http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/09-12/top-10-destinations-for-independent-travelers-in-2010.html
Probably one of the most diverse and the most beautiful country in the world
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Batan Island, Batanes, Philippines
Going around Batan Island, Batanes, Philippines. Fundacion Pacita, Tukun, Valugan, Rakuh-a-Payaman, Rolling Hills...
Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines
White Sand Christmas around Puerto Princesa City in Palawan. Visited a heap of places like the New 7 Natural Wonder nominee Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, Iwahig Penal Colony, Hunda Bay and heaps others.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Philippines is ASEAN's Cultural Capital!
Other idiots in the region (READ: ASEAN) thinks that the Philippines has no culture. Most of these people have never been to the Philippines and if they did have never extensively at all. I have traveled around the country and I have seen and experienced such diversity of cultures that can make the other countries in ASEAN super-jealous. Well, whaddaya know? the Philippines was designated as the ASEAN Cultural Capital!
RP is ASEAN’s cultural capital
MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines has been named the “cultural capital” of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2010 and 2011, according to presidential adviser on culture Cecile Guidote-Alvarez.
As the region’s cultural capital, Manila will host next year’s ASEAN culture ministers’ summit.
ASEAN groups the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Burma (Myanmar) and Brunei Darussalam.
“Our hosting of the ASEAN conference next February will coincide with the staging of the Philippine International Arts
Festival at Clark in Pampanga,” Alvarez told the Philippine Daily Inquirer Monday.
The twin events “would serve as a continuing effort (from last October’s Asia Cultural Cooperation Forum, or ACCF, in Hong Kong) to build audiences and unleash the creative power of our people,” said Alvarez, also executive director of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts.
“(W)here politics almost certainly divides, the arts can unite and heal, bond and cement a nation together and an entire global community,” Alvarez said.
Citing the government’s Millennium Development Goal to eradicate poverty by 2015, Alvarez said the NCCA would do its part by “democratizing the people’s right to culture: Arts for all, not just for the elite.”
She said the NCCA had “designed as a poverty alleviation program the Kalahi cultural care-giving services for marginalized groups in prisons, havens for abused women, youth and children, rehabilitation centers for drug dependents, refugees from armed conflicts, victims of natural disasters, the elderly, the sick, orphans and widows, the differently abled and physically handicapped.”
Under the program, they are “given free training in all aspects of the arts—visual arts, dance, drama, poetry, comics, media arts, as well as martial arts—to discover the gold mine and dig the oil well of their abilities.”
During the past two months, the NCCA has conducted cultural care-giving workshops in at least 10 sites in Metro Manila, including the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, Correctional Institute for Women, Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo and Department of Social Welfare and Development rehabilitation centers like Marilac Hills and the Nayon ng Kabataan, among others.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Sabtang Island, Batanes, Philippines
Going around the gorgeous Sabtang Island, in the northernmost province of the Philippines- Batanes.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Bataan Peninsula, Philippines
Some of the places we visited in beautiful Bataan last November 7-8, 2009 - Abucay Church, Ciudad Acuzar, and Mt. Samat.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Batan Island, Batanes, Philippines
Fundacion Pacita, House of Dakay, Racuh ah Payaman, Itbud, Ivana, Uyugan, Mahatao, Basco, Tukon, Diura, Valugan and the many sights around this wonderful province in the northernmost frontier of the Philippines.
Palawan Christmas 2009 Trip!
| Start: | Dec 24, '09 8:00p |
| End: | Dec 27, '09 |
| Location: | Palawan, Philippines |
Sabtang Island, Batanes, Philippines
The northernmost province of the Philippines. Going around Chavayan- a UNESCO World Heritage List nominee, Malakdang, Savidug at Sabtang Island. Vlick on the Panoramic shots to appreciate it better..
