Travel and Tourism Industry - Compiled Threads [Archive] - Page 7

sugbuanon

April 24th, 2006, 04:07 AM

More roads, rooms can help RP get 5M visitors

THERE are “five As” that will enable the country to reach its five million tourists arrival target by 2010, an official of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said.

Samie Lim, chairman of PCCI committee on tourism, retail and franchising, identified arrival (air and sea transport), access and road infrastructure, accommodation, attraction and activities as crucial factors in achieving the tourism target.

Lim also heads the PCCI’s biztour committee, which aims to bring in five million foreign tourists, create five million jobs, generate $5 billion in revenues in tourism and $5 billion investments.

Improve

In his presentation, Lim stressed that all targets will be achieved if the country develops and improves the “five As” he discussed at the launching of Turismo Rural Foundation last Friday at Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort.

“As of 2005, tourism investments (reached) $3.2 billion, the number of jobs generated were 2.3 million, international tourist (arrivals) went up to 2.68 million and annual tourism revenues (hit) $2.26 billion,” he said.

The country’s target of five million tourists is only 0.05 percent of the total one trillion projected tourists worldwide by 2010 from 760 million tourists in 2004, he noted.

Global tourism

In 2004, Asia Pacific had 119 million tourists; Malaysia 15.7 million; Vietnam 2.9 million; and Phuket, Thailand 2.5 million.

Globally, tourism created 74 million jobs and $1.7 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP) or 15 percent of the total global GDP, he said.

He said the country can achieve the target of five million tourists.

He proposed that international cruise liners, budget airlines, world-class airports and seaports, budget hotels, bed and breakfast chains and spa and massage facilities, among others, be developed and promoted.

Cruises

Cebu should also look into opportunities to attract cruise liners.

“Tourists have very limited time. They want to make every hour of their trip count. We have to be accessible and make the message of accessibility clear,” Lim said.

He also stressed the importance of constructing clean toilet and bath facilities, parks, camping sites, cultural sites, nature villages and retirement homes.

The spa industry is also one of the country’s promising industries because of the “Filipino touch,” he said.

“In 1990, it used only to be a $450 million industry globally. But in 2005 it became a $24.5 billion industry,” he said.

D'Transporter

April 24th, 2006, 06:12 AM

I came across this article in the web and I think you guys should read this.
It's about Cebu's pension houses as one of the city's best asset.

LIFE AT THE PENSION HOUSE
By Ted Lerner

The Jasmine Boulevard Pension is not located on Jasmine Boulevard. It is situated down a narrow alley just off of Osmeña Blvd., near the Fuente Osmeña Circle in the center of Cebu City.

Because of its hidden location, you would never know the place existed unless someone told you about it. I found it because the taxi driver took me there my first time in Cebu last year. I liked the comfortable, cozy and home like atmosphere of the place. Oh, it is nothing special by a hotel’s standard. And that is exactly what makes the place just right. It is just basic common sense accommodation. In fact, there are dozens of these reasonably priced pension houses located throughout central Cebu. No doubt they are all very similar – small and family-like.

I find the number of pension houses in Cebu to be one of this city’s best assets. Not only are pension houses priced just right - anywhere from P300 to 700 for a clean fan or air-conditioned room with private bath – they are also generally more fun to stay in than a hotel. Because pension houses are usually run by families, they often have the feel of staying at somebody’s home. For a small fee the ladies working the counter will cook you food in the small kitchen. You can play music and make noise. And you often tend to meet many of the other guests who stay there.

At the pension house you see and meet the real Philippines checking in and out each day. They are the regular people, mostly common Filipinos and occasionally some foreigners on a budget. They pass through for a couple of days or a week. Cebu being the hub of the southern Philippines, the people staying at the Jasmine tend to come from all over the Visayas and Mindanao.

On a recent visit to the Jasmine Boulevard, I stayed for a week and met what amounted to a great cross section of life here in this country. Some of the guests staying in this ten-room, two-story house included the businessman who had come up from Davao to attend the annual Visayan Vinyl Convention. I saw him in the small living room-like lobby one morning while I was trying to make a phone call. He was showing the lady at the desk his catalogue of vinyl flooring and tying to find out if the owners of the place might need to retile the floor. The lady at the desk said the owners were not around, but she would pass on the man’s brochure.

“There are vinyl salesmen from all over the southern Philippines here for this convention,” he told me.

There was also a family from Bohol staying there that week. They had come in for the wedding of a female relative. I could not figure out exactly how many people were in their room, but there were at least six people in a room meant for two of three.

I noticed the family liked to eat all their meals in the room. It was not difficult to figure this out because three times a day the whole pension house smelled like a Filipino restaurant. Most of the food was brought to them by the food sellers and the merienda ladies who roam the streets of the city. Once they got word that a big family was eating all their meals inside the pension house, the food sellers would daily make a bee line over to the front door of the Jasmine and offer up their portable menu. Some of their delicacies included kilawin(tangy raw fish), seaweed salad, boiled camote(sweet potato), barbecued chopped octopus, and fresh cooked fish. After seeing what was going on, it was not longer before I too, started eating some of my meals inside my room.

One day the old man of the family came back with a bag full of giant crabs and pusit(squid) he had bought outside. He proudly told everybody in the lobby how he paid only P250 the whole thing. Everybody got up to look at his catch. For a small cooking charge the pension house boiled his seafood for him. When they cooked the pusit it stank up the entire pension house for about two hours.

These smells undoubtedly attracted the mouse that welcomed me when I returned to my room one night. I tried to catch the mouse, but he ran away and hid inside the air conditioner. I immediately went downstairs and told the security guard about it. The security guard, who always seemed to have a smile on his face, just laughed. I told him that I didn’t care to share my room with a mouse, and that tomorrow I would like to change to a different room. The next morning when I got up and went to get a cup of coffee and the morning paper, the security guard yelled to me.

“Sir, we have another room for you right here on the first floor,” he said with his usual smile. “It has a nicer air conditioner and a color TV.”

“Does this room with a mouse too?,” I said jokingly.

‘No sir, this one comes with a rat.” There were about five people in the lobby at the time and they all burst out laughing.

One of those laughing at the security guard’s joke was a man from Zamboanga. We talked for a while and I found out he sold insurance for a living. I also discovered he was a Muslim, and because this was the time of year for Ramadan, he was fasting for the entire day. He had come to Cebu to receive treatment at one of the local hospitals for an ailing kidney. He then gave me his address and told me to visit him anytime I was in his neighborhood.

There are always several foreigners who pass through the pension house. Usually they are backpackers or guys who, like me, prefer the more causal and cheaper accommodation that a pension house has to offer. A young couple from New Zealand checked in for a couple o days. They were travelling through Asia for six months.

“It is impossible to get any information about the Philippines in New Zealand,” the man told me one afternoon out in the alley, where several beggars had set up beds along the wall and some local kids played basketball. “The travel agents know about Thailand, Vietnam, India, and the other places. But nothing on the Philippines. But we’re really having a good time.”

One day I met an American guy named Mike. He had been staying at the Jasmine all week and I had seem him in passing. I bumped into him at a gym down the street and we started talking. He’s a big strapping guy and he showed me a picture of himself taken back in the 1970’s posing in a body building contest. He is 57-years old and he recently retired after 30 years as a fireman in San Jose, California. He was in the process of moving out of San Jose and setting up in the Philippines.

After we met at the gym we agreed to hook up and enjoy a few happy hour beers. Later that afternoon I brought along two bottles of San Miguel Grande to his room. It wasn’t long before Mike had me rolling on the ground with laughter.

“I spend 30 years as a fireman,” he said in his booming voice.” You can call me Johnny Lunchbucket!” His wife had died and with his children grown, he saw nothing left for him in America. So he decided to try the Philippines.

“Who wants to go out with these American women? The ones my age are sooo boring. I’m going find me a sweet young Filipina and get married. Maybe we’ll have a kid.”

He was with a Filipina whom he said met as a pen pal. In their letters they sort of agreed to get married. But Mike had other ideas.

“She thinks we’re getting hitched,” he said. “But this ain’t the one, Ted. No, not for me. We don’t really get along that well. This ain’t the one. She’ll be going out the door soon, Ted.”

He said he receives a pension of $2,750 a month. “They really take care of the firemen and the police in America. But for retirement that amount’s nothing there. But here I’ll live like a king. I’m finished with America, Ted. Finished.”

I imagine that if I stayed at a place like Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort, I never would have met as many people as I did at the Jasmine Pension. Which is interesting because Shangri-La may be luxurious, but it is also a total bore. I have wandered through there several times and each time, I get the feeling I am in a morgue or a cemetery. Why, I wonder, is it so quiet there? I thought the high life was supposed to be fun.

I suppose the reason is that word has come down from corporate headquarters that nobody is to disturb the guests, especially the hordes of Japanese. Yes, stay quiet. No loud noises. Don’t bother them. And make sure to put plenty of guards at the front gate. Not so much to keep the riffraff out, but to subtly remind the safety conscious Japanese how unsafe it is outside the resort: Don’t mix with those Filipinos because they are wild. Better you stay in the resort and spend all your yen in our overpriced shops and restaurants.

Well, let ‘em have their over priced luxury hotels. In fact Cebu can build more and more of them, so all the moneyed people can stay there and feel safe and happy. At least I’ll still be enjoying the life—and that’s real life-- at the pension house.

Ted Lerner is the author of the book, “Hey, Joe—a slice of the city, an American in Manila,” and a just released book of Asian travel stories, “The Traveler and the Gate Checkers.” Email at ted@hey-joe.net or visit www.hey-joe.net.

xXx carlos xXx

April 24th, 2006, 06:20 AM

naka try na ako sa jasmine pension... ok lang siya... ok din ang bathroom.... ok din ang beds... my only complain is the lobby and the hallyway... ang pangit... i would prefer the pension next to jasmine.... verbena ang name.... actually once pa lang ako nakatry sa jasmine at verbena....

amigo32

April 24th, 2006, 11:12 AM

I stayed at La Florentina Pension in Lahug when I was in Cebu last December. Php600 lang.

palawan_buddy

April 24th, 2006, 11:18 AM

among the visayan cities serviced by PAL, ano ba ang pinaka magandang puntahan for someone na limited ang budget?

OtAkAw

April 24th, 2006, 11:35 AM

I watched TRip na Trip yesterday with Kat de Castro and that PBB Housemate Franzen. They went to the Puerto Princessa Subterranean River Park, of course, as a UNESCO Heritage Site, it wsa gorgeous way beyond qhat I can only say! But before reaching the receiving point to the park, they had to drive a long way throught an ugly road with lots of dust. It was bumpy and the weather was quite warm so naturally it would be quite irritating for a tourist, so seriously, DOT should first try to improve public infrastructure before luring investors and tourists!

heathcliff

April 24th, 2006, 11:57 AM

I don't really think that the Philippines is bad. When I read articles about Philippine tourism, which some, BTW are foreign authors, they always blame the lack of promotions. I think that really is our problem. Even my cousin who went here for the first time from Australia didn't really know what the Philippines is all about. She only thought of us a "third world country." You know as in poor without anything to offer. But when she came here, she was shocked because she saw modern buildings and infrastrucutres (hehe.. xempre konting bola na rin!). And take note she has not been to Makati or any high-end place yet. As of now, she only went to our closest mall SM Bicutan. She told me that shopping malls in Australia are a bit smaller and closes as early as 5pm. And she's very happy coz she bought lots and lots of shoes and clothes because prices here are cheaper compared to thier country. So you see, we could promote ourselves as a new shopping hub for Asia. And wait, she was not that disappointed with our NAIA T1... (not just yet)

And I also support DOT in its campaign. I think they were successful enough promoting our country in different fairs around the world. I don't care if we only have 2.6M tourists so far, as long as there are big improvements. The rise in tourism now could stimulate the construction of hotels and resorts in our country. We are doing it slowly but surely.

We seem to be doing better in tourism ads nowadays.

Bondi or Boracay? Tourism ads wow Aussies
By Angelina G. Goloy Inquirer Mar 19, 2006

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.

Good work for the tourism department.

BYAHILO

April 24th, 2006, 12:16 PM

among the visayan cities serviced by PAL, ano ba ang pinaka magandang puntahan for someone na limited ang budget?

depende sa gusto mo...

1 suggestion:

u can take ma MNL-ILO route of PAL. while in Iloilo you can take a tour of Iloilo city's old mansions, and churches. Iloilo id the firtst city outside of Manila to have a Millionaire's row. many of them are located in Jaro.

you may also try to go to Miag-ao, site of a wonderfully made baroque church that has been declared by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site.

another side trip, (which i usually do when i'm in iloilo) is to go to the island province of Guimaras. its just 15 mins by outrigger boat. it will only cost you 8.50 pesos from iloilo to Jordan, guimaras.

while in Guimaras check out the white sand beached of Alubihod, do an island hopping tour. check out the mango plantations (Mangoes in Guimaras are the world's sweetest!!!), and visit theTrappist Monastery.

accomodations in Alubihod are cheap too!

check out some articles i have written in the past http://www.byahilo.com

palawan_buddy

April 24th, 2006, 02:23 PM

^^ thanks. how much do u think i need to bring if i were to treat someone with me there in iloilo, with the side trip in guimaras, if ever we stay there for three days? excluding airfare. thanks a lot.

otakaw: yeah. the road to undergound river is terrible. we went there last holyweek. twice we had a flat tire. the road to el nido from Puerto was worst when we went there four years ago.

imbestigador

April 24th, 2006, 03:07 PM

Batanes:Sino Na Nakakita?

BYAHILO

April 25th, 2006, 04:38 AM

commodities in Iloilo and Guimaras are affordable. when i was in Guimaras we rented a large fan room, with 2 beds, t/b, large window na pwede rin matulugan. that was 500 pesos a night. it doesnt matter kung ilan kayo. hanggat kasya kayo sa bahay.

island hopping was 3oo pesos first 2 hours, 100 pesos for succeeding hours, nung last na punta ko we paid 500 pesos. max of 6 pax per boat yata to.

food are affordable too. or you can also ask the loca fishermen for their day's catch then pwede kayo mag ihaw. kasi may place na pwede pag ihawan ng foods.

and dont ever forget to bring your camera and wallet mag island hopping! =)

island hopping tour includes visit to an island cave. kweba sya pero napapasukan sya ng tubig dagat. yung pumobiat nyo papasok mismo dun sa kweba na yun.

you'll also get to visit the turtle islands (entrace fee of 5 pesos). turtle island in guimaras is a regular nesting ground of sea turtles (pawikan). what they usually do is gather all the eggs from the beach, until it hatces, tapos may place sila for the baby turtles until ready na syang bumalik sa dagat. so you will see a lot of these pawikans there.

youll also get to pass by Isla Naburot. One of the most expensive resorts in Guimaras. (pero i heard na close na daw ito) its concept is back to basics. No electricity, max of 18 guests are allowed at a time. very good snorkelling site.

you'll also get to see one of the islands owned by the Lopez family (of ABS CBN fame). Note that the Lopez family originated from Iloilo City. from time to time you'll see their yacht anchored on the beach.

and.. if you are lucky enough,, you'll get to visit the Pulang Pasayan island (Pulang Pasayan is an ilonggo term for Red Shrimp). the shrimps caught in this island are red in color. they look like theyve been cooked already.

and donr forget to bring your snorkels, fins, and gogles. tell the pumpboat operator where you can snorkel. theyll either drop you off at isla naburot or in the island right in front of turtle islands. they've got very very nice coral formations there.

kahit nasa bangka ka pa lang makikita mo an yung mga corals.

=)

sugbuanon

April 25th, 2006, 05:36 AM

Fil-Am group, locals start long journey to make Romblon an ecotourism hub

ODIONGAN, Romblon – In the serenity of sessions at the Romblon State College here, the country’s marble capital, is passionate sharing about how this “archipelago within an archipelago” can use available natural and human resources for eco-tourism.

While Boracay Island’s tourism program is “miles away,” officials of the US-based Romblon Discussion List – Cultural, Livelihood and Educational Assistance for Romblon (RDL-Clear) and local officials and development groups have started to embark on a medium-to-long-term vision to make the province carve a niche through eco-tourism.

RDL-Clear executive director Ismael Fabicon, a native of Banton Island here, said at this year’s Sanrokan Global Convention that Romblon has coastal and mountainous marvels that can potentially be developed attract more tourists (sanrokan means “sharing” in the vernacular tongue).

The provincial tourism office, through its newly-printed brochure, enumerated those – the Mt. Guiting-Guiting Natural Park (one of 29 declared eco-tourism sites nationwide), marine sanctuaries in Looc and Romblon towns, beaches such as Lapus-lapus in Calatrava and Aglicay in Alcantara, mountain springs and waterfalls, and caves such as the Guyangan Cave in Banton, where its Banton burial cloth is Southeast Asia’s oldest.

But Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Alice Fetalvero said herculean efforts are required. While the province has formed its provincial and municipal tourism councils under limited budgets, Fetalvero told convention participants that if the communities are not prepared, the tourism efforts will prove to be “very difficult”.

Hotels and inns here, she said, have yet to comply to standards of an “economy class” room, while residents here are not also aware which places in Romblon are “attractions” for tourists. There are no travel agencies here nor accredited tour guides, and many more challenges for Romblomanon tourism are present, said Fetalvero, adding that Romblomanon tourism remains in its infancy stage.

“Tourism will not only develop by presenting our natural attractions. Thus, we have to push tourism by helping preparing our people, whose smiles and hospitality will make them the tourist attractions themselves,” said the province’s head of tourism.

But even if Philippine and international websites and tourism groups have yet to include Romblon’s wonders in their list of places to see, local groups and residents said these people do not know what they are missing.

US Peace Corps volunteers, for example, have been helping residents of the capital Romblon to develop marine sanctuaries there, said Rey Mores of the non-profit Sentro para sa Ikauunland ng Agham at Teknolohiya (Sikat). The Americans’ underwater video cameras have frequently captured images of attractive coral and fish species.

Sikat, for 15 years, has been developing Romblon, Romblon as an eco-tourism dive spot, while equipping fishermen and residents to preserve marine sanctuaries. Yet Mores said Romblon remains an unknown diving spot compared to Anilao, Batangas, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, and Boracay Island.

Looc town is another marine wonder, where its local government has ably supported its own community-based coastal resource management efforts. The LGU even won a Galing Pook Award in 2000 for its marine conservation program that also helped fishers with livelihood support.

Cultural heritage is also rich here. In Odiongan’s own “baywalk” near the port, children from Banton Island sang folk songs in their local Asi language while residents flocked the town plaza for a “Ms. Odiongan Kuno” gay beauty pageant. Sanrokan chair Luvie Fopalan-Lumang said efforts here for eco-tourism will also value the preservation of the province’s local cultural heritage.

“Eco-tourism, when properly planned and executed here, offers an alternative that can add value to the local community, while making use of practices that help finance its indigenous culture and protecting the environment, Lumang added. Romblon, which is 187 nautical miles form Manila, has three major islands – Tablas, Sibuyan and Romblon – and 17 islets.

The Sanrokan Global Convention is a biennial gathering of RDL-Clear that is now on its third edition. Romblomanons abroad – from the US and Saudi Arabia, for example – supported the staging of the event.

JAMAICUS

April 25th, 2006, 01:49 PM

Survey: Traveler ignorance severely affecting RP tourism

SINGAPORE - The Philippines, Singapore and Japan escaped the 2004 tsunami, which devastated much of Asia but some potential travelers believe otherwise, a survey released Tuesday found.

The poll of thousands of respondents across 10 global markets found that an average of 18 percent said several destinations untouched by the tragedy were still "severely or somewhat affected."

"The most common 'false positive' was the Philippines -- identified by 50 percent of respondents as being affected," the survey conducted by research firm AC Nielsen said.

Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, Hong Kong, China and South Korea were also falsely identified as being hit by the December 2004 disaster, survey results showed.

AC Nielsen conducted the survey in March for Visa International and the Bangkok-based Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

The tsunamis killed more than 220,000 people in the region, mostly in Indonesia but with significant casualties also in Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.

"Travelers' perceptions do not always reflect the reality of a situation, and ignorance is costing the industry billions," said Paul Dowling, Visa Asia Pacific's executive vice-president for corporate relations.

"Better consumer education would make a big difference, bringing billions of extra tourism dollars, particularly by the high-spending travelers, into Asia."

The survey found one in five respondents was similarly misinformed about where "terrorism" has occurred in the region, and about one-third did not know which areas have been affected by bird flu.

Survey interviews were conducted online with 5,601 potential travelers from Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. AFP

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=36695

JAMAICUS

April 25th, 2006, 08:12 PM

Eurotel makes a mark in Las Piñas

By ANNALYN S. JUSAY

LAS PIÑAS today is one of the fastest-growing areas in Metro Manila and in fact has rivalled some cities in terms of achievements and progress. It has come a long way from being known as the original site of the world-famous Bamboo Organ. Las Piñas’ reputation as a staunch stalwart of the government’s Clean and Green program has contributed largely to its growth as a tourism destination and a most desirable place to live in.

From this fast-growing landscape has emerged Eurotel, a European-inspired hotel which aims to satisfy the needs of tourists and business executives staying in Las Piñas.

"Prior to Eurotel’s opening, there was really no hotel to speak of in the city. Sure, there’s a drive inn and a pension house but when it came to really decent accommodations, travelers either had to go to the more expensive hotels in nearby Alabang or Manila," revealed Eurotel manager Paolo Tuazon Las.

Eurotel aims to satisfy the needs of the most discriminating traveler with a range of tastefully-furnished rooms and amenities that are easy on the pocket. Rising to six storeys, the hotel has initially opened a total of 98 rooms with the cheapest being the studio unit costing only R1,450 for an overnight stay at single occupancy. There are standard rooms and the so-called Euro Suite priced a bit higher. All of the rooms come complete with free breakfast, free parking, free wireless connection (WiFi), 24 hours room service as well as cable TV with inhouse movies, among other facilities.

Las explained that their offerings couldn’t be more perfect for their clientele which include long-staying businessmen and Pinoy balikbayans who have relatives residing in Las Piñas. Eurotel has provided for these group of people a "home away from home" atmosphere. We particularly liked Eurotel’s cozy lobby where guests can hang-out and see the world pass by outside. Most important, the staff are courteous and exemplify true Filipino hospitality with their warm smiles and personalized service.

Moreover, culinary lovers are in for a real treat because Eurotel has prepared an extensive menu of international dishes whipped up by seasoned chef Ariel Tan. Among these are the chicken saltimbocca, porkloin in tournedos sauce, Hainanese chicken, Singaporean spareribs and a selection of pastas. If I may add, we found Eurotel’s boneless crispy pata to be the best in town. It makes use of your basic crispy recipe, after which the meat was stripped of its bones then mixed in a secret spicy, piquant sauce with chili peppers thrown in for good measure. Despite being smothered in a sauce, the pork skin still retained its crunchiness and the meat soft to the bite, making the experience unforgettable. Eurotel’s crispy pata is one reason to make you go the distance from Manila, traffic and all.

Of course, Eurotel’s strategic location is an asset in itself. It is in front of the SM Southmall as well as near the Alabang commercial centers and the industrial hubs of Laguna and Cavite.

Barely a year old, Eurotel Las Piñas has grand plans of expanding. Aside from being available for special functions, it is also scheduled to open a bar/ resto, a Figaro coffeeshop and slot machine gaming facilities. Things are looking good indeed for this quaint boutique hotel that is getting to be a gem in the thriving city of Las Piñas.

http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2006042662383.html

kiretoce

April 26th, 2006, 10:31 PM

Economic boom seen in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur
By Freddie G. Lazaro

CABUGAO, Ilocos Sur (April 26) -- In aggressive promotion of investments potential of Salomague Free Port Zone located in Northern Ilocos Sur, dubbed as "Boracay of the North," is expected to take off in the next decade to prepare Cabugao as a trading center.

Mayor Dioceasar S. Suero said that Balikbayans who attended the 4th Global Reunion of Cabugenians were very much interested with the various investments potential that were presented in a forum held at Cabugao Beach Resort last Sunday.

The investment forum was one of the important highlights of the 5th Intayon Cabugao Festival featuring the Sakada Centennial Celebration and the 4th Global Homecoming of Cabugenians from April 17 to 27. Other significant events of the 10-day festival that drew thousands of tourists and visitors were the "Sala Sakada Street Dancing" presentations and the search for Mutya ng Cabugao 2006.

"The forum gained positive headway for our economic development because our townmates from abroad are signifying their willingness to invest some of their earnings here," Suero said.

For his part, Ilocos Sur Vice Governor Deogracias Victor B. Savellano explained that the local government of Cabugao already identified business opportunities wherein the Cabugenians would possibly venture on it.

These ventures will complement with the forthcoming operation of the Salomague Freeport Zone – a port project of the Arroyo administration that seen to create more job opportunities in Ilocos Sur.

Among the initial priority programs identified during the forum were the establishment of commercial banks, appliance center and motor center; the rehabilitation of ice plant; the construction and operations of a greenhouse; seaweeds farming, organic farming; founding of a Montessori – inspired school; and development of various town's places having tourism prospect.

Mayor Suero disclosed some of these business prospects were potentially establish at the center of the town particularly near the Northern Ilocos Sur and Trade Center (NISTC), at the beaches and farms.

tigidig14

April 27th, 2006, 12:37 AM

sugbuanon

April 27th, 2006, 05:41 AM

PGMA orders DOT to expand tourism master plan for Boracay to cover entire Panay Islands

PANDAN, Antique — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered on Tuesday the Department of Tourism (DOT) to expand its tourism master plan for the island of Boracay to include the entire islands of Panay.

PGMA orders DOT to expand tourism master plan for Boracay to cover entire Panay IslandsIn her message during her visit to this town that coincided with its fiesta today, the President said the economic development plan for Boracay island being mapped out by DOT must be expanded to the whole Panay islands which include the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo and Guimaras.

PGMA orders DOT to expand tourism master plan for Boracay to cover entire Panay Islands"I asked Undersecretary Salvador Sarabia Jr. of Tourism, who is from Iloilo, to expand the tourism plan of Boracay to the whole of Panay islands," she said.

The President noted that due to the influx of tourists to Boracay, there is "clear lack of facilities in the island," so it is important to also develop for tourism the neighboring areas.

She pointed out that the northern part of Antique would benefit much from this plan as it is that part of the province that is closest to Boracay.

The President also said that there is a need to "redo the Panay Area Integrated Program and make tourism as the center of economic development instead of the existing focus on agriculture."

"You have beautiful beaches, hot springs and rivers here in Antique…but most importantly, the people of Antique have warm smiles to welcome tourists," she said.

"Can you imagine what we can do with the whole island when we develop tourism? The people can graduate from being poor… there would be more funds for basic social services from tourism," she added.

The President, in her goal to create six to 10 million jobs by 2010, has identified the tourism sector as one of the biggest contributors, noting that the country has great tourism potential.

sugbuanon

April 27th, 2006, 05:42 AM

Task force formed to rescue Cebu’s “Little Boracay”

CEBU CITY – The local government of Cebu will create a special task force that would oversee the development of Cebu's “Little Boracay”, the heavenly Malapascua Island.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said she is planning a holistic approach for the island that will include marine protection and solid waste and water supply management.

Garcia, who visited the island in Daanbantayan last Friday, said she was dismayed with the structures encroaching the beach line, which proved that development has also cost the seashore its natural beauty.

“This is not the Malapascua that I saw before. What happened to that beautiful stretch of sand? This is an eyesore,” Garcia told the island’s tourism industry stakeholders.

Residents even disclosed that the sand is being used for the construction of resorts’ interior portion.

The governor also lambasted the indiscriminate throwing of garbage in the beaches, where she saw littered bottles of mineral water and plastics from junk food.

Among the actions to be taken is for the municipality of Daanbantayan to implement a 30-meter easement zone in the whole island.

About 22 of the island’s 48 resorts will be affected in the island’s restructuring.

One of the resort owners, Kurt Jensen expressed disappointment and told officials they were acting in good faith because they followed all the requirements of the municipal government before putting up the cottages.

He showed officials a building permit from the Daanbantayan municipal engineer and a certification from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), documents he was made to believe were the only requirements.

Garcia said both Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez Jr. and Daanbantayan Mayor Ma. Luisa Loot gave positive feedbacks to her development program.

The Cebu Provincial Government will work with Barangay Logon, which has jurisdiction over Malapascua, for the requirements such as supporting ordinances in implementing the development plans.

She called on resort operators to cooperate with the government in implementing the development plans, saying that unless everyone works together, there can be no future for Malapascua.

”Let’s not kill the goose that lays the golden eggs,” she said.

sugbuanon

April 28th, 2006, 02:38 PM

Tourists bursting at the seams in the Ilocos region this summer

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — The Ilocos region has a big share of the country’s big tourism market this summer, an official of the Department of Tourism said on Thursday.

DOT Regional Director Martin Valera said that every day is a holiday in Region 1 starting from April till the end of May because of the region’s many festivals.

Valera was interviewed by newsmen when he attended the Pista’y Dayat (sea festival) in Lingayen organized by the provincial government under Gov. Victor Abayani.

"Festivals are everywhere. I think festivals are the biggest come-ons here in the Ilocos region,” he said.

He observed that since the Holy Week, tourist properties in Region One, among them beach resorts, are getting 100 per cent occupancy.

Hotels also registered a marked increase of 50 per cent occupancy as compared to their bookings last year, according to Valera.

The number was based on people staying in hotels overnight, except those visiting places in the region during the day, who are much more.

Because of the big number of tourists attending festivals, he said, many hotels and resorts are even turning away their guests

“The beaches are full of people and we’re happy. I hope this momentum will stay on so that we can have better tourist traffic throughout the whole year”, he said.

These include not only the beach areas in Pangasinan but also in La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.

In this summer, the Filipinos really go out and enjoy the beach areas, especially if there are long holidays, Valera observed.

“This is attuned to the program of the DOT of encouraging tourist movements. The regions don’t try to compete with each other but rather complement each other.” Valera said.

It simply means that people of the Ilocos region visit other regions and those from other region visit our region, he explained.

It was observed that in the case of Pangasinan, the province in the Ilocos region that is nearest to Manila, the tourists are coming from Central Luzon and Metro Manila.

Being accessible by land, tourists would rather go and visit the Ilocos region than fly to Boracay, Aklan which is much costly in this time of fuel price increases, he said.

“Definitely, they would rather come here. Besides, those catering to Boracay are really the very up market,” he said.

Foreign tourists are included in this big tourism inflow to the north, he said, adding that those flocking to the beaches are balikbayan who are considered foreign tourists because they now stay abroad.

Valera said that even the Hundred Islands in Alaminos City in Pangasinan is being filled with tourists since summer started.

He observed that last Holy week, a sizable number of people were at the Hundred Islands with up to 1,500 crowding the three developed islands—Quezon, Governor’s and Children Islands.

Valera, however, expressed deep regret because some of the tourist properties available do not yet measure up to international standard.

“This is what we are telling the owners of these properties—that they should invest more in order to catch the bigger international tourist traffic.

sugbuanon

April 28th, 2006, 02:39 PM

DOT promotes Isabela Province as major tourist destination

MANILA – Coinciding with the celebration of its 150th founding anniversary, Isabela Province is now being promoted by the Department of Tourism (DOT) as one of the major tourist destinations in the Philippines, particularly in the field of ecotourism.

In time for the celebration, DOT will be unveiling the WOW Isabela Bus and a series of tours in the province’s ecotourism destinations from May 3 to 10, 2006.

According to Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, Isabela is home to the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, the largest protected area in the country, with more than 300,000 hectares of rainforest and numerous unknown and unnamed species of flora and fauna.

It is also host to a number of archaeological and historical sites which showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Isabelinos. It is, therefore, only appropriate that the province be known for the beauty and the diversity of its natural, as well as man-made, attractions,” Durano said.

The provincial government of Isabela started a one-hundred day countdown last February 11. It was then followed by the formal opening of the province’s Games and Sports Festival on March 11.

This year’s Isabela Day, which is on May 10, will be commemorated by daily activities beginning May 1 until May 11, with its grand opening day on May 7.

The anniversary will be highlighted by a grand parade, coupled with street dances, food fair, and the launching of the Isabela Cuisine Book.

Other activities are investment promotions consisting of jobs and trade fairs and livelihood training; cultural shows featuring the evolution of Isabela and the Ybanag, Ilocano, Gaddang, and Yogad cultures; sports activities, such as the bike fest, drag race, shoot fest, and wall-climbing; a cheer dance competition; battle of the bands; a beauty pageant; and familiarization tours for media practitioners and tour operators.

For the ecotours, the DOT has included visits to the Fuyot National Park, Sta. Victoria Caves, Palanan River, Magat Dam Hydro Electric Power Plant, Balay na Santiago City Museum, a repository of the rich cultural heritage of the Isabelinos, the churches of San Pablo and St. Mathias in Tumauini, built in 1624 and 1753, respectively, and other ecotourism sites.

The WOW Isabela Bus will feature the various tourist destinations and tourism products of the province and will bring guests to the said destinations.

Likewise, the DOT will open a regional tourism booth showcasing the major attractions in the Cagayan Valley Region.

Isabela Day is also known as Bambanti Festival. Bambanti is an Ilocano word meaning “scarecrow,” which is aplenty in the vast rice and cornfields of Isabela.

Isabela is known as the biggest province in the Cagayan Valley Region and is now one of the premier provinces of the north.

It has been dubbed as the “Rice Granary of the North” having been adjudged as the Most Outstanding Province in Food Security in the Gawad Sapat Ani Awards 2000 conducted by the Department of Agriculture. It is also home to the famous Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, a protected seascape and landscape of exceptional biodiversity.

Santiago City, the commercial center of Region 2, has been declared an independent-component city through a plebiscite on July 3, 1994 under Republic Act 7720. Cauayan City, the trading center in Isabela, is also a component city ratified in a majority vote on March 30, 2001.

It is believed that the history of the province dates back to over 25,999 years ago with the Stone Age race of dark-skinned, kinky-haired pigmies whose descendants, the nomadic Aetas (Negritos), can still be found roaming the mountains and forest of eastern Isabela today.

The Indonesians arrived 5,000 years ago, followed by three waves of Malays between 200 BC and 1500 AD.

These pagan ancestors of the Ibanags, Gaddangs, Yogads, Kalingas and other original tribes of the valley built a civilization based on corn agriculture and organized around the fundamental political unit, the barangay.

The Spaniards arrived in the late 16th and 17th centuries and introduced Christianity, the encomienda (forerunner of the municipality) system, and the tobacco monopoly. Spanish rule was extremely oppressive so the natives rose in revolt on several occasions, most notably in the 18th century under the leadership of Dabo and Marayag.

According to Fr. Ambrocio Manaligod, STD, from 1851, the Spanish conquistadors established the “Ciudad de Nueva Segovia” in what is called Lallo today.

Up to 1839, the entire Cagayan Valley was one large province which the Spaniards called “La Provincia del Valle de Cagayan.”

Out of this vast territory, two new provinces were created in 1839. One retained the old name “Cagayan” which comprised all towns from Aparri to Tumauini. Its capital transferred from Lallo to Tuguegarao. The one bearing the name “Nueva Vizcaya” was composed of all towns from Ilagan to the Caraballo del Sur including Catalangan and Palanan, with Camarag (now Echague) as its capital.

A Royal Decree was created in May 1, 1856 creating “Isabela de Luzon” to distinguish it from other Isabelas in the Philippines.

It comprised the town of Carig (now Santiago City), Camarag (now Echague), Angadanan (now Alicia), Cauayan, Calanusian (now Reina Mercedes), Gamu, and Ilagan, all detached from Nueva Vizcaya; while Tumauini and Cabagan were taken from the province of Cagayan.

It was placed under the jurisdiction of a governor with the capital seat at Ilagan, where it remains at the present.

A new wave of immigration began in the late 19th and 20th centuries with the arrival of the Ilocanos who came in large numbers. They now constitute the largest group in the province. Other ethnic groups followed and Isabela became the “melting pot of the north.”

Although the province did not play a major role in the revolt against Spain, it was in Palanan where the final pages of the Philippine revolution were written when the American forces led by General Frederick Funston captured General Emilio Aguinaldo on March 23, 1901.

Isabela comprises an aggregate land area of 10,665 square kilometers, representing almost 40 percent of the regional territory.

It is the largest province in the region and the second largest province in the country in terms of land area.

The largest protected area in the country with more than 300,000 hectares of rainforest, and the lowest at 800 feet above sea level. Declared number one in biodiversity and also one of the top 10 biodiversity “hotspots” in the world.

Research showed the existence of unknown and unnamed species of flora and fauna. A confirmed habitat of the Philippine Eagle and the Cloud Rat.

Its coastal areas host whales and dolphins and other cetaceans. Ideal for scuba diving and other water sports, and a mountaineering/trekking challenge.

shadow_can2003

April 28th, 2006, 03:34 PM

demented_pigeon

April 28th, 2006, 03:37 PM

Good news for our beloved province. Sana hindi ito gamiting publicity na aming wlang kwentang governor.
si governor grace padaca right?

tyronne

April 28th, 2006, 08:32 PM

*deleted*

shadow_can2003

April 29th, 2006, 03:14 AM

si governor grace padaca right?

Yap. The worst Governor we ever had in the province. Wala na kasi syang ginawa kundi magpayaman. Napabayaan nya ang aming province. If youve been to Isabela maiintindihan mo ako.

marites4

April 29th, 2006, 03:56 AM

siya ba yung nananalong bulag?

demented_pigeon

April 29th, 2006, 04:10 AM

siya ba yung nananalong bulag?
hindi bulag, pilay...

demented_pigeon

April 29th, 2006, 04:12 AM

Yap. The worst Governor we ever had in the province. Wala na kasi syang ginawa kundi magpayaman. Napabayaan nya ang aming province. If youve been to Isabela maiintindihan mo ako.
sayang partido liberal pa naman... no offense pero sana may pumalit sa kanya, huwag lang yung mga political dynasties dyan... yun kasing isang anak ng dating governor dyan na valedictorian dito sa ateneo, may plano ata na mag pulitika...

shadow_can2003

April 29th, 2006, 04:13 AM

hindi bulag, pilay...

Sya nga. Ang inakala ng buong Pilipinas na magpapabago sa Political climate ng aming Probinsya. Ang di nila alam Padaca is 100 times worst than the Dy. Haay so frustrating talaga.....:bash:

shadow_can2003

April 29th, 2006, 04:17 AM

sayang partido liberal pa naman... no offense pero sana may pumalit sa kanya, huwag lang yung mga political dynasties dyan... yun kasing isang anak ng dating governor dyan na valedictorian dito sa ateneo, may plano ata na mag pulitika...

Honestly mas ok pa na DY ulit ang pumalit. Marami na kasi silang projects na nasimulan dati, then nung natalo sila hindi na tinuloy yun ni Padaca. Ultimo Provincial Capitol namin napabayaan, sobrang pangit talaga. Ang palagi lang ginagawa ni Padaca dito at magdak-dak sa radio program(paid radio program nya) ng kung anong kayabangan.

demented_pigeon

April 29th, 2006, 04:22 AM

Honestly mas ok pa na DY ulit ang pumalit. Marami na kasi silang projects na nasimulan dati, then nung natalo sila hindi na tinuloy yun ni Padaca. Ultimo Provincial Capitol namin napabayaan, sobrang pangit talaga. Ang palagi lang ginagawa ni Padaca dito at magdak-dak sa radio program(paid radio program nya) ng kung anong kayabangan.
no offense, but isabela should realize they deserve better than the Dys the Uys and padaca... akin lang yun. kasi ako bilang cebuano, sawa na ako sa puro osmena na lang... lagi na lang sila.

marites4

April 29th, 2006, 04:48 AM

pagkatapos kahet me limit ang term nila wala deng silbe dahil and papalet yung anak , tapos nung anak yung asawa naman, tapos yun namang asawa ng anak.

demented_pigeon

April 29th, 2006, 04:53 AM

pagkatapos kahet me limit ang term nila wala deng silbe dahil and papalet yung anak , tapos nung anak yung asawa naman, tapos yun namang asawa ng anak.
kaya nga yung anak ni dy na valedictorian dito sa admu ang gagawing future gov dito.

