 percent next year to $13 billion, fueled by the growth of Macau's gaming industry, the China Daily reported.

Globalysis said it was upbeat on the casino business in Asia, echoing the optimism of several governments within the region that are relaxing their policies on gaming to lure more tourists and investments, the newspaper reported.

Macau's gaming industry generated gross revenues of roughly $5.57 billion last year, up 11.2 percent from 2004.

Globalysis said US casino firms would look beyond Macau to South Korea and other markets in the Asian region.

Macau's success and Singapore's high-profile casino resorts are expected to trigger other Asian governments to legalize casinos, it said. With INQ7.net

DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco
The Philippine Star 02/24/2006
Cebu hotel
First the good news... I’ve been told that the carcass of a hotel building started by the SM Group beside the SM Mall in Cebu may finally be completed. SM Investments, the listed company that owns the unfinished hotel building has finally decided that because of the current acute hotel room shortage in Cebu, it makes good business sense to now proceed with the project’s completion. The project was abandoned close to 10 years ago.

I was told by a Filipino hotel professional that the SM hotel building is probably one of the best designed in the country. The problem with SM, I understand, is that Henry Sy’s people are insisting that cost of completing the hotel, mostly its interiors, should be shouldered by a prospective partner. Completion costs are estimated at about $10 million.

That could further delay the project. As it was explained to me, most international hotel chains no longer want to invest on real estate and are in fact trying to sell their own properties. The only exception to this trend is the Shangri-la Group because it has a property arm. Besides, any hotel chain with that kind of money would rather invest that in more prospective tourist destinations than the Philippines.

Still, my information from within the SM Investment group is that they are optimistic they will be able to get a partner and start final construction before the end of the year. If that happens, Cebu will have 400 new five star hotel rooms in another year or so.

Shortage of hotel rooms in Cebu has been crimping the growth of the tourism industry there. Everyone I talked to who is involved in the tourism industry tells me they can sell a lot more in-bound tourists than they are selling now if Cebu had more world-class five-star hotel rooms.

And speaking of five-star hotel rooms, I was talking with more hotel professionals and I get the impression that even Metro Manila has a serious problem in this regard. Outside of two to at most three hotels, Metro Manila’s hotels are in serious need of physical rehabilitation if they are to justify their claims to five star quality. One Pinoy international expert in the field described most of the so-called five-star rooms in Metro Manila as "dumps".

This is why, I am told, current government incentives for hotel investments outside of Metro Manila should cover the National Capital Region as well. My guess is, outside of the two Shangri-la hotels and the newly constructed Hyatt Marina, the other hotels constructed to meet the IMF-WB Conference deadline in the mid 70s, are truly starting to show their age.

Well... looks like the Tourism Secretary has more homework to do than I first thought. The problem is, I don’t think he is thinking long-term because he does not intend to stay there for long... politics after all, is really more of his game.

And on the matter of public infrastructure like airport terminals, don’t even start to ask what is happening to all that travel tax money they are collecting from us every time we travel. The tourism secretary would most likely not know since another politician is on top of that.

If I am allowed to make a guess, our travel tax money is most likely being used as a kind of pork barrel to reward other politicians as needed. I heard the Philippine Tourism Authority, the agency entrusted by law with our travel tax money, even gave the Mount Data Lodge it owns and manages to the local government unit. If PTA couldn’t manage that tourism infrastructure, it is expecting too much to think the LGU can.

Read this, specially the last part, it's pretty funny.

Favila welcomes foreign investment in gaming sector
By Marianne V. Go
The Philippine Star 02/24/2006

Trade and Industry Secretary Peter B. Favila welcomes the entry of foreign investments in the gaming industry and is amenable to granting flexibility on the ownership ceiling for such investments.

At present, however, Favila said, Philippine law allows only up to 40-percent foreign equity for all forms of gambling operations.

Favila was the guest speaker Wednesday at the Asia’s Gem Gaming and Investment Conference held at the World Trade Center.

According to Favila, the gaming industry is a major contributor to job creation, particularly in the services sector.

The gaming industry, likewise, Favila said, could be a catalyst for tourism promotion.

Thus, Favila would encourage the establishment of gaming centers in all resorts such as in the world-famous Boracay.

"The government should look into the possibility of opening up the gaming industry to top global players," Favila said.

According to Favila, "these foreign investors can develop large-scale projects such as world-class resort casinos which offer both gaming and non-gaming leisure facilities."

Favila noted that "in a competitive world of sun, sea and sand attractions, the whole idea now is to offer a more complete package to visitors – total entertainment to include among others, cultural experiences, performing arts and gaming."

The DTI head stressed though that the regulatory framework for the industry should be clearly defined to produce the desired effects of minimizing social costs and developing a world-class industry without stunting the growth of the gaming industry through over-regulation.

More importantly, Favila stressed, "a social responsibility policy has to be established."

Such a policy, Favila said, would ensure that the economic and social contribution of such investments would be clearly visible in such projects as daycare centers, youth and senior citizen facilities, parks and community centers, redevelopment projects for devastated areas, public recreation, convention and entertainment facilities to promote the tourism industry, housing and public transportation facilities.

Previously, Ceferino Benedicto, vice president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) had proposed a surefire way of raising additional revenues for the cash-strapped government.

Benedicto had proposed the conversion of the historical Corregidor Island into a gambling and prostitution mecca similar to the United States’ Las Vegas.

According to Benedicto, converting Corregidor Island into a casino and allowing legalized prostitution would earn a lot of money for the cash-strapped Arroyo government.

In all seriousness, Benedicto said that the money raised from gambling and prostitution on Corregidor could be used by the government for vital infrastructure projects.

Corregidor, Benedicto said, could be developed much like Las Vegas where gambling is allowed and "pimps openly offer girls".

PCCI president Ambassador Donald Dee, however, tried to be more diplomatic about Benedicto’s proposal.

According to Dee, Benedicto wants to transform Corregidor into a "world-class tourist facility."

Remember when I mentioned about Frommers. I was in the bookstore a while ago checking Frommers South East Asia travel guide. They listed all SEA countries except Philippines

http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/results.cfm?cat=hotelsasia


top 25 hotels in asia 2005...


im quite surprised that philippines is not included..... very bad...

very bad,.... ang masaklap pa jan.... naunahan na tayo ng Vietnam Cambodia! nkakahiya... correct me if im wrong... but i dont think i saw a malaysian hotel...

I think developments here are also on hold while this state of emergency exists. Travel advisories even from traditional friendly countries are in place ! THere may need to be another reinvention and repositioning of the tourism campaign.

@carlos, you're right, no malaysian hotel and Malaysia is SEA's biggest torist drawer. You know WANCH, i think we should just ignore Frommer's who knows the person who owns it is anti-Pilipinas.

From Conde Nast Traveler Reader's Choice Awards 2005
Top 10 Islands in Asia

1. Phuket 87.3
2. Bali 86.7
3. Mauritius 78.2
4. Maldives 77.6
5. Koh Samui, Thailand 75.3
6. Langkawi, Malaysia 74.4
7. Lombok, Indonesia 71.2
8. Cebu, Philippines 69.5
9. Seychelles 69.3
10. Borneo 65.7

http://www.concierge.com/bestof/readerschoice/top_islands/topislands_asia

IMHO, Conde Nast Traveler is the better travel magazine. They have covered Philippines fairly in the past.

Even the V Bar made it to one of the best clubs in the world. http://www.concierge.com/bestof/topbars/

Indeed Conde Nast is an excellent travel magazine...though I wish I could've had my subscriptions forwarded to Japan...newsstand rates for it are seriously killing me. :cry:

Let's help the country in tourism efforts. :D

Visitor arrivals hiked 13.5%: Tourism
Monday, February 13, 2006
By Hazel de Los Reyes and May Franzell Obieta
Link (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ilo/2006/02/13/news/visitor.arrivals.hiked.13.5.tourism.html)


According to Palabyab, in the year 2006, they have projected 2.96 million of tourist arrivals. In 2007, it will grow at about 3.40 million, 3.88 million in 2008, in 2009 4.42 million and 5.00 million of tourists are expected to come to Philippines in the year 2010.



I hope it grows much faster than that! :)

^^ To do that, the country has to fast tract infra projects.

^^BUt we have to prove investors that our islands are better than.... shhh!

Tourist arrival for January 2006 increase 20%.

Tourist arrivals rose 22.1% in January
Posted: 3:27 PM | Mar. 01, 2006
from inq7.net

XFN-Asia


TOURIST arrivals in January rose 22.1 percent from a year earlier to 268,818, the Department of Tourism said Wednesday.

Koreans accounted for 21.8 percent of the total arrivals for the month, followed by Americans at 19.8 percent and Japanese at 15.3 percent.



Chinese tourists ranked fourth, comprising 4.8 percent of the total, but the tourism department said arrivals from China had been growing at a brisk rate of 370.5 percent annually.

Once again, it's good to hear another progressive month for the tourism industry. m))

Anyhow, here's more tourism commercials:

Some of the original "Wow Philippines" ads (I'm still digging around for a few others):
30 second spot (Asia) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=YdBANriBrlw)
30 second spot (Europe) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BJ_hbj306M)
Islands (http://youtube.com/watch?v=HN6yaYKkLzM)
Chocolate Hills (http://youtube.com/watch?v=IfkX2i1B7Ww)
Shopping (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDKnKi7b4VU)

The DOT/Smart "Biyahe Tayo" commercial with Regine:
Link (http://youtube.com/watch?v=bxXHKAa17qw&search=biyahe%20tayo)

And the condensed version of it can be found in the multimedia page of WowPinoy.net (http://wowpinoy.net/media_gallery.php).

And finally, the the 2006 edition:
Link (http://youtube.com/watch?v=VyyKVsnguNE)

3 int’l airports to be built in the Visayas, solon says

By MARS W. MOSQUEDA JR.

CEBU CITY - Expect a booming tourism industry in Visayas as the national government planned to earmark billions of pesos for the construction of three international airports in Bohol, Iloilo, and Bacolod starting next year.

Rep. Joey Salceda, who was the key speaker in a forum on the expanded value-added tax (EVAT) here recently, announced the plan to build the three international airports in the Visayas Region. At present, only Cebu has an international airport in the region.

The national government recognizes the huge promising growth of the tourism industry in the Visayas while Cebu has been acknowledged as the most favored tourist destination in the country today. In 2004, of the 2.5 million foreign tour ists who visited the country, 1.7 million came to Cebu, Salceda said.

Salceda said the massive infusion of resources into airport development would be taken from the EVAT proceeds.

The EVAT is projected to rake in R80 billion in revenues, and R30 billion is set for infrastructure development and the same amount is set aside for social services. The remaining R20 billion is allocated for deficit reduction, he said.

Pouring funds for infrastructure projects is meant to create a positive investment climate for a robust trade that would redound to more employment opportunities for the people; thus, addressing the problem of poverty, the legislator added.

Services comprised the biggest slice of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) with 53.4 percent followed by industry with 33 percent and lastly, agriculture with 13.6 percent, as shown during the EVAT presentation. These are the three main sectors in the economy that President Arroyo wants to strengthen, Salceda said.

Salceda also said the lead variable in the services sector is the tourism industry justifying the National Government’s plan to build three international airports in the Visayas.

^^ i dont think 3 international airports are really needed in the visayas region.. isnt that too much? wont they be cutting into each others profits? o well..

taken from philstar.com.. looks like we'll be seeing more japanese in the country in the future..

Big Japan travel agents due despite emergency

The Philippine Star 03/03/2006

Top executives of Japan’s big travel firms in Tokyo and Yokohama are coming to the Philippines this month, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said.

Durano cited the increasing salability of Philippine destinations to the Japanese outbound market despite the country being under a state of national emergency.

Slated to arrive in Manila are Eiju Abe, president of Kamome Tours; Yasuhiro Yamazaki, president of Royce Confect Co. Ltd., wholesale agents and media representatives, and relatives of World War II veterans, among others.

The municipal members of Abe and Yokohama will be in Manila on March 28-29, while Yamazaki will visit Manila and Cebu on March 15-25.

Meanwhile, at least 115 Japanese comprise the KNT Izokukai memorial tour group who is visiting war memorial sites all over the Philippines until March 5. They are going to Tacloban, Davao, Cebu, Subic, Clark, Bataan, and Corregidor.

Ten wholesale travel agents and media representatives from Tokyo are also scheduled for a familiarization tour of El Nido and Manila until March 6, focusing on activities that can be included in their sales packages.

A golf familiarization tour in Davao is also set on March 10-12 for 10 top-level wholesale executives.

"All of them will market our tourism destinations, products and services in Japan," Durano said, noting the consistent increase of Japanese arrivals to the Philippines since 2004.

Durano expects their number to further increase this year and account for a huge share of the 2006 target foreign arrivals of three million.

"More Japanese tourists are expected this year for the ongoing celebration of the Philippines-Japan Friendship Year," he added.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which are celebrating the event with year-round socio-economic and cultural activities.

Japan has been the Philippines’ second-biggest trading partner and source of foreign investments and tourists, and largest donor of official development assistance.

This is the best tourism video I saw about our country. :D

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LcLhUQLQudc

Btw, the commercial of Regine promoting Philippine Tourism is a joint venture of DOT and Smart :D

This is the best tourism video I saw about our country. :D

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LcLhUQLQudc

Btw, the commercial of Regine promoting Philippine Tourism is a joint venture of DOT and Smart :D

Ha ha ha ha. I'm the one who uploaded that video in youtube.com (ncbmandy) check it out and also my website.

Thanks.

pinapalabas na ba yan sa ibang countries?

Oo nga no....hehehe....Mga tao dito sa atin, msyadong nakafocus sa mga bad news, kaya di nila nakikita ung good things about our country. I can really say that God blessed our country with diverse fauna and flora. I just feel really really sad that despite all of these blessings, we still lag behind other countries.

This is the best tourism video I saw about our country. :D

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LcLhUQLQudc


this is by far the best among the wowphilippines series. and here is a transcript of the video i made a few minutes ago.. :D

What makes the Philippines more than the usual holiday destination?

Some say when the gods created the Philippine island, they liked it so much, they decided to create 7000 more. That meant having over 7000 different views of the sun and many different beaches, like Boracay, which is probably unlike anywhere you’ve ever been. They say that gods took their time when they make this paradise.

Having thousands of islands also meant that our wildlife and marine life are among the most diverse in the world.

Even our history comes in many chapters, each one with a different theme. Our colors come in infinite forms. And our melting pot of cultures contain more than the usual ingredients. So you can expect more than the usual festivals every year.

We are oriental and we’re western, too. That’s why no matter where you’re from, the Philippines will feel like home.

Many come here to learn and play. We just love taking the usual things further, like honeymooning, relaxing, partying, and shopping. You haven’t seen a real bargain unless you’ve shopped here.

And if we like to overdo things here in the Philippines, just imagine what it’s like to be our guest…

Ha ha ha ha. I'm the one who uploaded that video in youtube.com (ncbmandy) check it out and also my website.

Thanks.

Btw, ncbmandy, where did you get the video? Just wanna ask, since it is not being shown even in local media...

Btw, the commercial of Regine promoting Philippine Tourism is a joint venture of DOT and Smart :D
Sorry, I was posting a Globe commercial in the Philippine Advertising thread as well and got that brand mixed up. :wallbash:

Summers here (sorry to our freezing friends in other places but at least you make more money than us)

Has anyone here been to Laiya, San Juan, Batangas. Am thinking of touristing there next weekend? Do we need an aircon casitas or can we just hang with au naturel cottages. And how far is it really.

Would appreciate also any input for a weekend beach trip (fri night to sunday morning) relatively near MM. Pls disregard subic, puerto azul, punta fuego and the stretch til Kawayaan and Matbungkay.

san juan batangas? check out laluzresort.com.. this is a great place to go.. PM me if you want more details.. although il be able to reply on monday when i get back to work.. :)

Let's help the country in tourism efforts. :D

Why not? I tell my friends abroad to come to beautiful nature spots in the country. I think that we ordinary Filipinos could make a big impact on our tourism by even just telling people in forums we visit about the beauties of our country. Our tourism department can only do so much, as well as our local media. Worse, foreigners have all these ugly albeit mostly false perceptions about the country, which our media is even guilty of encouraging.

Why not? I tell my friends abroad to come to beautiful nature spots in the country. I think that we ordinary Filipinos could make a big impact on our tourism by even just telling people in forums we visit about the beauties of our country. Our tourism department can only do so much, as well as our local media. Worse, foreigners have all these ugly albeit mostly false perceptions about the country, which our media is even guilty of encouraging.

If every OFW, or even half of them would encourage one foreigner to visit our country, that would automatically mean additional 4 Million tourists. Let's say the spend even 50,000 pesos which I is really really conservative, our country would receive an additional P200B. Imagine what 80 Million people could do if we work together. My personal aim for our country's tourism is to exceed that of our neighbors first, then we aim for the big ones. :D

Once again, it's good to hear another progressive month for the tourism industry. m))

Anyhow, here's more tourism commercials:

Some of the original "Wow Philippines" ads (I'm still digging around for a few others):
30 second spot (Asia) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=YdBANriBrlw)
30 second spot (Europe) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BJ_hbj306M)
Islands (http://youtube.com/watch?v=HN6yaYKkLzM)
Chocolate Hills (http://youtube.com/watch?v=IfkX2i1B7Ww)
Shopping (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDKnKi7b4VU)

The DOT/Smart "Biyahe Tayo" commercial with Regine:
Link (http://youtube.com/watch?v=bxXHKAa17qw&search=biyahe%20tayo)

And the condensed version of it can be found in the multimedia page of WowPinoy.net (http://wowpinoy.net/media_gallery.php).

And finally, the the 2006 edition:
Link (http://youtube.com/watch?v=VyyKVsnguNE)



Kailan kaya ito masusundan?

Kailan kaya ito masusundan?

Hehehe...I agree, kelan kaya?

san juan batangas? check out laluzresort.com.. this is a great place to go.. PM me if you want more details.. although il be able to reply on monday when i get back to work.. :)
tks, checked out their website but their full! Also checking out virgin beach resort. But they only have non aircon rooms. you think it's hot. considering a day in the beach then you'll be sunburned wanting something cool!

More Russian tourists expected - DOT
03/07/2006

Iloilo City -- The Philippines can expect more Russian tourists to come with the slated signing of the Agreement on bilateral Tourism Cooperation on March 14 at the Philippine embassy in Moscow between the Philippines and Russia's Federation Federal Agency for Tourism according to DOT Secretary Ace Durano.

Among others the Tourism Agreement expects to strengthen and deepen friendly relations between Russia and the Philippines through tourism by promoting a better knowledge of life, history and cultural exchange.

Specifically it hopes to strengthen tourism cooperation through the areas of national legislation, tourism investments and services, simplification of border control, customs and other formalities related to tourist exchange, promotion of organized group and individual tourism, exchange of statistics and other tourism information, training of personnel for the tourist industry, organization of visits/exchanges of experts, and the establishment of tourism offices in the territory of both parties.

Durano noted that there has been a growing interest among Russians in traveling to a new, mystical and tropical destination such as the Philippines. "Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States are among the fastest growing source markets for the Philippines. In 2005, tourist arrival from Russia showed a growth rate of over 180% compared to the previous year' Durano said.

In Region 6, the number of Russian tourist has not been that much, but with the proposed accord, this is expected to change with Boracay and other tourist destinations as a come on for foreign tourists. Partial figures for 2005 showed that Russian tourists lumped with other tourists only accounted for about 2.67 percent. On the whole, tourist arrivals in Western Visayas increased by 13.5 percent.

In anticipation of the influx of Russian tourists, the Department of Tourism has started a number of initiatives that are expected to ease and facilitate their entry and stay. These include simplification of border controls in institutionalizing a Visa-Upon-Arrival Scheme for Russian nationals, air negotiations by the Philippine Air Panel, through DOTC with their Russian counterparts and an updated Air Services agreement. On the training front, the Department is actively campaigning for the training of more Russian-speaking tour guides in anticipation of the entry of a greater volume of Russian travelers.

Durano said by institutionalizing basic but necessary policy direction and an aggressive and creative tourism promotions and marketing initiatives Russia is well on its way to becoming one of the Philippines' top source markets.

That's good news :D But in my opinion, the South Koreans are the primary market of the Philippines when it comes to tourism :D

mygz14, i admire your enthusiasm. Im glad the negativity bug hasn't bit you yet. :)

dapat lang naman slow ang ascend ng tourism dahil the govt. woouldn'tknow what to do with a sudden increase. siguradong environment ang maapektohan niyan. and then what ?that's the main reason they come.

mygz14, i admire your enthusiasm. Im glad the negativity bug hasn't bit you yet. :)

Hehehe....Thanks, because in my opinion, let the politicians do their bickering because i'm tired of it. As a citizen, i'll just help my country even with these simple acts. As they say, NEVER ASK YOUR COUNTRY TO DO SOMETHING FOR YOU, YOU SHOULD DO SOMETHING FOR YOUR COUNTRY. I still remain optimistic because we need optimism for us to achieve what we desire in anything we do.

^^ bravo, good attitude, don't let the political noise and problems detract us from doing the small everyday things which add up to the greater good of the Philippines and to greater humanity.:)

Anyway another interesting article by Boo. OUr balikbayan friends can easily comment on this. And in a way quite important in projecting our country, for if potential tourist think of the RP as a culinary backwater, it's one thing less to attract them, BUT we all know that there 's lot of good filipino food!


No good Pinoy restaurant abroad
DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco
The Philippine Star 03/10/2006

Last Monday, I shared with readers of this column, my sister’s e-mail lamenting the difficulty of finding a good Pinoy restaurant abroad. My sister lives in the Washington DC area and she observed there are Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese and Indian restaurants everywhere but hardly any Pinoy ones.

When she and her American husband visited Hawaii the other week, they looked for a Pinoy restaurant there too, thinking that because a large number of Pinoys reside there, that wouldn’t be difficult to find. But to their disappointment, they found out there was not even one good Pinoy restaurant in Honolulu, one with good food and yes, sanitary.

I have experienced that frustration. I was in freezing Winnipeg in Canada last year where there are 40,000 Pinoys and just a sprinkling of Thais and Vietnamese. How come the Thais, and now the Vietnamese have good restaurants there but we don’t? At least, not good enough for my Canadian hosts to want to bring me to.

So the question remains: Why are there no good Pinoy restaurants abroad? Is our cuisine not good enough to tempt the palates of other cultures? Is it too ordinary? Does it lack the character of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine?

Anyway, a number of readers eagerly responded to that question I raised about Pinoy cuisine abroad. Reader A. Reyes, an investment banker, wrote to point out that "there are a couple of Pinoy restaurants here in Manhattan that, in my opinion, can be considered at par with the other mainstream restaurants in New York. These are Cendrillion in the SOHO district and Dragonfly in the Village district."

Of course… of course. How could I have forgotten Cendrillon. It was critically reviewed by the New York Times and it is owned by a former classmate of mine at UP, Amy Besa. I haven’t been there and I must remember to drop by when I find myself in New York.

Mr. Reyes continues: "Cendrillion’s menu is Pinoy fusion-inspired while Dragonfly serves classic items like kare-kare and crispy pata along with other Asian delicacies like satay and curry. I have tried these restaurants myself and my overall impression was very positive in terms of ambiance and quality of cuisine. My non-Filipino acquaintances also gave positive feedback on both establishments."

But, Mr. Reyes agrees, "there are not enough Pinoy restaurants of the same caliber in other locations. However, I would like to think that this might have more to do with supply and demand. If demand for Pinoy food was really very strong among mainstream diners, then many other enterprising people would have thought of putting up lots of Pinoy restaurants by now."

Supply and demand may indeed explain the problem, but then again, I am sure the Thais and the Vietnamese didn’t have a demand for their cuisine when they introduced their kind of cooking internationally. We have been trying to put up Pinoy restaurants abroad even before they tried putting up theirs. There must be other reasons why they made it and we didn’t.

Manny Gonzalez, the man who thought out and carried out the dream resort that is Plantation Bay in Mactan, also wrote to share his views on the matter. "Having lived for some 25 years in some of the world’s major culinary cities (New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, LA, Washington DC, Hong Kong, and Vancouver)," Manny wrote, "I had long puzzled over the very same question you posed today — why are there no good, enduring Filipino restaurants abroad?"

"In the course of the past 10 years, based on what I have learned at Plantation Bay and its four restaurants and banquet business, I have developed some ideas on this subject. Before anything else, the problem is NOT that we can’t cook. Nor is it (as you wondered) that Philippine food is just not suited for international tastes.

"Some years ago, an Asian Wall St. writer ventured that Filipino food is "low class" or "derivative/copied" (allegedly because there was no true aristocratic class in the country to stimulate culinary achievement). I quickly wrote the Journal, and pointed out that (with all due apology to non-Filipinos who may be reading this): 1,000 years of English nobility had produced little better than boiled beef; while Scotland’s claim to fame is haggis (boiled sheep entrails made into a sausage);

"All of Scandinavia combined has contributed no food of note to the world except shark buried and left to rot for six months; the cuisine of the entire Middle East can pretty much be described as stewed sheep, grilled sheep, grilled ground sheep, etc; many elements in Italian cooking are borrowed (pasta from China and tomato from Mexico, olive oil from Greece); Indian and Pakistani cuisine are both one-note sambas (curry and tandoori);

"Meanwhile, though some interesting foods have come out of France, its most substantive contributions to the diet of mankind are French fries (potatoes by the way are from South America), pork and beans, and Spam (tin-canning x pork rillettes); and Japan’s "unique" contributions to world cuisine are raw fish, raw fish with rice, and raw fish rolled in seaweed (tempura is from Portugal, teppanyaki from China).

"You can go around the world’s countries one by one, and if you have any understanding of food and food history at all, will be hard-pressed to build a convincing argument that Filipino food is appreciably inferior in any respect to most others. So why are there no good Filipino restaurants abroad?

"Filipino restaurants abroad (being owned by Filipinos with Filipino weaknesses) are prone to stumble at several key stages:

"Ownership. They are owned by someone who "knows how to cook" but doesn’t have enough of the professional qualities needed to be a successful restaurateur.

"Business Concept. Inevitably, the target clientele is Filipinos, rather than the population at large. Thus, the restaurant will emphasize low cost, and fail to appeal to most potential patrons. Relying on Filipinos for their business, they will make little effort to adapt dishes to more general palates, not even in the matter of presentation or portion sizes. (Do you imagine that the Mexicans conquered the US masses with the very same taco they make at home?)

"Menu Development and Cohesion. At Plantation Bay we take the view that a menu is a team and each dish has a different role to play; some dishes are "stars" (hard to do, but worthwhile because they draw customers to come specifically for that dish), some are "good soldiers" (easy to do, little spoilage, reliable seller); some may play other kinds of role such as "loss leader" or "odd-man consolation".

"In contrast, in most Filipino restaurants the menu is chosen not by rigorous evaluation but by acclamation — Ma has a recipe for this, Baby knows how to cook that, Boy wants to see this. . .

"Indifference to Quality. Here is where good Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese restaurants consistently score points over Filipino rivals; their cooks and owners know how the food should look and taste, and they care. At the Filipino restaurant, "Puwede na ‘yan" is the refrain, not "it’s got to be right".

"Greed. If perchance a restaurant survives its launch, sooner or later it will occur to someone to suggest that their profit could be even bigger, if only some corners were cut. Now, in many restaurants, a dish sold for $10 costs only $4 in raw materials. Here is where a particularly Filipino form of insanity will come into play:

"At some point in a restaurant’s life-cycle, enormous energy will go into trying to reduce the $4 to $3.60 (thereby "fattening" the profit margin from $6 to $6.40) — frozen shrimps instead of fresh-peeled; supermarket-sale chicken instead of farm-bought; etc. The effect of this of course is that the dish will decline in quality. And just in case the customers don’t notice the decline, then another round of corner-cutting will ensue, in hope of raising the $6.40 profit to $6.60, and so on. It is a process with only one possible outcome: unhappy patrons, less business, less profit, and ultimately failure of the enterprise.

"So, Boo, the restaurant business is a showcase for well-accepted Filipino weaknesses such as inadequate planning, wishful thinking, pakikisama instead of discipline, disinterest in producing a quality result, and greed coupled with dicey arithmetic.

"When at last we see a Filipino restaurant in London succeed, and stay in business for many years, then perhaps that will be an indicator of a turn for the better in the Filipino character."

More on this issue on Monday, including a comment from an OFW in Saudi Arabia.
Waiter’s thumb

The far side (article from The Guardian)

Thousands of islands, too many tropical beaches to count and hardly a tourist in sight. How come the Philippines is missing off the backpacker trail? Gavin
McOwan reports.

http://travel.guardian.co.uk/countries/story/0,,1701535,00.html

Waterfront group sets aside P180M for hotel refurbishment
By Zinnia B. Dela Peña
The Philippine Star 03/13/2006

The Gatchalian-led Waterfront Philippines Inc. will spend at least P180 million for the refurbishment of all its hotels, including Manila Pavillion and Davao Insular Hotel, as part of efforts to attract more foreign clients.

Joey Bernardino, corporate director for Sales and Marketing at Waterfront Hotels and Casinos, said the group hopes to complete the renovation of its hotels this year to better serve the needs of its customers and to further establish its name as the largest Filipino-owned hotel chain in the country. Waterfront also owns the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino and Waterfront Mactan Airport Hotel and Casino.

The group has earmarked P150 million for the renovation of the 21-floor Manila Pavillion. The balance of P30 million will go to the improvement of the hotels in Cebu.

Bernardino said the group intends to regain the five-star rating of Manila Pavillion, now classified as a three-star hotel.

He said the Manila PavilLion has its own market niche, especially the high-roller Chinese, Japanese and Korean players.

