Ten million tourists by 2016. Can it be done? Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez thinks so, and with a growth of 37 percent since he took over (or a yearly growth of around 12 percent) compared to an average annual growth in the previous decade of 5.6 percent, there’s a distinct possibility.
I had strong reservations about going on a long motorcycle ride in this sweltering summer heat. When you are on a bike and you are going fast, you don’t notice you are sweating. The water your body secretes to cool you down evaporates in the wind as quickly as it forms on the skin. Dehydration occurs faster than the brain can process what’s happening. I’ve seen a fellow biker literally wilt in the sun, drop his bike, pick himself up, and remember nothing afterwards.
It’s more fun in the Philippines. Well, it is if you can get there and have a place to stay. The facilities for both are in a bit of short supply right now.
I am very happy with the Department of Tourism’s campaign to promote the Philippines as a tourism destination. Its slogan, “Its More Fun in the Philippines,” is putting the country on tourists’ maps. This, I believe, will help the country earn more income, generate employment and open new business opportunities. (Who knows, after their visit, [...]
Tourism represents the Philippines’ brightest hopes and its most formidable challenges. Despite the realities on the ground, the country was described in the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013 as among “the rising stars in emerging market economies” in travel and tourism (T&T).
Murder in paradise. That headline has applied to Boracay on a number of occasions in the last few years, as the avalanche of visitors to the island and its pell-mell race to development have led to incidents of shocking crime. The most gruesome had been the deaths of architect John Cowperthwaite, art dealer Manfred Schoeni, German developer Anton Forstenhausler and their maid Irma Sarmiento in 2004; they bore multiple stab wounds when found in their beds at the villa owned by Forstenhausler on the island.
We Boholanos are happy that giant clams called taklobo have been brought to our province to be raised here. This was made possible by the Armed Forces of the Philippines which provided the manpower and equipment needed to transport the giant clams from the Ocean Nursery in Bolinao, Pangasinan. A Philippine Air Force C-130 flew in the clams which were then brought by army trucks to the Marine Protected Area in Bingag, Bohol.
It is a perfect fit, making the Philippines synonymous with the amazing flora and fauna found here—and earning tourist dollars in the process.
(Continued from Monday) The two short stories that won in the Varsitarian literary contests were later published by This Week, the Sunday magazine of The Manila Chronicle. The Varsitarian prize money, plus the money paid to me by the magazines, paid for my tuition, books, and other expenses. The next year, I took [...]
But—are we ready for it? That’s the question that comes to mind once the sense of pride and joy one gets at the news that a slew of international travel publications has highlighted the Philippines as a top travel destination this year washes over. There is, of course, no denying the significance or impact [...]
This is a rejoinder to Claude Lucas C. Despabiladeras’ letter titled “Surest way to ruin Christmas” (Inquirer, 12/29/12). I cannot agree with him more.
A COMPLETE “makeover” of Liwasang Bonifacio, in front of the Post Office Building in Manila, should be prioritized and undertaken by whoever will be the next mayor of Manila. As the city’s main entry point from the south to downtown Manila, the park, once beautified by a former mayor of Manila, is now ill-maintained, unkempt and totally neglected.