JAMAICUS

April 29th, 2006, 06:31 AM

Isabela launches WOW Tour Bus, ecotours

By JASER A. MARASIGAN

The launch of the “WOW Isabela Tour Bus" will highlight the grand celebration of Isabela’s 150th Founding Anniversary which will kick off on May 1. Regional Director Blessida Diwa also announced that the Department of Tourism (DoT) will be introducing the province’s own eco-tourism tours, Isabela being home to the famous Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, a protected seascape and landscape of exceptional biodiversity.

Diwa said that tourism is relatively a new industry in the province especially in the coastal areas as support services and accommodation facilities are still being developed.

She added that the ecotours, which include trips to Isabela’s natural treasures such as the lush islands of Palanan, Dicotcotan and Divilacan, will initially be offered to local tourists.

The commemoration of Isabela Day will be led by Governor Ma. Gracia Padaca and Director General for Isabela Day '06, Congressman Edwin Uy at the Provincial Capitol Grounds. Coinciding with the event is Bambati (or scarecrow) Festival, which celebrates the bountiful harvest of rice and corn, and other agricultural products with street dances and a float parade.

Other activities lined up in the seven-day festivity include: the Games and Sports Festival; Palanan trek; street dance and grand float parade; jobs fair; trade fair and livelihood trainings; cultural shows featuring the evolution of Isabela, the Ybanag culture, Ilocano culture, Gaddang culture and the Yogad culture; beauty pageant; familiarization tours for locals, media and tour operators; invitational bike fest; and off-road challenge.

Isabela, the biggest province in the Cagayan Valley Region, is now one of the premier provinces of the north. It has been dubbed as the "Rice Granary of the North" having been adjudged as the Most Outstanding Province in Food Security in the Gawad Sapat Ani Awards 2000 conducted by the Department of Agriculture.

Isabela comprises an aggregate land area of 10,665 square kilometers, representing almost 40 percent of the regional territory. It is the largest province in the region and the second largest province in the country in terms of land area.

The province boasts of vast agricultural lands and quality rice and crops which are being exported as most of these lands are irrigated and farming is highly mechanized. The Magat Dam Tourism Complex, one of the biggest dams in Asia, generates 360 megawatts of electricity for the Luzon Grid and supplies the irrigation diversion requirement for 102,000 hectares of agricultural land in Region 2 and CAR.

The Our Lady of the Visitation National Shrine, the St. Mathias Church (the only church with cylindrical belfry), and other brick churches in the province are easily accessible to motorists.

The Sta. Victoria Caves and Environmental School, located at Fuyo National Park, is the first-of-its-kind in the region to give environmental awareness education to its patrons. The area is a favorite destination for family bonding and educational trips.

Pristine seascapes and landscapes proliferate at the eastern coast of the province. The Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park is a haven for researchers and outdoor enthusiasts, declared number one in biodiversity in the country and also at the world’s top ten biodiversity hotspots. The towns of Divilacan, Maconacon, Dinapigue, and Palanan are recommended for trekking, mountaineering, camping and exploration.

http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2006042962703.html

shadow_can2003

April 29th, 2006, 08:58 AM

no offense, but isabela should realize they deserve better than the Dys the Uys and padaca... akin lang yun. kasi ako bilang cebuano, sawa na ako sa puro osmena na lang... lagi na lang sila.

The big question is...Sino ang lalaban sa kanila?

overtureph

April 29th, 2006, 10:08 PM

Benguet burial sites sacred, visitors told

First posted 11:06pm (Mla time) April 25, 2006
By Delmar Cario
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on Page A21 of the April 26, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET—The province’s mountains and burial grounds have always been open for tourism, but officials are reminding visitors and climbers to avoid activities that could desecrate the sites.

“Most of the sites are located in indigenous parks or communities where customary laws are observed. Visitors are thus asked to behave properly,” said Clarita Prudencio, provincial tourism operations officer.

This summer, trekkers and mountaineers continue to explore the province’s popular climbing destinations—Mt. Pulag, the country’s second highest peak, in Kabayan town; Mt. Ugo in Itogon; Mt. Takadang in Kibungan; and Mt. Kabunian in Bakun.

Kabayan is the most popular among visitors because of mummies preserved in its burial caves.

Benguet is now determined to use its natural and cultural wealth for tourism to fill in the losses being experienced by its two major industries, mining and agriculture, Prudencio said.

Local records showed that the province had hosted a growing number of tourist arrivals—34,071 in 2003, 39,445 in 2004 and 35,073 from January to June 2005.

For the rest of 2005 and this year, figures are still not available. But Prudencio said field reports had been encouraging, particularly when the province staged the “Adivay” last year.

Adivay is a festival of customs and products that featured photographs of previously unseen sites in Benguet.

The province has 107 existing, emerging and potential tourist and development areas that can boost its bid to become a major tourist destination in Northern Luzon, Prudencio said.

The sites include previously unseen waterfalls, rice terraces, hot springs, and panoramic mountaintops.

But for the province’s four major tribes—Ibaloi, Kankanaey, Ikarao and Kalanguya—the mountains are inhabited by gods who must not be disturbed, Prudencio said.

“Visitors and mountain climbers must not disturb their peace by bringing in liquor, partying, creating much noise or blaring sounds, and trying to take as souvenirs bones and relics they may find at the sites,” she said.

In places where there is a ngilin (period of abstinence), visiting couples are advised not to mate, she said.

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&col=&story_id=73731

overtureph

April 29th, 2006, 10:10 PM

Inquirer Northern Luzon : Rice festival forges peace in Kalinga

First posted 11:43pm (Mla time) April 25, 2006
By Ikin Salvador
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on Page A20 of the April 26, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE people of Tinglayan town in Kalinga have kept alive their traditional farming methods despite the popular use of fertilizer and modern techniques of agriculture in the Cordillera.

Through traditional farming, they nurture the “unoy,” an upland red rice variety indigenous to the province and organically grown in the town’s payeo (terraces).

Last week, Tinglayan staged an unoy festival to highlight the rituals performed in the growing, harvesting and milling of the rice variety and the customs associated with it.

Mayor Johnny Maymaya said in Tinglayan, rice symbolizes life and unity.

“Nabaknang iti bagas, simbolo iti panagbiag, ken simbolo ti panagkakaisa (Rice is abundant in Tinglayan. It is the symbol of life and a symbol for unity),” he said.

Aside from an agricultural feast, the celebration was a thanksgiving to Kabunian (god) for a bountiful harvest.

“It is surprising that the people here never experience the urat or extreme hunger, despite the small plots owned by traditional farmers in raising unoy compared to [people in] other provinces that have [several] hectares of land for planting rice but who go hungry,” said Maximo Garning, 54.

Fertility

The traditional farming of unoy produced the same volume of rice through time. It also sustained the fertility of the soil through natural irrigation and ingrained the value of conserving the environment among the people.

Maymaya said the festival also became a venue for cooperation and unity among the different groups in Tinglayan and helped change the image of the town as the “war zone” of tribal groups in central Cordillera.

Dr. Rey Cruz, Tinglayan health officer, said he had witnessed how people from different warring groups hacked each other in the past.

“People now have changed and have realized that tribal conflicts do not bring them any good,” Cruz said.

Twenty villages participated in the lalagsak (cultural presentations) that featured indigenous dances, chants (ugayam and ullalim), music, storytelling and prayers from the elders.

“Mayat daytoy tapno maipakita daigidiay aramid kadagiti dumadakkel (Occasions like these are good so we could show the customs of the past to the younger generation),” said Ligaya Agalang, 34.

The festival featured the ab’afa or indigenous games such as manchiot (log splitting), sang-sangkor (arm wresting), kuykuykuy (tug of war) and manfayo (palay pounding). A trade exhibition of indigenous crafts and agricultural products was also held.

The search for “Mr. and Ms Unoy” featured the traditional costumes of the Kalinga and an innovation of the native attire today.

The search’s talent portion showed the ug-ugma (traditional practices) performed by the Kalinga elders like the chanting of the mandadawak (healer), pattong (gong playing), ullalim and ugayam, and the playing of the nose flute, among other things.

A participant voiced out loud the pride of the Kalinga when he shouted: “Haan yon chau liflifatan nan uchali (We should not forget the traditional practices of our elders).”

Natural attractions

Among the town’s attractions are the “Sleeping Beauty” mountain, a favorite destination of climbers; kayaking at the 14-km stretch of the Chico River from Bugnay to Ambato; and trekking to Palang-ah waterfalls and Aatongan hot springs.

The town’s tourism code, said tourism officer Noel Macaiba, promotes eco-tourism.

Festival organizers and local officials have also encouraged a home stay program for visitors so they can experience village life and Kalinga hospitality.

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&col=36&story_id=73740

praning

April 29th, 2006, 10:18 PM

yeah thailand's natural resources are slowly being destroyed by mass tourism. Which is why i don't think mass tourism is good for the PHIls.

My thought too

sandrin

April 30th, 2006, 03:53 AM

From Russia and Germany, with love

First posted 00:19am (Mla time) April 30, 2006
By Cheche V. Moral
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on page F1 of the April 30, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

BARELY two weeks before it was officially springtime, Europe’s bitter-cold winter looked like it wasn’t about to go swiftly just yet.

But denizens of the German capital were unfazed. Bundled up in their thermal wear and layers of wishful thinking, they scurried to the checkout counters of the Swedish shop H&M on Kurfurstendamm, Berlin’s main shopping avenue, with arms full of gauzy spring wear, as if on a primitive rite to heat up the frigid air outdoors.

At about this time, the Philippines’ Department of Tourism, quite opportunely—and not without tons of wishful thinking, too—was showing beckoning sun-shiny images of the islands on a video wall at the International Tourismus-Borse in Berlin. After all, the Philippines is not alone in the quest to seduce tourists to sunny isles, beautiful beaches and warm tropical smiles that can melt ice.

Biggest fair

ITB is the world’s biggest annual travel fair and tourist marketplace, with some 10,000 exhibitors from 180 countries. Logistically speaking, the Philippines’ participation this year was quite modest next to its Asian neighbors alone. But in the country’s pursuit to lure Europe, one of its most coveted tourist markets, it looked like it wasn’t just the Germans who had undaunted spirits. And it was easy to see why.

While China, Korea and Japan remain the Philippines’ biggest tourist markets volume-wise, Europe is considered its prime market, with guests staying an average of 21 days, considerably longer than Asian tourists; ergo, greater spending and long-term profits.

The country has been on a roll since it emerged from the tourist slump that began in the late ’90s as a result of the peace-and-order situation, among other factors. Tourist arrivals in January alone was up by 22 percent compared to January 2005. It was a record growth that owed much to intensive image building and bullish market-specific campaigns.

“The worst case for us is to be paralyzed,” said Tourism Sec. Joseph Durano. “We’re moving from sporadic to annual campaigns. Our goal is to maintain visibility.” The current DOT tack is “awareness, preference, purchase.” “We’re putting more science into what we’re doing, that’s why we’re hiring global consultants.”

In the United Kingdom last year, the DOT launched its taxicab drive, adorning 50 London cabs with jeepney-like art in promoting WOW! Philippines, the tourism campaign launched at the time of Sec. Richard Gordon, and now continued by Durano. In some markets, like Korea and Japan, the department has hired local celebrity endorsers in its effort “to be intimate with the market.”

Last month, during the ITB, the DOT launched an Infoscreen campaign in 114 German train stations spanning 12 major cities. The campaign runs round the clock at five-second intervals, and will initially run for six months. As for the cost, “It’s worth it,” stressed Venus Tan, DOT-Frankfurt’s director for Central and Eastern Europe. The Infoscreen has an estimated consumer reach of 11,400 daily per station.

Germany has one of the biggest tourist arrivals to the Philippines from Europe, second only to the United Kingdom. Mostly professionals and business executives on holiday, German visitors gravitate to the beaches of Cebu, Boracay and Mindoro, staying an average of 21 days. Sixty percent are repeat travelers.

Concern

It must be recalled that following the kidnapping of a German family in Sipadan in 2000, German arrivals considerably dropped. But the confidence is back, according to Tan.

“They’re not affected by the Philippines’ [political] situation,” said Leslie Baja, Philippine consul general in Berlin, several weeks after the President proclaimed a state of emergency. “They tend to compartmentalize. Huwag lang may kidnapping. (Until kidnapping takes place)”

Still, security is a major concern with tourists, especially the Europeans. “When something happens, we work double time to reassure them,” said Nadja Trinchera of Rajah Tours.

“We get bombarded with e-mails,” added Baron Travel’s Maria Aurora Tadeo with a grimace. “Madalas dinadaan-daanan lang kami.(We were ignored)” Which explains why, for three years, Baron didn’t participate in the ITB.

“We tell them it’s happening globally, it’s not only in the Philippines,” Trinchera said. “Filipinos can be quite melodramatic, and it affects tourism. We hope media would tone down its reportage.”

At the ITB, however, Tadeo, who admitted 2005 was a very good year for the travel industry, said they had promising talks with their European counterparts. “But we have to wait for three months” if those talks would translate to sales. They’re not dissuaded, she added. “We’re here, right? And that’s affirmation enough that we’re ready to do business.”

Oil-rich

Indeed. Several days later, the private sector also trooped to Moscow with the DOT team, to intensify the campaign for the country’s fastest emerging market: the Russians.

If there’s anybody who has most benefited from the rising cost of oil, it is the Russians. Forbes Magazine recently reported that oil-rich Russia now has the third most number of billionaires. And they are quite the enthusiastic spenders and travelers.

One of Europe’s fastest growing outbound travelers, the Russians are among the world’s top spenders and luxury shoppers, justifiably making them a very desirable market.

Given Russia’s unforgiving climate for almost half of the year, Muscovites are inclined to travel to the warm tropics. However, the Philippines is still a relatively unknown destination for most Russians, said Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, head of the Russian Federal Agency of Tourism, such that most Muscovites would spend their holidays in Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia.

Even then, Russian arrivals to the Philippines posted the greatest increase by the end of 2005, at 181 percent, compared to the previous year. A very encouraging development that paved for the signing of a bilateral tourism agreement that also coincided with the 30th-year celebrations of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Statistics show that Muscovites prefer to travel in countries where a visa-upon-arrival scheme is implemented, and this was one of the arrangements Durano promised his counterpart at the signing.

Luxury accommodations

As Muscovites and other Europeans have a preference for luxury accommodations, the Philippines is facing yet another challenge with the shortage of infrastructure.

“[The number of] tourists is no longer a problem,” says Tan. “Capacity is the problem. But it’s doable if we act together. We need to strike a balance between our short-haul (Asian) and long-haul (European) markets.”

Cebu and Boracay, for instance, have been turning away long-haul tourists as some dates are blocked off for Asian travelers, making it hard for Europeans to extend their stay. To add to that, the country has 11 million domestic tourists.

There is, of course, the prospect of investments that follow tourism. And the DOT is pinning its hopes on that.

This year, the department was the first to get its budget approved, and with an increase of P300 million. Perhaps to show where the money is going, the DOT brought three members of the House Committee on Tourism to Berlin and Moscow.

The legislative and the executive departments can work together, opined Palawan Rep. Antonio Alvarez, by allocating a more substantial budget for tourism development. He suggested a one-directional focus for government agencies for, say, five years, to develop infrastructure and other areas for tourism promotion, giving full command to the DOT and essentially making the tourism secretary the most powerful man in the Cabinet. He assented, however, that given the country’s bureaucratic setup, that may only be done in theory.

Aklan Rep. Florencio Miraflores said the DOT’s “marketing strategy should be to sell each island as it is,” perhaps a more pragmatic tack given how foreigners usually associate any news of unrest in a specific place to the rest of the country.

His colleague, Manila Rep. Miles Roces, however, went further by suggesting a bill to rename the country to “Philippine Islands (P.I.).” The present name “sounds too political,” he reasoned, and may need a more “attractive, exotic and descriptive” alternative.

A fascinating idea to Roces, perhaps, but one that’s bound to generate not a few outraged curses of “p.i.!”

E-mail the author at cmoral@inquirer.com.ph

JAMAICUS

April 30th, 2006, 05:08 AM

Bayanihan tours China, Germany, and Russia to attract tourists

The month of March 2006 was a busy one for the country’s goodwill ambassadors as they had performances in China, Germany, and Russia as part of the Philippine government’s program to attract more tourists and investors to the country.

The Bayanihan Philippine National Dance Company performed in Guangzhou, China from March 2 to 6. They then proceeded to Berlin, Germany to perform during the Internationale Tourismus Borshe (ITB) from March 8 to 12 at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds in Germany.

With 10,000 exhibitors from 180 countries, the ITB is the prime meeting place of the tourism industry and represents the full spectrum of the tourism industry. The Philippines is an active participant of this exposition and has been able to attract many foreign visitors because of this. Ambassador Delia Albert led the Philippine contingent to give full support to the Philippine exhibitors and the performances of Bayanihan aimed at attracting tourists to the country.

After Berlin, the group proceeded to Russia from March 13 to 18 where the Bayanihan performed during the celebration of 30 years of Philippine-Russian diplomatic relations. What made the event more significant is the fact that the Bayanihan was also in Russia when the Philippine government signed a memorandum of agreement for stronger diplomatic relations with Russia. Again, Philippine Ambassador Ernesto Llamas was on top of the celebration showcasing Philippine arts and culture.

Before making the trip home, the group went to Germany, this time to Frankfurt where they performed to raise funds for the landslide victims of Leyte. The visit was made upon the invitation of the Philippine Tourism Attaché in Germany, Venus Tan.

The Bayanihan is celebrating its golden anniversary this year as Dr. Helen Z. Benitez founded the Bayanihan Folk Dance Group of the Philippine Women’s University in 1956. The following year, in 1957, it was formally organized as the Bayanihan Folk Arts Center with the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company as its performing arm. In 1958, it became the Bayanihan Folk Arts Association. Since 1956, the Company has mounted 14 major world tours and more than 100 short tours.

http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2006043062775.html

praning

April 30th, 2006, 05:19 AM

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

I wouldn't be surprised if China becomes one in terms of "population". They have like 1.3 billion residents. Pero I don't think that they will one time be the biggest English speaking country. Hindi naman masyado nagkakalayo ang population ng China at India eh. India, puwede pa siguro

====

I think there should be re-promotion of English. Many can comprehend but not so many are comfortable and fluent on the language.

Ang impression kasi sa mga marunong magEnglish is "matalino", "sosyal" which is not true unless you speak the Konyo English.

JAMAICUS

April 30th, 2006, 05:23 AM

^^ Have you been watching ANC? There is already a program for the promotion of English which is called "ENGLISH IS COOL" which would span for 5 years... yet this discussion should be more appropriate at another thread.Besides, the article was posted for the tourism part of the article.

praning

April 30th, 2006, 06:32 AM

What I mean is intensely promoting English.
So far, parang sa tertiary level lang talaga yung promotion.
Kailangan rin naman sigurong umabot yung promotion sa Elementary at Secondary levels.

dancethingy

April 30th, 2006, 08:47 AM

marites4

April 30th, 2006, 07:41 PM

ito kaseng si nanang cory at erap tinanggal tangal ang ingles kaya hala tignan mo ngayon.

xDieselJockx

May 1st, 2006, 02:50 AM

Ok so more Chinese are learning how to speak English, does that mean they are going to overcome us in the very near future? i don't think so. Will they speak English as well as we speak English? I don't think so. People who write articles like this are somewhat melodramatic and most Filipinos journalist tend to be morbid and cynical anyway.

You can never tell. The Chineses, Koreans and Japaneses are so serious and dedicated in learning english, I'm talking about the people itself as it seems like it is the latest craze or fad in these countries. There are alot of english teaching schools in those countries whom are all willing to hire and pay an english native speaker a real fat pay check, complete with luxurious accomodations and personal transports. The more white you are together with a higher education you have the better it is, it's like it is the name of the game. That is why there are so many British, australians, americans, canadians and New Zealanders who are all lured into it. These other asian s are all perfectionist when it comes to learning english and they are all determined to master their craft. So, I wouldn't be surprised if they would surpass the Filipinos one of these days.

How did I know all these? A couple of friends I have just accepted a job in China mainland and taiwan. They were offered $11 and $13 grand a month respectively in these countries, not accounting the free car and accomodations. This is something a newly graduate student would not receive in their 1st attempt for a new job after college.

JAMAICUS

May 1st, 2006, 05:07 AM

^^ LEt's reserve this discussion for a another thread pleasE!!!Anyway...

Enjoy life’s simple pleasures at Estancia Tagaytay
spacer

THE cool wind, the lush surroundings and the breathtaking view of Taal Lake...

The harmony of this place brings inner peace, and everything about it reminds us of the divine. Tagaytay is no longer just a summer escape, but a year-round destination for those who want to engage in weekend trysts.

Estancia Resort Hotel in Tagaytay City, only 90 minutes away from Manila, lets you get away from it all, but not quite far from it all, as it gives you that "home away from home" experience. Estancia tries to make your visit as welcoming and comfortable as staying in your own home, still letting you enjoy those simple pleasures. Even the locals rave about the hotel and extol its virtues over the other flashier ones in the city.

As soon as you arrive, a member of the staff greets you with a glass of fresh juice and promptly takes care of your belongings. The warm reception indicates what is yet to come — attention and care by the friendly and courteous staff, basically accommodating every request their guests may have.

The resort has 10 executive suites, four deluxe rooms, four superior rooms and 22 nipa huts, all tucked in this four-hectare property.

The rooms are tastefully decorated, clean and very spacious. Each room is uniquely designed and provided with amenities such as airconditioning, cable TV, hot and cold running water, mini bar, refrigerator and IDD/NDD phones. It also boasts of the view of a sprawling terrain and the splendid Taal Lake. Among the rooms, the nipa huts are the most in-demand, especially among foreign guests and local celebrities.

Dine al fresco at The Pavilion by the poolside or at the Mob’s Bar and Restaurant. Enjoy sumptuous local and foreign fare cooked the "lutong bahay" way, such as the Crispy Tawilis, Batchoy, Bulalo, Bistek Tagalog, Kare-Kare, Lechon de Carajay, Crunchy Chicken, Porkchop and Apple Compote, and their bestseller, the Tanigue Steak. Others offered in the menu are Crispy pata, pansit, pancakes, leche flan, plus a variety of sandwiches, burgers, pasta, and fresh fruits.

After indulging in delicious homecooked meals, unwind or jam with family and friends at the Eterna Video and Music Lounge. Enjoy a cocktail or two, or belt your hearts out at the KTV lounge.

For travelers who need to mix business with pleasure, there are seminar facilities to suit small or big corporate events. The resort’s four function rooms are spacious enough to accommodate a maximum of 80 persons. Live-in conference packages are available. For more information on the packages, call tel. nos. (046) 413-1133 to 35.

Other facilities include a swimming pool, indoor and outdoor jacuzzi, sauna, billiards and dart hall, and a children’s playground.

Resident manager Benjamin Singson, who has been working at the resort since it opened 15 years ago, said that Estancia got its name from an island in Iloilo with the same name. The former owner of the resort hails from the said province.

Estancia Resort Hotel is located at Zone 2, Barangay San Jose, Tagaytay City.

http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/05/01/TOUR2006050162790.html

BYAHILO

May 3rd, 2006, 06:48 AM

chixbebe

May 3rd, 2006, 07:50 AM

^^^ :hahano: Rily? I hav a chinese friend, he told me chinese really don't understand why so many countries like to learn the english or another country's language? he said that their country doesn't really need another language, they can live alone....bt i don't think so....he knows how to speak english kc e.... :weirdo:

The Philippines got a 94 percent satisfaction rating in a recent survey conducted among Korean tourists, indicating its emergence as the Koreans’ most popular and favored travel destination.

The survey, conducted by the Korea Travel Times on a country-by-country basis, showed 34 percent of 937 polled were "very much satisfied" with their Philippine experience, and 60 percent "fairly satisfied."

This was revealed by Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano in explaining the continued influx of Korean tourists to the Philippines.

Durano said almost half-a-million Koreans traveled to the Philippines last year, making Korea the country’s second largest source of foreign tourists.

"Still, more Korean tourists are flocking to the Philippines, even posting an increase of 29.8 percent last January and 32.9 percent last February," Durano added.

As to the most enticing feature of the Philippines, natural unpolluted environment topped the Korean survey with 35 percent, followed by reasonable travel expenses with 21 percent, and marine sports with 16 percent.

On the purpose of the trips, 26 percent cited family tour, and 17 percent honeymoon. Weekend travel, backpackers, and business trip accounted for 12 to 13 percent each.

"This indicates that the Philippines now looms as a honeymoon destination for Korean newly-weds, who used to pick Phuket, Thailand and Bali, Indonesia for that purpose," Durano pointed out.

Of the 3,431 respondents who have not yet been to the Philippines, 3,160 or 92 percent expressed willingness to visit the archipelago in two years. Asked how willing they were to visit the Philippines, 47 percent said "very much" and 45 percent "fairly much."

As to the most favored Philippine destination, Boracay got 32 percent, followed by Cebu 29 percent, and Manila 26 percent.

This development provides another impetus to the government drive to increase the total of foreign arrivals to five million by 2010, one million of which to come from Korea.

Nonetheless, statistics from the Department of Tourism (DoT) shows the government moving comfortably on track of that target.

Korean arrivals, for example, have been increasing consistently by at least 100,000 annually, surging to 378,602 in 2004, 488,402 in 2005, and now headed for the DoT’s target of 631,793 in 2006.

http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2006050363009.html

OtAkAw

May 3rd, 2006, 12:13 PM

The Chinese government wants its people to learn the language so that when the olympic time comes, they're fluent already.

That is crazy, this is impossible to do!

Espma

May 3rd, 2006, 01:53 PM

i sorta agree with Otakaw..but its not really impossible though, just improbable hahaha highly unlikely they will become fluent in english by 2008....they've got the thickest accents....I got a feeling China will give the world the best Olympics, might even surpass Sydney 2000....sO its all good.

Rence

May 4th, 2006, 05:30 AM

Durano eyes three special kinds of Korean tourists

From Manila Bulletin:

By CORNELIO R. DE GUZMAN

THE Department of Tourism is now looking with interest at three kinds of Korean tourists to be invited to visit the Philippines to meet the 600,000 Korean arrivals target of the DoT by the end of the year.

Director Maricor Basco Ebron who was designated by DoT Secretry Ace Durano to head the DoT-Korea marketing team said the three Korean tourist markets that could increase further the half-a-million Korean arrivals last year are: the Students; the Honeymooners; and the Catholic Pilgrims.

The Students. The DoT monitoring team recently discovered that more and more Korean students are coming to the Philippines to study English language in our colleges and universities and even in special language schools. Ebron said the Korean student visitors had replaced in numbers the honeymooners in the first quarter of this year. Inspired by the new development, Ebron said her team shall intensify its enticement of Korean students to take English courses in the country. In Korea, in a three-year course, only one year is devoted to English teaching.

The Honeymooners. Director Ebron said "Of the 300,000 weddings solemnized in Korea yearly, some 22 to 24 percent of these newly-weds spend their honeymoon in Philippine beaches.

She said they are the spender-type of visitors who stay in five-star hotels or Triple "A’’ resorts. "That’s why we need more five-star accommodations today to accommodate these young couples who just received cash-gifts from their relatives and friends.

The Korean Catholic Pilgrims. This has been described by DoT-Korean Team as a fast emerging market.

Korea is known in Christian missionary circles as the most Christian land in the Orient. Today there are three million Roman Catholics in South Korea which is almost seven percent of 47.6 million population. Korean Catholics consist of 17 dioceses including two archdioceses. By the way, religion is suppressed in North Korea, the other half of Korea.

Points of interest for touring Korean Roman Catholics are the numerous century-old churches and Marian shrines and miracles sites in the archipelago. Like Catholics in the Philippines and elsewhere in the world, Korean Catholics also venerate (not worship as Born-Agains insist) images of saints and Jesus Christ. These could be strong attractions for Korean pilgrims.

Korea, which first displaced Japan as the second major source of tourists for the Philippines in 2005, has moved to number one in the first two months of 2006 with 106,261 arrivals and a growth of 31.2 %. The US which is now in second rank, registered 97,714 arrivals and Japan, in third place, has 76,402 arrivals. Each country has posted an increase of 9.5 % and 11.4%, respectively. Other countries in top 10 list – from fourth to tenth – are Taiwan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

Director Ebron said the reason for the success of Philippine tourism today is that Durano focuses on short haul market that includes Japan, Korea and China. "But he does not abandon the rest of the market. He still promotes there but not in full scale. As the saying goes we can not spread ourselves to thinly. Secretary Durano focuses on that three countries to make it our bread basket."

She said "Our advantage to other markets is that Korea is too close to us, only three hours away. Kung malapit then less ang cost ng airfare."

She said another reason aside from proximity is the attractions. "We have varied attractions. Whatever you look for we have it although we have to improve our facilities to make it our advantage with other markets.’’

rockwell baller

May 4th, 2006, 09:03 AM

koreans i think liked our country! i have and known korean friends who stayed here not just for tourism but schooling! and when they are asked they would always answer we came here to get high-level education or to learn english!

swatch69sg

May 4th, 2006, 08:08 PM

"At the end of the day, Gordon’s Tourism Bill will be just the thing we need to energize Philippine tourism," said Tom Zita, chairman, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Philippines and outgoing president of The Philippine Hotel Federation, Inc. (The Hotel Federation).

Sen. Richard J. Gordon, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Tourism and former Tourism Secretary, had authored Senate Bill No. 2138, the Tourism Act of 2005. The bill had been subject of consultative hearings with the different sectors of the tourism industry, had been deliberated upon at the committee level, and is now on the Senate floor for debate. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has called for its immediate enactment and certified the bill as urgent.

In the position paper it submitted, The Hotel Federation emphasized that "With the enactment of a tourism bill into law, the recognition that would be accorded to tourism would achieve the national interest and national importance the law envisions to generate for the industry."

In its letter to the members of the Senate, The Hotel Federation stated its unequivocal support for the passing of the tourism bill that "embodies a national policy on tourism, recognizes the importance of the tourism industry as a primary engine of growth for the Philippine economy and ensures coordination between government and the private sector and among government agencies and provides incentives for the growth of the industry."

Zita said that in order to achieve the goals set for the tourism industry, the Department of Tourism and its attached agencies would have to be reorganized to be responsive to the needs and trends of the industry. Speaking for The Hotel Federation, he said, that "While we seek clarification on some points of the bill, we agree on and see clearly the vision for the industry and what needs to be done. We are in constant dialogue with Senator Gordon, and we are hopeful for an expedient joint sponsorship of the bill by the Senate and the House of Representatives."

"With a firm policy, one focus and one vision, it is hoped that resources will be harnessed, industry players will be guided and investments will be channeled to tourism development and improvements, all for the greater good," Zita said.

xXx carlos xXx

May 5th, 2006, 05:53 AM

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c101/carlosalmacen/zoom1.jpg

15 years on, life returns to Pinatubo

First posted 05:28am (Mla time) May 05, 2006
Inquirer

MOUNT PINATUBO -- Life is rapidly returning to this Central Luzon mountain 15 years after it blew its top in an eruption that killed more than 1,500 people and sent a cloud of ash into the atmosphere that cooled world temperatures for years.

At dawn, wild roosters crow lustily around Mount Pinatubo's summit, affirming the triumph of life over death in a region laid to waste by the world's second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.

Fireflies race for the safety of the sparse scrub and tall grass by the crater's edge, just before the first batch of tourists arrive from an uphill trek, breathless and gasping in awe at the scenery.

Among the group of trekkers is porter Randy Dumunot, who was 14 when the volcano buried his family's nipa hut and their three-hectare farm of rice and root crops in the village of Santa Juliana in Capas town, Tarlac province, about 30 km northeast of the volcano.

Dumunot's family rebuilt the house after the June 1991 eruption
but the farm was no more, permanently covered in lahar, a fine dust of volcanic debris.

"Overnight we turned into P80-a-day landless farm hands," Dumunot, now 29, told Agence France-Presse.

An estimated 500,000 people were rendered homeless when, after more than four centuries of slumber, Pinatubo erupted so violently that more than five billion cubic meters of ash and debris were ejected from its fiery bowels 30 km into the atmosphere.

Millions of tons of sulfur dioxide shot into the stratosphere, blocked sunlight and cooled the entire Earth by up to 0.6 degrees Celsius for years afterward.

Over the next six years, the volcanic material flowed down nine river channels during the annual wet season, bringing misery to about two million residents in low-lying areas covering 4,000 sq km.

These major waterways were clogged. Floods and mudslides destroyed homes, farms, roads, bridges and dikes built to defend communities from lahar.

Lahar-free homes

Fifteen years later, property developers in the Central Luzon plain tout "certified lahar-free" homes to potential buyers.

Santa Juliana is now experiencing a rebirth as a tourist gateway. Spas and resorts are sprouting up to cater to mountain trekkers, including South Koreans, who climb the mountain daily by the dozens during the dry months.

Lugging an inflatable kayak, a coil of fat rope capable of lifting a two-ton elephant, and a bag of squashed hamburgers, Dumunot now earns an extra P1,000 a week as part of a team of locals who serve as porters and guides to well-heeled visitors drawn to this mountain of death.

"This is a big help," said the father of four children. "My brother-in-law, my cousin and my uncle are also porters."

Dumunot is hoping he can save enough money to buy a sleeping bag and a tent like the colorful, ultra-light types set up for the night along the crater rim here.

Having none, he and the other porters sleep on cardboard boxes in the space beneath the crater's lake view deck.

All-terrain jeeps

At Santa Juliana, visitors rent battered all-terrain jeeps that barrel up the broad, flat bed of the O'Donnell River for an hour toward Crow Valley, a vast wasteland of volcanic sand and spent shell casings. The valley had served as a bombing range for the 7th US Air Force, which was driven off for good from its Clark Air Base home to the south of Santa Juliana during the eruption.

From the valley, the last third of the three-hour hike is through a gently ascending mountain pass, watered by a brook that feeds into O'Donnell. Some now take the climb on horseback, and others even use their own trail bikes.

A few people stay overnight, rappelling down a 25-meter section of the crater wall wearing helmets to protect themselves from the rocks dislodged by the rope.

Eruption remote

They also bathe or ride canoes at the 2.5-km diameter caldera, a turquoise-colored soup bowl of rain water that has collected through the years to a depth of up to 248 meters.

"There won't be another eruption in this generation because based on carbon dating samples, previous ones occurred at intervals of hundreds, to thousands, of years," said Jaime Sincioco, a senior scientist at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

"The mudslides are gone. The only problem left is flooding in the low-lying areas because the rivers that radiate out from the crater are heavily silted," Sincioco added.

The government opened Pinatubo to the public in the mid-1990s, launching a new form of tourism where visitors were treated to a vision of hell on earth, featuring a moonscape of canyons and deep gullies in uniform gray.

All the plants and the animals that could not run, crawl or fly fast enough were vaporized by the superheated gases from the rim.

Gradually, by the late 1990s, the vegetation, along with songbirds and fireflies, had returned, stabilizing the remnants of the loose volcanic material deposited by the eruption onto the slopes of the Zambales mountain range.

However, the deeply scarred south side of the crater wall remains shorn of plant cover, destabilized by constant landslides that boom across the crater lake like prolonged claps of thunder. This area of the 1,485-meter-high mountain remains off limits to climbers.

Rapid pace of development

Sincioco is worried at the rapid pace of development around Pinatubo, fearing visitors could blunder into their deaths through ignorance or sheer carelessness.

"We actually discourage tourists from venturing into the crater lake," he said. "The crater wall is fractured, so there is a lot of landslide activity there."

Regulators are also critical of the recently opened dirt road on the ridge above Crow Valley, which shortened the climb by about 75 minutes but which officials fear could unsettle the still fragile ecosystem.

Sincioco said the new road, built by the local government with the aid of a legislator representing the district, would also cut off the tourism revenue streams to Dapili, an impoverished village at the end of the old trail populated by hunter-gatherer tribesmen called Aetas who were almost wiped out by the eruption.

"When we drafted the (Pinatubo rehabilitation) master plan, we stressed that the road should end at Santa Juliana," Sincioco said.

"If you allow motor vehicles beyond that area, they displace the (volcanic) deposits and contribute to erosion," he warned. Agence France-Presse

stephencua

May 5th, 2006, 09:32 AM

taken from inq7.net.. i like this idea..

Metro Manila jeepneys get makeover to promote tourism

First posted 01:14pm (Mla time) May 05, 2006
By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQ7.net

METRO Manila's jeepneys are getting a makeover courtesy of the Department of Tourism, which will in turn use them as mobile advertisements to promote tourist spots in the country.

Starting this week at the Makati business district, jeepneys with eye-catching wrap stickers of the country's tourist destinations will be seen plying their regular routes.

In Malacañang on Friday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was shown jeepneys with these stickers at the official launch of the Department of Tourism's "Makisakay, Biyahe Na [Take a ride, Go on a trip]" Jeepney Wrap Sticker project at the Kalayaan grounds.

The project will not only be for promotional purposes but will also be a way of intensifying the government’s drive against “colorum” jeepneys and in implementing the color-coding scheme, according to Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairperson Ma. Elena Bautista.

Bautista said jeepneys without the wrap stickers would be flagged down by traffic
enforcers since these would be suspected of being “colorums” or unregistered or unlicensed mass transport vehicles.

Each city will have a wrap sticker with a distinct color -- Makati, blue; Manila, yellow; Quezon City, red; Pasig, green; Pasay, orange; San Juan, purple; and Parañaque, khaki.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said they started the project with 180 jeepneys plying Makati, the country's top business district.

The project has an initial fund of six million pesos, he added.

"We are optimistic that by installing the eye-catching jeepney wrap stickers, more and more of our countrymen will appreciate the beauty of our unique and world-class destinations," Durano said.

Aside from the stickers, drivers will also be given a vest, he said.

The sticker wrap will cover almost the entire body of the vehicle, then on both sides, four stickers will be posted showing the various tourist destinations in the country.

Durano said the sticker was rain-resistant and could last up to one year.

Together with the vest, the stickers will be issued to jeepney drivers free of charge, Durano said.

The DoT and LTFRB representatives will visit jeepney terminals to put sticker wraps on the jeepneys, which would require about two hours, Bautista said.

Bautista appealed to jeepney owners to cooperate by having their vehicles cleaned and ready for the makeover.

She said they also planned to implement the same project on buses.

swatch69sg

May 5th, 2006, 09:57 AM

_zner_

May 5th, 2006, 10:15 AM

^^ thats good... do you guys have some photos? :D

mygz14

May 5th, 2006, 02:21 PM

Elena Bautista, LTFRB Chairwoman, and Bayani Fernando, MMDA Chairman. With them around, the Metropolis looks better.

BYAHILO

May 5th, 2006, 04:17 PM

im very excited to see this!!!

since andito lang ako ayala ave, cor paseo de rox nag tratrabaho, id guess makikita ko kaagad ang mga to...

how i wish the MMDA would replace the adverts on buses. remove those toilet paper adverts and replace it with "Wow Philippines" adverts.

this will entice more locals to go on a local vacatoin rather than spending their money abroad.

di ba????

Rence

May 6th, 2006, 03:47 AM

Nice move! Perhaps the Jeepneys should also retain the borloloys like cast horses, and headlights plus on the side areas . Just like in the 1970's and early 1980's

http://www.film.queensu.ca/CJ3B/Photos/Philippines/JeepneyFront.jpg

palawan_buddy

May 6th, 2006, 08:54 AM

^^ sana the jeepney makeover would be coupled with training and educating the drivers...

bulakenyo

May 7th, 2006, 03:03 AM

Tama yan! It's high time we do a makeover in the Metro. Jeepneys are a good part of the Metro to start with. Sana isunod na ang mga bulok na buses na napaka-itim ng usok. Dapat pilitin yang mga bus operators na bumili ng uniformed and aesthetically pleasing busses. Kaya naman nila eh. Gusto lang talaga kasi nila tubong-lugaw. Di ba tita Claire dela Fuente?

shadow_can2003

May 7th, 2006, 04:33 AM

richard fischer

May 7th, 2006, 09:54 AM

the first thing that should be done with all the jeepneys is a better anti-pollution program. just think of they were to run on electricity, or bio diesel. what savings for the economy and the much better air for metro manila !