Bernardino said the group is eyeing a 20 percent growth in sales this year, mainly coming from the Pavillion and its Cebu hotels. Waterfront acquired 75 percent of Acesite Philippines, then owner and operator of the Manila Pavillion. The Acesite stake was pledged as collateral in exchange for a $5 million loan granted by Equitable PCI Bank Inc. in 1988.

Equitable PCI transferred rights over the mortgaged shares to Waterfront in February 2003 in exchange for $2.06 million after Acesite’s shareholders failed to settle their loan with the bank.

The far side (article from The Guardian)

Thousands of islands, too many tropical beaches to count and hardly a tourist in sight. How come the Philippines is missing off the backpacker trail? Gavin
McOwan reports.

http://travel.guardian.co.uk/countries/story/0,,1701535,00.html

This is where we come in. :D we should help promote the country :P

It doesn't help that hotel prices are so high compared to regional neighbors and the quality of hotels are so crap compared to their rates. Sometimes the hotel operators should just let go of their greed and think of volume instead. The Dot has got to do something about this this is another disincentive for potential visitors.

^^ The issue of accomodation infrastructure and costs. True, first they have build more hotels offering high quality services at reasonable costs.

umm. yeah. don't wanna start nothin

Just came back from Laiya, San Juan, BAtangas nice place, starting to develop, apparently bunch of foreigners have already bought in. Anyway it's a good example of type of place that can be easily developed to attract more tourist. Amazingly for a beach that nice only 130km or 2 and half hours away there were hardly any people there. Makes me wonder why, maybe they have an NPA problem.

Durano leads 70-man delegation in Berlin fair
Link (http://www.mb.com.ph/archive_pages.php?url=http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/03/11/TOUR2006031158385.html)

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano will head a 70-man Philippine delegation consisting of media, tour operators, airline representatives, hotel and resort managers among others to the 2006 Internationale Tourismus Borse (ITB) in Berlin on March 12-15.


Durano said that the exposure and business generated through the Department’s annual participation in international events such as the ITB have proven effective with the surpassing of the Department of Tourism’s (DoT) target tourist arrivals for 2005.

"We are very pleased with last year’s turn-out of tourist arrivals and we look forward to a bigger increase in arrival figures for this year following our participation in ITB," said Durano.

Records show the growth in tourist arrivals to the Philippines from all key regions of the world from January to November 2005 compared to the same period last year. Asia registered an 18.6 percent increase, East Asia 15 percent, South Asia 13.9 percent, Middle East 18.2 percent, North America 10.7 percent, South America 13.1 percent, Western Europe 12.2 percent, Northern Europe 13.8 percent, Southern Europe 14.3 percent and Eastern Europe 161.5 percent.

"It is nice to note that the number of industry partners (tour operators, hotel and resort managers) joining the ITB is growing. This could be attributed to the number of new customer contacts and clients generated from the previous year, thus creating more business for the industry."

ITB is a prime travel and tourism market place, which has been known to showcase the development of new tourism ideas, products, services, technology, global approaches and target markets. It is where new customer contacts are established. The yearly event draws 10,000 exhibitors from 180 countries and regions.

ITB represents the full spectrum of global tourism at all levels of the value- added chain like tour operators, booking systems, travel destinations, airlines, hotels and rental cars.

Philippine tour operators who have confirmed their participation are Annset Holidays, Inc., Baron Travel Corp., Blue Horizons Travel and Tours, Intas Destination Management, Marsman Drysdale, Rajah Tours and T.R.I.P.S. Travel.

Kailan kaya ito masusundan?


here's one.. =D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLrxdqIuy7g&search=wow%20bicol

Hmmm... I just got the wildest idea :D I am inspired by the Tourism Video of Naga... I'll try to create my own using my city and/or province as the subject. It would be nice right? It would be like taping an independent film but this is for tourism purposes.

Tourist numbers are high in the Philippines, right? Well then, who should we credit this with? Gordon or Durano?

Tourist numbers are high in the Philippines, right? Well then, who should we credit this with? Gordon or Durano?

well Gordon spearheaded the "wowphilippines" campaign and it was actually really good, and Durano followed it up plus integrating his own ideas we are now looking at the results of these, so I guess both should receive the credit coz both of them did really really well.

Do you know the tourist growth of both administrations? We can compare it from their.

Both were very great in terms of promoting Philippine Tourism. :D

Most tourism professionals would say it's Gordon and his earlier initiatives which have really helped plus more importantly the bill he's pushing. There is some bad feedback on Durano but he's helped by the fact that investments have a lag time and he's been lucky so far. Remains to be seen if he's got really new initiatives to push which will work in the long run.

From Boo Chanco
Star March 15

Vietnam tourism
A tourism industry newsletter reveals that Vietnam, is now Southeast Asia’s newest rising star in tourism. "With 3.5 million arrivals in 2005, Vietnam is fast becoming a leading destination in Southeast Asia thanks to average growth rates of 20 percent per year."

According to Dr. Pham Tu, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the country expects to continue to grow by 10 to 20 percent annually until 2010 and reach six million international visitors by 2010. What bothers me here is that Vietnam has exceeded the three-million mark last year. There is no way we can make that number this year for the simple reason we don’t have enough hotel rooms, among other needed tourism related infrastructure.

Last year, the Asean region recorded over 51 million international tourist arrivals — a growth of 15 percent over 2004. Everyone is growing substantially and we are ecstatic with our minimal growth, which even includes balikbayans. No wonder the big Filipino firms who are experts in in-bound tourism are so frustrated. As I wrote some weeks ago, as far as they are concerned, they are sold out.

Anyway, the good news is Asean’s ministers of tourism — who represent Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam — have agreed to speed up visa-free access for Asean citizens and to work towards the development of a single Asean visa for foreign visitors. That would be great for us, if only we are ready to welcome the tourists visiting our neighbors.

Pass the Gordon bill and work on the needed infrastructure. Add world class hotel rooms. That’s the agenda we should be pursuing, if our tourism officials know what they should be really doing

Speaking of hotel rooms...

Major Metro Cebu Hotels expected to open within year 2006
5-star Marco Polo Plaza – 335 rooms
5-star Coral Reef Resort Mactan – 1000 rooms
Parklane International Hotel – 220 rooms
GV Hotel Downtown Cebu – 100 rooms
Vistamar Condotel Mactan, Phase I – 126 rooms
Plantation Bay Mactan expansion

Major Metro Cebu Hotels to open in year 2007
5-star Crown Regency Hotel, Fuente Towers Complex – 300 rooms
5-star SM Hotel (Former Sheraton) – 220 rooms
5-star InterCon Hotel Towers Mactan – 700 rooms
EGI Cebu Mactan Condominium Hotel – 177 rooms

In just two years, there'll be a total of 3,000++ new hotel rooms in addition to the present 7,000 hotel accommodation in Cebu, as we speak.

Oh yeah, how many 5 star hotels does the RP have?

Isnt Vietnam raking in less tourism receipt the Philippines despite the fact more tourists are going there?!....Meaning.....there's not much you can do in that place, compared to the rest of SEA.....tourists doesnt have much reason to spend......, hmmm not to sound mean or whatever..I think Vietnam is a just a "fad", thats not to say that I dont dream of visiting that country...ughhh love Vietnamese food......kudos on them too coz they saw tourism as a major source of "moolah" for their economy, once the Philippines get its act together..watch out Southeast Asia I say.....

[URL=http://]http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/cat

Tourism campaign focuses on Boracay
Posted: 7:28 AM | Mar. 16, 2006

Ronnel W. Domingo
Inquirer

A PRIVATE sector-led campaign aimed at bringing in five million foreign visitors to the Philippines annually is focusing on making the resort island of Boracay more tourist-friendly by inducing investments of up to P10 billion.

Samie Lim, chairman of the tourism committee of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), said International Finance Corp. had prepared a list of business opportunities costing between P10 million and P10 billion for Boracay.



Lim said the PCCI was coordinating projects to put up transport services and additional rooms on the island in the central Philippines.

He said there were plans to set up a Hong Kong-style ferry service between Boracay and Caticlan town, the jump-off point to the resort island, and that Tiger Airways and other budget airlines were interested in expanding services to secondary airports like the one in Caticlan.

Lim said big hotel operators like the Shangri-La group were in various stages of putting up accommodation facilities with 300 to 500 rooms each in Boracay.

Lim said the focus on Boracay was aimed at making the island the country's biggest tourist magnet, with arrivals hoped to be increased to about thee million a year from the current 140,000

From the Manila Standard, looks like Boracay is going to be the next Puckhet.

Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons eye Boracay

By Elaine Ruzul S. Ramos

High-end hotel chains Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts and the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts are looking at the possibility of putting up luxurious hotels in Boracay.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) BizTour committee chairman Samie Lim said the two hotel chains have approached the Department of Tourism for possible investments in the island-resort.

The Ritz-Carlton hotels operate 59 hotels in 20 countries while the Four Seasons hotels maintain 70 in 31 countries.

Local groups like the Gokongweis are also looking at business opportunities in Boracay.

Lim said there are still rooms for another five to 10 hotels in Boracay.

“It could be developed like Cancun, Macau or the gold Coast,” he said.

Lim cited a 400-hectare titled beachfront property owned by Ambassador Alba as a suitable location for hotel developments.

PCCI BizTour promotes Boracay Island as anchor for its tourism promotions in line with its efforts to help bring in investments in the sector.

Lim said it would be easier for the country to promote a single destination first and once this is established, move on to other tourist spots in the country.

“Boracay has a beachfront, which is a lot better than the ones you see in Phuket and Bali in Thailand; Cancun in Mexic; and Gold Coast in Australia. If we could only harness Boracay’s resources and optimize them to become a world destination for tourists, the opportunities are endless,” he said.

From the Manila Standard, looks like Boracay is going to be the next Puckhet.

Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons eye Boracay

By Elaine Ruzul S. Ramos

High-end hotel chains Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts and the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts are looking at the possibility of putting up luxurious hotels in Boracay.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) BizTour committee chairman Samie Lim said the two hotel chains have approached the Department of Tourism for possible investments in the island-resort.

The Ritz-Carlton hotels operate 59 hotels in 20 countries while the Four Seasons hotels maintain 70 in 31 countries.

Local groups like the Gokongweis are also looking at business opportunities in Boracay.

Lim said there are still rooms for another five to 10 hotels in Boracay.

“It could be developed like Cancun, Macau or the gold Coast,” he said.

Lim cited a 400-hectare titled beachfront property owned by Ambassador Alba as a suitable location for hotel developments.

PCCI BizTour promotes Boracay Island as anchor for its tourism promotions in line with its efforts to help bring in investments in the sector.

Lim said it would be easier for the country to promote a single destination first and once this is established, move on to other tourist spots in the country.

“Boracay has a beachfront, which is a lot better than the ones you see in Phuket and Bali in Thailand; Cancun in Mexic; and Gold Coast in Australia. If we could only harness Boracay’s resources and optimize them to become a world destination for tourists, the opportunities are endless,” he said.

Sana matuloy yan. Para sa magandang kinabukasan ng ating tourism industry. Huwag ng umepal ang mga Pulitiko sa Pilipinas. Anyway underconstruction anba ang Shangrila sa Boracay?

i don't want 3million people in boracay unless they make some strides on water and waste management. They also need to educate the people there that the beach doesn't clean itself and the ocean doesn't take it to a secret place where no one will ever see it.

March 16 2006


-----------------

1 hurt as cruise ship visits Cebu
But tourist passengers 'fall in love'
with city, request extension of visit
Published: 17 March 2006

by Wilfredo Rodolfo III and Jolene R. Bulambot

AN American tourist who arrived on the visiting cruise liner MV Statendam yesterday got a taste of Cebu's bad side when he got hit by a pickup.

While crossing a pedestrian lane on S. Osmeña Ave. near the road's intersection with Kaohsiung St., Ian Cohen, 59, was hit by a white pickup, throwing him to the pavement.

"A car from the outer lane stopped to allow me and a few others to cross (but) maybe he did not see me because he just came right straight at me and hit me," Cohen said.

Witnesses said the motorist in the pickup - with registry plate LCA 213 - attempted to speed away, but passersby and security guards from nearby establishments, including those from the Building, blocked the road, forcing the driver to stop and come out of the vehicle.

"He asked if I was okay. When I said I was, he went away," Cohen said.

Then he got a taste of true Cebuano hospitality.

Another motorist immediately stopped and offered to bring Cohen to the hospital.

While the American declined the offer, CDN employees took him in to make sure he was uninjured until a passing policeman, PO1 Edilberto Cabucas of the Regional Mobile Group, brought Cohen to the nearby Mabolo Police Station and Cebu City Traffic Police to report the incident.

Cohen a native of Boston, Massachusetts, works for the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

The American, however, assured that the incident would not affect his perception of the Philippines and of Cebu.

"It happens. These things even happen in Boston," he said.

Rosario Torres of the traffic police desk told CDN that Cohen left his e-mail address in case authorities here find the responsible driver and his vehicle.

She said the police would cite the driver for hit-and-run, since it was witnessed by a traffic enforcer.

Extended stay

Despite the incident involving Cohen, passengers of the MV Statendam - 1,200 in all, mostly Europeans - requested to extend their stay in Cebu after saying they "fell in love" with the city.

The cruise ship, which had just visited Australia, docked at the Cebu International Port (CIP) at 7 a.m. yesterday, and was scheduled to depart at 6 p.m. The passengers, however, requested an extension of at least five hours.

Col. Oscar Lopez, manager of CIP's Department of Security, Safety and Environmental Management, said the passengers first visited local malls and the beaches of Mactan Island in the morning.

"Then I received a call from the chief security officer of MV Statendam that the tourists wanted to extend their stay even just for several hours," Lopez said. "I was told they love Cebu, and that Cebu is a great city."

"Radja Tours accommodated them. They had a city tour and an island tour. I was told they had fun and enjoyed their time here."

From Cebu, MV Statendam is scheduled to go to Manila before departing the country for Hong Kong, Lopez said.

Commander Manolito Malig-on, station chief of the Philippine Coast Guard-Cebu, said MV Statendam is the second cruise ship to visit Cebu this March.

Last week, the MV Delphin Renaissance, which carried more than 300 European tourists, also visited Cebu.

wow.. a great article for cebu.

About Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons, I know Boracay is great and everything but arent they saying that Boracay is getting overdeveloped? I mean if I were Ritz-Carlton's or Four Season's owner, I would definitely opt for other locations like Cebu, Palawan, Bohol, Baguio, Davao or even Metro Manila.

But then again, this is great! More tourists will come to Boracay and it will increase its reputation as a paradise island!

This thread is still open. :)

Baguio is over-crowded too. i'd say Palawan, Bohol or Davao. :D

^^Or somewhere near Baguio, somewhere overlooking the Banaue Rice Terraces, that would be a BIG tourist drawer!!!

^^what about Sagada for extreme travellers? hehe

Many of us didn't know South Korea considers Cebu as one of their top 3 tourist destinations along with Bali and Phuket. 40% of tourists in Cebu are Koreans, followed closely by Japs and Americans. two-third's of the tourists (both local and foreign) in the Philippines visited Cebu, which makes the island the country's top tourist destination.

The Seoul Times
http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?%20idx=714

The number of tourist bookings for Southeast Asian destinations such as Bali, Phuket, and Cebu as of now remain higher than the same period of last year when travel market was still suffering from the aftermath of SARS but not impressive enough as compared to performance of 2001 and 2002.

Most travel reservations are made between July 27 and August 10. The sale of travel products scheduled for July 1-15 remain sluggish apparently affected by increased air fares.

Discounted sales of package tour products during off-season are posing as negative factors in selling "high season products."

Mode Tour and several other travel agents, however, see impressive increase of reservation for package tour programs.

In terms of number of tourists, a travel agent expects some 30 percent increase this year over that of last year, another travel agent said.

Success or failure will largely depend on how nicely travel agents sell off their package tour products linked with chartered planes, a market watcher observed. Market prospects for Cebu and Phuket seems to be relatively bright for this summer season as far as chartered planes are concerned but Kota Kinabalu and Penang products are not so popular as earlier expected, they said.

Lotte Travel bets on Palawan offering a wide range of attractions and activities to travelers of varied interests and expectations.

Hyundai Dream Tour intends to fly chartered plane exclusively to Cebu, which remains highly popular destinations for honeymooners and family tourists, among others.

____________________________________________________________
Have you guys noticed that the news article didn't mention "THE PHILIPPINES"? the fact that Cebu and Palawan are mentioned, they never thought of putting man lang which country those islands belong! Not even Indonesia or Thailand. my friend in Cebu told me that some Korean tourists there have no idea that Cebu is part of the Philippines! Travel agencies based in Korea market Cebu as an island. same with Phuket, Bali, Palawan and Boracay..

hey guys.... i have this way to promote our tourism industry in our small way..

i have created a picturetrail [www.picturetrail.com/paradiseofphilippines] which you can put pictures on it but remember, only 10 best pictures per album so we will not exceed on photo quota limits.

if you are interested putting pictures, just PM for the password.

we can spread the site by emails, forums, yahoogroups or anyway you like it.

btw, im going to rename the site: www.paradiseofthephilippines.tk

im working on it right now.. :D

That's a great idea myx. i have tons of photos to choose from.

Baguio is over-crowded too. i'd say Palawan, Bohol or Davao. :D


Palawann is really awesome. Sana mag-invest din dito ang Shangri-la, Four Seasons at Ritz Carlton. :D

Many of us didn't know South Korea considers Cebu as one of their top 3 tourist destinations along with Bali and Phuket. 40% of tourists in Cebu are Koreans, followed closely by Japs and Americans. two-third's of the tourists (both local and foreign) in the Philippines visited Cebu, which makes the island the country's top tourist destination.

The Seoul Times
http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?%20idx=714

The number of tourist bookings for Southeast Asian destinations such as Bali, Phuket, and Cebu as of now remain higher than the same period of last year when travel market was still suffering from the aftermath of SARS but not impressive enough as compared to performance of 2001 and 2002.

Most travel reservations are made between July 27 and August 10. The sale of travel products scheduled for July 1-15 remain sluggish apparently affected by increased air fares.

Discounted sales of package tour products during off-season are posing as negative factors in selling "high season products."

Mode Tour and several other travel agents, however, see impressive increase of reservation for package tour programs.

In terms of number of tourists, a travel agent expects some 30 percent increase this year over that of last year, another travel agent said.

Success or failure will largely depend on how nicely travel agents sell off their package tour products linked with chartered planes, a market watcher observed. Market prospects for Cebu and Phuket seems to be relatively bright for this summer season as far as chartered planes are concerned but Kota Kinabalu and Penang products are not so popular as earlier expected, they said.

Lotte Travel bets on Palawan offering a wide range of attractions and activities to travelers of varied interests and expectations.

Hyundai Dream Tour intends to fly chartered plane exclusively to Cebu, which remains highly popular destinations for honeymooners and family tourists, among others.

____________________________________________________________
Have you guys noticed that the news article didn't mention "THE PHILIPPINES"? the fact that Cebu and Palawan are mentioned, they never thought of putting man lang which country those islands belong! Not even Indonesia or Thailand. my friend in Cebu told me that some Korean tourists there have no idea that Cebu is part of the Philippines! Travel agencies based in Korea market Cebu as an island. same with Phuket, Bali, Palawan and Boracay..


Galing naman. CEBU and Palawan. :cheers:

hey guys.... i have this way to promote our tourism industry in our small way..

i have created a picturetrail [www.picturetrail.com/paradiseofphilippines] which you can put pictures on it but remember, only 10 best pictures per album so we will not exceed on photo quota limits.

if you are interested putting pictures, just PM for the password.

we can spread the site by emails, forums, yahoogroups or anyway you like it.

btw, im going to rename the site: www.paradiseofthephilippines.tk

im working on it right now.. :D



That's really cool.

what is the most famous tourist place in manila?Baywalk?

First posted 04:58pm (Mla time) Mar 19, 2006
By Nikko Dizon
Inquirer

FEATURE stories and photographs of Philippine travel destinations were splashed on the pages of three prominent Italian magazines recently that had the Philippine Embassy in Rome hoping these would turn the country into a "choice vacation spot" for the romantic Italians.

"Extensive features" came out in the glossy magazines "Spazia Viaggi", "In The World", and "Barrio", outgoing Philippine Ambassador to Rome, Philippe Lhuillier, said in a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Lhuillier noted that the three magazines "have a niche in Italian readership for tourism and lifestyle features."

"These feature articles have made many Italians pleasantly surprised that the Philippines has so much to offer as a holiday destination," Lhuillier said in a statement released by the DFA.

Hey, there's a new Smart Commercial... It features the Philippines as a great adventure getaway. It has mountain trekking, water kayaking, and a lot more. And Regine is...Just watch it. Hope you guys see it. Its really really nice :D Thanks a lot to Smart for doing a great job in helping our country's tourism by collaborating with the Department of Tourism. :)

Bondi or Boracay? Tourism ads wow Aussies

First posted 01:22am (Mla time) Mar 19, 2006
By Angelina G. Goloy
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the March 19, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


BONDI or Boracay? IMAGINE Australians choosing between their world-famous beach and ours (that is, instead of Indonesia's Bali or Thailand's Phuket).

This may well be the dream scenario for Consuelo Garcia Jones, the Philippines' tourism attach‚ for Australia and New Zealand. Her office has launched a fresh campaign to get Australians to put the Philippines on their must-visit list.

Instead of trying to pack it all in-history and culture, natural attractions, entertainment-the campaign zeroes in on the stuff that never fails to grab Aussies' attention: sun, sea, sand.

Images of exotic Philippine isles, white-sand beaches and clear blue waters have been distributed around Sydney and suburbs, and they are drawing raves and second looks.

Boracay, Palawan, Bohol and Cebu are on billboards mounted at train stations and on postcards displayed at caf‚s, restaurants, art galleries, bookshops, theaters and trendy places frequented especially by young professionals.

The pictures carry one message: "Time to discover a new paradise ... the Philippine islands."

Second printing

It's an invitation to find out why the Philippines can claim to be Asia's beach capital, with its 7,100 islands and a coastline twice the length of that of the United States, according to the Department of Tourism's website, www.wowphilippines.com.ph.

But would Sydneysiders be interested if they have a seemingly endless stretch of 40 beaches right in their own backyard?

If it's any indication, barely halfway through the three-month campaign, the postcards have all but disappeared from the display stands, necessitating a second printing. This is according to Filipino-Australian Sylvia Dipasupil-Altomonte, whose Imago advertising and graphic design agency was commissioned by Jones for the campaign.

"We have fantastic beaches and islands here, so you wonder why Australians still want to go overseas for tropical holidays," Sylvia, better known as Dipsy, said when she talked about the campaign last January.

"It's partly because it still comes out cheaper, with a cultural experience to boot," she said.

Mostly, it's because Australians just can't have enough sun, sea, sand and surf. (They quickly recovered from the shock over the Cronulla beach race riots last December, and were not about to cede their place in the sun to tourists who packed Bondi, Manly and other popular beaches.)

'Can't believe this!'

"We've received phone calls asking for more information," Jones said in an e-mail interview. "We're targeting the family market, couples, and generally people who just want to relax and be pampered in a paradise setting."

Prior to the campaign launch on Feb. 1, Dipsy conducted an informal survey among her clients and friends.

She sent out questionnaires and posted mock-ups of the billboards in her office.

Respondents ranged from company CEOs to messengers, even the cleaner, representing a wide cross-section of ages and backgrounds.

The most common reaction was: "I can't believe no one's told me about this place before!"

And Dipsy adopted it as the message on the postcard.

The most popular image is that of a fellow floating in a natural pool in Coron, Palawan, arms outstretched, face up, as though soaking in the sunshine.

The swimmer is in shorts, a tee and mojos, suggesting that he couldn't resist the lure of the clear emerald-and-turquoise waters and just had to jump in.

Scoring zero

As shown by the survey, Australians' favorite Asian destinations are Thailand and Indonesia, followed by Singapore and Hong Kong. Vietnam and Brunei were also mentioned.

The Philippines scored zero. The respondents said they just didn't know much about the country and what's there to see, unlike Indonesia and Thailand.

Jones attributed this to the "heaps of dollars" other Asean countries spend on promotions and ads.

Coup attempts and kidnappings here make news in Australia, but Australians are aware that these are not peculiar to the Philippines.

"The Bali bombings may have made them more aware of the realities of violence," Dipsy surmised. In which case, this would be an opportune time to present alternatives.

In the survey, one relatively wealthy and well-traveled male in his 50s said he didn't know anyone in his circle who had been to the Philippines, so it never occurred to him and his wife to consider visiting the country.

The man and his wife are "empty nesters" who travel with other couples and take turns suggesting destinations.

"And he's been to Brunei and Sabah on golfing holidays!" Dipsy said.

Credibility

In her latest e-mail, Dipsy said: "I'd like to think that our campaign is helping to give the Philippines more credibility as a destination to consider."

She said the March 12 issue of the Sunday Herald had the Banaue rice terraces on the cover of the travel supplement, to coincide with an ongoing travel show.

Quite a coup, she remarked, noting that the other major publications featured the usual favorites like Paris, Florence and Phuket.

The tourism campaign-which is backed by the office of Consul General Tess Lazaro-will peak in next month's Royal Easter Show, during which promo publications will be disseminated.

The two-week fair draws more than 600 exhibitors and a million visitors, making it Australia's largest annual event.

Filipinos in Sydney are doing their bit, too. A geologist working in an engineering company has been drumming up interest among his officemates, some of whom just might come over during the holidays.

"I myself would love to go," said Dipsy, who was last here about eight years ago.

Time to rediscover paradise.

--double-post---

what is the most famous tourist place in manila?Baywalk?


INTRAMUROS :d

INTRAMUROS :d

I think it's Malate District. You can see lot's of tourist in this area from afternoon till morning.

Looks like finally tourism is taking off and we can get a fair share.

Vol. XIX, No. 168
Friday-Saturday, March 17-18, 2006 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Travel
Tourism eyes Zambales as next major surfing destination

Recognizing surfing’s increasing popularity as an adventure sport, the Department of Tourism has tapped the activity to improve local tourism and create livelihood opportunities in the countryside.
A participant shows his skills in riding the surf in Crystal beach in San Narciso, Zambales. -- DoT

Together with Power Up, a sports and fitness promoter, the department recently held a two-day surfing event in Crystal beach, San Narciso, Zambales, to fully explore the area’s potential as a surfing destination.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said one way of promoting travel is through sports and nature adventure, more so that the country is blessed with a variety of land and water forms which offer a wide range of outdoor activities.

"Nowadays, most tourists, whether locals or foreigners, are looking for some kind of adventure. They are no longer content with just sifting around and admiring the sights around them.

They want involvement; they want to have a real feel of the place and promoting our beaches, mountains and other natural attractions as places where tourists can engage in various exciting activities will result in a heightened desire to travel to these destinations," Mr. Durano was quoted in a statement as saying.

Called "Surf to Freedom," the event is the first of a series of outdoor activities under "Road to Adventure ‘06,’ a tour program aimed at educating Filipinos on the adventurous pursuits that they can embark on in some of the country’s leading destinations without the need for special equipment and extensive training and which do not require expensive fees.

The two other activities consist of the "Turo-turo sa Montalban, introduction to rock climbing" event and the "Manalmon bouldering" in San Rafael, Bulacan, in April and May, respectively.

"Filipinos are sure to find leisure activities in almost every destination in the country. More often than not, the playground is just right in front of them; they only have to become aware of it. Helping them gain awareness was exactly what we had in mind when we organized this road trip," said Joey Cuerdo of Power Up.

"Enjoying the outdoors also need not be expensive. One may opt to stick to the most basic form of lodging, which is the tent, and have his or her meals in the local restaurants. The cost of living and food preparation is certainly much lower in the province. A tourist will also end up supporting the local economy."

Attended by over 100 outdoor enthusiasts, which consisted of college students and young professionals who wanted to experience the thrill of riding the waves, the surfing event included a short talk on how to catch the perfect wave and ride the surf, the dangers to watch for during surfing, and surfing etiquette among others, hands-on sessions, demos by body boarders and a concert by the beach.

Still emerging as a surfing destination, the water of San Narciso is ideal for starters who need as less crowd as possible to master the sport.

Zambales is a three-hour bus ride from Manila, making it the closest surfing spot to the metropolis.

There should be a tourist icon that would represent the Philippines that we could market.

Hey, there's a new Smart Commercial... It features the Philippines as a great adventure getaway. It has mountain trekking, water kayaking, and a lot more. And Regine is...Just watch it. Hope you guys see it. Its really really nice :D Thanks a lot to Smart for doing a great job in helping our country's tourism by collaborating with the Department of Tourism. :)

hats off to Smart and Cebu Pacific for giving full support to the government in promoting tourism! Not only to foreigners but to our fellow countrymen as well.:

______________________________________________________________

Cebu Pacific sells over 150T seats in six days due to P10 fare promo
March 20, 2006

CEBU Pacific (CEB) has sold, in six promo days, more than 150,000 seats at P10 each for its 10th anniversary last week.

Lance Gokongwei, CEB president, said the airline will continue to assist the government in its efforts to promote domestic tourism by making air travel more affordable through permanent low fares.

“The key to getting these low fares is to book early,” he said.

New planes

President Arroyo, who was present during the celebration, led the blessing of one of the airline’s brand-new Airbus A319 aircraft.

CEB now operates two A320 aircraft and four A319 aircraft, all brand new.

Once it takes delivery of eight more new Airbus aircrafts in the next 12 months to complete its $670-million refleeting program, CEB would have the youngest fleet in Asia, Gokongwei said.

He said the program signifies CEB’s commitment to be an active partner in the nation’s progress by helping travel and tourism become a more vibrant sector. “We want more Filipinos to experience flying and we want to do our own share in connecting all of our islands with great, on time Cebu Pacific service,” he added.