Friday, November 13, 2009
Pawikan Conservation Center | Tourism Paradise Philippines
http://tourism-philippines.com/pawikan-conservation/
The ultimate patriots, the Pawikans (Filipino for Marine Turtles) return after 25-30 years and go back to where they were hatched to lay eggs. This cycle remained unbroken for ages until recently when these beautiful sea animals have become highly threatened for extinction, due to poaching and hunting- their numbers are alarmingly dwindling. The time is now to take action. Read on and learn how you or your organization can help.
The ultimate patriots, the Pawikans (Filipino for Marine Turtles) return after 25-30 years and go back to where they were hatched to lay eggs. This cycle remained unbroken for ages until recently when these beautiful sea animals have become highly threatened for extinction, due to poaching and hunting- their numbers are alarmingly dwindling. The time is now to take action. Read on and learn how you or your organization can help.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Bataan, Philippines
Mount Samat, Balanga and Abucay Churches, Birdwatching, Pawikan Centre in Morong, Ciudad Acuzar
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Viewing the Philippines in a Different Light
From one of our writers from Tourism Paradise Philippines. Please share and pass this on to your friends. If you wanna read more from one of the fastest growing, most reliable, and most extensive travel guide websites on Philippine destinations visit our website at http://tourism-philippines.com .
Viewing the Philippines in a Different Light
By Scott Allford
If you live outside of the Philippines and you watch or read the news you may feel very justified in believing that the Philippines is a very dangerous country. Savaged by typhoons, earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, and terrorist attacks. You may also be assured in your belief that it is a poor country with images of children picking through garbage, slums, and corruption scandals broadcast in most international news reports. I am not going to deny that these things are true, however, they are not all that the country contains. Not every person in the Philippines is poor, a terrorist, or a victim of terror. In fact other countries around the world suffer from these same problems yet they do not become iconic images of those nations.
The common view of the Philippines
A few months ago I was at a roof-top birthday party in Makati filled with socialites and expats. Whilst there I was introduced to a German ‘journalist’, and my friend asked him why the Philippines is portrayed in such a negative light in the foreign media. His response was in two parts; Firstly because in his experience he could not sell stories about the Philippines in Germany if they were not about poverty, violence, or corruption. Secondly, he said that because there is so much poverty, violence, and corruption there is nothing else to report on. After saying this he sipped his glass of red wine and was whisked away into a group of Filipino socialites.
Makati City. No slums or garbage dumps here.
Photo by Scott M.Allford
Photo by Scott M.Allford
Perhaps the red wine was ‘poor’ in taste, or the fact that that particular roof-top was one of the few in Makati which doesn’t have a swimming pool made him focus on the poverty in the Philippines, or maybe the sounds of merrymaking were ‘violent’ on his ears. I think that it was none of these things. Germany, a developed country, has slums. But if the focus can be moved away from the poverty in the developed countries and put on some islands way out in the Pacific Ocean, then people in developed countries can feel a little bit better.
I remember growing up in Australia, taking garbage out to the dump after cleaning up the garden. I would see Aboriginals picking through the garbage for food. Yet that has never been an iconic image of Australia. I went to ‘water villages’ in Malaysia and Brunei and thought how similar they look to slums in Manila. Yet ‘water villages’ are tourist attractions and the slums here are not. I lived in South Korea a few hundred kilometres away from the DMZ, with jets and helicopters flying overhead all the time it felt like a war zone. In the spring I would have 40 tanks facing in the direction of my apartment. Yet South Korea is generally not viewed or branded as a dangerous country. And South Korea has slums too. Perhaps the time will come when people outside the Philippines will come to realise that the branded image of the Philippines portrayed in the media is only a small piece of the full picture of this country.
A Different View
Since the Philippines was settled by people 30,000 years ago this country has blossomed into a mix of over 180 indigenous ethnic groups, over half of which also represent unique linguistic groups. This array of cultures, languages, and cultural artifacts cannot be matched by most nations of the world. From the Ilocano, Pangasinense, Kapampangan, Tagalog, Bicolano, and Visayans to the Binukid, Moros, Ati, Igorot, and the T’boli, just to name a few. These cultures are rich, strong and proud and in most cases the people that make up these cultures are very friendly and welcoming to outsiders. On a trip to Sagada I was welcomed into a very warm and friendly Kankanaey family. They showed us around Sagada and told us stories of Kankanaey cultural practices. They even taught me how to wear a traditional bahag (a hand-loomed loin cloth or G-string).