JAMAICUS

May 7th, 2006, 09:57 AM

^^ The 2007 Biofuel law would take care of that... (the law says, according to what I have read, that there should be a mandatory selling of biofuels like biodiesel and mandatory mixture of ethanol with diesel, i think... and the law is already passed in the lower house)

dancethingy

May 7th, 2006, 11:07 AM

^^^ Well, now if only the senate can pass it and that is a BIG ASS IF.

JAMAICUS

May 7th, 2006, 12:17 PM

^^ Actualy, news reports say that they are incline to pass it... only question is WHEN...

overtureph

May 8th, 2006, 08:04 AM

A lesson on travel as well as writing

First posted 00:51am (Mla time) May 08, 2006
By Constantino Tejero
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on page D2 of the May 8, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

AMADÍS Ma. Guerrero is, foremost, a literary writer, one of our most underrated literary writers. His “Miss Lily and the Policeman” and “Children of the City” should be by now classics of the Philippine short story.

Having published his valedictory collection of short stories a decade ago, he is known to common readers as an arts reporter and travel writer. It’s just as well, because in his journalistic pieces Guerrero also excels.

As culture writer, he displays such wide and varied interests and a sureness of touch in handling these subjects that only a few Filipino writers can claim to possess (we think of someone like Doreen Fernandez, or National Artist Nick Joaquin). This is borne out by his innumerable essays and reviews of art, books, films, theater, music, even dance.

His journalistic writing is characterized by clean straightforward prose, a relaxed tone, and uncomplicated syntax. Surprising for a first-rate literary mind, there are no literary flourishes, no heightened language here. In other words, it is writing that’s not trying-hard.

Style is personality—and nowhere is this truer than in this case. The fineness and restraint of Guerrero’s writing is only reflective of the quiet and unassuming person that he is, a true descendant of the ilustrados of Malate.

But then we remember him always writing this way, even in his literary pieces. It has always been writing that’s not strained, the clarity of his ideas couched in language that is simple.

Nowhere is this more manifest than in his travel writing. Here, aware of the poetry inherent in the landscape, he wisely plays down the poeticism and produces prose that is stripped bare. It is writing that seems artless, that sounds effortless, therefore, lucid and graceful.

Listen to this line, for example: “You can hear the sounds, the humming, almost a moan, of the coalesced wind.” It is almost Racinean.

Total wellbeing

Guerrero’s writing is a proofreader’s delight. As one can see, he is anal retentive even to the last punctuation mark.

In a way, his books of travel writing become a lesson on travel as well as writing. His latest, “The Archipelago Sanctuaries,” sixth in the series, is a testament to that.

At 122 pages comprising 32 brief articles, it is just as slim as the previous ones, and it has the same format, with black-and-white photos and a color folio in the middle mostly taken by the author during his trips.

Again he zeroes in on the familiar spots, such as Subic, Tagaytay, Pagsanjan, Anilao, Lucban, Puerto Galera, Coron, Angono, El Nido, Puerto Princesa, Mactan. But he also treads on quaint and exotic grounds, such as Maragondon, Majayjay, Marawi.

More importantly, he explores the unexplored, such as Orani, Bataan, a protected area and endangered zone; the pawikan sanctuary on Tayabas Bay; the island sanctuary of Tablas; the secret peninsula of Caramoan; the island gem that is Badian.

Because here, Guerrero is focusing not just on famous landmarks and plush resorts but also on the Philippines’ protected areas and endangered sanctuaries. Here he is actually advocating ecotourism and covering ecodestinations like rainforest groves, turtle hatcheries, pine-tree havens.

But it’s not only for the environment, because the author is also offering a guide for the tourist’s total wellbeing. There’s an article on the growing trend of health resorts, with a list of tropical spas and detox retreats.

Also unusual for a travel book, it includes the cultural heritage of the places the author visits, often on equal footing with the landscapes and local cuisine.

A natural gem

Told by his publisher that travel books didn’t sell well these days, Guerrero raised money to publish it himself. He should have pitched it as something else, because it actually goes beyond travel writing.

The one before this, “A Stun of Islands,” has foreshadowed it with bits of advocacy writing on ecotourism. That one, aptly taking its title from Carlos Angeles’ poem “A Stun of Jewels,” also records in text and photos the natural gem that is the Philippine Islands—before the encroachment of urban development, industrialization and “progress” will have completely taken over.

It is also a slim volume at 132 pages with 33 brief articles, but it virtually covers the whole archipelago through the main islands of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao, from northern to southern tips, from western to eastern fringes, from the major urban areas to the more exotic locales.

While many tourists boast of their trips abroad, this traveler has chosen to explore the far-flung islands of his native land. In this Guerrero demonstrates his nationalism, an exemplary trait associated with his forebears.

These books’ value then is not just in their comprehensive information but more so in the writing. Sooner or later the data they contain may become dated or obsolete, but the reader can still enjoy the prose.

Airfare and hotel rates change in a matter of months, the landscape may even change, but some things endure: the culture of the locals, their foods, arts and crafts, their traits and customs—and any written testament of them, if it is any good.

These are, indeed, unusual little books. Where else can you find a travel book that quotes Gerard Manley Hopkins? Writing about the rainforest of Majayjay, the author observes thus: “And for all this, nature is never spent./There lives the dearest freshness deep down things.”

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://news.inq7.net/lifestyle/index.php?index=1&story_id=75017

chixbebe

May 8th, 2006, 09:07 AM

Tourist arrivals are expected to surpass the three million level by the end of 2006 from 2.6 million last year.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano gave his fearless forecast on the basis of the 17 percent increase in tourist arrivals in the first two months of the year.

In a report to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Durano said the rising number of tourists coming to the country has tremendous multiplier effects on the economy, especially on employment.

If there are three million tourists this year, there will be additional 400,000 jobs to be created, Durano said.

The tourism czar said that there now close to 200 tourism-related construction and expansion projects going on all over the country to accommodate the influx of more tourists.

He said that hotels, beach resorts and other similar establishments in Cebu and Bohol are fully booked at the peak of the tourism season.

Durano said the goal of the Medium-Term Development Plan is to create two million jobs by increasing tourists inflow from two million to four million.

Meanwhile, National Statistics Office executive director Carmelita Ericta said the number of jobless Filipinos has gone down, both under the old and new definitions of unemployment.

Ericta said that under the new definition, unemployment dropped from 11.3 percent in January 2005 to 8.1 percent in January 2006. But under the old definition, the figure still declined to 10.7 percent.

She explained that under the old definition, even those who were unemployed but not looking for work, were included in the computation of the unemployment rate.

Based on the new definitions, the NSO head said that if a person is not working but shows no interest in jobs that are available to him, he is not considered unemployed.

Economic Secretary Romulo Neri said the new definition had been adopted by most other countries in accordance with the standards set by the International Labor Organization.

Neri said the definition had to be revised because it was found to be “too strict,” in relation to the practice in other countries.

He said the number of unemployed decreased by 200,000 while the number of employed jumped by 750,000 between January 2005 and January 2006.

By Fel V. Maragay
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics05_may08_2006

swatch69sg

May 10th, 2006, 08:39 AM

Hi Manila-based forumers,

It seems from this news that there are already 180 wrapped jeepneys donning the slogan and country's tourist attraction plying along major MM thoroughfares...I would be happy if anyone from you guys take photos of these magnificent jeepneys and post it here...mas maganda kung they were taken from different cities/place bec. they are color coded based on the location....Pero mas excited talaga ko sa gagawin nila sa mga buses....i salute Durano for this initiative..he's really very creative.

=========================================================
‘King of the Road’ now dons wrap-around travel stickers

AT least 180 of them are now donning wrap-around stickers with photos of the country’s tourist attractions and the slogan "Makisaya, Biyahe Na" to promote domestic travel and boost tourism. This came about after jeepney operators and drivers have recently joined the government’s tourism campaign.

Likewise sporting the logo of the Department of Tourism (DoT), the stickers have blue background to also complement the color-coding scheme of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). Blue is for jeepneys in Makati, orange in Cubao, yellow in Manila, green in Pasig, khaki in Pasay, and purple in San Juan.

The color codes, according to the DoT, would distinguish the legitimate jeepneys from colorum, out-of-line, or those unregistered with the LTFRB.

"The design of the stickers will match the color codes of the jeepneys, which remain the leading symbol of the country’s tourism," DoT Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano said.

Durano presented to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo a jeepney with the new wrap-around sticker during the project’s launch at the Malacañang grounds, recently.

The President congratulated the DoT, LTFRB and the jeepney operators and drivers involved in the project.

"The jeepney drivers and operators won’t spend anything for this, but they can contribute a lot in promoting tourism," said LTFRB chairperson Len Bautista.

"We are only requesting them to keep their jeepneys clean and well-maintained as these are the most visible icon of Philippine tourism," Durano said as the jeepney operators and drivers pledged their cooperation and support for the project.

They were led by Jeepney Foundation of the Philippines national president Orlando Marquez and Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Associations of the Philippines president Zenaida Maranan.

JAMAICUS

May 12th, 2006, 03:39 AM

Tourist arrivals up 13%
Posted: 9:29 AM | May 12, 2006

Cecille Yap
XFN-Asia

TOURIST arrivals in the first quarter rose 13 percent from a year earlier to 726,912, the Department of Tourism said.

In March, visitors increased 5.5 percent year-on-year to 235,041.

Americans accounted for 20.6 percent of total arrivals in the first three months of the year, followed by Koreans at 19.9 percent and Japanese at 15.7 percent.

Chinese tourists ranked fourth, comprising 4.4 percent of the total, but the tourism department said arrivals from China grew at a brisk 87 percent in January to March.

http://money.inq7.net/breakingnews/view_breakingnews.php?yyyy=2006&mon=05&dd=12&file=5

palawan_buddy

May 12th, 2006, 04:13 AM

shadow_can2003

May 13th, 2006, 11:05 AM

foreign tourists are beginning to be a common sight in our city (pueto princesa). before, i rarely see caucasian tourists wandering in the streets. but i realized just this summer that indeed, many tourists are again starting to flock the city.

and i heard that the city is now having a hard time accommodating all of the interested tourists.

Tourist arrivals are indeed up!

Good to hear that. After that horibble kidnapping insidents in the Islands years back, the tourist (Foreign) are now coming back again. Im hoping that the Palawan government will fix the roads going to the underground river and other tourist sites so that it will be more comfortable to visit those area. :D

shadow_can2003

May 13th, 2006, 02:48 PM

Im wondering why our province(Isabela, home of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range) is not included in the list of the must see tourist destination in the Philippines :bash:

Skyblade

May 14th, 2006, 02:59 AM

Shortage of hotel rooms, personnel, transport facilities hit tourism industry
spacer
By CORNELIO R. DE GUZMAN
Link to the original article (http://www.mb.com.ph/archive_pages.php?url=http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/05/12/TOUR2006051263804.html)

Shortages in hotel rooms, transportation facilities and personnel have hit the tourism industry as international arrivals continued to rise by 17 percent in the first quarter of this year.

Atty. Alejandra Clemente, president of Federation of Tourism Industry Association said, "we have to turn down tourists because there are no more hotel rooms for them".

"It seems we over promoted Boracay and Cebu so when the Korean and Japanese tourists started to arrive in droves we were caught flat-footed with no enough hotels to receive them," according to Clemente, also president of Rajah Tours, one of the largest travel operators in the country, with offices in Japan and the US.

She expressed doubts if the country’s hotel rooms today can accommodate the three million international tourists targeted by the DoT by the end of this year.

Earlier, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano admitted during the recent roundtable discussion with the President that there are indeed shortages in hotel rooms but he was quick to add that there are now 200 new hotel projects on line to address these shortages. These new hotels are expected to generate 1,900 new jobs, Durano said.

Meanwhile, DoT Assistant Secretary Edu Jarque said the so-called room shortage is more imagined than real. He said in 1974 when the 100,000 international arrivals jumped to one million the Ministry of Tourism then thought there were not enough rooms available for them but mere rescheduling of tourist itineraries solved the ‘problem’. Tourists must not come all at the same time in Cebu. Some of them must be diverted to Manila or Baguio until room vacancies are created.

Jarque added that "based on the latest capacity study survey of DoT, total rooms of hotel, resort and other accommodation establishments as of late last year in the entire Philippines is 65,421’’.

Clemente said another problem is the shortage of tourists transportation facilities like buses, coaches, vans and cars. "We have no transportation facilities to bring our tourists from the airport to their hotels and from there to destinations of their choices around the country."

She lamented the fact that the bureaucracy in the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) headed by chairperson Elena Bautista has been hampering the acquisition of new tourist buses and refusing to act on their petitions for renewal of franchises, and petitions for conversion.

She said as the result of this her four buses, five coasters, three vans and one car are rotting at the garage because LTFRB would not issue rainbow stickers for them so they can be used to transport tourists. She said all tourists transport operators have the same problem.

‘’We have no new buses because they are expensive costing R7 million each. And even if we have the money to buy, there is no guarantee that the LTFRB shall issue them franchises." She recalled that during the time of the late Tourism Minister Jose D. Aspiras they could import buses with the guarantee they would get franchise to operate them. "Today this is not the case. You import at your own risk!" she said

She said today, it is not uncommon for the Chinese, Japanese and Korean tourists to complain or even refuse to ride dilapidated public transport masquerading as tourist buses most of them 10yearold rejects from their respective countries.

"President Arroyo has called upon us, the private sector, to cooperate with the government in the task of developing the country economically. We are responding to her call but the government should also help us,’’ she said.

There is also an acute shortage of welltrained personnel in the tourism-related businesses like airlines, tour agencies, hotels and resorts, tour guides or interpreters, etc. Some 34,000 job vacancies remained unfilled up to now because applicants have to be trained first before they can qualify.

In the recent DoT Jobs Fair held in Cebu, Davao and Manila, only some 100 were hired on the spot, 17,000 applicants did not qualify while another 17,000 were scheduled for interview.

The four-point problems mentioned above dramatizes the success of the tourism industry as it celebrates its 32nd anniversary today.

Clemente, however, said the solution she sees in sight is the tourism bill authored and sponsored by Senator Dick Gordon in the Senate and Rep. Edgar Chatto in the House of Representatives. Both bills that seek to divide the country in several tourism estates provide tax holidays and tax-exemptions for tourism investors.

Another good provision of the bill is the granting of tax holiday to hotel owners. If they renovate or improve their hotels or resorts they will be exempted for the payment of income taxes for the period of five years.

Clemente said the only contentious provision of the bill is on the proposed exaction of fees on tourists. She said this can be subject of compromise or even deletion from the proposed measure. Both bills are in the period of amendments on the floors of two houses.

The country’s tourism industry started in the late 50’s or early 60’s with 100,000 international arrivals mostly from North America and balikbayans, Japan, and Hong Kong when chartered plane services were liberalized, according to Clemente, one of the pioneers in the industry.

During that time former ambassador Modesto Farolan founded the Board of Travel and Tourism Industry that later became the Ministry of Tourism. Then the Philippine Travel and Tourism Agency was founded to handle the tourism promotions.

In 1975 tourist arrivals reached the one million mark that led to the construction of 10 new big hotels. Under Aquino, Ramos, Estrada and early Arroyo administrations international arrivals never exceeded 2.2 million mark.

It was only last year when tourist arrivals reached 2.6 million mark when Tourism Secretary Ace Durado concentrated DoT promotions to short-haul markets: Korea, Japan and China, without abandoning the country’s traditional markets like the United States and some countries of Europe.

sugbuanon

May 14th, 2006, 05:23 AM

Sister-cities Baguio and Taebeck, South Korea start tourism and educational exchanges

BAGUIO CITY - Michelle Kim, an exchange employee of Taebeck, South Korea and Filipino tourism officials have started a series of seminars on how to further improve the tourism and educational exchanges between the two Asian cities which have similarities in weather and resources.

Baguio City tourism officer Benedicto Alhambra said local officials of Taebeck have recently visited this mountain resort after the formal sisterhood ties between the two cities were forged.

”Baguio local officials are now also preparing to have an official visit to Taebeck this year in pursuance to our cultural and other exchanges which are seen to foster further friendship and cooperation. Meanwhile, Miss Kim and Philippine officials have to study carefully tourism programs of both the country and South Korea so that we will have more tour packages in the future,” he explained.

Records show that Baguio’s primary tourism industry had also brought tremendous gains to related livelihood sources like agriculture, transportation, communication, education and basic services.

According to Alhambra, Baguio already has more than a dozen sister cities in the world “that such relationships have greatly helped our city as one of the international tourism destinations.”

In their seminars, the tourism planners suggested the further improvement of air transportation in the locality to bring in more tourists to Baguio.

JAMAICUS

May 14th, 2006, 10:39 AM

well, somehow at least.. but for now, 3M tourists for this year is really pathetic!!!!!

^^Yeah...considering the fact Vietnam had already exceeded that a year ago!

I would just like to reply on this.I'm bothered with this statements that I found in the international threads... I would just like to say is that are a lot of people here really that "ashamed"... even if our nation is just on its beginning on the tourism stage..... really saddening... just saying...

richard fischer

May 14th, 2006, 01:44 PM

.....Shortages in hotel rooms, transportation facilities and personnel have hit the tourism industry as international arrivals continued to rise by 17 percent in the first quarter of this year. Atty. Alejandra Clemente, president of Federation of Tourism Industry Association said, "we have to turn down tourists because there are no more hotel rooms for them".....

now here is where the every day filipino comes in ! offer bed and breakfast sleep-overs like all over europe, and the money stays with you filipinos, the every day folk, and does not all go to the big hotel chains, bringing the money back out of the country !!!

JAMAICUS

May 14th, 2006, 01:56 PM

PHILIPPINES STRENGTHENS INFRASTRUCTURE TO BOOST TOURISM

Sunday May 14, 2006, 5:28 pm

DAVAO CITY, Feb 22 Asia Pulse - The government continues to improve the country's tourism infrastructure to attract more tourists to the country, a high ranking official said.

In a statement, Socio Planning Secretary Augusto Santos said although tourist arrivals have increased over the past three years, most of the arrivals are "repeat visitors."

"First-visit tourists registered 28.6 per cent between 2003 and 2004, which is less than the repeat visitors at 56.29 per cent. This reflects the country's inability to attract new tourists," Santos said.

He added that the Philippines was able to attract only 5 per cent of the total 4.5 million arrivals in the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN).

Santos said although there is an increase in arrivals, the structure of the tourist market remained unchanged upon observations that tourists average length of stay has shortened.

In 2004, the Philippines tourism performance was below par compared with other ASEAN countries in spite of tourist arrivals of 2.291 million for 2004, a 20.1 per cent increase from 2003.

"Tourism products need to be enhanced to encourage more tourists to come and stay longer. Hotel accommodations are also relatively expensive, so we need to look at upgrading establishments such as apartelles, hostels, dormitories, and lodges," he said.

The government remains optimistic that tourism is the country's major economic driver, hence, has continued to construct, repair, and improve infrastructure in various tourist destinations throughout the country. It is also looking at improving the transport system such as improving services and facilities at airports.

(PNA)

http://au.biz.yahoo.com/060514/17/pjp7.html

richard fischer

May 15th, 2006, 08:00 AM

"Tourism products need to be enhanced to encourage more tourists to come and stay longer. Hotel accommodations are also relatively expensive, so we need to look at upgrading establishments such as apartelles, hostels, dormitories, and lodges," he said.

there you go, thanks jamaicus....

richard fischer

May 15th, 2006, 08:03 AM

Im wondering why our province(Isabela, home of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range) is not included in the list of the must see tourist destination in the Philippines :bash:

show us some of these attractions you mean please. post some nice pictures of your country side !

chixbebe

May 15th, 2006, 09:10 AM

MarkiiBoi

May 15th, 2006, 09:39 AM

RP records 11 percent rise in tourist arrivals

Agence France-Presse

VISITOR arrivals to the Philippines rose 11 percent year-on-year to 712,076 in the first four months of this year, the immigration department said Monday.

There was also a 23 percent rise in the number of foreigners who had their tourist visas extended, or more than 86,000 tourists, it said.

"This dramatic rise in visa extension applications indicates that more and more foreigners are coming here either for business or pleasure and it is a good sign that our country is fast evolving into one of Asia's most favored tourist destinations," immigration chief Alipio Fernandez said.

heathcliff

May 15th, 2006, 10:30 AM

^^ Actualy, news reports say that they are incline to pass it... only question is WHEN...

I agree. It's not enough for them to praise biodiesel. Actions speak louder than words! The Lower House has already passed on to tackle other priority bills, and the Senate is still stuck with its investigations aimed at discrediting PGMA. So far, about 500 bills are reportedly pending in the Senate.

kevinb

May 15th, 2006, 12:04 PM

^^korek..para alam din namin yung sinasabi mo.. :)

OtAkAw

May 15th, 2006, 01:33 PM

I don't know what's in the mind of senators who keep on trying to bring down the Arroyo administration. Nakakainis sila talaga kung pwede lang pumasok sa Senado at batukan sila isa-isa!

swatch69sg

May 15th, 2006, 08:08 PM

The Department of Tourism (DoT) yesterday said the country’s participation in the recently conducted Asia Dive Expo (ADEX) 2006 held at the Suntec International Convention Exhibition Center in Singapore will definitely boost our unique dive sites and tourism industry.

“ADEX was an excellent opportunity for divers to discover and showcase our top dive spots, whether they are interested in recreational or technical diving,” DoT Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said.

He added the country’s participation in ADEX 2006 was through the initiative of Ambassador Belen Anota of the Philippine Embassy in Singapore and Tourism Assistant Secretary for Sports and Wellness Cynthia Carreon.

The Philippine booth and delegation at ADEX 2006 was the biggest so far with 36 square meter space compared to the previous years.

“The imposing design of the DoT booth was itself an attraction to the public displaying an array of the country’s dive sites beautifully arranged in a blue glossy paper lamination as backdrop. The public was given a glimpse of the country’s rich marine life through a plasma monitor attached to a small replica of a nipa hut placed at the left side of the booth,” Durano aid. Jun P. Yap

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/20060515nat7.html

Damn! I miss that ADEX last April...I was in Bangkok that time...Anyways, just to share the PTO booth pics at NATAS 2006 which I took on the last day, March 26, 2006. It seems that some of the materials (plasma TV screen, the nipa hut) which were all present during the NATAS exhibit were reused in the ADEX Philippine booth. Nice idea indeed..

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/Natas%202006-Philippine%20Tourism%20Office/P3261150copy.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/Natas%202006-Philippine%20Tourism%20Office/P3261149copy.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/Natas%202006-Philippine%20Tourism%20Office/P3261148copy.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/Natas%202006-Philippine%20Tourism%20Office/P3261146copy.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/Natas%202006-Philippine%20Tourism%20Office/P3261145copy.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/Natas%202006-Philippine%20Tourism%20Office/P3261144copy.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/Natas%202006-Philippine%20Tourism%20Office/P3261143copy.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/Natas%202006-Philippine%20Tourism%20Office/P3261142copy.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/Natas%202006-Philippine%20Tourism%20Office/P3261141copy.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/Natas%202006-Philippine%20Tourism%20Office/P3261147copy.jpg

davaoeagle

May 16th, 2006, 06:43 AM

Just a few of a myriad of things you can do in the alluring Davao!

Last days of summer

By Ian Ray C. Garcia Published : 2006-05-11

With barely a month to go, we are counting down to the last days of summer. It’s been a fun, exciting summer so far. Well, at least, for me. I have visited different summer paradises, went on a road trip with friends, trekked the mountainside, witnessed festivities, journeyed to fascinating beaches, and satiated myself with lots of summer-delicious food.

Surely, we’re on the last leg of summer but my feet are still itching to a little bit more action just right before the month of May winds up the season with its daylong drizzles. To those who haven’t found the time yet to go on a summer holiday, well, read on and let me count my ten suggested ways to enjoy the remaining days of summer without even leaving the boundaries of our beautiful Davao.

No. 1. Ever watched this one-of-a-kind Bird Show in Malagos Garden Resort (tel. 221.1545)? No matter how many times I’ve seen the show, it still amazes me to see parrots playing basketball, crows picking up stones, ducks parading together, etc. The resort also offers a Nature Field Trip that incorporates lectures, audio/visual shows and interactive guided tours that shows and teaches visitors about the forests, orchards, creek ecosystems, butterflies, mushroom culture and various adventure activities that are sure to entertain and educate guests at the same time.

No. 2. With the cruel summer heat, getting into some water action is both an escape and a treat. Davao Gulf is a virtual playground of numerous aqua sports such as diving, game fishing, jet-skiing, snorkeling, and so much more. However, if you’re on a budget and yearning to learn a new hobby, simply hit the shores of Times Beach or Mer Grande Ocean Resort and try skimboarding. Or you can go to Samal or Talikud and discover the still many secluded beach and coves in the island.

No. 3. You’ve read, heard and seen so much about white water rafting (tel. 301.2020). I have done it twice, and I swear, rafting the Davao River is one hell of a water ride. Now, it’s your turn to brave three hours of river journey to the city’s less seen frontier, a place enveloped with lush vegetation, limestone walls and riverside villages. So, are you ready for some river action?

No. 4. Rediscover the wild side of Davao and trek to the mountains of Tamayong, Marilog and Toril. Various trails in Tamayong and Marilog lead you to pristine rivers and waterfalls as well as caves and breathtaking panorama of the wilderness. An easy trail man-made, such as in Eden Nature Park, is a great way to exercise and bond with families and friends before hitting the buffet table. Eden Nature Park (tel. 299.2992) also has campsites and other activities including fishing, horseback riding, bird watching, etc. Need more info? Make sure to always bring water and a First Aid kit.

No. 5. Learn a musical skill or two. Jhine Music and Arts Center (tel. 299.0082) offers courses on piano, keyboard, guitar (acoustic, bass, classical or electric), drums, violin, saxophone, flute, clarinet and voice. They also teach group vocal technique, band synchronization, choral training, and choreography. Drop them a line and see what musical skill fits you.

No. 6. Do something fish-y. If you’re in the mood for a good food trip without ruining your diet, troop to Tugbok and have a hearty meal of fresh “hito” (catfish). You can have it deep fried, grilled, or cooked with coconut milk (Oops, there’s goes your diet!). This is a perfect pit stop after visiting the Philippine Eagle Center and Malagos Garden Resort in nearby Baguio District.

No. 7. Let out the hopeless romantic in you at the Waterfront Insular Hotel (tel. 233.2881), the city’s only resort hotel. It is certainly one great place to switch on your the romantic side with its invigorating beach atmosphere while just being 10 minutes away from the busy city center. Besides taking a stroll by the beachfront, you can start the day with mouthwatering breakfast feast at Café Uno, then have an afternoon merienda of their very own delectable Pizza Davaoeño. Then get nostalgic, reminiscing about your salad days on board the calesa topiary.

No. 8. When was the last time you visited our museum? It’s about time that you rediscover our heritage at the newly renovated Davao Museum (tel. 233.1734), a repository of the city’s arts, cultural and social legacies. Located inside Insular Village Phase 1, the museum lets you travel back in time with its interesting displays of historical relics, photos and dioramas. It is divided into 3 galleries – History of Davao, Contemporary Arts and Crafts, and Ethnicity. Entrance fee is P100 for adults and P20 for kids.

No. 9. Want to wrestle a crocodile? While you can’t exactly combat one, instead you can cuddle a baby mindorensis crocodilus at the Davao Crocodile Park (tel. 300.6307). It’s open daily but on Fridays to Saturdays, you can witness crocodile encounters, tightrope exhibition, crocodile jump and other reptilian action at 10 AM and 3 PM. You can even have your photos taken with the menacing crocs. All you need is P75 (adults)/ P50 (kids) and a lot of guts to befriend the crocs.

No. 10. What better time to get pampered after agonizing from this summer’s terrible heat and humidity. At the Bahia Spa of Metro Lifestyle (tel. 228.6182) along F. Torres St., you can have a massage, body scrub, foot and hand spa, tub soak, and other indulgence that can truly keep your mind off from the real world. It will also make you forget about work and household chores and make you feel like a king or queen, well, at least for an hour or two.

Still want more ways to enjoy the remaining days of summer? E-mail me at wanderlust@asean-mail.com. I might need a companion to tag along with in my next adventure.
__________________

davaoeagle

May 16th, 2006, 06:47 AM

Gloria’s glorious dive resort in Davao Sur

First posted 08:14am (Mla time) May 14, 2006
By Carlos R. Munda, Jr.
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on page A22 of the May 14, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

NESTLED in a quiet cove in Davao del Sur is the budding dive resort owned by former Education Secretary Ricardo Gloria.

While still in its infancy as dive operations go, the area near the resort is perhaps one of the best undiscovered dive sites in the country. It opens up to the Davao Gulf and is bordered by the low-lying hills of the towns of Malita and Malalag.

It is blessed with calm weather almost year-round, white-sand beaches, and crystal-clear waters.

But more than these geographical attributes, what sets this dive site apart from the rest is the profusion of some of the most sought-after marine animals within its small area. These include the dugongs, sea turtles, schooling tuna and dolphins at or near the cove, plus whale sharks and manta rays sighted during certain times of the year.

Chance encounter

The thing about chance encounters is that they are seldom lukewarm—either they turn out to be monumentally fortuitous or disastrously

bad luck for the parties involved. In my case, I count myself lucky that my chance encounter with Gloria turned out to be of the former kind.

As one of the panelists of the Davao Dive Congress, he spoke at length on the need to build a strong community committed to sustainable development, if tourism is to become a viable means of livelihood in the countryside.

He also spoke with pride about the small beachfront resort he had christened “Wow Kiss,” short for “World of Wonder, Keep It Simple and Sacred.”

“Tourism must go hand in hand with people empowerment so that Filipinos will feel a sense of ownership as far as promoting what is beautiful in their communities. Without this, our tourist spots will be seen as nothing more than products that can and should be used, instead of a legacy to our children and grandchildren that must be preserved,” he said.

Invitation to dive

During one of the breaks, I had the opportunity to be introduced to the former Cabinet secretary, and it was then that he extended an invitation to visit his resort. A couple of weeks passed when I received a text message “am inviting you 2 WOW KISS the best of ur time. Tanx. Ric Gloria.” I got in touch with some dive buddies—Stella, Czaldy and Poker—and we decided to do some exploratory dives there.

It was raining when we arrived, but the sun soon appeared, turning what had up until then been a gloomy day into a bright and cheerful one. We lost no time in gearing up and even less time getting into the water.

Since this was our first time—or for that matter, it was the first for any diver—to dive in the area, we relied on the boatman to get us to where the corals were.

We decided on a conservative dive profile, agreeing not to go beyond the 100-foot mark. We swam northwest past a low sea wall that was filled with schools of fish and an abundance of healthy corals. While there were some signs of dynamiting, it was clear that these had happened far into the past.

Parrot fish, scad and colorful reef fish trailed us throughout our dive. Visibility was 60-80 feet, there was no current, and it was an easy and relaxing dive.

Our second dive was on a reef right in front of the resort. Although the corals there were not as vibrant as in our first dive site, it was a tremendously rewarding effort from a macrophotography point of view.

Among the rarer subjects we saw was a robust ghost pipefish, several varieties of nudibranches, a tiny white frog fish, and scores of gobies, shrimps and eels, among other marine life.

Heading home

Back on shore, our minds still filled with the wonderful visions of what we saw, the discussion turned to the future of the area as a dive destination and ecotourism showcase.

As we talked, the locals also started to open up. They were animated in their description of where and when the whale sharks would appear. They confirmed the presence of dugongs in nearby Malita town, sea turtles nesting in nearby beaches, and dolphins frolicking not far from where we sat.

Listening to their tales and their growing eagerness to share, it was easy to see that Gloria’s impassioned advocacy for stronger community involvement in any kind of development was starting to take hold.

There, just like he did during the dive congress, he spoke of stewardship and inheritance, and of integrity and education as keys to a balanced tourism program.

He asked for our help, and we all gladly gave it—knowing that in the end, we were also helping ourselves.

And for someone like me who is generally skeptical of any government official—past or present—there, surrounded by coconut trees festooned with billboards of clichés about long-forgotten virtues, I was genuinely touched by this man’s sincerity in bringing order to even just this small portion of a nation now filled with confusion.

“When I started building here, I made it my mission to help strengthen families and communities by promoting UST—unity, solidarity and teamwork. This place is truly God’s gift,” he said.

davaoeagle

May 16th, 2006, 06:49 AM

Inquirer Mindanao : Sarangani: Significant past, bright future

First posted 08:12am (Mla time) May 14, 2006
By Russtum Pelima
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on page A21 of the May 14, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

IN search of the mystery that beholds a bay, a province, and a municipality bearing the name Sarangani, we unveiled the mystic beauty of its place and people. We found more than its origin.

A five-hour boat ride from General Santos City brought us to two land masses of Sarangani town in Davao del Sur—the Balut and Sarangani Islands. Balut has a land area of 6,604 hectares, while Sarangani has 4,014 ha.

Its ancestry reveals that Balut, a Maguindanaon term for “island,” became a municipality of Davao del Sur 26 years ago. It is composed of 12 barangays, mostly populated by Sangil people who landed there in the mid-14th century from Sangir Island, north of Indonesia, when the Dutch began to take dominion over the island.

Balut’s Sangil equivalent is wanowa.

Burial sites of Sangil sultans led by Panurat—the first settlers of the land—were built by piles of rocks.

when we visited the site of his great grandfather, Judah.

Takeda is heir to the sultanate of Sangil by affinity, according to the Sangil tarsila or genealogy, as recorded by Dr. Domingo Non of the Mindanao State University and Shinzo Hayase in 1999.

Balistic Island

Takeda and his two brothers, Abedin and Pacayan, recalled how their great grandfather challenged to a battle Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, the leader of a Spanish colonial expedition to the Philippines (1542-46), in the historic Balistic Island—a Muslim kris against a Spanish pistol.

Marorong, fondly called Balistic Island because of its bullet shape, is 70 meters across Balut. Visitors and tourists interchangeably call the islet Fort Villalobos because of the rock structure built by the Sangil and B’laan peoples as fortress against Villalobos’ army.

Fr. Jose Luego, a Jesuit historian, and Gregorio Zaide in his “History of the Filipino People” noted the landing of Villalobos in Marorong in search of the Moluccas Island in 1543.

It is remarkable how the old Sangil people and the heirs to the sultanate handed down their past comprising four generations by word of mouth.

Duel of warriors

A Sangil darangen or folktale also tells of a duel between two big men, Saramanggi and Marama, to win the hand of a Sangil princess. Saramanggi was treacherously defeated by Marama. His blood flowed over the bay and his corpse formed a rock, which are now called the Sarangani Island and the Sarangani Bay in honor of the noble warrior.

The same bay shares its marine abundance with Sarangani province in Central Mindanao.

In Sangil etymology, Sarangani came from the Sangil’s Sarang-ine or “This is our territory” or “We stop here.”

“Balut and Sarangani are brothers,” recounts Prof. Virginia Buhisan, an anthropologist. This was recorded by the Sarangani municipality as the legendary origin of the place which was passed on by the old folk to the next generation.

At 105 years old, Elias Colano is the oldest man in Balut and head of elders of the crowned sultan, Pagal Padasan Colano.

Natural beauty

These interesting stories of the Muslim Sangil and the native B’laan who had intermarried in the early part of the 16th century complete the Sarangani town’s natural beauty.

A thick mangrove forest surrounds the port of Barangay Mabila, where the town proper is situated.

One would enjoy walking the grounds in a hot spring area in Barangay Lipol, now built with concrete structures for adventurers and tourists. A two-hour trek leads to the source of the spring in Bad-lii in the mountains of Kalisusu and Kagongkong.

It takes an hour-long boat ride to reach Ulaniban, 3 km of white sand encircling the 16-hectare island belonging to Barangay Patuco. An ancient lighthouse fronting the bay was built there by the Americans during the US colonial rule.

Even the tampat or burial sites of Sultan Panurat in Batuganding Point attract tourists. They are marked by kalachuchi trees and rocks piled by his descendants and B’laan natives who had been Islamized.

Festival

“Bato Manamil is the place where the fifth Sultanate of Maguindanao Mohammad Jafar Sitti Manamir was borne by his mother Putri Ambas,” said Sangil Datu Osmeña Salisipan.

Our expedition recounts the abundance that the Sarangani Bay is endowed with, shared and treasured by the sarangan.

In the celebration of the first Sarangani Bay Festival on May 17-20 in Glan, Sarangani province, tracing Sarangani’s significant past is a highlight.

Beach volleyball, kayaking, skim boarding, an 11-km swim in the bay and other water sports will be part of the activities.

“It will be the first time that we will celebrate this event,” said Nenita Barroso, executive director of the Sarangani Tourism and Investment Promotion Center. “We will revisit the bay’s history which became the highway for the first civilization in this part of mainland Mindanao.”

swatch69sg

May 17th, 2006, 04:41 AM

The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Pampanga (HARP) led by its newly-installed president, Jimmy Dale of Hotel La Casa, pledged to help boost travel and tourism in this part of the region with a line-up of marketing and promotional activities focused on enhancing the growing hospitality industry in the region.

This was the announcement made by Regional Director Ronaldo Tiotuico of the Department of Tourism - Region III in a travel advisory issued recently.

Tiotuico said that the officers of the association, in a meeting held on May 3 at Bliss Hotel, committed to bring tourism to the fore with a host of projects and programs designed to attract more visitors to the region.

On top of the agenda of the association is the possible launching of the North Philippines Travel Mart sometime in November this year at SM City Clark where the four regions in the north (Ilocos, Cagayan North, Cordillera and Central Luzon) would participate in a three-day marketing event at the newest megamall in Pampanga.

Some 300 hotels, travel agents, destination operators and trade exhibitors are expected to showcase their tourism-related products to thousands of domestic shoppers and foreign tourists at SM.

Dale, who is no stranger to the tourism industry in the province having served in the former Clark Air Base in the 70s, said that the association is keen on enhancing the quality of service in the hospitality sector thru skills enhancement programs for frontline personnel, now that Metro Clark is experiencing a heavy influx of foreign visitors due to the operationalization of low-cost flights via Clark airport. He expressed his thanks to the management of Clark International Airport Corporation led by Gen. Danilo Francia and GM Bienvenido Manga for initiating moves to bring in these flights to Clark.

swatch69sg

May 17th, 2006, 04:49 AM

sugbuanon

May 17th, 2006, 05:04 AM

The magnificent Palawan “Underground River” attracting more tourists

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY - Foreign and domestic visitors continue to flock Palawan's majestic 8.2-km long St. Paul Subterranean River National Park (SSRNP), reputed to be the world's longest navigable underground river.

From January to April this year, a total of 16,148 tourists visited the subterranean river, and is increasing everyday.

James Albert Mendoza, park manager said there were 12, 12,139 local and 4,078 foreign tourists visited the park, considered one of the most biologically diversified conservation areas in the Philippines.

The 8.2-km “Underground River” flows beneath a spectacular karst formation before the water goes out into the sea.

The forest at the park was declared as World Heritage Site by United Nations Educational, Scietific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) in 1999. The forest is the home to a diverse species of flora and rare fauna, many are still unnamed.

The park is also the favorite haven for hikers, biologists, photographers, students and nature lovers.

The development of tourism in the area has provided income and livelihood opportunities to the local people.

Early this month, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo released P80 million for the upgrading of roads leading to sitio Sabang, barangay Cabayugan where the park is located some 70 kms from the city proper.

Aside from exploring the mystic river, visitors could become instant spelunkers because of the presence of many caves underneath, wildlife watching, white sand beaches, mangrove paddle boat tour, jungle trekking, among others.

The park is under the control and management of Puerto Princesa headed by Mayor Edward Hagedorn.

JustHorace

May 17th, 2006, 05:33 AM

I would just like to reply on this.I'm bothered with this statements that I found in the international threads... I would just like to say is that are a lot of people here really that "ashamed"... even if our nation is just on its beginning on the tourism stage..... really saddening... just saying...
We're not really beginning with the tourism stage. We've done well a long time ago going from a thousand tourists and then to a million and finally, two million in 1997. It's just that since then, no efforts were made to boost tourism further. That 'drought' as I shall call it was during the Estrada administration, when tourist arrivals fell off the two-million mark. It was only during the current administration when the government realized the benefits of tourism. I'm not saying that we're too late. It's just that other nations have overtaken us already and that's a very sad fact. So, I am definitely not ashamed of our tourism industry...I hope you understand.

