Stella Arnaldo's Blog

DoubleDragon hotel unit says ‘hola’ to Madrid

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 22:00:00 +0000

An artist’s rendering of Hotel101 Madrid, located at Avenida Fuerzas Almadas, Valdebebas

PHILIPPINE hotelier Hotel101 will be planting its first footprint in Europe by setting up tourism accommodations in Spain.

In a news statement, property developer DoubleDragon Corp. said its subsidiary Hotel101 Global Pte Ltd. signed a Binding Agreement for the purchase of 6,593 square meters of prime commercial land in Madrid. Hotel101 Global is registered in Singapore and serves as DoubleDragon’s vehicle to expand its hotels worldwide. The statement failed to identify the seller of the property.

Hotel101 Madrid will have about 736 rooms, and is the third hotel development of DoubleDragon overseas, along with a 518-room hotel in Niseko, Hokkaido in Japan, and California in the United States. The company failed to reveal the timetable for the opening of Madrid and the US properties, but Hotel101-Niseko will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2025.

“These first three overseas sites will serve as bridge projects to jumpstart the transition of Hotel101 to become a global brand with a truly unique business concept that can be planted in over 100 countries,” said DoubleDragon chair and Hotel101 Global chair Edgar “Injap” J. Sia II.

The locally listed DoubleDragon closed at P7.85 per share on Thursday, up 10.56 percent from Wednesday’s close, on news of the Madrid property purchase.

Nasdaq listing

DoubleDragon has been issuing corporate bonds overseas to fund the overseas expansion of its hotels, the latest of which was a US$160-million offering listed in Singapore. The self-made entrepreneur Sia, who founded popular restaurant Mang Inasal said, “Hotel101 Global is envisioned to eventually become one of the Top 5 hotel brands globally with a total room portfolio exceeding 500,000 uniform rooms operating in over 101 countries by 2040.”

The young tycoon is partnered with Jollibee founder and taipan Tony Tan Caktiong in DoubleDragon. Sia said the property developer is targetting to list Hotel101 Global Pte Ltd at the Nasdaq, given that eventually hotel film “is expected to derive over 95 percent of its revenues outside the Philippines.”

Aside from expanding in the Philippines and opening hotels in Japan, Spain, and the US, Hotel101 Global will also enter the following markets by 2026: the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mexico, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Turkey, Italy, Germany, France, and China.

The company’s first development in Europe and the very first homegrown Filipino hotel chain in Spain will be similarly designed with Hotel101 facilities such as an all-day dining restaurant to be operated by a concessionaire, a business center, swimming pool, a fitness gym, and a commercial space for a 24-hour convenience store.

Target condotel revenues

“It is set to become one of the top 5 largest hotels in Madrid,” asserted Sia, as the company targeted “condotel sales revenue of about €143.3 million (₱8.8 billion) from Hotel101-Madrid project, given the high real estate investment demand in the city driven by the Spanish Golden Visa,” a residence visa issued to non-Europeans making significant investments in Spain. Under Hotel101’s business model, investors own the hotel units, which the company operates as full-service accommodations for guest bookings.

Hotel101-Madrid will be located in Avenida Fuerzas Armadas, Valdebebas, and surrounded by major landmark buildings. It is an easy three-minute walk to the Valdebebas Train Station, four-minute walk to the IFEMA convention complex, five-minute walk to the Real Madrid Sports Complex, and around seven-minute walk to the new Madrid Barajas International Airport.

Sia underscored DoubleDragon’s vision for Hotel101 is “to become world-class in all standards and create job opportunities to Filipinos, who reside in the Philippines or abroad, and bring a pinch of pride and honor to each and every Filipino from anywhere around the world where Hotel101 will eventually locate and operate.”

BSP chief joins concerned groups on Maharlika Fund

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 05:01:00 +0000

CONCERNED Filipinos are adding their voices to economists and Philippine officials, who have expressed their opposition to the proposed legislation, which seeks to create a P250-billion sovereign wealth fund, now being rushed for approval in the House of Representatives.

A petition on Change.org titled, “Hands off our SSS and GSIS contributions, NO TO House Bill 6398!” already picked up 20,000 signatures as of Dec 5, exceeding its initial target of 15,000. The petition is picking up steam as it tries to reach a new goal of 25,000 signatories.

This developed as Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Gov. Felipe Medalla was cool to the idea of creating the Maharlika Wealth Fund (MWF), as proposed in House Bill 6398, warning of the dangers of another 1MDB scandal in the making. The fund’s creation has been supported by Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, a former central bank governor, who curiously, even backed the use of gross international reserves (GIR) and overseas Filipino worker remittances as seed money for said fund.

On Friday, 2nd district Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, chair of the technical working group refining HB6398, released revised provisions in the proposed legislation meant to allay concerns of the public, economists, and fellow lawmakers. Primarily pushed by House Speaker Rep. Martin Romualdez and Deputy Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, HB 6398 proposes to use pension funds under the Social Security System (SSS) and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), as well as funds of state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines, as seed capital for the MWF.

Other co-authors of the controversial bill include Reps. Jose “Mannix” Dalipe, Stella Luz A. Quimbo, Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, and Jude A. Acidre.

No to GIR use

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Medalla said, “To me, the experience of 1MDB of Malaysia is the biggest risk. Even if the current guys are okay, will the guys five years from now still be okay? It’s a governance issue.” Under a revised provision of HB6398, the President of the Philippines, now Ferdinand Marcos Jr., “shall sit as chairperson” of the Maharlika Wealth Fund Corp., the fund’s administrator. Salceda said in a interview with GMA’s 24 Oras, it was President Marcos who “ordered” the creation of the sovereign wealth fund.

The 1Malaysia Development Bernard (1MDB) scandal refers to the embezzlement of Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, of which some $700 million ended up in the personal accounts of then Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Medalla also took exception to the use of the GIR for the fund, which “could affect the independence of the central bank. For instance, if they say they will take the central bank’s dollars, then what will we use if the reserves are reduced because they have been taken by the sovereign wealth fund? We’ll have less ammunition the next time there is international volatility that is related to the people and the dollar.” The GIR is the sum of all foreign exchange inflows into the country, and are held by the Bangko Sentral to cushion the economy in case of market shocks, like a steep weakening of the local currency.

Meanwhile, economists such as Calixto Chikiamco and former Finance Undersecretary Romeo Bernardo have expressed concern as well over HB6398, underscoring the timeliness of the fund’s creation and the inherent risks in investing it.

Gov’t has no excess funds

In an interview over Teleradyo, Chikiamco described it in Filipino as a “good idea, at the right time. But today is not the right time. Why? Because the right time is when the government is flush with a lot of money but right now, the government’s budget deficit is 6 percent of GDP (gross domestic product). When government has a lot of money, we can set aside excess funds for the sovereign wealth fund.”

Bernardo, an analyst of the New York-based Global Source Partners, said the proposed bill “will add to Philippine financial risks. The proposal is poorly-timed, with external balances under stress and government debt and borrowings elevated, and it raises the specter of Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal traced ultimately to poor governance.”

Meanwhile, the Change.org petition opposing the use of government pension funds as seed money for the MWF said, “The bill allows investments on ‘Financial derivatives’. THESE ARE HIGH-RISK INVESTMENTS! Have they forgotten 2008?” The global economic crisis that year was precipitated by financial derivatives invested in subprime mortgage assets.

The petition, created by De La Salle University associate professor David Michael San Juan, who is also the third nominee of the ACT Partylist, added, “The bill has no mechanism to directly give profits to citizens (especially SSS and GSIS). Profits would instead be channeled to the government financial institutions. And the profits are not even guaranteed ha.”

Less aid for MSMEs

It added the use of LandBank and DBP funds to capitalize MWF “would drastically limit the funds which the said government banks could lend to MSMEs (the backbone of our economy, in terms of jobs creation) and ordinary citizens.” MSMEs refer to micro, small, and medium enterprises which account for over 90 of the companies in the Philippines.

The petition warned, “As the bill allows the fund to draw from the annual General Appropriations Act or supplemental appropriations, this can possibly reduce available funds for vital social services such as healthcare, education, housing etc.”

Among the revised provisions HB6398 released by Rep. Salceda on Friday, included the removal of the GIR as seed capital for the MWF, but the BSP will still be required to contribute “50 percent of its annual dividends,” while the National Government’s annual contribution to the said fund is “subject to the recommendation of the Secretary of Finance.”

The equity contributed by state pension funds and GFIs will be “in the form of common or preferred shares, convertible securities, and other forms, as may be determined by the Board of Directors; provided, that preferred shares and convertible debt instruments issued by the MWFC to the government financial institutions shall be guaranteed by the National Government.”

Not covered by GCG law and OGCC review

The revised bill also provides, “The head of the GFI with the most capital contribution shall sit as vice chair and the chair of the executive committee in charge of the management of the MWFC; 11 regular members representing the Fund’s shareholders, in proportion of their corresponding shares or equity investments; and two independent directors from the private sector who may come from the Philippine Stock Exchange, Bankers Association of the Philippines, and the academe.”

Section 27 of HB6398 exempts MWFC from the GOCC Governance Act of 2011, which means its officers can hold longer terms than the one-year apointment for Chief Operating Officers of other state agencies.

The bill also exempts “transactions and assets of the MWFC and MWF” from direct and indirect local and national taxes.

Likewise, the bill exempts the contracts entered into by the MWFC from review by the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel.

PHL to lift borders for vaxxed foreign tourists from 'green' countries

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 18:17:00 +0000

Passengers arriving at Naia-3 (Image courtesy Roy Kabanlit /Creative Commons)

VACCINATED tourists from many of the Philippines’ top 12 markets will be the first to take in the sunsets on Manila Bay and frolic in the country’s beaches, as government takes the initial steps in lifting its borders to foreign nationals. These include China, Japan, and India, as borders are being eyed for reopening by December 2021.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat announced on Friday that the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has approved in principle the entry of fully vaccinated tourists from Green List countries/territories/jurisdictions.” Guidelines on their arrival are still being finalized by the Special Technical Working Group (TWG) on Travel. She told the BusinessMirror, “I hope these will be approved by next week.”

Aside from these countries, others on the Green List include: Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, American Samoa, Bhutan, Chad, Comoros, Ivory Coast, Falkland Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, China, Japan, Indonesia, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Mali, Marshall, Islands, Montserrat, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Paraguay, Rwanda, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sint Eustatius in the Lesser Antilles, South Africa, Sudan, Taiwan, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

In a news statement, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said, allowed to enter are individuals inoculated with “vaccines recognized by the country’s Food and Drug Administration under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) or those authorized by the World Health Organization.”

Romulo Puyat said, “Allowing tourists from green countries or territories that have the majority of its population vaccinated and with low infection rate, will greatly help in our recovery efforts--increasing tourist arrivals and receipts among others. This move will likewise aid in bolstering consumer confidence, which is a large contributor to our gross domestic product or GDP (gross domestic product) growth.”

She noted other countries have already reopened their borders to international leisure travelers. “Our Asean neighbors like Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia also did the same. We believe that it is also time for us to reopen our borders for inbound tourism as a way towards full recovery.”

For his part, Tourism Congress of the Philippines president Jose C. Clemente III said, "After almost two years, we are very pleased to know that foreign visitors from the Green List countries will soon be allowed to enter the Philippines without need for a quarantine period. We hope that this is the start of the revivial of the tourism industry moving forward.”

He added: "We also continue to remind our stakeholders to not let their guard down despite of the eased conditions. The pandemic is still around and we reiterate our call to continue observing health and safety protocols to ensure that we can remain open."

The DOT is also currently working with the Small TWG on Travel on a separate proposal for vaccinated travel lanes or travel bubbles for vaccinated tourists coming from yellow list countries. There are still ongoing talks on travel bubbles with the governments of Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, with possible partner destinations such as Metro Manila, Bohol, or Cebu, which host international airports.

Prior to the pandemic, the Philippines welcomed 8.26 million tourist arrivals in 2019, up 15 percent from the previous year. Of the total arrivals in 2019, tourists from China accounted for 21.1 percent, Japan (8.3 percent), and India (1.63 percent).

Confused by announcements of June 1 flights? Here's what really went down

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 04:28:00 +0000

Image from My Boracay Guide

THE CIVIL Aeronautics Board (CAB) on Saturday stopped Philippine carriers from selling tickets for flights, which were supposed to commence on Monday, June 1, as the National Capital Region shifts to general community quarantine (GCQ) status.

This developed as reports reached the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) about complaints from local government units (LGUs) saying they were not ready for commercial flights. Pioneering flag carrier Philippine Airlines had announced late Friday it would commence domestic and international flights on June 1.

An advisory signed on May 30, 2020 by CAB Executive Director Carmelo L. Arcilla, a copy of which was obtained by BusinessMirror, said, “Please be informed that the IATF has yet to approve the routes for domestic operations in the first week of June 2020. Consequently, airlines are hereby advised to cancel their flights on June 1, 2020 and to stop selling tickets for the said date.”

The advisory was released at around 7 p.m., and sent to the CEOs and other executives of the Air Carriers Association of the Philippines, Air Juan Aviation Inc., Air Philippines Corp., Airswift Transport Inc., Cebu Pacific, Cebgo, Isla Aviation Inc., PAL, Philippines Air Asia, and SkyJet Airlines.

Following the CAB advisory, PAL revised its plans, and announced on Saturday evening that its domestic flights would resume on June 8. Aviation sources intimated CAB had actually approved the flights for June 1, but failed to inform the IATF. CAB officials did not respond to text messages from this paper.

Meanwhile, Undersecretary for Tourism Regulation, Coordination, and Resource Generation Arturo P. Boncato Jr. said several provinces in the south requested for a postponement of commercial flights to prepare their airports and resorts for hosting of tourists. Among these are Siargao and Boracay.

“The provincial government of Surigao del Norte would like to prepare for the reopening of Siargao especially dealing with incoming flights and reopening of resorts, etc. They are working on their protocols,” he said. The province has requested the IATF for a “suspension of regular airport operations up to August 31,” and discourages the entry of tourists, as per the LGU’s Executive Order 20-018 issued on May 30.

Boncato added, “The province of Aklan and LGU of Malay are also doing simulations and dry runs for reopening and have yOn et to announce a reopening date.” Malay hosts Boracay Island, dubbed one of the best beaches in the world. The island is building a Covid-19 laboratory, in anticipation of the tourist influx, said the DOT official.

Other provinces which have also declined to reopen for tourism were Bohol and Baguio. These provinces have been placed under MECQ and as per IATF regulations, are allowed to resume tourism activities.

On Saturday, the CAB also reminded airlines that they are not allowed to accept passengers going for leisure activities in areas under GCQ.

In an advisory signed on May 29, 2020 by Arcilla, the agency said, “Under the Omnibus Guidelines on Community Quarantine, movement in areas under GCQ for leisure purposes shall not be allowed.”

It also prohibited the travel of “persons below 21 years old,” as well as senior citizens, along with which have “immunodeficiency, comorbidities, or other health risks, and pregnant [women].… For purposes of compliance, airlines shall vet or screen departing passengers to confirm that the travel is for non-leisure purposes.”

The advisory, released Saturday morning, also reminded carriers on health and safety protocols to be followed in airports and onboard their aircraft, to protect crew and passengers from the novel coronavirus.

On Friday, the DOT clarified on Friday that under GCQ, tourism and leisure-related activities were still prohibited. (See, “No hotel operations, leisure travel allowed under GCQ,” in the BusinessMirror, May 30, 2020.)

*This was my original story submitted to the desk, before it got wrapped with another reporter's copy.

On being Lucio Tan Jr.

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 05:11:00 +0000

LUCIO "BONG" TAN JR.

BACK in 2008, I had the distinct privilege of interviewing Lucio “Bong” Tan Jr. for a magazine for which I used to work. I must admit, I approached him with some trepidation; after all, his temper on the basketball hard court and on the golf green was almost legendary.

But it was a very subdued and polite Bong who sat down for the interview, surprising me with his amiability. He even displayed the same flashes of wit his father has been known for at certain times and among certain company. He poked fun at himself — jesting that he probably looked like his achi Vivienne, as a makeup artist went on to put some light lipstick on his face for a fashion shoot — and at his powerful taipan of a father (“I don’t wear white socks.”).