Neighbouring Sagada is Ifugao, with vast rice terraces that shape the mountains of the region. The oldest rice terraces are 6,000 years old, which is 1,000 years older than the oldest pyramid in Egypt. If put end to end the rice terraces dwarf the Great Wall of China and the rice terraces were not made by using slave labor like most other ancient wonders of the world.
The Banaue Rice Terraces are a UNESCO World Heritage site. But they are not alone. The Philippines have numerous UNESCO world heritage sites including the Baroque churches of San Agustin Church in Manila, Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, San Agustin Church in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, and Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Church in Miag-ao, Iloilo. There is also the beautiful and historic town of Vigan in Ilocos Sur. Furthermore, there are the natural UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park and the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.
Lastly the Philippines consists of 7,107 beautiful islands. These islands contain remote beaches and amazing rock formations as well as other natural wonders like the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, the perfectly conical Mt. Mayon volcano or the stunning Bacuit Bay in El Nido, Palwan. But also on these islands is a range of biodiversity not seen in most other places on the planet. In Romblon, Sibuyan Island is known as the Galapagos of Asia as it contains such a diverse range of species which can be found nowhere else on the planet. If you get off these islands and dive into the cool blue-turquoise waters of the Philippines, you may also see some of the richest biodiversity in the world’s seas. The Verde Island Passage has been named as the ‘centre of the centre’ of marine biodiversity in the world. It has over 300 species of corals as well as vast numbers of fish that you will not find anywhere else.
With all that this country has to offer I am baffled as to why it has been branded in such a negative way by the International media. However, I think that more and more people are starting to discover that there is a different side to the Philippines to the one they have been bombarded with for the past few decades. Those who come to the Philippines to seek out the beauty of this country will not be disappointed. However, first time travellers to the Philippines should beware, just like me and many other foreigners, this amazing country may compel you to stay quite a bit longer than you initially planned.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Around Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, and Bukidnon, Philippines
Exploring Northern Mindanao September 19-21, 2009. 4 provinces in 3 days!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Hundred Islands National Park and Bolinao, Pangasinan, Philippines
Hundred Islands - Governor's Island, Century Island, Quezon Island, Lopez Island, New Scout Island, Marcos Island & Imelda Cave, Clave Island, Old Scout Island, Martha Island, Ramos Island, Cuenco Island, Children's Island, Romulo Island, Devil's Island. Bolinao Lighthouse, Patar Beach, Bolinao Church, Bolinao Falls 1, Bolinao Falls 2.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Trip to Bataan!
| Start: | Oct 31, '09 |
| End: | Nov 1, '09 |
| Location: | Bataan, Philippines |
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Blog Action Day 2009: PHILIPPINES: Ketsana underscores climate change imperative
Blog Action Day 2009: PHILIPPINES: Ketsana underscores climate change imperative
 Photo: Jason Gutierrez/IRIN  |
| A father carries his daughter on his back as they wade through putrid, brown flood water in suburban Pasig District in Manila. At least 246 people were killed by Ketsana on 26 September |
The Philippines government has requested international humanitarian assistance and is undertaking massive relief operations after Ketsana struck the country on 26 September, leaving at least 246 people dead and more than 730,000 displaced, according to the country'sNational Disaster Coordinating Council.
Three days later, Ketsana pummelled Vietnam's central coast and has moved on to Cambodia, leaving dozens dead in its wake.
Philippine officials said the storm underscored the need for progress in the talks about a new deal under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change treaty (UNFCCC) under way in Bangkok, and for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
"The death, the pain and the damage in the Philippines help us to understand the necessity of an earnest negotiation," Heherson Alvarez, head of the Philippine delegation to the talks and presidential adviser on climate change, told reporters.