Shortage of hotel rooms...that's great! Now, real estate developers can have a reason to build new hotels. I hope we will be seeing comebacks from hotel chains that left our country (Westin, Sheraton), expansion for existing brands, and new hotel chains (like Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton) erecting properties around the country.

overtureph

May 17th, 2006, 06:39 AM

6,000 km cross-country in 22 days on a motorbike

First posted 02:05am (Mla time) May 16, 2006
By Hans Peder Pedersen
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on Page A15 of the May 16, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

“Get your motor running, Head out on the highway, looking for adventure and whatever comes our way. Born to be wild!” –Steppenwolf

THIS is a story of a 6,000-km, 22-day cruise on my Harley Davidson Sportster 1200, across the Philippines from Zamboanga City, and back—via Dapitan, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Surigao, Tacloban and Sorsogon cities, Manila, Subic (Zambales), La Union, Vigan City, Pagudpud (Ilocos Norte), Tugueguerao (Cagayan), Banawe (Ifugao), Baguio City, Manila, Puerto Galera (Oriental Mindoro), Kalibo (Aklan) and Dumaguete City.

For many years, I have traveled in this country on a bike in February, and I’ve never experienced a single day of rain during those trips. But this year, it was raining when I left Zamboanga in January and was pouring down when I came back in March, and lots of rain along the route.

I passed Southern Leyte a few days before the landslide. Maybe, it was a late La Niña. But in Banawe, the hotel people told me that it was the
warmest month they could recall.

Most of the roads are fairly good, some even excellent. Of course, others are bad and a few, real ugly. The worst are the roads in most of Samar, and their terrible state is a crime against the Samareños, as well as travelers.

The first leg to Zamboanga del Norte was a great ride. The road along the northern coast of Mindanao runs close to the sea, sometimes high above and sometimes at sea level—a beautiful section.

All the way to Davao, the roads are of good quality. The newly built stretch from Cagayan de Oro (Misamis Oriental) to Bukidnon via Malaybalay was a very pleasant ride over cool high plains.

As an architect, I had worked on the master plan for Cagayan de Oro and Davao cities 25 years ago, and I wanted to see the development since. Davao has followed up well with infrastructure improvements, such as overpasses, while Cagayan de Oro seems unchanged, with traffic in bad shape.

From the Davao Insular Hotel, I made a day trip to the Pearl Farm on Samal Island. The cottages in architect Francisco Mañosa’s distinguished contemporary vernacular style is resort design at its best.

The road from Davao to Surigao and from Tagum to Butuan is under rehabilitation. The bad news is the entire pavement has been removed from a stretch of about 100 km, making it a very unpleasant ride in a bowl of dust and black diesel fumes from buses and trucks.

I missed the ferry in Surigao by 15 minutes due to a change of schedule nobody but the shipping line had heard of. I spent the night in a training center near the pier and got on the early morning ferry to Leyte.

Black cloud

Every town now has an emission control station. If the black color on my face after a day’s ride is any indicator, buses, trucks and jeepneys seem to be exempted from control. But what do I know?

I traveled the Pan Philippine Highway many years ago when it was in very good shape. It will take a lot of work to get the full length in proper condition. I reached Tacloban and checked in at the Leyte Park Hotel where Linda, a one-woman band back after years of performing abroad, gave me the old rock-and-roll routine.

Roll-on, roll-off

The roro is an exotic experience. You line up at one window to pay the terminal fee, move to the next for a passenger ticket, and to another for a bill of lading for the bike typed carefully with one finger. You proceed to the Port Authority to pay for handling and, finally, to the Coast Guard for a rubber stamp on the registration.

In Surigao, they have added a little humor to this pedestrian procedure. A woman at a table outside the booths collects P50 for the “Barangay Tax.” I got a receipt, though.

I started the next day toward Luzon in pouring rain over the impressive San Juanico Bridge and on to Samar—the worst and most dangerous bike ride of the trip. This is the worst road I have ever experienced during years of biking around the world. I made it to Allen with only a slightly damaged shock absorber and got on the roro to Sorsogon for the night.

The ferry trip was rough. Many plastic bags were out to catch lunch. Seasickness seems to be contagious.

Public transportation

It’s always interesting to study the specific, often innovative, local versions of tricycles and bikes. Each area has its own design. In Southern Leyte, I saw bikes with roofs so big and mounted so high that they looked like hand gliders ready for takeoff. One operator recognized the resemblance by calling his unit “Airborne.”

I took the 550-km ride from Sorsogon to Manila in one go, stopping only for gas. I was descending from the hills toward Lucena on a meandering road just as sunset painted the landscape red and yellow—a beautiful sight. On the last stretch to Manila, I was all alone on the Skyway and gave the bike full throttle, blasting through the night with Harley rumbling.

I had the bike serviced and got a new tire after the sometimes rough ride. My friend King did the job in his Harley shop “Full Throttle” in Makati. I was ready to go north.

In Subic, I joined up with my old friend, Leo Prieto Jr. He left his Fireblade “crotch rocket” home to test his new BMW R 1200 GS on the trip to Pagudpud. So here we are, two old dudes on different bikes both basically designed more than half a century ago with some evolutionary improvements.

We spent the day at the peaceful, relaxing Mangrove Hotel before riding to Vigan. The coastal road through Zambales and Pangasinan is ideal for biking—long sweeping curves, not much traffic, and a well maintained pavement. Heavy traffic slowed us down in Dagupan City, but we were onto the great ride along the Lingayen Bay to La Union where we spent the night.

Vigan is a fast-growing city. We stayed in the classy Vigan Plaza Hotel at the main plaza. We arrived early, in time for an afternoon stroll through the old streets of Spanish colonial houses and a visit to the cathedral.

The ride to Pagudpud was easy. Approaching the northern point of Luzon, we passed a number of sandy coves shaped by powerful waves rolling in from the open sea.

Pagudpud is a serene area with strong, fresh wind and big surfs. After sunset, “the night comes falling from the sky,” as Bob Dylan experienced it. A pitch-black sky makes the stars shine as brightly as I have ever seen. The waves thundered against the shore.

Jr. had to return to Manila to take care of business the next morning, and I headed for Tuguegarao and Banawe.

The ride around the northern tip of Luzon offered an exciting experience. At one time, the road is actually on a bridge-like structure between the coast and steep mountain slopes covered with rainforest.

I spent the night in Tuguegarao and continued the ride to Banawe early next morning. The access from Bagabag, Isabela is easy on concrete. A heavy deforestation is prevailing in this area, exposing large denuded mountainsides.

Banawe has not changed much over the last couple of decades. Most of the terraces are still maintained. Many tourists were arriving.

I proceeded to Bontoc on the old dirt road. It was raining since early morning and the track was slippery, making it hard to steer the heavy loaded Harley. It was certainly not an off-roader. On one side, you have a free fall of several hundred meters and on the other, the mountain wall.

It was mainly a ride on first gear. I made the trip, also in heavy rain, 30 years ago on a Juniors Triumph Bonneville.

Touching the sky

While slowly ascending on the winding road, I suddenly found myself inside a rain-filled cloud. Visibility was only a few meters. No colors but grey, like riding in a black-and-white movie. The mist was sprinkling my face with water, a pleasant cool sensation on the skin. Riding in a cloud felt strange, like touching the sky.

Shortly after starting the descent, a sunbeam cut through the mist and lighted up a strip of the valley below. The shades of green came back and a small triangle of clear blue sky appeared between two mountain peaks—a transition of poetic beauty. The power of the sun gradually took control and revealed the strong sculptured rice terraces in the valley.

It was a slow but scenic ride on a dirt road in Bontoc, Mountain Province. It follows a river with small rice terraces on the brink. Getting closer to Baguio, the traffic increased. Many vegetable trucks were driving like mad on the meandering mountain road, and the situation called for careful, defensive driving.

The entrance to Baguio is a war zone of jeepneys fighting for passengers. I reached the city proper and got gobbled up in the traffic mess and choking polluted air.

Urban decay

When Baguio was built following Daniel Burnham’s plan, it was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful mountain cities in the world. Over the last couple of decades, it has become an example of how bad it can get when there is no development control to match blind greed and short-sightedness. A sad story of a dethroned beauty queen of the mountains turned whore.

I spent some time with old friends before starting my trip back to Zambonga City on the Nautical Highway.

First stop was Manila, where I had another checkup of the Harley for the 1,500-km trip. I took the South Superhighway to Batangas and the roro to Puerto Galera. I spent a day with Jim, who manages the peaceful Coral Cove Diving Resort in Sabang away from the circus in the town itself.

The rain followed me on most of the journey back. I headed for Roxas, where the roro took me to Caticlan. We arrived around 10:30 p.m. and everything was closed. The bike was low on gas but a helpful guy took me to a house where I was able to buy five Coke bottles of premium.

Little sleep

I reached Kalibo at midnight, looking for a place to get a little sleep after 19 hours of traveling, mostly in heavy rain that made the muscles cold and sore. But as John Mellemcamp sings: “It hurts so good,” especially when it was over.

I found the ideal place to sleep where I had to pay only P200 for three hours and P35 for the following hours. I paid for six hours and started early to Iloilo and the roro to Bacolod. I continued to Dumaguete where I arrived at around 8 p.m. after another rainy day on the road.

I spent two days in the city. It’s a lively place, especially along the boulevard with its string of cafes. A friend from Zamboanga has a daughter who studies at Silliman University. She was the perfect guide and introduced me to a group of her good friends. We spent a pleasant evening in one of their homes where they served delicious vegetarian supper for me.

I took the 7 a.m. ferry to Dapitan and proceeded to my home in Zamboanga City. It was still raining.

There are many good hotels all over the country. From three- to five-star hotels, whose prices range from P1,200 to P2,700 per night, but all good value for the money in their own right, such as Dakak in Dapitan, Harbor Light Hotel in Cagayan de Oro, Insular Hotel in Davao, Leyte Park Hotel in Tacloban, Mangrove Hotel in Subic, Vigan Plaza Hotel, and Banawe Hotel.

Not in this category is the most expensive room on this nationwide trip in Saud Resort in Pagudpud, where a single traveler is charged P3,550 per night.

As a biker, I love to ride into the unknown, chasing the wind. But it’s another story if you are a tourist who wants to plan and budget a vacation. I was part of the team that carried out the “Tourism Masterplan for the Philippines” and can appreciate that angle, too. There is a need for coordinated and currently updated information on schedules and prices (they seem to change frequently). I suggest that the Department of Tourism supplement its travel maps with a website providing this service.

Editor’s note: The author is an architect and senior biker, and a long time resident of Zamboanga City.

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

heathcliff

May 17th, 2006, 08:35 AM

Just came accross this URL in another discussion forum..Lots of good comments from foreigners about Philippines. The only thing sucks are the pics that Yahoo Travel posted for Philippines..it doesn't do justice at all..read em..

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-reviews-191501661-prod-travelguide-action-read-ratings_and_reviews-i-sortorder-1;_ylt=AsNDvjNpVfoB74sDLRNpNGhdFWoL

I've read the comments. Thanks, swatch. It's heartening to know of folks from other countries talking of the Philippines as a great place. We have indeed been beaten up economically and it doesn't help when some of our own countrymen thoughtlessly malign the Philippines and Filipinos. It's touching to see an expat taking up the cudgels for us against those who perpetuate distorted views about our country. Let's not put in vain the efforts of our countrymen to promote tourism in their respective localities, particularly those in Mindanao. They need the jobs and income that tourism will generate.

bitoy

May 17th, 2006, 09:31 AM

Security is one of the main reason for tourists to come to The Philippines.
Most balikbayans that I know came back to the US with good points to tell other balikbayan prospects how nice and the many changes in infrastructure are there now.

But some American families that I know who took the Asian package tours had not included The Philippines in their itinerary.
Why? The travel agents here always warn the travelers of any warnings coming from the US State Department and always have a hard time scheduling flights to Manila and then to minor Airports in other places.

From PEX :

2.3 M foreign tourists don't look promising... (http://www.pinoyexchange.com/forums/showthread.php?t=247797&page=2)

We really need to revitalized the tourism industry.

SECURITY and PEACE will have to be the #1 priority.

bitoy

May 17th, 2006, 09:42 AM

Just came accross this URL in another discussion forum..Lots of good comments from foreigners about Philippines. The only thing sucks are the pics that Yahoo Travel posted for Philippines..it doesn't do justice at all..read em..

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-reviews-1...4sDLRNpNGhdFWoL

Those pics are proof of truth, there is no sense of hiding them to the entire world like what they did few years ago. Putting fences on the squatter areas with white walls, so that no foreigners can see them. That wasn't the solution, but a band-aid effect for cover up.
No matter what the condition of our nation is, tourists will come if the nation is in the right order and at peace. The natural attractions, friendly people and good hospitality will always remain with the Filipinos.

...and there are always some local bastards that will destroy our image to the entire world. :bash:

sugbuanon

May 17th, 2006, 07:15 PM

Giant waves at Lingayen Gulf attracting tourists

DAGUPAN CITY — Storm surges have become instant tourists' attraction in the Lingayan Gulf here.

Tourists by the truck loads have continued to flock to the Bonuan Blue Beach at Tondaligan Park to see the splendor of giant waves batter the shorelines of the famous Gulf.

Weathermen said that the big waves were still caused by storm surge from killer typhoon ‘Caloy’ that exited the country two days ago.

Tondaligan Park Administrator Dino Zabala said tourists, riding in buses from adjacent provinces, like Tarlac, still keep on coming despite the cloudy skies in the horizon and rising tide waters.

Some beach sheds which serve as sing-along bars have been underwater since last week.

The high tide flooded even inland areas of Dagupan, especially at Dior Village on Arellano street which is near a river tributary.

A report said that the storm surge was felt stronger in the province of Ilocos Sur since Tuesday morning.

Zabala said five Philippine National Red Cross-trained lifeguards have been posted along the beach to assist swimmers who may be in distress while swimming.

"We can't discourage tourists from coming as this is a public beach. We can only advise them to swim in the safe areas with sight of lifeguards," Zabala said.

He said they aim for zero drowning in the beach as they did during the past Pista’y Dayat (sea festival) last May 1 which was marked by the mad dash to the beach of thousands of people.

overtureph

May 18th, 2006, 07:39 AM

Inquirer Southern Luzon : Mining town reinvents itself

First posted 11:40pm (Mla time) May 17, 2006
By Gerald Gene R. Querubin
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on Page A14 of the May 18, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE former copper mining town of Sta. Cruz in Marinduque is trying to reinvent itself as a tourism destination.

Blessed by pristine beaches, scenic nature spots, and historical landmarks, the former mining site of Marinduque Copper Mining Corp. (Marcopper) is 150 km south of Manila, which makes it more accessible to tourists than Boracay, Cebu or Palawan.

The first-class municipality (average annual income: P35 million or more over the past three years) is the premier destination of the heart-shaped island-province.

As the seafood capital of Marinduque, Sta. Cruz yields an abundant harvest of “dilis” or “bulinao” (small fish), the kind being bought by “bagoong” (salted fish paste) makers from as far as Pangasinan. It celebrated its first seafood festival on May 1-3.

Beaches

The main showcase of Sta. Cruz is the Palo Maria Beach in Barangay Maniwaya. The white-sand beach with clean, clear waters is regarded as one of the finest in the country.

Tourists will discover there first-class amenities still untainted by gaudy commercialism.
Dapdap Beach in Barangay Tagum is a 30-minute jeepney ride from the poblacion, while Maligaya Beach in Barangay Morales is a 45-minute jeepney ride.

Other beaches are the Kalangkang and Biga.

Island-villages also boast of scenic beaches. Polo has Aroma Beach, a 15-minute ride by motorboat from Buyabod Port, which is now frequented by visitors because of its nearness to the town proper.
Mongpong Island is another gem of a find because of its white beach.

Waterfalls

A refreshing choice for visitors are the Kawa-Kawa Falls in Barangay Bangcuangan, the Bagakawa Falls in Barangay Tambangan, and the Altar Falls in Barangay De Villa.

They, however, need not look far because Sta. Cruz has waterfalls right within the poblacion. From where they are staying, they can walk for 5-10 minutes to the Busay Falls, complete with dipping pools for children and adults.

Busay is less than a kilometer from the Sta. Cruz Parish Church, the oldest church in the town center.

Built in 1760, it houses centuries-old religious sculptures and the wide-paneled “retablos” at the center and the sides.

Less than five minutes of tricycle ride from the church is the centuries-old Baluarte or watch tower in Barangay Lapu-Lapu, which was once used by natives to spot and ward off possible attacks by pirates.

Caves

Tourists can visit the Bathala Caves System in Barangay Ipil, a 20-minute ride from the town proper. Inside the caves are wonderful stalactites, stalagmites and other natural rock formations. Thousands of guano-producing bats inhabit the place.

In one of the caves, guests can marvel at the “enchanted” pythons guarding it. The more adventurous, however, can wade in waist-deep waters of the Bathala’s River Cave.

For nature lovers, the municipality offers areas for hiking, trekking and trail biking.

“Visitors would marvel not only at its beaches, scenic spots and historical landmarks but also at the low-cost food and accommodations,” said Mayor Percival Morales.

Since the beaches of Sta. Cruz have not been commercialized yet, visitors can stay overnight through the “home stay program” implemented by the Provincial Tourism Office.

They can stay in houses near the beaches. The more adventurous may bring their camping gear and pitch tents on the beach. However, making bonfires or cooking at the beach is discouraged.

Hotels and lodging houses can be found at the town proper.

GETTING THERE

By land: From Manila, take a JAC Liner from Edsa/Kamias/Cubao station. A bus that travels directly to Sta. Cruz, Marinduque charges P500 one-way.
Or take any bus (JAC liner, JAM liner or Dela Rosa liner) going to Talao-Talao Port in Lucena City. From there, fastcraft and ferry boats go to Buyabod port in Sta. Cruz, or to Cawit Boac or Balanacan port, Mogpog. From Cawit or Balanacan, vans or jeeps travel to Sta. Cruz.
There are also vans that travel from Manila to Talao-Talao.
By air: Asian Spirit offers regular flights four times a week to Gasan Airport. Travel time is approximately 45 minutes from Manila. Public shuttle vehicles are available to passengers headed for various destinations.

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=76131&col=38

heathcliff

May 19th, 2006, 12:17 PM

Those pics are proof of truth, there is no sense of hiding them to the entire world like what they did few years ago. Putting fences on the squatter areas with white walls, so that no foreigners can see them. That wasn't the solution, but a band-aid effect for cover up.
No matter what the condition of our nation is, tourists will come if the nation is in the right order and at peace. The natural attractions, friendly people and good hospitality will always remain with the Filipinos.

...and there are always some local bastards that will destroy our image to the entire world. :bash:

While I agree with you to some extent, this is tourism, and it's all about putting out the best images of the Philippines. We're not here to fight causes, but to attract tourists, thus we must present our country in its best light, which would nevertheless be consistent with the truth. The safety and security aspects are a given, but good PR is also important. We should focus more on our natural attractions, our friendly people and good hospitality. Squatter areas are a matter of course in a poor country, and don't need to be shown on ads for tourism.

OtAkAw

May 19th, 2006, 02:43 PM

Kapag nagpopromote ka sa turista, di bale na plastik wag lang silang madiscourage pumunta sa bansa naten.

bitoy

May 19th, 2006, 06:38 PM

Kapag nagpopromote ka sa turista, di bale na plastik wag lang silang madiscourage pumunta sa bansa naten.

That will be more discouraging to the tourists if they find out at first hand the truth. Sure you will get the first batch, but from the word of mouth of those who came and found out the real condition will eliminate the future tourists.
The entire world knows about the status of the Philippines, how poor people were neglected by the government but on the other end, they know also how warm and friendly the Filipinos are when it comes to hospitality.
The lovely tourists attractions of our islands are enough to encourage tourists without makeing a facelift of what state of the country is. Add a peace of mind security on those attractions and tourists will come.

marites4

May 19th, 2006, 08:09 PM

they have to address the problem with shanty colonies. ayaw makita nang mga turista yan. Imagine sila nagpapakasaya tapos ang dameng naghihirap na nakikita it gives you a guilt trip. Sa harap na lang mismo ng domestic terminal yung ilog don parang open sewer , baket kaya hindi nirerehabilitate yung area. sa pilipinas ka lang makakakita ng ganitong kagrabeng squater colonies pwera na lang siguro sa India.
At ang ipinapahiwatig ng travel forum na yan ay ang lake ng kaagwatan ng buhay sa pilipinas. Mga highrise towers sa isang tabe shanty colonies.
Yung mga ibang bansang mahihirap wala ngang glittering towers pero wala ren masyadong shanty colonies.

JAMAICUS

May 20th, 2006, 04:21 AM

PHILIPPINES' BATANES UPGRADES TOURISM FACILITIES

Friday May 19, 2006, 2:21 pm

BASCO, Batanes, May 19 Asia Pulse - Mindful of the need to continuously make the island-province attractive to local and foreign tourists, the Ivatans have intensified efforts to upgrade their tourism services and facilities.

Elmo Merin, provincial tourism officer, said "given our geographic location, isolated from mainland Luzon by oceans and seas, we just have to sustain our being an island-paradise." ADVERTISEMENT

"Our thrust is to maintain the island's pristine beauty and the people's culture and tradition uncorrupted, notwithstanding the influx of tourists. Experiencing Batanes is like having experienced living in some places of England," Merin said.

Batanes consists of three islands with Batan island as the biggest where the towns of Basco, Ivana, Mahatao and Uyugan are located.

The island-town of Sabtang can be reached via a 30-minute 'falowa' boat ride, while Itbayat can be reached either by ship or an inter-island aircraft.

Following the visit of officials of the Department of Tourism headed by Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab and Regional Director Bless Diwa late last month, the various stakeholders of the tourism industry organized themselves into the province's tourism council to orchestrate efforts at improving the industry's services and facilities.

Being an island with only over 10,000 residents, Batanes has low-impact tourism facilities like inns, resorts, restaurants, and "homestay," a parlance in which local residents providing bed and breakfast to visitors at very minimal costs.

Its minimum requirement would be a clean room, running water, comfort room and trained manpower.

Meanwhile, Diwa said visiting Batanes is best during summer. It is accessible by plane through the Asian Spirit which flies direct from Manila on Mondays and Fridays, and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from Manila with stop-over in Tuguegarao City, the provincial capital of Cagayan.

(PNA)

http://au.biz.yahoo.com/060519/17/pu3s.html

sugbuanon

May 20th, 2006, 04:57 AM

Marawi City declared ARMM summer capital

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur – Due to its cool climate and rich cultural heritage, the Department of Tourism – Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has recently declared this city as the region’s summer capital.

ARMM DOT Secretary Macacuna Pangandaman has officially declared Marawi City as the ARMM’s summer capital in simple ceremony held this week shortly after the city celebrated its founding anniversary late last month.

Marawi is the only city in the five-province ARMM consisting of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Tawi-tawi, Sulu and Basilan.

The area, home to the predominantly Maranao people, is a fusion of plain, hilly and mountainous terrains with an elevation of 702 meters above sea level. It has an evenly distributed rainfall and is typhoon-free.

Pangandaman said his office plans to work for a comprehensive and coordinated program that would project the city as the “other face of ARMM” through the tourism approach.

“The solution to erase the negative image of ARMM would come from a serious and planned tourism campaign for the region with the able support of the ARMM regional governor Zaldy U. Ampatuan,” Pangandaman stressed.

Unnoticeably, tourists visit annually the historic 334-square kilometer Lake Lanao and adjacent Lake Dapao; and other tourists’ spots in this city that include, among others, its people’s colorful heritage.

Also, foreign and local tourists frequent the Shrine of Maputi A Lupa (1300-1400 AD) and Shrine of Pata-Dibarosan (Four Principalities of Lanao – 1596 AD) which are two of the oldest Lanao landmarks situated in nearby Masiu, Lanao del Sur.

Only recently, Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) Landscape Designer Rene B. Gobenciong and Project Development and Evaluation Officer Danilo B. Estacio visited this place for a site inspection.

Initially, the PTA is eyeing to improve the Samporna Hall of the Marawi Resort Hotel that will cater to local and foreign tourists.

swatch69sg

May 21st, 2006, 04:39 AM

Manila Bulletin, May 21, 2006
By ROY C. MABASA

The Malate Business Council (MBC) has expressed its support for the immediate enactment of Senate Bill 2138 known as the Tourism Act of 2005 authored by Senator Richard Gordon.

MBC President Norman Cordon said the bill brings a new focus on tourism and will set the guidelines for strengthening the industry as it faces new challenges and trends in the next 20 years.

"The tourism industry is the major answer to our problems of slow economic growth and unemployment. Bill 2138 defines the role of tourism in national development, and we hope this will be treated with a sense of urgency and enacted into law soon," Cordon said.

He added that Senate Bill 2138 is intended to further strengthen the relationship between the government, particularly the Department of Tourism, and industry players and create a partnership that would develop tourism to a new dimension.

"There is a need for constant dialogue with government and industry players as competition in the region is getting stronger, with countries like Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore embarking in more aggressive and well-focused tourism promotions program," Cordon, who is also the chief operating officer of the Ambassador Hotel, said.

Cordon also lauded the provision in Bill 2138 providing safety and protection to foreign and local tourists.

"Tourists will go back again and again, or bring some friends with them if they experienced safety, quality accommodations and convenience during their visits. The bill provides for upgrading of facilities and mandates Local Governments Units to work closely with the tourism industry in ensuring safety and quality service in tourist establishments," Cordon said.

The MBC also supports Senator Gordon’s proposal to share extra food of hotels to indigents.

In an interview over station DZMM, Cordon said, "Filipino culture bids us to share whatever extra food we have. We suggest however that more studies be made on this proposal especially the system of distribution so as not to cause problems to both the donors and recipients."

davaoeagle

May 21st, 2006, 10:05 AM

“Bonsai” town prepares for festival
posted @ 3:23 pm by Gladys in [ News ]
By Mai Gevera & Neela Duallo

Davao City (10 May) — Excitement escalates as the municipality of San Isidro, Davao Oriental prepares for it’s 1st Bonsai Festival.The municipality is now preparing for it’s 1st Bonsai Festival on June 17-18, 2006, in time for it’s 40th Founding Anniversary.

The theme of the event just speaks of what San Isidro has been advocating all these years, “Mahalin ang Kalikasan Para sa Kinabukasan”.

The focus of the protection and preservation measures of San Isidro is it’s Pygmy forest where the century old bonsai plants mightily dwells.

“It will be a week long celebration, and we are still in the process of discussing and finalizing the details of the twin-celebration”, said Mr. Anton Edquilla, the Municipal Tourism Officer of San Isidro.

Celebration starts on the 9th of June, and culminates on the 17th and 18th.

The Festival will be a competition, a showcase of the best bonsai plants from the municipality.

“Every department of the local government will try to outdo each other’s bonsai plant, and so with the 16 barangays, and the different schools of San Isidro.

The Bonsai Festival was conceptualized as early as last year.

However, because of the time entailed in the preparation of such big event, it was thoroughly planned, and finally materialized this year.

The Bonsai Festival is a dream come true for the people of San Isidro, and for the local government, in another relentless attempt to boost its local tourism industry.

As what Mayor Apolinar said in his previous interviews “there is really a need to invest on tourism, particularly for San Isidro. We are blessed with so much wonders and bounties, so we need to promote them for the people to know and discover what we can offer”. (PIA/DXHM
__________________

davaoeagle

May 21st, 2006, 10:06 AM

Innova Roadtrek: Taking a wild turn

by CHRIS DATOL

"After all the challenges, the Road Trekkers were treated to a whole day of rest at Pearl Farm Resort in Samal Island, Davao, where the awarding rites were held in the evening. "

Taking a "wild" turn for the Innova takes a little less effort than motoring journalists going "sporty" for a change. Both faced a challenge last week for the 2nd Innova Road Trek: the wild rapids of Cagayan de Oro River and the varying road conditions in Mindanao – and both conquered their respective feats for the "Wild on Wheels Adventure Ride" from Cagayan de Oro to Davao.

Each was properly equipped for the physically-demanding adventure race: the 40 motoring journalists donned rafting safety gear while 10 Innovas were mounted with inflatable rubber rafts – a look that certainly changed the image of this classy family car.

The Innova made a significant statement through the "Wild on Wheels" ride: It can offer not just leisurely weekend rides but provide a mobile lifestyle for various recreations. The "Road Trekkers" were likewise required to be as "multi-purpose" and tough as the Innova – versatile enough to become adventurers even for just four days!

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. president Hiroshi Ito called the event a huge success, referring to the challenges and adversities which the 40 motoring media members survived. "The participants showed resilience and the ability to adapt – characteristics which they share with the Innova, which is why it’s the best selling vehicle in the market today," said Mr. Ito.

The 2nd Innova Roadtrek followed last year’s debut held in Panay Island. This year, the media team from Cagayan de Oro emerged as champions after scoring the highest number of points, besting nine other teams composed of media men and women from Metro Manila and Davao.

Clyde del Mar, Melicio Cordova and Alden Bacal of ABS-CBN Cagayan de Oro, along with Joey Nacalaban of Sun Star CDO topped the field in key categories of the adventure.

Defending champion Auto Review bagged the runner-up position while the team composed of C! Magazine/ Tech & Tuner/ Auto Extreme participants won third place.

Philippine Daily Inquirer’s media team landed on 4th place, Philippine Star was 5th place, while Team Manila Bulletin settled for sixth. Other participating teams were Top Gear/FHM, Davao media team, Business Mirror/ Rev Magazine, and Manila Times.

Team Manila Bulletin was composed of Drive editor Pinky Colmenares, assistant editor Anjo Perez, columnist Aris Ilagan and this writer.

The media participants were given a hint of the "wild ride" they were to face as they were fetched at the Cagayan de Oro airport by 10 Innovas, each mounted with a rubber raft on its roof. The convoy proceeded to the Toyota showroom in Cagayan de Oro where they were welcomed by dealership president Ms. Betty Lu.

Immediately after breakfast, the participants drove 30 minutes outside the city for the highlight of the Innova Roadtrek: To "conquer" the White Water Rafting Adventure along the Cagayan de Oro River – a popular year-round course with 14 wild rapids.

All participants donned rafting safety gear and boarded rubber rafts at the jump-off point in Bgy. Mambuaya, including Toyota officials Daniel Isla (1st VP for marketing), Raymond Rodriguez (VP for Customer Service), Jose Ma. Atienza (VP for Vehicles Sales), and Ariel de Jesus (marketing services manager).

The Road Trekkers were to complete the three-hour white water river course from that area to Bgy. Kabula, covering 12.32 kms and featuring 14 rapids ranging from class II to III.

Other challenges included ziplining and rappelling at Mapawa Nature Park, swimming to collect floating balls, counting Toyota Innova banners along the route, and bonus points for early birds.

Along the route, the participants also enjoyed scenic views shifting from the well-paved roads of Cagayan de Oro, the agricultural fields of Bukidnon, and the mountain paths leading to Davao City. Throughout the ride, the Road Trekkers also appreciated the comfort provided by the Innova, including strong airconditioning through the stifling afternoon heat, the plush seats that lulled some to sleep, and the smooth and stable ride courtesy of the 4-link, coil-spring, rear suspension.

The Innova’s stylish exterior features also drew Davaoeños out of their homes during an afternoon parade around the city. The convoy of the 10 Innova’s was blatantly "announced" by siren-blaring police cars and a Hi-Lux pickup containing young Toyota employees who waved to the crowd like celebrities.

After all the challenges, the Road Trekkers were treated to a whole day of rest at Pearl Farm Resort in Samal Island, Davao, where the awarding rites were held in the evening.

davaoeagle

May 21st, 2006, 10:09 AM

Davao Gulf needs corrective not palliative measures - tourism officer posted @ 2:15 pm by Gladys in [ News ]

Davao City (4 May) — “People should fully understand that the environment is inter-connected; from the mountain down to our beaches, Davao Gulf becomes a catchment basin of the entire human activities in the region. It should not be palliative measures but corrective measures should be applied for the Davao Gulf”. This was bared by Id Acaylar, Davao City Tourism Officer, during the monthly Ugnayan Sa Royal Mandaya media forum.

Acaylar further said that the presence of e-colli bacteria in some beaches in the city, which is harmful to humans doesn’t mean that the entire Davao Gulf is polluted. “Davao Gulf should be put in the highlight of tourism industry due to its potential and rich biodiversity.” Said Acaylar

He added, that the presence and citing of whale sharks, mammals like dolphin and other 11 cetaceans is an indication that Davao Gulf is still in good condition.

“The people of Davao and other National and Local Government Agencies should now work hand in hand in order to raise the level of awareness of the public for a well managed and ecologically balanced Davao Gulf,” Acaylar urged.

The whole month of May is declared as the Ocean Month with the City Government of Davao and the Davao Gulf Management Council (DGMC) preparing several events to promote awareness in the conservation and protection of Davao Gulf.

And one of the busiest days of the Ocean month is during May 25-28 which are highlighted by the following activities; the Banca/Bigiw (Layag) Race, Hook & Line Fishing Contest, Elimination Race for Kayak and Lumbanka and the finals Race for for Kayak and Lumbangka. (PIA/AD Cahilog)
__________________

davaoeagle

May 21st, 2006, 10:13 AM

Whale shark sighting seens as indicator of improving Davao Gulf
posted @ 11:17 am by Gladys in [ News ]

Davao City (21 April) — The sightings of whale sharks along the seas in Buhisan, Davao City are an indicator of an improved environmental condition of the Davao Gulf.

Davao City councilor Leo Avila III, chair of the Davao Gulf Management Council (DGMC) said that the appearance of the whales along this site is becoming frequent that they could be seen almost weekly.

“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 disposing of garbage,” he said.

Avila said they are contemplating to designate the area as a tourist attraction where whale watching can be undertaken.

He said they 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.

Avila also said that they noticed that dolphins and whales travel to waters where fishes are abundant and it can be seen in the Buhisan area that small fishes and shrimps are aplenty.

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 in the late 80s 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.

The 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 WWF-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.

The report also said that eight of the 10 species are listed in CITES – 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. (PIA/pdbanzon)

beads_strawberries

May 22nd, 2006, 08:06 AM

^ Nice.

If I may add, the so-called Mall of Asia is now open to the public. I'd say this would be another tourist attraction at Metro Manila area. With the size of a 60-hectare property and first class facilities, this could be a prime destination for those who want to visit the country.

shadow_can2003

May 22nd, 2006, 12:28 PM

bustero

May 22nd, 2006, 02:35 PM

There was a forumer who kinda agreed with this assesment.

Personally I think the overall bill is better than not gong through it. A one time 5$ charge will hurt but only in the short run, in the long run it gives the department teeth so it can actually run a marketing campaign.

Will $5 kill RP tourism?
BIZLINKS By Rey Gamboa
The Philippine Star 05/20/2006

This is what some stakeholders in the local tourism industry fear.

The source of the apprehension is Senate Bill 2138, ironically authored by Sen. Richard "Dick" Gordon, who incidentally had banked on his popularity as Tourism chief, among others, to land a seat in the Senate.

A quick look at the provisions of the bill gives us the impressions that there is indeed a serious move to allow the Philippine tourism industry to gear up and be at par with the likes of Thailand and Malaysia, as well as make the country a major tourist destination in the region.

Compared to the two countries, both of which spend some US$100 to $150 million in tourism promotion and marketing, the Philippines allocates a mere budget of US$8million.

As tourism is said to be the biggest industry globally, and one of the top dollar earners for the country, stakeholders should theoretically welcome legislative initiatives to boost the industry‚s welfare.
The $5 question
The main opposition, however, is being posed by the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies. They claim that Sec. 51 of bill, which imposes a $5 "tourism fee" on every tourist for each night of stay in a hotel or resort in the country, could actually kill local tourism efforts.

The independent travel agencies contend that the $5 surcharge is an added cost that would make traveling to the Philippines costlier since most tourists arrive here on group and pre-paid or package tours. NAITAS members, like those from Cebu, point out that tourists are already complaining of high local room rates.

Some may feel inconvenienced or, worse, gypped by the unexpected additional fee being charged by their hotel or resort after having paid supposedly the "full" cost of their tour back home. Other major tourist destinations do charge tourism and other similar fees, but these are bundled outright in the total tour cost.

This situation may be compared to taking an airport taxi and paying the appropriate fee at the counter, only to be charged additional fees or tips by drivers and dispatchers before or upon reaching your destination. Annoying isn’t it?
LGUs bypassed?
Apart from a group of travel and tour operators, local government officials are likewise up in arms against some provisions of the bill. The bottom line is that the bill will allow the Tourism Department to wield its power over LGUs in tourism-related matters, and subsequently bypassing the authority of LGU officials.

Among the provisions questioned by LGU executives are sections 34, 35 and 36.

Sec. 34 of the bill prohibits LGUs from issuing licenses and permits to tourism-related enterprises if the said LGUs do not have a tourism master plan. Furthermore, it also prohibits LGUs from issuing licenses and permits to tourism-related enterprises that have lost their accreditation or have not been accredited by the DOT.

Sec. 35 requires tourism-related enterprises, on a regular basis, to obtain accreditation from the Department in relation to the quality of facilities and standard of service offered by such enterprise. Failure to live up to standards would empower the DOT to cancel the said enterprise’s license to operate should its owners or host LGU fail to take appropriate action.

Sec. 36 meantime, imposes fines on LGU executives as well as suspends services of the DOT and its attached agencies in LGUs that fail to act as required under the previous provisions after proper notice and hearing.

No wonder Manila Mayor Lito Atienza is very emphatic by stating that such provisions are contrary to the trend of developing and promoting tourism through the principle of local autonomy as provided for by the constitution.

In fact, NAITAS members and other tourism stakeholders support the Mayor’s view when they say that it would be more ideal and effective to leave the documentation and accreditation of hotels and other related enterprises to private tour operators and organizations to prevent red tape and other sources of corruption.
Organizing into zones
Senate Bill 2138, to be fair, is not all controversy. Apart from those provisions mentioned above, many of its other 93 provisions indeed may make the Philippines a major force in global tourism. The bill, after all, also encourages investors to put up new hotels, resorts and other tourism enterprises through tax breaks.

Parallel to the concept of economic zones which attract industrial investments, the approval of this bill would pave the way for the creation of Tourism Enterprise Zones through the Tourism Enterprise Zone Authority.

Zone operators and registered enterprises would be entitled to tax holidays of up to six years, tax exemption on capital goods importation as well as other similar tax-related and non-fiscal incentives currently enjoyed by locators in economic zones.

TEZA will be mandated to supervise the cultural, economic and environmentally sustainable development of tourism enterprise zones. It would also be empowered to issue permits and licenses for the regulation of commercial activity, as well as enforce environmental and cultural heritage, zoning and traffic, and construction regulations within the tourism zones.
Educating the frontline
Another positive provision of the bill is the creation of a Tourism Coordinating Council which will, among others, work with education officials and other concerned agencies to cultivate a culture of tourism among Filipinos, especially those in the tourism frontlines.

This way, tourists would value and appreciate not only our natural wonders but also the professional and efficient service of Filipinos on top of the famed hospitality and warm smiles.
But no additional bureaucrats, please
Indeed, Senate Bill 2138 shows enough promise that could further fuel the local tourism industry. The bill, however, should not add on to the existing bureaucracy and should aim to streamline government supervision and regulation of the tourism business. Therefore, any additional charge to tourists just to cover cost of more bureaucrats is not the way to go.

Perhaps the good Senator would do well to listen to some of the well-meaning concerns of some affected sectors. No use marching forward with the formulation of tourism policies and development plans when other industry players are pulling in a different direction.

Animo

May 22nd, 2006, 08:00 PM

TRAVEL and tourism has been variously flaunted as the world’s largest industry, creator of jobs across national and regional economies, provider of services and, not the least, a calming influence against poverty.

Tourism enriches individuals, families, communities, and all the world, as the World Tourism Organization (WTO) puts it.