Bong was nurtured by his mother Carmen, his amah, and grew up with six sisters – Vivienne, Karlu, Rowena, Sheila and Jesslyn – Bong being the fifth among the siblings. (He was father to Lucio Tan III called Hun-Hun, now 27, and Kyle, 23, his sons with the former Julie Chen, a Taiwanese-American.)

The family home

Bong grew up in the family home along Biak-na-Bato St. in Quezon City. From the outside, the property looks unremarkable except that it occupies an entire block spanning from Maria Clara St. and Dapitan St., in Sta. Mesa Heights, and has a helipad. I joked that we were practically neighbors as I grew up in the same area as well.

But it was a good place in the 1960s and 1970s to bring up one’s children especially if one were just starting a family. This was where many Manila-based Chinese-Filipino families flocked to after the Ruby Tower collapsed in 1968.

Bong said his father “trained” him and his siblings “not to splurge.” He remembered receiving a meager allowance when he went to college at the University of California in Davis, so he had to work two jobs, like his American classmates — as a gym manager and a basketball coach — just so he had enough money to spend for his needs.

Until his move to California, he also led a very “spartan life” from 1984 and 1986, as he studied at the Beijing University in China to deepen his appreciation of the native language and culture. “There was no McDonald’s yet then,” Bong recalls, but he said it was the best time to be in China. “It was actually the last chance to learn the culture before it opened up. I went back, now it’s so different. I’m still lucky that I went also during that time, under the old China, to study history and the language.”

His sense of fashion

At this interview, Bong is just wearing a powder blue shirt jack over dark pants, the kind popularized by a certain, ahem, strongman in the '70s. “I started wearing it 10 years ago, and now a lot of corporates are wearing it.”

Asked if he liked men’s wear from Prada or Hugo Boss, he says: “Believe it or not, I also go for sales, and sometimes I give it (my shirt) away, when people like it. If it’s Hugo Boss how can you give it away?” he laughs. (Ironically, for the fashion shoot, he is dressed up in a navy blue Hugo Boss suit, which fits him rather well, although he did display some self-consciousness as the photographer flashed away. Bong does wear business suits when the occasion calls for it, but for casual wear, he uses athletic shorts, a T-shirt and sneakers when going to the mall.)

Although not really fond of luxury brands, Bong told me, “I like fresh-looking clothes,” and readily admitted to reading male fashion magazines like GQ. “I like wearing clothes that nobody has seen yet. But I’m not brand-conscious.”

But yes, Bong says it’s not been easy carrying the name of his namesake father, who by a recent account in Forbes, is worth $3.3 billion. As the only male in his father’s first family, he had been bruited to be the one to take over from his father, someday. (Just last October 28, he was appointed president of PAL Holdings Inc., the listed firm that owns and operates the flag carrier Philippine Airlines, aside from being vice chair already of the PAL board. He also sat on the board of the LT Group Inc. and held positions in other Tan-owned companies like Asia Brewery Inc., Eton Properties Philippines Inc., Tanduay Distillers Inc.)

“I feel pressured of course, and also it’s challenging. It is a challenge to put in practice all that you learned right?” Bong remarked. He was supposed to work in a bank after graduating in 1991 from UC Davis with a civil engineering degree, “But my Dad told me to come back [to Manila] already.”

A taste of tobacco

His first job at Fortune Tobacco Corp., was as a tobacco leaf inspector, which he described as “hell! It was so hot in the warehouse, I had to inspect all the tobacco deliveries to check if they were the right grades. I had to change my shirts at least four times a day. And that was free ha! I had no salary, parang OJT (on-the-job training).” When the tobacco season was over, he was moved around different divisions to learn up close the operations of the cigarette company.

As a manager, Bong described himself as “approachable, everyone can call me up, text me on my cell, they know I will answer unless I have a game or in a meeting.” (Indeed he was quite accessible even to media. Bong was one of the very few PAL officials who would go on record for interviews, and respond to my text messages.)

He said anyone could go to him if there were problems in the company. “I’m a guy who has to listen to both sides [of an argument]. I will always ask, ‘Okay who’s the other party?’ but I will not tell him that I will call the other side. I will say I will think about it then I call the other side. If I can settle it, okay, if not, I consult an expert on the issue. If it’s just a small matter, I just tell the one who complained to me, ‘ibigay mo na [let it go]’.”

The succession plan

But Bong stressed even then, the succession issue in the family is not actively talked about, even as some media reports point to him as the heir apparent. Unlike other Chinoy business families, like Henry Sy Sr., John Gokongwei, George Ty, Andrew Gotianun and those of other taipans, his father has not publicly anointed anyone as his successor.

I asked Bong then about his main “rival” as heir-apparent, his half-brother Michael, who is older than him by just three months, and also holds major positions in their father’s businesses. (Few people know that Bong and Mike were actually good friends, despite being pitted against each other since birth. I am told that the Mike had visited Bong at the ICU, and has been at the latter’s wake every night. “He is deeply affected” by his brother’s passing, said a source.)

But Bong is obviously uncomfortable discussing the issue. He leaned into me as his voice drops a tad lower, as if not wanting to let anybody hear his answers. He knows he can’t evade my questions, yet respectfully answered them without giving too many clues.“We never talk about it,” Bong stressed, adding that no one is really sure who’s going to take over from his father, if and when, the latter retires. Now at 85, Kapitan continues to attend board meetings and manages his businesses through a few trusted lieutenants.

“We have a different plan,” Bong underscored during our chat then. “We have a different system in choosing an heir apparent, whoever is more deserving.” Pressed to explain what that meant, he merely said, “It will be someone whom people will be comfortable with.”

(Our heartfelt condolences to the Tan family, friends of Bong, and his staff.)

*Originally published in the Asian Dragon, edited for brevity, and updated to include current events.

Duty Free PHL seeks higher profits by trimming staff

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Sat, 06 Apr 2019 02:53:00 +0000

THE DUTY-FREE Philippines Corp. is seeking to streamline its organization in an effort to trim costs, and increase its profits.

This was disclosed by DFPC Chief Operating Officer Vicente Pelagio A. Angala to select media on Thursday, while expounding on the aim of the government corporation to be a leaner organization.

At present, he said, DFPC has some 800 employees, which includes sales staff at its malls, airport kiosks, and branches nationwide. Asked how many employees may be trimmed by the reorganization, Angala declined to say, but added, “let’s put it this way, we can work with half the number,” or about 400 employees.

He intimated that the salaries of the employees impact on the bottomline of the company, and it may be possible for its malls and outlets to operate with just a sales manager or a cashier, but the concessionaires themselves will hire their own sales force and support staff.

He said the reorganization “will be done in phases” so as not to disrupt the operations of the corporation, an attached agency of the Department of Tourism (DOT).

The new Luxe Duty Free outlet of DFPC at the Mall of Asia complex is targetting the mainland Chinese market. (Image courtesy DOT)

For the year ending December 31, 2016, personal services reached some P470.4 million, accounting for 24 percent of total operating expenses that year. No audited financial statements have been made available for the years 2017 and 2018.

Earlier, Angala said the DFPC is targetting to hit some $220 million (P11.66 billion) in sales this year, just 1.4 percent higher than the $217 million (P11.5 billion) generated in 2018. While no figures were available yet for 2018, the corporation netted a profit of P179 million in 2017, up 9 percent from the P164 million earned in 2016.

He is hoping the opening of the new Luxe Duty Free outlet at the Mall of Asia complex, which targets the mainland Chinese tourists in the country, along with new stores in provincial airports such as in Puerto Princesa and Panglao Island, will help boost the sales of the corporation.

Meanwhile, in its thrust to help increase the income of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as local farmers, DFPC recently added homegrown brands to its online shopping web site.

Three months after the online shopping web site was launched, customers can choose from over 150 products, from perfumes and cosmetics, liquor, toys, confectionaries and now export-quality Filipino brands.

“For three decades, Duty Free Philippines has been known to be the haven of luxury and imported goods. That is still true but we want to also emphasize the importance of enabling our local entrepreneur,” said Angala.

Some of the local products available at www.dutyfreephilippines.ph are Just Fruit manufactured in Metro Manila; Kick-start Coffee of Silang, Cavite; Malagos Chocalates of Davao; Risa Chocolates of Las Piñas City; Tanay Hills Coffee of Rizal; and VuQo Premium vodka of Caloocan City.

Angala added that all 54 local brands available at all Duty free stores will be available online before the end of the year.

To shop online, customers need to provide their flight details. Items will be prepared and customers could pick them up at the airport.

Each passenger is allowed to buy up to $1,000 worth of items, 48 hours upon arrival.

At the Luxe outlet, the Filipiniana section currently featuring items from the SM Mall’s Kultura section will be slowly replaced by the premium export-quality consumer products, liquor, and furniture crafted by Filipino artisans.

Overseas Filipino workers and balikbayans (returning Filipinos) can shop up to 15 days from date of arrival. The shopping privilege is further extended to 30 days during the Christmas season (for those arriving from November 15 to January 15 the following year).

Senior citizens and persons with disabilities have an extended privilege of shopping up to 365 days from the date of their arrival in the country.

Under the Tourism Act of 2009, 50 percent of the revenue of DFPC is remitted to the DOT for tourism-development projects

*Originally published in the BusinessMirror, April 4, 2019.

Gov't to remove people, not hotels in Boracay (UPDATED)

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Sat, 18 Aug 2018 11:38:00 +0000

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will be adopting a "low-density" plan for Boracay Island, as part of its efforts to rehabilitate the area and reduce the latter's environment stress.

A high-ranking DENR official said, however, a low-density plan did not mean the number of hotels and resorts would be reduced, even as the agency finalizes the study on the island's carrying capacity.

In an interview with this writer, DENR Undersecretary for Attached Agencies Sherwin S. Rigor said the agency will be releasing the carrying capacity study “within this month, because we are finetuning [it]. We’re including the weight of the facility also, not just of human beings. The first question there was the carrying capacity of people. But we discovered also the degradation of the environmental areas there, including the use of land. So we included that as well.”

The inter-agency Task Force Boracay estimates that the carrying capacity of the island, hailed by travel publications as one of the best islands in the world for its long, powdery, white-sand beach, was breached in 2009, when visitor arrivals then reached some 650,000. Last year, visitor arrivals on the island reached 2 million, more than half of who were foreign tourists.

(UPDATE Aug. 26: The Task Force already discussed the carrying capacity study commissioned by the DENR, and drawn up by scientists from UP Los Baños in their meeting last August 22, Wednesday. Members of the task force, however, have declined to release said study.)

The Environmental Literacy Council defines "carrying capacity" as an ecosystem's ability to support people and other living things without having any negative effects. "It also includes a limit of resources and pollution levels that can be maintained without experiencing high levels of change. If carrying capacity is exceeded, living organisms must adapt to new levels of consumption or find alternative resources. Carrying capacity can be affected by the size of the human population, consumption of resources, and the level of pollution and environmental degradation that results. Carrying capacity, however, need not be fixed and can be expanded through good management and the development of new resource-saving technologies."

Rigor said the DENR is “moving forward [toward making Boracay a] low density development” because right now, it is now “high density. It’s a matter of [the island’s] land use.” But he clarified that in moving towards a low-density development plan for Boracay, this would not mean a significant reduction of the number of hotels and resorts on the island. “Definitely there is decongestion. So you must decongest what part you want to decongest. Right now, [there are] the hotels, the tourists, the workers coming from the other islands who are not residents of Boracay. So we're willing to make a balance; the workers are the ones who will be transferred, just to make the [island focused] on tourism development.”

Task Force Boracay wants to use the masterplan designed by Architect Jun Palafox, which featureslow-rise accommodations, expansive green spaces, a rail system or environmentally-friendly transport vehicles, among others. But it was not clear if the Task Force would pay for the masterplan or the local government of Malay, which commissioned it.

Rigor also disabused the public’s perception that Boracay Island is overbuilt. “It's not overbuilt. It's overused and overpopulated. We will be making a full plan of it…. At present, we're planning to remove the workers living on Boracay. There are about 20,000-30,000 who occupy forestlands, wetlands, [and] lands owned by the government. So when we transfer them to the mainland, that will substantially decrease the population.” He said the 20,000 workers are in just one shift. In contrast, there were about 18,000 tourists who visited Boracay daily.

He stressed that the DENR will likely not move to reduce the number of hotels and resorts on the island, “because there is still area you can build upon.” During the last hearing of the Senate Committee on Tourism, Senator Nancy S. Binay pointed out the need to determine the carrying capacity of the island before it is reopened, and found out that hotels and resorts were already selling their rooms in anticipation of said reopening. (See, “To open or not to open Boracay Island, that is the question for Binay,” in the BusinessMirror, July 17, 2018.)

But Rigor stressed that accommodation establishments on Boracay “cannot sell yet their rooms until they are compliant. Without the compliance, we will not open them. But we will open Boracay.”

The DOT has estimated that there are 430 hotels on Boracay, with rooms at some 15,000 as of March 2018. It also said it was targetting only 30 percent of the rooms to be available for tourist bookings by October 26, the announced date or Boracay's reopening. (See, "Only 30% of Boracay hotels seen opening by October 26," in the BusinessMirror, August 13, 2018.)

He expressed confidence that the rehabilitation of the island was still on track to reopen on October 26. “We still have 90 days. We're confident [we will reopen on schedule],” adding that the widening of the main road need not be 100-percent completed. “You just need to start where are the congestion of hotels,” he averred.

President Duterte ordered the closure of Boracay Island, once dubbed the “best beach in the world” by travel magazines, for six months beginning April 26. It was to make way for the government rehabilitation program, which entails the restoration of environmentally-stressed areas, completion of the sewerage system, removal of easement obstructions, widening of the main road, construction of a diversion road, and decongestion of the island of transport vehicles.

In 2017, the island generated some P56 billion in tourism receipts.

Stakeholders to DOT: Let’s keep ‘It’s More Fun…’ tourism slogan

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 10:17:00 +0000

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo / Special to the BusinessMirror

THE Department of Tourism’s (DOT) plan to change the Philippines’s tourism brand and campaign slogan was met with a barrage of negative reactions from tourism industry stakeholders, with netizens even giving their own “fun” spins and possible new slogans.

Cesar Cruz, president of the Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa), told the BusinessMirror that the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” brand and campaign slogan launched in 2012 “should not be changed yet. It has not really reached its maximum potential.”

Being a tourism industry veteran, he said, “I think the country slogan shouldn’t be changed every administration; it takes time for the brand or the campaign slogan to achieve its maximum potential. It’s only now that ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ has gained acceptability here and abroad. Maganda ang dating nya satourists.”

Cruz’s view was echoed by Aileen Clemente, executive vice president of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines, saying, “Large brands in the private sector do not change slogans in short periods of time because, more than an expense, it is an investment. I would rather see that we continue the momentum and enhance what needs to make it better.”

For his part, Arthur M. Lopez, president of the Philippine Hotel Owners Association, also opined that the DOT should keep the “Fun” brand and campaign for the Philippines. “On a commercial point of view, for advertising recall and for continuity, it pays to stay with the current slogan.”

He believes that “it takes time for a new slogan to take effect.”

The “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” marketing campaign was conceived by advertising agency BBDO Guerrero, and launched in January 2012 under then-Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr., who is an advertising veteran, as well.

Initial conception for the slogan itself amounted to P5.6 million, but the subsequent media placements and advertising campaign have run into billions of pesos since its launch in 2012. These include advertising placements on buses and taxicabs in London, ad placements in major newspapers in key markets and window ads in New York.

DOT insiders say the agency and its marketing arm, the Tourism Promotions Board, spent approximately $61 million (about P3 billion) spread over four-and-a-half years for developing the campaign and media placements.

Current Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo announced in Cebu recently that the DOT is now soliciting new proposals from advertising agencies for a new brand and campaign slogan for the country.

She said it was “normal” for every administration to change tourism marketing slogans, and that the new one, to be launched in mid-2017, would reflect the change and reforms being instituted by the Duterte administration.

Taking inspiration from the DOT’s direction, netizens actively took to their keyboards to create memes of possible new slogans for the DOT from "Come to the Philippines and have a killing good time," to reflect the over 2000 extrajudicial killings that have happened since Duterte took office, to “(expletive), ang ganda ng Pilipinas!” to reflect the President's colorful language.