Countries at the climate change talks in Bangkok are arguing over the burden of cuts in greenhouse gases and Alvarez urged industrialized nations to commit to substantial reductions.
"We should cut deep and cut early in order to moderate these destructive typhoons," he said. "Think of Manila. Think of what can happen in this world."
Alvarez said the Philippines experiences about 20 typhoons a year; they have been increasing in speed over the past 30 years from 100km to up to 200km per hour.
The Philippines is gathering scientific data to show the effects of climate change on the country, but Alvarez said there was evidence to show a correlation between an increase in the level of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and the severity of typhoons.
"We have no other reason to believe that these are desultory events," he said.
Graciano Yumul, under-secretary at the Philippine government's national Department of Science and Technology, pointed to changing weather patterns in the world's second largest archipelago nation, including rain during the country's normally dry summer months from April to June.
During summer this year, "a lot of people died because three typhoons hit the country. Summer is supposed to be dry, not wet," said Yumul.
Source: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=86362
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Camiguin, Philippines
Katibawasan Falls, Benon Port, Mambajao, Sto. Niño Cold Springs, White Island, Ardent Hot Spring, Enigmata Treehouse, Guiob Church Ruins, Philvolcs Hibok-hibok Observatory, Sunken Cemetery
Northern Mindanao, Philippines
Clubbing in Iligan, a hay ride in Cagayan de Oro and a delicious lunch in Bukidnon.
Iligan - Maria Cristina Falls, Gloria Arroyo's Ancestral House, Iligan Nightspots
Cagayan de Oro - Mapawa Nature Park
Bukidnon - Del Monte Golf Club, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Batanes Islands Trip
| Start: | Nov 27, '09 08:00a |
| End: | Nov 30, '09 |
| Location: | Batan and Sabtang Islands, Batanes, Philippines |
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Caramoan Peninsula, Camarines Sur, Philippines
Island-hopping in Caramoan Peninsula. The site of many Survivor editions like France, Israel, Bulgaria and currently filming Survivor Serbia. Our own little homage.
Camarines Norte, Philippines
Daet, Bagasbas, Apuao Pequeña, Apuao Grande, Malasugui, Canton, Canimog, Quinapaguian and Caringo.
Camarines Sur, Philippines
Please disregard the filenames, these photos were from Camarines Sur-
Matukad, Tinago, Lajos, Tagas, Gota, Hunungan, Sabitang Laiya- some of the islands we went to last weekend.
Wakeboarding at CWC in Pili and Penafrancia Shrine in Naga and stopping by at Sipocot.
Location: Caramoan Peninsula, Naga, Pili, Sipocot
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Pangasinan, Philippines
Hundred Islands - Governor's Island, Century Island, Quezon Island, Lopez Island, New Scout Island, Marcos Island & Imelda Cave, Clave Island, Old Scout Island, Martha Island, Ramos Island, Cuenco Island, Children's Island, Romulo Island, Devil's Island.
Bolinao Lighthouse, Patar Beach, Enchanted Cave, Wonderful Cave, Bolinao Church, Bolinao Falls 1, Bolinao Falls 2.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The Final Journey of Corazon Aquino - The Burial
An Icon of World Democracy that inspired millions of Filipinos and millions more around the world that nonviolent change is possible.
Funeral cortege of former Philippine President headed to the Manila Memorial Park.
Song- Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo, Various Artists.
Taken today at Osmeña Highway, Makati City.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Corazon Aquino's Casket Going to Manila Cathedral
An Icon of Pro-Democracy Movements Around the World. Location: Buendia, Makati City, Philippines 03 August 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Bandar Seri Begawan. Brunei Darussalam
Going around the city. Sultan Omar Ali Saffuddien Mosque, The Royal Regalia, Walking the strreets at night, and Kampong Air (Water Village).