That is how tourism can have positive impact on life, culture and economy, and on all of society.

In fact, in Europe, the European Union has been urged to take cognizance of the special importance of tourism in its constitution.

In the United Nations, the WTO has recently been recognized as a specialized UN agency.

Tourism in the Philippines is comparatively a new industry; it was not until late in the 1960’s that the Department of Tourism was created, preceded by very limited private initiatives undertaken by entrepreneurs mostly for pleasure.

It is far behind yet in many aspects of the industry but today it is already competing with other Asian countries on the new awareness of what they call "medical tourism."

In yesterday’s Business Agenda Report in this paper, George Osit wrote, "The prospect of medical tourism in the country is bright," but so far, it appears, it is limited only to Filipinos living abroad, with a sprinkling of ailing foreign friends in tow.

Medical tourism refers to medical treatment of people who are at the same time seeking relaxation and health holiday in a foreign country; it is a "new concept" in tourism coined to represent those who come here for treatment because of cheap but effective medical care and attention and also to savor what the country can offer, as tourists.

The fact is, the Philippines still has a long way to go to be at par with even its neighboring countries and much more with advanced tourist destinations in many parts of the world.

While at the airport in Paris sometime ago in conversations with other passengers coming to this part of the world, it seemed everybody was going to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo but not one to Manila; I was then going to New York.

There has not been much information about the content of the bill being sponsored by Senator Richard Gordon but from what we heard it is designed to strengthen the industry with the proposed upgrading of facilities and in ensuring the safety and quality of service in tourist establishments.

Already, it has won the encouragement of the business sector for its early enactment in hopes it could respond to the "new challenges and trend in the next 20 years."

The Malate Business Council, through its president, Norman Cordon, has expressed confidence the passage of Senate Bill 2138 would reinforce the partnership of the Tourism Department with the industry players and create positive consequences on the various areas of national development.

In many countries where tourism is a major industry such as Spain, Mexico, Italy, Portugal, and many others, it is a way of life.

Others regard it as a basic human right.

Here what we need is to invest more funds in tourism development but above all to establish a national icon, largely visible and unique in concept and structure that would symbolize us as a distinctive nation to attract peoples from afar to come and see what distinguishes us from the rest in culture and civilization.

And communicate it to the world thoughtfully, creatively.
http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/05/23/OPED2006052364773.html

heathcliff

May 24th, 2006, 11:40 AM

That will be more discouraging to the tourists if they find out at first hand the truth. Sure you will get the first batch, but from the word of mouth of those who came and found out the real condition will eliminate the future tourists.
The entire world knows about the status of the Philippines, how poor people were neglected by the government but on the other end, they know also how warm and friendly the Filipinos are when it comes to hospitality.
The lovely tourists attractions of our islands are enough to encourage tourists without makeing a facelift of what state of the country is. Add a peace of mind security on those attractions and tourists will come.

Squatter areas have no place in a tourism ad. Tourism advertisement nga ang tawag because it's meant to entice, not to repulse. If the entire world knows of the status of the Philippines, then there's no need to rub it in their faces, is there?

I'm not even talking about being "plastic" here. The best that we can offer would nevertheless be consistent with the truth. Clearly, it's not enough that our lovely tourist attractions exist. Advertising is also an issue. Even as near as Australia, most people used to have little or no knowledge at all of what the Philippines can offer. It's only recently, when we have stepped up advertising, that people started coming in droves to our beautiful beaches.

Many foreigners, if they are aware that the Philippines existed at all, only have the impression that it is a poverty-stricken third world country, and Mindanao engulfed in conflict. In Europe, one can find brochures/travel guides to other Asian countries, but not the Philippines.

The "real condition" of the Philippines is definitely not the sensationalized version of our media about the petty thieves and syndicates in Manila. It definitely does not all consist in a small war-torn area in Mindanao. Our country has been much maligned, far beyond what is actually its real condition. If the word-of-mouth of tourists is already not on our side, poor advertising won't help.

heathcliff

May 24th, 2006, 12:08 PM

Im wondering why our province(Isabela, home of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range) is not included in the list of the must see tourist destination in the Philippines :bash:

It must be because at the moment, tourists are mainly interested in our beaches where they can cool off during the hot summer months. The mountain ranges there might appeal to those who want a little more adventure, since that area is somewhat in the wilderness and it's rumored that tribal conflicts still erupt there from time to time-- which makes it all the more exciting, btw, and adds to the mystery and originality of the place and the culture of its inhabitants. I'd like to go back there again someday.

I think that your province certainly needs more aggressive advertising. Your LGU might want to work on that. I've seen websites of other LGUs and the pictures and presentation of their respective provinces are quite wonderful. The Cordillera and nearby regions are somewhat behindhand in advertising the beauties of their provinces.

Our tourism department is doing a good job, but they need more cooperation from local governments who are more acquainted with the unique attributes and tourist spots in their localities. At the moment, it's understandable that the focus would be on places more in demand among tourists.

_zner_

May 24th, 2006, 12:20 PM

sana mag exceed sa 3.5M yung tourist arrivals.. :D

swatch69sg

May 24th, 2006, 06:36 PM

Just wanna share some pics that I took this afternoon while I'm having my lunch near Raffles City. Here in Singapore, the Philippine Tourism Office (PTO) is also doing their part in promoting Philippines Tourist Destinations in Singapore via public buses covered with WOW Philippines Ad/Posters. I've seen already two buses (one is in one of the Buses no. 174 and another is on Bus no. 80) with WOW Philippines ad on it. Though the ad pales in comparison with the Malaysia Truly Asia and Thailand Tourism ads (Unseen Thailand and Heaven on Earth) when it comes to number, I still salute the PTO here for doing such a great job. I hope that they will be able to put up some posters too on MRT stations, BUS stations etc in the near future as the Philippines here is still an unpopular holiday destination.

Sorry, the pics are not crispy clear as they were only taken from my phonecam.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20Bus/ABCD0012resize.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20Bus/ABCD0011resize.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20Bus/ABCD0010resize.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/WOW%20Philippines%20Bus/ABCD0009resize.jpg

tyronne

May 24th, 2006, 06:39 PM

^^nice! :okay: that's what they're planning to do with our local buses, right?

swatch69sg

May 24th, 2006, 09:22 PM

^^nice! :okay: that's what they're planning to do with our local buses, right?

Yeah, I believe on jeepneys first, then later on at the buses..:)

BYAHILO

May 25th, 2006, 12:38 AM

Yeah, I believe on jeepneys first, then later on at the buses..:)

it has al;ready been started at the makati jreepney routes first.. thouse plyig the Ayala, and Landmark routes.. i do get to see them sometimes when i go tothe office..

great job from DOT.. sana pati taxi and buses na rin..

first, was the cabs in london, then billboards in sydney, then jeepneys in makati . and now buses in SG.. tsk tsk

kudos to sec. ace durano and the people behind DOT!!!

amras

May 25th, 2006, 08:41 AM

wow those 174 buses goes to the bus interchange I usually get off. hehehe... those ads look good for a change, lagi kasing thai ads ang nakikita ko,

chixbebe

May 25th, 2006, 09:17 AM

Aside from nice spots in Cebu city, tourists now can enjoy different services that Cebuanos can offer. AN ISLAND SPA resort in Cebu featuring local massage “hilot” and seawater therapy has been cited as one of the world’s best by leading spa magazine in Asia, the Department of Tourism (DoT) said yesterday.

The Badian Island Resort and Spa placed eight in the Top 10 list of foreign journalist and spa expert Marc Tessier of the Hong Kong-based AsiaSpa Magazine. Badian shared the distinction with well-known spas in French Polynesia, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean.

The resort, located on a small island off Badian town in southwestern Cebu, has a unique feature called the “Thalasso,” which are spa facilities that are built right into the islet’s cliffs and with cascading seawater falls and pools.
Thalasso, which comes from the Greek word “thalassa,” meaning “sea,” highlights the curative benefits of filtered seawater.

According to the resort’s website (www.badianhotel.com), seawater contains a complex blend of natural minerals and antibacterial properties, and submersion in it relaxes the body.

While submerged or bathing in seawater the guest is rewarded with a picturesque view of Badian Bay and the mountains of Cebu.

The resort also has what it calls Badehaus facilities which feature spa treatments ranging from the Filipino “hilot” massage to special baths such as herbal, guava, “pandan,” “rampe” and Cleopatra.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said wellness tourism is part of the agency’s broadening of the country’s marketability as a destination by way of diversifying its tourism product offerings.

By Jerome Aning
Inquirer

Article (http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=76944)

swatch69sg

May 25th, 2006, 09:30 AM

swatch69sg

May 25th, 2006, 09:35 AM

it has al;ready been started at the makati jreepney routes first.. thouse plyig the Ayala, and Landmark routes.. i do get to see them sometimes when i go tothe office..

great job from DOT.. sana pati taxi and buses na rin..

first, was the cabs in london, then billboards in sydney, then jeepneys in makati . and now buses in SG.. tsk tsk

kudos to sec. ace durano and the people behind DOT!!!

Can somebody take some snapshots of these colorful jeepneys donning the WOW Philippines Advert and post it here? Pls..Pls...Pls..

swatch69sg

May 25th, 2006, 09:38 AM

wow those 174 buses goes to the bus interchange I usually get off. hehehe... those ads look good for a change, lagi kasing thai ads ang nakikita ko,

yeah, pati nga ako nagulat din...kala ko talagang sobrang tipid ang PTO sa mga ganyan..thought isa lang...then nakakita ulit ako...at least dalawa na...sana mas marami pa..kakasawa na nga ang Thai at Malaysia ads dito...pati sa loob ng buses eh may mga small Thai posters na rin..Sana ang Pilipinas magkaroon din..

amras

May 25th, 2006, 09:43 AM

plus the Thai embassy is right along orchard road, compared sa Phil embassy na nasa sulok ng nassim.

oh well, wala kasing budget eh. yun ngang mga fliers for the Philippine Independence day celebration eh sa Pilipinas pa daw pinagagawa kasi mas mura.

beads_strawberries

May 25th, 2006, 10:02 AM

^ Nice shots. As much as it promotes tourism, it beautifies our jeepneys/buses roaming around the metropolis. Most of the times, our jeepneys/buses look dirty and old because of its monotonic color. With this new innovation, this will help promote tourist attractions, a great information campaign, and beautification on public transport.

Job well done for DOT!

_zner_

May 25th, 2006, 10:23 AM

i hope they would put some brochures in the bus.

normandb

May 25th, 2006, 10:36 AM

i hope they would put some brochures in the bus.

with free bubble gum :D

xXx carlos xXx

May 25th, 2006, 11:07 PM

here's a video promoting my hometown... eastern visayas (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-208bCt8a4)

slerz

May 26th, 2006, 01:08 AM

from www.mb.com.ph

Asia Spa Magazine hails RP resort among world’s top 10

Foreign journalist and spa expert, Marc Tessier of Asia Spa Magazine, one of Asia’s leading spa publications hailed Badian Island Resort and Spa in the island of Cebu as number eight among the world’s top 10 in its May-June 2006 issue.

The resort is nestled between a cliff and Badian Bay and is only a five-minute ride from southwestern Cebu, where an intuitive "hilot" massage awaits guests. While many rub downs have predetermined strokes, this massage, native to the Philippines, is customized to each individual.

http://img455.imageshack.us/img455/9796/badian76qa.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/4734/badian84oq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/7507/badian95hu.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

www.badianhotel.com

for Badian...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68vIC7y6js

swatch69sg

May 26th, 2006, 12:04 PM

Off-Topic....

Today is the start of the Great Singapore Sale (GSS) which will run from May 26 to July 23, 2006. That's 8 weeks of bargain shopping in city malls and will extend up to shops in the heartlands. Last year, 1.6 million visitors were recorded in June and July 2005 (months when the GSS is usually held) and the amount spent during the GSS 2005 was a whopping $ 650,000,000 SG dollars. What Philippines can generate in the no. of tourists for several months can be generated by Singapore in just 2 months.

I hope that DOT could emulate this and would organize the same kind of event if they want to elevate Philippines as the next shopping mecca. I believe similar events are also being held in Hong Kong and Thailand. What about us? I think it's about time since we have some of the best and largest malls around Asia and in the world.

JustHorace

May 26th, 2006, 01:19 PM

^^Yeah, like that one and the Malaysia Mega Sale. Nice pics of S'pore buses with PH ads! Sana kumagat ang mga Singaporeans. Actually, I know two Singaporeans who'd like to visit the Philippines (both taxi drivers) and a Singaporean who didn't like the Philippines (waitress at an Orchard Road hotel).

overtureph

May 29th, 2006, 01:06 AM

Nature highs in Iloilo’s Concepcion islands

First posted 02:41am (Mla time) May 27, 2006
By Hazel P. Villa
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on Page A15 of the May 27, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

AFTER having spent many summer holidays in the same overcrowded and over hyped tourist destinations, the jaded Filipino vacationer starts looking for that singular beach or mountain that can still impress.

As I happen to live in Panay Island which is blessed with nature’s attractions such as the fantastic white sand islands of Boracay in Aklan and Semirara in Antique, intriguing island coves of Guimaras, winding caves of Capiz, and the ancient churches of Iloilo, I thought I had seen everything.

That is, until I and some friends set foot on the islands of Concepcion in northern Iloilo last Holy Week.

Some 30 minutes boat ride away from mainland Concepcion, we espied a white sandbar about half a kilometer long, framed in the distant horizon by the sentinel mountain of Pan de Azucar and other islets.

The water is glass clear and you can count a handful of Filipinos and some Koreans who must have had the same spirit as Leonardo Dicaprio looking for
unforgettable getaway in “The Beach.”

At the heart of the 18-hectare island called Bulubadiangan is a secondary-growth forest and at the edges are some mangroves.

With a population of 50 men, women and children living in 12 houses scattered throughout the island, it is a typical coastal community that subsists on fishing and abalone farming.

Eco-tourism

Since 2004 however, the island’s residents have been part of what the local government unit calls community-based ecological tourism (CBET) with Bulubadiangan Island now going by the name of Sandbar Island Beach Resort.

Still in its infancy, Sandbar Island Resort doesn’t even have a grocery store or canteen and is unspoiled as unspoiled could get.

Visitors may opt to rent one of the two bamboo cottages near the sandbar or pay for a home stay in any of the concrete houses of the Eusala and Fransisco families who make up the island’s native population.

Simple electrical gadgets and lights are run by solar energy in the Eusala ancestral house while the rest of the cottages in the beach area are powered by a mercifully not-so-noisy generator.

There’s no refrigerator and fresh fish are bought from neighboring Agho Island, also with its own generous spread of white sand beaches.

Any other needs such as rice and canned food you have to bring yourself and request Manang Josephine, the self-appointed island cook, to prepare for a minimal fee.

If you manage not to get distracted by the awesome northern Iloilo sunset, you can join the natives in panginhas or the collecting of edible marine life during low tide before sunset.

The same collecting done in the evenings with the aid of a torch or petromax is called panulo with the catch making up the bulk of the dinner viands.

At 6 p.m. around the islands of Concepcion, boats start to move off to sea and the petromax lights begin to flicker as fishermen release a special gear for pangawil or squid jigging that lasts until 8 p.m.

These evening activities you can do at Sandbar Resort and elsewhere in the town’s 16 islands as long as the languorous moon or the stars that seem to rain down don’t drive you to a mild case of lunacy.

Adventure destination

Daytime in northern Iloilo shouts adventure with island hopping, snorkeling, scuba diving in two sunken World War II Japanese warships, and mountain climbing in Pan de Azucar.

“We adopted community-based eco-tourism because Concepcion is a nature and adventure destination. It is one of the few places in Panay where the biodiversity of flora and fauna is high and the marine ecosystem is in a good state,” said Mario Lazarito, 40, the mayor’s development consultant and municipal tourism officer-designate.

Under the leadership of Mayor Raul Banias, last year’s Rafael M. Salas awardee for Population and Development, Concepcion has had nine places classified as Marine Protected Areas (MPAS) with Barangay Polopiña in Igbon Island included in the MPAS on April 27 during the town’s Tampisaw Festival held in the islands.

Most of the seagrass beds in the islands are intact and the coastal town has a well-preserved coral atoll in the 27-hectare Baleguian Island that teems with marine life.

This same island that is two hours boat ride from the mainland, also houses one of the most modern maritime lighthouses in the country, constructed in 1998 with funding from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, said Lazarito.

Town officials are hoping that the CBET will awaken Concepcion folks’ awareness of preserving their environment while getting income from its beauty.

“CBET was a program designed and implemented in 2002 to give capacities to local people to use indigenous and local resources,” said Lazarito, who admits that there is still much to be done to develop the technical capability of Concepcion’s CBET advocates.

Concepcion has two kinds of guides accredited by the Department of Tourism: nine are local guides with basic training and two are mountain guides for Pan de Azucar, which at 573 ft above sea level, can be scaled in three hours.

Rex Eusala, 50, one of the owners of the Sandbar Island Beach Resort in Bulubadiangan Island, is thankful for the CBET and attempts at putting more MPAs because these have stopped residents of neighboring islands from endlessly collecting the edible marine life in the five-hectare marine habitat beside the sandbar.

“People have become so many that left to themselves, they will destroy the habitats of sea creatures just so they will have something to sell or eat. They have destroyed their own panginhas grounds, that is why they are coming to Bulubadiangan,” said Eusala in Hiligaynon.

Tampisaw Festival

To help people appreciate the importance of their environment and preserve the traditional coastal way of life, the local government put up the Tampisaw Festival in 1999.

The Tampisaw festival is a “home-grown, community-based and eco-tourism festivity dedicated to the protection and conservation of Mother Earth and the celebration of the cultural richness of Concepcion.”

This year’s Tampisaw Festival, held on April 27 to 29 at Barangay Tambaliza, Pan de Azucar Island, was the launching pad of “Panabo sa Tampisaw Festival.”

Lazarito explains that in the olden days, groups of women and children from a community would meet the fishermen to check out the day’s catch and in the end, would share the bounty with relatives and friends in the belief that sharing is thanksgiving, thus the term “panabo.”

“Panabo sa Tampisaw” aims to unite Concepcion’s island dwellers into retaining environment-friendly practices such as hook-and-line fishing and establishing goodwill among communities by selling the fish catch at less the market price.

For us visitors, it is heart-warming to know that behind the clear, azure waters and sun-drenched islands are people doing their best to protect their natural wealth and become united in the process.

Concepcion’s tourism officer-designate Mario Lazarito can be contacted at 0918-3119523.

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://news.inq7.net/regions/index....&story_id=77159

overtureph

May 29th, 2006, 02:24 AM

Tourism body urges Sorsogon natives to revisit province

First posted 06:48am (Mla time) May 29, 2006
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on page A20 of the May 29, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE SORSOGON Provincial Tourism Council (SPTC) has urged natives of Sorsogon to revisit the province, which, it said, offers a lot of places for vacationers.

On June 28, the council, headed by Loida Nicolas Lewis, will hold its second Mrs. Balik-Sorsogon and Mrs. Balik-Bicol pageant in time for Sorsogon City’s Pili Festival on June 1-30.

The pageant is a fund-raising campaign under the Balik Sorsogon/Balik Bicol 2006 program that seeks to establish the Sorsogon Provincial Museum and Heritage Center, according to a news release.

Mrs. Balik Sorsogon candidates are those living abroad while candidates for Mrs. Balik Bicol are those in the Philippines but residing outside the province.

Through the affair, Sorsoganon folk and friends are enjoined to help, share and experience the warmth and hospitality of their province-mates and renew ties with old friends and relatives while enjoying the food, beaches and natural beauty of Sorsogon.

Balik-Sorsoganons and friends are also urged to experience what the province can offer, such as interaction with whale sharks, or butanding, in Donsol town, seeing the manta rays near Bulan; and swimming in beaches of black, white and golden sands.

Food lovers can also savor the province’s cuisine and delicacies, like the pinangat, spicy Bicol Express, baluko, freshly caught fish from the Pacific and China seas, fat crabs, and pili.

Trekkers can climb numerous mountains, while swimmers can see the province’s waterfalls and cool or hot pools, such as the Twin Falls of Botong, Palugtok of Bulusan, Urok of Casiguran, and the Masacrot Spring and San Benon of Irosin.

Other places to visit are the isles of Tikling and Subic of Matnog, the hidden coves of Sta. Magdalena, the seaworld of Pilar and Prieto Diaz, and the protected Bulusan, called the Switzerland of the Orient.

The old Church of Barcelona, the old houses of Juban, and the archeological diggings in Pilar, Magallanes also beckon history lovers, the news release said. Details about the province can be read at www.baliksorsogon.org.

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=77369

iyah_lujille

May 29th, 2006, 12:28 PM

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/iyah_lujille/Philippines/AliceinWonderland.jpg
Alice in Wonderland - Beach Resorts in Boracay

_______________________________________

http://www.travel-to-philippines.blogspot.com/

iyah_lujille

May 29th, 2006, 12:32 PM

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g75/iyah_lujille/Philippines/KawasanFallsCebu-1.jpg

Kawasan Falls in Cebu.......ang ganda.............

richard fischer

May 29th, 2006, 06:45 PM

DoT to mount more int’l tourism promotions

By BERNIE CAHILES–MAGKILAT

After successfully luring tourists from Japan, South Korea and China, the government is training its eyes on tourists from Germany, Russia, Australia and the non-Filipino Americans in the West Coast in the US in the next three years.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano told this reporters as he equally emphasized the need to also attract investments in tourism facilities and enhance local attractions.

According to Durano, bringing tourists from Germany, Russia, Australia and Americans from the west coast would counter the existing cyclical tourist arrivals in the country.

Tourists from Japan, Korea and China normally come here on the second and fourth quarters of the year while tourists from Germany, Russia, Australia and the US normally go abroad in the first and third quarter.

This strategy ensures the Philippines of a continued stream of tourists the year round.

The DoT is targetting 3 million tourist arrivals this year from 2.6 million in 2005 and 5 million by 2010.

To meet the needs of tourists, Durano said he is also aggressively promoting tourism investments by foreign investors.

He said that he is going to bring the team of Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Al Waleed to bring up to Northern Luzon in Laoag, southern Philippines in Palawan, Cebu, Bohol and Samal Island.

"The Prince has a chain of hotels under different management companies," Durano said.

"We told them they can’t go wrong with a beach destination and we always direct them to destinations that meet minimum requirement for infrastructure and telecommunications," he said.

He said that Japan Bank for International Cooperation is also funding the 60-kilometer highway connecting El Nido and Taytay.

"The next boom is El Nido and Taytay in Palawan," he said stressing the need to complete highway by 2008. At least 40 percent of the highway is already complete.

He said the government is also undertaking four new international gateways that include Cebu, Panglao, Bacolod and Puerto Princesa to enable direct flights into these destinations.

"The travel market dictates that there should be direct flights or we will be disadvantaged because holiday seekers who come here really look for the beach," he said noting that what makes Phuket a big hit to tourists is because it that airlines fly there directly.

swatch69sg

May 29th, 2006, 07:16 PM

Wow Philippines Ad scanned from Asian Geographic Magazine Issue: 2/2006 No. 35 where they feature two religious events in the Philippines, both by Singapore-based travel photographer/writer Lester Ledesma: a) The Masked Men of Marinduque (Ancient Tradition of Prayers and Pageantry) and b) Real Nails, Real Pains (Suffering on the Cross). I myself got a copy of the mags.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/Wow%20Philippines%20Ads/WowPhilippinesAdvertisement-Resized.jpg

swatch69sg

May 29th, 2006, 07:38 PM

Got hold of the Asian Diver Magazine APR/MAY 2006 edition (though i'm not really into diving, just like collecting magazines where Philippines is being featured) where they have a WOW PHILIPPINES Supplement there (a booklet) advertising Philippines as Asia's Dive Capital. It summarize and describes the best dive sites in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The supplement which was issued by the DOT would surely boost our claim as Asia's Dive Capital. I'm planning to reproduce it (at least through b/w photocopy) and give it to my singaporean friends who are into active diving. Their usual dives kasi are either in Malaysia or Thailand although they heard about the raves on our diving sites esp. Thubataha, Puerto Galera, Malapascua and Palawan.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e9/reymund_navarro/Wow%20Philippines%20Ads/WowPhilippinesAsiasDiveCapital-Resi.jpg

MarkiiBoi

May 29th, 2006, 07:45 PM

Nice find! :okay: Sec. Durano really is strutting his stuff.

chixbebe

May 30th, 2006, 08:40 AM

After successfully luring tourists from Japan, South Korea and China, the government is training its eyes on tourists from Germany, Russia, Australia and the non-Filipino Americans in the West Coast in the US in the next three years.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano told this reporters as he equally emphasized the need to also attract investments in tourism facilities and enhance local attractions.

According to Durano, bringing tourists from Germany, Russia, Australia and Americans from the west coast would counter the existing cyclical tourist arrivals in the country.

Tourists from Japan, Korea and China normally come here on the second and fourth quarters of the year while tourists from Germany, Russia, Australia and the US normally go abroad in the first and third quarter.
This strategy ensures the Philippines of a continued stream of tourists the year round.

The DoT is targetting 3 million tourist arrivals this year from 2.6 million in 2005 and 5 million by 2010.

Story (http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS2006053065407.html)

swatch69sg

May 30th, 2006, 09:17 AM

As much as I see that 5 M projection in 2010 is a little bit weak, I hope that this figure is only "conservatively projected". Hence, I wish that with all the initiatives being done by DOT in the Philippines (and other countries) to lure more tourists to come to our shore, the 5M projection can be achieved in a shorter time, say 2008 and that by 2010, Philippines is already enjoying 6-8 M Tourists/visitors (of course minus the balikbayans). Let's be more positive.

MarkiiBoi

May 30th, 2006, 09:33 AM

Cebu, on the other hand, together with the neighboring islands, is also envisioning to get five million tourists by 2010 through the Cebu Plus Vision 5M 2010 (http://www.cebuplus.com/). So hopefully by then, we will really be enjoying more than 5 million tourists, provided that the masterplan initially laid will be followed.

JustHorace

May 30th, 2006, 01:05 PM

MarkiiBoi

May 30th, 2006, 05:13 PM

Nearly 1m tourists visited RP in 4 months
Manila Standard Today

Nearly one million international travelers visited the Philippines in just four months, according to the Department of Tourism.

Data from the Tourism Research and Statistics Division of the Office of Tourism Development Planning showed that foreign visitor arrivals hit 965,853 from January to April this year.

The figure was 113,270 or 13.3 percent higher than 852,583 arrivals recorded during the same period last year.

This included the 50,842 arrivals of Filipino workers overseas, which went up by 34.6 percent from 37,786 arrivals a year earlier.

Visitor arrivals grew at this pace despite the political turbulence that hogged the headlines in the first quarter of the year.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said as a result of increased tourist arrivals, hotels had been enjoying high occupancy rates while tourist establishments were employing more people this year.

Durano said he was optimistic that total visitor arrivals would top three million in 2006, up by 400,000 from 2.6 million in 2005.

Data showed that in April alone, international arrivals grew 14.1 percent to 238,941 from 209,381 a year ago.

It was also the highest figure since January this year, when the volume of arrivals jumped 22.1 percent to a record-high 268,818.

The largest groups of foreign visitors in April were from the United States, South Korea, Japan, China, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Canada, United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany and Malaysia.

The United States remained the top market for Philippine tourism as the volume of American visitors climbed 20.3 percent to 53,369 in April, outpacing the 14.4 percent increase in visitor arrivals from South Korea to 34,180.

In the first four months of the year, arrivals from the US were up 10.2 percent to 202,880 while arrivals from Korea rose 24.5 percent to 183,883.

JAMAICUS

May 30th, 2006, 05:17 PM

With 1 million tourist per 4 month, I think we can really reach the 3 million target....

JAMAICUS

May 30th, 2006, 05:23 PM

Arroyo puts Boracay under PTA

First posted 00:43am (Mla time) May 30, 2006
By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Inquirer

ILOILO CITY—President Macapagal-Arroyo has placed the island-resort of Boracay under the administrative control of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA).

Memorandum Order No. 214, signed in April and released last week, placed the world renowned island resort under PTA control to ensure the sustainable development of the country’s prime tourist destination, said Edwin Trompeta, tourism regional director in Western Visayas.

Under the order, the PTA control would be exercised through the Eminent Person’ Group (EPG) in coordination with the Aklan provincial government and the municipality of Malay where Boracay is located.

Capacity

Ms Arroyo last year created the EPG to oversee the development of the island amid growing concerns over unplanned and uncontrolled development of the island that could go beyond its carrying capacity.

Headed by businessman Iñigo Zobel, the EPG is mandated to map out policies for the sustainable development of the island’s tourism industry.

Trompeta said the order was in line with the PTA’s mandate to control and manage tourism zones and areas in Boracay.

The order was also based on Presidential Proclamation 1801 issued by the late President Ferdinand Marcos on Nov. 10, 1978.

The proclamation placed several islands and coves, including Boracay, as tourist zones and marine reserves under the administration and control of the PTA.

The lands were categorized as public-owned and the government has the prerogative on the management and utilization of its resources.

Building supervision

Trompeta said that under the memorandum, the construction of buildings and structures in Boracay would be subject to PTA approval.

Operations of support services and infrastructures, like ports, would also be under the supervision of the PTA.

Currently, the construction of structures and operations of support infrastructures are being supervised by the municipal and provincial governments.

Trompeta said they are still waiting for the implementing rules that would define the scope of the PTA’s authority and the administrative body that would be created.

He welcomed the order as an initial step in the creation of a regular management authority that would govern the development of the island.

Tourism haven

Tourist arrivals in the island-resort of Boracay enjoy a continued upswing, records from the tourism department showed.

The number of visitors last year reached 499,457, 16.48 percent higher than the 428,755 recorded in 2004.

The tourists poured in P8.18 billion which is 38 percent higher than the P7.88 billion that the island earned in 2004.

http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=77440

JAMAICUS

May 30th, 2006, 07:48 PM

Business tourism also booming
By MANDY NAVASERO

NOT so long ago, a visiting A-list Hollywood actor had to go all the way to Pampanga, Laguna, Batangas and other nearby provinces just to buy locally made furniture for his beach house in Bermuda. He was searching for chairs, tables and wall decorations made up of bamboo and unfamiliar sounding raw materials like "a-vah-kah" and "ray-than." He found the countryside trips too taxing and a security threat.

When he came back a year later wanting more of the stuff for his rest house in Maldives, someone brought him to the one-stop shop called LRI Business Plaza on Nicanor Garcia Street in Makati City, and he was very much delighted.

Indeed, the mere mention of LRI Business Plaza and what comes to mind are world-class furniture made of, well, "ray-than," a-vah-kah" and bamboo.

"We encourage original designs by local talents," stated the management of LRI Business Plaza. Eighty percent of the products being sold are made from local materials. It is assured that each store exporting their products is backedup by its own factory.

"We screen the quality of each product. We make sure that we have everything that the customer needs. We have the classic designs, meaning those conceptualized before the 1950s. We also have the modern or those from the 1950s to 1970s. And the contemporary, or those from the 1980s to the present," added the LRI management.

Right at the building entrance of LRI Business Plaza is the aptly named DIRETSO Design Furniture. Using abaca, rattan, bamboo and leather, DIRETSO has everything from chairs, tables, beds, book racks, cabinets, lamps and the like. Shades of orange, brown, light brown, darkish brown and black characterize the furniture. Here is where you can find dining and living-room sets for your city abode and create a relaxing ambience like countryside rest houses.

Images of white sand beaches and crystal-clear streams are synonymous to what you can find in the aptly named IMAJE furniture and design store. Using bamboo tubes to the fullest, they are cut open and crushed into panels that serve best as wall décors, table tops or anything in between. They also make use of rattan and synthetic fiber. IMAJE Designs, Inc. has dining, living and bedroom sets ideal for beach and rest houses.

An immediate neighbor of IMAJE is the pioneering Luzon Rattan Industries, where the name of the building is taken from. It offers furniture crafted from bamboo, rattan and abaca. LRI started in the 1950s, when the owners found the business potential in manufacturing and exporting furniture made of indigenous Philippine raw materials like rattan. Now, LRI the furniture store also uses other wood materials like mahogany and has wide choices of sala sets, bedroom and dining sets perfect for all kinds of houses, beyond beach and mountain resorts.

A brainchild of two young architects – husband and wife team, Paolo and Sarah Castillo – ISA CASA Designer Furniture opened its doors as local showroom at LRI Business Plaza, whose clients include the mid, high-end and luxury residential and hospitality markets. ISA CASA embodies the concept of a personalized lifestyle expressed through distinctive executions in wood, bamboo, rattan, natural weaves and stone. They also use wicker, sica, arurog and other indigenous materials. Their products range from reinventions of classics to original pieces – tables, etageres, cabinets, drawers, chairs, sofas, beds and lamp bases. They also produce pieces tailored to a client’s needs.

BERDE Plants, Inc. is a creative alternative from its neighboring stores. It has all kind of furniture and designs made from fiber glass, metal, stone and custom-art tiles. It has a wide range of custom-made products that are fire-proof and termite-resistant. Its craftsmen can create indoor or outdoor fountains with plants that can last for a lifetime. With their custom-art-tile technique, they can create all kinds of wall décor. Think of your wall as a canvas and you are the artist in command of the design. Be they images from your dreams or an actual photograph, BERDE executes your ideas the way you envision them.

SILAHIS Arts and Artifacts is a store where one can find all kinds of native handicrafts and antiques. It has wooden handicrafts, white ceramics, basketry, textiles, a mini-book shop and gallery. Anything from figurines, old coins, maps, pipes, yin-yang stress-relieving marbles, capiz jewelry box and even hard-to-find ethnic shoulder bags can be found in this store.

ANTIQUE ORIENTAL is where you can find porcelains, figurines, jars, religious images and what-have-yous dating back beyond the Middle Ages. Most of these treasures were from sunken galleons and WWII shipwrecks found in Palawan. Its collections of Chinese porcelains and terra cotta figurines date back as far the Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD) and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). For years, they have been exporting to clients based in the US. They also have functional art pieces and furniture.

Besides the above exporters, there are about 25 spacious showrooms being housed in the three-floor LRI Business Plaza at 210 Nicanor Garcia (formerly Reposo) Street in Bel Air II, Makati City. It also houses five art galleries, design shops, two fine-dining restaurants and a foot spa center – all giving the name one-stop-shop an appropriate meaning.

http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2006053165555.html

overtureph

May 31st, 2006, 07:54 AM

Turismo Rural kicks off
By Mary Ann Ll. Reyes
The Philippine STAR 05/26/2006

Those who have been to Sagada know that all throughout those eight hours of travelling from Baguio, there is only one far from being decent but still clean enough comfort room available to travelers for a minimal fee.

That is how tourist-friendly our country has become.

Government is targeting three million foreign tourist arrivals this year, compared to 2.61 million in 2005 and 2.29 million in 2004. The potential is greater, but because of the limited facilities for accommodating tourists, the goal has to be kept at three million to match the country current capacity.

This is where Turismo Rural comes in. While tourism experts fully recognize the appeal of commercial tourism, key stakeholders in the industry see the potential that small towns and remote areas of the Philippines have for tourism.

Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano has noted that the country lacks capacity and quality of experience in dealing with the influx of tourists compared to other Asian countries.

Despite the growing local and international interest in the country’s rural tourism industry, small villages do not have enough resources required to get involved. Rural communities given their current economic state lack adequate tourist services and facilities such as lodging, dining amenities and shops.

Durano noted during the recent Asean Tourism Forum in Davao City that the country now enjoys a record-breaking volume of tourists arrivals and for small non-urban communities, this is an opportunity to enhance economic development via rural tourism, highlighting areas where tourists witness and participate in activities that form the core of the community’s culture.

A proprietor of several successful resorts and hotels across the country has seen tourism as a vital means of economic development.

Julie Alegrado-Vergara, president of Almont Holdings which is behind the highly successful Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort in Mactan Island, Cebu and Sumilon Bluewater Island Resort in Oslob, Cebu close to Dumaguete, is leading an innovative effort to advance tourism in these communities.

Vergara is largely behind Casa Rural, an association of bed and breakfasts to accommodate the influx of tourists in rural communities. Casa Rural will convert unused or unoccupied ancestral or vacation homes in appropriate lodging and dining facilities for tourists.

Aided by the Cebu provincial government and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the project will allow tourists to enjoy the experience of rural tourism and at the same time provide locals with jobs and more importantly, pride in their place.

According to Vergara, a native of Cebu, it is fortunate that Secretary Durano himself is from the province and does not need much convincing in making portions of Cebu a pilot area for Casas Rural.

A well-organized community-based tourism can offer not only affordable, comfortable, and safe local accommodations in areas without established city hotels or beach resorts, but also provide new or additional tourist destinations, attractions and packages since each town in the Philippines has something unique to offer.

At the same time, it will be a different cultural experience for foreigners and local urban families who want to immerse and learn more about Philippine rural life, not to mention preserve heritage, culture and cleanliness of the town, increase economic activity and rural development, and provide job opportunities for local residents.

Vergara, in an interview, feels very deeply about how some people and communities take for granted what they have.

For instance, Carcar, a small town in Cebu, has a very rich heritage. The St. Catherine Church in Carcar, which was constructed in 1859, is admired for its Byzantine architecture, Greco-Roman altar and twin-bell towers that mirror a minaret shape similar to the ones founds in Muslim mosques. It was named after the townís patron saint St. Catherin of Alexandria and is the second oldest church in Cebu.

There is also the Boljoon Church which is the oldest remaining stone church in Cebu that offers an authentic sense of Philippine colonial past with its intricate carvings and beautifully decorated interior. It showcases a unique tower that is Islamic in character given its square shape as opposed to the usual curved design.

While Casa Rural will use Argao in Cebu as a pilot area, Vergara says they plan to expand the project all throughout the country. "Our idea is to have one showcased ancestral home per town. We will partner with the owner, renovate, put good toilets," she said.

As for Turismo Rural of which Casa Rural is a key component, Vergara revealed that they have tied up with other companies, such as Boysen Philippines, to help in the restoration of old churches and sites.

While helping promote community-based tourism, Vergara is also busy running the family business.

From 32 rooms in 1989, the lush five-hectare tropical paradise Maribago Bluewater now has 153 rooms and is opening its Amuma Spa Wing soon. Across Maribago, Almont is putting up service apartments to cater to businessmen as well as families who want to stay longer.

There is also Sumilon Bluewater Island Resort, Cebu’s best-kept secret, which was opened only last year. It is 125 km from Cebu City and is very close to Dumaguete. The island has an area of 24 hectares and is the first marine protected area in the Philippines and was made a fish sanctuary in 1974 under the guidance of the Siliman University Marine Reserve. Its sandbar is well known for its changing shapes and shifting locations around the island, depending on the season. It is also known for its "baluarte," a historical watchtower built as part of a warning system to thwart slavers and marauders in the 19th century.

http://philstar.com/philstar/business200605316501.htm

sugbuanon

May 31st, 2006, 08:19 PM

DoT sales drive in travel fair in Korea

In a bid to sustain the massive influx of Korean tourists to the Philippines, the Department of Tourism (DoT) is preparing a spectacular exhibition and performances for the launch of its marketing campaign in Korea.

Featuring performances of Trumpets Playshop composed of young talents, the launch will be staged in time for the Philippine participation at the Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA) slated at the Convention and Exhibition Center in Seoul on June 7-11.

"Our presence in KOTFA 2006 will significantly boost our marketing efforts in Korea to help achieve our total target foreign arrivals of three million this year." With a growth rate of 27.6 percent in the first quarter (of the year) posting 144,768 arrivals, Korea is now the top tourist generating country for the Philippines," said DoT Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano.

To be launched at the June 7 activity at the Millennium Seoul Hilton Hotel is the DoT’s new marketing campaign "7,107 Philippines: More Than You Can Imagine" and the conferment of the Tourism Ambassador title on Korean celebrity Eugene Kim as new Philippine brand endorser.