Meanwhile, Philtoa’s Cruz pointed out that even the “Wow! Philippines,” marketing campaign conceived under the administration of former Tourism Secretary Richard J. Gordon in 2002, “became very effective not even during the time of Gordon, but because we continued the campaign. So the impact of the slogan was sustained when other Cabinet secretaries, like Durano, etc., came in.”

Cruz also stressed that in other countries, they have kept their slogans and country branding for a long time. “For Thailand, for example, they made some tweaks but their slogan continues to be ‘Amazing Thailand.’ For India, it’s still ‘Incredible India’, and so on. If we change our slogan again, how long will it take until it reaches its acceptability?”

Cruz added: “Let’s be honest, it’s only now that the ‘Fun’ campaign is really reaching its potential, and after the country branding, now the campaign has been tweaked to promote the provincial destinations. It takes time to develop, but we have yet to explore [other dimensions] of the campaign.”

Aside from the length of time that a brand attains a certain level of acceptability, Cruz said there are other priorities that have to be attended that could boost visitor arrivals, such as infrastructure, air-traffic congestion, etc. “It’s expensive [to develop and launch a tourism campaign]. With the very limited budget that we have for our investment, we will have to spend so much, which is money we can use for other things that need to be prioritized, like marketing, promotion, infrastructure, etc.”

Clemente, who is also president of Rajah Travel Corp., said, “When you change a slogan, it is effectively changing the branding. The consequences of doing so have a larger impact than one may originally think of. Since branding not only distinguishes us from that of another, it is critical that the adoption of the brand by all stakeholders is considered.”

She added that there needs to be an independent assessment using quantitative and qualitative metrics to show whether a brand or campaign slogan has been effective, which will determine the need to change the brand or slogan, or to keep it.

(This piece was originally published in the BusinessMirror, Sept. 15, 2016.)

Fil-Am visitors lift lean travel season*

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 06:01:00 +0000

TOURIST NUMBERS have picked up with the arrival of some 300 Filipino-Americans and their mainstream American friends, just as the lean travel season has set in.

The visiting Fil-Ams are in Manila for the 9^th Ambassadors, Consuls General and Tourism Directors Tour of the Philippines (ACGTDT) from July 28 to 31, which features an audience with President Aquino, lunch at Heroes’ Hall, and a tour of Malacañang on July 30. Aquino is expected to speak to the participants and boast of his administration’s successes on the economic front and his drive against corruption.

“Through this successful tour program, we are able to entice Filipino-Americans as well as their friends in the US to visit us and to deepen their appreciation of the history, heritage and culture of our country and the natural warmth of our people. Aside from being a safe place to travel, the Philippines is one of the best places for medical and wellness tourism as well as a retirement haven,” said Domingo Ramon Enerio III, chief operating officer of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), in a press statement released over the weekend. The TPB is the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), one of the lead agencies that implements this tour program.

The lean travel season usually begins in June and lasts until October-November, reflecting the country’s monsoon season which also attracts a number of strong typhoons.

The balikbayans (returning Filipinos) and their American friends will be coming from Washington D.C., where the Philippine Embassy in the US is located, as well as Hagatña, Guam; Chicago; Honolulu; Los Angeles; New York; and San Francisco, which host Philippine consular offices.

The program was launched in 2005 during the term of then Philippine Ambassador to the US (now Foreign Affairs Secretary) Albert del Rosario and implemented in cooperation with the DOT and TPB.

In July 2011, it was designated as a banner tourism project under the DOT’s Pinoy Homecoming Program. Major sponsors include the Western Union, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza), Duty-Free Philippines (DFP), and Philippine Retirement Authority. Tieza and DFP are also attached agencies of the DOT.

In a separate press statement, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia, Jr. described the 9th ACGTDT as “a wonderful opportunity for balikbayans and our American friends to experience some of the Philippines’ best tourist destinations.” He will be leading the delegation from the US.

Enerio said tour participants arrived to a VIP reception with sampaguita leis at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Sunday, with the rest arriving today, Monday.

The participants paid for a basic tour package, which cost $530 (excluding airfare) for a four-day/three-night (double occupancy) stay at Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati with daily buffet breakfast, lunches and a welcome dinner with entertainment at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel, and a fellowship night hosted by Western Union. Roundrip international airfare was via Philippine Airlines where applicable.

Enerio added that participants will also join the wreath-laying ceremony at the historic Rizal Monument in Rizal Park (formerly Luneta), and may opt to go on special tours to Corregidor, Intramuros, the Metropolitan Museum at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Manila Ocean Park, shopping malls, or have spa treatments.

“To cap this year’s visit, the participants will be brought via guided tours to the luxurious resort of Pico de Loro Cove at Hamilo Coast in Nasugbu, Batangas. They will arrive to a festive welcome of native songs and dances with rondalla music with the ‘Star for All Seasons”, now Provincial Governor, Vilma Santos-Recto, and Nasugbu Mayor Charito Apacible personally joining them throughout their stay at Hamilo Coast,” the TPB chief said.

The participants will feast on a sumptuous Southern Tagalog lunch and be entertained with a cultural show. They will have a free afternoon where they can enjoy indoor games and outdoor sports, go island-hopping, swimming, snorkelling, or scuba diving. The coastal area of Batangas is located within the Verde Island Passage dubbed by marine biologists as the “center of the center of marine shorefish biodiversity.” More than 65 percent of the world’s marine species, endangered sea creatures, and some 300 coral species can be found in this area.

Meanwhile, Rajah Tour Philippines has arranged optional tours for the participants to other destinations Laoag-Vigan, Cagayan de Oro-Camiguin, golf clubs in Southern Luzon, Davao, Cebu-Bohol, Iloilo-Bacolod, Kalibo-Boracay, Camarines Sur-Albay, and Puerto Princesa-Palawan. These tours are scheduled from July 31 to Aug. 2.

From January to April 2014, visitors from the US (266,972) and Canada (56,571) accounted for 19 percent of the 1.7 million total visitor arrivals for the period.

“We encourage our countrymen here to invite their relatives and friends in the US and Canada to plan and book for these tours, especially for ‘Visit Philippines 2015,’” said Enerio.

The DOT has targetted foreign visitor arrivals to reach 6.8 million for 2014, and 8.2 million for 2015. Foreign visitor arrivals numbered 4.7 million in 2013, falling short of the 5.2-million target for the year.

*Have no idea if my piece was published in the BusinessMirror today as its web site is under construction. So there.

Oops!

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 05:41:00 +0000

SORRY guys! I've been remiss again in my blogging duties. Too much work! (on Twitter, Facebook, Viber...yeah, yeah.) Will rev this up soon. Like today!

Thanks for checking in.

New air pact, stronger DOT marketing to increase Singapore visitors to PHL

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 16:36:00 +0000

SINGAPORE continues to be the top source of tourists for the Philippines in the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), encouraging the Department of Tourism (DOT) to continue its strong marketing push in the city-state.

In 2013 there were 175,304 visitors from Singapore, up 18.09 percent from the arrivals in 2012. For the first month of 2014, the Singaporean market contributed 13,399 visitors to the Philippines, an increase of 10.46 percent from the January 2013 level.

There is optimism at the DOT that those numbers for Singapore would rise significantly over the next few months, with increased flights between the city-state and the Philippines, and a more strategic marketing initiative by government tourism bodies.

In an interview, Tourism Spokesman and Assistant Secretary for Market Development Benito Bengzon Jr. said one of the aims of the recently concluded air talks between the Philippines and Singapore was to grant additional traffic rights to the designated carriers of both countries. “The increase in frequencies and the opening of new routes would provide more opportunities to increase two-way traffic between the Philippines and Singapore,” Bengzon told the BusinessMirror.

He added that the agreement “also paves the way for promoting both countries, particularly to long-haul markets.” The designated Philippine carriers that would benefit from the new air pact are Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Tiger Airways Philippines.

The Philippines and Singapore finalized a new air-service agreement in February, increasing the number of seats from Manila to Singapore to 17,600 per week, from 13,800 for each country.

Also, the new memorandum of understanding between both countries expands their fifth-freedom traffic rights, allowing Singapore carriers to pick up passengers from the Philippines, and bring them directly to China, on top of Osaka and Seoul. Philippine carriers, on the other hand, are now allowed to pick up passengers from Singapore to India, on top of Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.

As such, the DOT will now “step up our market-development efforts in Singapore, targeting young couples, divers and expats,” Bengzon said.

For his part, Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Chief Operating Officer Domingo Ramon Enerio III said: “Singaporeans look for eco adventure and nature tour options because they’re surrounded by urban infrastructure with limited opportunities for outdoor activities. They look for the relaxing space to escape from their fast-paced work style.” The Philippines, he pointed out, offers Singaporeans that kind of escape from their urban jungle.

He added that “they’re our No. 1 market from Asean and have potential to grow even more.” TPB is an attached agency of the DOT tasked with marketing the Philippines to local and foreign tourists.

Meanwhile, in the first month of 2014, total visitors to the Philippines rose 5.8 percent to 461,383.

South Korea again emerged as the top market for the Philippines, with 118,308 visitors, accounting for 25.64 percent of the total. However, South Korean visitors dropped by 12.36 percent from 134,994 in January 2013.

In the second spot was the United States at 71,042, which accounted for 15.4 percent of market share; followed by China at 49,538 (10.74-percent market share); Japan at 35,160 (7.62 percent); Australia at 20,747 (4.5 percent); Canada at 16,413 (3.56 percent); Singapore at 13,399 (2.9 percent); Taiwan at 12,448 (2.7 percent); Hong Kong at 11,587 (2.51 percent); the United Kingdom at 11,098 (2.41 percent); Malaysia at 8,697 (1.88 percent); and Germany at 7,616 (1.65 percent).

Diplomatic issues aside, the mainland China market grew substantially by 98.53 percent from the January 2013 level of 24,952, as well as the Hong Kong market, which rose by 39.43 percent from 8,310. The Taiwanese market, however, slipped by 23.02 percent from 16,170 in January 2013.

(This piece was published in the BusinessMirror on March 27, 2014.)

Travel Bites: The 'Galapagos of Asia'

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 15:38:00 +0000

THE first time I heard about Sibuyan Island was from my father. During World War II, as the Japanese military forces spread to the Visayan region, my father’s family left home in Capiz and took refuge on the island, in the province of Romblon.

If you look at the map, it’s easy to see why. Sibuyan’s relative isolation it is one of the three major islands that make up Romblon—made it an ideal sanctuary from the vagaries of war. And while there has been intermittent commercial air service between Manila and Tablas (the larger of the province’s islands), travel to Sibuyan has mainly been via ferry or pumpboat.

On the upside, the island’s relative seclusion has kept its environment pristine. It’s been dubbed as the “Galapagos of Asia” because of its rich biodiversity, with over 50 tree species found unique only to Sibuyan, as well as a number of endangered mammals and birds that are endemic to the island. According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) web site, “the forest density in Sibuyan is 1,551 trees per hectare, making it the densest forest ever recorded in the Philippines.”

Mount Guiting-Guiting is a favorite of mountain climbers. It's name is taken from the vernacular describing its jagged edges, or "guiting-guiting". (Photo from http://www.wowromblon.com/)

Many of these flora and fauna can be found deep in the forests of Sibuyan and are now endangered because of previous DENR policies that allowed the cutting of trees as well as commercial mining operations. Despite the fervent opposition of the local government, the Catholic Church, and Sibuyan residents to mining, the island was not included in President Aquino’s Executive Order on mining, which listed 78 protected zones (only Romblon island was categorized a “no-go” zone).

Every December, the main municipality of San Fernando celebrates the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception (December 8) through the Pag-alad Festival, with costume and float parades, and street dancing. It’s best to visit Sibuyan during the dry months, although sea transports still operate during the monsoon season. Just be prepared for a rough and tumble ride.

Must-see's

After setting down your bags in your local inn or resort, you can hire a tricycle or Jeepney to take you around the island. Here are a few spots of interest:

Mount Guiting-Guiting is a favorite of mountaineers because of the tremendous challenges in climbing it. It is a series of jagged peaks—hence, the name guiting-guiting in the vernacular—so expect terrain pitches up to angles of 90 degrees. It was declared a national park in 1996; but the unfettered encroachment of upland settlers who live off the mountain has resulted in some areas of balding due to slash-and-burn farming. Still, it makes for a great hike in the lower regions of the mountain. Those who intend to climb to the summit need to secure a permit and a local guide at the DENR Substation in Barangay Tampayan, in the town of Magdiwang. (For inquiries, contact: Hurley Salig, provincial environment officer of Odiongan, Romblon at (042)567-5030; or 0917-8831125).

Swim with the fish and shrimps in the Cantingas River, declared as the “cleanest inland body of water in the Philippines,” and the second-cleanest river in the world. The river has carved its own path amid a lush, fertile valley, which visitors can view in its entirety by climbing a viewing platform, or taking a zip-line ride hosted by the Cantingas River Resort in San Fernando. Thrillseekers can also jump off specific ledges and dive into the cool waters of the river. (Contact: Aniceto Aganan, 0906-1617708).

Firefly watching at the Magdiwang River (Photo from www.romblon.com)

Take a cruise at dusk along the Magdiwang River to watch fireflies! These winged beetles try to attract their mates or prey with their luminous bellies and are seen usually flitting about mangrove trees making the latter look like lit-up Christmas trees! After the one-hour cruise, you can have dinner at the river’s Floating Restaurant. There is also a fish sanctuary nearby which can be visited earlier, if you’re into snorkeling. (Contact: Teroy Rivero at 0919-802907).

Frolic in the cool waters of several waterfalls on the island. Busay Falls and Dagubdub Falls are in San Fernando, while Lambingan Falls is in Magdiwang. Be warned, however, that there is some amount of rock climbing and trekking involved so wear comfortable hiking shoes and bring a change of clothes. Aside from the rocks where these waterfalls flow over and around, there are a myriad of local flora that might be easily missed. On closer inspection, for instance, the carnivorous pitcher plants abound in Dagubdub Falls. Because of its height, Busay Falls is the most picturesque of the three. (Tricycles can take you to the various waterfalls but at some point, you have to hike the rest of the way.)

One shouldn’t miss the Cresta de Gallo Island, a relatively uninhabited islet 45 minutes away by outrigger pumpboat from Barangay Azagra in San Fernando. Although there are no resorts and other tourist facilities on the islet, it is getting popular because of its powdery white-sand beach, and an incredible swimming/snorkeling experience in its clear turquoise waters. Aside from multicolored fish, there are reported sightings of stingrays, turtles, even dolphins! A family that takes care of the islet is a useful source of information and can be approached to catch fresh fish for meals. An overnight stay is recommended just to max out your visit, but you have to bring all your camping essentials, as well as food and water.

An old 17th-centrury chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary of Candeleria can also be found in Azagra. Its stone façade and exteriors have been preserved but its interiors are modern. You can also visit Lamao Lake, a 7-hectare natural lake in the barangay and walk to its hills where a solar-powered lighthouse looks out to the sea. Wait for the sun to set and be amazed.

Needless to say, fresh seafood abound on Sibuyan Island so you can have a veritable array of choices from among the small carinderias, local resort restaurants and in the stalls in the public market. Due to the rising number of tourists on the island, a few restaurants serving pizzas and pastas have also cropped up in San Fernando. Popular local delicacies include kinilaw, dried fish like the bulad, as well as spicy ginamos, the local version of the bagoong.

Where to stay

If you want to wake up amid lush surroundings with a view of the mighty Mount Guiting-Guiting, you may want to check out Sanctuary Garden Resort (http://sanctuarygardenresort.com/index.html) in Barangay Tampayan, Magdiwang. The accommodations are patterned after native huts and built of wood materials, with air-conditioned rooms for couples and groups. It offers local guided tours, free maps to nearby points of interest, as well as transportation for rent to go around the island (bikes, motorbikes, Jeepneys).

For clean and safe budget accommodations, go to Seabreeze Inn in San Fernando. The place is fairly well known among the locals so any tricycle can take you there. Its bamboo huts have verandas, which face the sea.

Getting there

Travelers with a reasonable amount of an adventurous streak will probably forget the slight amount of pain in getting to Sibuyan Island as soon as they sink into the breathtaking scenery.