Low fares

CEB earlier introduced its “Go” fares, in which the airline offers low fares year-round.

To mark its 10th year of service, the airline offered promotional fares of P10 one way, exclusive of taxes and surcharges, on any domestic destination for travel from June to October this year. More than 100,000 seats were allocated but over 150,000 seats were sold from March 3 to 8, the promo period.

More than half of these seats were sold online, through the airline’s website.

^^wha by the time I found out about it, ubos na :bash:

^^yah me too! I booked a round trip flight for August. taken na lahat ng promo seats bad trip! i'll buy PAL nalang since the regular rate is pretty much the same. hehe

Bondi or Boracay? Tourism ads wow Aussies

First posted 01:22am (Mla time) Mar 19, 2006
By Angelina G. Goloy
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the March 19, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


BONDI or Boracay? IMAGINE Australians choosing between their world-famous beach and ours (that is, instead of Indonesia's Bali or Thailand's Phuket).

This may well be the dream scenario for Consuelo Garcia Jones, the Philippines' tourism attach‚ for Australia and New Zealand. Her office has launched a fresh campaign to get Australians to put the Philippines on their must-visit list.

Instead of trying to pack it all in-history and culture, natural attractions, entertainment-the campaign zeroes in on the stuff that never fails to grab Aussies' attention: sun, sea, sand.

Images of exotic Philippine isles, white-sand beaches and clear blue waters have been distributed around Sydney and suburbs, and they are drawing raves and second looks.

Boracay, Palawan, Bohol and Cebu are on billboards mounted at train stations and on postcards displayed at caf‚s, restaurants, art galleries, bookshops, theaters and trendy places frequented especially by young professionals.

The pictures carry one message: "Time to discover a new paradise ... the Philippine islands."

Second printing

It's an invitation to find out why the Philippines can claim to be Asia's beach capital, with its 7,100 islands and a coastline twice the length of that of the United States, according to the Department of Tourism's website, www.wowphilippines.com.ph.

But would Sydneysiders be interested if they have a seemingly endless stretch of 40 beaches right in their own backyard?

If it's any indication, barely halfway through the three-month campaign, the postcards have all but disappeared from the display stands, necessitating a second printing. This is according to Filipino-Australian Sylvia Dipasupil-Altomonte, whose Imago advertising and graphic design agency was commissioned by Jones for the campaign.

"We have fantastic beaches and islands here, so you wonder why Australians still want to go overseas for tropical holidays," Sylvia, better known as Dipsy, said when she talked about the campaign last January.

"It's partly because it still comes out cheaper, with a cultural experience to boot," she said.

Mostly, it's because Australians just can't have enough sun, sea, sand and surf. (They quickly recovered from the shock over the Cronulla beach race riots last December, and were not about to cede their place in the sun to tourists who packed Bondi, Manly and other popular beaches.)

'Can't believe this!'

"We've received phone calls asking for more information," Jones said in an e-mail interview. "We're targeting the family market, couples, and generally people who just want to relax and be pampered in a paradise setting."

Prior to the campaign launch on Feb. 1, Dipsy conducted an informal survey among her clients and friends.

She sent out questionnaires and posted mock-ups of the billboards in her office.

Respondents ranged from company CEOs to messengers, even the cleaner, representing a wide cross-section of ages and backgrounds.

The most common reaction was: "I can't believe no one's told me about this place before!"

And Dipsy adopted it as the message on the postcard.

The most popular image is that of a fellow floating in a natural pool in Coron, Palawan, arms outstretched, face up, as though soaking in the sunshine.

The swimmer is in shorts, a tee and mojos, suggesting that he couldn't resist the lure of the clear emerald-and-turquoise waters and just had to jump in.

Scoring zero

As shown by the survey, Australians' favorite Asian destinations are Thailand and Indonesia, followed by Singapore and Hong Kong. Vietnam and Brunei were also mentioned.

The Philippines scored zero. The respondents said they just didn't know much about the country and what's there to see, unlike Indonesia and Thailand.

Jones attributed this to the "heaps of dollars" other Asean countries spend on promotions and ads.

Coup attempts and kidnappings here make news in Australia, but Australians are aware that these are not peculiar to the Philippines.

"The Bali bombings may have made them more aware of the realities of violence," Dipsy surmised. In which case, this would be an opportune time to present alternatives.

In the survey, one relatively wealthy and well-traveled male in his 50s said he didn't know anyone in his circle who had been to the Philippines, so it never occurred to him and his wife to consider visiting the country.

The man and his wife are "empty nesters" who travel with other couples and take turns suggesting destinations.

"And he's been to Brunei and Sabah on golfing holidays!" Dipsy said.

Credibility

In her latest e-mail, Dipsy said: "I'd like to think that our campaign is helping to give the Philippines more credibility as a destination to consider."

She said the March 12 issue of the Sunday Herald had the Banaue rice terraces on the cover of the travel supplement, to coincide with an ongoing travel show.

Quite a coup, she remarked, noting that the other major publications featured the usual favorites like Paris, Florence and Phuket.

The tourism campaign-which is backed by the office of Consul General Tess Lazaro-will peak in next month's Royal Easter Show, during which promo publications will be disseminated.

The two-week fair draws more than 600 exhibitors and a million visitors, making it Australia's largest annual event.

Filipinos in Sydney are doing their bit, too. A geologist working in an engineering company has been drumming up interest among his officemates, some of whom just might come over during the holidays.

"I myself would love to go," said Dipsy, who was last here about eight years ago.

Time to rediscover paradise.


About time DOT took care of the Aussie Tourists Potential!!!...its gonna be a bit difficult since Bali, and Phuket are well established tourist destinations among Aussies..hehehe but it shouldnt be hard to sell The Philippines, it can definitely match and do even better than those two destinations....ASIA's BEACH CAPITAL title should definitely belong to the Philippines....

^^ It should definitely belong to us! QUALITY AND QUANTITY, every single type of beach one can imagine can be found in the Philippines, it's good that Australia is now being targeted as theyre quite cash-rich..

I'm currently in Brisbane on a busines trip and in my two days of reading the travel section of the morning paper..it is saddening to know that they don't even tackle the Philippines. Thailand, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, HK and even Brunei and Cambodia have small travel tales in the newspaper...Philippines is nowhere nor it's mentioned in their package tours. It's about time we tap the huge Aussie tourist potential. Go go Philippine Tourism. The sleeping giant is awake!!!

^^wha by the time I found out about it, ubos na :bash:

Nauna siguro ako sa yo nang ilang minuto. I paid Php1,500 with return ticket na. Without this promo Php6,800 ang babayaran ko. :cheers:

taken from philstar.com.. another alternative to boracay!

70 percent increase in tourist arrivals noted in Hundred Islands
By Eva Visperas
The Philippine Star 03/21/2006

ALAMINOS CITY — Tourism is in a big boom here as the city mayor reported a 70 percent increase in tourist arrivals in the world-famous Hundred Islands National Park (HINP).

Mayor Hernani Braganza told local reporters that 30 percent of the increase was contributed by foreign tourists and 40 percent by local tourists.

He said that their target tourist arrivals this year is 250,000 which is 150 percent higher than last year’s target.

The entrance fee at HINP is pegged at P20 per person, the cheapest in the entire country, Braganza said.

In 2004, they earned P94,000 from ticket sales.

The management, control and operation of the HINP was turned over by the Philippine Tourism Authority last year to the city government after 65 years.

This national park covers a land area of 1,884 hectares with actually 123 islands scattered like emeralds in the deep blue waters off Lingayen Gulf, three of which have been developed for tourists. These are the Governor, Quezon and Children’s Islands.

From Lucap, one takes a boat ride to any of these islands.

The city is celebrating its fiesta this week and Braganza said this year’s affair is dedicated to all Alaminians not only based abroad who came home but also to all cityfolks who are now living outside the city within the Philippines. Thus the festivities is dubbed 2006 Global Homecoming.

Braganza said he is asking their assistance in promoting the city wherever they are now and through direct investments like putting up buildings and commercial establishments. He said he is also asking them to donate certain equipment that the city needs and a lot of them have responded positively.

The city has several investment areas for tourism like barangays Victoria, Telbang, Pandan, which are all fronting the sea and in Lucap and Baley ya Daan.

The proposed airstrip to be built in Barangay Quiboar here is still under study. Braganza said technically according to the initial report, it is viable but commercially, it will encounter difficulty.

The city is now preparing for the peak season of the HINP this summer.

Nauna siguro ako sa yo nang ilang minuto. I paid Php1,500 with return ticket na. Without this promo Php6,800 ang babayaran ko. :cheers:

waah! freaking cheap! :gaah: too late i didn't get a slot.

Philippine Dep't Sees Tourism Growth in Bohol
Link to the article (http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060320/4/2hmqh.html)

PANGLAO ISLAND, Bohol, March 20 Asia Pulse - Department of Tourism (DoT) Regional Director Aurora Patria Roa has said she expects a significant growth in Bohol's tourism industry with the opening of new resorts in the world-renowned Panglao Island.

In an interview, Roa said "Bohol's tourism industry is already starting to boom." The DoT regional head was here on Tuesday during the visit of New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who held bilateral talks on economic issues with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Roa noted that the opening of the 35-room Flushing Meadows Resort in Dauis town is a good indication of tourism development here.

Marketing and communications manager Marcie Abesamis, on the other hand, said that Flushing Meadows Resort plans to come up with 100 rooms by the end of the year.

Roa said two more resorts are under construction in the island town.

Bohol has a total of 60 hotels, resorts, inns and lodging houses.

Meanwhile, Roa pointed out that the growth of Bohol tourism will complement Cebu.

She said there is no basis to fear that Bohol's rise will outsmart Cebu.

"There is no competition between Bohol and Cebu. Each is complementing the other. It has always been Cebu-Bohol," Roa said.

Bohol, like other provinces in the region, needs Cebu (which is) the gateway of the region. Cebu, on the other hand, needs Bohol to enhance itself as a tourist destination," she said.

^^ I just hope they take care not to damage the environment (too much), while developing and promoting Bohol (or any other area for that matter) for tourism.

QUESTION : How "Horrific" is the damage in the Banaue Rice Ter.?

I think the damage in Banaue is not due to people actively destroying the place. I think the damage has been due to lack of maintenance. A lot of people in the mountain province have been taking on other occupations like nursing, engineering, etc..., thus reducing the amount of people required to maintain the terraces. Remember that humans created the terraces, so humans are needed to maintain it. Nature in this case will be the one to destroy the terraces.

I think the damage in Banaue is not due to people actively destroying the place. I think the damage has been due to lack of maintenance. A lot of people in the mountain province have been taking on other occupations like nursing, engineering, etc..., thus reducing the amount of people required to maintain the terraces. Remember that humans created the terraces, so humans are needed to maintain it. Nature in this case will be the one to destroy the terraces.


Sayang talaga ang Banaue. Napabayaan na talaga.

Well there are efforts now to revive and maintain the terraces. I think its in the best interest of the nation given that we are still dependent on rice imports.


Also, since Banaue is a world heritage site, it gets funding from the UN for maintenance. I wonder where the money is going? I would advise the UN to not allow Filipinos to hold any of that money.

Travel, trade groups push for Tourism Act of 2005 OK



By ARLENE DABU-FOZ

The controversial Senate Bill No. 2138, known as the "Tourism Act of 2005" has drawn mixed reactions from various sectors which pressed the country’s travel and tourism industry players supportive of the Bill to clarify certain misconceptions.


Authored by Sen. Richard Gordon, former tourism secretary, with seven other senators, the bill bids to be the country’s "primary engine of investment, growth and national development by aligning the tourism department and its joint agencies to execute efficient policies that will provide incentives for investment and allot funds accordingly to boost RP tourism."

Heads and members of various travel organizations gathered in Manila recently to mull over the bill, pointing out its massive potential to build up the country’s travel and tourism industry.

Lawyer Alejandra C. Clemente, president of the Federation of Tourism Industries of the Philippines (FTIP), the umbrella organization of the country’s major tourism groups, led the assembly to scrutinize the finer points of the bill, submit a draft of the groups’ position paper to draw attention to the gains that it will set off for the industry once approved and passed into a law.

The bill, Clemente said, underlines tourism’s crucial role in nation building and invaluable input to the economy through tourism’s foreign exchange and employment generation as well as environment protection.

The projected economic gain and sustainability will be felt once the Department of Tourism is given enough clout to source out funding for its advertising campaigns, she said.

Marciano C. Ragaza, former president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), said that all major and relevant travel and trade industry-related associations such as the PTAA, Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA), Philippine Hotel Federations, to name a few, have been consulted and were represented in most if not all meetings conducted by Gordon during Senate committee hearings.

"There should not be any confusion as to the significance or very purpose of the bill as it has been openly pored over in the Senate with the primary target of aligning the Tourism Department’s function with its attached agencies and to source out funds for tourism promotion and strategies with benefits trickling down to travel and trade allied industries," Ragaza said.

Earlier, certain industry groups contested the bill’s provision on tourism fee. The bill provided that a minimal tourism fee shall initially not exceed US.00 to be collected from foreign guests per night spent in accommodation establishments.

But the Federation of Hotel Owners & Hotel Sales and Marketing Associations proposed that the fee should be graduated depending on the classification of the accommodation establishments, thus US.00 for de luxe and first-class hotels and resorts and US.00 for standard and economy class hotel per night.

The PTAA and PHILTOA suggested the minimal tourism fee should not exceed US.00 per room per night, while the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines suggested that any reference to the tourism fee be deleted.

Ragaza said the tourism fee would not be an additional burden to the industry since it will be charged to the guests and will not be taken away from the hotels/resorts’ revenues.

"The burden of fee collection from tourists is not solely the burden of the hotels and resorts. This tourism fee for tourists or all tourist groups who book their hotel accommodations through tour operators/travel agencies will be collected by the tour operators/travel agencies as part of their tour package cost. The exact amount of fee, depending on the type of accommodation, its location and market, will be determined by a board consisting of the private and government sectors. Some hotels/resorts may even be exempted from the collection of this tourism fee, if warranted," explained Ragaza.

The tourism fee, he added, will be managed by the private and government sectors for promotion and marketing of the Philippines for the benefit of the country’s economy as a whole.

Another major pitch of the tourism bill is the mandatory accreditation of travel and trade business establishments to legitimize their business operations for the mutual protection of buyers/consumers and sellers/producers (travel agents).

Likewise recognizing that tourism is the country’s future, the Cebu Association of Tour Operators (CATO) and Cebu Travel & Tours Association (CTTA), strongly endorsed the passage of the bill.

"We collectively believe that this bill, with amendments as proposed by some sectors, will ensure the growth and survival of the Philippine tourism industry as it will make tourism a priority industry to provide the necessary infrastructure, funds, services and incentives to promote tourism development," the group members said.

The bill also seeks to give a stronger voice for tourism practitioners in the policy-making and implementation via participation as a majority bloc to kick off an organized effort in drawing a unified program for promotions, sales and marketing so as to create impact on identified markets.

The need to raise the standard of facilities and services of all tourism practitioners through proper accreditation and focused monitoring policies is also being sought by the tourism bill.

The bill also seeks way to create and institutionalize an attractive incentive package for all tourism investors to be competitive in the region.

http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/03/21/SPRT2006032159296.html

Here's an example of a diecast model of a HK bus the features an old ad on The Philippines

http://www.omb-mcw.fsnet.co.uk/73311m2.jpg

^^ is that bus still up and running?

^^ is that bus still up and running?

The photo is only a diecast model. The real bus might still be running but the advertisment isn't there anymore. Although there was a bus I saw with a WOW Philippines ad.

This was what i was talking about...A Summer Version of Biyahe Tayo...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8pCzYKEYy6w

I'll just provide links to Miscellaneous Videos about the country :D

Biyahe Tayo (Various Artists): http://youtube.com/watch?v=0aIpZgKv8-M
Philippine Informative Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=0ixCfQ5lFpI
Biyahe Tayo 1 (Regine): http://youtube.com/watch?v=bxXHKAa17qw
Biyahe Tayo 2 (Regine): http://youtube.com/watch?v=QIXaCDDypcQ
Biyahe Tayo 2006 (Regine): http://youtube.com/watch?v=VyyKVsnguNE
Biyahe Tayo Summer (Regine): http://youtube.com/watch?v=8pCzYKEYy6w

Do you guys have the "Islands Philippines" campaign video?
It was done in the 90s and Agot Isidro sang the theme.
It was a beautiful video but our recent tourism campaign videos are more effective I must say.

The "More than the Usual" video is simply the best!

My cousin from Australia would be coming next month and I'm thinking of a place where I could take her. She likes to shop but I can't find a place where there's versace, prada, louis vuitton, etc. I'm not familiar with these kind of places. Can you suggest a place?

Saturday, March 25, 2006
Dev't council defines tourism market for W. Visayas

"WE'VE GOT what you are looking for." This is the banner of the Tourism Action Plan 2010 of Western Visayas as presented by Department of Tourism Regional Director Edwin Trompeta.

The action plan garnered the unanimous nod of the Regional Development Council (RDC) during its first quarter regular meeting held recently in Iloilo City.

Trompeta said Western Visayas has everything what foreign and local tourists are looking for.

The region is also positioning itself as the festival capital of the Philippines.

The RDC approval was in recognition of the important role of tourism in the economic development of Western Visayas and as an important asset and enhancer of the quality of life of the people.

Tourism Action plan 2010 was prepared by the Department of Tourism in cooperation with the RDC-Western Visayas and the Canadian Urban Institute.

A common Western Visayas Tourism Action Plan until 2010 would serve as a blueprint to coordinate and communicate the initiatives that were undertaken by the tourism industry in the region for the past years.

Trompeta said the hub of the tourist attraction in Western Visayas region would still be Boracay and the other provinces would revolve around it.

Antique and Aklan province would be developed as nature-based eco-tourism and adventure sites.

Capiz will be promoted under the cupflowers, seafood, marine, and adventure attractions.

Negros Occidental and Bacolod City will be for adventure, culture, and heritage tourism and as site for meetings and conventions.

Iloilo will be marketed for its cultural heritage and as venue for conventions, conferences, and meetings.

Trompeta said they intend to work on the tourism support services under the lines of policy and communication support.

Target markets will be both foreign and local markets.

He also revealed that they are targeting the East Asian markets like Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China and Hongkong. Though the bulk of our tourists come from the North Americas at present.

Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand markets will also be tapped, he said.

Trompeta said they are proposing two taglines in marketing Western Visayas: "Festival Capital of the Philippines" and "We've Got What You Are Looking For".

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/bac/2006/03/25/bus/dev.t.council.defines.tourism.market.for.w..visayas.html

XP take her to greenbelt in Makati. They have all that crazy expensive stuff that costs an arm and a leg. Rockwell is also nice to go to and its also in Makati. That would be a short taxi ride from Greenbelt. Also when you get the chance bring her to tiendasitas located along C-5 and Ortigas. tell the taxi person "C-5 and Ortigas." Take your guest at night. For cultural experiences take your guest to intramuros/fort santiago (use a calesa, i know its like 500p an hour but if she's into buying louis vuitton and prada then 500p wouldn't be much) then go to baywalk (go right before sunset).

My cousin from Australia would be coming next month and I'm thinking of a place where I could take her. She likes to shop but I can't find a place where there's versace, prada, louis vuitton, etc. I'm not familiar with these kind of places. Can you suggest a place?

greenbelt is where these shops are ;)

DFA to promote RP through Australian libraries
Inquirer


THE PHILIPPINE Consulate General in Sydney, Australia has recently embarked on a project that would promote the Philippines through city libraries.

Called the "Read Philippines Project in Australia," the project aims to "encourage interest and awareness of Philippine cultural heritage by enhancing the existing collection of books and audio-visual materials on the Philippines in Australian libraries," the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement. [See Below]

The consulate has partnered with the Blacktown City Libraries and the Philippine-Australian Society for Senior Citizens, Inc. (PASSCI) for the project.

Blacktown City, located 36 kilometers west of Sydney, has the largest single concentration of Filipino residents in Australia, the DFA said.

Under the project, Filipino community organizations would "adopt" a public library and donate educational books, videos, and CD-ROMs that would provide "quality information" about the Philippines and increase the current Filipiniana library collection in Western Sydney.

____________________


http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6139/statement1mi.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

XP take her to greenbelt in Makati. They have all that crazy expensive stuff that costs an arm and a leg. Rockwell is also nice to go to and its also in Makati. That would be a short taxi ride from Greenbelt. Also when you get the chance bring her to tiendasitas located along C-5 and Ortigas. tell the taxi person "C-5 and Ortigas." Take your guest at night. For cultural experiences take your guest to intramuros/fort santiago (use a calesa, i know its like 500p an hour but if she's into buying louis vuitton and prada then 500p wouldn't be much) then go to baywalk (go right before sunset).

Thanks a lot dancethingy! Gosh, I'm not really familiar with these places. I don't have money to buy in those luxurious place. I'm kinda lucky coz my cousin is addicted to shopping. Actually, this would be her first time to visit here. So I have to give her the impression that our country is not a "jungle." My aunt told me that my cousin thinks that the Philippines is a very poor country and can't afford to have those kind of places. I have to prove her wrong. I have to show her that the Philippines is no different from Australia. If I can only produce a kangaroo or a koala to impress her, then I would do it! My grandparents and some relatives from the US and UK would also be coming here! Yehey! More tourists! Problem is, I would be a tour guide for a week. Whew! Mauubusan ako ng Ingles nito!

My cousin from Australia would be coming next month and I'm thinking of a place where I could take her. She likes to shop but I can't find a place where there's versace, prada, louis vuitton, etc. I'm not familiar with these kind of places. Can you suggest a place?

patulong ka kay Ryan Mar (R-Mar) he works in that area (ayala center). nag-memeet naman kaya madalas di ba?

@XP dalin mo na lang sya sa Divisoria. maa-appreciate nya pa lalo, sabihin pinakamurang damit ng prada ay mga 300 bucks. sabihin mo na lang ikaw ang bibili ng prada nya at bilin mo na lang sa divisoria. tutubo ka pa ;) he he

XP dapat naman sila magcover ng expenses mo dba. I mean u are a tour guide and they are earning a lot of money given their penchant for collecting high end brand names. basta, i'll email you my number and just txt me if you need directions.

Gov’t readies affordable tour packages





WITH the early signs of summer now clearly in the air, Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) is all geared up to provide foreign and local vacationers and travelers affordable tour packages to visit specific tourists destinations all over the country.


PTA general manager and chief executive officer Robert Dean Barbers announced this during a breakfast meeting with members of travel and tour operators in Metro Manila.

"This is part of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s program of holiday economics. PTA will be offering our countrymen and other tourists a chance to visit some of PTA’s tourist entities at very affordable rates and enjoy the summer vacation. This would, in return, help contribute in strengthening the nation’s economy," Barbers explained.

Barbers likewise said that GMA took New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Elizabeth Clark to Panglao, Bohol during the latter’s State visit here and let the New Zealand delegation witness what our country has to offer in the booming tourism market in Southeast Asia.

Barbers added that President Arroyo was in Donsol, Sorsogon, on her personal time, last week to enjoy and get a first hand experience swimming alongside whale sharks or otherwise called by the locals "Butanding" watching that has now become a favorite tourist attraction.

Moreover, Barbers said that President Arroyo also called on the owners of the local airline industry and encouraged them to add more flights to several of the country’s tourist destinations to make it more accessible to local and foreign tourists. The airline industry is considered one of the main arteries to help boost the nation’s tourism industry.

"The President has taken the lead to promote the country’s tourism industry. Who would be in a better position to market the country’s tourism none other than the President herself. Once our tourism industry continues to improve, surely this would be a very good indicator that the economy of the country is likewise picking up. Job opportunities will open up and there will be a multiplying effect in the countryside just like what is happening in Donsol, Sorsogon," Barbers explained.

Barbers added that we have a lot of beautiful and exciting places to visit and experience the diverse culture of our country in celebrating our summer festivals and encourage our countrymen to take part and take time off and tour the countryside.

"We have been posting positive sales in tourism receipts in some of our entities. Club Intramuros Golf Course and the Lights and Sounds Museum in Intramuros located in Manila are among the PTA owned properties that is very much accessible to our countrymen living within Metro Manila," Barbers said.

Foreign and local golfers consider Club Intramuros a favorite golf course due to its accessibility and well maintained all weather fairways. It is likewise located along the historic walls of Intramuros that is one of the main attractions of the place. On the other hand, the Lights and Sounds Museum feature a high-tech presentation that chronicles our nation’s history that was influenced by varied races that has become a part of the country’s unique fusion of European and Asian culture.

Barbers added that the Hilaga (formerly called Paskuhan Village) located in San Fernando, Pampanga is likewise within reach from Metro Manila that offers a swimming pool resort. "Another nearby PTA owned tourists destination is the San Fabian Beach Resort that used to be former President Marcos’ presidential beach house. We also have a hotel in Ifugao for vacationers who would wish to experience Banaue Rice Terraces. Local and foreign tourists can now have access to these places at very affordable prices," Barbers said.

Barbers also said that PTA entities located in the Visayas and Mindanao regions are also available for the budget conscious travelers who would want to experience various Filipino hospitality of our diverse culture.

PTA owns and manages the McArthur Park Hotel in Leyte, Balicasag Island Dive Resort in Bohol, Zamboanga Golf and Country Club, and Gardens of Malasag Eco-Tourism Village located in the Mountains of Cagayan de Oro.



http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2006032759828.html

DFA to promote RP through Australian libraries
First posted 04:38pm (Mla time) Mar 26, 2006
By Nikko Dizon
Inquirer

THE PHILIPPINE Consulate General in Sydney, Australia has recently embarked on a project that would promote the Philippines through city libraries.
Called the "Read Philippines Project in Australia," the project aims to "encourage interest and awareness of Philippine cultural heritage by enhancing the existing collection of books and audio-visual materials on the Philippines in Australian libraries," the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.

The consulate has partnered with the Blacktown City Libraries and the Philippine-Australian Society for Senior Citizens, Inc. (PASSCI) for the project.

Blacktown City, located 36 kilometers west of Sydney, has the largest single concentration of Filipino residents in Australia, the DFA said.

Under the project, Filipino community organizations would "adopt" a public library and donate educational books, videos, and CD-ROMs that would provide "quality information" about the Philippines and increase the current Filipiniana library collection in Western Sydney

Sex industry throbs with tourism boom
By Roderick T. dela Cruz

With the recent resurgence of Philippine tourism, Claris, 19, has been getting big tips. Working as a sex worker in a poor country, which is trying to rediscover tourism as a growth driver of the economy, Claris uses her pretty face and winsome charms to entertain foreign tourists searching for a wonderful experience in the island paradise. She works in a place where sex is priced at P2,500 an hour.

Claris’ excuse for choosing such a job, which sounds more plausible than those of the others, is that at 16, she got pregnant and had no schooling to back her other desired occupations. Claris says her colleagues introduce themselves as students to appear more attractive, if not vulnerable, to their customers. But this is not to say that there are not students among sex workers.

When a friend invited Claris to work at a KTV three years ago, she conceded and eventually learned the tricks of the trades. She also learned about multi-tasking, that is, being a guest relations officer (GRO) and a sex worker at the same time. In most KTVs in the country, the difference between the two is barely noticeable.

The Davao-based KTV where Claris works attracts Caucasians and Asians. Twice, Claris got marriage proposals from her Japanese customers. Twice, she refused them, afraid that she would be separated from her family that she financially supports. Although aghast at her occupation at first, Claris’ parents eventually learned to accept it. Earning as much as P2,500 in a single sex encounter with a customer, Claris is her family’s breadwinner in a city where the daily minimum wage is below P300.

Most likely, Claris is not even this girl’s real name. Most sex workers in the country use aliases to protect their real identities so that they can live normal lives as mothers, wives, sisters and girls-next-door during the day. They change names as often as they switch from one customer to another. Common aliases include Nicole, Apple, Anne, Mariz, Aubrey, Cindy, Maricar, Sabrina and Janice, to name a few.

All of these girls claim to be 18 years or older. Those who look younger won’t admit their real age, as if being older gives them the license to engage in prostitution. An employee of a Quezon City-based bar, however, admits that some of the girls in their establishment are 17 years old and younger.

“Between us boys, of course they are young because customers prefer them to be young. But we do not disclose their real age for reasons you already know,” the employee says.

Customers, he adds, prefer women who are 19 years old or younger. “Up to 21 years, they may still get some customers. But when they reach 22, I do not know.”

At an intersection along Quezon Avenue, Apple, a petite girl who cannot get employment at any of the nearby bars because of her tender age is often seen waving at cars. Although she looks younger than 16, the fair-skinned Apple claims to be 19 and asks for a service fee of P1,000 for a one-hour interaction. There are hundreds like her along Quezon Avenue.

Although illegal in the Philippines, prostitution thrives. It is being boosted by dollars brought in by foreign tourists, who are most likely to be male, aged 38 years or older and in the country for pleasure. The government actually has enough laws against prostitution.

Among these is Republic Act 9208, otherwise known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, which seeks to save women and children from falling into prostitution, pornography, sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, involuntary servitude or debt bondage. Unfortunately, the law does not save them from poverty and lack of livelihood opportunities, which force thousands of women to prostitution. The fact that some Filipinos are very rich and others are very poor breeds the exploitation and abuse of poor women.

In 2005, some 2.6 million foreign tourists infused about $2.4 billion into the country, the highest in history. This year, the Department of Tourism (DoT) expects between $2.8 and $2.9 billion from the influx of about three million visitors. Another 3.4 million visitors are expected in 2007, 3.88 million by 2008, 4.42 million by 2009 and five million by 2010.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, who is actively promoting the Philippines in Korea, China and Japan, denies any link between tourism and prostitution. “Prostitution is a social problem, not just a tourism problem,” he says.