Constituting the Philippine delegation to KOTFA are executives and officers of Philippine Airlines, Southeast Asian Airlines, Philippine Tour Operators Association, Century Park Hotel, Grand Regal Hotel Davao, Hilton Cebu Resort and Spa, Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila, Hyatt Regency Manila, Island Cove Resort and Leisure Park, Waterfront Hotels and Casinos, Worldwide Resort Philippines, Regent Travel, Mt. Apo Travel and Tours, Travel Village and Tours, DoT, Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation, Philippine Retirement Authority, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, provincial government of Bohol, and the city government of Bacolod.

The most prestigious and biggest travel fair in Korea, KOTFA is hosted by the Korea Tourism Association and supported by the World Tourism Organization, Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Seoul Metropolitan Government, and Korea National Tourism Organization.

davaoeagle

June 1st, 2006, 03:51 AM

Pearl Farm beach resort offers the “Dad and Me Getaway packages” as a tribute for all the father’s out there in celebration for the upcoming Father’s day.

Pearl Farm will let you discover the beauty of the exotic island here in the south while bonding with your kids. Its a perfect getaway from the busy life in the city; the island promised to give its guest the relaxation and private retreat they’ve wanted.

Packages:

Hilltop Php 3, 500
Samal Php 4, 000
Mandaya Php 5, 500

Inclusion:

- Overnight accomodation for two (2) persons.
- Roundtrip boat transfers.
- One (1) hour use of kayak good for two (2) persons.
- Two (2) snorkeling sets.

* Day use of kayak anf snorkeling set subject to scheduling and availability

Day Tour rate P1, 300 (June 18, 2006 only)

Pearl Farm sales offices:

*Davao
G/F Damosa Complex Lanang Davao City
Telephone number : 082 234 0601
Fax Number : 082 235 0873

*Manila
1504 Corporate Center, 139 Valero St., Salcedo Vill. Makati City
Telephone number : 02 750 1898
Fax Number : 02 750 1894

http://www.pearlfarmresort.com/

davaoeagle

June 1st, 2006, 03:53 AM

Davao City (27 May) — FORTY-SIX people joined the recent Diving 101 conducted by the Wind and Wave Davao recently at the Island Garden City of Samal.

“It’s the biggest participation so far we had in Diving 101,” said WAWD operations manager John Ramos, a licensed PADI dive instructor.

Diving 101 is an introduction to scuba diving handled by competent and licensed dive masters and dive instructors under the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI).

WAWD, which has its main office at the PPA Building in Sta. Ana Wharf in Davao, is the only PADI Dive Center in Mindanao.

Aside from Ramos, the intro-dive was also handled by divemasters Richard Agraba (also marketing manager) and Rowel Laurente (resort manager), dive crews Merwin Racho, Randy Pascua, Anthony Baldove, Hilary Rose Martinez and Julius Ramos. Cook Niel Agduyeng provided them a sumptuous lunch.

In the morning, they went diving at the Coral Garden in Talikud Island before going to Mansud Wall in the afternoon.

“The thrill and excitement are still there even though it’s my second time already. It was really fun,” said Jake Avergonzado of IFlex Fitness Center.

Sheryll Carcueva, 24, of Lapanday said: “The experience was very enriching and a relaxing escape from the worries and stress of everyday life.”

The other participants were Lapanday’s Melissa Jean Waay, Roxanne Quiambao, Josephine Magno, Marlen Malinao, Lobelia Ladeza and Rufino Arancana Jr.; Erwin Charles Arguna of RCBC Savings Bank, Ricky Uy, Jessie Alivio, Raphael Randy Aparece, McKenly John Japay, Omarr Andres Sagaral, NBC Photo manager Gerald Lo, LC Big Mak operations manager Dustin Pineda, Ma. Theresa Umayam, Ryan Niel Lacida, Jenner Toy, Ma. Rebecca Matias, Roche Angon, Margaux Rasha Limbaga, Jan Nicole Villalon, Ehegenia Banawan, Marlon Lada, Mike Sorenson, Kimberly Ann Yu, Leonila Yu, Mary Grace Damag, Eric Ramon Damag, Engr. Rozano Camangeg, Johnmar Darunday, Bryan Espiritu, Andronio Velez, Lebonie Orosio, Jhune Bacus of Mega Art, Charmaine Dy, Farharra Ajir and Jan Lozano of Initiatives for International Dialogue, Jowie Ureta, Judith Ureta, Abegail Avergonzado, UMBN’s Jingo Camomot and May Viloria.

Each participant only paid P950 which included already the use of dive equipment like the booties, fins, mask, BCD, tank and regulator.

They also got a souvenir shirt and enjoyed a sumptuous lunch and free transportation aboard the boat of the Wind and Wave Davao. The next Diving 101 is set on June 8.

For inquiry, visit Wind and Wave Davao at PPA Building, Sta. Ana Wharf or call (63-82) 305-DIVE or telefax: (63-82) 300-DIVE or (63-82) 300-7914 or telefax: (63-82) 227-0234 or visit the website: www.windandwavedavao.com (WAWD/PIA)

davaoeagle

June 1st, 2006, 05:45 AM

THE Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) will inaugurate Saturday a new facility that will help educate people about the different breeds of eagles.

Tatit J. Quiblat, communications officer of the foundations, said the “hawk walk” is the latest building that they have constructed in the Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos, Baguio District with the help of the city government.

Quiblat said the facility will house various kinds of eagles placed in cages that visitors could view.

“When people see an eagle, they immediately think that it is a Philippine eagle so this hawk walk could give them ideas that there are other eagles,” he said.

She said facility is worth P 500,000 which was completed after three years.

Quiblat said this is just among the highlights of the upcoming 8th Philippine Eagle Week Foundation which will be celebrated starting June 4-10.

They are actively campaigning to improve the center by planting more trees during the celebration, she added. She said they target to plant 250 trees this year to provide a better habitat for the eagles which number is now at 34.

Quiblat explained that they want to provide barriers between enclosures because eagles do not like seeing other eagles.

They will conduct tree planting activities during the celebration which could be participated in by interested parties by buying one seedling at P 100. The cost of the seedling will also cover the cost of maintaining the trees in the future.

Quiblat also said they are welcoming more people to adopt eagles as only one-half of the population of the eagles in the center are adopted. Each eagle could be adopted at P100,000 annually.

bitoy

June 1st, 2006, 03:38 PM

Here's an amateur vacation video of what tourists will truly expect in The Philippines.

My Philippine Trip - (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6156008796246174186)

Louman

June 2nd, 2006, 09:42 PM

Here's an amateur vacation video of what tourists will truly expect in The Philippines.

My Philippine Trip - (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6156008796246174186)

(Looking at a school)
"Here's all the kids. They're done with their classes. They look as happy as can be.... but you know why they're happy? ... Because (looking at sign) this is 'Simply an Excellent University'"

:rofl:

You have to watch the video to get that.

overtureph

June 4th, 2006, 06:35 AM

Cable park taps water sports enthusiasts
Posted: 3:15 AM | Jun. 04, 2006

Juan Escandor Jr., PDI Southern Luzon Bureau
Inquirer

Published on page B3 of the June 4, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

PILI, Camarines Sur—Gearing up for bigger entrepreneurial challenge in addition to several tourist resorts and facilities already in business for 10 years now, the provincial government here has opened a cable park, the second in the country but the first one owned by a local government unit.

A cable park is a facility that allows sports enthusiasts engage in water sports—water skiing and its derivatives—wake boarding, wake skating and knee boarding sans towing motorboat but using a cable technology to tow the riders.

Relatively new, the cable technology for water skiing was introduced in a six-hectare cable park complex here with a 4.5-hectare oval artificial lake around a mounted island.

It has an overhead cable suspended 8-12 meters above the water using specially designed pylons.

The cables run counterclockwise around the lake and is powered by a variable electric motor that generates speed of 20-65 kilometers per hour.

Technology

The cable technology has evolved from and popularized derivative extreme sports of water skiing among several Asian nations.

These extreme sports originally made use of the wake or track left by a speeding towing motorboat to perform water stunts called "tricks."

Its development opened wide access to the extreme sports because it had reduced performance costs and increased the number of enthusiasts performing the acts—from one to several performers at a time—without the costly requirement of a motorboat.

All over the world, there are 150 cable parks, 60 of which are in Germany, seven in Asia and several others are in the United States and Australia. Two are in the Philippines—in Calatagan, Batangas, and the other one in Camarines Sur.

Sports tourism

Optimistic that the cable park would bring in water skiing and wakeboard enthusiasts around the world, Camarines Sur Gov. LRay Villafuerte looks forward to capturing the growing market of sports tourism worldwide, especially from the cold regions.

"We are confident we could draw sports tourists in at least four of the eight cold months, from May to August, with Thailand, our closest rival, having three cable parks at present," Villafuerte said. He said the demand for alternative destination for watersports in Asia during the cold months had increased dramatically because of the growing number of enthusiasts embracing the lifestyle of wakeboarding.

In temperate climates, enthusiasts have only four months of warm weather suited for watersports. The rest of the months of the year are chilly and wintry.

Emergence

The governor, a recipient of World Young Business Achiever Award for Excellence in International Operations in 2002 expanded the entrepreneurial thrusts of the corporate provincial LGU that included investments in digital animation and a five-hectare information technology (IT) Park in the sprawling 118-hectare capitol complex where the cable park is also located.

He is a seasoned businessman who built a technocraft business, the Lara's Gifts & Decors, from a P50,000-capital into a multimillion-peso enterprise in his early 20s.

Wakeboarding emerged with the creation of a specially designed short board sometime in 1985 in the United States. Wakeboarding or riding on the water tracks of a towing motorboat has achieved sports level in 1990 with the holding of the first international competition, which was broadcast worldwide through the ESPN sports channel.

Wakeboarding makes use of a short board with foot bindings on which a rider is towed by a motorboat or cable across the wake, especially up off the crest for aerial maneuvers.

Wake skating is performed similar to wakeboarding but without foot bindings and kneeboarding and requires the rider to sit on a board secured in adjustable strap, follow the same principles of riding the crest to do tricks.

Kinga Horvath, 25, a Hungarian female rider and the champion of the European Cup in 2004 and 2005, described the Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC) as comparable to the most innovative cable parks in Europe.

Horvath said the cable park here has enough room for aerial maneuvers and great obstacle courses to perform exciting tricks.

Ronald Cailao, 47, a wakeboarding instructor for 20 years, described the cable park here as thrice bigger in area and twice bigger in lake size than the Lago de Oro, the first cable park in the country located in Batangas province.

Cailao, who worked in Lago de Oro for eight years, said that in comparison, the CWC has six pylons planted around the lake that provide smooth turns for riders maneuvering the bends while the latter has only three.

The lesser the pylons, the more difficult the course, he said.

He added that another advantage of the cable park here is that it has an island in the middle of the lake that prevents the waves from the other side of the bend reaching the opposite side, which affects performance of riders.

Villafuerte said the CWC blends the ideal combination that makes cable parks more diverse and competitive to attract and hold sports tourists for days to enjoy.

"With the cable park here following the latest trend in technology, location that requires sunny weather and flatlands, use of potable water to fill in the lake, spaces that diversify enjoyment like artificial beach, pavilion and other services, our facility can compete easily," the governor said.

He added that the rates are even affordable to locals at P150 an hour to a bargain rate of P350 a day.

He said he expected to generate foreign clients through word-of-mouth channel.

http://money.inq7.net/topstories/view_topstories.php?yyyy=2006&mon=06&dd=04&file=3

overtureph

June 4th, 2006, 07:12 AM

Training tourism workers
Posted: 3:17 AM | Jun. 04, 2006

Inquirer

Published on page B2 of the June 4, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

TOURISM has become a prime employer of these days, thus the need for more competent, well-trained front-liners.

Gearing up for this challenge is the Center for Hospitality Arts Management Philippines (CHAMP) which aims to transform new graduates and industry practitioners into frontliners that are more adept and prepared to handle the most demanding jobs in the tourism industry.

"CHAMP's goal is to be able to reach out to people who want a good training and education for an entry-level job in the tourism industry," explained Anabelle O. Moreno, Chief Operating Officer of CHAMP. Accredited by the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA), CHAMP offers a one-year Certificate in Hotel and Restaurant Operations, a two-year Diploma Program in Hospitality Management and a Certificate of Competency such as Housekeeping, Front Office, Food and Beverage, Cooking, Baking, and Bartending.

CHAMP adopts a modular program of study which seeks to provide a fast tracked approach of completing the programs. Students of CHAMP are given the freedom to choose only the modules that they need or their budget will allow them to take.

"To date, we are the only hospitality school that has modules that are competency-based, patterned after the minimum competency standards that TESDA has crafted with the participation of industry experts through the Tourism Industry Board Foundation Inc (TIBFI). Called the Philippine-Australian Quality Technical Vocation Education and Training Project (PAQTVET Project), it aims to transform Phil. TVET into an efficient and effective industry-led, demand-driven, and values-laden education and training system. Funding for the PAQTVET Project is provided by the Australian Aid for Industry Development (AusAID)," Moreno noted. Moreno also said that the CHAMP curriculum has been designed to give students the practical training they need with 70 percent of their time devoted to hands-on training.

Hands-on work will be at CHAMP's own training hotel—the Champ International Hostel, a 42-room hostel in Quezon City, as well as with CHAMP's numerous affiliate hotels and restaurants.

"All our instructors are industry practitioners who will guide them through real-life situations in the workplace," she added.

"We have a placement partner in Hospitality Staff Phils. Inc. (HSPI). HSPI is a respected and reputable employment company that specializes in placing hospitality workers both locally and abroad."

Although the school is offering short and vocational courses, students can have the units they have taken be credited to a four-year Bachelor degree. CHAMP's tuition fee levels aims to reach a larger number of people. Classes start this month at the CHAMP campus located at CHAMP International Hostel in Kamias Road, Quezon City. Limited slots will be available for student loans or scholarships for qualified and deserving applicants. For inquiries, call 928-2641 or 928-1246, or e-mail: champ@cravingsgroup.com.

http://money.inq7.net/topstories/view_topstories.php?yyyy=2006&mon=06&dd=04&file=6

sugbuanon

June 4th, 2006, 02:35 PM

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mactan island, cebu

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sugbuanon

June 4th, 2006, 02:42 PM

http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/1593/logo1ku.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
mactan island, cebu

http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/9485/1421362112496807b76b4id.jpg (http://imageshack.us)http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/3369/15124760383947eb442o4nq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

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JAMAICUS

June 6th, 2006, 04:40 AM

Oldest RP golf course also a tourist destination

The Sta. Barbara Golf Course in Iloilo, in observance of its 100th anniversary next year, will host a series of celebratory events, including a major golf tournament and the unveiling of a National Historical Marker in its modern clubhouse. Adding more significance to this milestone, the National Golf Association of the Philippines and the Federation of Golf Clubs of the Philippines, Inc. have proclaimed next year as the Centennial Year of Golf in the country.

Now managed by the Iloilo Golf and Country Club, Inc. (IGCCI), the full 18-hole tournament course boasts of its verdant and natural terrain, making it a gem not only for golfers but also for nature lovers. One is overwhelmed by the beautiful terrain of sloped undulations, dotted with acacia trees and ponds. It undoubtedly deserves to be as much a golfing mecca as Scotland’s St. Andrews and other world-renowned golf courses, especially because of its rich historical background.

It all began in the 1850s when the British, led by Iloilo-based Vice Consul Nicholas Loney – known today s the "Father of the Philippine Sugar Industry" – began actively trading in various Visayan goods, especially sugar. While promoting the local economy, Loney also sought to enhance foreign access to Philippine products through improve sea and land transportation.

With the coming of the American colonizers at the turn of the century, the Philippine Commission, then the legislative body of the country, took cognizance of the vigorous economic activity in the Visayas, and ordered the construction of roads and railway systems. British expertise and technology in steam locomotives were resorted to and this, in turn, led to the arrival of Scottish engineers as employees of the Panay Railway Company in Iloilo.

Chancing upon a tract of rolling fields in the municipality of Sta. Barbara, in hills that reminded them of their native glens, what else would these homesick Scotsmen think of for recreation so far away from home but their "national pastime?" Thus was the game of golf born in this part of the globe.

In 1947, under the leadership of Wallace MacGreggor Davies Sr., manager of Strachan and McMurray, a local British trading company, architect and member Zafro Ledesma supervised the construction and expansion of what became known as the Quonset Hut Clubhouse. It was not until 1999 that, with membership funds, the present modern clubhouse was built.

Everywhere one looks today, the patina of age and history lies like a spell on the Santa Barbara Golf Course. Original sandboxes, alongside replicas, still dot the fairways. There are souvenirs of how the golf ball was played off the tee mound in the early 20th century: A handful of water would be poured into the sand in the adjacent box. Then, with the "niblick" or iron wedge, the wet sand would be scooped to form a mound on the ground, on which to "tee up" the ball.

Then there are the stone stairways, located at the foot of the 10th tee, leading towards the ponds. Over the years, the remains of the stairs have been repaired for the convenience of golfers and to protect against a muddy and slippery descent.

The acacia trees, once striplings, are now venerable giants, many with over two-meter diameters. They have been preserved over the years, as part of the golf course’s historical identity.

Last but not least, is the Golf Museum, where are preserved for posterity rare golf memorabilia, among them late 1800s golf balls excavated from the ponds of the golf course. These alone constitute indisputable proof that the game of golf was brought by foreigners – Scotsmen, appropriately! — to this country almost 100 years ago.

As the Sta. Barbara Golf Course Centenary looms in 2007, the 268-strong membership of the Iloilo Golf and Country Club and the even bigger number of corporate stockholders forge ahead with their vision to make the golf and country club the premier golf destination – and a tourist attraction – in the Philippines. And well should it be. Its 6,056 yardage plays to a par 70 on a tricky terrain, posing a challenge to players of all handicaps.

http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2006060666083.html

sugbuanon

June 7th, 2006, 01:54 PM

Boracay island visitors up by 6.64% in Q1

ILOILO CITY - The Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Office 6 has reported an increase of 6.64 percent in tourist arrival in Boracay island during the first quarter of this year.

The increase was noted based on the DOT monitoring that there were 130,897 tourists who visited Boracay from January to March this year as compared to last year's figure of only 122,742 for the same duration.

The Koreans, who come here in Iloilo City to study the English language and take a dive into the crystalline waters of Boracay during weekends, still top the list of foreign visitors with 21,200 of them recorded.

Other nationalities that belonged to the top five list of Boracay visitors are the Americans with 3,405, Chinese with 1,843, those from the United Kingdom with 1,330 and the Japanese with 1,297.

The total 130,897 tourists who came to Boracay, also generated a total of P2,406,331,909.80 Philippine receipts according to the DOT.

normandb

June 8th, 2006, 04:11 AM

Japanese travel bookings surge for Cebu & Manila

THE recently concluded 2nd Philippine Business Mission (PBM) to Japan has stirred up renewed interest in Bohol, Davao and Bacolod as Japanese travel bookings for Cebu and Manila have surged to near saturation.

Citing reports from Japanese travel giant HIS during the 2nd PBM, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano said travel bookings for Cebu from Nagoya had increased by 20 percent, with charter flights for the rest of the year completely sold out.

"Manila is performing even better as a result of our marketing efforts, prompting Philippine Airlines to make tentative plans to increase the flight frequency between Nagoya and Manila, reopen Osaka-Cebu, and possibly open Nagoya-Cebu," Durano added, quoting PAL’s incoming Japan country manager Danilo Lim.

In September this year, five ranking members of Osaka’s Senior Association will visit the Philippines to inspect its facilities for their long-stay program for Japanese retirees.

Composed of travel trade veterans, the Senior Association is in search of ideal long-stay destinations in Asia for its members.

Moreover, the Cherry Lake Golf & Country Club in Mie Prefecture north of Osaka will tie up with golf course in Manila and Bacolod for exchange visits. The club will also train Filipino caddies in handling Japanese golf tourists.

The Cherry Lake Golf and Country Club is where the Philippines’ famous Pavilion Sphere is permanently displayed, together with all its furniture, furnishings and massage facilities.

Made entirely of coconut shells, this award-winning sphere made the Philippine exhibits at the 2005 World Expo in Aichi a unique global attraction. Ten of its exhibit items and artifacts will be showcased at the Memorabilia Hall being constructed at the expo site by the Aichi prefectural government. The hall is targeted to open in March next year.

In Tokyo, the Kinki Nippon Tourist (KNT) has picked Bohol as an ecotourism destination, which they plan to launch next month with the tarsier as its magic icon.

The KNT has offered to donate a percentage of their profits from the sale of this package to a tarsier foundation for its ecological conservation efforts in Bohol.

Likewise, representatives of the Japan Gateball Union and World Gateball Union will visit the Philippines to meet with local senior citizen associations who are interested in learning the sport and hosting their competitions, which usually attract 1,000 participants.

The Philippines will be introduced in their July 29-30 tournament through the distribution of PAL’s special "Swing Around Packages" for senior citizens, according to the DoT.

In Nagoya, a semi-conductor manufacturing firm with a plant in Cavite committed to send 150 employees to Manila in September and November. "It was their response to the invitation of Secretary Durano," said DoT’s Team Japan Head Rosvi C. Gaetos.

"The trip is an incentive travel for the employees, who will join the ongoing celebration of the Philippine-Japan Friendship Year marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries," Gaetos said, citing the success of the 2nd PBM.

With 81 private sector participants from the various sectors of the Philippine tourism industry, the 2nd PBM attracted 200 trade and media entities in Tokyo, 163 in Osaka, and 113 in Nagoya.

They had pre-arranged meetings for various business transactions that were designed to firm up the agreements made in the 1st PBM in 2005 and initiate new ventures.

The 1st PBM helped push the country’s foreign arrivals in 2005 to 2.6 million, which even topped 2004’s record-breaking 2.29 million, with Japan as a major source of tourists. Accounting for the biggest tourist spend, Japan is also the country’s second biggest investor and trade partner, and the largest donor of official development assistance.

Nabartek

June 10th, 2006, 07:56 PM

I have been reading this thread the whole night and it seems that DOT's not doing much as regards to Vigan and Laoag.(Or maybe, I just missed it).

I have not been to any of the two, but of course, I've heard about those. My classmate says that calesas still exist in Vigan. It would be a nice one, I believe. Not only that we have jeepneys, we have calesas, too. I think our neighbors don't have them(or maybe it's just me)

koreans i think liked our country! i have and known korean friends who stayed here not just for tourism but schooling! and when they are asked they would always answer we came here to get high-level education or to learn english!

Here in my place, the most visible are the Koreans. Pero nagiging visible din mga Mainlanders, Indonesians, mga galing sa iba't-ibang bansa sa Africa, and may mangilan-ngilan na taga-Middle east

marites4

June 11th, 2006, 07:00 PM

Don't want to rain on anyone's parade but this is very true, I have personally experienced this not just in tagaytay but also pagsanjan. Before we aim for 10 million tourists the authorities at hand should fix this situation and countless other "minute details" that need to be fixed. Remember the best form of advertising is through word of mouth. :bash:
Taal nightmare
A foreigner, Ms. Chiew Yee Mei wrote to relate another tale of woe at Taal’s volcano island. Her email and those of others that already saw print, proves our tourism and local officials are sleeping on the job. Yet, they wonder why tourism in this country refuses to flourish.

I refer to the issue brought up by one of your readers on June 5, 2006. I couldn’t agree more that this sad situation has to be brought to the attention of your Department of Tourism.

We are foreigners who came to live in Manila 10 months ago due to job assignment. We picked Tagaytay as our first visiting spot. At Tagaytay, we visited the abandoned palace of Marcos. The jeepney driver who brought us to the building and the one who brought us down charged different rates. Since the amount was not too substantial, we didn’t argue with the driver.

Then, there was a whole bunch of food vendors and tourist guides that surrounded our car trying to sell their products and services. Since we couldn’t speak Tagalog, they kept pushing the goods to us and the tourist guides harassed our driver. In the end, we agreed to engage one of them to bring us across the lake to Taal Volcano in a motorboat. He told us not to trust other guides who did not have a certificate from the authority.

Since it was about noon time, he brought us to a home-turned-restaurant for lunch at the lake side. The food wasn’t fantastic but just to feed our hungry stomachs. The toilet was dirty. My husband agreed to hire the boat at P5000 which was supposed to be discounted but I thought was too much. We even enquired about the cost of hiring horses before crossing the lake and he said not more than P500 per person. We did not bring too much cash because this is supposed to be a budget local day trip.

We crossed the lake and landed at the foot of Taal Volcano. Once we got down from the boat, another bunch of "people" surrounded us. I was pulled aside and some pulled my husband to the other side. Total chaos. I was trying to hold on to my three young kids so that they won’t be abducted.

They said the horse is P1000 per person. We refused to pay. We asked the tourist guide. He "pretended" to negotiate but final price was P800. My husband again gave in to them. I wanted to turn back because this is daylight robbery. My husband reasoned that since we were already there, just go through the whole trip and don’t come back.

While we were waiting for the horses, another bunch of people surrounded us. Without our consent, they placed straw hats on our heads. Some just threw gloves, towels, masks on my body and demanded money. I really couldn’t hold my temper anymore and shouted at them to stop harassing us. I still paid for the straw hats and face mask.

When it was my turn for a horse, it was a little pony. I protested because I don’t think the pony will be able to hold my weight. The lady kept insisting that it will be okay. My children, who were 10 years old and below, rode "big" horses.

Along the way, the lady "horse guide" kept demanding for a big tip. She kept saying that she was only paid P50 per day from the horse owner who happened to be her cousin. Her husband was injured and currently not working and have three babies to feed. I told her that we were robbed by her cousin a while ago. I could have given her P100 but now I only have P20 with me. I showed her my wallet.

When we reached the top of Taal Volcano, another group of drink sellers kept pestering my husband to buy drinks for the "horse guide." Later on they insisted that we should buy because they are very tired and thirsty. Again my husband gave in. The lady "horse guide" was very happy and told me that the drink is for her kids.

When we got home that day, my husband and I had a quarrel! Firstly was giving in to the daylight robbery and secondly, putting our children through such a dangerous ride. The only good that came out of this trip is a lesson learned.

See, Mr Chanco, you have many beautiful places in Philippines but there are robbers everywhere waiting for "big fish" foreigners to come by. Besides being robbed, we have to go through mental harassment and intimidation and subject ourselves to some undisclosed danger. I even saw them signaling to each other with a suspicious look that we are foreigners.

We went to Cebu in March and stayed in Plantation Bay Resort for three days. I would say that we enjoyed the trip (except for the long wait at the airport due to delayed flight). I still like the breath taking scenery of Taal Volcano. Maybe you can recommend to us where to stay in Tagaytay that’s away from the robbers.

Well… what can I say except to yell HOY GISING to Tourism Secretary Durano. This is part of the homework I have been saying he should attend to before he gallivants abroad in the pretext of marketing our tourism sites. But cleaning up our sites isn’t sexy enough for the big shot Cabinet member. Nothing kills a bad product faster than good marketing. Tourism is all about selling good memories. Priorities, Mr. Secretary!

DoggMann

June 11th, 2006, 07:47 PM

this is very disappointing ...

tourism department should not just concentrate on advertising, they also have to organize some sort of on call transport group that would serve foreign tourist, set up satelite offices on different tourism spot and local government hotline to assist on untoward incidents like these... :bash:

... and lastly our government should build more jails!!! if our government wont have balls to exterminate these parasites! at least throw them on some abu sayyaf infested island...

PS.
... our local TV networks can capitalize on this idea, maybe they can can come up with something like survivor series ... Survivor Basilan! :jk:

cyrusal

June 11th, 2006, 07:57 PM

Restrooms!!! my most disgusting memories in Tagaytay.. grr..

davaoeagle

June 12th, 2006, 07:49 AM

TWO new facilities for public education on Philippine wildlife were officially opened last Saturday at the Philippine Eagle Center in Barangay Malagos, Baguio District, Davao City.

A press statement from the Philippine Eagle Foundation, Inc. (Pefi), said guests to the eagle center can now appreciate the different raptor (birds of prey) species found in the Philippines as they pass through the Hawk Walk, while young audiences are treated to interactive exhibits on the Philippine Eagle and Philippine biodiversity in a children's exhibit room called Diola's forest.

"We've always believed in molding young minds because these are the minds that will determine how our eagles and natural resources will be cared for in the future," Philippine Eagle Foundation Executive Director Dennis Salvador said.

"These new facilities are targeted at helping the youth better appreciate the gifts from nature they have, and hopefully inspire them to actively participate in its care and protection," he said.

Hawk walk

Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte and the City Government of Davao funded the construction of the Hawk Walk, a special alley displaying a variety of raptor species found in the Philippines.

The Hawk Walk is designed to allow visitors to have a close and personal encounter with the birds.

With 10 adjoining compartments housing different types of raptors, visitors are also able to note the unique features of each bird and differentiate between species.

The mayor pledged support for the proposed project as early as late 2003. After months of planning and design, construction began in June 2005 and was completed in late September.

Congressmen commit

Meanwhile, similar efforts to support public education on the Philippine Eagle had also been brewing in the House of Representatives at around the same time the Hawk Walk project was born.

During the Araw ng Dabaw celebrations in 2002, Congressman Vincent Garcia of the 2nd District of Davao City invited several of his colleagues in congress to visit the city, and got their commitment to help in conservation efforts for the Philippine Eagle.

Garcia and eight other congressmen chose to support a comprehensive conservation education project that included the production of a documentary titled "Hope for the Eagles," the improvement of existing audio-visual facilities at the Center, the provision of falcony materials and the renovation of the biodiversity exhibit room into Diola's Forest.

Diola's Forest is an enhanced children's discovery room directed at providing interactive learning for young audiences. The room is composed of six modules.

The first and second modules feature display boards and three-dimensional fiberglass figures of trees, lizards and vines to represent the forest, and touch-screen computers for the enjoyment and education of the young audience.

The third and fourth modules provide information on Philippine Eagles, with a stuffed specimen of the eagle and various eagle artifacts such as eggs and feather on display.

The last modules provide visitors with more fiberglass representations of the forest ideal for photo opportunities.

Representatives Gilbert Remulla, Juan Miquel Zubiri, Del de Guzman, Kim Bernardo-Lokin, Ed Chatto, Felix William Fuentebella, Eileen Ermita-Buhain, and Joel Villanueva joined Garcia in the effort. (With report from Tatit Quiblat-Pefi communication officer)

JAMAICUS

June 12th, 2006, 07:50 AM

Boracay bliss

By JASER A. MARASIGAN

What began as a day spa five years ago has flourished into one of the most-loved destinations today. With spa holidays designed to meet the lifestyle needs of the discriminate traveler – be it pure relaxation, private yoga instruction, holistic beauty pampering, detoxification and rejuvenation – Mandala Spa Resort ushers in a new era in spa culture.

Mandala is one of the finest Asian destination spas, offering luxury accommodations and award winning holistic spa therapies in a lush tropical sanctuary overlooking Boracay’s renowned white beach. It was voted Destination Spa of the Year and Spa Treatment of the Year for Watsu at the Baccarat AsiaSpa Awards 2005 and Best Rejuvenation Program at the SpaAsia Crystal Awards in 2004.

‘Mandala’ is the Sanskrit word for "circle" or "whole", symbolizing the holistic nature of all existence. Taking the Tibetan connotation, a Mandala can represent a person’s spiritual evolutionary path. Likewise, it reflects the philosophy and lifestyles of owners Karen Villarica Reina and Dieter Schrottmann. Both believe that life is to be enjoyed and not endured. It is their love affair with the spirit of Boracay that made this project possible.

Being both long-time residents of Boracay, Karen and Dieter felt that it was of importance to preserve a piece of the serenity and peace that the island became known for in its early years.

While Dieter was exposed to Shiatsu in Japan (he founded a company called ‘Health for the New Age’ in 1987, the company that pioneered in educating blind masseurs in Shiatsu and successfully operated in Manila until the early 90’s), Karen learned Watsu and other healing arts in Northern California, a world center for mind-body therapies, and continues to learn from Master healers worldwide.

When at Mandala Spa, one retreats from the world and embarks on a journey within. Through its carefully designed villas, one sees the beauty of creation while healing therapies become the vehicle by which one experiences oneself. The architecture blends Filipino elegance with its capiz doors and woven bamboo floors with Italian modernity.

Facilities include four luxury spa villas in a garden setting, allowing for total immersion in the natural tropical environment, while being cared for by highly-educated therapists; a two-storey pavilion devoted to Ayurvedic-inspired cleansing and rejuvenation treatments; a heated aquatic therapy pool where one may explore deeper states of relaxation through Watsu or Water Dance; sauna facilities where one may lounge in privacy; and a yoga shala for private sessions and retreats.

Imported teak flooring and vaulted wooden ceilings provide the perfect space where you can enjoy your favorite spa treatments in private. The interiors are walled in glass, allowing a seamless flow between the lush tropical outdoors and the warm wooden finish of the interiors. Remote-controlled airconditioning and in-room safes are standard in all villas, while TV and digital audio/video players are available upon request.

The bathrooms brim with world-class luxury and modernity, furnished with Italian fixtures by Antonio Citterio designer of B&B Italia. The bath is made more exquisite with bath soaps, shampoos and conditioners made from natural ingredients, infused with essential oils and healing herbs.

The sophisticated spa menu harmonizes one’s quest for personal well-being and indulgent pampering, while luxuriating in modern comfort through Deluxe Spa Packages, Deluxe Spa Holidays and monthly Yoga retreats. These holidays may be further customized to meet each guest’s personal holiday purpose.

The spa services combine ancient traditional Asian therapies with sophisticated Western techniques. All the ingredients used are natural products and in most instances prepared fresh.

Much care is devoted to creating that personal space, where the senses are drawn inward through the right blend of oils, the exotic scent of incense, freshly prepared natural ingredients, handpicked flowers to wash your feet, the soothing sound of chimes, and the therapist’s healing touch – all the little details that allow each moment to gently unfold and deliver one to bliss.

Among the spa offerings, Watsu is the most highly-recommended. This deep relaxation water therapy is exclusive in the Philippines only to Mandala.

And just as there are ways to nurture the mind and spirit, Mandala goes a step further by nourishing the body, reinventing vegetarian cuisine as food to crave.

The versatile and gustatory menu was developed exclusively for Mandala by kitchen consultant Julia Lervik (the woman behind Baling Hai’s famous bar and restaurant) who worked extensively to develop a spa menu that is nutritious, interesting, complete and enjoyable. Not your typical garden-variety vegetarian fare. Prana Restaurant is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and is open to the public.

All of the spa therapists undergo a rigorous 3-month spa training course. And as part of the culture of personal growth, all members of the staff practice yoga.

Mandala Spa is accredited by the Philippine Spa Association and rated triple-A resort and destination spa by the Department of Tourism. For more information, e-mail info@mandalaspa.com.

http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2006061266556.html

aranetacoliseum

June 12th, 2006, 06:11 PM

Travel

Philippines to Step Up Marketing Campaigns
http://theseoultimes.com/ST/db2/images_large/3469-20060609142540.jpg
Philippine Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano appoints Korean actress Eugene as Philippine publicity ambassadress in an event held in Seoul on June 7, 2006.[/b]

The Philippines has registered the highest growth rate over competitors for the Korean market in the year 2005 becoming an all time Southeast Asian favorite destination.

Korea is now the largest Asian market for the Philippines posting a double-digit percentage increase every month averaging over 29 %.

The remarkable 30% growth rate for the first three months of this year is an indication of a productive year with over 480,000 arrivals in the year 2005.

"We are optimistic that we can reach our target of 600,000 at the end of this year with the support of Korean travel trade industries," Tourism Secretary Jospeh Durano observed.

http://theseoultimes.com/ST/db2/images_large/3469-20060609145848.jpg
Tourism Secretary Durano appoints Korean actress Eugene as Philippine publicity ambassadress.

Meeting with a group of Korean news media shortly after official launching of Philippine Media Campaign on July 7 at Millennium Seoul Hilton in downtown Seoul, Durano thanked the Korean media for their conscientious and balanced coverage of the Philippines which he said has continued to grace numerous travel stories and headlines, thus propelling interest in key tourism destinations of the Philippines among holiday seekers as well as new market segments such as silver, the incentive travel, the special interest and retirees market.

"The number 7,107 is our new brand message and Ms.Eugene is our messenger," declared Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano in his opening remarks of the spectacular function attended by hundreds of Korean and Filipino media representatives as well as members of Korean travel trade business community including US Chung, chairman of the Korean Tourism Association.

The campaign appeals to family vacationers, newlyweds and leisure seekers, like golf aficionados.

Secretary Durano flew into Seoul on June 6 leading a high-powered travel trade mission from the Philippines in a bid to sustain the massive influx of Korean tourists to this archipelago in the Pacific region on the occasion of the KOTFA which opened on June 8 for a four-day run at COEX in downtown Seoul.

DoT launched 30-second commercials at a gathering of travel agents in the Millennium Hilton Hotel here before airing on Korean television.

Durano said the aim was to let Koreans know that there is more to the Philippines than beaches.

Durano said the department did extensive study of Asian markets, using surveys and focus group discussions to come up with a new tack.

For South Korea, Durano announced, singer-actress Eugene Kim, who has a strong following in both her country and the Philippines, had been tapped to serve as tourism envoy.

http://theseoultimes.com/ST/db2/images_large/3469-20060609144125.jpg
Secretary Durano(second from left) poses for camera with Eugene and ******* Basco-Ebron (right), regional manager, Asia Pacific Travel Trade Sales & Promotions and head of Team Korea.

"Kim was picked because she fits the demographics of our target market: the honeymooners and young single people or those with families who are all looking for holiday destinations," he said.

The Philippines has set up far reaching economic and political reforms to sustain macroeconomic stability to match the influx of foreign tourists, . Durano said.

Pointing out that economic reforms are being concentrated on improving fiscal position apart from the implementation of the expanded VAT law, focus will be on strengthening tax collection that will ultimately allow the government to implement noteworthy projects not only for the traveling public but also for the Philippine populace, he explained.

"Peace, social justice and prosperity in all strata of the Philippine society is President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's resolution for the remaining years of her terms despite the continued disputes of different political factions. Durano said.

Secretary Durano then noted that President Arroyo remains steadfast in steering the country to its right direction for the progress all the Filipinos hope to achieve.

The gross national product (GNP) of the Philippines rose by 5.7 % in 2005 and is forecast to grow to 6.3 % this year whereas personal consumption expenditure averaged 4.9 % for the whole year of 2005 propelling manufacturing sector to accelerate by 5.6 %, the highest growth since 2001.

Touching on Korean investment projects in the Philippines, Secretary Durano said that the most recent being Hanjin, Korea's shipping giant, which has invested $1 billion in a shipyard facility at the Subic Freeport Zone.

"There are benefits which the Korean businessmen could gain for putting their capital in the Philippines. Among them are the free and unrestricted repatriation of capital, a fully liberalized foreign exchange system and a range of financial and administrative incentives, just to name a few," he said.

http://theseoultimes.com/ST/db2/images_large/3469-20060609142638.jpg
DoT launches 30-second commercials at a gathering of travel agents and media representatives.

With the growing honeymooners vacationing, Korean business business could also gain from putting capital in resort business such as the Seraph Hotel that has become a popular haven for Korean Boracay beach lovers, Durano maintained.

According to Secretary Durano, a total of 22 tourism projects worth 3.89 billion pesos was endorsed by Department of Tourism to various government agencies for grant of incentives and clearances in 2005.

"DoT will continue to prioritize infrastructure support to tourism development. Cebu South Road support project is an example of how travel time can be cut between Cebu city and the southern cities which offer alternative attractions," he said.

Durano then pointed out that airport upgrading, tourism highways to facilitate tourist's mobility and airline refleeting programs are but other few key strategic measures which his ministry will continue to expand.

http://theseoultimes.com/ST/db2/images_large/3469-20060609150552.jpg
Korean actress Eugene

Source: The Seoul Times/ Sunday, June 11, 2006

Posted by: Da A of starkoreans

shadow_can2003

June 13th, 2006, 11:40 AM

I have been reading this thread the whole night and it seems that DOT's not doing much as regards to Vigan and Laoag.(Or maybe, I just missed it).