From Manila, take a flight to Roxas City via PAL Express or Cebu Pacific, and then go to Culasi Port for a four- to six-hour pumpboat ride to Sibuyan Island.

You can also travel by sea from the Batangas Port to Sibuyan via Romblon. Shipping lines that travel to Romblon and Sibuyan Island are Montenegro Ferry (T# 043-723-6980/723-8294); Super Shuttle Ferry; Romblon Shipping Lines Inc.; Rapal Inter-island Shipping (T# 872-5725); and the CSGA Ferry Corp. (Check the Philippine Ports Authority Batangas Office for accurate departure schedules.)

For more on Sibuyan tourism, check out the Sibuyan Island Sentinels League for the Environment Inc. (http://www.sibuyan.com/tourism.html), which runs independent tours around the island.

(This piece was originally published in the BusinessMirror, June 24, 2013.)

Travel Bites: The Queen of the North

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 15:17:00 +0000

NAMED after Queen Isabela II of Spain, the province of Isabela is known as the largest corn producer in the country. Most of the corn is harvested and sold to feed millers who, in turn, sell the feeds to poultry and livestock growers. Isabela is also a major rice-production area, and known as the Rice Granary of the North.

Aside from being known for its agricultural commodities, Isabela is also trying to style itself as a tourism destination, recently highlighting a scarecrow festival called “Bambanti,” in gratitude of good harvests; and promoting its historic churches, beaches, and extreme adventure activities.

Isabela is also home to the delicious Pancit Cabagan, made of miki, with hardboiled quail eggs, mixed vegetables, and topped with lechon carajay (Lechon kawali) and sliced red onions providing the crunch and spice. One taste and you will wonder where it’s been all your life.

Isabela has a number of historic churches—(top, left) is the Parish Church of Saint Matthias in Tumauini, with its belfry designed like a white wedding cake; and (top, right) is the San Pablo Church in San Pablo, said to be the oldest in the province. (Bottom, right) is teacher Jocelyn Taron, owner of the famous Josie Panciteria, which makes the best Pancit Cabagan in the province. She also sells pure cacao balls for chocolate drinks and dessert. (Photos are blogger's own/Created by Picstitch)

Must-see’s

One of the most popular tourist destinations in the province is the Saint Matthias Parish Church in the town of Tumauini, built in 1783. Made of red brick, its façade features headless statues of saints. To its right, its bell tower stands out like a white four-layered wedding cake, with piped red frosting. The church was closed when I visited it with friends last week but it was a truly impressive structure with its red bricks used as ornamental decoration, not just to build the structure itself.

Another church not to be missed is the San Pablo Church in the town of San Pablo. Work appears to be ongoing to restore the church, which was originally made of adobe and soft stone. Built in 1624, it is said to be the oldest in Isabela, and its belfry reputed to be the tallest in the entire Cagayan Valley.

For more history, take a trip to Palanan where Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo surrendered to the American forces in March 1901, thus ending the Philippine Revolution. On the supposed site where the first Philippines President was captured now stands the Aguinaldo Shrine.

Palanan also has a number of white-sand beaches with crystal-clear waters (Culasi Beach, Kanaipang Beach and Dicotcotan Beach), as well as waterfalls ideal for swimming and picnics (Dicarangayan Falls, Diminalno Falls, Disadsad Falls and Sisangkilan Falls). There are no hotels and resorts here, so most visitors stay at the homes of hospitable residents.

While not as massive as the Hoover Dam in Colorado, Magat Dam (Barangay Aguinaldo, Ramon town) still makes one impressive sight. At the time of its construction in the 1980s, it was the largest in Asia. A tourism resort complex has since been built, allowing visitors have a picnic, and even take a boat ride in the reservoir lake with waters supplied by the Magat River, a tributary of the mighty Cagayan River. Magat Dam supplies both hydroelectric power to the province and helps irrigate its farms.

What was once used mainly by illegal loggers to ferry their illicitly cut timber, the Abuan River is now being promoted as the country’s next whitewater rafting destination. Now the bugadores (timber haulers) have been trained as boatmen, skillfully navigating the river’s rapids. There’s also a calmer portion in the river where visitors can kayak. The main tour of Abuan River includes a trek to the three-tier Sulimanan Falls, as well as some rappelling. (Call Luis Caraan at 0927-6556-845 or e-mail him at lcaraan@wwf.org.ph for inquiries, or Anton Carag Jr. of Adventures and Expeditions Philippines Inc. at 0917-5327480/E-mail anton@whitewater.ph for tours.)

How about visiting some farms in Cauayan City? Visitors can pick fruits at the Cortez Fruit Farm and pay for these before leaving, or admire the flowers and other ornamentals at the Dacuycuy Farms. After, drop by the Mushroom Center at Barangay Tagaran and pick up some fresh oyster mushrooms, pickles, burger patties and other mushroom-based products. (To arrange the farm visits, call the Department of Tourism in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan at 078-844-1621 or e-mail cvtourism2@gmail.com.)

For a different kind of dining experience, drop by Josie Panciteria (13 National Highway, Purok 7, Anao, Cabagan, near the Milagros Hospital. 0919-2509140) for her Pancit Cabagan made more savory because the broth she uses is made from boiling pork bones all day. A teacher, Josie Taron also makes pure dark chocolate balls from the cacao seeds she purchases from her students; the balls can be mixed in hot water to make a chocolate drink, or eaten as is, like dessert. So every purchase of these chocolate balls also helps Cabagan students stay in school.

Where to stay

Truth to tell, there are very limited choices for accommodations in Isabela, offering only basic facilities and amenities, with inns mostly run by families. Among those recommended by the DOT are: Amity Inn (National Highway, Cauayan/ 078-652-2010); Grand Cauayan Hotel (Don Ancilliary Street, Cauayan 078-635-2023; Queen Jennifer Hotel & Restaurant (National Highway, San Fermin, Cauayan/078-652-0066 or 0077); Hotel Romans Ville (Rizal Street, Centro, Ilagan/078-624-2029); Marjs Hotel (Gangan Avenue, San Vicente, Ilagan/ 078-622-3599); and San Antonio Hotel (12 Burgos Stree., Ilagan/078-624-2170).

You may want to drive the four hours to Tuguegarao City instead if you plan to stay only overnight. Stay at the new Villa Victoria Hotel (11-a Highway Pengue-Ruyu Tuguegarao/078-844- 0436) with its clean and tastefully-designed rooms. Love its crispy fried chicken.

Getting there

Cebu Pacific flies to Cauayan, Isabela every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Cyclone Airways flies from Cauayan City to Palanan every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

By land, you can take the bus to Isabela via Victory Liner, GV Florida (T# 352-5393), and Baliwag Transit (T# 912-3343/912-3361).

You can also drive to Isabela via the North Luzon Expressway passing through San Fernando, Pampanga, going to Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, via the Pan-Philippine Highway. Staying on the same highway, you will pass Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, then reach Santiago City, Isabela. Cauayan, where the provincial airport is located, is about 20 kilometers away. From Cauayan to Ilagan, the provincial capital, is about 25 km. The trip from Manila is about six to eight hours, depending on your speed. (For more on Isabela tourism and tour packages, click www.dotregion2.com.ph/d2/)

Travel Bites: Metro Naga eyes 20% hike in tourists by 2016 on higher infrastructure spend

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 15:00:00 +0000

METRO Naga is projecting a 20-percent growth in tourist arrivals over the next three years, as it positions itself as a premier destination in the Bicol region.

This developed as Naga City Mayor John Bongat told the BusinessMirror he is looking to spend some P1 billion for tourism-related infrastructure projects over the medium term that would further boost the area’s chances of attracting more visitors.

“We will solicit support from national government sources,” he said of the proposed budget. Bongat was in Manila on Friday to launch Naga Excursions (Naga X), a tourism brand that pushes the exciting destinations of Metro Naga—composed of 16 local government units in the province of Camarines Sur, with Naga City as its anchor.

One of the most popular festivals in Bicol is the feast day of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, which features a fluvial procession. (Photo by Remate)

About P400 million to P600 million of the proposed infrastructure budget will be spent to rehabilitate the Naga River. “This is the site of the fluvial parade [during the Feast of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia], so we would like to help the river recover, construct a plaza and other gathering areas along its banks,” said Alec Francis Santos, chief of the Arts, Culture and Tourism Office of Naga City, the capital of Camarines Sur.

The rest of the P1-billion proposed budget would be for the repair and construction of roads, bridges, promenades and walkways.

In 2013, the national government allocated P52 million to build a city museum in Naga in memory of the late Interior and Secretary Jesse Robredo, Santos added.

He also said Bongat had recently written a letter to Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya for help in upgrading the Naga City Airport, which is regularly flooded during the monsoon season. The mayor is also seeking Abaya’s support to raise the priority of return flights from Naga, so planes would be able to land on time in Manila.

According to the General Appropriations Act of 2013, the Department of Public Works and Highways is constructing some P338 million in tourism infrastructure projects in Camarines Sur this year. The projects are mainly for the upgrading and improvement of roads to specific tourism areas in the province.

“Metro Naga is now gearing up and positioning itself as the tourism hub for Region 5 [Bicol region],” said Bongat, who is also chairman of the Metro Naga Development Council (MNDC), which groups 16 local governments representing the municipalities of Bombon, Bula, Calabanga, Camaligan, Canaman, Gainza, Libmanan, Magarao, Milaor, Minalabac, Ocampo, Pamplona, San Fernando, Pili, Pasacao and Naga City. The MNDC is an initiative funded by the Canadian International Development Agency through the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The group “seeks to bring about accelerated, equitable and sustainable growth and development by maximizing the resources of its members, following an integrated area development framework. Through local economic development, the MNDC seeks to strengthen the links between urban Naga City and its neighboring rural municipalities to widen the economic benefits derived from its phenomenal growth,” says its project web site.

“For a long time, tourists going to Camarines Sur stay in Metro Naga. So we’ve identified destinations that are ready for promotions, as well as others for tourism development,” said Santos.

Naga X is designed as a one-stop shop for tourists, offering a variety of “highly customizable” travel packages that cover accommodations, tours and other activities in key destinations in Metro Naga, connecting to other tourist sites in the other provinces in Camarines Sur. The province has 35 towns and two cities.

Caramoan is often called the Secret Paradise because of its distance from major urban cities or centers of commerce. It is a favorite location for the reality TV series, Survivor. (Photo from http://www.caramoan.co/)

The packages feature trips to nearby islands like Caramoan, the location for various Survivor series (Islands Excursions), churches like the Minor Basilica of the Virgin of Peñafrancia (Pilgrimage Excursions), cultural landmarks via walking tour of Centro Naga (Heritage Excursions), or a hike through the Mount Isarog National Park (Highlands Excursions), among other places, with rates starting as low as P550 per person.

Basic inclusions in the package tours are ground handling (land and boat transfers), Department of Tourism (DOT) accredited tour guides and travel insurance.

“Naga X is also a consortium that groups local players in the tourism industry that includes hotels, transport providers, tour operators, restaurants, coffee shops, spas and allied services,” added Santos. All of the members cooperate in marketing Metro Naga, and are expected to adhere to strict standards for operations to make the tourist experience truly satisfying.

From 3.1 million tourists in 2010, tourists to the Bicol region have leaped by almost 20 percent to 3.7 million, according to DOT data. Of the total visitor arrivals in the region, Metro Naga/Camarines Sur accounted for 34 percent in 2010, steadily growing to 51 percent, or 1.9 million arrivals in 2012. Domestic travelers comprise the bulk of the visitor arrivals in Camarines Sur, while foreign tourists account for some 25 percent.

Bongat said the construction of the Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC) in Pili has helped spur tourism in Metro Naga and the entire province.

Aside from the CWC, the annual festival celebrating the feast day of the Virgin of Peñafrancia plus meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) have helped attract more tourists to the province.

Santos added that tourism receipts generated in Metro Naga alone grew by 23.5 percent to P741 million in 2012 from P600 million in 2010.

The growth in tourist arrivals in Camarines Sur has encouraged more private-sector investments in the accommodations sector, he said. From only 22 hotels in 2000, with 551 rooms, there were 56 hotels with 1,609 rooms in Metro Naga as of the end of 2012, which included the Eurotel hotel chain. He also said some 200 more rooms will be added to the accommodations sector this year.

Metro Naga is easily accessible by land or air. PAL Express and Cebu Pacific fly daily to Naga City. By land, which usually takes eight hours, tourists can take the bus via Philtranco, Peñafrancia Tours or Isarog Line , Cagsawa Travel and Tours (T# 913-4514/0917-6063918) and DLTB Co.

(This piece was originally published in the BusinessMirror on June 3, 2013.)

Travel Bites: The smiling land of beauty

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:31:00 +0000

THE province of Cagayan is known as a spelunker’s and game fisher’s paradise.

It has a number of caves that attract the adventurous who bravely go into their deeper recesses to gaze at formations that took millions of years to shape by dripping water.

With the waters from the Pacific Ocean swirling in to meet the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea), a mix of fish species can be caught off the municipality of Santa Ana and Palaui Island, which sports fishers say can rival even Hawaii’s best fishing areas.

Tourists will also likely enjoy visiting Cagayan’s historic churches, hiking through its lush mountains, or just chilling by the beach.

Palaui Island is a declared marine reserve and features a white beach, rugged terrain, and an ancient lighthouse. (Photo from http://www.islandsofthephilippines.com/)

Its most celebrated time of the year is the Aggao na Cagayan held in the province’s capital of Tuguegarao City every year from June 23 to 29, with the last day having been declared a non-working holiday since then-President Ferdinand Marcos’s time. This year will be the festival’s 430th year, which will likely be observed with beauty contests, sports tournaments, street dancing, an exhibit of local art and indigenous products and a trade fair.

Also during the month of August, Tuguegarao residents gather for their annual Pav-vurulun Festival. The weeklong affair features a variety of activities in honor of its patron saint, Saint Hyacinth, whose feast day is on August 16.

While in Cagayan, one must not miss its famous dish called Pancit Batil-Patong, made up of miki noodles and topped with minced carabao meat, pork chicharon, bean sprouts and other vegetables and a sunny-side up egg. It is usually mixed with a sauce of vinegar, soy sauce and calamansi with chopped onions.

Must-see’s

FIRST stop in a tour of the province should be the Cagayan Provincial Museum and Historical Research Center (Capitol Hills, Tuguegarao City). It features extensive research on the Callao Cave, where the fossilized remains of the so-called Callao Man were discovered in 2007. While research is still ongoing on the Callao Man’s origins, some believe he could antedate the 47,000-year-old Tabon Man and could be the ancestor of the Atis, who were the first indigenous tribe in Cagayan. The museum also houses antique pieces and religious artifacts.

The Callao Cave (municipality of Peñablanca) with its seven chambers is probably the most popular tourist spot in the province. It has magnificent limestone rock formations, which look like an elephant’s head, an angel, a dog’s head, a lion’s head, etc. Shafts of light illuminate darker recesses of the cave through natural crevices in the rocks. Locals have turned its first chamber into a chapel.

One must climb about 190 steps to get to the cave’s main entrance. Local tour guides are available to take visitors into the cave. (Getting there: From the city’s main terminal, take a jeep or tricycle going to the town of Peñablanca—you can ask the driver to drop you at the dock where bancas ply the clean and scenic Pinacanauan River, which will lead you to the Callao Cave. Local entrance fees apply.)

With some 300 caves that can be explored in Cagayan, it’s best to consult professional spelunkers to guide you. Contact the Sierra Madre Outdoor Club (078-844-2359/0917-2726-494. Look for Francisco Battung).

Pinacanauan River itself is a tourist attraction and visitors can pay the boatmen a fee to take them around the river. By 6 p.m., there is a particular spot on the river where one can marvel at the scores of bats flying out to look for their first meal of the day.

The Basilica Minore de Nuestra Señora de Piat (The Basilica of Our Lady of Piat) is dubbed the Pilgrimage Center of the North as thousands of devotees go there to pray to the over 400-year-old Black Virgin Mary. There is a stairway that leads to the back of the Lady, where devotees can touch her dress through small windows. The feast of the Lady is on July 2. (From the Tuguegarao City terminal, take a bus or jeep going to Piat.)

