ON THE MOVE
The fun never stops in the Philippines. Known for its world-famous sunset, the truth is that the sun never truly sets in this archipelago of 7,641 islands.
The Philippines is a melting pot of Asian and European cultures. The country traces its history to Negritos or aborigines in 30,000 BC to pre-colonial Malay seafarers who established settlements or barangays in Panay Island around the 13th century. It was colonized by Spain in 1521 until 1898 when the Philippines was ceded to the United States.
The Philippines became an independent republic in July 1946.
A destination on the move
Today, the Philippines is a destination on the move. Its economy grew by 6.5% GDP in the second quarter of 2017, sustaining the first quarter growth of 6.4%. The government is targeting a full-year 2017 economic growth of up to 7.5%.
Tourism is now one of the pillars of the Philippine economy as its growth continues to fuel economic activity and employment. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the country’s travel and tourism industry accounted for 19.7% of GDP, pumping in US$57 billion into the local economy in 2016.
In the first half of 2017, arrivals were up 12.7% to 3.36 million from 2.97 million in the same period a year ago. South Korea remained the country’s top market with a 24% share of the total, followed by the United States (15.3%), China (13.6%), and Japan (8.8%). China posted the biggest jump in arrivals over a year ago with an increase of 33% followed by India (23%), and Canada (18%).
Leisure rules
The dominant reason for visiting the Philippines was for leisure, with 53.4% of visitors coming over for holiday purposes. The other reasons for visiting were visiting friends and relatives (9% of visitors) and business (7.6%), as well as for education, attendance to conventions and incentive meetings, official missions, and medical reasons (30%).
Foreign visitors were also staying in the country longer. Average length of stay was 9.9 nights in 2015 compared to 8 nights in the previous years. These figures are one of the longest in the Southeast Asian region. Visitors from the US stayed the longest at 12.4 nights while Korean visitors stayed an average of 5.4 nights.
Nature-based activities such as sun and beach tourism and diving and marine sports are prioritized under the government’s tourism programs. So, too, with culture because the country’s unique blend of Asian and European influences is a unique experience for visitors. Other activities such as meetings and conferences, as well as leisure, shopping and entertainment, are becoming increasingly popular.
Leveling up
The Philippines is well on its way to meeting, if not surpassing, its tourism growth targets as the government embarks on a massive infrastructure program. Terminal capacity in the country’s 13 gateways is expected to grow as expansion and upgrading projects are undertaken, either through government spending or through private sector investments.
These airport projects, and expanded air connectivity with key and emerging markets, are expected to fuel the growth and allow the destination to hit or even surpass its 6.5 million foreign arrivals and 73 million domestic air passenger targets for 2017.
The destination is “leveling up,” — putting in place needed infrastructure to boost access, the right business climate to spur investments in accommodation facilities, and the resources to promote the Philippines as a destination of choice in one of the hottest travel regions in the world.
In the lime light
The head of the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines (TPB) is taking a novel approach in selling the Philippines the best way he knows how: through film.
Cesar Montano is no stranger to film—he is a multi-award winning actor, director and producer, and has been a respected pillar in the Philippine entertainment industry for more than two decades before he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of TPB. Now, he brings this background to the front and center as head of the country’s tourism marketing and promotions agency.
Montano wants to create a compelling campaign to promote the Philippines as a must-visit destination. This means generating growth in key markets and opening new ones. He is also focusing on emerging destinations around the Philippines, on what he calls “unexplored frontiers,” that are slowly being developed on the back of the Philippine government’s massive infrastructure development program.
Montano is spearheading TPB’s campaign to boost the MICE sector as more hotels open in the next three years. He believes that the Philippines will be a highly competitive MICE destination, given its built-in advantages such as manpower quality and variety of attractions.
On top of it all, Montano wants to correct the image of the Philippines, from that of a chaotic and socially disparaged country to a vibrant and diverse destination. And he believes that film is a powerful tool to promote the Philippines not only as a tourist destination but also a nation on the move and on the way up.
Film is also about storylines and images, Montano says. What better way to promote the Philippines than through the myriad storylines and images of the country’s thousands of island. For Montano, film is an excellent platform to get the destination’s narrative out. After all, film has been a recognized medium for promoting destinations all over the world for the past decades.
Hollywood, Bollywood, Hong Kong, and the world’s other great entertainment capitals have used breathtaking backdrops and stirring scripts to create film classics. Montano firmly believes the Philippines can be competitive globally if it puts in the framework for enticing international filmmakers to consider the country as a top choice in Asia.
In line with this, Montano plans to tap influencers not only from the tourism industry but from the local and international entertainment industry as well to spread the word. He is certainly no stranger to filmmaking; he says he “talks the talk and walks the walk,” which makes it easy for him to create a conducive environment for the “right people” to take a serious look at the Philippines.
Montano plans to come up with policy that can provide a set of incentives that the local and international entertainment industry can build on similar to incentives that other destinations provide to filmmakers. He also wants to work more closely with local groups like the Film Development Council of the Philippines to get them to be stakeholders in the tourism industry.
Montano knows that film can capture the essence of a destination and its people in a way that no other medium can. His background has given him insights on the business side of entertainment—concerns such as distribution and marketing. And now, as TPB COO, he says he has found a deeper understanding and appreciation of how the Philippines can be promoted globally. As the lights grow brighter for Philippine tourism, Montano has begun to shoot his obra maestra (masterpiece).