Monday, July 20, 2009
Laguna, Philippines
3 weekend Day Trips to Laguna, Philippines- went to a lot of towns not included in this video- went to Calamba, Los Baños, San Pablo, Nagcarlan, Liliw, Majayjay, Magdalena, Sta. Cruz, Pila, Paete, Lumban, Pagsanjan and Cavinti,
This vid includes Mud Springs and Flat Rocks of Los Baños, Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery, Liliw Footwear Shopping, Pagsanjan Falls
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur!
| Start: | Aug 28, '09 10:00p |
| End: | Aug 30, '09 |
| Location: | Daet, Calaguas Islands, Naga and Caramoan Peninsula |
Monday, July 13, 2009
Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Iligan City Trip
| Start: | Sep 19, '09 07:00a |
| End: | Sep 21, '09 |
Laguna, Philippines
First and second parts of the three weekend day trips to Laguna, Philippines.
1st weekend - Rizal Shrine, Calamba, Laguna (Birthplace of the Philippines National Hero and leading Reformist during the struggle of the Philippines against Spanish colonial rule.
- Mud Springs and Flat Rocks Waterfalls, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Los Baños, Laguna
2nd Weekend- San Pablo City's Sampaloc Lake (one of its 7 volcanic lakes); Churches of Nagcarlan, Majayjay, Liliw, Magdalena, and Pila; Underground Spanish Cemetery of Nagcarlan and Footwear Shopping in Liliw.
3rd and Final weekend - Shooting the rapids at Pagsanjan Falls; Lumban Church and Lumban Embroidery; Paete woodcarving and Paete Church.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
After Charice- Another Amazing Filipino Kid on America's Got Talent!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YdhCyl8sQQ
Man- this Filipino Kid can SING! --> Thia Megia on America's Got Talent -
Man- this Filipino Kid can SING! --> Thia Megia on America's Got Talent -
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Economic Optimism in the Philippines
Clark and Subic Economic Zones: Positioned to compete globally as logistics and transportations hubs
LOS ANGELES – Dennis L. Wright is the American president of Peregrine Development International. When he talks about the Philippines, he is more knowledgeable about the topic compared to some Filipinos. “The optimism in the Philippines is based on what you can see, and you only have to drive around Metro Manila to know this,” he told Asian Journal last week during a forum on Clark and Subic Bay Freeports at a hotel near Los Angeles International Airport.
Wright had lived in the Philippines for about thirty years, and had been married to a Filipina for twenty-five years. “I have watched the Philippines up close and personal. I can tell you right now that the Philippines is the darling of the investment community,” Wright said. “Three years ago, you would not see a single sky crane anywhere in Metro Manila,” Wright offered. “Today, you look out and see them all over. If you go to Subic (Bay) there is no lay of land that you could do a project on. If you look at the number of hotels feeding the tourist industry, and the signs of medical tourism, it is happening. The container ports are there. No matter where you go, you are seeing a building boom,” Wright asserted. “It is really happening now; it is materializing.”
This was Wright’s response to a question from one of the journalists who asked why progress has not trickled down to the impoverished and middle-class Filipinos despite the ongoing construction boom and economic activities.
To buttress his assertions, Wright drew compared the movie, The Perfect Storm to the current economic environment in the Philippines. “In the movie, several everyday occurrences and events came together at precisely the right time and in an unprecedented manner to create “the perfect storm on the open sea,” he explained. “The same phenomenon is now occurring in the Philippine economy – except in this case, it is the forces of the market and business communities acting in unison.”
“The first force is the effect of the Chinese economy, which is the world’s third largest and is poised to outpace the US, along with the Philippines’ strategic position on the doorstep of China,” Wright explained. “The second influence impacting Philippine growth is the country’s geographic position in the center of Southeast Asia and at the crossroads of the Pacific,” Wright said.
His company, Dubai-based Peregrine Development International, has made a $2.5 Billion investment at Clark called Global Gateway Logistics City – a 177-hectare master planned aviation-oriented logistics and business center aimed at serving aviation and logistics-related businesses, including warehousing, distribution, and transportation.