While the DoT claims that it tries to woo family vacationers, their own data suggests otherwise. Based on the 2004 profile of foreign visitors, 62.4 percent or more than three out of five tourists were male. About 79 percent of tourists from Japan, in particular, were male.

Claris admits that Japanese tourists are the biggest spenders. “Unlike Koreans,” she says without elaborating. Claris works in one of the most expensive KTVs in Davao City, which has recently hosted the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Tourism Forum. Davao, one of the anchor tourism destinations in the Philippines, is famous for its nightlife. A foreign operator of a prostitution Web site says that “Davao has them (prostitutes). It wouldn’t be the Philippines if they didn’t.”

Tourist districts in the Philippines are not tourist districts without a scintillating nightlife. Malate, Roxas Boulevard, Makati Avenue, Baguio, Angeles, Olongapo, Cebu, Sabang Beach in Puerto Galera, Boracay, Cagayan de Oro and Davao— areas that are near tourist spots—are just among the tourist districts that glow in the dark.

Sometimes, the nightlife becomes the main attraction itself. Such is the case along Quezon Avenue in Quezon City, where Japanese, Koreans, Americans and Europeans have found their way to pleasure despite the location’s great distance from any major tourist spot.

In Davao City, restaurants, cafés, watering holes, bars, KTVs and prostitution joints such as clubs, massage parlors and casas (brothels) have sprouted along Cabaguio Avenue, Quirino Avenue, Recto Avenue, Bonifacio Street and San Pedro Street. Although entertainment complexes such as the Venue, Matina Town Square, Victoria Plaza and Rizal Promenade have been originally designed for yuppies and teenagers, they have also become the favorite hangouts of tourists in search of call girls, many of who are alleged college students, although such claims cannot be easily proven.

On Jan. 14 to 21, more than 3,000 foreign participants went to Davao for the ATF Forum, the largest tourism event in the region that has tackled different issues related to tourism including sex tourism. So successful was the event that the city had to turn away more than 100 Korean participants who could not be accommodated in the city’s fully occupied hotels, one Mindanao-based economist says. During the forum, participants committed to address the problem of sex tourism and child exploitation in Asia.

One driver, however, claims that some male foreign participants in the forum went out at night and found their way to the city’s nightspots. Bar girls confirm this. Many ATF participants were treated to a night of fun at one KTV, one source says. Almost all nightspots, particularly those near hotels such as Marco Polo and Apo View, had foreign guests. Even pick up girls and call girls had foreign customers in January, a friend of these girls claims.

Tour operators also confirm this, although they say this was not a part of the participants’ official itinerary. “We do not encourage tourists to go to these spots, although we have no choice but to bring them to the legitimate bars, when they ask for it,” a tour operator says.

Another tour guide says that instead of picking up girls in the streets, who are protected and pimped by some erring policemen, he would rather advise the foreign guests to visit the legitimate KTVs and bars. Inside KTVs and bars, however, it’s not only singing and dancing, but sex as well. For a fee of P1,500 to P2,000, customers can stay at so-called VIP rooms or cubicles where they can have sex with a GRO or a bar girl for additional P2,000 to P2,500. This is true in major cities such as Quezon City, Manila, Makati, Pasay, Baguio, Cebu and Davao.

In Davao City, call girls could hardly gain entrance to hotels because of strict rules imposed by hotel management. Special visits to guest rooms, however, are arranged through room boys or bellboys who have contact with these girls, who wait for calls outside at a nearby alley. The number of call girls and pickup girls increases every time the city hosts festivals or large events, which means that girls from other cities go there to meet tourists, according to one tour operator.

Janice, a GRO, attests to this, saying she herself is moving from one city to another. She has moved from Cagayan de Oro City, to Cebu City and then to Davao City. She also plans to go to Guam. The same is true in Quezon City, where girls transfer from one bar to another to get the attention of customers. Regular customers always want somebody new, especially virgins, one club employee says.

In Metro Manila, groups of fine-looking girls gain entry to hotels by wearing classy outfits. They usually stroll near the lobby or elevator area of deluxe hotels. Special signals serve as interaction between the girls and potential customers, particularly at hotels with casinos. The DoT and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) recently joined hands in promoting casino tourism in the country.

Pagcor chairman Ephraim Genuino says that the planned $4-billion casino and entertainment complex in Manila and Clark will employ 200,000 Filipinos. Obviously, Genuino is only trying to get Congress to extend Pagcor’s charter, which will expire in 2008, by another 25 years.

^can someone summarize that for me, im so lazy to read right now :D

Huwag mo nang basahin uwi ka na lang dito, at hanapin mo si Claris. hehehehe

Sex industry throbs with tourism boom
By Roderick T. dela Cruz

With the recent resurgence of Philippine tourism, Claris, 19, has been getting big tips. Working as a sex worker in a poor country, which is trying to rediscover tourism as a growth driver of the economy, Claris uses her pretty face and winsome charms to entertain foreign tourists searching for a wonderful experience in the island paradise. She works in a place where sex is priced at P2,500 an hour.


tumatanggap kaya sila ng lalake baka pwede mag-apply don laki ng sahod P2500 per hour..

I think I saw a documentary on sex workers in Bohol before.
That's the risk we will inevitable take as we groom our country to become a major tourist destination.

We can't really control these women selling themselves to travellers.
I just hope we don't turn into another Thailand.

i have grave concerns that the HIV rate in this country will skyrocket due to this. I mean the country is already doing a poor job addressing safe sex and other forms of protection. We are especially vulnerable due to this.

Tubbataha reef dive tourism generates P3.6M


PUERTO PRINCESA CITY - Tubbataha reef, the country's premier dive site has generated some P3.6 million from dive tourism last year, Anglique Songco, Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park (TRNMP)said Friday.

She said a total 1,200 divers from around the world visited the marine park's world-class dive site via live-aboard commercial dive boats.

Of the 1,200 divers, 68 percent were foreign nationals, mostly Europeans, while 32 were domestic tourists.

Songco is hopeful that dive trips will increase this year to 100 and targeting P4.5 million income.

A total of six dive trips were already recorded since January and some 17 trips are scheduled for March alone, she said.

Despite the limited diving season from March to June, Songco said that Tubbataha divers enthusiastically take the 33, 000 hectares reef, situated 182 kilometers (113 miles) southeast of Puerto Princesa City, because of its diverse coral species, marine mammals, sea grass and marine algae.

Among others, trumpetfish, cornetfish, anthias, Napoleon wrasse, clownfish associated with anemones, other damselfish, angelfish, lionfish, scorpionfish, boxfish, groupers, triggerfish, pufferfish, hawkfish and parrotfish, abound the reef. Manta rays and turtles are commonly seen near the surface.

All fees collected will be used for conservation, research and monitoring and other park-related management job which pegged at P10 million annually.

Personnel of Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and other uniformed men in Western Command have also contributed to the conservation of Tubbataha through manpower and logistics support.

On March 24-27, Songco and other seven TMO personnel, will install 15 mooring bouys to prevent coral damage visiting divers.

The Tubbataha Reef, listed as one of the top dive sites in the world is often visited by local and international tourists. It was declared as World Heritage Site by United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1993.

Songco said the Tubbataha Management Office established in 1998 collected P3.6 million as conservation fees and dive operators out of 88 dive trips last year.

Historic Mt. Samat undertakes P15-M infra project


PILAR, Bataan – The water system at the foot of historic Mt. Samat is just among various infrastructure projects being rushed for completion in this town adjacent to the capital City of Balanga in Bataan, the Pilar municipality announced.

The water system has a capacity to produce 30,000 gallons of potable water to serve the needs of more than 2,000 residents in Barangay Diwa, a village in Pilar located right at the foot of the hallowed mountain that was scene of heavy fighting months before the surrender of Bataan to Japanese Imperial Forces on April 9, 1942.

Pilar Mayor Carlos Pizarro, Jr said the water system will be serviceable in time for the “Araw ng Kagitingan’, observed by the local folk as “Bataan Day”, April 9, atop the War Memorial Shrine where a giant memorial cross measuring 92 meters high rises on the spot 555 meters above sea level.

Other projects undergoing construction is another water system worth P1.5 million at Barangay Balut I. This drinking water source will also serve the residents of Barangay Balut II, also in Pilar.

Drainage canals are being rehabilitated along the provincial road from barangays Sta. Rosa to Panilao funded for P500,000. The mayor said the canals will be ready before the start of the rainy season.

A farm-to-market road of more than two kilometers is about to be opened that will connect Kamalig-Gasile in Barangay Alauli to the Roman Expressway.

A P1.2-million farm-to-market road was just completed at Sitio Aquino, also in Barangay Alauli. Within the month, another farm-to-market road with a length of 1.6 kilometers will be constructed for P1.2 million along Barangay Nagwaling.

Pizarro said funding for the various projects came from the Bataan provincial government under Gov. Enrique Garcia and the Countrywide Development Fund of Rep. Albert Garcia of the Second District.

“We have set our focus in projecting Pilar as a tourist destination considering that it is the yearly site of rites commemorating the “Fall of Bataan” during World War II, Pizarro said. Bataan, he said, abounds with historical markers along the way aside from the beautiful sandy beaches it has.

By next month, the mayor said a 2.14-kilometer road funded with P4.6 million will also begin construction in Sityo Hacienda to benefit farmers from barangays Diwa and Nagwaling.

Foreign Travellers/Tourists Distribution
Jan-June 2005

1 Cebu - 185,512
2 Aklan (including Boracay) - 70,215
3 Pampanga - 31,752
4 Zambales - 31,630
5 Davao City - 29,327
6 Ifugao - 20,643
7 Ilocos Norte - 17,248
8 Bohol - 16,887
9 Oriental Mindoro - 13,942
10 Iloilo Province - 11,081
11 Baguio City - 10,512
12 Cavite - 9,173
13 Cagayan de Oro City - 7,409
14 Negros Oriental - 5,930
15 Camiguin - 4,982
16 Bataan - 3,989
17 Batangas - 3,644
18 Negros Occidental - 3,643
19 Zamboanga City - 3,579
20 Butuan City - 3,517

http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/dot/statistics.asp

^^in addition to that, Cebu hotels registered the highest avg occupancy rate in the entire country for four consecutive years according to a reliable source. i checked on the DOT website but it only has 2004 and 2005 figures. true enough, Region VII ranked first in two years. :cool:

So where's Mega Manila?

^^ Manila isn't really a tourist destination per se, people just transit through it to get to the hot spots around the Philippines.

Goes to show how far ahead Cebu is in terms of its tourism infrastructure, marketing and as an industry as a whole in the Philippines. With over 185 thousand visitors, it is exponentially more than it's closest second. However, our tourism numbers as a country really pales against the number Thailand enjoys. There's more our country can and should do.

^^ Manila isn't really a tourist destination per se, people just transit through it to get to the hot spots around the Philippines.

so where do they put people who visit Metro Manila only?

haha there seems to be no such thing as to that definition, these guys don't exist!

Most of them are businessmen and majority are booked in Makati, Manila and Ortigas hotels. I agree that MM is considered by many as a transit point to the usual tourist spots. Tourists do no stay in Manila. Kung meron man, konti lang.

Goes to show how far ahead Cebu is in terms of its tourism infrastructure, marketing and as an industry as a whole in the Philippines. With over 185 thousand visitors, it is exponentially more than it's closest second. However, our tourism numbers as a country really pales against the number Thailand enjoys. There's more our country can and should do.

Thailand and even VIETNAM. here's what a Hilton Cebu Towers executive has to say about Cebu, i think the Philippines as a whole regarding our tourism COST AND QUALITY.

Cebu’s tourism ‘cheap,’ worth more - hotel exec

Cebu does not have to project itself as a cheap tourist destination to be able to compete with other international destinations such as Phuket and Singapore, according to a hotel executive.

“Cebu has been getting the interest of tourists worldwide, especially after what happened to Thailand. But you (Cebuanos) are underselling yourself. Hotels and resorts should rate their services according to the (level) of experience their guests would have in the hotel; and hotels in Cebu have lots to offer their guests,” said Koos Klein, Hilton International’s president for the Middle East and Asia Pacific operation.

He said Cebu’s tourism industry is growing “very fast” because the province has everything to offer to tourists including safety and the hospitality of its people.

“So why position yourself as a cheap destination?” Klein asked.

Costly

Tourism stakeholders in Cebu earlier complained that one of the factors that have discouraged tourists from coming to Cebu is the high cost of hotels and resorts.

Earlier, Cebu Travel and Tours Association president and Blue Horizons Travel and Tours Inc. Cebu branch manager Cecille Sa-a said the rates of Cebu resorts are “really high” compared to the rates of the resorts in Bangkok and Malaysia.

In a separate interview, Cebu City Marriott Hotel general manager Karl Hudson said the wide disparity of rates among hotels in Cebu is one of the reasons that the area’s tourism industry is still considered relatively expensive.

“The rates of business hotels in Cebu are very affordable. But the rates in Mactan are higher. Resorts tend to double what the business hotels are charging,” he said.

But Klein said it is the city hotels that are pricing themselves very low. “I appeal to the city hotels not to undersell themselves,” he added.

The average rate of resorts in Mactan, such as the Hilton Cebu Resort and Spa and the Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort, for local tourists is over P5,000.


Full story: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2005/10/29/bus/cebu.s.tourism.cheap.worth.more.hotel.exec.html

Goes to show how far ahead Cebu is in terms of its tourism infrastructure, marketing and as an industry as a whole in the Philippines. With over 185 thousand visitors, it is exponentially more than it's closest second. However, our tourism numbers as a country really pales against the number Thailand enjoys. There's more our country can and should do.

now is the best time to put up more hotels. Davao and Subic should put up more. we should leave Palawan as is! i still want it to be a serene place to relax. Boracay despite the congestion is doing really well, so keep it up. Puerto Galera too. :)

Most of them are businessmen and majority are booked in Makati, Manila and Ortigas hotels. I agree that MM is considered by many as a transit point to the usual tourist spots. Tourists do no stay in Manila. Kung meron man, konti lang.
Napakadumi kase ng manila. traffic at lahat pa kulay grey. kung gusto nilang maging tourist attraction and manila remove all the smoke belchers at instill cleanliness in ordinary persons.

^^what ever happened to CLEAN AIR ACT. :sleepy: definitely there are still great places in Manila for tourists. major face-lifts are much needed though.

Lip service and not much action^ there are bits and pieces improving though . But people still indiscriminately throw litter everywhere to be swept by street sweepers a job that can be done more cost efficiently if people start being responsible for their actions. If they really want a viable tourism industry they have to cross all their ts and dot their i's . If people are hard headed then device a plan to make them comply.

Has anyone heard of Bantay Usok? It is an ABS-CBN Foundation sponsored NGO that aims to rid the streets of smoke belchers. Anyone can participate in the campaign by simply texting the plate number of smoke belching vehicles. Text USOK(space)(indicate plate numer) to 2366. Very simple and effective as everyone can participate. It's just a text away.

3 Pampanga - 31,752
4 Zambales - 31,630

^^

whats the fuss there?

^^ sex tourism? oops sorry for that. no stereotyping whatsoever :D

in April the contry's first TOURISM JOBS FAIR will be held on the following venues and dates:

CEBU
April 04-05, 2006
Pacific Grand Ballroom
Waterfront Hotel and Casino, Cebu City

DAVAO
April 04-06, 2006
NCCC Convention and Exhibition Centre (NCCC Mall)
Matina Highway, Davao City

MANILA
April 06-08, 2006
The Forum, Philippine International Convention Center (PICC)
CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard Pasay City


the fair is a ONE-STOP venue for Employers and Suppliers of tourism jobs, on one hand; and the potential labor force all over the Philippines, on the other hand; where they can meet, assess each other's needs and thereby create an employment match. It will accommodate both graduates of any related course and the whole graduate population of March 2006 from any related field; those who are presently employed but are seeking career changes; and those who are presently unemployed or underemployed.

Lip service and not much action^ there are bits and pieces improving though . But people still indiscriminately throw litter everywhere to be swept by street sweepers a job that can be done more cost efficiently if people start being responsible for their actions. If they really want a viable tourism industry they have to cross all their ts and dot their i's . If people are hard headed then device a plan to make them comply.

I agree that people should learn to be more disciplined. But regarding littering in public places, this may also be due to the fact that proper trash cans are rarely found on the streets. So ang tendency ay itapon na lang kung saan-saan ang basura.

Well, going back to the discipline thing. Absence of trash bins excuses no one from littering. It doesn't give you the go signal to throw garbage here and there. Again, we are talking of discipline here. Pwede naman ibulsa muna yung basura or pag malaki ito, ay bitbitin muna saka itapon kung meron nang trash can na makita o madaanan.

‘Little Baguio’

It used to be a playground...a recreation site of American soldiers during World War I and II. From a vast pastureland in the 1900’s, Camp John Hay has transformed into the ultimate vacation destination in Baguio City. At an altitude of 5,000 feet, the clean, crisp mountain air, the scent of pine and the panoramic vistas of Baguio serve as fitting backdrops to this City’s premier posh address.

"Camp John Hay has always opened its doors to tourists, even when the Americans were still running the camp," said CJH general manager Heiner L. Maulbecker. Today, the 280-hectare property houses The Manor, Camp John Hay’s 180-room hotel centerpiece; the world-class Camp John Hay Golf Course; the recently-built CAP-John Convention Center; the soon-to-be inaugurated Camp John Hay Suites with 160 rooms; and a number of dining and shopping establishments.

He added that, with other developments underway, "everything that is Baguio and more, will be brought in here...city shopping, dining, spas, convention center, museum, artists’ village and even a town center." Thus, the monicker "Little Baguio." I failed to ask Mr. Maulbecker, though, if they will also bring in Baguio’s phenomenal "ukay ukay", in which, he might wittingly reply, "we have duty free shops".

Blessed with pine-covered mountains and a cool climate that averages at 19 degrees Celsius all-year-round – here, one will literally open windows to cool, fresh air. Opened in December 2002, Camp John Hay Manor is designed to blend seamlessly with the towering pine trees. This four-storey structure has an impressive architecture with an ambiance that sets it apart from all the other hotels. The stone exterior finish, along with its shingled roofing and tinted glass windows are warm accents to its cozy yet luxurious ambience. The interiors, with its paneled walls and wooden furniture evoke a Filipino-colonial feel, emulating the atmosphere, the history and the fond memories of old Baguio. Wooden shuttered doors open to outdoor patios with a magnificent view of the Cordillera mountain range.

Its accommodation include studios and one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites all equipped with modern amenities such as cable TV, IDD/NDD telephones with Internet access, fully-stocked refrigerators, hot/cold showers, and electronic safes.

The Manor has also gained a reputation as one of the city’s prime food, leisure and pleasure destinations. The Manor Restaurant offers the best in haute cuisine, fine wines and top-notch entertainment, while the Manor Delicatessen serves freshly baked breads, cheese, sausages and pastries – all by renowned fine-dining Irish chef Billy King of Le Soufflé fame.

The nippy Baguio evening is the perfect excuse to unwind in the comfort of The Piano Lounge, a cozy sitting lounge beside a fireplace where one can enjoy fine piano music while sipping their favorite cocktail to accompany light, savory hors d’ oeuvres.

To provide businessmen and other guests a place to combine business with pleasure, the Business Center is open 24 hours and is fully-equipped with modern facilities such as the Internet, personal computer, photocopiers, fax machines and secretarial services. Then, after an exhausting day at work or from playing a round of golf, pamper yourself with a massage at the Palm Garden Health Spa.

Golfers will enjoy the 18-hole, 5,001 yards, par 69 golf course, which was reopened in 1999, and designed by Jack Nicklaus’ Golden Bear International Design. There is also the 18-hole mini-golf course for kids, or they can try their skill in roller and in-line skating at the outdoor skating rink.

Families and friends can go hiking at the two-kilometer eco-trail that leads to scenic picnic areas where lunch or afternoon snacks may be had in picnic tables set under the pine trees. It also has a butterfly sanctuary and a lush botanical reserve.

And since Baguio is a horseback riding country, Camp John Hay created "Shulan Ti Kabadjo" where one can experience a pony ride along bridle path and riding circle. Young and old alike may also opt to play video games or billiards at the indoor recreation hall.

The hotel also offers full room service, shuttle transport, car rental and taxi service, valet parking, baby sitting, and sightseeing tours. Its five-star service and accommodations with its world-class facilities and professionally-trained staff are a few reasons why guests keep coming back to The Camp.

All the developments in Camp John Hay are geared towards retaining the lushness of the surrounding pine groves, that is why it has remained a dream destination for those who want to escape the concrete jungles of urban living and has likewise, become a splendid representation of Baguio’s natural beauty and bounty.

I hope someone would post pictures of that ads Sandrin posted about Camp John Hay Manor.

When you are in Baguio, what are the good things to do there for leasure and fun?

Horse back riding?

paddle boating? enjoying the views and weather is enough for me. :)

Gov't to help Palawan improve economy, tourism industry


PUERTO PRINCESA CITY - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered four Cabinet officials on Friday to work together and help Palawan further improve its economy and tourism industry.

The President issued the directive in an impromptu speech during the inaugural rites of the country’s first state-of-the-art sanitary landfill at the covered court of the 35-hectare facility in Barangay Sta. Lourdes here.

Instructed to coordinate with Palawan Governor Joel Reyes and Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn were Secretaries Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Leandro Mendoza of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DoTC), Ace Durano of the Department of Tourism and Presidential Chief of Staff Mike Defensor.

In her speech, the President approved the release of an initial P50 million to the DPWH for the construction of the Sabang Road, the only highway going in and out of the famous Underground River.

She instructed Durano to inspect the Sabang Road and make a report on how the national government could improve the tourism facility in the Underground River tourist spot.

"Kung hindi makakapunta ngayon si Secretary Durano, sinisiguro ko sa inyo na babalik siya dito para puntahan ang Sabang Road (I can assure you Secretary Durano would be back to check on Sabang Road)," she told residents and local officials of Barangay Sta. Lourdes.

The famous Underground River and the Tubbataha Reef (in the Kalayaan Group of Islands or Spratlys) are among the World Heritage sites and cited as great tourist destinations in the country because of their natural wonder.

The President tasked Secretary Mendoza to get the services of Louie Berger Consultancy, a United States-based consultancy firm to make a feasibility study for the modernization and conversion of the Palawan Airport into an international airport.

The same firm conducted feasibility studies on the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan master plan, especially its new international airport,

The Chief Executive ordered Mendoza to release P30 million for the repair and rehabilitation of the existing airport terminal.

She also instructed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to help Mayor Hagedorn, chairman of the Task Force Jueteng, in the ongoing campaign against the illegal numbers game.

Comments from boo chanco's column in the star today
Tourism news
According to the Freesun online tourism newsletter, Bangkok’s new Suvharnabumi Airport will definitely open this year, even if no precise date has been given by the Airports Authority of Thailand (AOT). The air terminal will be the largest in the world and able to accommodate in its first phase up to 45 million passengers. Two parallel runways will also be able to handle any type of aircraft. A rail link will be completed in 2007, putting the airport at only 15 minutes from the city. The AOT is already working on a second phase, which will include a third runway and a satellite building for an additional 15 million passengers.

On the other hand, the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, both located on Borneo Island, are looking to improve accommodation capacity. Between them they attract over five million visitors a year, of whom 25-30 percent come from abroad.

In Kota Kinabalu (Sabah), Le Méridien, the newest five-star city hotel, will have its soft opening in September. It will offer 306 rooms. At Kota Kinabalu Airport, work will start this year on the extension of the main terminal and a runway upgrading. Sabah’s capital has Malaysia’s second busiest airport with traffic exceeding four million passengers a year.

In Kuching (Sarawak), Accor has started the construction of a Novotel, due for completion in 2008. A second deluxe property is due to open in the new Kuching Tower the same year. The high-rise building will integrate a shopping centre as well as a convention centre for 5,000 delegates. Sarawak is also currently working on upgrading its international cruise terminal in Kuching. The government recently completed the renovation of Kuching International Airport, which now boasts a passenger capacity of 4.5 million.

If you feel like crying, please do. The ceiling in our NAIA3 collapsed even before the terminal could be "soft opened". And yes, Sabah and Sarawak already attract the tourist arrival target we have up to the end of Ate Glue’s term. We are so far behind, we should be all systems go to catch up. But the tourism secretary is already satisfied with what we have.

And to think we wanted to claim Sabah. No wonder they didn’t want to be claimed by us.

The Philippine Star
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200604030410.htm


Americans seem to find the Philippines irresistible.

Despite negative travel advisories, tourists from the United States continue to flock to the country and remain its leading visitors.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said yesterday South Korea and other neighboring countries have failed to dislodge the United States as the country’s number one tourist market.

"The US market remained to be the biggest contributor of visitors as it supplied 58,999 tourists and shared 20.9 percent of the country’s total visitor traffic in 2005," he said.

Durano said last year, the US made history by surpassing its record high of 55,165 arrivals posted in December 2003.

The Philippines registered an all time high of 2,623,084 international arrivals or an increase of 14.5 percent from last year’s 2,291,352 tourists, he added.

Early last year, Durano projected that the number of foreign visitors to the country would exceed the target of 2.6 million for the year.

The local tourism industry’s strong performance was attributed to the government’s intensified marketing campaigns, sales missions and influx of visitors during the holiday season, he added.

Aside from the United States, other top tourism markets were South Korea, Japan and China, which recorded a massive increase of 171 percent travelers to 107,456 from 39,581 in 2004, he added.

The DOT is finalizing new marketing plans and planning to beef-up promotional campaigns to lure three million foreign tourists this year, Durano said. — Mayen Jaymalin

The only honest article I've read in this thread! Serves as a reality check to everyone!

Comments from boo chanco's column in the star today
Tourism news
According to the Freesun online tourism newsletter, Bangkok’s new Suvharnabumi Airport will definitely open this year, even if no precise date has been given by the Airports Authority of Thailand (AOT). The air terminal will be the largest in the world and able to accommodate in its first phase up to 45 million passengers. Two parallel runways will also be able to handle any type of aircraft. A rail link will be completed in 2007, putting the airport at only 15 minutes from the city. The AOT is already working on a second phase, which will include a third runway and a satellite building for an additional 15 million passengers.

On the other hand, the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, both located on Borneo Island, are looking to improve accommodation capacity. Between them they attract over five million visitors a year, of whom 25-30 percent come from abroad.

In Kota Kinabalu (Sabah), Le Méridien, the newest five-star city hotel, will have its soft opening in September. It will offer 306 rooms. At Kota Kinabalu Airport, work will start this year on the extension of the main terminal and a runway upgrading. Sabah’s capital has Malaysia’s second busiest airport with traffic exceeding four million passengers a year.

In Kuching (Sarawak), Accor has started the construction of a Novotel, due for completion in 2008. A second deluxe property is due to open in the new Kuching Tower the same year. The high-rise building will integrate a shopping centre as well as a convention centre for 5,000 delegates. Sarawak is also currently working on upgrading its international cruise terminal in Kuching. The government recently completed the renovation of Kuching International Airport, which now boasts a passenger capacity of 4.5 million.

If you feel like crying, please do. The ceiling in our NAIA3 collapsed even before the terminal could be "soft opened". And yes, Sabah and Sarawak already attract the tourist arrival target we have up to the end of Ate Glue’s term. We are so far behind, we should be all systems go to catch up. But the tourism secretary is already satisfied with what we have.

And to think we wanted to claim Sabah. No wonder they didn’t want to be claimed by us.

^^ So, you feel that way to.

DoT sees tourism growth in Bohol

PANGLAO ISLAND, Bohol (PNA) - Department of Tourism (DoT) Regional Director Aurora Patria Roa has said she expects a significant growth in Bohol's tourism industry with the opening of new resorts in the world-re-nowned Panglao Island.
In an interview, Roa said "Bohol's tourism industry is already starting to boom."

The DoT regional head was here on Tuesday during the visit of New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who engaged into bilateral talks on economic issues with President Gloria Macapa-gal-Arroyo.

Roa noted that the opening of the 35-room Flushing Meadows Resort in Dauis town is a good indication of tourism development here.

Marketing and com-munications manager Mar-cie Abesamis, on the other hand, said that Flushing Meadows Resort plans to come up with 100 rooms by the end of the year.

Roa said two more resorts are under cons-truction in the island town.

Bohol has a total of 60 hotels, resorts, inns and lodging houses.

Meanwhile, Roa poin-ted out that the growth of Bohol tourism will com-plement Cebu.

She said there is no basis to fear that Bohol's rise will outsmart Cebu.

"There is no competi-tion between Bohol and Cebu. Each is complemen-ting the other. It has always been Cebu-Bohol," Roa said.

Bohol, like other pro-vinces in the region, needs Cebu (which is) the gate-way of the region. Cebu, on the other hand, needs Bohol to enhance itself as a tourist destination," she said.

Japan picks RP best diving spot in Asia
Link (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=34762)

The Philippines is set to receive an award from the Japanese government for being the best diving destination in Asia, DZMM reported Tuesday.

Philippine Tourism Authority General Manager Robert Dean Barbers said the award is considered a prestigious recognition.

Barbers said the selection system for the best diving destination underwent a very strict process.

He said among of the destinations that Japanese tourists have frequented in the Philippines were the Tubataha Reef in Palawan, the coral reef in Bohol and the beaches of Cebu.

Barbers added that Japanese tourists like to dive in the Philippines because of the sunken galleon ships in the country's waters.

THE GLOBAL PINOY
By Greg B. Macabenta
Creating a culture of tourism


Last week’s column, “Paradise lost, paradise regained,” elicited readers’ comments that, I think, deserve serious consideration.

My thesis was that the Philippines has many natural assets that make our country, potentially, a major tourist destination. However, I added: “For sure, there are many things about our tourism infrastructure that need to be fixed and about the Filipino’s attitude toward the environment that need to be overhauled. It breaks my heart to compare the much-abused Laguna de Bay with Lake Tahoe—and that’s just one example.”