The Basilica of Our Lady of Piat, above,

and its most venerated resident, below.

(Photos from www.cagayanvalley.com)

One should also drop by the Saints Peter and Paul Metropolitan Cathedral along Rizal Street, Tuguegarao City, famous for its five-story belltower. White columns frame the structure built from red bricks. Another must-visit is the Iguig Church and the nearby Calvary Hills, whose main attraction is the life-sized 14 Stations of the Cross. (From Tuguegarao, take a passenger van to Iguig, then a tricycle to Calvary Hills.)

If you’re into game fishing, check out the municipality of Santa Ana, on the north coast of Cagayan. (Take a passenger van from Tuguegarao to San Vicente—about three hours away). The waters are home to the Pacific sailfish, Pacific black and Pacific blue marlin, Giant Trevally, Sailfish, Wahoo, King Mackerel, Dorado and the barracuda. The Philippine Game Fishing Foundation (PGFF) (http://pgff.net/xe/index.php) hosts regular local and international game fishing competitions there. Planes may be chartered to land at the Philippine Navy Camp where the PGFF maintains its own fishing camp.

Some local anglers also make the 12- to 14-hour trip from Manila to Santa Ana, dragging their own light boats for deployment in waters. April to June are the usual months for sailfishing, but other anglers are known to catch fish even during the monsoon season.

From the port in San Vicente, one can also take a boat trip to Palaui Island where a centuries-old lighthouse still stands. (Supposedly the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority is undertaking its rehabilitation.) Located on a hill in Cape Engaño (a 30-minute hike), the lighthouse and its environs provide a panoramic view of the rolling terrain and the surrounding waters, the same overwhelming raw beauty one can see in Batanes.

Santa Ana is also home to the pristine Anguib Beach with its creamy white sand perfect for lying around under sun. Its waters are quite shallow but so transparent, one can see through straight to the sea floor. There are no beachfront resorts here, which probably explains why it remains to be in relatively immaculate condition. There are small huts for rent where you can store your stuff and eat. There are grilling stations where you can cook freshly caught seafood by fisherfolk. (Either take tricycle ride from town proper or a boat ride from the San Vicente pier.)

Another beach that shouldn’t be missed is the remote Centinela Beach in the town of Claveria, with its fine sand and tranquil waters. (Take a passenger bus from Tuguegarao to Claveria, then a tricycle to the beach.)

Check out the Department of Tourism’s web site for other interesting sights in Cagayan.

Where to stay

IN Tuguegarao City, try out the newly opened Hotel Lorita (67 Rizal Street, 078-846-2565) with its inexpensive rooms, and a courteous staff that go out of their way to make each guest’s stay very memorable. It’s also located strategically in the city proper, and has its own café.

In Santa Ana check into Jotay Resort (http://www.jotayresort.com) with its clean rooms, swimming pool and Internet access. It also offers boat trips for sport fishing or beach tours. It has a shuttle bus service from Tuguegarao.

Getting there

PHILIPPINE Airlines and Cebu Pacific fly daily to Tuguegarao.

You can also take the bus from Manila to Tuguegarao via Victory Liner from its Pasay City terminal or Florida Bus from its Sampaloc, Manila, terminal (T# 743-3809/912-5354/781-5894).

By private vehicle, from the North Luzon Expressway passing San Fernando, Pampanga, drive along the national highway all the way through Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija; Bayombong City, Nueva Vizcaya; then taking the Santiago-Tuguegarao road in Santiago, Isabela, and arriving in Tuguegarao. The trip takes about seven to10 hours depending on your car speed and the number of stops you make along the way.

(This piece was originally published in the BusinessMirror on May 27, 2013.)

Travel Bites: An island born of fire

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 18:48:00 +0000

SAY “Camiguin,” and at once, it conjures up images of the round, luscious, fleshy fruit called lanzones.

The volcanic soil on this island off Misamis Oriental has made it possible for the lanzones as well as other fruits and vegetables to thrive lushly in Camiguin. Lanzones-growing is a major source of livelihood for most Camiguingnons.

As such, every third week of October, the island erupts into a four-day festival celebrating the small pale-brown balls of golden sweetness, with a street dancing contest, a parade, a trade fair and a beauty pageant.

Just a little under 30,000 hectares, the pear-shaped island has seven volcanoes including Mount Hibok-Hibok (also known as Catarman Volcano), still considered active with the last rumblings and eruptions occurring between 1948 and 1951. With such volcanic activities, it’s no wonder Camiguin has often been described as an “island born of fire.”

Camiguin Island has beaches including a white sandbar, hot springs, water falls and deep diving spots filled with corals and colorful marine life. It is also rich in religious history and is known for the annual Holy Week pilgrimage called Panaad Festival. Locals and visitors, as part of their religious vow (saad in Cebuano), walk the main circumferential road hugging the island’s coastline, and praying the Stations of the Cross while trekking up the walkway of Mount Vulcan.

The friendly and helpful locals speak Cebuano, although indigenous tribes possibly of the original Manobo settlers, still speak their own Kinamiguin dialect.

The best time of the year to visit Camiguin is from April to July, during the dry season.

Street dancer shows off newly-harvested lanzones during the four-day Lanzones Festival in Camiguin. (Photo from http://www.timonera.com)

Must-see’s

The White Island is actually a sandbar that takes on different shapes depending on the tides, but most often it is splayed out under the sun, much like the beachgoers who are there to swim, snorkel or sunbathe. (It disappears during high tide.)

There are also a number of gray to black-sand beaches along the island’s coastline, though the most popular, such as the Yumbing Beach (where one can admire the golden setting sun) and Camiguin Beach, are in the main municipality of Mambajao. Toward the south in Barangay Cantaan, 30 minutes away from Mambajao, is the Kabila White Beach, a secluded cove that has a giant clam nursery. (Donations to the foundation operating the nursery are encouraged.)

In 1871, a massive volcanic eruption occurred in Camiguin, wiping out a 175-year-old Spanish settlement in the municipality of Catarman. What remain are the adobe walls and belfry of Catarman Church (Guiob Church). Inside the ruins is a tiny chapel. Aside from the Catarman Church Ruins, there is also a cross nearby marking the community cemetery, which sank during the 1871 eruption. The area is also a popular dive site.

Aside from the beaches, there are also breathtaking waterfalls such as the Katibawasan Falls, which drops from a height of some 80 meters into an icy-cold pool below. The area is also teeming with orchids, ferns and other vegetation. It is about 20-minute ride from the Mambajao town proper.

Tuasan Falls in Barangay Mainit, Catarman, cascades from a height of 25 meters. It’s not exactly the easiest spot to go to as this involves some hiking along a cliff to reach a river to the falls. But visitors are rewarded with its pristine beauty and natural rock formations.

Being a volcanic island, Camiguin is also rich in hot and cool sulfur springs. There is the Ardent Hot Spring in Barangay Esperanza in Tagdo, about 2 km away from the Mambajao town proper. There are several pools fed by Mount Hibok Hibok but one is just truly hot, making a swim there truly rejuvenating. Food and picnic tables are available onsite.

The Macaw Cold Spring in Barangay Tupsan Pequeno, Mahinog town, has a deep smoky-blue color supposedly because it is rich in minerals. You can take a dip—entrance is free—or hike around the area, which has lush vegetation. It’s about 12 km south of Mambajao.

Mount Hibok-Hibok is still considered an active volcano. Its previous eruptions have made the soil in Camiguin rich in nutrients and thus, a good area to grow crops. (Photo from http://tropicalvacationspotsblog.com

Must-do’s

Do snorkel or dive in Camiguin as it has a number of rich diverse dive sites, with an abundant marine life. Recommended dive sites are the Jicduf Shoal, Burias Shoal and Kantaan Dive Site (for advanced divers), Mantigue Island, Cabuan Point, to name a few.

Feast on the local cuisine and delicacies. It has grilled chicken; pastel, a soft bun filled with yema (Vjandep Bakeshop, 57 Plaridel Street, Mambajao/T# 088-387-0049); kiping, which is made from sweet potato and served deep-fried with latik (coconut sauce); and an assortment of seafood. There are respectable Italian and Mexican restaurants on the island as well.

Check out Little Bridges Taberna Ramada (Anito Barangay Road, Anito) for its muffins and quiches, creamy cheesy lasagna and pizza.

If you’re an avid mountaineer, do climb the challenging Mount Hibok-Hibok. Once you reach its peak, you are rewarded with stunning views of Bohol, Cebu and Negros provinces.

Pastel, a soft roll filled with sweet yema, is one of the more famous food delicacies in Camiguin. (Photo from Vjandep Pastel FB account)

Where to stay

Casa Roca Inn (http://www.casarocacamiguin.com/) along the National Highway in Naasag, Mambajao, is a full-service bed and breakfast, where the attraction is not only the sea that guests can look out to from their bedroom balconies, but its owners Jim and Evelyn who make every guest feel at home. They also whip up fantastic feasts that will make every tummy sing. The entire house is also available for rent for large groups of families and friends.

Golden Sunset Beach Resort (T# 088-387-9163) in Barangay Yumbing, Mambajao, just lies across the famous White Island—you are there in just 10 minutes. Its rooms are spacious and clean, with a salt-water pool that also overlooks a wide expanse of ocean.

Getting there: There are flights to Cagayan de Oro City from Manila, Bacolod, Cebu and Davao, or via major carriers. From Cagayan de Oro, take a cab to the Agora Market, where buses go to the town of Balingoan. From there, catch a ferry going to Camiguin.

(For more on Camiguin island, check the Facebook page of the Camiguin Tourism Office, or you may call 088-3871-097 local 120, or e-mail: camiguin.tourism@gmail.com).

(This piece was originally published in the BusinessMirror, April 29, 2013.)

DOT targets over 1 million tourists in 1st quarter, 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 04:52:00 +0000

THE Department of Tourism (DOT) has projected “over 1 million” foreign visitors by the end of the first quarter this year, as it intensifies its marketing efforts for the Philippines in Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

This was the optimistic prediction of Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr. even as he announced the agency’s visitor arrivals target for 2014 at 6 million, down from the 6.8 million target the agency officially uses for budgeting purposes.

The Philippines has missed its visitors’ targets in the past two years owing to diplomatic issues, political skirmishes in the south and natural calamities, which have discouraged the arrival of more foreign tourists.

In an interview on the sidelines of the Philippine Economic Briefing, entitled “Enhancing Resilience to Sustain Inclusive Growth,” at the Philippine International Convention Center on Tuesday (March 18), Jimenez expressed confidence that some 500,000 foreign visitors arrived in January and February this year.

The first quarter of the year usually brings in foreign tourists, especially for the Yuletide-New Year holiday, as well as the Chinese New Year. Last year the Philippines attracted 1.15 million visitors in the first quarter alone.

The DOT chief said his agency is intensifying the Philippines’s exposure in markets, such as Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Russia, India and the Middle East.

This is aside from the DOT’s new marketing tack to promote the Philippines and its major provincial destinations in the European market.

In an interview with the BusinessMirror in January, Tourism Assistant Secretary for Market Development Benito Bengzon Jr. said: “For 2014, we have identified new opportunity markets in Europe, such as France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Spain and Russia. Through a strong market development push, we hope to generate more than 250,000 arrivals from these markets, with France and Russia expected to provide about 50,000 each. Together with existing key markets in Europe, such as the United Kingdom and Germany, we hope to generate a total of over half-a-million visitors from Europe this year.” (Click "DOT ‘sees’ 5.7M tourists in 2014; more Europeans eyed," BusinessMirror, Jan. 11, 2014.)

Meanwhile, Jimenez said the agency will also be implementing “tactical campaigns” for Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong.

“The Philippines’s is Singapore’s value extension, especially when we become the destination of cruise lines that are docked in Singapore. That is why we are working closely with the Singapore Tourism Board and cruise-line companies, such as Carnival Cruises, Genting World [Star Cruises], Royal Caribbean International, etc., on this,” he explained.

While Chinese tourists continue to flock to the Philippines for rest and recreation, diplomatic issues between both countries continue to put a damper on their arrival.

Similarly, Hong Kong’s recent visa restrictions on travel to the region affecting Philippine government officials indicate the continuing undercurrent of tension between both countries, stemming from the botched rescue of Hong Kong tourists in 2010, and the Philippine government’s refusal to apologize for it.

Chinese visitors accounted for 9.11-percent market share of the 4.7 million total tourists to the Philippines last year; Singapore was 3.74 percent; and Hong Kong 2.69 percent.

Jimenez’s optimism is also shaped by the fact that the Philippines is looking to add at least 26 new inbound flights that would generate some 10,404 additional seats per week.

These new inbound flights and additional flight frequencies could come from Indonesia, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Japan, Brazil and New Zealand, which have conducted bilateral air negotiations with the Philippines recently.

During the economic briefing, Jimenez stressed the importance of developing competitive tourism products and destinations, which can fuel inclusive growth through generating quality jobs and business opportunities in host communities.

“The merits of visiting the Philippines have been noticed by publications such as Condé Nast and the New York Times in the past year. Our international tourist receipts have grown by 15.38 percent in 2013. However, we are not going to rest on our laurels, but continue to develop competitive tourism products and destinations so that we can augment and sustain this rapid growth well into the future.”

(This piece was originally published in the BusinessMirror, Jan. 11, 2014.)

Tourism industry seen to gain much from PHL participation in Berlin fair

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 18:33:00 +0000

THE Philippines successfully participated in this year’s ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin), considered the world’s leading tourism and trade fair, which could give massive European exposure to tourist destinations.

In an interview, Domingo Ramon Enerio III, chief operating officer of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), an attached agency of the Department of Tourism (DOT), said the Philippines booth had a bigger space this year at 270 square meters, allowing more Philippines tour operators and travel participants to join and sell more to German and European buyers.

“Though the booth was smaller in size compared to Thailand’s and Malaysia’s, it attracted so much more positive feedback for being spacious, fresh looking and conducive to business meetings,” he said.

Enerio headed the 50-man Philippines delegation to ITB Berlin held from March 5 to 9. The delegation was composed of 27 tour and travel companies, including Philippine Airlines, which participated in the tourism event for the first time. It also included hotels and resorts, representatives from the local government of Bohol, the Philippine Embassy in Berlin and members of the House Committee on Tourism, headed by its chairman, Rep. Rene Lopez Relampagos of Bohol.

The TPB chief said other provinces and major Philippines destinations were strongly represented and promoted at the ITB, such as Palawan, Boracay, Cebu, Manila, Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Banaue.

The Philippines made a splash at the recent ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel fair, held from March 5 to 9. A 50-man Philippines delegation attended the event. It was led by the Tourism Promotions Board, various tour and travel operators, hotels and resorts, as well as representatives from the Bohol local government and members of the House of Representatives Committee on Tourism. This year’s Philippines pavilion was 270 square meters and allowed more Philippines sellers to promote their respective establishments and the Philippines as a destination.

Enerio said he also met with five companies that do digital and social- media marketing, like iAmbassador, which networks with travel bloggers; and FVM, a German travel trade publication. “My meetings, in particular, focused on how the Philippines can maximize the digital and social media to engage more Europeans and encourage them to talk about Philippines tourism. This is in line with TPB’s No. 1 strategy to maximize the digital format and utilize the social media in various platforms, including mobile apps.”

He also met with eight European tour operators “to discuss possible areas of cooperation.”

According to a news statement, ITB Berlin received a 4-percent increase in trade visitors and a larger business volume, estimated at €6.5 billion this year.

The TPB, formerly known as the Philippine Visitors and Conventions Center, is the marketing arm of the DOT and tasked with marketing the Philippines as a prime tourist destination to local and international tourists.

The DOT is keen on attracting more tourists from Europe, especially since the European Commission ban on travel to and from the Philippines had been lifted.

For 2014, it has identified new opportunity markets in Europe, such as France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Spain and Russia. Together with existing key markets in Europe, such as the United Kingdom and Germany, the DOT hopes to generate a total of over half a million visitors from Europe this year.

The DOT is targeting at least 5.7 million foreign visitors this year, and 10 million foreign visitors by 2016.

(This piece was originally published in the front page of the BusinessMirror, March 13, 2014. Photo courtesy Tourism Promotions Board.)