Confronted with the devastating financial crisis in the West, many Middle Eastern investors, including Peregrine, are looking to diversify to minimize their risk. Many Arabs have looked to other markets such as Southeast Asia and the Philippines.
“This optimism is not something in the future,” Dwight said. “I went to a Pussycat Dolls concert (in Manila) about two weeks ago,” he revealed. “30,000 Filipinos went and the most expensive seat was PhP6,650; the next was PhP5,000. Why? Filipinos have money that they are spending. It’s trickle-down economics.”
Wright said that the despite the global recession the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) remittances are on track of what it was last year: $15 Billion again this year. “Why? The mix of overseas Filipinos that are going is higher. You have more professionals, nurses, train operators, engineers. A lot of Filipinos are in recession-proof jobs, and the Saudis depend on the OFW workforce, and they are not going to let them go,” Wright explained.
The Philippine government has converted Clark and Subic into viable economic zones since they were taken over from the United States in 1991. Initially, after the bases’ conversion into economic zones, the bases operated independently from each other. Today, these zones, although being run by two different government agencies, are working with each other to achieve the same goals, positioning themselves as globally competitive air, ship and logistics hubs in the Southeast Asian-Pacific region.
“We are now not only talking business but also doing business,” declared Secretary and Internal Affairs Adviser Edgardo Pamintuan. “This is now walking the talk,” he quipped. “Of course all these would not have been possible were it not for the genius and foresight of President Gloria Arroyo, to transform these bases into bastions of economic activity,” Pamintuan commented.
He said that Clark is now the home of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, which is being managed by the Clark International Airport Corporation. The DMIA complex is comprised of a 2,367-hectare area within the Clark Freeport Zone. The airport is now designated as a new international gateway. “Last year, DMIA had an international traffic of 500,000 passengers,” Pamintuan announced. “This year, we will have no less than 20 per cent of growth.” Pamintuan said that the DMIA has become the favorite airport of low-fair airlines.
The DMIA is now handling international flights to Korea, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau and Kota Kinabalu. There are now 11 domestic flights to Cebu and to Boracay.
Since the construction of the 100-kilometer highway connecting Subic Bay with Clark -- the umbilical cord between the two zones -- standards and processes have been laid down between the two free ports.
Pamintuan also announced that a North Rail system connecting Clark to Manila is in the pipeline. At Subic, two new terminals have been added that are capable of handling up to 600,000 containers. “We can do more during the last 10 months of this administration,” Pamintuan said, at the same acknowledging that poverty is still rampant. “There are still lots of people who are living in quagmire and poverty,” he said. “You cannot do it overnight.”
He said that the country has achieved the highest gross domestic product (GDP) of 7.2 per cent in 2007, at the time that the global economy was creeping in. Last year, despite the recession, the country still managed a 4.6 per cent growth in GDP, and this year, still managed to grow by 1 per cent. “We have been paying off our debts ahead of schedule,” Pamintuan revealed.
“But the opposition does not want to look at the doughnut,” Pamintuan observed. “They like to look at the hole of the doughnut. They do not want our projects to be success
http://www.asianjournal.com/dateline-usa/15-dateline-usa/2245-clark-and-subic-economic-zones-positioned-to-compete-globally-as-logistics-and-transportations-hubs.html
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Weekend Trip To Rizal
A trip to the 5,000 year old petroglyphs of Binangonan/Angono, the museums and the art scene of Angono, the waterfalls of Tanay and Antipolo.
http://tourism-philippines.com
Music by The Cat Empire, Hello
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Eastern Laguna Trip
| Start: | Jul 11, '09 09:00a |
| Location: | Eastern Laguna, Philippines |
Western Laguna Trip
| Start: | Jul 4, '09 9:00p |
| Location: | Western Laguna, Philippines |
Livin' La Vida Imelda Tour + Around Manila
| Start: | Jun 27, '09 09:00a |
| Location: | Manila, Philippines |
Hundred Islands Trip + Patar Beach
| Start: | Aug 21, '09 10:00p |
| End: | Aug 23, '09 |
| Location: | Pangasinan, Philippines |
Vote for Manila as the host of the New 7 Wonders of Nature Host City!