I have not been to any of the two, but of course, I've heard about those. My classmate says that calesas still exist in Vigan. It would be a nice one, I believe. Not only that we have jeepneys, we have calesas, too. I think our neighbors don't have them(or maybe it's just me)

Here in my place, the most visible are the Koreans. Pero nagiging visible din mga Mainlanders, Indonesians, mga galing sa iba't-ibang bansa sa Africa, and may mangilan-ngilan na taga-Middle east

Tama ka.

JAMAICUS

June 13th, 2006, 03:06 PM

AIT develops models for barangay tourism

WHAT explains the allure of Marikina City – an urban sprawl with no beaches or upscale hotels? What inspires visitors to brave the congested streets leading to the shoe capital of the Philippines?

According to the Marikina Cultural Tourism Trade and Investment Promotion Office, the Marikina Sports Center, the Japs Shoe Factory, and the Science Centrum won the lion’s share of visitor receipts in 2005.

Mario Villanueva, tourism officer of Marikina, credits the city’s tourist appeal to its programs on good governance, discipline, and excellence, which have won recognition from national and international organizations. Marikina calls its brand of tourism development Barangay Tourism – “a unique structure within barangays in the city that promotes private-public partnership and volunteerism.” Tourist guides, law enforcers, entrepreneurs, and city officials all work together to make their respective barangays visitor-friendly.

Barangay Tourism, says Dr. Ma. Corazon P. Rodriguez, Dean of the UP Asian Institute of Tourism (AIT), is only one of the emerging models of community-based sustainable tourism (CBST) in the country. Pundits are looking into these alternative models because recent experiences show that problems brought about by mass tourism are not worth the economic gains. In the Philippines, notes Dean Rodriguez, a few of the concerns associated with mass tourism include displacement of natives, pollution, and commodification of culture.

In her paper titled "Community-based Sustainable Tourism: Opportunities for Diversifying AIT’s Contribution to the Industry," Rodriguez points out that CBST involves the locals in gearing tourism development toward results that they desire for their communities. She delivered her paper on Feb. 24, 2006 during the 30th anniversary of the AIT.

In fact, Rodriguez says that during the 7th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in April, 1999, the German Ad Hoc Working Group on Tourism said that sustainable tourism "should be based on the decisions made by the village community with emphasis given to traditional knowledge and reinforcement of cultural values." The key is for tourists to do what the locals are doing.

To identify the components of CBST as an alternative model of development, Rodriguez analyzed the proceedings of the focused group discussions organized by the AIT in certain provinces of the Cordillera Autonomous Region and in certain municipalities of Quezon Province, Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Sur, Cebu, Laguna, and Negros Occidental. There was also data gathered from Marikina City and Pamilacan Island in Bohol.

In the Cordillera Autonomous Region, the need for holistic and interdisciplinary approaches to tourism development was raised. This entails addressing the economic, infrastructure, socio-cultural, and environmental components of the tourism program. As for specific projects, the locals suggested the preservation of cultural artifacts, skills development in planning, formulation of ordinances to protect the rights of the indigenous communities, and provision of renewable sources of energy, among other things.

The communities of Quezon Province, meanwhile, expressed interest in showcasing traditional products (e.g., processed fish, coconut oil), festivals, rites and rituals, and historic places. They also recommended the development of potential tourist destinations, such as fish sanctuaries, sites of livelihood projects, beach properties, and old churches.

When whale and dolphin hunting was banned in Bohol in 1998, the community of Pamilacan Island turned to tourism as an alternative source of livelihood. Today, the members of the community use their skills to spot dolphins and whales in "touring" visitors on banca from Tagbilaran to Pamilacan. They also serve their native cuisine and use storytelling as a means of "educating" guests about their community.

"The similarity of potential tourism projects in communities across different municipalities shows abundant natural and man-made resources, cultural as well as historical assets that are perceived to be good ingredients in designing packages so that communities can consider tourism as an alternative source of livelihood," she said. "In most of these communities, traditional sources of income like farming and fishing are no longer able to provide for daily sustenance. These communities also suffer from lack of water resources and adequate road, communication, and transport systems." But while CBST seems to be a promising alternative for tourism development, Rodriguez says it also has its downside. For instance, there is the question of authenticity. For lack of natural tourism assets, some destinations are designed in a way that suits the tastes and needs of the target market. Delicacies, for example, may be prepared in a different way to make them appealing to visitors. Artificial environments may also be created to make visitors comfortable and safe. Ultimately, tourism offerings may be "standardized" among the communities to maximize economic returns.

Moreover, since visitors now compete with locals in the consumption of limited resources, the cost of living in the community may tend to escalate. Power struggles and class divisions within and among the communities may also make it difficult to implement tourism projects.

The challenge for the AIT, says Rodriguez, is to help address these issues and perfect the mechanisms of CBST. And, to be sure, the AIT is taking steps toward this goal.

Last year, the AIT teamed up with the College of Home Economics-Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutions Management to organize a conference on hospitality, tourism, and poverty alleviation. Tourism projects aimed at alleviating poverty in the communities were the focus of discussions among the participants.

In September of the same year, BS Tourism students were tasked to study the festivals in Angono, Rizal and in Lucban, Quezon as well as the heritage conservation project in Vigan and the Marketing Plan of Taguig. The students were instructed to identify cultural threads that can serve as a tourism link among the Filipino communities.

At present, the AIT is working with other colleges on a myriad of projects – with the College of Architecture, on a heritage conservation project in Sariaya, Quezon; with the College of Music, on a research project on tourism and indigenous music; with the College of Home Economics, on a research project on tourism and indigenous cuisine; and with the College of Human Kinetics, on a research project on native games and dances. Clearly, the AIT is expanding the scope of its research in accordance with the multi-disciplinary approach that CBST requires.

http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2006061366689.html

chixbebe

June 15th, 2006, 10:47 AM

CLARK ZONE, Pampanga — Executives of Clark Development Corp. (CDC) said that the government stands to earn at least P650 million from the privatization of the premier tourism estate inside Clark Special Economic Zone.

CDC President Antonio R. Ng said that the government-owned firm stands to gain P500 million in cash once the right to operate the former Mimosa Leisure Estate is fully awarded to a private firm while the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) will share the remaining P150 million.

The amount represents government claims in the arrearages of the former operator – Mondragon Leisure and Resorts Corp. – which were part of the terms of reference in the bidding.

Aside from the cash component, CDC is expected to earn some $ 2.1 million from the annual rental from the more than 200-hectare tourism estate.
Mimosa has been managed by CDC’s Special Project on Resort Operations since the government-owned firm took over the estate in 1999.

The estate has 36-hole championship golf course; Holiday Inn Hotel and villas, Montevista Hotel and Restaurant – which is under the CDC-SPRO; several international and specialty restaurants; and casino which is operated by Casino Filipino.

CDC Public Relations Department Manager Angelo C. Lopez, Jr., said the completion of the privatization of the estate will now enable the government body to fully concentrate on its mandate to oversee development of Clark.
"We have to leave the management of a world class tourist resort to the expert," Lopez said. (Fred Roxas)

http://www.mb.com.ph/PROV2006061566872.html

erinbuds

June 15th, 2006, 10:53 AM

hello everyone..... just wanted to ask where can i get some information bout the dino park here in manila???? i mean, a contact person regarding the upcoming event...tnx..

JAMAICUS

June 16th, 2006, 09:06 AM

PGMA tourism program up

In line with President Arroyo’s 10-point agenda on poverty alleviation, the country’s educational institutions will join efforts in boosting Philippine dollar earnings and increasing employment within the next five years through the PGMA Tourism Education Program.

Twenty-seven government-run colleges classified by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) as "Centers of Excellence" or "Centers of Development" in eight tourist priority areas will implement the program, said Presidential Adviser for Education Dr. Mona Valisno.

These colleges and universities are the Mariano Marcos State University, Pangasinan State University, Cagayan State University, Isabela State University, Bulacan State University, Central Luzon State University, Tarlac State University, Philippine Normal University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Technological University of the Philippines, University of the Philippines (UP), Batangas State University, Palawan State University, State Polytechnic of Palawan, University of the Philippines-Iloilo;

West Visayas State University, Visayas State College of Agriculture, Samar State Polytechnic College, Leyte Normal University, Leyte Institute of Technology, University of Southeastern Philippines, Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga State College of Marine Science and Technology, Central Mindanao University, Mindanao State University, Benguet State University, and UP-Baguio.

The schools are based in the eight tourist destinations identified and clustered by the Department of Tourism (DoT) as Laoag-Vigan, Subic-Clark, Metro Manila and Environ, Northern Palawan, Boracay-Iloilo, Cebu-Leyte-Bohol-Camiguin, Davao and Environ, and Baguio-Ifugao.

"With the uptrend in the country’s tourism, the added dimension of education will further boost the earning opportunities of the tourism industry so as to create greater economic impacts and wider employment creation," Valisno told the Bulletin.

She added, "This is one way for us to regain our lost glory. This is now the chance to show the world that we have a high quality education, and our government is doing its best to improve education in the country." (Shianee R. Mamanglu)

http://www.mb.com.ph/MTNN2006061666934.html

beads_strawberries

June 19th, 2006, 09:14 AM

^Putting these premiere schools in the forefront would really help our quest for tourism. We will not only be proud of the places where these schools are situated but more importantly, the quality of education these schools bring will give us more tourists to visit the country. Of course, the students of these schools will be proud that the academic institution where they belong is now included in the tourist education program of the government. This only shows that these academic institutions are the best in the country.

In other tourism news, tourism jobs grew by 4.8% this April as tourism jobs flood in the hotel and restaurant industry. With the establishment of this tourism education program, we can expect more tourists to visit the country.

chixbebe

June 20th, 2006, 06:04 AM

Despite of all the warnings of the different countries to their people not to go here in the Philippines because of the terrorists threats and series of bombings the tourist arrivals never seems to dropped instead it is growing. (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news07_june20_2006)

Sec. Durano said that tourism was booming in all parts of the country, and the latest warnings by Washington and London about terrorism and kidnappings here were no cause for alarm.

Visitor arrivals from the US grew 10.2 percent to 202,880 in the year to April 2006 against 184,109 in the same period a year ago. Arrivals from the UK went up 6.4 percent, to 23,456 from 22,046.

In April alone, arrivals from the US surged 20.3 percent to 53,369, and those from the UK climbed 43.6 percent to 6,830.

Durano said he was optimistic the Philippines would attract three million tourists this year compared with 2.6 million in 2005.

Ah...may threat pala?

heathcliff

June 20th, 2006, 07:34 AM

heathcliff

June 20th, 2006, 08:05 AM

marites4

June 20th, 2006, 08:12 AM

heathcliff

June 20th, 2006, 08:34 AM

I don't think they were being stupid. It is not an isolated case. I've experienced this too. and i don't think i'm stupid . If we want to attract tourists , there are different types of tourists those used to third world ways and those who are not. We have to accomodate to tourists and not them accomodate to us. YOu are being blind if you don't notice these kind of problems have to be aggresively addressed by DOT if we want a good word of mouth review and repeating visitors.

I didn't say tourists should accomodate us. What I'm saying is that any responsible tourist should have done some research first on his country of destination particularly if they are going there for the first time. These are common sense precautions that they should be taking on their own initiative. I'm sure you have your own vacation horror stories and I have my own too. But the fact that the couple mentioned above had bad experiences doesn't immediately make it the government's fault. It is a fact that a lot of these unpleasant experiences could have been avoided if those concerned had taken basic precautions. It's too bad that they will be badmouthing the Philippines, and very tempting to return the favor.

Again, there are many accredited tourism establishments that this couple could have taken advantage of, but they chose to go off on their own risk. Why blame us?

marites4

June 20th, 2006, 09:02 AM

beads_strawberries

June 20th, 2006, 09:39 AM

Despite of all the warnings of the different countries to their people not to go here in the Philippines because of the terrorists threats and series of bombings the tourist arrivals never seems to dropped instead it is growing. (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news07_june20_2006)

Sec. Durano said that tourism was booming in all parts of the country, and the latest warnings by Washington and London about terrorism and kidnappings here were no cause for alarm.

Visitor arrivals from the US grew 10.2 percent to 202,880 in the year to April 2006 against 184,109 in the same period a year ago. Arrivals from the UK went up 6.4 percent, to 23,456 from 22,046.

In April alone, arrivals from the US surged 20.3 percent to 53,369, and those from the UK climbed 43.6 percent to 6,830.

Well, it seems these tourists cannot resist the beauty of our country. Travel advisories are mere advisories to their citizens. The citizens still have the prerogative whether or not they will visit this country or not. Besides, the Department of Tourism is doing its best in order to convince the tourists that this country has many to offer and they are safe in visiting the country. Also, the advisories seemed to be simple warnings, since terrorism and kidnappings are not really prone now, unlike before.

heathcliff

June 20th, 2006, 09:40 AM

but isn't one of our main selling point the warmth, hospitality and graciousness of the Filipino people. They should experience this everywhere then and not just from accredited tourist facilities. All it takes is one bad experience and a lot of hardwork will be wiped out.

Warmth, hospitality and graciousness cannot encompass the entirety of any race. It's true that tourists should experience good treatment everywhere, and our tourism department should exert full efforts to ensure that tourists have great memories about our country. But there is still the probability of falling in with bad lot. That's why there are accredited tourist facilities to obviate these unpleasant experiences. The tourist has a choice to make use of them or to go off at his own risk. In the latter circumstance, many have still fared well and only have praise for our warmth, hospitality, beautiful nature spots, etc. Sure they notice our deficiencies, but they don't try to reward their stupidity at our expense.

JAMAICUS

June 22nd, 2006, 12:34 PM

New Mimosa operator vows to retain workers

CLARK, Pampanga — The new Mimosa operator vowed to retain the services of its employees to help them run the premier tourism estate in Clark Special Economic Zone while ensuring at the same time that playing rights and shares of members of the Mimosa Golf and Country Club will be honored.

The assurance stemmed from a press statement issued by Evelyn Gutierrez, legal counsel of NTM-Jin Hung Joint Venture (NHJV) which recently expressed serious commitment to make the former Mimosa Leisure Estate a beneficial tourism enterprise for Clark and Pampanga communities. NHJV won against four other bidders when its bid was found to be the most responsive, beneficial and compliant to the Terms of Reference (TOR) set by CDC.

Clark Development Corporation President Antonio R. Ng said that the plight and welfare of the workers and the MGCC members were included in the TOR in the bidding as part of CDC’s effort to uphold the rights of workers and members.

Ng said that while the new operator has the prerogative to rightsize the number of workers, it will have to observe due process under Philippine labor laws.

However, Gutierrez assured CDC that NHJV will comply with the conditions set in the TOR.

Ng said that MGCC members with good standing will be endorsed to the new operator in order to retain their membership and playing rights. The Mimosa golf course is the only 36-hole golf course in Central Luzon with world class amenities. Mimosa’s fame came to a peak when Tiger Woods, the greatest golf player in the world today, was able to strut his wares there in the late 1990s.

Aside from the retention of employees’ services, and playing rights, the new owner will also infuse P1.4 billion fresh investments at the tourism estate for the construction of the unfinished villas, clubhouse and a theme park, including the improvement of other existing facilities.

The investment is on top of the P650 million that the government stands to earn as part of the requirements in the TOR that NHJV complied to. The amount represents the arrearages of the Mondragon Leisure and Resorts Corporation, former operator of the estate.

Government shall also benefit well from the venture’s $ 2.1 million annual minimum guaranteed lease. On top of this, it shall help create additional employment and embark on social projects in the Metro Clark area.

The Filipino-South Korean partnership shall commence the investment project on a clean footing by paying off the arrears of the former lessee, the Mondragon Leisure and Resort Corporation. It shall pay the CDC at least P500 million of MLRC’s unpaid lease.

It shall also pay P150 million to the Bureau of International Revenue and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Gutierrez said.

It shall increase the business viability and attractiveness of the 210hectare estate by upgrading the facilities, completing the rehabilitation of remaining villas in the estate, offering a diverse range of rest and recreation package and personalizing services.

"We shall make the estate a premier tourism destination in Clark and Central Luzon, consonant with the economic vision of President Arroyo," Gutierrez emphasized.

"As investor, NTM-Jin Hung Joint Venture is out to do an excellent job. The joint venture anchors its values on honesty, hard work, great service and social responsibility," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez also appealed to national and local leaders to support the joint venture by giving it the trust it deserves.

http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS2006062267471.html

JustHorace

June 22nd, 2006, 12:44 PM

Tourism daw down 80-90% percent in Sorsogon dahil sa Bulusan.

The others remained up anyway...

JAMAICUS

June 22nd, 2006, 01:41 PM

British investors keen on outsourcing sector--ambassador

By Veronica Uy
Last updated 05:58pm (Mla time) 06/22/2006

BUSINESS process outsourcing and participation in government projects will gain popularity among British investors in the Philippines, British Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Beckingham said on Wednesday.

"British companies are ready to bring their expertise to the Philippines," said Beckingham said at the ICT and Tourism Business Conference in Cebu City.

He said Thailand attracts 10 times the number of British tourists in the Philippines, indicating “there must be scope for stronger links, especially in the back-packer market.”

The ambassador said the Department of Tourism’s creative efforts to promote the country's attractions in London, like putting blow-up pictures of Philippine beaches on the side of London cabs have attracted British tourists.

DOT figures show that tourist arrivals from the United Kingdom grew 6.4 percent annually for the first four months of the year. For April 2006 alone, arrivals from the United Kingdom climbed 43.6 percent compared to April 2005.

Beckingham said that with the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) increasing in Europe, Philippine banks, telecommunications companies, and television stations could grow their European businesses.

He also noted the size of the European Union market, worth over 450 million, for Philippine business.

"There has been a significant increase in the number of Philippine investments in Britain over the last two years, including the first-ever listing on the London Stock Exchange...Our common bonds, especially of the English language, will be a major driver for building the economic links," he added.

http://business.inq7.net/money/breakingnews/view_article.php?article_id=6057

chixbebe

June 23rd, 2006, 06:35 AM

The resort town of Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro, posted an unprecedented 82% increase in tourist arrivals last year with 3.1 million tarrivals, compared with the previous year’s 1.7 million.

The dramatic increase in arrivals mostly local tourists was largely due to improved ferry services.Puerto Galera is one of the destination ports of the nautical highway.

Mayor Aristeo Atienza, said the figure, which includes foreign and domestic visitors, was compiled from hotel occupancy and manifestos of ferries 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.

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.

These efforts, he said, are geared towards attaining world-class tourism for the resort town.

He added that this year’s summer visitors will help post another record high by the end of the year.

kunoL8

June 26th, 2006, 08:26 AM

Animo

June 28th, 2006, 12:09 AM

Team Japan of the Department of Tourism (DoT) is advocating "value-added marketing" to enable the local tourism industry to adapt to an emerging trend that makes travel more and more based on activity and interest rather than destination.

Speaking in behalf of DoT Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano at the "Intourpreneur" Congress in Cebu recently, Team Japan Head Rosvi C. Gaetos said:

"The highly informative Cebu brochure of the DoT lists down heritage, fiestas and festivals, shopping and entertainment, aside from beach resorts, as the attractions of Cebu. It offers various tour programs ranging from the Southern Heritage Trail, the northern coast, churches and shrines of the south, the Kawasan Waterfalls adventure, golf, and diving in a variety of nearby islands."

Gaetos cited this multi-dimensional promotional presentation of Cebu as an example of value-added marketing, highlighting the many unique activities that Japanese tourists could do on the island and the rest of the archipelago.

"More and more travelers are moving towards deciding what activities they want to do first, and then choose the destination that offers them. The ‘push’ (personal motivation) factor is getting stronger than the ‘pull’ (destination) factor," Gaetos explained.

"It is very important that as early as when the Japanese start considering Cebu for their next vacation, they must be made aware of what other attractions Cebu has to offer to make their decision to choose Cebu that much easier," she emphasized.

"What Cebu needs to do is to layer on additional offerings, products and destinations in its packages to expose the Japanese traveler to the other attractions of Cebu. You will need to enhance, if not totally revolutionize, your tour itineraries so that more of Cebu’s history, culture, cuisine, natural attractions, local crafts, exciting activities and the famous Cebu mango are highlighted," Gaetos added.

Cebu holds the distinction of being the oldest city and the seat of Christianity in the Philippines. The oldest and most celebrated Christian relic, the image of senior Sto. Niño, is found in Cebu and housed in the oldest basilica in the whole of Asia.

With 11 major festivals, including Sinulog, Cebu also hosts the country’s oldest street (Colon St.) and the oldest and smallest Spanish fort, along with six centuries-old churches, numerous religious shrines and chapels that make it a fascinating pilgrim destination.

"These are exactly the kind of information that Cebu tour operators should include and highlight in their itineraries," Gaetos stressed.

She also cited a trend favoring cultural hotels, or those located at cultural and heritage sites.

"This trend is very much welcome, especially for Cebu and our other island resort destinations like Bohol and Boracay, which suffer in comparison with other countries like Bali (Indonesia) and Phuket (Thailand) in terms of the presence of ‘brand’ hotels."

Gaetos said the issue was raised by major wholesalers in Japan’s Chubu area who brought up the "lamentable lack" of luxury brand hotels in the Philippines and in Cebu.

"(But) with the rise in boutique and cultural hotels that are usually built with local money, Cebu and other island destinations may opt to develop their tourism infrastructure along these lines rather than compete in the brand category," Gaetos pointed out.

http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/06/28/TOUR2006062867911.html

shadow_can2003

June 29th, 2006, 03:03 PM

Any updates about the painted jeepneys and buses in manila?

MarkiiBoi

June 29th, 2006, 07:29 PM

RP as Asia’s haven for health tourists launched

The Philippines was launched recently as an ideal destination for medical and health services in Southeast Asia during the World Health Tourism Congress in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Department of Tourism Director Elizabeth F. Nelle who led the Philippine delegation, presented the country’s medical tourism program and the potentials of medical tourism including its business opportunities for stakeholders.

Also part of the delegation are five hospitals accredited by the DoT, namely: St. Luke’s Hospital & Medical Center, University of Sto. Tomas Hospital, World Citi Medical Center, Makati Medical Center and Eye Republic Ophthalmology Center.

Organized by Dubai-based Aura International, the Congress is the first-ever event to convene corporate buyers and sellers of health and medical tourism. It was attended by over 150 delegates representing hospitals, multinational corporations, government agencies, insurance companies and travel agencies from across the globe.

The Philippine contingent proudly reported that the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) Hospital signed a contract worth US million with the Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) of Zimbabwe. The PSMAS will start sending their patients to the UST Hospital by August. Other members of the delegation are in their final stages of negotiation with their counterparts.

Meanwhile, several participants representing state and private hospitals, travel and tour agencies, health organizations and other companies from Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Moldova, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates committed to visit the country and do ocular inspection of the accredited hospitals starting August this year.

Cyprus will host next year’s event while the Philippines will bid for the 2008 Congress.

beads_strawberries

June 30th, 2006, 07:31 AM

^^ I've seen those painted jeepneys in Manila. As much as the jeeps now can be the possible adoration of pedestrians and commuters since they don’t look like the worst PUVs all over the metro, it encourages the tourism not only to foreigners but also to citizens of this country.

I myself wanted to explore the beauty of nature we have.

JAMAICUS

June 30th, 2006, 08:23 AM

Laoag int’l airport expansion key to North’s tourism boom

By MAR T. SUPNAD

LAOAG CITY — Local government units, the private sector, tourism officials and regional line agencies met recently at the Pallazo de Laoag, this city and agreed that for tourism to develop in Northern Luzon, the proposed expansion of Laoag International Airport (LIA) should be pursued without letup.

Undersecretary Hermenegildo C. Dumlao, executive director of the North Luzon Growth Quadrangle, (North Quad) an attached agency under the Office of the President, said with the expected heavy traffic of foreign tourists in the region, the expansion of LIA is urgently needed. "The LIA should be ready to accommodate huge aircraft and the big influx of tourist arrivals,’’ he added.

He said the development of LIA would increase the number of international flights which would increase foreign tourist arrivals in the region. The airport’s expansion would also boost the promotion and marketing of tourism investments in the region, Dumlao said.

He added that the meeting also paved the way for the creation of more jobs, investments which will ultimately uplift the lives of people in North Luzon. The meeting was initiated by North Quad, an agency tasked to promote development and livelihood program in the North.

Oscar P. Palabyab, Undersecretary for Tourism Services and Regional Offices of Department of Tourism, graced the affair as guest-of-honor and speaker. He discussed the topic entitled "Tourism Prospects in the Philippines." Also present during the meeting were Dr. Enrie A. Mendoza, Presidential Assistant for North Luzon, and others.

"My primary objective is to pursue new tourism strategies whose principal thrust is to return to the basics of tourism development," Undersecretary Dumlao said. "This means developing basic infrastructure such as the Laoag International Airport which will provide quick access to North Luzon tourist destinations."

North Luzon is home to some of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the country. It is rich in natural, cultural, man-made and historical attractions such as beautiful pristine beaches and century-old churches. It also has relatively developed infrastructure support facilities such as good road networks, telecommunication facilities and power supply.

Dumlao said North Luzon has an advantage for its tourism development due to the existence of the Laoag International Airport (LIA). Foreign tourists continuously arrive from neighboring East Asian countries in Ilocos Norte via LIA. The recent proclamation by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) of LIA as one of the five main gateways for tourists to the Philippines has brought about more tourist interests in North Luzon, said Dumlao.

http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2006063068078.html

OtAkAw

July 1st, 2006, 11:16 AM

hey guys, don't u think sagada would be a nice place to develop? of course hindi naman super develop, something like what they're doing in bhutan. parang upmarket highland retreat. i can totally see aman, four seasons, ritz carlton and a bunch of small boutique resorts there.
Siyempre naman tsaka magandang competition yan dun sa kapitbahay naten kasi meron silang "tsang may". Llamado naman yung Sagada area kasi may UNESCO world heritage site (The Rice Terraces), kulang lang talaga infrastructure development.

marvelousannzph

July 1st, 2006, 02:17 PM

im ann from cebu. well all I can recommend for u to see here is that go to Bantayan island,were u can see beautiful beaches,or u can go to malapascua,it is found to the north island of cebu.if u want to see a water falls well u can go to kawasan falls where it is located in south part of cebu. Actually lots of beautiful places to visit here in cebu. I've been to alegre beach resort,located in north part of cebu,the place is quiet romantic and peaceful.with regard to aswang,well im not sure if it really exist since I haven't seen that creautures yet. just don't believe that rumors coz its not true. cebu is one of the ideal places to visit. I hope i was able to answer ur question. take care and God bless....

sandrin

July 1st, 2006, 02:47 PM

RP as adventure sports, ecotourism hotbed
http://showbizandstyle.inq7.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?article_id=7506
By Greg Bloom
Inquirer
Last updated 07:27pm (Mla time) 06/30/2006

THE LATEST LONELY Planet guide to the Philippines, released in June, heaps no shortage of praise on the country’s natural beauty. A few snippets:

"A fantastic landscape with wonders enough to stagger even the most jaded traveler."

A land of "stunning beach havens," "gloriously crooked earth," "undiscovered breaks, beaches and rapids," and "world-class jungle trekking." Palawan is "one of the most rewarding outdoor-sports destinations in all of Southeast Asia."

As the author of the North and Southeast Luzon sections of the book, I was lucky enough to travel through some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes, including the Cordillera mountains and the volcanoes and national parks of the Bicol region. I live in Manila and have traveled on my own to other regions of the country that are, as the book suggests, just as beautiful. Why, then, does tourism in the Philippines remain leagues behind most of its Southeast Asian neighbors--in terms of both reputation and sheer tourism numbers?

Part of the reason is geographic, since the country is removed from the main Southeast Asian tourism drag, centered around Thailand. But the travelers of the world are a pretty mobile group these days, unafraid to hop on a plane and go just about everywhere. I’m convinced that more of them would come to the Philippines if the country’s tourism officials started marketing the country differently.

As our book makes clear, the country has all the makings of an adventure tourism Mecca. With its natural wonders facing a litany of environmental threats, the Philippines is also ripe for an ecotourism revolution. A few regions of the country--notably Palawan--are doing their best to promote ecotourism and adventure tourism, while a few enterprising individuals offer small-scale adventure tour packages.

However, they are not getting enough help from the Department of Tourism, which continues to obsess with a handful of marquee tourist attractions--the Chocolate Hills and tarsiers of Bohol, Boracay, the rice terraces of Banaue and Tubbataha Reef come to mind--at the expense of marketing the country’s adventure tourism prospects.

The two countries with the strongest reputations for adventure tourism and ecotourism are undoubtedly Costa Rica and New Zealand. The main links on the Web sites of the tourism authorities of Costa Rica, New Zealand and the Philippines are as follows:

Costa Rica: "Beaches," "Culture," "Adventure," "Ecotourism"

New Zealand: "Scenic Highlights," "Activities," "Events Calendar"

Philippines: "Beach," "Dive," "Wildlife," "Heritage," "Golf"

It’s pretty clear where Costa Rica’s priorities lie. New Zealand takes a somewhat different strategy, but if one clicks the "Activities" link one is directed to massive amounts of information on adventure tourism in New Zealand. The Philippines, on the other hand, completely fails to mention anything about adventure tourism or ecotourism on its home page. To be fair, the Wow Philippines site does have a page on its site dedicated to adventure sports, but it’s almost impossible to find, buried in an obscure drop-down menu under the misleading tag "other."

However you slice it, the Philippines is not doing enough to market adventure tourism. That’s a shame because this is exactly where the country has a comparative advantage over its Southeast Asian neighbors. Few countries in Southeast Asia can compete with the Philippines in terms of accessible spelunking, jungle-trekking, rappelling, kayaking and mountain-biking opportunities. Unfortunately, the country is doing little to exploit this comparative advantage, concentrating instead on the marquee attractions mentioned above as well as a handful of sporty activities like diving and golf.

How smart is that? Well, the Chocolate Hills look cool on posters, but they can be a letdown in person and neither the hills nor the bug-eyed tarsiers that populate them are reason enough alone to visit the Philippines. Tubbataha Reef, for all its bounty, is virtually inaccessible unless you are a well-heeled diver. Boracay is great but Thailand has a hundred Boracays. I was lucky enough to cover the rice terraces and they are truly sublime, but they are certainly not limited to Banaue. Why not also promote the more remote terraces, such as those in Kalinga? Adventure trekking tours to these more remote terraces could be a huge draw.

What about diving and golf? The Philippines has good diving, but again it probably doesn’t compete with places like Micronesia and Papua New Guinea. So there’s no comparative advantage there. The country does indeed have some world class golf courses, but virtually all of them are private and off limits to tourists! The country’s heavy promotion of golf is thus inexplicable.

What tourism officials should be doing instead is turning their attention to the No. 1 thing the country has going for it: ecotourism and adventure travel. Reading our book would be a great start, as we write about many of the enterprising individuals struggling on their own to get a foothold in this potentially lucrative market.

In Cagayan there’s the Sierra Madre Outdoor Club offering rafting trips and jungle trekking in the Sierra Madre Natural Park. In Bicol, the Kadlagan Outdoor Shop has trips to the Caramoan Peninsula, which rivals Palawan in its limestone-etched beauty. On Camiguin Island, a dramatic volcanic landscape in Mindanao, we have Camiguin Action Geckos offering rappelling, jungle trekking and adventure hikes. Trexplore in rugged Samar is a one-man operation tailoring caving, rafting and bike trips.

Those are just a few of the many small adventure tour companies operating throughout the country. The DOT should look to these individuals for both inspiration and guidance as it redirects its energy toward turning the Philippines into an adventure tourism and ecotourism Mecca.

The country must also improve its national parks. As our book points out, the Philippines is great at declaring national parks but terrible at managing them. There are almost 70 national parks in the country, yet only seven meet international national park-designation criteria, mainly because they are not properly protected. The parks also tend to be woefully short of tourist-friendly infrastructure like visitor centers and well maintained walking trails.

The Philippines has all the potential in the world to become the adventure sports and ecotourism hotbed of Southeast Asia. The time is now for tourism officials to make the figurative leap in that direction.

Greg Bloom is a freelance writer and the co-author of the recently released Lonely Planet Philippines guide. He can be reached at gbloom@zpdee.net

marites4

July 1st, 2006, 06:10 PM

Hello DOT? ^^^
I agree with the article and improve infrastructure so travel between places is not so time consuming.
Lonely planet was never a fan of the PHILS anyways.

ANother thing is the food. these foreigners hate filipino food. You need to feed them what they like not what we like.

kunoL8

July 1st, 2006, 06:53 PM

Siyempre naman tsaka magandang competition yan dun sa kapitbahay naten kasi meron silang "tsang may". Llamado naman yung Sagada area kasi may UNESCO world heritage site (The Rice Terraces), kulang lang talaga infrastructure development.

hehe. tsang may. :lol: search proof! pero yun nga, kulang lang talaga sa infrastructure development. di pako nakakapunta, pero from pictures ang ganda talaga. very mysterious dating niya pwede ngang panlaban sa "tsang may." hehe.

overtureph

July 2nd, 2006, 09:32 AM

The spell of Siquijor

By Amadis Ma. Guerrero
Inquirer
Last updated 01:05am (Mla time) 07/02/2006

Published on page E1 of the July 2, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

IN OLDEN TIMES, SIQUIJOR had an abundance of fireflies, and these glowed around the trees at night. It must have been an eerie and fascinating sight, and the Spaniards called the area Isla de Fuego or Island of Fire.

The Japanese military, during World War II, were less captivated by the island, and they engaged in manganese mining which destroyed the environment. To flush out the guerillas in Siquijor’s Mt. Bandila-an, the Japanese razed the mountain to the ground; only five hectares remained untouched. The Isla de Fuego had literally become an Island of Fire.

During the postwar era, the national government embarked on a massive reforestation program; and today Mt. Bandila-an is a nature park, an ecological destination area of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Peaceful and pastoral, almost pristine, the province of Siquijor has a reputation for sorcery most Siquihodnons would rather not dwell on. “There are no witches here, only traditional healers,” claimed a local tourism official once.

Last Holy Week, faith healers from other provinces joined their local counterparts to mix lots of species with the special oil found here. And, amid rituals and incantations, they created potions, which may include love potions and other kinds of heady brew.

The medicines are said to be most effective when gathered on Good Friday.

Siquijor lies south of Cebu and Bohol in Central Visayas. The entry point is Dumaguete City, capital of Negros Oriental, in my case via the SuperFerry (P3,700 round-trip promo, economy/aircon). Thanks to Judd Salas of the Aboitiz Transport System, I was upgraded to a stateroom on board SF-2 (and to a cabinet in SF-5 on the return trip).

From Dumaguete, it is a one-hour ferry-boat ride (P160, promo again) to the capital of Siquijor, also called Siquijor. There are five other towns—all also coastal—in the province: Larena, San Juan, Lazi, Maria and Enrique Villanueva.

Siquijor is all of 33,000 hectares, and it only takes three hours of leisurely driving to traverse the island through the circumferential coastal highway.

There are numerous budget hotels and beach resorts in Siquijor, the most pricey being the standard Coco Grove in San Juan. For this budget-conscious traveler spending his own money, my host Oscar Magallones, the DENR provincial officer, recommended the Siquijor State College in Larena, which has executive guesthouses, aircon and quite satisfactory at P650.

The state college has an attractive beachfront area below the hostel, with picnic huts, rock formations, sea grass and clear waters which are a favorite swimming area of the boisterous local children, mostly boys.

Across the bay are the mountains of Cebu and Negros Oriental. (These disappear, however, during hazy and misty mornings.)

Cultural landmarks

The island of Siquijor is filled with unspoiled beaches, mangroves, caves, butterfly and marine sanctuaries and cultural landmarks.

The St. Francis of Assisi Church in Maria, with its bell tower, dates back to 1857. Even more famous is the St. Isidore church in Lazi and its convent-house, declared a historical landmark in 1985. It is the oldest and biggest convent in the country.

For swimmers, there’s the Capilez Spring Park in San Juan, a natural pool with spring waters that is a favorite of the local youth, and Salagdo-on Beach in Maria. Before reaching Salagdo-on, which is also a diving site, you enter a manmade forest filled with thousands of trees.

Salagdo-on has attractive twin beach coves and a resort with cottages, among other amenities. The waters are deep and crystal clear, with corals in relatively good condition; and the two beaches have white sand.

Contabon in Mt. Bandila-an is the most explored of the province’s many caves. It has abundant deposits of stalagtites and stalagmites, and a subterranean stream.

The Mt. Bandila-an Nature Park is a proposed Protected Landscape. “It has 187 identified species of flora, 36 identified species of birds and 100 butterfly species,” reports the DENR’s Magallones (who is from San Carlos Bukidnon). “Mahogany is dominant among the tree species.”

The mountain is accessible by vehicle up to midpoint, which is the Bandila-an Lodge and project site, where tourists like to bring tents and set up camp. They can also stay overnight in the lodge, with the permission of forester Urcisio Galamiton.

Nearby are minifalls, Grotto, Stations of the Cross leading to the summit and a century-old, spreading balete tree which is, as forester Galamiton put it, “the dwelling place of the spirits in Siquijor.”

Then the ascent by foot from midpoint to the peak—600 meters (around 2,000 feet) above sea level —is facilitated by a manmade stairway of stone along the trails. I was practically limping and in near-agony, however, because of a foot allergy.

There are three crosses on the summit (with vandals leaving their inscriptions at the back of each cross), and a steel tower-viewpoint, with all of Siquijor below you. There is the Mindanao Sea, and as a backdrop the mountains of Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental. The Apo Island sanctuary is a dot on the horizon. To the south is the Zamboanga Peninsula, although hardly visible.

On the way down, with the DENR vehicle negotiating the zigzag, the mountain peaks of the island province of Camiguin materialized in the distance, like Venus rising from the sea.

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://showbizandstyle.inq7.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?article_id=7664

swatch69sg

July 5th, 2006, 11:54 AM

Got Hold of the latest ASIA INC Magazine where they feature Asia's Hip Cities..When I saw it at the bookstore's magazine shelf, I immediately took it and had a glance. Kakainis...wala man lang Manila dun sa finieture nila...As usual nandun ang Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong...maski nga Kuala Lumpur at Jakarta nandun...pero walang Manila...thought Manila can easily join the list...I boboycott ko na nga ang magazine na ito...haha (buti na lang walang Hanoi or Bandar Seri Begawan..kundi mas lalo ako magrereklamo..haha)

Manila-X

July 5th, 2006, 12:24 PM

JAMAICUS

July 6th, 2006, 02:34 PM

PHILIPPINES STRENGTHENS TOURISM COOPERATION WITH AUSTRIA

Thursday July 6, 2006, 6:53 pm

MANILA, July 6 Asia Pulse - The Philippine government has strengthened its relations with Austria where the two countries vowed to cultivate stronger business and tourism cooperation.

According to Philippine Ambassador to Austria Linglingay F. Lacanlale, top officials of the Austrian Federal Provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg have pledged to work closely with the Philippine Embassy in addressing the needs of their respective Filipino communities.

Lacanlale's meeting with the Austrian provincial officials last June 20 was part of the Embassy's consular outreach mission to the state capitals of Innsbruck (Tyrol) and Bregenz (Vorarlberg), both of which are home to sizeable Filipino communities.

The meeting, the ambassador said, dealt extensively with possibilities for improved trade and investment ties between local companies and their Philippine counterparts, as well as the promotion of the Philippines as a tourism destination of choice for travelers from these two states.

Lacanlale explained that both states are among Austria's top tourist destinations, with sophisticated tourism sectors that contribute substantially to Austrias gross national product.

She added that Tyrol and Vorarlberg play an important role in the history of Filipino immigration into Austria, having been the gateway for the first batch of Filipino healthcare workers that migrated into the country in the early 1970s.

The Philippine ambassador met with Mr. Gerbhard Halder, President of the Vorarlberg State Parliament, who affirmed his willingness to help draw the interest of the Austrian business community, including small and medium enterprises, to the Philippines.

Halder concurred with the Philippine ambassador's view that the Philippine-Austrian trade and investment relationship, while healthy, has yet to realize its full potential.

Lacanlale said both parties agreed to work together to promote greater awareness of each other's countries, as a first step in generating interest from the private sector and travelers.