Reacting to my column, Erman Cruz of San Diego wrote that he has been maintaining a website that proudly shows off the tourist attractions of the Philippines. On the other hand, Paul Dalde of Beaumont, Texas, wrote:

“Our country is not lacking in beautiful spots, of great historical significance and the natural beauty that has been overlooked if not abused by uncaring people. You are right about things more beautiful, more refreshing if only our government [through its leaders] loves our country for a change.”

From Frank Tucker of Bremerton, Washington, came this reaction:

“As a white American Anglo married to a Filipina for over 40 years I agree with everything you wrote in the referenced article, especially the line, ‘the Filipino’s attitude toward the environment that needs to be overhauled.’

“The Philippines has so very much to offer any tourist, from its beautiful beaches to its lofty mountains, all hosted by the most hospitable people in the world. I know because I have spent many months there spread out over these 42 years.

“It could all be so majestic in pristine splendor if it just wasn’t for the abominable trash and garbage that is strewn indiscriminately all over your lovely country. It actually is enough to make grown men cry. What do we have to do, to clean it up?”

To Tucker’s e-mail, I responded:

“Thank you for your comments. We badly need an attitudinal change, but it starts with the leadership. What I have been trying to do over the years is to accentuate the positive while being blunt about the negatives, hopefully to cause our people and the leadership to act.”

Another reaction from a non-Filipino was from a certain Gary Davis who, I’m inclined to believe, is from Hawaii. To say that he acted like the classic Ugly American is an understatement. Here’s what he wrote:

“Obviously you and I have not been to the same Philippines. I found your country to be filthy from the time I left the airport, traveled around various provinces, then returned to the airport.

“Yea, I went to a few of your beaches . . . what gives with people throwing trash everywhere? Is that a part of the Filipino culture not advertised in the brochures.

“The Manila Baywalk . . . please, walking down a litter strewn hunk of concrete in the blaring sun, while being assaulted by the offensive stench of a heavily polluted bay is not my idea of promoting tourism.”

I’ve never allowed such arrogance to get past me before, and Davis wasn’t about to be an exception. I gave him tit for his tat:

“Dear Mr. Davis—Yes, we’re talking about the same Philippines. Like looking at a glass half-empty or half-full, you’ve seen the filthy, I have seen the beautiful. I don’t know where you’re from, but I bet you have your own inventory of filth yourself.

“I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, a favorite tourist destination for both Americans and foreigners, and I can give you a grand tour of the urine-stinking Tenderloin and South of Market sections, a few blocks from where the tourists congregate. Of course, I would rather show you the beautiful sights in the City by the Bay.

“I’m sure you’ve been to New York [you seem like a well-traveled person]. To use your language, in New York, ‘what gives with people throwing trash everywhere?’

“This is not to excuse the filth and the trash in the Philippines. They are a shameful reality. I’m hoping that with a better appreciation of what the Philippines has to offer, Filipinos will also learn to value what they have and take better care of these assets. Then, hopefully, people like you will have no reason to complain about the filth.”

I then concluded: “Now, let me ask you a question. For a person who seems to care about cleanliness, why does your language spew so much trash?”

Behind Davis’ harsh language, however, is the harsher reality that his observations are, to a large extent, true.

Senator and former tourism secretary Dick Gordon has been working for the passage of Senate Bill 2138, designed to overhaul and improve the country’s tourism infrastructure. I hope that this includes creating a culture of tourism among our people. Without that, we will never hear last of people like Davis. And it will be our fault.


http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/apr/05/yehey/opinion/20060405opi5.html

Dev't council defines tourism market for W. Visayas

"WE'VE GOT what you are looking for." This is the banner of the Tourism Action Plan 2010 of Western Visayas as presented by Department of Tourism Regional Director Edwin Trompeta.

The action plan garnered the unanimous nod of the Regional Development Council (RDC) during its first quarter regular meeting held recently in Iloilo City.

Trompeta said Western Visayas has everything what foreign and local tourists are looking for.

The region is also positioning itself as the festival capital of the Philippines.

The RDC approval was in recognition of the important role of tourism in the economic development of Western Visayas and as an important asset and enhancer of the quality of life of the people.

Tourism Action plan 2010 was prepared by the Department of Tourism in cooperation with the RDC-Western Visayas and the Canadian Urban Institute.

A common Western Visayas Tourism Action Plan until 2010 would serve as a blueprint to coordinate and communicate the initiatives that were undertaken by the tourism industry in the region for the past years.

Trompeta said the hub of the tourist attraction in Western Visayas region would still be Boracay and the other provinces would revolve around it.

Antique and Aklan province would be developed as nature-based eco-tourism and adventure sites.

Capiz will be promoted under the cupflowers, seafood, marine, and adventure attractions.

Negros Occidental and Bacolod City will be for adventure, culture, and heritage tourism and as site for meetings and conventions.

Iloilo will be marketed for its cultural heritage and as venue for conventions, conferences, and meetings.

Trompeta said they intend to work on the tourism support services under the lines of policy and communication support.

Target markets will be both foreign and local markets.

He also revealed that they are targeting the East Asian markets like Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China and Hongkong. Though the bulk of our tourists come from the North Americas at present.

Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand markets will also be tapped, he said.

Trompeta said they are proposing two taglines in marketing Western Visayas: "Festival Capital of the Philippines" and "We've Got What You Are Looking For".

I think we need to build more infra specifically hotels. The airport will open sooner rather than later and with clark,there's an alternative but they need places to stay in and the sights have to be fixed up to accomodate this.

Battle of the Festivals in Manila

Sparks are set to fly at this year’s “Aliwan Fiesta” as once again, the Philippines’ grandest, loudest, and most colorful festivals come together to compete in the national championship of festivals on April 27-29.


"Aliwan Fiesta 2006" is shaping up to bring excitement to a whole new level this year. For the very first time, the Sinulog Festival of Cebu joins the ranks of dance contingents gearing up to unseat the three-time champion contingent, Iloilo’s Dinagyang Festival.

Will the newcomers, the Cebuanos of the Sinulog Festival triumph and finally break the winning streak of the long-running champions, Ilonggos of the Dinagyang Festival? Or will the Ilonggos go on to win four-peat? Which festival will reign supreme? Only one thing is for certain: the heat of the competition brought about by this much-anticipated rivalry makes this year’s "Aliwan Fiesta" worth watching.

Not only will the Sinulog and Dinagyang Festivals face off for the much-coveted R1M plum prize; the grand prize winner of this year’s festival also claims the honor of being named as the ultimate Philippine festival.

The Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC), together with the cities of Manila and Pasay and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, sets the stage for another sure-fire crowd-drawer as "Aliwan Fiesta" returns on its fourth year as the grandest national championship of all festivals.

"Aliwan Fiesta 2006" is set to bring together a record number of 30 dance contingents from all over the country, the biggest number of participants in its fourth year run.

The festival is highlighted by spirited street dancing native to the participating regions, exhibiting the richness and diversity of Philippine culture and tradition.

Thousands of the country’s finest craftsmen, street performers, and amateur models will gather to compete in Dance Parade Competition, Float Competition, and Reyna ng Aliwan beauty pageant.

Holding the reputation for giving the biggest cash prizes ever, "Aliwan Fiesta" pushes the limits by giving nearly R3 million this year.

The grand prize winner will get R1 million; with second and third runners up to win R500,000 and R250,000 respectively. The top 10 finalists will each get R50,000.

The fiesta will bring together the country’s most popular fiestas such as Pedrista Festival (Quezon City) Marikina Festival, and Pakalog Festival (Pasig) of NCR; Panagbenga Festival (Baguio City) representing CAR; Region I’s Pamulinawen Festival (Laoag City) and Agdamdamili Festival (San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte); Region II’s Sabutan Festival (Palanan, Isabela), Pinilisa Festival (Jones, Isabela) and Sambali Cagayana Festival (Baggao, Cagayan);

Region III’s Halamanan Festival (Guiguinto, Bulacan) Sto. Niño Festival (Malolos, Bulacan), Angel Festival (San Rafael, Bulacan); Region IV’s Sumakah Festival (Antipolo City) and Boling-Boling Festival (Catanauan, Quezon); Region V’s HimagUlaw Festival (Placer, Masbate) and Pili Festival (Sorsogon City); Region VI’s Dinagyang Festival (Iloilo City), Tultugan Festival (Maasin, Iloilo), Kahilyawan Festival (Santa Barbara, Iloilo), Pintados de Pasi Festival (Passi City, Iloilo) and Babaylan Festival (Bago City, Negros Occidental); Region VII’s Sinulog Festival (Cebu City); Region IX’s Hermosa Festival (Zamboanga City) and Pasalamat Festival (Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur); Region X’s Diyandi Festival (Iligan City); Region XII’s Halad Festival (Pigcawayan, North Cotabato), and Kalilangan Festival (General Santos City); and ARMM’s Padang-Padang Festival, (Parang, Maguindanao), Meguyaya Festival (Maguindanao), and Kambulang Festival (Parang, Maguindanao).

Tourism sector offers 15T jobs
Link (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2006/04/04/bus/tourism.sector.offers.15t.jobs..html)

More than 15,000 jobs are up for grabs at the 1st Tourism Jobs Fair (TJF) 2006, which will be held in Cebu, Davao and Manila this month.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said these jobs will be offered by more than 300 employers, who have signed up for the TJF in these cities.

Among the registered employers are airlines, shipping and transport firms; hotels; restaurants; shopping centers; travel agencies; tour operators; resorts and destinations; banks; food processors; beverage manufacturers; telecom firms; call centers; tourism-oriented property developers; and government offices and corporations.

The job vacancies offered at the TJF include those for hotel and restaurant positions, account executives, executive assistants, airline staffs, food service attendants, customer service agents, inbound tour supervisors, domestic cargo staffs, sales consultants, graphic artists, fitness trainers, business development managers, chefs, waiters, bakers, housekeeping supervisors, therapists, chambermaids, welders, masons, among many others.

These jobs will be offered onsite at the TJF venues– Pacific Grand Ballroom of Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City on April 4 to 5, NCCC Convention and Exhibition Centre in Davao City on April 4 to 6, and The Forum of the Philippine International Convention Center on April 6 to 8.

Exclusive

Organized by the Department of Tourism, the TJF is the first industry-specific jobs fair exclusive to the travel and tourism industry. It is a one-stop venue where employers and suppliers of tourism jobs and potential labor force from all over the Philippines can meet, assess each other’s needs and create an employment match.

The TJF is the DOT’s proactive response to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s 10-Point Agenda that includes creating six to 10 million jobs as a government priority. Stringent requirements were applied to potential exhibitor employers to ensure that job applicants are offered quality jobs.

Jobseekers could register at www.tourismjobs.ph or onsite at the specified dates and venues. They will be issued a Unique Identification Number (UIN) upon completing the registration process. The UIN will enable them to access the list of job vacancies on the website and facilitate their entry into the fair. They will simply present copies of their UINs at the secretariat’s desk allotted for “Pre-Registered Applicants.”

Improvement

The TJF will not only create employment opportunities but will also be a venue for skills improvement. The DOT has tied up with the Tourism Industry Board Foundation Inc., (TIBFI) where applicants who did not qualify for immediate hiring may undergo a skills enhancement training seminar for them to meet the qualification standards of their employers. TIBFI is a government-private sector partnership with the mandate to upgrade the tourism industry work force through skills training programs.

At present, there are about a million personnel directly and indirectly employed by the tourism industry. But this number is expected to swell with significant increases in the arrivals of foreign visitors from 2.29 million in 2004 to 2.613 million in 2005, generating US$ 2.12 billion in dollar receipts.

Moreover, the DOT’s target foreign arrivals of five million by 2010 will require an enormous increase in the country’s tourism capacity in terms of infrastructure, accommodation and resort facilities, including various products and services, which will create and more jobs in the process.

The country’s current capacity, according to Durano, is only for three million foreign visitors a year. “We have to encourage the tourism industry to invest and increase this capacity to accommodate our target of five million arrivals in 2010 and significantly boost employment for the Filipinos,” Durano said. (PR)

MANILA (AFP) - Visitor arrivals in the Philippines rose 14.5 percent to 2.29 million in 2005, the tourism department said Wednesday.

Americans continued to be the top visitors, rising 10.5 percent to 528,493 or 20.1 percent of the total.

South Korean arrivals grew 29.3 percent to 489,465, while Japanese visitors increased 8.7 percent to 415,456.

The 2.29 million arrivals included 125,395 Filipino passport-holders who are permanent residents of other countries.

WHAT DO THEY MEAN WITH 2005 ? i thought they were by 2.6 mill in 2005 ?

It's 2.6million if you factor in balikbayans.


MANILA (AFP) - Visitor arrivals in the Philippines rose 14.5 percent to 2.29 million in 2005, the tourism department said Wednesday.

Americans continued to be the top visitors, rising 10.5 percent to 528,493 or 20.1 percent of the total.

South Korean arrivals grew 29.3 percent to 489,465, while Japanese visitors increased 8.7 percent to 415,456.

The 2.29 million arrivals included 125,395 Filipino passport-holders who are permanent residents of other countries.

WHAT DO THEY MEAN WITH 2005 ? i thought they were by 2.6 mill in 2005 ?

Batanes on the rise
By Bibsy M. Carballo

One summer way back in the 1970s, we must have been among the few intrepid souls who ventured into yet uncharted seas and unexplored lands when we took off on a whim for Basco, Batanes.

Armed with nothing but our sense of adventure, we boarded a PAL plane, then the only carrier servicing the island weekly. With us was the late great director Lino Brocka and two of his friends, as he was then interested in scouring the country for locations for his movies.

After an hour-and-a-half flight, we caught sight of what appeared to be the dirt runway, a couple of carabaos lazing about, and a group of grade school children running around, clapping their hands in welcome of the aircraft. The plane made several circles around the runway as we glimpsed the children shooing away the carabaos before we made our historic landing.

Upon deplaning, the kids were still there crowding us with silent curiosity. Who were these strangers, their eyes seemed to ask, and why were they here? This served as our unique introduction to the island, and what was to follow.

We boarded a jeepney, which we were later told was the only one on the island, and asked the driver to take us to the church in town. The Filipino parish priest, whose name we have already forgotten, was surprised to see us. Immediately, he offered to house us even before we asked and serve as our unofficial tour guide during the week-long visit.


Smallest province

We were told Batanes is the smallest Philippine province in terms of population and land area (209 sq km, half of which are hills and mountains). The population then all over the province was a little over 11,000, with 40 percent concentrated in the capital Basco.

Ten small volcanic islands make up the province, only three of them inhabited-Sabtang, Itbayat and Batan with the capital Basco, plus Ivana, Uyugan, and Mahatao which we visited.

The islands of Sabtang and Itbayat were supposedly interesting locations, but we were not that adventurous as to venture out after hearing stories that one had to jump from the boat to the cliff at Itbayat, which didn't have a pier at that time. We also heard of people getting stranded in Sabtang due to bad weather and having to stay for months on the island.

Batan was sufficient for us at the moment. Taking the only jeep on the island, we toured the rolling hills that could only remind one of the Scottish highlands with similar small stone houses, except that the houses had thick cogon roofing, with carabaos and cattle grazing in the rolling hills. The entire scenario was of another country. There were no nipa huts to remind us that we were in the Philippines, and the radio blasted away with broadcasts from Taiwan.

We found women in the fields garbed in the vacul, a traditional woven headgear of grass that kept the wearer cool during the day and warm during the rainy season. We never found this particular headgear in any other province.

Batanes is the northernmost cluster of islands in the Philippines, home of the typhoons, closer to Taiwan than to the Philippine mainland (190 km south of Taiwan, and 280 km from Aparri). It is said that one could hear the cock crow all the way from Taiwan in Batanes, and it is the only province with winter from November to February, summer from March to May, the rainy season from June to October, and a two-week Indian summer sometime between September and October.

Apart from the weekly flight, with erratic schedules depending on the weather, a navy boat came once a year with supplies from Manila. Batanes was therefore as remote from the mainland as it was in culture and language. Anthropologists described Ivatan as an Austronesian language (not a dialect, but a language, the residents constantly emphasized).


30 years later

The Batanes of today is totally different from our memories of 30 years ago. Although still ravaged by typhoons, still small in population (only over 16,000 province-wide), still our only province with "winter" as a season, still blessed with unpolluted air, waters and picture-pretty rolling hills and natural rock formations, we can count on our fingers the number of traditional stone houses and can no longer find women wearing the vacul.

Instead, the homes are of cement, especially in town centers, and the vacul is found for sale in the marketplace as tourist mementos, and in the new Globe commercial. Technology has obviously arrived in the form of Internet cafés, and the cell phone and ukay-ukay from Manila litter the many small shops in Basco.

The rolling hills are still as attractive as they were in "Hihintayin Ka Sa Langit" which beat Brocka to being the first to do a film on the islands. But today some of the hills are dubbed "Marlboro Country" and pretty soon, perhaps we will find there a "Brokeback Mountain."

The Department of Tourism has listed the province as an "emerging destination." There are various inns, led by the Batanes Resort with its six duplex-type cottages perched on a hill overlooking the rocky beach, and the Ivatan Lodge in town with its modest rates, both operated by the provincial government.

There are now more forms of transport-at least 50 jeepneys in Basco and 30 more in the other municipalities, and tricycles all over Basco. However, there is still no moviehouse in Basco, and fastfood chains are unknown in this province.

Asian Spirit operates a twice-weekly direct flight from Manila, its other flights of the week include a stop-over in Tuguegarao. Batanes' roads are paved, and carabaos no longer roam the runway. Package tours are becoming popular with domestic and foreign travelers. Apart from its natural attractions, the province's other tourist stops include vestiges of the Dominican presence in churches all over the islands, lighthouses that are always a photographic delight, and the house of the late international Ivatan artist Pacita Abad that now stands against the landscape and the skies as a loving tribute to the artist who has finally come home to rest.

The crime rate is low with most crimes committed by transients, mostly Taiwanese who find it so easy to get to the islands. Along with crime and the tourists come the threat of destruction of the environment and cultural heritage. And this is what this "emerging destination" has to face now.


Protected zone

In 2001, Congress passed a law declaring the province as a permanently protected zone. That same year, the province also applied to be included in the Unesco World Cultural Heritage list. According the elders in the province, there are 539 cultural sites and 138 natural sites in the province up for consideration.

The unique wildlife of the province qualifies Batanes as a landscape and seascape deserving of protection due to its importance to migratory birds from Northeast Asia and Japan. The valichit, a small brown bird found only in Batanes every September, has of late diminished in numbers, a fate similarly suffered by the kuyab or grey-faced buzzard.

The traditional stone dwellings of limestone, reeds and grass roofs are also disappearing, although there are some to be found in Ivana and Uyugan, and on the island of Sabtang.

The median age in Batanes is 22. It is obviously a young population even if a good percentage leave for the mainland to pursue a career. However, there are quite a number who acquire education in Manila and return home to practice what they have learned. Like the young and articulate OIC of Batanes Resort, Tess Delatado. After graduating with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management at Arellano University in Manila, she quickly returned to Basco and now is one of the more vocal advocates of responsible tourism in the area.

She tells us stories of how foreigners have been showing such interest in the place that they have offered to buy the resort as well as portions of the province, with promises of helping the islanders protect their natural resources. But she is not easily swayed by their glib tongues. Perhaps her education in Manila has taught her that-not to be too trusting and too naïve.

Tess is caught in a dilemma that faces many of the young residents of this island paradise. Would they succumb to the temptation of letting in the moneyed investors who will develop the islands for commercial tourism and ultimately destroy its natural beauty? Or will they hang on to what they have and be content with being the backward province it still is today?

Or is there a middle ground, a way for responsible progress and eco-tourism? Only time and the next decade will tell.

RP expects arrival of 3M tourists


Editor's Note: Published on Page A16 of the April 6, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


CEBU CITY—The country expects at least 3 million foreign tourists arriving this year, with Russia, India and other “new markets” as potential points of origin.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano based the bullish projection on the first quarter figures of his department.

“This is the first time in the Philippine tourism history that before the end of the first quarter, we exceeded 500,000 foreign tourists,” Durano told reporters here yesterday.

Last year, the Philippines attracted over 2.6 million foreign tourists, resulting in the direct employment of more than 800,000 individuals and a P150-billion infusion into the economy, he said.

With the expected increase in arrivals of foreign tourists this year, Durano said the tourism industry could bring over P250 billion to the cash-strapped government.

“And we also expect to generate direct employment that is almost the same as that of last year’s,” said Durano, who attended the closing of the first tourism job fair held at Waterfront Hotel.

The two-day event drew 107 agencies from the private sector and seven government offices, and over 3,000 jobseekers.

Quoting a report of the National Anti-Poverty Commission, Durano said the tourism industry was last year’s biggest employment generator.

^^ I hope we can reach the magic 3 million tourist arrivals!

RP Tourism unfazed by political crisis


DAVAO CITY - Despite political instability during the first quarter of this year, Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano announced the positive tourism performance during the first quarter.

“January 2006 posted the highest arrival number comparing it to the other January months of the previous years.” this he said in an exclusive interview with the government media as he attended the Tourism Jobs Fair in this city.

Durano bared that more than 260,000 foreign tourists visited the country during the first quarter.

One of the contributors of the positive performance, he said, is the recently held Asean Tourism Forum, which was hosted by Davao City.

“So many foreigners love the Filipinos’ hospitality. This could really be the reason for them to keep on coming back.”

Durano also denied rumors that foreign arrivals were deeply affected by the political turmoil that was encountered by the country most especially in the first quarter of this year.

He explained that the numbers would tell us all that the tourism sector has performed very well despite all that happened in the political environment.

“We have established a very aggressive strategy when it comes with our promotions,” he said.

He added that foreign visitors as well as local tourists have become immune from the most negative news that reached them. They still love visiting Philippines and the beautiful tourist destinations all over the country.

RP, one of the world’s most cost-effective tour promoters


DAVAO CITY – “Spendthrift or cost effective. Whatever you may call it, but the Philippines is one of a few countries that spends the least amount for every tourist it generates,” according to Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano.

Durano said the Philippines spends about US$ 2 for every tourist it generates or about US$ 5-US$ 6 million, which is puny compared to its Southeast Asian neighbors which spends at least US$ 10-12 for every tourist it generates.

Although with the least amount, Durano said the budget for tourism promotions is just right to get the number of tourist they want to attract.

He said they are eyeing about three million foreign tourists to come to the Philippines this year.

Last year, foreign tourist arrivals in the country was placed at 2,623,000, the highest ever recorded in the history of Philippine tourism. Registering a growth of 14.5% compared to 2004, it is the second straight year that the country posted double digit growth in foreign tourist arrivals.

Durano said tourism promotions in the country would target only three million arrivals since the country’s tourism capacity can only accommodate that number of tourists.

“It is not just promotions per se, just like in business. For example, you own a factory, say, whose production capacity is only one million goods. Why would you look for two million people, when you only produce one million,” said Durano.

The Secretary said that he is happy that Congress, upon the recommendation of Malacañang, allocated about P300 million in additional tourism budget for promotions.

He said that they have pinpointed the China-Japan-Korea market as a potential source of tourists that would be tapped.

“The China-Korea-Japan market alone has a market of about 60 million tourists; we can’t even accommodate 10% of that number.”

He said they would still pursue a more effective, aggressive promotion strategy to meet their targets, citing effective and aggressive promotion strategies that make the country immune from negative news.

Durano noted that despite recent political disturbances, record tourism arrivals were still posted by the country, attesting to the value of sustained tourism marketing and promotions.

Mindanao visitor arrivals up


DAVAO CITY - Total visitor arrivals in Mindanao grew by four percent in the 3rd quarter of 2005 compared to the same period in 2004, Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo) updates showed.

In January to September 2004, domestic arrivals posted 1.94 million but went up 2.02 million during same period in 2005.

International arrivals, however, decreased by .97 percent with 136,168 million in 2004 down to 131,877 million in 2005.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano said that because of the growth of visitor arrivals in Mindanao for the last two years, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has decided to include Davao City in the first Tourism Jobs Fair (TJF) that also covers Manila and Cebu cities this month.

He said DOT wants to create employment opportunities from tourism related establishments to boost further the tourism industry.

“We want to give the new graduates the chance to work with tourism establishments to improve further the industry,” Durano told reporters Wednesday.

Durano was here to open the three-day TJF at the NCCC Mall.

For her part, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) XI regional director Gloria Tango said applicants in the Davao TJF come from all over Mindanao, although bulk is from Davao.

Tango said previous jobs fairs facilitated by DOLE resulted in a 10 percent average absorption rate.

She is confident the Davao-TJF will be successful with the considerable volume of applicants that trooped to the NCCC Mall convention center at the opening of the fair Wednesday. The event will run until April 6.

Tango also said a number of applicants were hired on the spot in previous jobs fairs.

Health tourism seen to boost RP's economy


CEBU CITY - Organizers of the upcoming Cebu Business Month (CBM) 2006 are pushing for the development of the emerging health and wellness industry in a bid to create new economic opportunities for Cebu.

Department of Trade and Industry-Cebu Provincial Office (DTI-CPO) director Nelia Navarro said the medical tourism offers tremendous potentials in terms of investments and employment generation.

"It is a new concept that combines healthcare and tourism. It is now touted as the next big thing in the Philippines, next to call centers," said Navarro.

During the recent launching of CBM 2006 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, Navarro announced that an awareness forum entitled "Invest Cebu Forum: Opportunities in the Health and Wellness Industry" will be conducted in the month-long event in June.

CBM 2006, which targets to promote investments in tourism and information and communications technology (ICT), is expected to draw around 1,000 delegates or prospective investors.

Navarro said that if Cebu could attract investors to develop its health and wellness industry, the province has the huge potential to replicate the success of Thailand, which is the "Wellness Capital of Asia."

In 2004, Thailand generated 20 billion baht or about P28.9 billion revenue from the 600,000 foreign patients seeking treatment in their country, which is known for its wealth in alternative medicine and traditional spas.

"IF Thailand has been able to make the health and wellness industry one of its prime industries, the Philippines especially Cebu can also do the same, given its abundance of healthcare workers and nurses, development of resorts, spas and fitness center, and a wide choice of entry points to the country via ports and airports," noted Navarro.

She added that Cebu has only to put its act together and get the concerted efforts of key players from the private and government sectors to drive the health and wellness industry in the province as well as the rest of Central Visayas.

"We should endeavor to build on its current strengths in promoting a global brand for Cebu's health and wellness industry," said Navarro.

Asia's health care market is projected to grow to 610 billion US dollars in 2013. Between 2010 and 2020, about 10 million Filipino retirees will come home from the USA, Canada, and other foreign countries, Navarro said.

Tourism expansion accelerated
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The government campaign to expand the capacity of the country’s tourism infrastructure is taking the fast lane, with two bigger domestic airports of international standards being built in Western Visayas and an additional 1,000 rooms on Boracay Island.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano said these projects would be completed for opening next year to meet the country’s growing number of foreign and domestic tourists.

"The new airports are in Iloilo and Bacolod while the additional 1,000 rooms in Boracay include the 200 in the new Shangri-La Resort and Spa, and many others at the Boracay Troplics, Fairways and Bluewaters, Regency Boracay, Discovery, and other resorts," Durano said.

Earlier, Durano cited the need for more tourism infrastructure and hotel facilities as the country’s current capacity could accommodate only three million foreign tourists in a year. "For the Philippines to target more than three million next year, we have to expand our capacity accordingly," Durano said.

For this year, the Department of Tourism (DoT) is aptly targeting three million foreign arrivals on the way to its 2010 goal of five million, which is exerting pressure on the agency to push capacity expansion vigorously in various sectors of the industry, especially in the most frequented destinations like Boracay.

Known for its stunning white sand beach and calm waters that lure tourists from all over the world, Boracay is also emerging as a diver’s paradise because of the first-class dive sites surrounding the island.

These dive sites, which cater to divers of all levels, include Friday’s Rock, Punta Bonga 1 and 2, Crocodile Island, Cathedral Cave, Laurel Island, Yapak, Black Rock, and Dog Drill. They vary in depth and marine life but all offer exciting underwater scenery, providing another dimension to the countrys’ menu of premium dive sites and island destinations.

The world’s huge divers market includes Japan’s two million dive enthusiasts, which the DoT is targeting.

"We have a distinct advantage in capturing that market because of our rich marine life, wide range of dive attractions and land-based activities, and proximity to Japan," Durano said in explaining the potential of the sport for tourism.

The Philippines is the center of the world’s marine biodiversity, according to Dr. Kent Carpenter, associate professor of Old Dominion University in Virginia, USA.

"The Philippines is also Japan’s nearest tropical neighbor and remains one of the preferred overseas dive destinations among the two million Japanese divers, half of whom travel abroad," Durano explained.

In pursuit of that market, the DoT and its strategic partners — Philippine Tourism Authority and Philippine Airlines — are participating in the Marine Diving Fair (MDF) at the Sunshine City Convention Center in Ikebukuro, Tokyo on April 7-9.

The DoT has received strong private sector support in joining the MDF. This includes the participation of Scubaworld, Amanpulo and Wind and Wave Davao, as well as Tokyo-based Pacific Cebu Resorts and Japan-Philippines Tourism Council.
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RE: april boy, sinabi mo pa LOL!

i really like that jessa girl. i think her voice is sexy :)


sexy?????
thank u doc lang yun!!!!!
:runaway:

Wow! I'm very happy to see our tourism industry finally picking up.
I can't seem to remember any outstanding development like this happen say...three to five years ago.