http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/cloud/suggest/25/
Also don't forget to vote for Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, it slipped in its rankings!
http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/nominees/asia/c/PuertoPrincesa/
Also don't forget to vote for Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, it slipped in its rankings!
http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/nominees/asia/c/PuertoPrincesa/
Monday, June 22, 2009
Treasures of the North - Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte
Vigan, Currimao, Bantay, Paoay, Pagudpud, La Paz, Burgos, Bangui and Laoag
12-14 June 2009
http://tourism-philippines.com
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Rizal, Philippines
Angono Petroglyphs, Hinulugang Taktak, Daranak Falls, Batlag Falls, Tanay Church, Tablon Mountain, Blanco and Botong Francisco Museum, Antipolo Church, Thunderbird Resorts, Calinawan Cave
Malaysia and Brunei Trip
| Start: | Jul 24, '09 8:00p |
| End: | Jul 27, '09 |
| Location: | Kota Kinabalu, Muara and Bandar Seri Begawan |
Kota Kinabalu, Muara and Bandar Seri Begawan
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Ilocos Norte, Philippines
Marcos Museum Batac, Currimao Rock Formations, Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, Bangui Windmills, Patapat Viaduct, La Paz Sand Dunes, Paoay Church, Paoay Lake, Malacañang ti Amianan, Baccarra Tower, Saud Beach, Blue Lagoon, Sinking Bell Tower of Laoag
Ilocos Sur, Philippines
Vigan, Abel Iloko weaving, Mestizo District (Kasanglayan), Baluarte, Bantay Church and Belfry, Crisologo Museum, Padre Burgos Museum, Vigan Cathedral, Hidden Garden, Arzobizpado de Nueva Segovia
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Rizal Trip
| Start: | Jun 20, '09 1:00p |
| End: | Jun 21, '09 9:00p |
| Location: | Angono, Binangonan, Taytay, Cainta, Antipolo |
Philippine Trade and Investment Center - London
http://investphilippines.org.uk/
Invest in the Philippines!
Invest in the Philippines!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Manila Bay via Manila Yacht Club Breakwater
At the Manila Yacht Club today taken 2:30PM ... still waters after the days of bad weather, a bit cloudy with a bit of sunshine. Thanks to Commodore Tronqued and the MYC staff!
http://tourism-philippines.com
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Zambales, Philippines
A trip to Pundaquit, Anawangin Cove, Camara and Capones Islands and Subic Bay.
30-31 May 2009
http://tourism-philippines.com/zambales for reviews and comments.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Zambales, Philippines
Anawangin Cove, Capones and Camara Islands, Pundaquit Waterfalls, Subic
Reviews and Comments at http://tourism-philippines.com/zambales
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Zambales Coast
| Start: | May 30, '09 05:30a |
| End: | May 31, '09 5:30p |
| Location: | Zambales, Philippines |
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Philippines' Brillante Mendoza Wins in Cannes 2009.
After getting violent reactions from his last year's film in Cannes, Serbis, Brillante Mendoza bested the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Pedro Almodovar in this year's competition at the most prestigious film festival in the world. 3 other Filipino films were invited and screened in Cannes - proof that the Independent Cinema in the Philippines is one of the most vibrant if not the hottest in Asia and a force to be reckoned with in the world.Mendoza wins best director award at Cannes
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 03:24:00 05/25/2009
CANNES -- Brillante Mendoza of the Philippines on Sunday picked up the best director prize at the Cannes film festival for his dark movie "Kinatay".
"Kinatay" (meaning "massacre") notably features corrupt cops hacking a prostitute to pieces with blunt kitchen knives.
Mendoza, at Cannes for the second year running, again split the critics, drawing both hisses and applause for "Kinatay".