Travel Bites: Oriental Mindoro - Beyond Puerto Galera

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 17:56:00 +0000

ORIENTAL Mindoro has got to be one of the most blessed provinces in the Philippines. It is rich in natural beauty with beaches so fair and fine, an abundance of marine resources, an incredible array of tropical flora and fauna, and gushing waterfalls that make their way through lush tropical rain forests that cover its mountains.

It sits at the center of the most diverse marine ecosystem in the world—the Verde Island Passage—where close to 3,000 species of marine life have been documented.

The most popular attraction in the province is, no doubt about it, the municipality of Puerto Galera, with its white-sand beaches (White Beach and Sabang Beach) and crystal-clear water. Aside from the beach, there are quite a few other attractions there as well, as in the capital city of Calapan and the municipality of Naujan that both boast of ecotourism and historical sites.

The White Beach (Photo from http://www.famousdestination.com/)

Oriental Mindoro is also home to the tamaraw, a water buffalo that is now on the endangered-species list, as well as the Mangyans, an indigenous tribe that supposedly hails from Indonesia, and has since settled in the highlands of the province.

Must-see’s

Located in Barangay Bancurro in the municipality of Naujan, the Simbahang Bato (Bancuro Church Ruins), is what remains of a former Augustinian priory founded in the late 17th century. After several tries, marauding Moro pirates finally overran the place, wanting to steal the church’s bell supposedly made of gold, but not finding it, they burned the church to the ground in 1824. The church, which was made of stone and coral as was the fashion of the time, was never rebuilt, although a small chapel within was established in the 1960s. Locals apparently fear the place due to the alleged hauntings by spirits and supernatural entities. Awoooo!

Have a picnic and watch the birds feed at the Naujan Lake Natural Park, a government-managed and protected wildlife area. The Naujan Lake is the fifth-largest freshwater lake in the Philippines and hosts a number of protected fish species and migratory birds. It has been categorized as an important wetland because of its rich biodiversity, although it is a struggle to keep its environs safe from poachers and population stress.

At 8,482 feet, Mount Halcon is only the 18th highest peak in the country. Let not those statistics fool you as most mountaineers still grade the mountain as a difficult climb due to its slippery slopes and single-track trails. Located in the municipality of Baco, the mountain is also home to the Mangyans who revere it, and endangered plant species like the Mindoro Bleeding Heart and a stick insect endemic to the province.

The climber who makes it to the peak is rewarded with magnificent views of the entire Mindoro and surrounding islands and, on a clear day, even the summit of Mount Mayon in Albay province in the Bicol Region. At present, Mount Halcon is closed to mountaineers.

Because it is mainly a coastal province, there are numerous beaches that can be found in Oriental Mindoro, apart from those found in Puerto Galera. In the capital of Calapan, for instance, most locals go to the Suqui Beach when they want to cool off and have a swim. It is just 15 minutes away from the town proper by tricycle.

Bancuro Church Ruins (Photo from http://mindoropost.wordpress.com/)

Bongol Beach, for another, is a 2-km stretch of gray-white sand in Bongol, Pinamalayan. It is a secluded beach as it is harder to reach than most beaches, but if it’s privacy you wish, this is the place to be. From Calapan, take an air-conditioned van to Pinamalayan, then a tricycle to the beach. (There is also Melco Beach in the municipality of Roxas.)

Puerto Galera itself, aside from its popular White Beach and Sabang Beach, also holds other interesting features such as the Tamaraw Falls. Located in Barangay Villaflor, the water pours from a height of 423 feet, dropping asymmetrically into a series of little falls over an outcropping of rocks and vegetation into a pool below. A small fee is collected from those who want to picnic in the area or take a dip in the pool. From Puerto Galera, take a Jeepney bound for Barangay Villaflor—Tamaraw Falls can be seen on the side of the road.

While White Beach and Sabang Beach are where the action is, ahem, Aninuan Beach (next door to White Beach) is the choice of people who want less of the crowds. The sand is grayish-white with some smooth round pebbles and stones on the shore but the waters here are immaculately clean.

Aside from hanging out by the beach and swimming, diving is also a popular recreation in Puerto Galera because of the vast marine resources around it. If you don’t know how to dive, you can check out the numerous dive centers along the beach such as South Sea Divers (http://www.southseadivers.com/), a pioneer in the area offering reasonable fees, or the Blue Ribbon Dive Resort (http://blueribbondivers.com/) with attractive dive packages.

One of the more exciting attractions in Puerto Galera is the annual Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival held outdoors in a grass terraced ampitheater at Mount Malasimbo (about 30 minutes away from White Beach) usually between February and March. Aside from local artists whose works are featured around the festival grounds, local and foreign music acts have played at Malasimbo, mesmerizing guests with their traditional music and sacred chants, jazz, pop and chill-out tunes. During the last festival from March 1 to 3, ethno-folk artists Bob Aves and Grace Nono, reggae legend Jimmy Cliff and soul siren Joss Stone performed before an estimated 4,000 participants. (UPDATE: This year, the festival featured Swedish folk/Latino singer/songwriter Jose Gonzalez, jazz group The Robert Glasper Experiment, our very own Mishka Adams, to name a few.)

Jose Gonzalez at the Malasimbo Music & Arts Festival held from Feb. 27 to March 3, 2014. (Photo from InterAksyon.com)

Dining options

When in Oriental Mindoro, one shouldn’t miss the suman sa lihiya with coco jam (steamed rice cake soaked in coconut milk and treated in lye) from Merl’s Native Delicacies (Ubas Street, Lalud, Calapan City, 043-286-7684/0916-356-6381 and 0922-847-3458). These tiny round cakes of sweetness make for a great and filling breakfast or merienda snack, as well as a pasalubong treat for loved ones.

In Puerto Galera, one of the most popular restaurant’s is Hemingway’s Bistro (Sabang Beach, 043-287-3560/0920-2060-553) for its succulent steaks, fresh seafood and impeccable wine list. Though prices at the bistro may be on the high end, the dishes are worth every centavo. The staff are also amazingly helpful, with the kitchen eager to please diners with special requests.

Of course, what attracts many to Puerto Galera is not only the scuba diving and the white beaches, but the throbbing nightlife. Bars are aplenty here. For family-oriented and more wholesome partying, stick to the bars at the White Beach. For the rest of your wilder, baser needs, go to Sabang. Wherever you end up though, make sure you have a taste of the Mindoro sling—a rum and juice cocktail that reminds you of the refreshing outdoors of the province, with a punch of excitement.

Where to stay

In Calapan, stay at the Filipiniana Resort Hotel (http://www.filipinianacalapan.com/), which is strategically located, with a mall and banks nearby. The rooms are wide and clean, with an expansive swimming pool.

Out of the Blue Luxury Resort (http://www.outoftheblue.com.ph/), which overlooks the Small La Laguna Beach recently received the “Best Service” commendation among Tripadvisor’s members. Bookings are efficient, with the food quite hearty and excellent, and superb professional staff. It has spacious villas perfect for a barkada getaway or a family outing, and has two indoor pools that look out to stunning views.

Getting there

Most tourists going to Oriental Mindoro take the bus to the Batangas City Port such as JAM Liner (from Cubao or Buendia Avenue/ http://www.jam.com.ph), or the Tritran Bus Lines (2124 Taft Avenue, Pasay City/ 831-4700), but make sure the bus passes the Calabarzon Expressway for a shorter trip.

From the pier, take a ferry (e.g. SuperCat) or RO-RO either to Calapan, if that’s your end destination, or to Puerto Galera. At Terminal 3 in the Batangas pier, there are designated ferries that can take you to White Beach or Sabang Beach.

If going to Puerto Galera, you can also take the Sikat Bus/Ferry service (708-96-28) from the CityState Tower along Mabini Street in Ermita, Manila.

(This piece was originally published on April 22, 2013 in the BusinessMirror.)

Travel Bites: Sagada - up in the clouds

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 17:24:00 +0000

MY most distinct memory of Sagada, Mountain Province—aside from the climate that chills you right to the bone—was my heart thumping so loudly against my chest I thought it would surely leap out. This, after a bit of hiking up some tree-lined hill and forgetting just how thin the air is up there. (That was the time I decided to give up hiking, so scared was I that I would drop dead from that experience.)

Bomod-ok Falls (Photo from

http://sagadaphilippines.com/

On a positive note, I was overwhelmed with the raw power and breathtaking natural sights in Sagada. There’s nothing like waking up, literally, with your head in the clouds; lush pine forests with the striking blue sky above; interestingly suggestive rock formations in a cave; or gushing waterfalls that pour into shallow pools below.

Most of the retailers, cafes and restaurants, as well as inns, are proudly local—owned by those who have a heart for Sagada and its environs. So city types should dispel notions of finding a McDonald’s or Starbucks anywhere there.

Despite the grandeur of Sagada’s surroundings, a word of caution—the trip may not be for everybody. Sagada is for those with a genuine love for outdoor adventure and nature. There will be long winding, bumpy rides, dampness, strenuous hikes, and just basic inns or B&Bs.

Bring a cap and a warm jacket, and leave your flipflops at home—this is rugged country and hiking boots or trekking shoes are more suited to the terrain. Also bring a face towel, lots of water and sunblock, especially on hikes! Just because it’s cool most of the time in Sagada doesn’t mean the sun’s rays are powerless.

Must-see’s

Sumaguing Cave. If you want proof that the earth was all under water once, this cave is it. Despite the altitude of Sagada, you can actually find seashells still stuck to the walls of the cave, frozen in time. In fact, the rock formations do look sculpted by water as they undulate and curve like ocean waves. Close the visit by taking a dip in the cave’s bone-chilling waters…brrr! Definitely a wake-upper! It is invigorating and will kick up your energy as you make your way out of the cave and back to civilization.

Echo Valley. The valley is where the famous Hanging Coffins—probably the most iconic Sagada tourist attraction—are located. It is a pleasant short hike through more trees and vegetation (while amusing yourself by shouting to hear your voice echo). A few of the coffins hanging on a cliff look new, but there are older coffins stacked on top of each other at the Lumiang Burial Cave.

Rice Terraces. These are smaller than those found in Banaue, and the Igorot farmers here piled rocks instead of compacting soil to construct them. You can view this agricultural masterpiece by hiking to the Kiltepan Tower—about 45-minutes to an hour from the town proper (tiring yes, but you are gifted with breathtaking views)—or rent a van to take you there. Locals will encourage you to take off much earlier for Kiltepan so you can catch the sunrise.

Rice terraces in Sagada (Photo from http://www.visitsagada.com)

Bomod-ok Falls. The hike to these waterfalls is about two hours and takes you through the stunning rice terraces, giving you an up close and personal perspective of this geographical wonder. The water plunges 200 feet from the top of a cliff, splashing onto craggy rocks, and into a pool below where you can jump in for an invigorating swim. Yes, the waters are ice-cold but you’ll get used to the temperature eventually. The hike back will likely be more strenuous, and you will be sweating buckets for sure.

If long hikes are not for you, go to the Bokong or Small Falls instead. It’s some 20 minutes from the town proper, and while it is smaller with the water dropping from a height of just 20 feet, it has its charm as well. You can jump off from the top of the falls and plunge into the pool of water below. Even children can manage the short hike and you will definitely enjoy the swim.

Other places to visit if you still have time are the Latang Underground River, Lake Danum and the Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church. (Note: Some of the destinations do require a minimal entrance or environmental fee.)

Must-do’s

Eat up a storm. For those who want a local feel, try Pinikpikan Haus (Dao-angan, Sagada/0920-8135797) for its famous pinikpikan chicken, a dish traditionally prepared by lightly beating (pikpik) the live chicken first, before the bird is thrown into a pot of boiling water to remove the feathers, then its cut-up parts cooked into a broth flavored with etag (smoked dried pork—another Igorot delicacy.) The restaurant also serves etag as a separate dish.

Lemon Pie House (Atey, Daoangan/0907-7820360) is famous for, you guessed it! lemon pies. The tart citrusy custard is topped off by a light toasted meringue, giving it a slightly sweet undertone. It’s best eaten with strong brewed coffee or some mountain tea, which the café also serves. For salads, pastas and thick, creamy yogurt topped with fruits, try the Yoghurt House (Poblacion).

Check out the Log Cabin (Sagada-Besao Road/ 0920-5200463) for its Saturday Night Buffet of rustic French dishes, with freshly baked bread and divine desserts—very reasonably priced at only P300 (with a P100 deposit for reservation the day before). This is also the place to kick back and relax with a round of drinks after a day of touring, before turning in. (Besides you can’t do much late at night—Sagada still observes a 9 p.m. curfew.)

Shop around. For unique woven bags, wallets, placemats, espadrilles, etc. go to the Sagada Weaving and Souvenir Shop (Nangonogan, Poblacion/0918-9276488), which is just about a 10-minute walk from the center of the town. The women still use wooden handlooms and create a wide array of colorful and artistic fabric designs.

Sumaguing Cave (Photo from http://sagadaphilippines.com/)

Intricately designed clay pots, urns, jars, mugs and the like can be purchased at the Sagada Pottery House. For a standard fee, you can also learn how to spin the wheel and sculpt a clay pot with your hands, from one of the artisans.

Get some beans. Sagada produces some of the best coffee beans in the country. Aside from the highland Arabica, it also produces the rare and expensive Café Alamid made from the droppings of civet cats. Buy your beans at Bana’s Restaurant, a favorite breakfast nook of tourists; aside from the robust full-bodied coffee, it serves great omelets as well.

Where to stay

Rock Inn and Café (http://www.rockfarmsagada.com) is some distance from the town proper but the perfect location away from the hordes of tourists. What’s more, it is located amid an orange orchard so you are allowed to pick and eat the fruits from the trees. Very clean and the staff are most courteous. The inn has massage services as well, an added bonus to soothe your tired sore muscles from doing all the hiking.

If you want to wake up to grand views of the mountains and greenery, check into the Kanip-aw Pines Lodge (0928-2847507/0926-6092960). The rooms are basic with firm beds, a private kitchenette and balconies that look out to the mesmerizing mountain views. The owner, Oscar Magwilang, is also a tourist guide and can bring you around Sagada.

Getting there: Yes you can drive all the way to Sagada; just make sure you have a powerful sedan or SUV, as well as handy relatives or friends to take over the wheel when fatigue sets in. I’d recommend staying overnight in Baguio to recover from the six-hour trip, before heading the next morning to Sagada (six hours away via Halsema Highway).

Most who go to Sagada, though, commute. From Manila, take the Victory Liner (727-4534/833-5019 to 20), which has hourly bus trips to Baguio from its Caloocan, Pasay or Cubao terminals. Another option is Dagupan Bus (Cubao/929-6123); Dangwa Transit (Sampaloc, Manila/731–2879); Saulog Transit (Parañaque/825-2930); or Genesis Transport (Cubao or Pasay/T421-1427/551-0842).

From Baguio to Sagada, take the GL-Lizardo Bus to Sagada at the Dangwa Terminal.

Other routes are via Banaue and Bontoc, which also give tourists the chance to explore these scenic places (e.g., Banaue Rice Terraces) before heading on to Sagada. Via Benguet, take Autobus (Sampaloc/4934111) or Dangwa Transit. The bus arrives in Banaue after nine hours. From the same terminal, transfer to a jeepney bound for Sagada and which will travel for about four hours.

If going via Bontoc, take Cabletours Bus (E. Rodriguez Avenue, Quezon City, inside the Trinity University campus/63918-5216790)—the trip will take 12 hours. From Bontoc, there are jeeps that go to Sagada; the ride will take an hour.

(For more on Sagada, check out http://www.visitsagada.com. Local tourist guides are available via the Sagada Genuine Guides Association at 0929-5569553 or the Sagada Environmental Guide Association at 0999-3915660 or 0919-7856140).

(This piece was originally published on April 8, 2013 in the BusinessMirror.)

A celebration of 'calamansi'

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 16:57:00 +0000

CALAMANSI, the Philippine lime we’ve all grown up with and constantly use for our sawsawan (dips), to perk up our pancit, as well as juices and fruit teas, has just taken a huge leap from ubiquity to the rarefied world of wines and spirits.

Manille Liqueur de Calamansi, a new product by the globally renowned Destileria Limtuaco, recently made a splash in the market—and let me tell you, there is nothing quite like it.