My only concern is that...prostitution, which has direct relation with tourism can ruin the country's reputation as a wholesome and fun destination. I hope the Philippines won't turn into another Thailand.

sexy?????
thank u doc lang yun!!!!!
:runaway:

you mean her voice was "thank u doc"? hehe! :lol:

^^ i think malayo pa tayo jan.... like sa bora.... pinagdadampot nila ang mga lady at gay prosti sa isla kasi pinuprotektahan ng local police ang pangalan ng naturang isla...

^^they should have included drug users, pushers and snatchers too. seems like they're just magnifying prosti's but not criminals.

Japan picks RP best diving spot in Asia
Link (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=34762)

The Philippines is set to receive an award from the Japanese government for being the best diving destination in Asia, DZMM reported Tuesday.

Philippine Tourism Authority General Manager Robert Dean Barbers said the award is considered a prestigious recognition.

Barbers said the selection system for the best diving destination underwent a very strict process.

He said among of the destinations that Japanese tourists have frequented in the Philippines were the Tubataha Reef in Palawan, the coral reef in Bohol and the beaches of Cebu.

Barbers added that Japanese tourists like to dive in the Philippines because of the sunken galleon ships in the country's waters.


this makes me so proud and happy :)

Hmmmmm?!!!!

Ladyboys naglipana sa Boracay


Nalipana daw ngayong summer ang mga "lady boys" o mga gay prostitutes sa Boracay na nakabihis na pambabae.

Pero bago daw makapagtrabaho, kumukuha muna sila ng medical certificate mula sa local na gobyerno.

Hinahayaan lang ba ito o legal na ba ang sex workers sa isla?

Isa raw sa mga dinarayo sa Boracay ay ang night life dito kung saan din makikita ang mga lady boys sa isla.

Sila si Tanya, Amanda, Sandra, Mikey at Beth. Patok sila sa mga foreigners dahil umano sa kanilang exotic beauty.

Anila, maganda ang kita kaya't kinakagat nila ang trabahong ito.

"Halimbawa pinasok mo itong ganito isang araw lang, short time. Makaka-P3,000 ka na. Buhay ka na ng one week," ayon sa kanila.

Marami sa mga customers nila ay hindi alam na lalaki sila kaya lagi silang may handang gimik.

"Kasi pag nasa hotel na kami sinasabi namin may menstruation kami. Kaya binibigyan na lang namin ng ‘bleep’ pumapayag naman sila,” ayon sa mga gay prostitutes.

May bitbit ding medical certificate ang mga sex workers na ini-isyu sa kanila ng rural health center. Linggo-linggo silang nagpapa-sperm check at blood test kada anim na buwan.

“Kailangan daw may ganito, para halimbawa pumasok sa isang hotel ito ang papakita namin. Nagpapatunay na wala kaming sakit," anila.

Ayon sa provincial hospital, 30 hanggang 50 ang nakatalang bilang ng sex workers sa isla. Pero marami pa umanong hindi rehistrado.

Nilinaw naman ng local government na hindi nangangahulugang ligal ang prostitusyon sa Boracay.

Normal daw ang pag-iisyu ng medical certificate. Maging ang mga nagtratrabaho sa mga hotel at restaurant ay kumukuha rin daw nito.

"As a tourist destination, ‘di natin maiiwasan ang mga ganitong bagay. Part ng tourism yan. Ang importante ma-ko-kontrol natin," ayon kay Mayor Don Cawaling ng Aklan.

"It's not as much as tolerating it's more of accepting their existence and providing the service they need,” dagdag pa niya.

Pursigidong kumita ang mga ladyboys pero may hangganan din daw ang pagbebenta nila ng aliw.

"Hindi naman namin gagawin itong pangmatagalan. Tatanda rin kami. Magsto-stop din pero di lang namin alam kung kailan,” anila.


_________________________________________________________________
And I thought Thailand (Pattaya) is the only place where you can find Ladyboys..hahaha...errrmmm?!!!

Wow! I'm very happy to see our tourism industry finally picking up.
I can't seem to remember any outstanding development like this happen say...three to five years ago.

My only concern is that...prostitution, which has direct relation with tourism can ruin the country's reputation as a wholesome and fun destination. I hope the Philippines won't turn into another Thailand.


sextourism or prostitution tourism can draw considerable amount of tourists but the Philippines should not tolerate that kind of tourism and I'm infavor that prostitution should be hampered. Tourism is about the beauty of the place, hospitality of it's people but not prostitution...

DOT bares plan to attract Russian tourists to RP


CEBU CITY - Philippine Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano said the country's tourism industry is expecting the new Russian tourism market to contribute to the three million target of foreign guests this year while Korea remains on top.

"Mainland China is fast catching up and Japan will always be an important market. Our new markets will be Russia and hopefully, before end of the year, India," Durano said.

Durano was in Cebu to attend the first Tourism Jobs Fair 2006 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino last Wednesday.

He revealed that Russians are interested to visit the country.

"They are just too hot on the Philippines. I was in Moscow and talked to the big travel wholesaler there and it sounded like they were selling the Philippines to me. They were just so excited about the Philippines," he said.

He said the Department of Tourism (DOT) is helping them by "linking" travel agencies in Russia with the "supply chain."

"For example. There are no direct flights now to Russia. We ask them how can we accommodate. What can we do to make it easier? They said it would be good if Asian Spirit, Sea Air, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific will have a GSA (general service agent) in Russia because it will lower their costs," he said.

He said the DOT is also helping "rationalize" visa requirements for Russians visiting the country.

Japanese tourists, also called "the Europeans of Asia," will remain as an important market to the country because they tend to spend "a little bit more" per day, he said.

He added that the country recorded 2.613 million foreign tourist arrivals last year, the highest ever in the 20-year existence of DOT.

He attributed the growth of tourism to the principle of "doing the right things in the right market under the right conditions."

The Philippines is the most cost-efficient tourism promoter in Asian, he said.

"We only spend US$ 2 for every tourist we generate while other countries spend between US$ 10 to 12. Our natural attraction is a draw. We just have to do a little bit more (of promotion), then it's easier to attract them," he said.

To meet its three-million target of foreign tourists with the two-dollar per tourist budget, Durano said the DOT needs to spend US$ 6 million or around P300 million.

"We're so grateful to the President (Arroyo) because she included that increase in the executive budget and it was approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate," he said.

DOT chief urges re-crafting pension policies to cash in on retirees


CEBU CITY - Philippine Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano has urged for the re-crafting of the country's pension policies to comply with the regulations in countries with ageing populations to capture their retirees market.

Durano identified some of the countries with fast ageing population as Japan, Korea and the United States.

He said retirement villages won't be as simple as those for leisure holiday seekers because each market has different regulations when it comes to pension.

Durano was here Wednesday to attend the first tourism Jobs Fair 2006 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

He said the DOT is helping the Philippine Retirement Authority come up with strategies to attract Japanese and overseas Filipino retirees to stay in the country.

"Former Filipinos (those who have opted to give up their Filipino citizenship and have resided overseas) who are stable and are retiring want a second home in the Philippines. In fact, they are already buying properties. They are the ones boosting our real estate industry," he said.

David Paraiso, chairman and director of the Healthcare Coalition Institute of Santa Fe Springs, California said earlier the aging populations of developed states present tremendous opportunities for countries that can provide retirement homes and medical services to retirees.

He had revealed that as of January last year, 36 million people or 12.4 percent of the Untied States' 293 million population are retirees who are aged 65 and up. Of the number, about 372,000 are Filipino-Americans.

He also noted that 24 million or 19 percent of Japan's 127 million population are retirees while over three million or 3.9 percent of the Philippine population of 86 million are retirees.

Rich countries, including Germany, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Australia, Italy and Spain have a total of 126 million retirees, he said.

However, Paraiso said putting up retirement facilities does not only involve construction of houses, but also provision of appropriate health care, food and other needs of retirees.

US-based doctor Bobby Jimenez had noted that the country has good beaches and places for relaxation but lacks quality medical services.

Cebu Investment Promotion Center managing director Joel Mari Yu said the country has to "realign" its standard of medical practice and health insurance system for it to attract foreign retirees like Americans.

But the Philippines itself is facing a looming medical crisis with the exodus of health workers such as doctors and nurses to other countries.

Inquirer Mindanao : Encounters with wildlife at the park

First posted 04:23am (Mla time) April 09, 2006
By Jennifer L. Ramos
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on page A14 of the April 9, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

“BUILD it and they will come.”

The unforgettable line from the movie “Field of Dreams” hit me when I saw the place. Visitors come from the nearby provinces, and even from other areas of Mindanao, such as Davao and Sarangani. The place has also received guests from as far as Luzon.

Since its opening in 2002, the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park (MOAP) has catered to around 5 million guests. What keeps them coming?

A project funded by the provincial government, the MOAP is located in Libertad Bajo, Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental. It is just a 15-minute van ride from nearby Ozamiz City.

The park, just a few meters from the highway, is very accessible, even to commuters. Vans and buses from Dapitan, Dipolog and Oroquieta cities drop guests at the park.

Upon paying an entrance fee of P10, the visitor immediately sees the 3-hectare fishpond that provides fresh tilapia to the park’s restaurant. To the right is the wildlife zoo amid a mangrove forest. To get there, one must cross a quaint bridge, made entirely of bamboo, over a brackish creek which also serves as the oyster farm. Young oysters clump on rows of ropes hanging from horizontal bamboo poles.

Hatchery

A meandering board walk in the cool mangrove forest leads to cages of birds, crocodiles, monitor lizards, monkeys, pythons and civet cats. The majority of the animals were donated by residents from nearby cities and provinces.

Most of the birds are endemic to nearby Mount Malindang.

The zoo has a modest collection of animals, but it still attracts busloads of students from the Lanao provinces and Bukidnon.

Across the forest is the hatchery. It houses aquariums of African mudfish, tilapia, freshwater giant shrimps, and other colorful fish. Fingerlings are sold to private enterprises but are given free to accredited cooperatives and people’s organizations. Some are used to seed the province’s marine and freshwater areas.

Karl Immanoel Aoanan, the park manager, said the facility aims to produce a million fingerlings a day for distribution.

To the right of the hatchery are day cottages, suite rooms, family rooms and dormitories nestled among mangrove trees. The suites have furnishings made from indigenous materials but with modern designs.

Dolphin Island

The restaurant is out in the sea, hidden by mangrove trees. A long walk on a bamboo bridge from the hatchery leads to it. Adjacent is the Ramiro Hall, which can seat around 100 persons.

A few steps from the restaurant is a shaded waiting area and wharf for boats bringing guests to the Dolphin Island, so-called because of several pens housing rescued dolphins. The place, which can be reached in 10 minutes, has been designated and accredited by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources as Marine Rescue Refuge.

Bamboo walks surround the dolphin pens. Adults and children alike delight in catching a glimpse of the dolphins, especially during feeding time at 4 p.m.

Janice Salvador, the park’s assistant operations manager, said the pens sheltered four dolphins, which were turned over by fishermen who accidentally caught them in their nets.

Salvador said veterinarians from the Provincial Veterinary’s Office regularly visited the island to give medical attention to the dolphins.

Dolphin Island is just a sandbar visible during low tide. All the structures and facilities spread over the shallow sea are supported by concrete pillars. Its grandstand can seat around 500 people.

In front is a big pen enclosed by nets. Almost the size of an Olympic swimming pool, guests can swim with a marine turtle, snorkel or feed the fish.

The island’s other attractions are several snorkeling and dive sites, the most popular of which is the Takup Point where divers interact with sea turtles and black tip sharks. One can also go kayaking or visit the giant clam farm.

The MOAP is not just another resort. Gov. Loreto Leo Ocampos conceptualized the project, which aimed to increase aquaculture production, protect and rehabilitate the environment, and promote eco-tourism.

The MOAP is one of this year’s Galing Pook awardees for most outstanding program under the category of innovations in local governance.

(The author is the former provincial legal officer of Sarangani. Taking a respite from her law practice, she is now into “therapeutic” writing.)

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=2&story_id=72150&col=40

Infobytes:

Its really common here in the philippines that grand prizes of some raffle promos are trips abroad be it HK, USA, EU, or AUS.

But don't you know that there are also countries that offers Philippine destinations as their prizes? And you guessed it right, one is Korea, the other is Taiwan. And the featured destinations are usually Cebu, Manila, Boracay, Palawan or Davao. [from te wires]

Inquirer Visayas : Pilgrimage traditions in Guimaras

First posted 00:13am (Mla time) April 08, 2006
By Jo Martinez-Clemente
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on Page A19 of the April 8, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

EVEN those from faraway Finland have come to Guimaras Island for the Holy Week.

Last year, Timo Sahja and Sonja Malinen, psychiatric nurses from the Scandinavian country, set out to explore Southeast Asia. They made it a point to watch the passion play, “Ang Pagtaltal,” and to go through the Stations of the Cross on the Balaan Bukid, in Jordan, the capital town of Guimaras.

They said they learned about the events from the website of the “Lonely Planet.”

Balaan Bukid is Ilonggo for “Holy Mountain,” while “Pagtaltal,” another Ilonggo word, means “to remove.” In the context of the Lenten play, the terms mean “removing the body of Christ from the Cross.”

This season, “Ang Pagtaltal” runs its 31st year, while Balaan Bukid marks 51 years as a pilgrim site.

Do miracles happen in Balaan Bukid?

Jordan parish priest Jose Manuel Escanlar says the Roman Catholic Church has yet to receive any document or information of miracle claims for investigation
or study. Even so, Escanlar says “the silent conversion of a people enlightened by their pilgrimages to the shrine that is now enjoying the fruits of their conversion is the modern-day miracle.”

“And I pray that there will be more miracles of this kind,” he says.

Mang Quiling

“Ang Pagtaltal,” a community endeavor that tells the story of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, made its debut in 1979. The stage play was conceptualized, written and directed by Aquilino Secuzana, locally known as Mang Quiling.

Secuzana says the maiden presentation was a mime—no dialogues, just simple acting. “It was a success and the people liked it so that the following year, we improved on it and started to put in the dialogues and the costumes.”

Through the years, play performance evolved. Technology and the influx of foreign visitors prompted the organizers to pre-tape dialogues in the vernacular but with English translations flashed on a wide screen.

The cast includes ordinary residents—tricycle drivers, policemen, housewives and farmers. In contrast, the audience has top honchos of the government and private corporations, and diplomats.

What sets “Ang Pagtaltal” apart from other passion plays presented across the country?

In Jordan, a pilgrim or plain tourist is moved back in time. For one, the actors wear Roman costumes that match the island’s ambience.

From the amphitheater, where the play is staged, the actors and the spectators move to the streets, following Christ as he carries his cross to a hill. The Roman guards who line the streets are led by a soldier on horseback.

Mt. Golgotha is a mound now fenced and maintained by the municipal government for the yearly event. And when Christ is put on the cross between two thieves in that mound, the scene is picture perfect.

Despite the hordes of people that follow the play to the hill, silence reigns. The people solemnly watch, pray and remember that Good Friday when Jesus died.

Balaan Bukid

On Thursday afternoon or earlier, pilgrims and islanders follow the Stations of the Cross through Balaan Bukid.

There are two routes to the place. One is the original path taken by Mill Hill priest, Rev. Fr. Bargil Pixner, OSB, and Crisogono Domingo when they first searched the area 51 years ago to look for a site to shelter a statue of Mary and the Child Jesus.

From a boat in the Bongolan Bay, the pilgrims trek up the mountains, passing by the Stations of the Cross and their life-size statues. The original installations were made by patients of a leprosarium in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo where Pixner served as chaplain. They were later replaced by another set coming from Spain.

The other way is a one-hour trek from the heart of Barangay Balcon Melliza. Climbing is less tedious as the mountain slopes are not as steep. The Stations of the Cross are simple, laminated color pictures mounted on huge trees or stonewalls.

There are concrete pews to kneel on. Some portions of the route are lined with calachuchi trees, which are abloom with fragrant white flowers this time of the year.

On top of the Balaan Bukid is the Ave Maria Shrine.

According to one account, the Holy Week tradition arose from a “panaad” or promise made by Domingo when he and his wife Candelaria, together with some leprosy patients, fled from Japanese forces to Panay during World War II.

The Japanese learned about their escape and started shooting the lepers. It was then that Crisogono made the promise to Mary to give her a gift if they survived.

After the war, Domingo sought out Pixner to help him fulfill his promise. The priest suggested that since he had a natural flair for the arts, he should carve a statue of Mary with a Child.

Crisogono first made a small statue model, which, according to the story, was brought to the Mill Hill House at Slingerlands in Albany, New York by Pixner. The bigger statue was later produced and blessed by the Spanish Cardinal Quiroga, who was then visiting the Diocese of Jaro.

Then Jaro Archbishop Jose Ma. Cuenco issued a decree declaring May 1 as “Pilgrimage Day” to Balaan Bukid. In time, though, the site became a pilgrimage destination during Holy Week.

When Guimaras became a separate province, the care of the shrine was entrusted to the Jordan parish.


Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

^^ meron din sa wheel of fortune(USA)... and guess where? sa shangri-la mactan... na shock nga ako nung makita ko ung shangri-la.... and i was happy too....

Resort boom exacting toll on Boracay Island

First posted 05:15am (Mla time) April 10, 2006
By Hazel P. Villa
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on page A17 of the Apr. 10, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


ILOILO CITY -- Thousands of construction workers employed by big resorts are taxing the carrying capacity of the famed Boracay Island that can pose problems in terms of services, according to an official of the Department of Tourism in Western Visayas (DoT-6).

Edwin Trompeta, DoT-6 director, said Boracay's carrying capacity is affected by people who have no business staying there.

These include carpenters and construction workers from the cities of Cebu and Iloilo who work for a time and opt to permanently stay on the island, he added.

"Construction workers staying in Boracay and not going home is an additional problem on the island in terms of services, housing, lighting, and use of facilities as well as peace and order," he said.

Demographers define carrying capacity as the maximum "load" that people and their needs can safely impose on the environment.

Trompeta expressed concern on the more than 2,000 construction workers of Shangri-La Hotel, which is now constructing a P2.2-billion project as well as the international resort company Discovery Shore that will begin construction at the main beach area near Station 1.

"One-fourth of these construction workers who do not go home would be an additional problem on the island," said Trompeta.

Contrary to common belief, he said the tourists are not the ones who tax the island's carrying capacity because they only come on a seasonal basis.

He cited the case of Fairways and Bluewaters Resort that began construction in the late 1990s and employed about 3,000 workers at any given time, most of whom decided to stay for good and make a living in Boracay.

Trompeta said there was no system of controlling construction workers in Boracay who did not even have identification cards from the companies they were working with.

The lack of a Tourism Development Authority (TDA) hampers the regulation of development on the island because the activities of these groups are not coordinated, he added.

Trompeta had proposed the creation of the TDA in 2001, which would "manage, operate, control, plan, and implement the regulations on the island just like the Subic Bay Development Authority."

"Until we get that authority in there, I have doubts about the sustainability of the island," said Trompeta who said he pitched the idea to business groups and Aklan's leaders, but was ignored.

DISCOVERY SHORE? ITO BA YUNG NAFEATURE DATI SA MGB NG ABS-CBN?

.5-M foreign visitors set new RP tourism record
First posted 05:45am (Mla time) April 10, 2006
By Jerome Aning
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on page A10 of the Apr. 10, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


A RECORD half-million foreign visitors arrived in the Philippines during the first quarter of the year, according to the Department of Tourism.

Visitors in January and February, traditionally considered lean months following the Christmas holiday season, rose by 17 percent with 420,375 inbound tourists coming to the country, the DoT said.

Preliminary figures for March indicated that arrivals would surpass 80,000, setting a new first quarter arrival record, DoT assistant secretary for tourism planning and promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr. said in a phone interview.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano first announced the 17-percent increase last Thursday during the opening of the 1st Tourism Job Fair in Manila.

"We are confident that we will reach, if not surpass, our 3 million foreign tourist arrivals for this year," Durano said.

South Koreans were the largest group, making up 21.6 percent of total arrivals or 106,261 visitors. Americans followed with 19.9 percent or 97,714 tourists. Next came the Japanese with 15.5 percent or 76,402 arrivals.

Tourist destinations around the world benefited from Korean tourists, whose numbers passed the 10 million-mark for the first time last year. About three-fourths of Korean travelers visited Asian countries mostly during the months of July and August.

This led the Bangkok-based Pacific Asia Travel Association to label South Korea as the world's latest "tourism superpower."

Meanwhile, DoT's main market, mainland China, ranked fifth in terms of volume, accounting for 23,227 arrivals in the first two months. However, China topped all markets in terms of growth rate, posting a 162.9 percent over the same period last year.

Durano stressed the need to expand the country's tourism infrastructure, particularly room accommodations, for the expected influx of foreign visitors.

He said the country was beginning to reap the fruits of its specific-market approach in promoting Philippine tourism overseas.

^^ GOOD NEWS INDEED! I HOPE SEN.GORDON'S TOURISM BILL WILL PUSH THROUGH!

^^ i hope it will not :D

^^ Why?

^^ Gordon's Tourism Philippines is purportedly to strengthen the tourism industry. But before they pass it, they have to change some provisions of it.

One key objection by the Hotel, Resorts and Restaurants Association of Cebu (HRRAC) is the collection of a tourism fee of $5 per day/night on top of the rack rates for all hotels. Certainly the tourists paying top dollar at the Mactan Island Shangri-la Resort, Hilton Resort, or Plantation Bay wouldn’t mind paying that fee, but to a downtown hotel that sounds pretty steep. They could end up losing clients altogether.

oh.. really... yeah that would really hurt the budget hotels... it would be harder for backpackers to look for cheap beds or hostels here if that happens... I am a member of travellerspoint.com which is a site where you can find cheap or budget hotels in major cities around the globe that offer beds ranging from $5-$20 per night per head... if a $5 fee is added.. our hotels wouldn't be able to give cheaper fees... I hope Gordon's bill would consider maybe charging a rate depending on the star level of hotels...

^^^that's right the additional charge should depend on the level of the hotel!
.5 million visitors for the 1st quarter is a good news!

Philippines Promotes Davao City As Tourist Destination


DAVAO CITY, April 10 Asia Pulse - The Department of Tourism (DoT) has strengthened the promotion of the city as one of the top destinations in the country this year.

Susan del Mundo, Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC) head, said there is already an order from Tourism Secretary Ace Durano to include Davao City as a major focus in the Philippine tourism promotion.
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Del Mundo said as a starting point, Durano has ordered the country's foreign attache to include the city in the invitation of program for foreign visitors.

She said this means Davao City will be one of the places that tourists would go once they come to the country. The invitations would be sent to foreign media, tour operators and tourists particularly in Japan, South Korea and China.

Davao City is considered as one of the premiere destinations in the country along with Boracay, Cebu, Bohol and Palawan.

Also, Del Mundo said the city is among the places chosen for DOTs Global Classroom for Peace program, which aims to invite over 100 teachers from the United States of America to come over to the country and interact with local teachers and students.

She said they are particularly targeting public schools and schools where indigenous peoples attend. The foreign teachers could also teach in the chosen schools.

The DoT is targeting to invite every month 10 teachers who would stay for nine days.

"The more interesting part about it is the documentation of the American educators visit which would be shown in the top-rated show of Oprah Winfrey in September," Del Mundo said.

In April 9-10 this year, an advance team will come to conduct an inspection and then the crew will follow for the documentation, Del Mundo added.

Del Mundo, along with other local business leaders, organized the recently concluded 1st Tourism Jobs Fair at NCCC Mall here.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/060410/3/yjwh.html

Holy Week alternative at Mt. Pulag

By Abe Almirol

HOLY Week for the not-so-religious can be boring, but spending some time atop Mt. Pulag can just be as soul-cleansing as other traditional practices of Filipino Catholics.

Mt. Pulag, which stands 2,290 meters above sea level, is the second-highest peak in the country and has become one of the favorite destinations of mountaineers during the Holy Week season.

Most climbers take the easy route via Kabayan, Benguet where they can billet themselves at a Forest Ranger Station for a night.

But more adventurous types prefer the route from Ambaguio, Nueva Vizcaya where they can traverse slim trails, view wonderful waterfalls, grasslands and a mossy forest featuring dwarfed plants that have become the envy of bonsai collectors.

The Nueva Vizcaya Mountaineering Club (NVMC) and the Sang-at Salug Outdoor Club (SSOC) will cosponsor this year’s Holy Week climb. Sang-at means ascend while Salug means descend in the Ilocano language.

“We intend to mix spiritual goals with a practical mission to promote our advocacy for a balanced ecology among communities living near the Mt. Pulag Protected Area,” says Leo Garlitos, who heads NVMC.

“Spending the night at the peak, although strenuous due to extreme coldness, would pay you back hundredfold when the sun would break the grayness of dawn to reveal the multiple colors of nature,” says writer Gene Basilio Jr.

“As we enjoin others to be part of this natural gift, we have learned from previous mistakes of leading more than 100 people in a single climb. This caused severe damage to the sensitive state of slim trails along the mossy forest. This year, we will allow only 25 climbers up in one trip,” Basilio noted.

Avelino Felipe, an amateur photographer and an overseas Filipino worker who decided to stay here for good, enjoyed more the scenic waterfalls along the trail than the view of the peak. “It looks ordinary to me because I often see that familiar scene aboard an early morning airbus flight. The waterfalls, which I estimate to be more than 100 meters high, are really captivating,” he declares. He is also fascinated by the natural bonsai bamboos. High altitude makes a rare bamboo species grow only 6-12 inches tall.

Each climber is required to carry a black thrash bag to be able to collect plastic garbage along the way.

This year, the group will take the Balite trail which traverses the boundary of Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya up to Barangay Napo of Ambaguio town at the foot of the mountain.

In the past, the group took the trail to Barangay Babadak in Kabayan, Benguet which traverses the Asipulo, Ifugao and Kabayan, Benguet border.

At every stop, the mountaineers will interact with villagers to say something about their advocacy and why they are there. The two clubs have established friendship with Barangay Captain Roy Guindayan of Napo, a Protected Area Management Board (PAMB)- accredited tour guide.

Kate Acpal, acting tourism officer of the provincial government of Nueva Vizcaya, believes the Mt. Pulag circuit is one of the most potential destinations.

Luckily, an enterprising European shipping magnate married to a Filipina invested to help promote this circuit. Highlander Hotel, the latest to be established and probably the best in Nueva Vizcaya, stands along the Cagayan Valley National Highway, right at junction leading to the gateway to Mt. Pulag.

Victory Liner and Baliwag Transit now offer luxury bus trips to Cagayan Valley day and night and there’s a bus stop right at the doorstep of Highlander Hotel.

Backpackers will want to try a habal-habal or motorcycle ride to Poblacion, Ambaguio. This is now possible after the construction of a bridge crossing the Matuno River, a destination in itself for white water rafting enthusiasts.

From the Poblacion of Ambaguio, the long trek to the peak of Mt. Pulag will take 16-24 hours depending on the pace and stops.

Philippines Targets 3 MLN Foreign Tourist Arrivals This Year

CEBU CITY, April 12 Asia Pulse - The Department of Tourism (DOT) is targeting three million foreign tourist arrivals this year amid the positive outlook in the country's tourism industry.

Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano noted that the Philippines had registered double-digit growth for the past two years as far as foreign tourists are concerned.
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Foreign visitors rose from 2.29 million in 2004 to 2.613 million in 2005, generating US$2.12 billion in dollar receipts.

DOT records also showed growth in tourist arrivals from all key regions of the world.

East Asia registered 15 per cent growth while arrivals from south Asia and the Middle East posted rose by13.9 per cent and 18.2 per cent, respectively.

The other regions that registered increased arrivals include North America (10.7 per cent), South America (13.2 per cent), Western Europe (12.2 per cent), Northern Europe (13.8 per cent), Southern Europe (14.3 per cent) and Eastern Europe (161.5 per cent).

This year is also promising as foreign visitors grew considerably, Durano said.

"We have registered 17 per cent growth for the first two months this year. Even before the end of the quarter, we exceeded 500,000 foreign tourists," he pointed out.

However, the country could not attract as much tourists as it would like because of limited accommodation, he said.

According to Durano, the department is targeting three million because this is the country's current capacity.

"We have to encourage the tourism industry to invest and increase this capacity to accommodate our target of five million arrivals in 2010," Durano said.


http://au.news.yahoo.com/060412/3/ykpy.html

Yeah, they know more about Thailand and Vietnam since millions of Germans spend their vacations there every year and even live there. Malaysia and Singapore is also well known for investment and business. But Filipinos in Germany, despite their large number, have a small impact. Unlike those in the US or Italy.

That's because a lot of Filipino's tend to huddle up... Even the Philippine School here in Doha would not accept non-Filipino students. I think it would be best for us to mix other people wherever we find ourselves in. I did, I now have more S. African, Canadian, American, Indian, Nepali, Sri Lankan, Singaporean, British and Aussie friends as compared to Filipino friends. The result... they are starting to ask about the Philippines.

if i would be the tourism secretary, i could make the tourist arrivals at 5M this year.. its about time to advertise on cnn and bbc world..

RP tourist spots better than others, says Chinese envoy

By Volt Contreras
Inquirer



THE Philippines’ tourist attractions top those in two wealthier Southeast Asian nations, according to the top Chinese diplomat in Manila.

“In my view, the Philippines has richer tourism resources than Malaysia and Singapore,” said Ambassador Li Jinjun last week at a forum exploring the future of RP-Sino relations in view of China’s emergence as an economic giant to rival the United States and Japan.

Relatively small

Li, who was assigned to Manila last November, noted that Chinese tourists to the Philippines totaled 100,000 last year, twice the number that came in 2004.

This, however, is still a ”relatively small” chunk of the 32 million Chinese citizens who travel abroad each year and is also lower than the number of Chinese who visit other countries in the region, he said. Last year, for example, 1.5 million Chinese visited Thailand and 800,000 went to Singapore.