Last year's "Serbis" was set in a Manila porn-theatre with long close-ups of festering boils and overflowing toilets, as well as the poverty and distress on the streets.
Still determined to portray the social reality around him, Mendoza in "Kinatay" traces 24 hours in the day of a trainee policeman, happily beginning with his wedding in the morning to close with the young man's first outing at night with a band of corrupt colleagues.
To his surprise, fear and anguish, they pick up a prostitute accused of betrayal and wind up torturing, raping, killing and hacking her before disposing of the body parts across Manila.
"This is not just entertainment, these kinds of stories are real," Mendoza said at Cannes.
Last year was the first time since 1984 the Philippines had a film competing for the top prize at Cannes, the Palme d'Or.
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20090525-206946/Mendoza-wins-best-director-award-at-Cannes
The Cannes 2009 Winners
CANNES, France -- Awards presented Sunday at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival, chosen by a jury headed by French Actress Isabelle Huppert:
• Palme d'Or (Golden Palm): "The White Ribbon," by Michael Haneke (Austria)
• Grand Prize: "A Prophet," by Jacques Audiard (France)
• Jury Prize: "Fish Tank," by Andrea Arnold (Britain) and "Thirst," By Park Chan-wook (South Korea)
• Special Prize: Alain Resnais
• Best Director: Brillante Mendoza, "Kinatay" (Philippines)
• Best Actor: Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds" (United States)
• Best Actress: Charlotte Gainsbourg, "Antichrist" (Denmark)
• Best Screenplay: Feng Mei, "Spring Fever" (China)
• Camera d'Or (first-time director): "Samson and Delilah," by Warwick Thornton (Australia)
• Best short film: "Arena," by Joao Salaviza (Portugal)
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20090525-206956/Cannes-Film-Festival-prize-winners
Saturday, May 23, 2009
A walk through the Salcedo Weekend Market
Fresh organic produce and products from the different regions of the Philippines as well as international cuisine represented by Portugal, Italy, Japan, China, Spain, USA, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, France , Germany and many others are available at the Salcedo Weekend Market, Salcedo Carpark, Salcedo Village, Makati City, Philippines every Saturday morning up until 2-3PM. A similar bustling weekend market of haute and organic products are also available at the Legazpi Weekend Market every Sunday around the same times.
http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,1883233,00.html
A Taste of the World in Manila
By Lara Day Thursday, Mar. 05, 2009
If you're in Manila and looking for a culinary experience with a community feel, Salcedo Market is hard to beat. This lively event takes place on Saturdays between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m., and features food from the city's best kitchens, all in one neat, bustling, deliciously tasty location.
Established in 2004 with just 11 stalls, the market, located in the leafy Jaime C. Velasquez Park in the heart of the upscale Bel-Air district, has since developed into a vibrant gourmet gathering of over 140 vendors, all carefully vetted for quality and variety of product. With the exception of cooked-food vendors, everyone is required to offer something unique: for instance, there can only be one wine stall, one florist and one frozen-yoghurt stand.
The fare reflects Manila's cosmopolitan tastes. Authentic renditions of foreign staples include French crepes, German sausages, Malaysian laksa and Indonesian rendang, and people travel from across the metropolis to enjoy them. But they also visit to try Philippine flavors usually found locked inside the country's homes or tucked away in far-flung provinces. Look out for crispy-skinned lechon, or roast suckling pig, from Cebu (Filipinos make an art out of roasting whole animals on spits). Try the rich, fiery-hot Bicol Express from southern Luzon (a pork and vegetable dish with coconut and chili). And don't miss the Filipino-fusion creations, such as pasta sauces in flavors such as mussel adobo and creamy shiitake pesto. If you can manage it, wash it all down with thick, creamy tsokolate, a Spanish-style hot chocolate blended with peanuts and whipped to a heady froth. But be prepared to swap those afternoon sightseeing plans for another great Spanish import: a siesta.
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