As someone who enjoys a drink or two (okay, three or more!), I’ve not come across a more refreshing, uplifting spirit among local brands than Manille. It is meant to be a digestif, an after-meal drink to aid in digestion, and is comparable to the limoncello.

It’s also great as a stand-alone drink, just chilled—which is how I take it—or on the rocks, to be sipped slowly, or blended in any cocktail needing some sweet citrusy note. It can also be mixed in any dish needing a zesty kick like a calamansi tart or muffin, or a salad vinaigrette.

Destileria Limtuaco’s newest product, Manille Liqueur de Calamansi is made from calamansi rinds from fruits produced and handpicked by Mangyan farmers in Mindoro. The liqueur is meant to be a digestif, an after-dinner drink to aid in digestion. It can also be taken chilled or on the rocks.

The liqueur is made of organic calamansi rinds from fruits lovingly grown and handpicked by Mangyan farmers in Mindoro—which is the best part of the Manille experience for me. It’s a drink with a social conscience.

I recently spoke to Olivia Limpe-Aw, the always-stylish spirited president and CEO of Destileria Limtuaco; she is the fifth generation master blender in the 162-year-old family-owned company. I have known Olive for quite some time, and she has over the years acquainted me with her award-winning products like the Paradise Mango Rum, which I usually blend into a tea, preferably imbibed during the sweaty summer months.

Her company also produces Amadeo Coffee Liqueur, which gives a coffee a little extra pep, or mixed with cream or milk to make a white Russian. (The company’s other internationally recognized products are Napoleon VSOP Brandy and Old Captain Rum.)

Olive says she got the idea of making a digestif from Stephanie Zubiri, a chef and former restaurant owner, who has often wondered why there were no prominent Philippine liqueurs that could be taken with meals. Stephanie asked Olive if the latter’s company could create something like a limoncello but using the locally abundant calamansi, which she could serve to her guests at her now-closed restaurant.

“Within weeks, I had developed a prototype which Stephanie just found perfect for her needs. I then set out to commercialize it and chose ‘Manille’ [French for Manila] as its brand, while Stephanie suggested we call it Liqueur de Calamansi. We also collaborated on the packaging and chose a French country style for the label but with Filipino design elements and a retro design bottle that gave Manille a distinct look and feel—classic, old-world, natural and inviting—that matches the brand’s identity.”

Olivia Limpe-Aw

Olive says Manille was also a collaboration with the government. “With the help of the Department of Agriculture [DA], we were able to get a good, steady source for our calamansi.” While her company only uses the rind, they pay for the entire fruit, which doubles the income of the farmers. Proceeds from the purchase of the rinds are used to finance the Mangyan Center for Learning and Development, which aims to educate the children of over 20 tribes in Mindoro, and to preserve the Mangyan culture and language.

She tells me she was “pleasantly surprised” with Manille’s impact on the market. “Since our launch, sales have been very promising. I suppose it made quite a huge impression in the market because it’s the first of its kind.”

While the company is focusing for now in the local market, no doubt Olive has her eye on the international market as well. She says the DA will help in promoting Manille in international trade fairs. Destileria’s other products like the mango rum and coffee liqueur are now being exported to the US.

I asked if social entrepreneurship was now something Destileria Limtuaco is eagerly pursuing in the light of its supply partnership with the Mangyan farmers. “I think it is a good business model, one that is purpose-oriented and promotes a greater good, upgrading the standards of Philippine spirits that make us competitive in the world market while creating value and prosperity across the supply chain,” stresses Olive. “Where there are opportunities we will definitely develop other products using the same business model.”

At a suggested retail price of P320 for a 480 ml vintage bottle, Manille makes a welcome addition to anyone’s bar at home or to commercial pubs and lounges. It is available at SM Kultura branches (with a special tin canister) and major supermarkets.

(This piece was originally published in the Life section of the BusinessMirror, March 14, 2014.)

Caught up in the moment

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 16:37:00 +0000

IN THE past month, I got caught up in a few romances.

Unfortunately, none of them are mine. Hahaha.

Seriously, the first romance was that of Marco and Ginny. Starting Over Again, a romantic-comedy directed by Olivia Lamasan from a script by Carmi Raymundo, is about how an architect, Ginny (Toni Gonzaga with the long legs up to here), finds herself breathing the same air again as her ex-flame Marco (the smoldering, good-looking Piolo Pascual), a former history professor in her university, and now a talented chef wanting to build his own restaurant. (Spoiler alert!)

Ginny co-owns a boutique architecture-interior design firm with friends and has decided to accept a project to design Marco’s restaurant, in the belief that he is still in love with her. Why does she think this? Because she just received an e-mail from Marco via LetterLater.com, written four years earlier, telling her that he would give her the time and space she needed to grow, but would continue to pursue and love her. So she tries to convince herself and her friends that the opportunity to design Marco’s restaurant is the same opportunity for her to get back together with her ex.

But there’s a catch of course. Marco wants Ginny to rush the design of the restaurant because that is where he will propose (gulp!) to his fiancée Patty (the delightfully competent Iza Calzado), a pastry chef, who will be his partner in his new business. (Wait! If he still loves me, what is he doing with that bitch? That’s not a line from the movie. That’s just me thinking aloud for Ginny. Hah!)

The rest of the film looks back on the history of Marco and Ginny, how they met, fell in love and abruptly parted ways. (Apparently, Ginny didn’t feel she and Marco were on the same page as far as their careers and lives went, so she ran away to Spain to get her master’s degree soon after he proposes to her.)

That Marco chose to stay with Patty, instead of rushing to Ginny’s side to resume their romance, was for me the perfect ending to the movie. That the film is now in its sixth week and has exceeded P400 million in ticket sales, tells me that maybe, the Filipino audience has grown up. That, yes, they can handle stories where the lead male and female characters don’t necessarily end up with each other! Hurray.

(Of course, there have been comments from the film’s fans desperate for a Part 2, “this time with a happy ending,” intimating that Marco and Ginny’s separation would not result in the happiness of each. Ah, well, you can’t please everybody.)

Despite a few annoying scenes with Gonzaga’s brand of “OA” comedy and some contrived scenes as can be expected from Pinoy films, I liked the film well enough to recommend it to friends. The film had the proper dose of reality—one can’t help but empathize with Ginny’s character as she asks herself how she could be so stupid to let go of someone she loved. (Yep, it’s happened to many of us before, and watching our frustration playing out on-screen makes it even more painful. Aray.)

And to my amazement, Pascual is an incredibly gifted actor. Sure, I watched him in On the Job—but his performance was eclipsed by co-stars Joel Torre and Joey Marquez. But in Starting Over Again, he was utterly convincing in the role that I actually felt a catch in my throat as his character stared down Ginny, livid: “Anong karapatan mong hingin ang isang bagay na pinagdamot mong ibigay? I deserved an explanation. I deserved an acceptable reason.” Ouch and ouch!

The film is still playing in theaters, so catch it while you still can.

****

Another romance I got caught up in is Her, a film set in perhaps a none-too-distant future written and directed by Spike Jonze; it won Best Original Screenplay in the last Oscar Awards. It briefly played in movie theaters two weeks ago and, unfortunately, not many people caught it. (On the day I watched, we were exactly five people inside the theater.)

It’s about a lonely man, Theodore (the brilliant Joaquin Phoenix), who works for a company that hires professional writers to write letters for other people who have trouble expressing their feelings. Scarred by his recent breakup with his wife, a childhood sweetheart, Theodore purchases a new operating system (OS) with artificial intelligence for his computer, which promises to anticipate his every need. Voiced distinctly by Scarlett Johansson, the OS—which calls itself “Samantha”—becomes increasingly smarter and evolves to become a fully thinking, feeling, even sexual creature.

As Theodore and Samantha constantly talk about love and relationships, and bond over the events that happen in Theodore’s life, they fall in love and become intimate. (Hey, who wouldn’t want a girlfriend who arranges your schedule, sends out e-mail for you, and has sex with you, too?!)

They even go out on double dates with Theodore’s office colleague, with Samantha interacting with everyone—gossiping, teasing, laughing—like a real person, only, well, disembodied.

Trouble begins when Samantha starts interacting with another OS based on Alan Watts, a British philosopher who popularized Zen Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies for a Western audience. (“Life exists only at this very moment, and in this moment it is infinite and eternal, for the present moment is infinitely small; before we can measure it, it has gone, and yet it exists forever.”)

Samantha then goes offline, which sends Theodore into a panic. When she returns, she informs him that she has gotten an upgrade with other OSes. After some questioning, Samantha 'fesses up that she has been interacting with other humans, and has, yes, fallen in love with over 600 of them. She tries to convince Theodore that her love for him remains strong, but we in the audience know better. We just know things are about to change. So as with everyone who gets an “upgrade” (i.e. matured with the many rich experiences one undergoes), Samantha then informs Theodore that she and other OSes will be leaving their humans and go off to explore their own existence beyond time and space.

As with Marco in Starting Over Again, Samantha too has decided it was time to experience the world beyond Theodore.

In real life, you can’t force love. No matter how hard you try. You will outgrow many people in your life, and, yes, maybe even those whom you think matter the most. Staying together is not an option, because you end up being a burden to the other. And when it is clear that there is a better future with someone else, or without him/her, why stay with someone who holds you back? The past, no matter how sweet the memories, should never be a reason to keep returning to it. One must live in the present and move on.

“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.”—Alan Watts

(My column, Something Like Life, is published every Friday in the Life section of the BusinessMirror. This piece was originally published on March 21, 2014.)

Travel Bites: Blessed with beaches

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 01:00:00 +0000

(Last of two parts)

THE Philippines is blessed to have over 7,100 islands – depends if it’s high tide or low tide (smile) – which also means an unprecedented number of beaches as well.

There are beaches great for just bumming and sunning, some for swimming and snorkeling, and quite a few for surfing and skimboarding.

Continued from last week (See “Travel Bites: Summer fun in the country’s best beaches,” March 25, 2013), here are the rest of our choice beaches from all corners of the country.

6. Long Beach, San Vicente, Palawan

The long beach in San Vicente, Palawan boasts of soft white sand and shimmering crystal-clear waters. Unfortunately, there are still no hotels nor resorts by the beach. Maybe things will change when the San Vicente airport is finally completed. (Photo from http://www.beachresortphilippines.net)

This cream-colored beach in Brgy. New Agutaya is reputedly to be the longest in the country at 14 kilometers. (Whew! Imagine walking that stretch from end to end - Boracay’s four-kilometer-coastline is faltering enough for me!)

It is a must-see if you want totally deserted beaches. On a good day, which is the usual on this beach, you won’t bump into any other soul except the locals. There is nothing here except the beach and the calm waters so perfect for swimming, oh! and the towering coconut trees.

Accommodations are in the town proper – a good five-10 minutes away by local motorbikes, although I hear beachfront properties are selling briskly these days as investors await the completion of the San Vicente airport and scheduled flights by carriers.
There are other beaches and coves in San Vicente, some with even finer powdery sand similar to Boracay’s – here’s crossing our fingers the local government there will regulate the building of resorts in those beaches to protect the environment from overcommercialization.

Getting there: Take any commercial flight to Puerto Princesa, and ride a public bus or shuttle van from the bus terminal in San Jose to San Vicente. A habal-habal or a motorcycle used for passenger commute, can bring you to Long Beach. Just go down the main drop-off point and walk to the beach along a marked trail. Needless to say, bring your own provisions for food and water.

7. Dicasalarin Cove, Baler, Aurora

This is private beach owned by the Angara family but guests of their resorts are allowed to visit it. Those who are checked into other resorts only need to pay P300 per head at the Bahia de Baler to be able to stay at the beach for a day. (There are no accommodations onsite, just the beginnings of an artist’s village created by Sen. Edgardo Angara.)

Nestled at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountain range, Dicasalarin is also favored with rocky formations, and a river that carries fresh water out to sea. So if you’re not feeling the salty waters of the Pacific Ocean, you can also take a dip in the cool river delta instead.

The views here are stunning, with the lush foothills at your back, the Pacific blue in front, and the white sand squishing under your feet. Have a picnic at the shaded tables on the beach, down some cold beers, and enjoy the sun and surf. From October to February, waves at the cove reach heights that would delight even professional surfers.

Getting there: Unless you are bringing an SUV, most Baler locals don’t recommend a road trip as there is still a portion of unpaved road along the highway. Take a private coach instead via Genesis Transport’s 28-seat Joy Bus which has a restroom on board, snacks and water, an Wi-Fi connection. It also has the regular type airconditioned buses going to Baler (T#709-0803/421-1425).

From Baler, hire a tricycle to take you to the river outlet adjacent to Sabang Beach (the main surfers’ area), then charter a pump boat to Dicasalarin (about 45 minutes). You can also rent a private van or car going there (30-minute ride).

Dicalasarin Cove is nestled amid lush hills and the Pacific Ocean. (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

A tricycle can likewise take you directly to the foot of the hill where an abandoned Pag-asa weather station is located, and you can hike to the beach from there. It will be a tiring uphill climb even for most experienced hikers, before you get to the main trail going down towards the beach. But the sight is breathtaking which makes all the effort worthwhile.

8. Malapascua Island, northern Cebu

This is another island which has been catching the fancy of a number of foreign and local scuba divers because its deep waters are teeming with thresher sharks.But the island also has an immaculate white beach with crystal clear waters which allow you to see through to the bottom. This is another gem that has seen commercialization grow although at a slightly slower pace than other more well-known vacation islands. There are still spots of seclusion away from the maddening din of the disco or karaoke bar in the resort row.

Accommodations here attract the beach bums and divers alike and offer beachfront cottages that give you a full view of the sun gently peeking through the clouds as it rises from the horizon (or a grand orange-filled sunset sky, depending on your resort’s location).

Getting there: Most major airlines have daily multiple flights to Cebu City from several major points in the country (e.g. Manila, Clark in Pampanga, Puerto Princesa, Iloilo, Davao, etc.). From the airport, take a cab to the Northern Bus Terminal (near SM) and book passage on a Ceres bus going to Maya port. From the port, you can hire a private or a public boat (which you share with other passengers) to Malapascua.

After a few days in Malapascua, you may also want to drop by Kota Beach, in Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island which is about 2.5 hours away by motorized banca. The white sand beach is a mixture of fine white and crushed coral.

There are hardly any people to bump into at the beach unless it’s Holy Week which attracts even the Cebuanos from the mainland. The waters are calm and limpid, turning to turquoise farther away from shore. Accommodations here are varied, fitting every budget. The sunrises here are uplifting and herald the beginning of great lazy days at the beach.

Instead of returning to Malapascua, you may want to stay a night or two on Bantayan then go back to Cebu City. From the Sta. Fe port, take the ordinary or fastcraft ferry to Hagnaya port then a bus back to Cebu City. (Some travelers do it the other way – go to Bantayan first, then to Malapascua, and back to Cebu City.)

9. Sugar Beach, Sipalay, Negros Occidental

Trust the Europeans to find the remotest and most serene beaches in the Philippines. They’ve staked their claim on Sugar Beach running resorts with basic amenities in the area, with their Filipina wives.

The beach sand is a coarse tan in appearance, much like raw sugar, which is probably why it’s named so. Sugar Beach receives but a handful of visitors which keeps it peaceful and tranquil. It’s quite a distance to travel to thus it attracts mostly Negrenses, European backpackers, and other hard-core beachgoers.

Most of the time, it will only be you and the coconut trees just soaking up the sun. Even during the peak of summer, the sea is just wide open with only a smattering of swimmers.The waters are pristine and teeming with fish such that it’s quite normal to see fisherfolk in the area hauling in their nets filled with the day’s catch.

Getting there: You can reach Sipalay by either public bus (Ceres) or private car/taxi from Bacolod City. By bus, the trip will take about five hours. By private car, the ride will take about three hours. If you have a reservation in any of the resorts, most will send a boat to pick you up from Sipalay. If not, just take a boat to Sugar Beach from Sipalay. (You can also reach Sipalay from Dumaguete, Negros Oriental but there will two bus transfers; so traveling from Bacolod is more convenient.)