Grow rapidly

“If the number of Chinese tourists coming to the Philippines reaches one million and each tourist spends 1,000 dollars, it will add one billion dollars to the income of the Philippines,” he said.

Speaking at the forum organized by the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations, Li said he believes the volume of Chinese visitors to the country will grow rapidly in the next few years since tourism is among the key areas of cooperation between Beijing and Manila.

The other areas are in the fields of trade, agriculture, infrastructure development, and investment, Li said in remarks later posted on the Chinese embassy website.

RP-Sino trade

“The Chinese government is now carrying out active research and encouraging Chinese enterprises to expand their investments in the Philippines. We will promote investments not only in large-scale cooperative projects, but also in middle-scale and small-scale projects. We will expand the fields of investment cooperation,” he said.

The volume of RP-Sino trade is expected to exceed 20 billion dollars this year, and “if we can make joint efforts to tap into the full potential of our bilateral trade, it will be quite possible to achieve the 2010 goal of 30 billion dollars ahead of time,” Li said.

Infrastructure construction

The diplomat said his country could also help the Philippines solve the “problem of food shortage” by expanding cooperation in the production and processing of hybrid rice and corn, coconut products and vegetables.

China will also continue to support infrastructure construction in the Philippines “as far as our capacity allows,” he said, citing as an example the NorthRail project which is funded by a 900-million-dollar Chinese loan.

http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=1&story_id=72525

duh

^^ Hey that is already posted.

China confers favored destination status on RP
By Ferdinand Fabella

The People's Republic of China has granted the Philippines an “Approved Destination Status,” making it a preferred destination for Chinese tourists, an official said yesterday.

Philippine consul general to Xiamen Emelinda Lee Pineda said approval of the Philippines’ application for the status would increase the number of Chinese tourists visiting the country.

China is the Philippines’ fastest growing tourist market, sending 36,203 tourists here in the 11 months to November 2004 compared with 29,093 in the same 2003 period.

The tourism department expects more Chinese tourists to visit this year.

The Chinese government developed the Approved Destination Status to establish an orderly system of travel abroad for its citizens.

The system is based on a bilateral agreement with a foreign government, and it ensures that Chinese tourists no longer need direct contacts with the foreign embassies and consulates of the signatory country to secure a visa. Official outbound travel agents authorized by the China National Tourism Administration handle all visa applications.

China has granted Approved Destination Status to over 100 countries, where Chinese travelers may travel freely. Chinese tourists are normally restricted in their travel in countries without the status.

Pineda said she has met with travel and tour agents in Xiamen, and was assured they would organize special and package tours to the Philippines.

The Philippine Consulate in Xiamen issues 20,000 tourists visas a year, and mainly to Chinese visiting their relatives in Manila.

“Both adult and young Chinese women could now be drawn to visit the Philippines to relax and shop,” she said.

RP tourist spots better than others, says Chinese envoy
By Volt Contreras April 12, 2006

The Philippines’ tourist attractions top those in two wealthier Southeast Asian nations, according to the top Chinese diplomat in Manila.

“In my view, the Philippines has richer tourism resources than Malaysia and Singapore,” said Ambassador Li Jinjun last week at a forum exploring the future of RP-Sino relations in view of China’s emergence as an economic giant to rival the United States and Japan.

Relatively small

Li, who was assigned to Manila last November, noted that Chinese tourists to the Philippines totaled 100,000 last year, twice the number that came in 2004.

This, however, is still a ”relatively small” chunk of the 32 million Chinese citizens who travel abroad each year and is also lower than the number of Chinese who visit other countries in the region, he said. Last year, for example, 1.5 million Chinese visited Thailand and 800,000 went to Singapore.

Growing rapidly

“If the number of Chinese tourists coming to the Philippines reaches one million and each tourist spends 1,000 dollars, it will add one billion dollars to the income of the Philippines,” he said.

Speaking at the forum organized by the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations, Li said he believes the volume of Chinese visitors to the country will grow rapidly in the next few years since tourism is among the key areas of cooperation between Beijing and Manila.

The other areas are in the fields of trade, agriculture, infrastructure development, and investment, Li said in remarks later posted on the Chinese embassy website.

RP-Sino trade

“The Chinese government is now carrying out active research and encouraging Chinese enterprises to expand their investments in the Philippines. We will promote investments not only in large-scale cooperative projects, but also in middle-scale and small-scale projects. We will expand the fields of investment cooperation,” he said.

The volume of RP-Sino trade is expected to exceed 20 billion dollars this year, and “if we can make joint efforts to tap into the full potential of our bilateral trade, it will be quite possible to achieve the 2010 goal of 30 billion dollars ahead of time,” Li said.

Infrastructure construction

The diplomat said his country could also help the Philippines solve the “problem of food shortage” by expanding cooperation in the production and processing of hybrid rice and corn, coconut products and vegetables.

China will also continue to support infrastructure construction in the Philippines “as far as our capacity allows,” he said, citing as an example the NorthRail project which is funded by a 900-million-dollar Chinese loan.

And I quote Dr. Zialcita...

"But isn't Prince Charles merely saying what we all have been saying? And there was the actress Claire Danes who complained about Manila being a city of cripples and rats.

Why indeed would investors and tourists come?

We should send statements like this to the City and to the Palace."

Prince Charles on Manila: ‘Awful, filthy, smelly’
First posted 11:18pm (Mla time) Mar 25, 2006
By Anton San Diego
Inquirer

MUST-WATCH TV SERIES— “Grey’s Anatomy.” I am through being “desperate” and “lost.” For me, the most exciting TV series in the world is “Grey’s Anatomy.” A consistent top-10 rater in the US, “Grey’s Anatomy” is about five surgical interns—their lives, heartbreaks and medical challenges. It’s a cross between “ER” (less serious), “Sex and the City”/“Ally McBeal,” and Scrubs (less slapstick). You will definitely fall in love with the characters —ice queen Cristina (Sandra Oh); ex-model Izzie (Katherine Heigl); nerdy but likeable George (T.R. Knight); arrogant ladies man Alex (Justin Chambers); and the show’s namesake, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo).

And, of course, there’s Dr. McDreamy Derek Shepherd played by ’80s teen heartthrob Patrick Dempsey, who, like Teri Hatcher, is enjoying a career revival. The character is the love interest of Meredith, and although Dempsey has matured, he still retains that JFK Jr. appeal that has made women feel weak in the knees.

Great news! Star World and Studio 23 is picking up the series and will be premiering it soon. Don’t miss this one, it’s totally addicting.

Stepping out. More than 10 years ago, Sofia Elizalde opened a dance studio in a small bungalow in Bel-Air Village and named it Steps Dance Studio. Since then, it has established a solid reputation as one of the most dynamic, innovative and creative studios in town, thanks to its superb facilities, trained instructors and the personal touch of the owner, of course!

For summer, the studio is offering an array of dance styles from jazz, modern dance, ballet, tap, street dance and the very popular hot dance, the exercise du jour flamenco. For more inquiries, call 7572984.

Prince Charles’ private journals. The controversial diary of Prince Charles has been published and is causing quite a stir all over the world. The diary, which lists his thoughts during the Hong Kong handover in 1997, titled “The Great Chinese Takeaway,” describes Chinese leaders as “appalling old waxworks.” Written during his 14-hour trip back to the UK, he questions why he was riding business and not first class. “It took me some time to realize that this was not first class, although it puzzled me as to why the seat seemed so uncomfortable.”

When he found out that other dignitaries on the British Airways flight were riding first class, he wrote, “Such is the end of Empire, I sighed to myself.” The Prince is suing the tabloid who leaked it to the public saying that he is “entitled to his privacy like any person.”

But hasn’t he learned that he is not like the rest of us? He should take the cue from his mother, Queen Elizabeth, who does not comment on anything and is a great role model when it comes to “royal duties.”

If he was going to be this vocal, he should have done it way back before he married the late Princess Diana, and we know how that ended up.

The journal opens the public’s eyes on his sincerity—is he a bigot and a racist? Everyone is entitled to one’s opinion, but someone with his stature and with the overworked spin doctors who try to make him and his soulmate Camilla acceptable must be beyond reproach.

Lastly, our city was not spared in the journal when he called Manila “an awful, smelly polluted harbor absolutely clogged with filth and rubbish.” I think it’s time for William to take over—he might have the same sentiments (who knows with the powerful and wealthy) but at least we can forgive him since he looks royal and handsome.

E-mail the author at antonsd@philtatler.com

^^ seems to me we are too sensitive, it's a description which is quite accurate. I don't read any malice in that statement, it's the same impression of many other visitors to Manila. Of course I've not seen the whole entry so maybe it's taken out of context but in general I see no reason to get excited over it. Even our own forumers have this opinion!

The Gordon Bill is very important, I've not seen the exact text but think the 5$ surcharge accross the board is taken out of context. I'm sure it applies to international tourist type hotels similar in the sense that if you get a room in shangrila you are charged a local rate different from the rack rate. What Gordon is trying to do here is raise enough money for the department such that it has the capability to launch an actual marketing campaign and the like and put the PTA which has all the money under the Secretary of Tourism.

Puerto Galera sets record-high arrivals


The resort town of Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro posted an unprecedented 82 percent increase in tourist arrivals in 2005 with a total of 3.1 million for both local and foreign tourists, compared to 2004’s 1.7 million.

According to Mayor Aristeo Atienza, the figure was based from hotel occupancy and manifestos of ferry services plying the Batangas City-Puerto Galera route.

In line with this, he said that the municipal government is undertaking measures to instill the "culture of tourism" among the townsfolk, especially with the onset of the summer season.

He added that the municipal tourism office has been conducting a series of refresher courses for tourism frontliners such as resort owners, restaurateurs, masseurs, boatmen, and tourist guides, among others.

In addition, Atienza revealed that the local government and the Sangguniang Bayan are putting in place priority measures to support the burgeoning tourism industry, which is the town’s major source of income.

All of these efforts, he said, are geared towards attaining world-class tourism for the resort town.

Puerto Galera boasts of a host of fine sand beaches, scattered in various coves. Aside from beaches, the town is also home to other attractions and activities to cater to different preferences of tourists. These include the Tamaraw Falls, the mountain-top Ponderosa Golf Course, the Excavation Museum which houses antique Chinaware, and the Mangyan Village.

Puerto Galera literally means "port of galleons" as it has provided a secluded harbor and a safe refuge during storms to seafarers throughout the centuries.

In the 1970s, the town was declared as a "Man and Biosphere Reserve" program of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2006041561441.html

Puerto Galera sets record-high arrivals
The resort town of Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro posted an unprecedented 82 percent increase in tourist arrivals in 2005 with a total of 3.1 million for both local and foreign tourists, compared to 2004’s 1.7 million.

According to Mayor Aristeo Atienza, the figure was based from hotel occupancy and manifestos of ferry services plying the Batangas City-Puerto Galera route.

In line with this, he said that the municipal government is undertaking measures to instill the "culture of tourism" among the townsfolk, especially with the onset of the summer season.

He added that the municipal tourism office has been conducting a series of refresher courses for tourism frontliners such as resort owners, restaurateurs, masseurs, boatmen, and tourist guides, among others.

In addition, Atienza revealed that the local government and the Sangguniang Bayan are putting in place priority measures to support the burgeoning tourism industry, which is the town’s major source of income.

All of these efforts, he said, are geared towards attaining world-class tourism for the resort town.

Puerto Galera boasts of a host of fine sand beaches, scattered in various coves. Aside from beaches, the town is also home to other attractions and activities to cater to different preferences of tourists. These include the Tamaraw Falls, the mountain-top Ponderosa Golf Course, the Excavation Museum which houses antique Chinaware, and the Mangyan Village.

Puerto Galera literally means "port of galleons" as it has provided a secluded harbor and a safe refuge during storms to seafarers throughout the centuries.

In the 1970s, the town was declared as a "Man and Biosphere Reserve" program of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2006041561441.html

very impressive .. It's just now that I've learned the tourism industry in Oriental Midoro is that massive

RP tourist spots better than others, says Chinese envoy
By Volt Contreras April 12, 2006

The Philippines’ tourist attractions top those in two wealthier Southeast Asian nations, according to the top Chinese diplomat in Manila.

“In my view, the Philippines has richer tourism resources than Malaysia and Singapore,” said Ambassador Li Jinjun last week at a forum exploring the future of RP-Sino relations in view of China’s emergence as an economic giant to rival the United States and Japan.

Relatively small

Li, who was assigned to Manila last November, noted that Chinese tourists to the Philippines totaled 100,000 last year, twice the number that came in 2004.

This, however, is still a ”relatively small” chunk of the 32 million Chinese citizens who travel abroad each year and is also lower than the number of Chinese who visit other countries in the region, he said. Last year, for example, 1.5 million Chinese visited Thailand and 800,000 went to Singapore.

Growing rapidly

“If the number of Chinese tourists coming to the Philippines reaches one million and each tourist spends 1,000 dollars, it will add one billion dollars to the income of the Philippines,” he said.

Speaking at the forum organized by the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations, Li said he believes the volume of Chinese visitors to the country will grow rapidly in the next few years since tourism is among the key areas of cooperation between Beijing and Manila.

The other areas are in the fields of trade, agriculture, infrastructure development, and investment, Li said in remarks later posted on the Chinese embassy website.

RP-Sino trade

“The Chinese government is now carrying out active research and encouraging Chinese enterprises to expand their investments in the Philippines. We will promote investments not only in large-scale cooperative projects, but also in middle-scale and small-scale projects. We will expand the fields of investment cooperation,” he said.

The volume of RP-Sino trade is expected to exceed 20 billion dollars this year, and “if we can make joint efforts to tap into the full potential of our bilateral trade, it will be quite possible to achieve the 2010 goal of 30 billion dollars ahead of time,” Li said.

Infrastructure construction

The diplomat said his country could also help the Philippines solve the “problem of food shortage” by expanding cooperation in the production and processing of hybrid rice and corn, coconut products and vegetables.

China will also continue to support infrastructure construction in the Philippines “as far as our capacity allows,” he said, citing as an example the NorthRail project which is funded by a 900-million-dollar Chinese loan.

We're missing the boat to China!
32 million Chinese who travelled overseas and only 100,000 went to RP!
Paging DOT Secretary. We should concentrate on key niche markets like China and other east Asian nations like Japan, Korea and Taiwan. :)

very impressive .. It's just now that I've learned the tourism industry in Oriental Midoro is that massive


hehe Puerto Galera was the original boracay. Lot's of buzz in the independent traveller circuit, lots of foreigners settling there with rich folk like the zobels building homes there. But sometime in the 80's it lost it's luster, and there were lots of troubles with prostitution,drugs, and the like. Through it all it's always been popular. NOt as well known as Boracay but it's there. And now it's just a few hours away from makati, if you can catch the 8am ferry you're on the beach by 9am on a sat. and be back for lunch in manila by sunday. It's that convenient.

Have you guys heard of Bantayan island? what about Malapascua island? or Badian island? sounds foreign to you? :)

Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island, Cebu
Photos posted by Sugbuanon

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/5760/bantayan0219xs.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/4327/bantayan0395og.jpg

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/4586/bantayan0459ed.jpg

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/9922/bantayan0478hs.jpg

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/6659/bantayan0599xq.jpg

Link: More photos (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=338852&page=1&pp=20)

by the way, Malapascua is twice as much beautiful than Bantayan island. imagine that. :cool: think about it... we have beautiful beaches such as these but we're way behind Phuket and Bali. :( Cebu island has been consistently included on the top/best ten islands in Asia and Indian Ocean for several years already (Conde Naste) but is this enough?

WOW, AMAZING!
In Cebu right? Magkano kaya ang budget para makapunta dyan?

from Cebu City, round trip fair costs about P600 lang daw according to them. resort room rates around P500-P1500++. it's a very affordable destination and we have tons of it throughout the Philippines (not just beaches). tourist spots here need effective marketing strategy and improvement of tourism facilities & infrastructure.

kailangan mag-ipon para dyan. sarap siguro mag scuba diving dyan. i want to try scuba diving.
Anyone into scuba diving?

We're missing the boat to China!
32 million Chinese who travelled overseas and only 100,000 went to RP!
Paging DOT Secretary. We should concentrate on key niche markets like China and other east Asian nations like Japan, Korea and Taiwan. :)

THEY ARE!That is why there are a lot of Philippine tourist envoys promoting our coubtry in tourist expostion in Asian and Russian countries.

Camarines town evolving into tourist spot

By Juan Escandor Jr.
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on page A23 of the April 16, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

CALABANGA, Camarines Sur—Owing to its rich religious culture and famous image of Amang Hinulid (Holy Sepulcher) that is believed to be miraculous, this town enjoys an influx of thousands of tourists during the Lenten Week.

The crowd drawer is the Amang Hinulid, which thousands of devotees from different parts of the country visit from Maundy Thursday to Good Friday.

During the two-day Lenten holiday alone, the continuous flow of thousands of barefoot pilgrims, walking shoulder-to-shoulder along the national road 20 km from Naga City going to and out of this town, is a sight to see.

The Amang Hinulid has earned popularity among its devotees through word-to-mouth accounts of miracles since the 19th century.

Undocumented accounts of the image's apparition and healing powers are numerous.

Aside from the famous image of Amang Hinulid, the colorful mix of combined pagan rituals and modern-day art forms practiced every year on Lenten week makes an interesting discovery.would witness the pagan ritual of cleansing performed by hooded male and female penitents in groups of five.

The hooded shirtless male penitents-adorned with leaves, flowers and ringlets made of crawling wild flowering vine cadena-de-amor-make their rhythmic moves in the streets of the town towards the sea to bathe, a cleansing ritual rooted from their ancestors.

While the hooded male penitents do the act of penance by flogging their backs with chains and bamboo whip, the hooded women penitents called "sayos" make their rounds around town, asking for alms that they donate to the church.

Dressed in black and face covered, the sayos' identities are mysteriously concealed from the public as they ask alms in favor of the Church on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday to pay for their sins.

Unlike in other places in Bicol, the vanishing practice of pabasa or the oral Bicol chant of the Passion of Christ performed for 24 hours is still a dominant practice in numerous houses here beginning Holy Wednesday to Maundy Thursday.

Thirteen years ago, another Holy Week event came into being, which has now become a tradition here through years of religious observance.

It is becoming the second crowd drawer of this town during the Lenten week.

In this Bicol town, the "Stations of the Cross" is a tableaux of costumed live mannequins performing the scenes from the "Garden of Gethsemane" to "Jesus' Crucifixion."

The interactive street play of the "Passion of Christ," which is performed as an alternative to the "Seven Last Words" Mass, has been engaging since a group of parishioners, which a former parish priest led, initiated the tradition.

Involving a cast of at least 100 performers, the street play is staged in several locations in the town and runs for 17 hours on Good Friday.

Catholics here also practice the same Easter observance of "Soledad," "Salubong" and The Resurrection.

But what made the Lenten tradition here distinct from other towns in Bicol is that religious tourists continue to visit Calabanga to renew their devotion.

http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=72657

Have you guys heard of Bantayan island? what about Malapascua island? or Badian island? sounds foreign to you? :)

Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island, Cebu
Photos posted by Sugbuanon

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/5760/bantayan0219xs.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/4327/bantayan0395og.jpg

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/4586/bantayan0459ed.jpg

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/9922/bantayan0478hs.jpg

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/6659/bantayan0599xq.jpg

Link: More photos (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=338852&page=1&pp=20)

by the way, Malapascua is twice as much beautiful than Bantayan island. imagine that. :cool: think about it... we have beautiful beaches such as these but we're way behind Phuket and Bali. :( Cebu island has been consistently included on the top/best ten islands in Asia and Indian Ocean for several years already (Conde Naste) but is this enough?



How far is this resort from Cebu City proper? It looks very inviting....

at least 150 kms from cebu city...

Palawan’s living legend
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By ANNALYN S. JUSAY

It was my second time to go to the province of Palawan that last week of March and it was as fascinating as the first. There is something about Palawan which makes me think God has indeed blessed this wonderful country, maybe not in terms of a vibrant economy but with the best of nature and topography. As the largest province in the Philippines, Palawan has it all – the verdant mountains, the vast seas, diverse flora, fauna and natural wonders you can’t find anywhere else.

While my first visit to beautiful Palawan was in the north, this time we landed in the capital city of Puerto Princesa. As I found out during my four-day trip, Puerto Princesa is an extraordinary capital city that offers much room for discovery. For example, when you want a touch of history, you go to Plaza Cuartel and walk through the maze of tunnels where American prisoners-of-war were burned alive during the Second World War. When you need to venture into the great outdoors, then head off to the islands in the vicinity where you can swim, dive and sail to your heart’s content.

Our home in Puerto Princesa was The Legend Palawan, undoubtedly the best hotel in the city and only five minutes from the airport. With 100 guestrooms, it is also the biggest and if we may add, the friendliest. The waitstaff were ready with their smiles for a sampling of the warmest Palaweño hospitality. As soon as we arrived, we settled to fill our stomachs at the hotel’s Tanglaw coffeeshop and we were not disappointed. Since Palawan is famous for its seafood, we expected to eat lots of it and there it was laid out in Tanglaw’s sumptuous buffet, among them the kinunot sa pagi, (stingray in coconut milk), sinigang na maya-maya sa mangga and alimango sa labong at saluyot (crabs with native vegetables,) to name just a few.

Honda Bay and a tour of the breathtaking St. Paul Underground River with the services of expert tour guides to boot. I could say it was such a good deal considering how much fun we had!

Easily the most unforgettable part of the trip was our cruising down the St. Paul Underground River which is a must-do when you’re in Puerto Princesa City. The river has been declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site and at 8.2 kilometers, it is touted to be the longest underground river in the world.

Going to the river from the city proper meant that we had to go through a two-hour land trip to take us to Sabang Wharf and from there take a 20-minute pump boat ride to reach the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. Reaching the park, we had to wait for another hour for our turn to ride one of those paddle boats which will take us to the underground.

All the lining up was definitely worth it as the underground with its vast cave formations was the most awe-inspiring I’ve seen! It was pitch dark inside the giant caves with its bats as well as stalactites and stalagmites. But our tour guide was such an expert that I bet he could paddle the boat even in total darkness.

The next day, we boarded The Legend Palawan’s own boat , the Legend of the Sea which would take us on a very refreshing cruise of Honda Bay with its dozen islands. In between, we docked at Senorita Island, a protected area with teeming fish cages where we snorkeled and had a good view of the corals and glorious marine life. Afterwards we were off again to the Legend’s own leased Pandan Island where we swam some more and availed of a hearty lunch that was laid out right there on the beach.

The Legend’s activity-filled PAX package entailed that we did not only eat our meals at the hotel which could wear your tastebuds out in the long-run. The Legend Palawan has partner-restaurants where you could sample Puerto Princesa’s eclectic and exciting cuisine. Thus, what was initially meant to be an adventure trip turned out to be an unforgettable culinary exploration.

A must-see is the Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri whose interiors and ambiance give one no choice but to commune with nature. Its walls are adorned with the works of artists and strewn all over are samples of Philippine crafts and trinkets. The spacious structure is made of bamboo and there is even a koi pond nearby.

On the day of our visit, we were met by no less than the matriarch of the place, staunch environmentalist Dayang Macasaet. She served us their incomparable pandan iced tea paired with nilupak, a banana-based delicacy. We also tried their own coffee blend which was good as it was freshly-ground.Other than this, they have pastas, sandwiches and a variety of refreshments.

I swooned over the food at Viet Ville Resto! Simply couldn’t have enough of their pho bo kho (beef stew noodles), cha gio ga cua (chicken & crabmeat spring roll), their crunchy French bread with garlic butter and their Vietnamese halohalo. All are priced at below R100 each. It helps that the cook is a charming Vietnamese woman so you can be assured that the dishes are no less than authentic. This resto is inside the Vietnamese Village. Only seven families reside in the Village because most of them (hundreds of the so-called boat people) have migrated to the US or returned to Vietnam.

Another interesting place is Cafe Arturo, a family-run affair where every member of the jolly Banzuela family take turns cooking, serving the guests and cleaning up. The resto’s spacialties include their garlic crabs, pata tim, lengua, blackened lapu-lapu and bulalo steak — all to die for. Incidentally, what is shown in photo is not the restaurant itself but the family house which converts into a function room during special events.

You haven’t been to Puerto Princesa if you haven’t heard of their exotic delicacy, the tamiloc. One night, while hanging out at Kinabuch, one of the more popular bars in town, we were faced with a dare to eat the tamiloc, which is woodworm marinated in vinegar. Even though we found it icky, the beer-drinking locals seem to love it.

Also part of our itinerary was a visit to the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center. Situated here was the Crocodile Farm where one can see big and baby crocs being bred and nurtured, as they are the only known survivors of the Dinosaur Age. If you’re game enough, you can even have a photo session with a baby croc (its mouth tied, of course) but I chose not to, being deathly afraid of reptiles. Despite my inherent fear of some animals, there were lots of them I saw — ostriches, mynahs, cockatoos, monkeys, giant lizards or bayawak, bearcats and the serpent eagle. Any tourist will have the impression that Puerto Princesa, or Palawan for that matter, is a virtual safari in itself.

Equally enlightening was our paddle boat tour through the lush mangroves of Puerto Princesa. It is a noteworthy project initiated by the residents of the city itself which educates visitors on how they are protecting their environment.

With the vigilance of the natives on how they are safeguarding their natural resources — from the virgin forests to the seas — it’s no wonder that Palawan has been spared from the onslaught of manmade catastrophes such as landslides and floods brought about by illegal logging. In our opinion, Palawan rightfully deserves being a showcase of the government’s conservation and domestic tourism program. It is indeed truly blessed and that is why we’ll never hesitate going here over and over again.

http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2006041661510.html

DOT billboards attract Aussies


THE billboard campaign of the Department of Tourism in Australia was found to be effective in attracting interested Australian tourists to visit the Philippines.

Maria Consuelo Jones, tourism attaché to Australia, said the Philippine tourism billboards have awed a large number of Sydney train-goers largely because of their natural appeal to Australians who are ultimate lovers of the sand, surf and blue waters. Jones said an increasing number of Australians have indeed taken a keen interest in the natural wonders of the Philippines and the tourism department is hoping to capitalize on these interests.

The huge billboards have been recently put up in major train stations within the greater Sydney area as part of the department’s latest campaign to promote the Philippines as a destination for nature-lovers.

The billboards feature the white beaches, blue tropical skies and pristine waters of two of the country’s popular tourism destinations, Boracay and Palawan.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano said Boracay and Palawan are the focus of the billboard campaign theme to attract outbound tourists of Australia.

Durano said the image projected by the tourism billboard in Australia, featuring “Time to Discover a New Paradise,” has captivated a large number of train-goers in Metropolitan Sydney.

Jones added that the DOT-Sydney Office has set up six giant billboards in several major train stations, including the Central, Town Hall and Martin Place stations located within the Central Business District.

The billboards are also displayed in the Inner Sydney, Bondi Junction and Strathfield.

Jones said the estimated daily traffic flow in these areas is 12.5 million people.

Australia has consistently been on the top 10 list of visitor arrivals to the country. In January the Department of Tourism has recorded more than 8,500 in visitor arrivals from Australia.
Jonathan Vicente

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/apr/16/yehey/metro/20060416met2.html

I think the Australians belong to the top 5 tourist groups who visited the Philippines in 2005. Aussies are naturally sun, sea and sand loving peeps. They'll indeed find another paradise in the PIslands.

:runaway:

By Roderick T. dela Cruz
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=business01_april17_2006

Deluxe hotels in Metro Manila posted their highest average occupancy rate in February this year amid political noise that failed to scare away foreign investors and tourists in the Philippines.

Data from the Tourism Research and Statistics Division of the Department of Tourism showed that the average hotel occupancy rate climbed to 82.9 percent in February 2006 from 78.9 percent in January and 77.9 percent a year ago.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano attributed this to the 11.5 percent increase in international visitor arrivals to 223,053 in February this year.

Of the 18 deluxe hotels in Metro Manila, 12 have reported an occupancy rate above 80 percent. In the hotel lingo, a hotel is said to be operating at a full capacity if it has an occupancy rate of 80 percent or higher.

Makati Shangri-La Manila reported the highest occupancy rate of 94.1 percent in February. It was followed by Hotel Philippine Plaza, with 92.6 percent; Bellevue Manila, 92 percent; Mandarin Oriental Manila, 91.9 percent; and New World Renaissance Hotel, 91.7 percent.

In the first two months of 2006, occupancy rate at deluxe hotels improved to 80.7 percent from only 76.2 percent during the same period in 2005, according to Assistant Secretary Eduardo Jarque Jr., who heads the department’s Tourism Planning and Promotions,

This was despite the fact that the number of deluxe hotel rooms went up by 2.2 percent to 7,854 in the two-month period this year from 7,684 last year.
Deluxe hotel rooms accounted for 60 percent of the total 13,081 hotel rooms in Metro Manila. Data showed that other hotel categories also posted higher occupancy rates this year.

The average occupancy rate at first-class hotels improved to 75.2 percent in the first two months of 2006 from 70.5 percent a year ago while occupancy rate at standard hotels increased to 71.5 percent from 66.1 percent.

Likewise, occupancy rate at economy hotels rose to 65.6 percent from 63.9 percent. Overall, the average occupancy rate at the four hotel categories representing 70 establishments improved to 77 percent from 72.8 percent.

Diving sites place RP in world’s top 3

First posted 04:07am (Mla time) April 18, 2006
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the Apr. 18, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


DIVE SPOTS in the Philippines were again given international recognition as among the world’s best at the recent 2006 Marine Diving Fair (MDF) in Tokyo, according to the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA).

PTA General Manager Robert Dean Barbers said that although the country placed third, after Maldives and Palau, it was ahead of Thailand, Hawaii, and the South Pacific and Caribbean islands, all of which boast well-known dive sites.

