The Wutz Up in the Philippines!

Despite the economic crisis, destructive typhoons, the threat of kidnapping and gory stories of massacres, the Philippines managed to stay afloat with tourism arrivals.

Foreign arrivals still averaged 3 million, pretty much the same as in 2008. “Zero growth is better than going negative,” said Oscar Palabyab, tourism undersecretary.

The year 2009 showed a reduction in Japanese and American arrivals. But in Baguio City, Europeans topped tourist arrivals.

Palabyab lauded the city for recovering well from the onslaught of typhoon Pepeng, which destroyed major road systems and turned away the much-awaited Advertising Congress originally scheduled to be held here last November. The congress was held instead in Subic, Zambales.

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MANILA, Philippines - Beaches or water sports destinations are popular this year, based on internet search data by Google Inc.

In Google’s Zeitgeist (German for “spirit of the times”), a collection of top items searched on the internet by users from a particular area, the company identified the “fastest-rising travel destinations” in the Philippines.

Topping the list are beach destinations like Baler in Quezon province, a budding surfing hotspot; Coron town in Palawan, which is dotted with lagoons, caves, and rare fauna; as well as El Nido, also in Palawan, which is home to the posh El Nido Resort complex.

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There’s another innovative project that the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is experimenting on, which the populace seems to welcome and wishes to be further expanded, in contrast to some that have been proven to be unpopular but have stayed on for unexplained reasons, like the much maligned u-turns.

The ‘Trip Tracker’ is introduced by MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando to secure people who take public transport by logging the vehicles’ description, body number and plate number for possible future reference or tracking should something untoward happens to the commuter.

In an interview I had with MMDA executive, Angelito Vergel de Dios on the segment Motoring Forumof the long-running TV show Motoring Today, the executive director for traffic operations described how the system works. All a commuter has to do upon riding on the public utility vehicle is to text his or her name and the particulars of the vehicle. All these information would be logged into a central file and can be easily accessed should there be a need to track the said vehicle.

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CEBU CITY Aug. 10 — The Department of Tourism (DOT) is pushing for more flights between China and the Philippines, underscoring China as an important source of tourists for the Philippines amid the global financial crisis.

The DOT is also embarking on multiple promotional approaches to lure more Chinese visitors to the country.

The DOT expects more Chinese visitors to the Philippines in the coming months with the recent addition of flights between mainland China and Taiwan and Cebu and Kalibo, Aklan.

These flights include the five-weekly Kaohsiung-Cebu chartered flights of China Airlines, the twice-weekly Gungzhou-Cebu chartered flights of China Southern Airlines, the twice-weekly Shanghai-Kalibo chartered flights of Shanghai Airlines and the thrice-weekly Hangzhou-Kalibo flight of Philippine Airlines.

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MANILA, Philippines - Best known for producing the sweetest mangoes in the world, Guimaras is one of the Philippines’ smallest provinces. Actually this island in Western Visayas is not so small when it comes to tourist attractions and activities.

First-time visitors will be awed by the island’s verdant landscape, and the characteristic rural ambience now enhanced with well-paved roads that are beautifully bordered with tropical trees. They will also be enamored with the warmth of the residents, who are more interested in showing their hospitality than hawking trinkets and other souvenirs.

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In the mid-eighties when I entered the seminary to check if ever I really had the vocation to the missionary life, one of the reasons why I decided to join the Scalabrinian Congregation was due to my family situation. My father was then working as a mechanic in Saudi Arabia. I also had a brother in Kuwait and another brother who was a seafarer.

That time, there were also my aunties who were working as nurses in Canada who later on asked their families to join them as immigrants. Later did I realize that we will become a family of migrants.

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The Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board’s (LTFRB) plan to reduce the number of buses plying EDSA by 80 percent is economic sabotage, a bus operator said Wednesday.

“Parang economic sabotage kasi ilang daang milyon ang mawawala na income ng mga driver at mga operators,” Claire dela Fuente, president of the Integrated Metropolitan Bus Operators Association (IMBOA), told ABS-CBN’s Umagang Kay Ganda (UKG).

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A conference on flora and fauna will be held during the event. On July 17, the conference will focus on plants. A lecture on the cultivation of ferns and fern allies for garden landscape will be given by Anthony Arbias. This will be followed by a discussion on important Philippine orchid species by Andres S. Golamco, Jr. Other speakers include Dr. Merdelyn T. Caasi-Lit of UP Los Banos, and Ulysses Ferreras.

Animals will be the topic of discussion on July 18. Speakers will include Wally Saurez, who will be lecturing on the venomous snakes of the Philippines; Noel Rafael of Avilan Zoo, Profesrsor Panchito Labay of the Marinduque State University and Dr. Melanie Guerra

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The Bayanihan and the Banda Kawayan performs for group on Welcome Night

The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Tourism and the Department of Trade and Industry once again join hands for the 5th Ambassadors, Consuls General and Tourism Directors Tour (ACGTDT) to the Philippines.

A promotional program that highlights the Philippines as a wholesome and attractive holiday destination, the ACGTDT, now on its 5th year, encourages North Americans to experience and enjoy Philippine culture and Filipino hospitality.

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The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River in Palawan successfully landed on the top 77 nominees on the New 7 Wonders of Nature (N7WN) international poll. Organizers of the N7WN reported that the top 77 were chosen out of the 261 contenders, after the second phase of the worldwide voting ended in July 7, 2009.

“The success of this campaign wouldn’t have been possible without the Filipinos’ worldwide support. We are grateful to the people who voted and heeded our call to promote one of our national treasures,” said Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

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