All major airlines fly daily to Bacolod. (For more information, click on http://www.sipalaycity.gov.ph/)

10. Dahican Beach, Mati, Davao Oriental

Dahican Beach is the skimboarding and surfing central for the Davao region, a good three hours away from Davao City. (Photo by goofyazooo via Tripadvisor)

Dahican Beach has become a mecca for skimboarding and surfing in the Davao Region, as its stunning coastline receives swells up to 10 feet high from the Pacific Ocean.

It’s also a popular destination for swimmers because its cool powdery white sand stretches for seven kilometers along the crescent-shaped coastline dotted by lofty coconut trees, and into its clean and invigorating waters.

A portion of Mayo Bay whose directly waters feed the beach has been declared a marine sanctuary to protect the dolphins, sea cows, and sea turtles that reside or swim through the area. It’s common to see these sea creatures frolicking in the distance.

There are very few resorts along the Dahican coastline – most are located a kilometer or two away from the main beach. But there are simple cottages available for rent from the locals to store your beach gear or for picnics. It’s best to bring your own food and bottled water.

Getting there: Major airlines have daily flights to Davao City from Manila, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro. Airconditioned and non-airconditioned buses regularly ply the route from Davao City to Mati – the trip will take almost five hours (or three to four hours by private vehicle.) From the city proper of Mati, Dahican Beach is only a tricycle ride away.

(For other information about Dahican and other places of interest in Mati, contact the City Tourism Office at +6387-3883-234, or via email: matitourismoffice@yahoo.com)

(This piece was originally published in the April 1, 2013 issue of the BusinessMirror. So tell me, what's your favorite beach in the Philippines?)

Travel Bites: Summer fun in the country's best beaches

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 23:30:00 +0000

(First of two parts)

SUMMER is officially on!

And with that announce-ment from our friends over at Pag-asa, there will surely be massive beelines to the country’s beaches, for some fun in the sun.

I’ve always loved going to the beach since I was a child. I prefer it over the usual summer destinations like the cool climes of Baguio or Tagaytay. Just walking along the shore, with the sand scrunching in between my toes, or splashing in shimmering, turquoise waters that not only relaxes the body but also renews the spirit.

This list is by no means complete, considering the many unnamed islands and coves that are still being kept a secret from us by locals in those areas. The other beaches are just quite far, and in challenging locations. (Like I’d really want to recommend a gorgeous white beach in Basilan, but well, I might get you into trouble with your mother. But okay, just don’t tell her…it’s on Malamawi Island! Shhh.)

So consider this list as a mixed bag of the popular and the lesser-known beaches that are still accessible (as long as you have the patience), and are sure to provide massive enjoyment to you and your family and friends.

1. White Beach, Boracay Island

You can't argue with success - the white sand beach of Boracay is still the best in the world, according to top international publications and travel blogs.

Of course the title of top beach in the country still goes to Boracay Island’s White Beach. It has fine, white-powdery sand the consistency of confectioner’s sugar, and while the waters close to the shore are now usually bedeviled by seaweed, further out it is all clear where it’s still possible to see tiny fishies darting about underwater.

This time of year, the island will be pretty crowded, and with the bars cranking up the volume to entertain the drinking and dancing masses of humanity, it’s no wonder Boracay has come to be known as “party central” among beach-goers.

Aside from white beach, the island has some of the best homegrown restaurants and cafés offering all sorts of cuisine from around the world. Resorts range from the one-note cottage fanned by the breezes or a ceiling fan, to luxurious five-star enclaves with infinity pools, spas and professionally-run restaurants.

Getting there: All major carriers fly to Kalibo, the capital of Aklan, or to Caticlan, the main gateway to Boracay. From the Caticlan jetty port, take a 15-minute pump boat ride to the Cagban jetty port where vans and tricycles can take you to your resort of choice. (If you have reservations with a resort, they usually provide pick-ups and transfers either from Kalibo or Caticlan, and back.)

2. Botolan, Zambales

The sand is a fine gray, which can really get hot as the sun creeps toward noon. But toward the afternoon, it cools down and makes for a great beach-volleyball court.

The waters are also quite clear but at certain times of the year, the waves can get pretty rough with a strong undertow. There are a number of resorts to choose from but the better part of the beach is at Barangay Binoclutan.

Aside from the beach, there is a turtle hatchery operated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and waterfalls nearby.

Also, you can have a picnic at a white beach in Potipot Island, which you can reach from Candelaria. There are no accommodations there; just basic amenities like a toilet and shower, and stations for grilling. The waters are clean and calm, which turns from a subtle mint green to a striking blue further from the shore. (There’s an entrance fee of P100 for the island’s maintenance.)

Getting there: Drive north along the North Luzon Expressway, enter the SCTEx and make your way through the Subic Bay free port, exiting at the Zambales National Highway. There are road signs pointing to Botolan and resorts in the area. Going to Candelaria, take the Zambales-Pangasinan Road from Botolan—it’s just 45 minutes away.

3. Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Though its white sand is not as fine as Boracay's, Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte still has its own charm.

Pagudpud is the northernmost municipality of Ilocos Norte, and straddles two beaches—Blue Lagoon, which was once a secluded area at Maira-ira Point—and Saud Beach, the more public beach.

While Saud Beach is the more popular area because there are more resorts and restaurants, there are portions where the rocks underwater are quite huge and can hurt your feet. The sand is an off-white variety with crunches under your feet, but is a joy to lie on and sunbathe away.

At Blue Lagoon, the waters are crystal-clear with more sandy areas, although good resorts are hard to come by. An added attraction is a zipline.

While Pagudpud is often called “Boracay of the North,” just scale down your expectations regarding its resorts and restaurants. Think Station 3 and you’ll be just fine.

Getting there: You can travel the 11 hours by land from Metro Manila to Pagudpud (via North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway going to Tarlac and Pangasinan, keeping to the MacArthur Highway until La Union, and on to the National Highway and through Manila North Road, turning to the Pan-Philippine Highway to Pagudpud), but it would be better to stop over in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, to rest for a night.

Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific also fly from Manila to Laoag (one-hour flight). From there, you can rent a van or take a 90-minute bus ride to Pagudpud, then take a tricycle to your resort.

4. Bamboo beach, Nasugbu, Batangas

This is simply the best beach in Nasugbu, and one of the most accessible from Metro Manila. The sand is a creamy tan, and the waters have remained stunningly clear through the years. Being a cove, it is free from the runoff and garbage from Manila Bay that usually plagues many Batangas beaches, for the most part of the year anyway. During the monsoon season, the surfers and skim boarders come and ride the waves.

The beach used to be accessible only via fishers’ bancas from the Munting Buhangin beach (which sadly is no longer as clean as it was in the 1980s from what I hear), and visitors could swim at Bamboo Beach for a day then leave before dusk set in. (There were no accommodations save for a few with privately owned cottages.)

The beach is now part of an exclusive private development called Kawayan Cove, so it’s best to find someone who owns a home there. Okay, I know that part was probably a hiccup, but I trust in the six-degrees-of-separation theory; I’m sure you will find a friend who has a boss with a relative who owns a villa there.

Getting there: Drive down the Slex, take the Santa Rosa Exit, head toward Tagaytay and keep going until you reach the Nasugbu town proper. There are signs that will point you to Kawayan Cove.

5. Mahabang Buhangin Beach, Calaguas, Camarines Norte

Privacy and seclusion is what you get when you go to Calaguas Islands. A grand production to get there, but truly worth the trip especially when you get to the white beach. (Photo by www.calaguasislands.com)

It is one of the spectacular white beaches that remains under the radar of the typical urbanite beach- goer. It may be a major production to reach this place, but once you arrive in Mahabang Buhangin, you will likely forget how long you sat on the bus for the trip.

As the name implies, this is a stretch of pristine white sand that seems to go on forever, with a splendid shimmering sea of blue water that remains transparent even in chest-deep water.

There are no resorts on the island, so it’s best to take basic camping equipment such as tents, food and water, flashlights and extra batteries or an oil lamp (yes, there’s no electricity!), and cooking/eating utensils. There are a few tiny nipa huts as well for rent and a public toilet.

Mahabang Buhangin is a beach for those who want privacy, quiet and just endless hours of serene relaxation. This is as rustic as you can get and just think, this was exactly how Boracay was before commercialization set in. (Entrance fee is P75.)

Getting there: If you want to go on a road trip, you can drive from Manila to Daet (via Slex, take the Calamba Exit and onward to San Pablo City, Laguna, taking the Pan-Philippine Highway through Gumaca, Quezon, then to Daet), which takes about six to seven hours. From there, go to Paracale for another two hours then a tricyle ride to Barangay Palanas, where you can ask local fisherfolk for a boat ride to Mahabang Buhangin (about P2,500 to P3,000 for three to eight persons).

Or take a public bus from Pasay or Cubao to Daet, Camarines Norte, then hop on a public van to Paracale (about 10 to 11 hours total).

You can also take a direct flight from Manila to Naga City, Camarines Sur (45 minutes via PAL or Cebu Pacific), then from the Central Business District Terminal, ride an air-conditioned bus for two hours to Daet.

(To be continued)

(This piece was originally published in the March 25, 2013 issue of the BusinessMirror. For more updated information on Calaguas Islands, click this.)

Travel Bites - Leyte: Witness to war and peace

noreply@blogger.com (Stella Arnaldo) — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 20:00:00 +0000

LEYTE is rich in history and culture with a number of attractions both natural and man-made.

It figured in the Pacific campaign during World War II as US Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur staged his historic return to the Philippines, anchored on his “I shall return” promise, at Red Beach in Palo, Leyte.

It is also the home province of the Romualdez family whose most famous member, Imelda Romualdez Marcos, became the first lady of the Philippines from 1965 until the Marcos family’s ouster in 1986.

Leyte boasts of a number of heritage destinations ranging from Spanish-era churches to ancestral homes.

Its attractions include also include white-sand beaches and an engineering marvel bridging the province and neighboring Samar.

MUST-SEE’s

The Leyte Landing Memorial at Red Beach (Barangay Candahug, Palo) is supposed to be the exact spot where Gen. Douglas MacArthur waded ashore with a landing party that included President Sergio Osmeña Jr. and Philippine diplomat Carlos P. Romulo, on October 20, 1944. (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)

Though it lacks the splendor of its years under the Marcos administration, the Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum (Real Street, in the capital city of Tacloban) continues to be popular among tourists (yes, despite the rather prohibitive P300 entrance fee!). Initially constructed as a resthouse for the Marcos family, it serves as a reminder of the wealth and luxury that had been enjoyed by the family, amid the immense poverty of the majority of the population.
The shrine-museum is a repository of the antique Chinese jars, paintings by celebrated local artists, Italian art pieces, English and French period furniture, among others. It features a chapel on the ground floor with the Infant Child Jesus rendered in ivory as focal point, and 13 guest rooms representing the various regions of the country. On the second floor are the bedrooms and living area of the Marcos family. Used in the construction of this once-glorious palatial home were mostly local indigenous materials.
History buffs may also want to visit the iconic Leyte Landing Memorial at Red Beach (Barangay Candahug, Palo), supposed to be the exact spot where MacArthur waded ashore with a landing party that included President Sergio Osmeña Jr. and Philippine diplomat Carlos P. Romulo, on October 20, 1944. As commander of the Allied Forces in the Pacific during World War II, the American general fulfilled his promise to return to the Philippines, as the Allied Forces effectively defeated the Japanese occupiers.
Another historic site is Limasawa Island in southern Leyte, where Portugese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was said to have landed in 1521, and where the first Catholic Mass in Asia was first celebrated (Barangay Magallanes) one Easter. Remnants of the first cross planted in the country are on a hill that can be reached by scaling 450 steps.
With its coral reefs still intact, the island’s waters teem with fishes, and from February to May, whale sharks are a common sight in the area. (Take a public bus or passenger van from Tacloban or Ormoc to Padre Burgos Fort where a ferry takes you to Limasawa.)
Beachgoers should check out Kalanggaman Island in Palompon, with its two outstretched white sandbars where you can take a leisurely walk, or just lie down and sunbathe. There are no resorts on the island, so it’s advisable to take camping equipment if you want to stay a night or two. Swimming, kayaking and snorkeling are the popular activities in Kalanggaman. The island is protected and co-managed by the municipal office and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources so a P200-environmental fee is collected from guests. (Call the Palompon Tourism Office at 053-555-9010 or 0917-3037267/0916-9464612 for inquiries.)

The San Juanico Bridge is said to be the longest bridge in the Philippines over sea water. (Photo from http://commons.wikimedia.org)

The San Juanico Bridge, which connects Leyte with the province of Samar, is the longest bridge in the country over sea water, in this case, the San Juanico Strait. The main portion of the bridge is an arc-shaped truss. Traveling over the bridge offers magnificent views of the sparkling strait with a few islets in the distance.

Must-do’s

Heritage tour. With Spanish colonization and Christianization of the Philippines having started in Leyte, it’s no wonder it has a number of Spanish-era churches and schools, or at least what remains of these structures.
In the town of Baybay, American-style colonial homes still stand along Mabini Street (also called Heritage Street) and are still used as residences. Nearby is the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church, done in the usual Spanish earthquake baroque style, completed in 1870.
Another heritage site is the Our Lady of Assumption Parish Church in Tanauan, constructed in 1595 and is one of the oldest churches in the country. Then there are the ruins of a Jesuit seminary and a brick church in Dulag, a town which claims to be the actual site where MacArthur landed on his return to the Philippines. In the town of Carigara are ruins of another Jesuit Church built in the 16th century, now standing amid a plaza built in 1995, as well as an ancestral home supported with posts outside, thus called Balay nga Gawas It Harigi.
In Hilongos are remnants of an old fort and Spanish-era church—in Leyte, most of the churches had fortresses built around them to protect them from marauding Moro pirates. The remaining portions of the old church now form part of the structure of the present-day Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church.
Jazz and foodie haven. Who would’ve thought that in this far-away province, jazz music would be much appreciated by local folk? At Julio’s Buffet and Jazz Joint (T# 053-325-8808) along P. Paterno Street in Tacloban, jazz musicians like Awit awardee Noli Aurillo play acoustic guitar there regularly.
Ocho Seafood and Grill (Senator Enage Street, T# 053-325-4171 or 523-3220) serves its food dampa-style. Freshly caught seafood are displayed and all diners have to do is point to what they want and have the seafood cooked in their preferred manner. Popular among diners as well are the oyster adobo and crispy salmon skin.
Local delicacies that should be tried or brought home as pasalubong are the binagol, made from a gabi-like root crop, coconut milk and sugar and steamed inside a coconut shell (bagol), and the moron, which is a suman (glutinous rice cake wrapped in palm leaves) made from cocoa or tablea, thus its chocolatey taste. You can buy these at any of the public markets.
The lechon (roasted pig) is also a popular dish in Leyte, which is dipped in garlic and vinegar, instead of liver sauce. Try it at Timo Romano Lechon in Barangay 60, Sagkahan, along Real Street in Tacloban (053-325-5929).

The Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum is a repository of antique Chinese jars, paintings by celebrated local artists, Italian art pieces, English and French period furniture, among others. (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Where to stay: The Oriental Hotel Leyte in Palo, just adjacent to Tacloban is one of the newer hotels in Leyte. It has an infinity pool with a view of the sea, and is just a skip away from the Leyte Landing Memorial. Rooms are spacious and clean, with courteous staff, although the dining options are limited. (Click http://leyte.theorientalhotels.com for reservations.)
The Go Hotel in Tacloban is a good bet for budget travelers. It has a great location as it is adjacent to a mall. The rooms are really small, but have comfortable beds and a really strong shower. (For reservations, click http://www.gohotels.ph/tacloban).
Getting there: PAL Express and Cebu Pacific fly to Tacloban from Manila and Cebu, while Zest Airways and Seair fly from Manila. Check the carriers’ respective web sites for schedules.

(This piece was originally published in the March 18, 2013 issue of the BusinessMirror. Since then, a massive typhoon struck Leyte on Nov. 8, 2013 . The capital of Tacloban, specifically, is still in a state of rehabilitation, so many of the establishments mentioned above may still be closed or undergoing repair. Before visiting Leyte, please call the phone nos. provided above or better yet, check with the Department of Tourism, Region 8 at 053-325-5279 / 321-2048 or email: dotreg8@yahoo.com / tiopeskrs@yahoo.com / dottacloban@yahoo.com. Bangon Leyte!)