(Ehh? Why should we be surprised if we're ahead of Thailand or even Hawaii when it comes to dive sites?!! pffftt...)

“We’re very, very fortunate to be given recognition and honor,” said Barbers, who received the award in behalf of the country during rites at the MDF exhibition area in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district on April 7.

Among the Philippine dive sites exhibited at the MDF were the Tubbattaha Reef in the Sulu Sea, which is famous for its variety and density of marine life; Malapascua in Cebu, known for its rare sharks, and Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro, noted for its colorful corals, strong currents and big fish.


Island in Bohol, Anilao in Batangas, the popular Apo Island in Negros Oriental, and the islands of Palawan.

The awards given at the fair were the result of a survey conducted by the MDF organizers, the PTA said in a statement.

Asia’s biggest diving fair

The MDF is considered Asia’s largest scuba diving and beach resort exhibition. It attracts close to 50,000 visitors.

The annual event provides a unique opportunity for exhibitors to target consumers and those from the travel and tourism industry. This year, 144 exhibitors representing 24 countries participated in the fair.

“The tourism market of the world’s diving industry is very big,” Barbers said. “Having been named among the world’s best dive sites could jump-start our moves to further develop dive resorts around the country.”

Exploring even a third of the country’s more than 7,000 islands “as potential dive sites would surely be a welcome development in our tourism industry,” he said.

Environmental awareness

Barbers, a former chair of the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving, said he hoped the award would not only encourage further investments in dive sites but also create environmental awareness to protect marine life.

The Marine Art Center in Japan, which organized the MDF, places the number of Japanese divers at one million.

Barbers said the government’s drive to bring in more foreign tourists would translate to more jobs and more investments in the tourism industry.

The participation of the Philippines in the MDF was part of the year-long series of events celebrating the 50th anniversary of Filipino-Japanese diplomatic relations. Jerome Aning

The Philippines bested some 120 participants the to bag two major awards in an international tour expo in Daegu, South Korea.


This was announced by Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano, attributing the feat to the success of the marketing campaign being conducted by the Philippine Department of Tourism (DoT) in the Korean peninsula.

"For the first month of the year, tourist arrivals from Korea totaled 58,583 to post a 29.8 percent growth from 45,130 in the same period last year," Durano added.

Durano said the two awards – the Best Booth Design and the Best Tourism Publicity – were received by DoT’s Team Korea Head ******* Basco-Ebron from chairman Lee Hee-Do of Daegu Tourism Association at Exco, Daegu.

"Aside from the Philippines, the participants included around 120 firms, organizations, and agencies occupying a total of 250 exhibit booths at the Tour Expo Daegu 2006, which attracted more than 50,000 visitors from 29 countries and 129 organizations," Ebron said.

With one million outbound market, Daegu is Korea’s third-largest city after Seoul and Busan and serves as the southeaster regional center of the peninsula. Daegu is thus one of the cities being targeted by the DoT’s marketing campaign.

At the fair, the DoT promoted the Philippines as a multi-dimensional destination, particularly for honeymoon, family, students, and golf.

The Philippine exhibit occupied four booth spaces, with the backdrop depicting the cultural heritage of the country showcasing the Ifugao Rice Terraces, Hundred Islands , and the Masskara Festival. These were complemented with Tinalak cloth and various festival masks as added decorations.

Displayed at the back of the huge backdrop were visuals of the country’s eight anchor destinations – Boracay, Cebu/Bohol, Banaue, Vigan/Laoag, Davao, Manila, Baguio, and Palawan.

"The Philippine participation in the fair is aimed at capturing a significant share of Daegu’s one-million outbound market and sustaining the phenomenal increase in tourist arrivals from Korea," Durano said.

Last year, the Philippines scored the highest growth rate in Korean arrivals, beating Thailand, Singapore, and even Hong Kong.

Statistics from the Korean National Tourism Organization (KNTO) placed Korean arrivals in the Philippines at 481,397 for a 27.6-percent hike over 2004’s 377,217 to beat Singapore’s 21.9 percent, Thailand’s -12.2 percent, and Hong Kong’s 12.8 percent.

Since 1999, Korea’s share of visitor arrivals in the Philippines has been significantly increasing, accounting for 8.78 percent in 2000, 11.57 percent in 2001, 15.93 percent in 2004, and 27.6 percent last year.

In the early part of 2006, Korea already accounts for the biggest bulk of foreign arrivals to the Philippines, eventually overtaking US and Japan.

The Philippine campaign in Korea is anchored on the perceptive strength of the archipelago’s 7,107 islands, reinforced by the slogan ‘More than you can imagine’ so as to highlight its visual image as a destination of fantastic beaches and a leisure hub of various attractions.

"The emphasis of this marketing campaign is on the number 7,107 that will serve as key for top-of-mind recall of the brand messages and images that will address each of our target segments in the Korean market," the DoT chief added.

Subic offers summer tourism packages
By Bebot Sison Jr.
The Philippine Star 04/19/2006

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The tourism department of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has announced new tourism packages under its newly launched tourism tagline "Nature, Fun and More."

Venancio Triguero II, the SBMA’s new tourism manager, said the new "exciting and affordable" tour packages were designed to suit every Subic visitor.

"This is a very exciting time for us here, for the first time in years, we are finally offering packages that will cater to everyone. Now, everyone who comes to Subic can really make the most of their stay here," he told The STAR.

The summer tour packages include day tours, which offer tourists discounted rates in all recreational facilities; family, corporate and "Gimmick Barkada" overnight packages inclusive of overnight stay; and a tour of different facilities in the Subic Freeport.

For the more adventurous, Triguero said the SBMA is offering a "Nature Adventure" package for treks and visits to scenic spots in the Freeport.

As a show of support for the SBMA tourism program, some ecotourism establishments in Subic are now offering as much as 15 percent discounts for facilities as well as free breakfast for a standard overnight accommodation of P1,200 per person.

Meanwhile, the Subic day tour is priced at P800 per person, while the Subic overnight package ranges from P899 to P1,999 per person, inclusive of accommodation and day tour.

Triguero said the special packages were conceptualized during a recent "tourism branding" seminar where tourism stakeholders and employees thought of ways to make Subic click as a premier tourist destination.

Earlier, SBMA administrator and chief executive officer Armand Arreza announced that the Subic Bay International Airport has reduced its aeronautical fees by as much as 80 percent on weekdays to encourage more airlines to bring in more tourists to Subic.

The weekend rates, on the other hand, are now down by 60 percent, Arreza added.


http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200604199906.htm

i heard bantayan island is the best beach in cebu...

Aliwan Fiesta 2006

The country’s grandest festival showdown is set to take center stage next month along Roxas Boulevard, in the Grand Old City of Manila.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/enricodee/aliwan-mosaic.jpg

The highlights of the festival will be on April 29, where various festivals, floats, and festival queens will parade from Quirino Grandstand down to Aliw theater adjacent to the Star City theme park.

As of this writing, there are already 28 festivals who have confirmed there attendance. These are:

From National Capital Region

1. Pedrista Festival of Quezon City
2. Marikina Festival
3. Pakalog Festival of Pasig City

From Cordillera Autonomous Region

4. Panagbenga Festival of Baguio City

Region I

5. Pamulinawen Festival of Laoag City
6. Agdamdamili Festival of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte

Region II

7. Sabutan Festival of Palanan, Isabela,
8. Pinilisa Festival of Jones, Isabela

Region III

9. Halaman Festival of Guiguinto, Bulacan
10. Sto. Niño Festival of Malolos, Bulacan
11. Angel Festival of San Rafael, Bulacan

Region IV

12. Sumakah Festival of Antipolo City
13. Boling-Boling Festival of Catanauan, Quezon

Region V

14. Himik-Ulaw Festival of Placer, Masbate
15. Pili Festival of Sorsogon City

Region VI

16. Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo City
17. Tultugan Festival of Maasin, Ilo-ilo
18. Kahilyawan Festival of Santa Barbara, Iloilo
19. Pintados de Pasi Festival of Passi City, Iloilo
20. Babaylan Festival of Bago City, Negros Occidental

Region VII

21. Sinulog Festival of Cebu City\

Region IX

22. Pasalamat Festival of Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur
23. Hermosa Festival of Zamboanga City

Region XII

24. Halad Festival of Pigcawayan, North Cotabato
25. Kalilangan Festival of General Santos City

Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao

26. Padang-Padang Festival of Parang, Maguindanao
27. Meguyaya Festival of Maguindanao
28. Kambulang Festival of Parang, Maguindanao.

The Grand Festival winner will be taking home the 1 Million-Peso cash Prize. First runner-up will receive P500,000 and third runner-up, P250,000. The top 10 finalists will each get P100,000.

Filipino cab driver’s honesty impresses Romanian tourist

First posted 07:25pm (Mla time) April 19, 2006
By Veronica Uy
INQ7.net


A GRATEFUL Romanian tourist expressed thanks to a Filipino cab driver who returned the bag she left in the taxi, and politely declined when she offered a reward.
“I had a wonderful time staying in your country, and I have also learned more about Filipino culture and history,” Rodica Ramona Tufan of Bucharest, Romania wrote Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo about her recent trip to the Philippines.

“Furthermore, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Melvin B. Caymo,” Tufan said in her March 26 letter the Department of Foreign Affairs released to media.

She said Caymo, a taxi driver from Manila’s Tondo district, returned her bag with its contents intact last March 20.

“I offered him a reward for his honesty but he politely declined,” Tufan said, adding she was impressed by Caymo’s integrity.

“Mr. Caymo’s singular act of uprightness captures me and thus earned [my] respect and admiration for the Filipino people. I also appreciate the Filipino’s
work ethic and hospitality,” she said, promising to encourage friends and relatives “to come and see Manila, Philippines.”

Tufan also thanked the Philippine embassy in Bucharest for “attending immediately” to her needs before her travel to the Philippines.

She closed her letter by saying, “May your active pursuit continue [to be] of the highest quality of service in everything you do. I am confident that the Philippines will become a prime tourist destination in Asia.”

Caymo will receive a letter of commendation from the DFA “for his exemplary act of honesty.”

parang medyo bumabait bait na mga taxi drivers ngayon. Sana hindi sila magdagdag ng metro at hintaying kusang magbigay mga pasahero ng mga tip.

^^ kaya nga eh... pati nga din sa airport, marami na din ang ganyang klaseng incident... may nkakaiwan ng $1000 tapos sinasauli ng mga porters o workers sa airport...

Dapat iemphasize ng govt. yan. Dahil yan lang ang edge naten sa ibang SE asian countries. Ang excellence sa pagbibigay ng service.

Maganda ang Aliwan fiesta ! There were several television stations who are covering the said event!

DoT steps up Japan campaign,





Driven by the sustained increase in Japanese arrivals, the Department of Tourism (DoT) is stepping up its marketing campaign in Japan, this time showcasing the Philippines’ bests in an international tourism trade show to be held in Osaka on May 2 to 5.


DoT Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano said the Philippine participation in Tour Expo 2006 would enable the country to be included in the travel plans of Japanese tourists from Osaka for summer and autumn.

"Osaka is Japan’s second most important city after Tokyo and accounts for some 15 percent, or three million, of Japan’s 20 million outbound market," Durano said, citing Osaka as a strategic target of DoT’s promotional campaign.

Osaka, Tokyo and Nagoya account for 68 to 70 percent of that market, with Tokyo accounting for 41 percent and Nagoya 12 percent.

Established in 1987, Tour Expo 2006 has become one of Japan’s biggest travel events, showcasing the latest tourism trends, including overseas travel attractions and destinations, leisure facilities and other related products and services.

"There will also be an exhibitor’s presentation seminar that will enable the Philippines to present new and exciting travel information, including health and wellness destinations that will cater to Japanese ladies, male, and silver segments; and food, art, culture, festivals and activities related to the ongoing celebration of the Philippines-Japan Friendship Year," said Rosvi C. Gaetos, head of the DoT’s Team Japan.

"Such seminars and exhibits are very popular with the thousands of visitors from Japan’s travel industry that includes wholesale and retail agents, media, and the general public," Gaetos added.

Using three signature images of heaven, beach, and resort as backdrops, the design of the Philippine exhibit booth will focus on the new campaign "The Philippines – Wellness from the Inside Out."

"These images will strengthen our ‘Premium Resort Islands’ brand and positioning for Japan by providing optimum visual impact on the Japanese ladies segment of our target market," Gaetos explained.

This target segment covers 35 million Japanese women in their 20s to 50s, 7.2 million of whom have extensive overseas travel experience and 1.6 million are classified as fully independent. Of this number, about 5.4 million actually traveled in 2004 to an overseas destination.

Among all nationalities, Japanese tourists have the biggest disposable income and are known to be big spenders on shopping and entertainment, with total spend of .5 billion average spend per traveler of ,746 in 2003.

The Philippines is now also being acknowledged as Japan’s nearest tropical neighbor as Asia gains the biggest share of 45.1 percent of the Japanese outbound market.

Earlier, Durano revealed that an Internet survey conducted in Japan last November showed a significant increase in Japanese awareness of the Philippines as a premium destination, especially among Japanese ladies in their 20s, up 64.6 percent from 46.2 percent; and 20s, up 58.5 percent from 35.4 percent in early 2005.

This development is believed to have contributed substantially to the continued surge in Japanese arrivals, which breached 400,000 for the first time in 20 years. This volume pushed the country’s total foreign arrivals to 2.613 million in 2005, exceeding the government’s target of 2.5 million and posting a 12.3-percent hike over 2004.

For February this year, Japanese arrivals posted a 10.2 percent increase to 35,388 from 32,107 in the same month last year. "This sustained increase is very significant, considering the very festidious nature of the highly-sophisticated Japanese market," Durano said.


http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2006042161959.html

China: Largest English speaking country soon?
DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco
The Philippine Star 04/21/2006



Today the Chinese are obsessed with English, The Economist reports. "Anything up to a fifth of the population is learning the language. As Gordon Brown, the British finance minister, observed on a trip to China last year, in two decades China’s English speakers will already outnumber native English speakers in the rest of the world."

An ad of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines enticing investors in "Asia’s most vibrant economy" claims "there are more English speakers here than England." I am not so sure that’s still an accurate claim to make but I am sure Henry Schumacher of the ECCP is determined to make that true. Check it out in the latest edition of Business Review, ECCP’s excellent magazine.

Henry recently launched a campaign, ‘English is Cool!,’ an advocacy campaign to inspire the wide-scale practice needed to improve overall proficiency among the youth. The campaign aims to popularize and repopularize the English language by focusing on the opportunities that open up by having a good command of the language.

Henry is worried that today’s generation of Filipinos may think that speaking English is being elitist and peer pressure may be keeping the young ones from having the desire to learn to speak the language properly. The campaign aims to change the mindset of the youth and the youth’s influencers; i.e. their peers, their parents, media, the academe, the advertising and business communities, and the government. The campaign will carry the slogans: "Be proud. Be bilingual." and "English is your ticket to the future."

A survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) released early this week confirmed Henry’s worse fears. Filipinos’ self-assessed proficiency in the English language has declined over the past 12 years in all aspects, most notably in the ability to speak English. Only 65 percent of Filipinos said they understand spoken English today, compared to 74 percent in 1993 and 77 percent in 2000.

Those who read English declined to 65 percent from 73 percent in 1993 and 76 percent in 2000. Only 48 percent now say they write in English as compared to 59 percent in 1993 and 61 percent in 2000. The worse decline is in the ability to speak English. Only 32 percent say they can speak the language compared to 56 percent in 1993 and 54 percent in 2000. Those who are not competent to use the language rose to 14 percent from only seven percent in 1993 and 2000.

We are losing not just an ability to speak a foreign language but competitiveness in a world that is globalizing fast and has adopted English as its default language. No wonder Henry is worried. Ironically, some of our neighbors, particularly the Koreans, come to Manila to learn English from us.

Henry, a German from Bremen, is a long time resident of the Philippines, having lived in this country longer than the lifetimes of most Filipinos today. Henry has seen what it was then and has no doubt we have the capacity to win it all back if enough effort is made.

Henry also maintains a second home in Thailand and is quite familiar with the situation there. The Thais, the one nation in our region that was never subjected to colonization by the West, have no hang-ups about speaking English. It is not a question of being less of a Thai or being less nationalistic if you spoke English well. It is a question of pragmatism and competitiveness.

China, of course, is the country to think about. Still communist, deeply proud of its culture and patriotic, the Chinese see no conflict with learning English and all these deeply held values. With all the competitive advantage it already has today, if we add English speaking skills as well, talagang dadamputin tayo sa kangkungan.

To demonstrate China’s new found passion for learning the language, The Economist reports a fast growing market for everything from books, teaching materials and tests to teacher training and language schools themselves. "At $60 billion a year, China is already the world’s largest market for English-language services, estimates Mari Pearlman at ETS, an American group that developed TOEFL, a well-known test of English-language proficiency."

The European Chamber, whose secretariat is headed by Henry, the American Chamber and the Makati Business Club, all have programs designed to improve our English language skills in the hope that we can catch up quickly enough to recover what used to be our edge in this region. Even some local companies are also sponsoring English refresher courses as part of their manpower training programs because local managers have realized the skill impacts on efficiency, productivity and profitability.

We need a concerted effort to get us back to our old level of English proficiency. In today’s world, the skill has become indispensable to survival, unless we are happy with the pathetic poverty that envelops the lives of most of our people today. Even the respondents in the SWS survey who confessed a declining proficiency in the language, admit opportunities to improve their lives would open up if only they are able to use the language better.

Learning to speak English has become an anti-poverty tool. And don’t let misguided pseudo-intellectuals who claim to be nationalists tell you otherwise. Point to the descendants of Chairman Mao, if you have to.

Tourism

I got this e-mail from a foreign resident who requested that his name not be revealed because his Filipina wife said so. Welcome,

Mr. H. You have acculturated fast… we want to make our wives happy!

You and other columnists often touch on tourism. I first came to Philippines in 1976 and finally came to live here in 2002 - obviously I like the place despite some frustrations - but there is downside in every place you go to.

I get many overseas people coming to visit - many for the first time. There consistent reaction is one of surprise at how much the Philippines has to offer and how little the place is publicised overseas. The UK visitors say there is almost nothing in the UK papers on the Philippines as a tourist destination whereas Thailand is pushed all the time. By contrast, the Philippines tourism authority seem to love to spend money on billboards on EDSA, adverts in Philippines newspapers and so - for what purpose one wonders.

Here in Angeles the Clark management has erected a number of large billboards within the base, lauding what they have to offer. What is the point, you are already there. Surely the money would be better spent elsewhere?

A friend who operates a dive resort in Mindoro has to go to trade shows in Europe to get his customers and he says he gets no help whatsoever from the Philippines tourism authority.

One other thing that obviously affects tourism is the travel advisories given out by foreign Governments. I regularly see the one put out by the UK and, quite frankly it is wholly negative and would be enough to put anyone off coming to the Philippines. The Philippines Government should, I feel, address this matter with the UK government and get a bit of balance put into these advisories. You should read it.

I just read that in UK the tourist visitors have dropped from 16.3m in 1998 to 14.4m in 2003 - still way ahead of the Philippines, however, in a country with about the same number of inhabitants.

Dumb Bushies

Cab driver to passenger (as they are stuck in downtown traffic during a protest rally against the tough immigration bill): Rumsfeld should resign for incompetence… those dumb Bushies are all nitwits…

Passenger: Why is that?

Cab driver: If it’s oil we’re really after, they invaded the wrong country. Forget Iraq and think Mexico. They got oil there and that’s where we would be welcomed with open arms not Iraq… they even want to be Americans.

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@gmail.com


http://philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200604210711.htm

post mo nga yan sa spanish thread

Oh don't fret, most of the folks who can't speak decent English are ones from the bukirins, rural areas and squatters, far from those who can. The nation doesnt have to be totally Englishized since not everyone is going to be employed or work with an International person/company. Leave the non-English speakers to the agricultural and industrial sector, the English speakers, let them populate the professional, business and internationally-related jobs.

China? Just look at how Ziyi Zhang speaks ENglish in Memoirs of a Geisha, and just compare her to our Kris Aquino, LEa Salonga, etc. It so obvious. China might be the largest ENglish-speaking nation in the future but is their English as decent as the ENglish we hear from a large chunk of the of the Pinoy populace? HArry Potter must be translated into Chinese first before the Chinese fully understand Harry Potter. Us on the other hand has Harry Potter books fresh from Scholastic and Bloomsbury, ENglish publishers. Movies from the US and the UK need not be subtitled for Pinoys to understand.

And if you are having a doubt on Filipinos' losing brilliance in understanding spoken ENglish, then tell me now, Why did Spiderman 2 grossed higher than Fantasticman in the movie charts? Whi is Titanic the biggest-selling movie of all time in the country, and take note, there were no Tagalog subtitles. Simply put HP and the Goblet of Fire recieved P150 million worth of tickets during its first five days of release in the Philippines last November, MMFF'06 Films like Mulawin did not even reach the P100 million peso mark after two weeks!

At siya nga pala, kelan pa naging accurate ang mga SURVEYS?????? 1,200 respondents eh 87 million tayo!!!! Baka nagsurveye sila sa BASECO tsaka sa BAsilan!

At siya nga pala, kelan pa naging accurate ang mga SURVEYS?????? 1,200 respondents eh 87 million tayo!!!! Baka nagsurveye sila sa BASECO tsaka sa BAsilan!

Proficiency is determined through aptitude tests, not OPINION polls.

SWS presumed to determined proficiency simply by asking people how proficient they are in English. So if, in your opinion, you are even remotely capable of speaking the English language, you can simply answer "yes" and that's +1 for the proficient people. :eek2:

Seriously, though, I think we really need to pay attention to nurturing proficiency in English, particularly now that the BPO sector is flourishing in the Philippines. The government is investing some P581 million in retraining programs for public school teachers, which likewise comprehend the subjects Math and Science.

Pero sa totoo lang, it's remarkable how bad english proficiency is now. For many new graduates I can not conduct a straight interview in English very disturbing.

oops wrong thread.

Anyway we can still turn this around , very neccesary in tourism .

More than 100,000 Korean tourists arrive in RP in Jan-Feb 2006


MANILA -* The Philippines seems to be one of the most favorite tourist destinations of Koreans as their arrival in the country peaks to 106,261 in the first two months of 2006 alone, making them the highest number of foreign visitors enjoying in the picturesque beauty of our islands today.

Korean tourists displaced Japanese travelers in the first place, who is now lagging behind on the third spot.

Based on the statistics of the Department of Tourism (DOT), Korean tourists have a growth rate of 31.2 percent in the first two months of 2006.

The US, which is now in second rank, registered 97,714 arrivals, and Japan, in third place, has 76,402 arrivals. Each country posted an increase of 9.5 percent and 11.4 percent respectively.

Other countries in the top 10 list are Taiwan (fourth rank), China (fifth rank), Hongkong (sixth rank), Australia (seventh rank), Canada (eighth rank), Singapore (ninth rank) and the United Kingdom (10th rank).

With this development, DOT expressed optimism that the Philippines will remain a much-desired destination in South Korea after the country bagged the Best Booth Design and Best Tourism Publicity awards at the recently concluded Tour Expo Daegu 2006.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said he was very pleased that the DOT keeps on reaping rewards for its hard work in promoting the Philippines as an international destination thus, the country’s tourism industry continues to grow as a result of the department’s market-driven campaigns.

Hitting its target of 2.6 million tourist arrivals in 2005, the DOT is confident it will again reach its target of three million arrivals by the end of 2006.

This as already almost half a million arrivals were recorded during the first two months of the year, posting a growth rate of 17 percent against the same period last year.

DOT-Team Korea Head ******* Ebron said the DOT is expecting more tourists from South Korea as a result of its successful participation in the Tour Expo Daegu, which is one of the East Asian country’s most-awaited events dedicated to the exchange of information.

Held at the Daegu Exhibition and Convention Center, this year’s expo attracted some 70,000 visitors.

Daegu is the third largest city in South Korea. With a population of 2.54 million, one million of which represent the city’s outbound travelers, Daegu is one of cities being targeted by the DOT’s marketing initiatives. The two other being Seoul and Busan, South Korea’s first and second largest cities, respectively.

DOT said the Philippines booth, which occupied a total of four booth spaces, became a crowd favorite for its huge backdrop which featured the world-famous Ifugao Rice Terraces and Hundred Islands National Park, as well as the Masskara Festival.

Along with the promotion of the country’s eight anchor destinations, namely, Metro Manila and its environs, Laoag/Vigan, Baguio/Banaue, Subic/Clark, Palawan, Boracay, Cebu/Bohol/Camiguin, and Davao.

The DOT participation in this year’s expo also focused on marketing the Philippines as an ideal destination for honeymooners, families, students, and golfers.

Meanwhile, DOT recently inked a mutual accord in Moscow, Russia that will provide for the strengthening of tourism cooperation between the two countries.

This is on the areas of national legislation, tourism investments and services, simplification of border control, customs and other formalities related to tourist exchange, promotion of organized group and individual tourism, among others.

Constant sighting of whale sharks indicates improving Davao Gulf - DGMC


DAVAO CITY - Sightings of whale sharks along the seas in Barangay Buhisan here is an indicator of an improving environmental condition in the 60,000-hectare Davao Gulf, an official said.

City Councilor Leo Avila III, Davao Gulf Management Council (DGMC) chairman, said whales frequently appear along the site, they could be seen almost every week.

“This is the result of the consciousness of the people in the barangay as they become vigilant in guarding their waters of illegal activities including illegal garbage disposal,” Avila said.

Avila said they are planning to make Buhisan area a tourist attraction where visitors can enjoy watching whale as they frolick under the sun.

“We are coordinating closely with the barangay in documenting the presence of the whales as to frequency and the spots. We need this as guide in our future plans,” he said.

Also, Avila said they have noticed that dolphins and whales travel to waters where fishes are abundant, as can be observed in Buhisan area.

He said other areas along the Davao Gulf also had sightings of the whales and dolphins and they had given instructions to the local government units to document it so necessary programs could be introduced in the area especially related to tourism.

Davao Gulf is the favorite playground of various species of highly migratory cetaceans (dolphins and whales). But from the late 1980s to 2000 they cease to appear because food is no longer available, he said.

He said there are 11 kinds of cetaceans that could be found in the Davao Gulf.

A survey in March 2004 by a composite team from the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Save the Davao Gulf Foundation and World Wide Fund-Philippines confirmed the presence of at least ten whale and dolphin species within the gulf area.

In a summary of area profile released by DGMC, it said that three species of whales are new record of the gulf and these are the killer whale, Cuvier’s beaked whale, and the rare Indo-pacific beaked whale.

With persistent reports of new sightings by fishermen, the Davao Gulf could be among the top cetacean diversity sights in the Philippines, it said.

Same report also said that eight of the 10 species listed in CITES are threatened by extinction unless protected or conserved.

The earlier recorded sightings were around the southern portion of Ligid Island, Samal Island and south of Barangay Matina in Davao City.

Puerto Princesa’s tourism recovers


PUERTO PRINCESA CITY - After almost six years of downtrend following the infamous 2001 Abu Sayyaf kidnapping incident in Dos Palmas Resort hotel, tourism industry in Puerto Princesa is now on the road to full recovery.

Imelda Yayen, city tourism operation officer, reported that a total of 134,824 tourists both domestic and foreign arrived in 2005, or 56,369 more compared to the 78,455 visitors in 2001.

This is about 90 percent recovery of Palawan's tourist industry.

Yayen said 120,971 were domestic tourists while 13,853 were foreigners.

“More tourists have flocked in, and our city tourism is 90 percent recovered,” Puerto Princesa first lady Ellen Hagedorn, said.

She said the influx of tourists started to pick up again, through the lure of Palawan's pride, the Underground River and diving spots.

During the first half of April 2006 alone, the city recorded 11,845 tourists - the highest in six years.

In 2005 the Koreans ranked first, Americans seconds, and Canadians, Chinese, Japanese, Malaysians, Indonesians, Australians, Germans and Taiwanese in that order.

“For the past years, we have seen the resurgence of tourism industry in the city and this is primary program that we are trying to give attention”, Mayor Edward Hagedorn said.

The local chief executive attributed the downtrend to the kidnapping incident incident in Dos Palmas island resort.

“We are taking the right direction in our quest for tourism promotion add more particularly, our quest to become a sports capital is not remote”, he pointed out.

Hagedorn said the environment is still his priority, citing Pista Y Ang Kagueban (Feast of the Forest), Love Affair with Nature, among others.

He said he looks forward a better tourism industry, while trying to maintain the environment healthy.

i find 3M very lame...

^^ Oh really, why so? (It seems the mist of pessimism is in the air once again)

3M tourist arrival for 2006 is quite good for our country, of course we cant expect to catch up too soon with our neighbouring counries whose figures are more than four times ours, it will really take time and we have to work hard to really improve our tourism industry and bring in more tourists to a level to call the phils a major leisure destination in asia

^^ Yes,I agree.


Tourism dept to market Pinoy cuisine


Officials of the Department of Tourism have launched a project showcasing Filipino cuisine to the world.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano said "Kulinarya Tourism" is meant to attract tourists who love foreign dishes.

Durano signed a memorandum of agreement with San Miguel Corp. to position the country as a center of fine cooks and world-class food.

He said the country’s top chefs have also committed themselves to supporting the project.

The marketing strategy is aimed at South Koreans, who have emerged as the top tourists in the country.

In 2006 Korea had 106,261 arrivals, a growth rate of 31.2 percent.

The US slid to the No. 2 spot, with 97,714 arrivals, and Japan was No. 3 with 76,402.

After reaching its 2005 target of attracting 2.6 million tourists, Durano is confident that this year’s goal of 3 million foreign visitors will be attained. Jonathan Vicente

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=36437

too much too soon could cause trouble