In Innsbruck, the Ambassador held separate meetings with Tyrol Governor Dr. Herwig Van Staa and Innsbruck Mayor Hilde Zach.

She added that aside from the business and investment cooperation talks, these meetings also touched on the intensifying tourism cooperation between the Philippines and Tyrol Province.

"The Philippines could glean important lessons from the expertise of Tyrol State, whose highly developed tourism sector is acknowledged as a major engine of growth for Austria," she said.

Lacanlale noted that of particular usefulness to the Embassy is the capacity-building assistance that Tyrol could extend to the Philippines.

Aside from its wonderful tourist sites, Tyrol is also noted for its excellent tourism service schools.

She also pointed out that initial steps have already been taken towards strengthening the Philippines tourism cooperation with Tyrol.

In February 2005, a "Letter of Intent on Tourism Cooperation" was signed in Manila between Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano and Governor Van Staa, during the latter's visit to Manila.

Her meetings with the Austria's senior state officials also addressed matters relevant to the growing Filipino community in the two Federal States.

Echoing past statements by Austrian Federal authorities, Lacanlale said, the state officials cited the positive contributions of Filipinos to the healthcare system and to Austrian society.

(PNA)

http://au.biz.yahoo.com/060706/17/sh1n.html

oz.fil

July 7th, 2006, 06:47 AM

cardboard

July 7th, 2006, 02:30 PM

yeh dude!!! go complain!!! why was manila overlooked!!! manila is a totally hip city ;]
can you post the list?

be realistic.
if the magazines says that manila is not hip, maybe its jsut their side of story.
however i wonder is there any magazines or organisations says that manila is one of the hip city in asia?

if there is, asia inc is wrong.
if there is none. maybe every1 is correct?

just my opinions. and i think philipinos are level headed world citizens that learns to take critism.

Espma

July 7th, 2006, 04:03 PM

^^u cannot say "everyone is correct" though (if no one says or states that Manila is a "cool" city)..coz those kinds of stuff are purely subjective, and based on opinions no matter how many people objects or agrees with it.One cannot factually say that a city is "cool" based on opinions, or even with statistics.

So duH..its obviously their side..and we just gotta accept that...its all good.

builder1010

July 7th, 2006, 04:15 PM

In my view, maybe cos manila or phillipines are a religious country, thats why manila seems more conservative and tradition. rather than hip and funky.

OtAkAw

July 7th, 2006, 04:24 PM

^^That may not be the case, our country is extremely underrated and superbly ignored. I don't know but hey, maybe it was their decision to do it on purpose, we have varied opinions and we can only hope that enlightened travellers will seek to find a more should I say, competitive travel magazine.

One issue of TIME magazine that was talking about hidden wonders of Asia haven't mentioned any site in the Philippines, and that is a good thing. If theyre talking about "HIDDEN" then we may have been very successful in hiding our sites because TIME did not find them apparently!

cardboard

July 7th, 2006, 05:01 PM

hidden from view, neglected by people, soon it will vanished. not a good thing also i think. hidden doesnt mean inaccessible.

sandrin

July 7th, 2006, 05:21 PM

They deliberately failed to mention Manila because they are threatened that Manila and the nearby provinces have more perks to offer,not like the city of utter boredom and fake people.

swatch69sg

July 7th, 2006, 09:08 PM

yeh dude!!! go complain!!! why was manila overlooked!!! manila is a totally hip city ;]
can you post the list?

Ok, they don't have ranking per se but the following cities are part of their asia's hip city list:

1. Hong Kong
2. Tokyo
3. Seoul
4. Shanghai
5. Bangkok
6. Singapore
7. Kuala Lumpur
8. Jakarta
9. Taipei
10. Dubai
11. Mumbai

Lili

July 7th, 2006, 09:14 PM

^^ :( Manila is not even considered a "hip" city.

Well then, we'll go for "punk" city. ;)

In my view, maybe cos manila or phillipines are a religious country, thats why manila seems more conservative and tradition. rather than hip and funky.

You want funk? Try the Pasig river. :lol:

swatch69sg

July 7th, 2006, 09:14 PM

be realistic.
if the magazines says that manila is not hip, maybe its jsut their side of story.
however i wonder is there any magazines or organisations says that manila is one of the hip city in asia?

if there is, asia inc is wrong.
if there is none. maybe every1 is correct?

just my opinions. and i think philipinos are level headed world citizens that learns to take critism.

The ASIA INC magazine does have a website (http://www.asia-inc.com) but it's not updated. The latest was when they feature the March 2006 issue.

Guess, we can send them an inquiry email asking what were their criteria for choosing the hip cities and why Manila was not even considered in the list, to think it is more modern, more funky and more vibrant than some of the cities listed there (ie. jakarta, etc), in my own personal opinion.

Below is the URL for their contact detail:

http://www.asia-inc.com/March06/contactAI_mar.htm

Letters (feedback)
===============
All letters intended for Asia Inc publication must include the writer's name and address. Please provide a fax or telephone number in case we need to contact you. Letters will be edited if necessary.

Asia Inc Singapore Office
150 Cecil Street
# 13-00
Singapore 069543

(T) 65 6232 8622
(F) 65 6232 8620

(email) influence@team.asia.com

swatch69sg

July 7th, 2006, 09:27 PM

Guys, I tried to navigate the ASIA INC magazine website and came accross one of their past special features called "What's Hot in Asia"
http://www.asia-inc.com/March06/HOTinasia_mar.htm

Looking at the countries they featured, thought they deliberately missed out Philippines again? It seems that their writers have history of neglecting Philippines in their feature country list. They are featuring What's Hot in Asia and yet they have included Australia and NZ (although they have featured asians in these 2 countries), but without the Philippines? WTF! Their writers must be given basic lessons in geography first..hehe

swatch69sg

July 7th, 2006, 09:28 PM

Lili

July 7th, 2006, 09:57 PM

I think the way to grab the attention of this magazine is for businesses engaged in the Philippine tourism industry as well as Philippine-based retail businesses to advertise in its pages.

That's the weakness of the Philippines. The marketing of touristic sites is nil or very dismal. A case in point is the Philippine consulate here in New York. There is this huge lobby space that is only being used for occasional exhibits. They should use that prime spot to advertise touristic locations in the Philippines. I have heard that the Philippine consulate is prevented from using the space for purely business reason but promoting the country redounds to the benefit of the Philippines and is invested with public interest.

bulakenyo

July 7th, 2006, 10:04 PM

Mas maganda naman ang Lonely Planet basahin. I mean it's more accurate. It's not superficial. And it's one of the very few publications that REALLY matter to travellers.

OtAkAw

July 8th, 2006, 11:02 AM

hidden from view, neglected by people, soon it will vanished. not a good thing also i think. hidden doesnt mean inaccessible.
Nature lived for 4.5 billion years without us and she survived, we humans are the ones who's killing her, tourism might bring money but in the long run it will destroy nature. I just like the way The Philippines is dealing with tourism nowadays, it is in moderation, the government is not up to doing the tasks in protecting the country's ecology, imagine if tourism explosion occured.

Animo

July 8th, 2006, 09:24 PM

By Edgardo J. Angara

THE Philippines is blessed with a rich and extraordinary cultural heritage. Unfortunately, many of our important and irreplaceable structures have given way to commercialization, and the repositories of our culture are literally fast becoming a thing of the past.

We have not made use of our cultural and historical heritage as a comparative advantage in the tourist market. We have lagged far behind our Asian neighbors in attracting tourists. Even Vietnam, a country ravaged by war, attracts more visitors in a year than we do.

I believe we have much more to offer than beautiful beaches. Time and again, I have advocated for Philippine tourism policy to be anchored on our country’s historical and cultural heritage, as well as environmental endowments. We can find them in almost every corner of the country, and yet we see that many of our historical and national treasures either lay in shambles or are left to benign neglect.

The most successful tourist destinations – countries like Italy, Spain and France – capitalize on their history, culture and natural beauty. Tourism alone is a key factor in driving their economies. Even our neighbors Cambodia and Thailand have done significant work in preserving their heritage. Our current conservation efforts, however, are so inadequate to stop the decay of our historic wealth.

Investing in the preservation of our heritage would prevent cultural bankruptcy and keep our unique legacy. Not only are they main tourism attractions, but more importantly, the foundation upon which we can trace our identity and plan our future. By preserving our heritage, we keep our integrity as a people.

E-mail: edgardo_angara@hotmail .com
http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/07/09/OPED2006070968888.html

overtureph

July 9th, 2006, 12:33 AM

Japanese-speaking guides in Cebu “spotty”
By Richard A. Ramos

THOUGH CEBU HAS long been recognized as a certified tourism magnet in the region, it seems that tourism services still leave much to be desired if one goes by the negative opinions about a few frontliners in the industry.

Despite the heavy presence of Japanese tourists in Cebu for the past couple of decades, feedback from this market indicated that they find Japanese-speaking guides in Cebu not much to their liking, perhaps due to some perceived cultural differences.

According to Rosvi Gaetos, head of DOT’s Team Japan, Japanese visitors find such local guides somewhat unfit for their job due to several factors such as over-familiarity with the Japanese guests, spottiness in service standards, usage of street-speak Japanese lingo, and a lacking of crisis management skills.

She explained that Japanese visitors did not appreciate friendly gestures of the guides such as pats on the back and other bodily contact. These were deemed off-putting by guests who probably expected a more formal interaction with their guides.

In fact, Gaetos added, “Many Japanese visitors were also surprised and turned off at the crude language used by the guides as it was quite unfit for the situation on hand.”

Guides were also seen as being caught in a fix during crisis situations, implying their inability to handle emergencies or contingencies.

Gaetos spoke during the whole-day Tourism Congress, one of the seven conferences held during the InTourPreneur 2006 (Information and Communications Technology, Tourism, Entrepreneurship) event held as part of Cebu Business Month (CBM).

“There is a need for sensitivity for the guides towards their guests. Services have to be meaningful and personalized in order to communicate and touch base more effectively,” she stressed.

To remedy the problem, the said a seminar would be held in Cebu sometime in to update guides on their Japanese language proficiency, situational and industry skills.

She expressed optimism that the seminar, the first of its kind in the country, would go a long way in upgrading industry professionalism and ironing out the kinks in the communication process between the guides and the tourists.

The view from the guides

According to Rafael Tura, past president of the Cebu Association of Tour Guides (CAT-G), the observations were valid. He agreed that some guides needed further training, adding that he was already aware of the shortcomings. He knows many Japanese visitors are offended by the casual way they are addressed, especially when sign language is resorted to.

“This is why I am happy when several guides agreed to attend this event upon my invitation. I wanted them to see for themselves the problems in the industry so we could come up with some possible solutions,” Tura informed What’s On & Expat in an exclusive interview.

Teresa Ang, immediate past president of CAT-G, urged tour operators to choose the best guides in their team to create a positive impression on Japanese tourists and avoid misunderstandings or misinterpretations.

“There are many of us who can do a better job. The tour operators could have contacted the better members in the industry who are more experienced. And it was the DOT (Department of Tourism) which trained us how to speak Japanese,” she told What’s On & Expat.

While she said she has known of the negative feedback for some time, she believed that it was unfair to lump the entire CAT-G as incompetent. She said many members conduct themselves professionally.

However, she admitted that she did not know the exact number of licensed and unlicensed guides because licenses are renewed on a yearly basis by the local government unit.

Recently, however, the DOT offered itself as the licensing and accreditation arm for tour guides to ensure that standards are met.

But according to Dulce Rivera, another CAT-G past president, there are a number of Japanese tourists who do welcome friendly and affectionate gestures. She believes these are repeat visitors who have grown accustomed to local customs and culture.

Cultural differences

For her part, Regional Director Dawnie Roa has admitted that her office has offered basic and advanced Japanese lessons for the tour guides on a regular basis. The catch, though, is that her staff learned the language from some tour guides themselves, and may not be aware certain words and gestures are inappropriate, especially among fist-time visitors and a market described as “elite.”

“While we thought we were already advanced, it is not so. We realized our mistakes and will try to remedy them. But I believe that this is merely due to cultural differences wherein the informal approach has not jibed with the expectations of the Japanese,” she revealed during the open forum.

She said guides mean no harm by being familiar and believed it expressed the warm attitude of the locals which, unfortunately, clashes with the gentility Japanese tourists expect.

Roa welcomed the proposed training seminar in October so it could stress the importance of cultural sensitivity to tour guides.

Expats air pluses, minuses on Cebu, RP
By Richard A. Ramos

LONG-STAYING EXPATS based in Cebu and Manila voiced their opinions and experiences, as well as their countries’ perceptions on Cebu and the Philippines in hopes of raising the level of awareness among the locals and improving the country’s image as a viable tourism destination.

Henry Schumacher, executive director of the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, admitted that the Philippines is not viewed in a positive light in Europe as Europeans would rather opt to travel to other Asian countries for travel and leisure purposes. This may be traced to negative media reports which have cast the entire country in bad light, even if damaging stories occur are isolated.

In order to cast Cebu in a better light, he urged the province to position itself differently and distinguish itself from the rest of the country. This would allow Cebu to stand on its own merit.

“It is important that Cebu not receive the same treatment as the rest of the country. Cebu does have a lot of assets that should be promoted to the rest of the world,” Schumacher said during the recent Tourism Congress held at the Teatro Casino in Waterfront Lahug. The Tourism Congress is one of the six components of the InTourPreneur Conference 2006 (Information and Communications Technology, Tourism, and Entrepreneurship) held to celebrate Cebu Business Month last month.

Cebu’s assets, Schumacher enumerated, are its skilled labor force, its English proficiency, its strong values and its robust service sector—factors which have also highlighted Cebu as a ripe investment haven. He also pointed out the healthy Information Technology (IT) and IT-enabled services sector demonstrated by the presence of over a dozen call centers and many more Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs) centers sprinkled within the city.

Pluses he cited in Cebu’s the tourism sector are the presence of dozens of hotels and resorts, the booming spa and wellness infrastructure, friendly environment, and warm locals.

On the other hand, he called for the trimming of the bureaucracy, a cut down on dishonest taxi drivers, investment delays, street clean-up, and the solution of right-of-way issues.

The view from China and Spain

People’s Republic of China Consul Cui Lousheng recommended several measures which would lead to better tourism cooperation between China and the Philippines.

This included increased contacts with tourism officials in China, closer analysis of the Chinese tourism market and the creation of tour packages to suit their needs, full usage of sister-city ties plus the organization of more promotions via exhibits, and more direct flights on both sides.

He also batted for more tourism collaterals about the Philippines in China since there is very little information about the country in his native country.

Honorary Spanish Consul Jaime Picornell took stock of the past as he recalled the three simple tourism measures that propelled Spain to become a tourism powerhouse in Europe.

Foremost, he said, is that accommodations for tourists always cover a clean bed, toilet, and room anywhere in Spain without exception. Secondly, restaurants always display the day’s menu outside their establishments to alert tourists to cheap and filling meals.

“The result is that Spanish cuisine has now become the world’s third leading cuisine, next only to Chinese and French food. Take note that many ala carte servings, even snacks, are more expensive than the meal,” he bared.

He also said that Spain has a national ID system that everyone follows, including the Queen. This enables tourists to report their complaints to the proper authorities for immediate action.

These measures have resulted in a disciplined and involved citizenry who are tourism-conscious.

Picornell also said Europeans perceive the Philippines based on news headlines.

“In the Seventies, they related the country with Imelda Marcos, the former First Lady. In the Eighties, it was Cory Aquino. Later on, it became child prostitution, coups, Mount Pinatubo, and so on. Most recently, it was Paco Larranaga, who was absolved from the death penalty,” he narrated.

Larranaga is a Cebuano of Spanish descent who was sentenced to lethal injection, along with six other men, for the alleged abduction, rape, and murder of two sisters a few years ago. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo recently abolished capital punishment after months of dissension from the Catholic Church and objections aired by the European community.

B&B

Based on feedback, Moya Jackson, Honorary British Consul to Cebu, batted for the creation of more bed-and-breakfast type of accommodations, common in the UK and the rest of Europe.

“Hotels here are much too expensive. Europeans do not want to spend all their money on a hotel room. The country lacks middle-of-the-road hotels with clean accommodations,” she observed.

To answer the lack of accommodations in the countryside, Jackson suggested the conversion of ancestral houses into bed-and-breakfast outlets to capitalize on historical charm and promote rural tourism.

Another inadequacy she cited is the lack of evening entertainment in remote resorts. Expats get bored at night with nothing to do, she said, as they wish for a lively bar with good music to liven up their evenings.

She likewise bemoaned the city’s inadequate medical facilities, saying that hospitals are usually booked while patients remain stuck in the emergency room for hours due to lack of personnel. Services need to be upgraded if Cebu sees itself as a hub for medical tourism.

However, she gushed about the locals, citing the smiling faces in hotels and resorts as each guest is greeted warmly by the personnel.

“Cebu is an island paradise with so many natural assets. Concentrate on selling your good points and good family facilities. In the end, the tourist remembers the people, not the hotel,” the speaker emphasized.

Jackson also encouraged visitors to visit the Cebu Investment Promotion Center (CIPC) for investor needs as the office has always proven to be accommodating and efficient in handling would-be investors.

Lastly, the British Consul made a pitch for the What’s On & Expat: The Philippine Guide, calling it most helpful and useful in informing visitors about what’s worth seeing in the Philippines.

http://www.whatson-expat.com.ph/main.htm

overtureph

July 9th, 2006, 12:53 AM

The La Mesa Watershed click on Travel http://www.whatson-expat.com.ph/main.htm

cardboard

July 9th, 2006, 06:26 AM

Nature lived for 4.5 billion years without us and she survived, we humans are the ones who's killing her, tourism might bring money but in the long run it will destroy nature. I just like the way The Philippines is dealing with tourism nowadays, it is in moderation, the government is not up to doing the tasks in protecting the country's ecology, imagine if tourism explosion occured.

thats true,
so i think we need to conserve our rainforest in southeast asia.
but we need more regulations dealing with the illegal loggers and big tycoons.

marites4

July 9th, 2006, 09:00 PM

THis about sums it up.

Put a little love in your heart
AS A MATTER OF FACT By Sara Soliven De Guzman
The Philippine Star 07/10/2006

I’m sure Secretary Ace Durano of the Tourism Department is counting the number of heads of the balikbayans arriving each day. As you can probably figure out yourselves, more balikbayans arriving spells out more income generating opportunities for the Philippines.

First, I would like to congratulate the "Ace" man himself (not Manny Pacquiao this time) for his efforts in building the image of the Philippines to the whole world. He seems to be the only one determined to help the country these days. His campaign to encourage local folks to visit places in the Philippines instead of traveling abroad is working. He has made us appreciate the beauty of the Philippines through the power of media. And thanks to some advertisers like Smart and the Magic Wow microphone, we are able to see the colors of our culture in television. I hope more advertisers help the efforts of the Department of Tourism in their plight to showcase our land, culture and traditions.

The local mayors have an important role to play in welcoming our balikabayans. They must support the Department of Tourism. How? By making sure their roads are clean and not "lubak-lubak" (with potholes). The pile of garbage typical of a street is a disgusting sight. Even as much as you tell us there is no garbage in your area — we can see it around, so just clean up!

Balikbayans love to walk around their area. They are excited to go to the nearby market to buy their favorite food, fruits, kakanin (sweets made out of rice or flour) and mane (peanuts). They will surely buy walis tambo (broom) which is not available abroad and tsenelas (slippers). They will buy so many things in that market but if the market is ugly and smelly, forget about it. They will go to a better market and you lose the business in your district. What an opportunity missed.

On Sundays, they will visit their local parish and meet friends. But if the parish is not organized but instead surrounded with dirty beggars, this becomes a threat to their safety. By the way, Mayor Lito Atienza can you direct someone from your most efficient staff to make sure that the sidewalks around Quiapo church is free from stagnant, smelly water and is constructed well? So many people visit that church daily and I tell you it is quite a horrendous adventure. I went there with my balikbayan relatives last month and they were not pleased. In fact, they were scared for their lives. There were not enough street lamps and no sight of police in the area. We were holding hands and clutching our bags as if it were the end of the world.

Well, let’s face it, some people are not used to the environment especially with all those characters selling "magic" potions, candles, begging, etc. There are also religious fanatics and fortunetellers. It is a fun place to go but we need to feel safer in the area. Not to mention the underpass which is very creepy at night. I happened to be there during a blackout and there was no generator nor emergency light. The strength of the Quiapo church is its pilgrims who have "panata" — that is why it is crowded all the time but some choose not to go there because of the condition in the area. It just needs further improvement. I’m sure you can do something about that. The city of Manila has already improved three-fold in the past years.

The streets where these balikbayans live must also be cleared off any basketball courts, talyer (car repair shop), signage works, etc. I don’t know why we Filipinos are not particular about the use of our public streets we tend to use it for private consumption and we get away with it. Why haven’t the barangay captains been able to put a stop to this? Is it because the people who violate the use of the public sidewalk or street is their compadre (help me with the translation of this word), inaanak (godchild) or pinsan (cousin)? Is there some point system that the mayors do? What if a barangay captain is not performing well, what happens to him or her?

In my area of Project 8, Quezon City the squatters under the bridge were already evacuated a year ago. They left the area but somehow managed to return. Now it is a community again. When the rains come, their lives will be at risk and whose responsibility will that be? Shouldn’t the local government prohibit squatters in areas were their lives will be threatened? I am sure Mayor Belmonte does not know that these things are happening in his district — sorry I happen to live in Quezon City so I will tell him myself through my writings. More to come Mayor B!

And as for you Mayor JV, I haven’t forgotten you. First, let me thank you for finally listening to me and clearing up the sidewalks in the Greenhills area. There are no more street vendors on the sidewalks of the Greenhills shopping complex. However, may I call your attention on the pasilyo or paseo (passageway) from West Crame, San Juan to the Greenhills area. That passageway where people should feel safe to walk has become a Korean market where goods are being sold. Are you renting that out to vendors? How much are you making there? Shouldn’t that be a public walkway? Why has it been converted to a mini-mart? Why not direct those vendors and Koreans to rent stalls in the Greenhills tiangge?

Speaking of the Greenhills tiangge. That has become a haven for our tourist. When you go to Manila you should not miss the Greenhills tiangge. I love it too but it has been too crowded nowadays. The Greenhills Complex Management (I am not sure if it is still headed by Mr. Drilon) has overcrowded the stalls in the passageway between Shoppesville and Greenhills Theater. Attention Mayor JV this is still your jurisdiction. Safety must be your concern. Please look into this. Not only is it a "firetrap" but customers don’t have breathing space anymore. Furthermore, there are so many "standby boys" in the area aside from the sellers. The environment is very much conducive to snatching and hold-up — please look into it. I am sure this will worry Secretary Durano. Just like Wowowee, a must-visit show of balikbayans, the Greenhills tiangge has built its reputation for a must-go shopping place not only for tourists but also for the locals. Let us try to take care of the valued customers. Maybe you should go and see it for yourself "Ace"!

Comfort Rooms is a necessity for all. So, make sure there are available clean public toilets. The malls have made an effort in improving their toilets. The gasoline stations in North and South Expressways have also good toilets. But in the tourist spots like in Luneta, Intramuros, Churches, museums and other local destinations more improvement has to be done. It only costs around P15,000 to P30,000 to improve your toilets so why not invest on them. Our local governments must inspect these tourist destinations and encourage their local businessmen to improve their environments — this will mean more patronage by local and foreign travelers.

The only missing link here is information for travelers. Maybe the "Ace" man should have more Information Centers in the major airports, gas stations and malls. With all your efforts in promoting the Philippines it would be a waste not to have vital information available to the local and foreign guests.

Much more to do but with your vigor and energy — as the saying goes, "you can do it!" Of course, with a little help from the mayors and your friends. As the song goes,

beads_strawberries

July 10th, 2006, 07:32 AM

^ Nice one. I think the secretary has really stepped up his efforts to pursue and continue the campaign on tourism. We have been seeing a lot of innovations from the department to step up their campaign towards tourism.

We have seen the buses and the jeepneys, we have seen the wow website and the wow magic sing and we have seen the tourism jobs fair as well. Hopefully, the next round of innovations and campaign will bring more tourists in our country.

Manila-X

July 10th, 2006, 12:16 PM

I don't find the no. of balikbayans coming in the Philippines that fascinating at all. Better to see an increase on the no. of foreign tourist. Foreign as in NO Filipino lineage.

Manila-X

July 10th, 2006, 12:19 PM

Mas maganda naman ang Lonely Planet basahin. I mean it's more accurate. It's not superficial. And it's one of the very few publications that REALLY matter to travellers.

At least better than Frommers. Frommers article on The Philippines is 100% negative!

Espma

July 10th, 2006, 12:29 PM

I don't find the no. of balikbayans coming in the Philippines that fascinating at all. Better to see an increase on the no. of foreign tourist. Foreign as in NO Filipino lineage.

what's the big difference though?! balikbayans and "foreign" tourist both inject money to the local industries. In fact a lot of foreigners tend to be more thrifty when spending money overseas....(my opinion anyways). Its funny how Filipinos in the Philippines see them foreigners as cash cows...when seriously majority would want to stretch their money to as farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr as it can go.

Having said that, has there been some sort of study on that? wether balikbayans spend more than "foreign" visitors or vice versa?!!!

Manila-X

July 10th, 2006, 12:32 PM

Manila-X

July 10th, 2006, 12:34 PM

what's the big difference though?! balikbayans and "foreign" tourist both inject money to the local industries. In fact a lot of foreigners tend to be more thrifty when spending money overseas....(my opinion anyways). Its funny how Filipinos in the Philippines see them foreigners as cash cows...when seriously majority would want to stretch their money to as farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr as it can go.

Having said that, has there been some sort of study on that? wether balikbayans spend more than "foreign" visitors or vice versa?!!!

Yes both bring money to the tourism industry. But this is just me, I prefer seeing different kinds of people or races in the Philippines than seeing just the same kind. Just like HK where you see a great diversity of people.

terrapinoy

July 10th, 2006, 09:40 PM

From ehotelier.com

Spanish hotel chains to enter Asia via RP

Jul 06, 06 | 1:57 am

Two Spanish hotel chains wooed by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo when she visited Madrid last week will invest in beach resorts in the Philippines.

Tourism Sec. Joseph "Ace" H. Durano told reporters, after Mrs. Arroyo and her party arrived yesterday, that Occidental Hotels and Resorts and the Nueva Rumasa Group have chosen the Philippines as their first investment site in Asia. He said they noted the large number of Japanese, Koreans, Chinese visiting other Asian countries as tourists.

"None of the hotel chains in Spain have any investments in Asia. So this will be the first time for the two hotel chains to invest not only in the Philippines but in Asia," he said.

"They're not investing here because of Spanish tourists...Essentially, they have seen how Japan, Korea and China have become our largest source of tourists. This is one reason why they decided to put their investments here...because they want to know how to do business with these types of tourists, because they know that in terms of tourism, the fastest growing is really in Asia," he added.

Mr. Durano said Occidental and Rumasa will each invest P2 billion to P4 billion in beach resorts, and add a total of 800 to 1,000 rooms to current capacity. Occidental representatives will arrive next month to scout for locations, while Rumasa representatives will be visiting the country within the year.

Mr. Durano said the main constraint of the Philippine tourism industry has been the lack, and consequently the high prices, of rooms.

"Our hotel prices are high because of high demand and the low supply of rooms. To stabilize prices, we need to increase the supply," he said.

"The growth of tourist arrivals right now is outpacing capacity expansion. So, the more we can expand, the more tourists we can accommodate," he added

:okay: Occidental operates really nice resorts all over the Caribbean and Mexico.

Animo

July 11th, 2006, 12:32 AM

^^ Great for the Visayas! :)

sugarboy

July 11th, 2006, 12:39 AM

@Animo! I really like your new avatar! Anything that has a black bull ona red background is my fave. In fact I have numerous paintings na Sangre y Arena ang theme :okay:

amigo32

July 11th, 2006, 03:23 AM

Animo

July 11th, 2006, 09:35 PM

Wow Spanish hotels! Saan kaya magandang location?

It would be in the Visayas.

RP inks 350-M euro deals with Spain

The Philippine Star 06/30/2006

MADRID (via PLDT) — The Philippines will get some 350 million euros in fresh investments from Spanish businesses as a result of the visit of President Arroyo here while other deals remain in the pipeline.

Trade Secretary Peter Favila said Filipino businessmen and their counterparts were still finalizing other agreements for possible investments in the country.

He said Banco Bilbao Vizcaya, one of Spain’s top banks, will offer a 200-million euro credit line facility to Burgundy Global Exploration Corp. in Palawan.

Others include the development of Port Irene in Cagayan (50 million euros), hotels and resorts (50 million euros) and projects to facilitate growth and commerce (50 million euros).

"There are still ongoing talks between the Philippine and Spanish businessmen," he said.

Favila said Spanish investors in the Philippines would also meet with Mrs. Arroyo here such as the cement producer Semex and Soluciones, an electricity company with a stake in giant power retailer Manila Electric Co.

Favila said other businessmen were also interested in infrastructure projects such as railways, sea ports and others.

He added various areas of investments were discussed such as information technology, mining, defense system and technology, waste management, water treatment, tourism and even traffic systems.

Two large hotel chains in Spain, Favila said, would also meet with Mrs. Arroyo to determine whether they would push through with their investments in the Philippines to be able to establish a greater presence in Asia.

These are the Occidental and Ramada groups of hotels.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said they would offer Subic, Palawan, Boracay, Bohol and other provinces with great beaches to these prospective investors.

Durano said he had also met with Qatar airlines and the six largest tour operators here to be able to implement tourism promotion and attract more scuba divers to the Philippines.

He said it would be important to have a target market so its government would get a quick return on its investments in tourism promotion.

Durano noted only 8,000 Spanish tourists came to the Philippines last year but this could increase if diving sites and other beaches in the country were introduced to them properly.

Animo

July 11th, 2006, 09:38 PM

@Animo! I really like your new avatar! Anything that has a black bull ona red background is my fave. In fact I have numerous paintings na Sangre y Arena ang theme :okay:

Ah, really? One of my favorite colours is red too. It seems red goes really well with toros. Jejeje, ¡olé! :D

death327

July 13th, 2006, 04:50 PM

By CORNELIO R. DE GUZMAN

The lack of hotel rooms may soon slow down tourist arrivals in the Philippines until new hotels are built or old ones are upgraded or rehabilitated.

Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano said the Philippines has now reached its full capacity for international arrivals expected to surpass the targetted three million by the end of this year.

Durano said it means "even if 10 million people would come to visit the Philippines if we can only accommodate three million then you can only get three million.’’

"We have already hit the ceiling of our capacity in both air seats and hotel rooms," Durano said.

‘’Although we have a double digit growth rate in tourism arrivals compared to the same period last year we are seeing that we can’t grow any faster until we expand our capacity. For the past two years we concentrated in statistics of growth of arrivals which is the pulse of the tourism industry.

He said through these efforts tourism which used to be a dying industry has recovered and is now stable.

"We would like now to expand our capacity by constructing more hotel rooms, or improving and upgrading existing ones,’’ he said.

He said our room capacity today is 20,000 rooms of third, fourth and fifth star hotels that are DoT-accredited. "We are not counting the non-star hotels since foreign tourists do not patronize them,’’ he added.

Durano said the good news is that 2,000 new high-end rooms are now in the pipeline and will be ready for occupancy this year and next year. It includes the newest and the biggest Imperial Hotel of Korea (400 rooms) that would be inaugurated on July 21 in Mactan; and the Shangri-La Boracay which is nearing completion.

Durano said under the industry standard 80 to 85 percent occupancy rate means full occupancy already because there is no really 100% occupancy considering the turnover that is some guests are checking in while some are checking out or some rooms are being renovated.

To accommodate the targeted five million tourists in 2010, Durano said, the Philippines needs 40,000 to 45,000 rooms. He said this can be done because these rooms do not all have to come from new hotels only. "We can upgrade 2-star or 3-star hotels to 4 to 5 star hotels,’’ he explained.

He said the the reason we are targeting 4 or 5 star hotels is that they employ more people. The ratio is one room employs two. A five-star hotel, the ratio is one-room employs four people. One reason we are targeting the high-end tourists is not only employment generation but more revenues. "A high-end visitors spend 10 times more than the local tourists spend."

Secretary Durano is included in the list of senatoriables in the survey commissioned by Malacañang because of his clean image, winability, youthfulness and excellent performance as DoT chief. But Durano said in an interview: I am not yet ready for the job of senator. He said the only reason he accepted the DoT post was in the belief he could do the job.

Asked what will happen to his tourism program if he is still drafted in the senatorial ticket, Durano said: "Whoever will come next I am sure the President will think hard to ensure the success of tourism.

Source: Manila Bulletin (http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2006071369147.html)

beads_strawberries

July 17th, 2006, 07:19 AM

Super Ferry cuts down rate to boost local tourism more particularly in the Visayan and Mindanao region. The slashing down of rates will certainly create an effect to those who have financial reservations with regard to traveling on other regions of the country because they will be charged less now.

chixbebe

July 17th, 2006, 10:27 AM

The Department of Tourism has launched a marketing campaign to lure the huge Indian tourist market whose outbound travelers are expected to top 7 million in 2006.

The department, together with the Philippine embassy in India and Cathay Pacific Airways, on Friday organized the first-ever Philippines-India travel exchange that brought to the country 15 wholesalers and travel agents from the cities of New Delhi and Mumbai.

Considered the world’s second-largest nation with a population of 1.1 billion, India is also one of the largest tourism markets with a huge middle-class population of between 250 million and 350 million.

San Jeet of PR firm Buzz Marketing said with the Indian economy growing at 7 to 9 percent annually, the number of outbound Indian travelers is expected to also grow by 9 percent annually, reaching 50 million by 2020.

He said Indian tourists this year were expected to spend a total of $2.5 billion, with average per visit spending amounting to $1,200 in countries like Singapore, or four times the average per visit spending by Chinese travelers.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano cited the importance of selling the Philippines to India, because the country accounted for only 0.30 percent of the total 6.5 million Indian tourists who traveled abroad in 2005.

Durano noted that Singapore and Malaysia garnered a sizable volume of the total Indian tourist traffic. Data showed that in 2004, some 471,181 Indian tourists visited Singapore and another 172,966 went to Malaysia.

“That’s why we are now looking into how we can acquire a bigger share of India’s traveling population. Through the familiarization tour and the travel exchange, we hope to have a clearer picture of what we can offer the Indian tourists in terms of tourism products so they will start coming in bulks to our shores,” he said.

The tourism chief said there was a possibility that the department would soon launch a series of promotions tailored specifically for the Indian market, like the ones conducted in China, Korea and Japan.

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=business04_july17_2006

OtAkAw

July 17th, 2006, 05:12 PM

Now is the perfect time to build that on-hold Ritz Carlton in Makati. Oh how I wish hotel moguls would look at our country and INVEST!

MarkiiBoi

July 19th, 2006, 06:07 PM

Spanish hotels to enter Asia via RP

Two Spanish hotel chains will soon invest in beach resorts in the Philippines.

The Department of Tourism reported that Occidental Hotels and Resorts and the Nueva Rumasa Group have chosen the Philippines as their first investment site in Asia.

The DOT said "None of the hotel chains in Spain have any investments in Asia. So this will be the first time for the two hotel chains to invest not only in the Philippines but in Asia."

"They're not investing here because of Spanish tourists... Essentially, they have seen how Japan, Korea and China have become our largest source of tourists. This is one reason why the Spanish decided to put their investments here... because they want to know how to do business with these types of tourists, because they know that in terms of tourism, the fastest growing is really here in Asia," The Tourism Department added.

Occidental and Rumasa will each invest P2 billion to P4 billion in beach resorts, and add a total of 800 to 1,000 rooms to current capacity. Occidental representatives will arrive next month to scout for locations, while Rumasa representatives will be visiting the country within the year.

MarkiiBoi

July 22nd, 2006, 01:35 AM

FLAVORS of the Phils in Japan

The Philippine Department of Tourism and Japanese company Travel Café Co. Ltd. will open the first of its kind "Travel Café Philippines" in Tokyo on July 25.

Travel Café Co. Ltd. is a leader in the café business in Japan, operating a number of themed coffee shops all over the country.

Travel Café Philippines, located in the busy Iidabashi Station in Tokyo, is the first to be dedicated to a single country destination, combining good food with the appeal of travel to an exotic destination like the Philippines.

Travel Café brings together the country’s best talents to create a concept inspired by tradition with a contemporary twist.

Multi-awarded restaurateur Glenda Rosales-Barretto of Via Mare has developed the Filipino menu for the Travel Café Philippines, interpreted by trained Japanese chefs of Travel Café Co.

Japanese space planner Shien Co. made use of the best furniture and indigenous Filipino materials developed by the Philippines’ elite Movement 8 designers Budji Layug and Al Caronan as well as by furniture manufacturers and exporters Locsin International and Far Eastern Corporation.

The icon for Travel Café Philippines is a masterpiece sculpture of stone and glass created by Filipino sculptor Impy Pilapil.

Philippine coffee varieties Barako (Philippine Liberica) and Alamid (Philippine Civet) are featured in the menu, along with such Filipino favorites as the famous Halo-halo and Lumpiang Ubod or coconut seed rolled in egg wrapper and topped with special peanut sauce.

It will operate as a café-style restaurant at daytime and as a bar at night.

Envisioned to provide an optimum environment for making travel plans to the Philippines, the café will likewise serve as an information hub for the Philippines, offering diners a vast collection of travel references.

Visitors can browse through resource materials from books to videos shown on plasma screens. A travel concierge will be available to personally assist guests, answer queries on the Philippines, and recommend travel itineraries.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Philippines. The DoT has embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign in Japan to attract tourists, particularly women who are enthusiastic travelers.

Through a culinary experience and a unique themed setting, Travel Café Philippines aims to provide the Japanese, especially its women, with an opportunity to become more familiar with the Philippines and consider the country as their next holiday destination.

Espma

July 30th, 2006, 04:34 AM

has anyone actually witnessed Mayon erupt? (slowly)
must be sooo beautiful specially at night!!

Philippines sees tourism boom as volcano rumbles

By Manny Mogato
REUTERS

6:30 a.m. July 28, 2006

MANILA – Richard Paraguya was burning up the phone lines, booking foreign and local tourists keen to see a volcano in the central Philippines that began spewing lava, ash and rocks the size of cars in mid-July.
The rumbling of Mount Mayon, the most active of 22 volcanoes in the Southeast Asian country, prompted volcanologists to raise the alert level to 3 on a 1-5 scale.

The government has told thousands of people living on Mayon's slopes to evacuate a danger zone of 6 km (4 miles) around the summit but hundreds of tourists, armed with cameras and tripods, were coming in droves to watch.

'It's really an amazing sight at night,' said Paraguya of Royal Quest Tours in Daraga town, where the ruins of a Roman Catholic church stand as the only structure to survive a mighty eruption in 1814.

'While people were supposed to be fleeing from an erupting volcano, we're getting swamped with inquiries and bookings for even an overnight stay to view Mayon.'

This week, Paraguya brought two busloads of Filipino tourists to one of 11 sites identified by the local tourism department as safe spots to view Mayon's slow eruption.

Maria Ravanilla, the tourism department's regional director, said there had been a marked rise in tourist arrivals in Legazpi City, the political, social and business hub of Albay province.

'Our hotels and inns have been reporting more than 50 percent occupancy when normally they would only be registering about 30 percent to 36 percent during this period,' said Ravanilla.

She said the two daily flights from Manila were packed with American, European and South Korean tourists, who were staying for an average of two nights.

The government of Legazpi City has put up streamers and posters to encourage tourists to 'dare an active volcano' or view 'the spectacular display of beauty in fury'.

Ravanilla said more tourists were on the way as volcano experts warned of a possible full-scale eruption within weeks.

'We're expecting occupancy rates to shoot up to 80 percent once the big bang comes,' she said, noting the arrivals during this year's volcanic activity were much larger than for eruptions in 2000 and 2001.

The Philippines is on the 'Ring of Fire', a belt of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean that is also prone to earthquakes.

Mayon, in the central Bicol region, has erupted about 50 times over the last 400 years. The most destructive was in 1841 when lava flows buried a town, killing 1,200 people.