TOP DESTINATIONS THAT INSPIRE
Recent airport developments are putting the spotlight on key and emerging destinations around the Philippines. As these gateways are built and expanded, more hotels and resorts are being planned and constructed. These are some of the destinations to watch out for:
Bohol
An island province in central Philippines, Bohol is a lush landscape of hills, waterfalls, serene rivers, white sand beaches and secluded islets. It is also a historical and cultural gem with its 16th century watchtowers and ancient coral stone churches. Must-visit stops include:
• Chocolate Hills, a landscape of over 1,200 verdant hills and formations that turns brown during summer (hence its name).
• The Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary where visitors can get up close with the tiny tarsier, the world’s smallest primate.
• Panglao Island, renowned for its white sand beaches, and snorkeling and dive sites. There is a wide range of choices for accommodations on the island, where the province’s new international airport is being constructed.
HOW TO GET THERE
• Accessible via air from Manila and via ferry from Cebu
MORE FUN THINGS TO DO
• Enjoy traditional Filipino cuisine while cruising down the Loboc River.
• Soak up the sun and party on Panglao Island.
• Explore the underwater wonders of the Balicasag islet.
• Stock up on natural products at the Bohol Bee Farm.
• Get a glimpse of an endangered species at the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary.
Palawan
Known as the country’s “final frontier” because of its rich flora and fauna, Palawan is the perfect hideaway. It is made up of more than 1,780 islands and islets that reveal lagoons, bays, and coves. Among Palawan’s attractions are:
• Its UNESCO World Heritage Sites—the Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park, a breathtaking underground river that is also a biodiversity conservation haven, and the Tubbataha Reefs Marine Park, one of the world’s best dive spots because of its pristine coral reef.
• El Nido Marine Reserve Park, which has consistently garnered accolades from local and international travel publications and groups for its conservation efforts.
• Calauit Safari Park, established in 1976, where African wildlife were relocated as part of international conservation efforts. Giraffes, eland, zebra and waterbuck mingle with local fauna that include the Calamian deer, Palawan bearded pig, and binturong or Palawan bearcat.
PUERTO PRINSESA, PALAWAN
HOW TO GET THERE
• Accessible via air from Manila, Cebu, Iloilo
and Davao.
MORE FUN THINGS
TO DO
• Go island hopping in Honda Bay.
• Try spelunking at Ugong Rock.
• Take a mangrove paddle boat tour in Sabang.
• Be enchanted by fireflies on the Iwahig River Cruise.
• Visit one of the country’s last tribes at the Batak Cultural Village.
Northern Mindanao
Northern Mindanao is home to Cagayan de Oro City, the gateway to the region. It is a bustling center of trade and commerce with its malls and hotels. It is also home to museums that speak of its rich history. Other destinations in the region include Iligan City.
• Iligan is known as the “City of Majestic Waterfalls” because of its 24 waterfalls located within the area including the popular Maria Cristina Falls.
• Aside from its malls, Cagayan de Oro is also known for its museums such as the Museo de Oro at Xavier University which exhibits artifacts from the Huluga Caves, an archeological site where the bones of a woman were found and dated back to 377 AD, and the Museum of Three Cultures at Capitol University which houses artifacts and antiquities from the Higaonon and Manobo cultures, and from Christian lowland settlements.
• Makahambus Cave and Adventure Park, an underground cave that has a 40-meter gorge. It is listed as the site of the historic Battle of Makahambus Hill between natives and American soldiers during the Philippine-American War in June 1900.
Clark
Freeport Zone
The Clark Freeport Zone in Angeles City, Pampanga was a former United States Air Force base. It is now recognized as the hub for business, industry, and tourism in the Central Luzon region north of Metro Manila. The sprawling 4,400- hectare estate is home to hotels and leisure centers.
• Aside from the many restaurants and bars inside the Freeport zone, Clark also boasts of the Clark Eagle Shooting Range, a water park, and camping and fishing facilities.
• The Nayong Pilipino-Clark theme park, a showcase of Philippine heritage and culture that features a replica of the Banaue Rice Terraces, the Kalinga House, and a replica of the historic Barasoain Church.
IT'S BOOM TIME
The Philippine hotel industry is in the midst of a building blitz with an additional 20,000 rooms expected to open by 2020. The sustained growth in visitor arrivals—likely to stay in double-digit territory—and the development of more destinations outside Metro Manila are seen to boost room demand.
Developers have ramped up constructions and expansions throughout the country. A snapshot of the boom:
In Metro Manila, Ayala Land Hotels and Resorts has plans to expand its flagship Seda Hotel in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) with a new tower that will offer 342 rooms. It opened its 438-room Seda Vertis North in Quezon City in early 2017, and the 154-room Seda Capitol Central in Bacolod City will open in the second half of 2017. Ayala Hotels will open three more hotels, in Makati and Taguig in Metro Manila and Bacolod City, next year. By 2019, three more Seda hotels—including the 350-room Seda Bay Area near Entertainment City in Pasay City—are scheduled to open. The developer is also opening its first resort, the 153-room Seda Lio resort-hotel in El Nido, Palawan this year.
Megaworld Corp. is expanding its hotel portfolio this year with four new hotels opening in Metro Manila, Iloilo, and Boracay. The group announced that it is opening the 326-room Marriott Courtyard Hotel, located beside the Iloilo Convention Center, and 559-room Savoy Hotel Boracay Newcoast in Boracay within the year.
The company is also scheduled to open its 684-room Savoy Newport Hotel at its leisure and entertainment complex Newport City where gaming resort Resorts World Manila is located, as well as the 93-room Hotel Lucky Chinatown in Binondo, Manila.
Filinvest Land is beefing up its hotel portfolio with its 228-room Canvas Hotel in Quezon City and a 185-room Canvas Hotel in Mactan, Cebu. The developer’s Crimson Hotel in Boracay, and Quest hotels in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental and Tagaytay City are scheduled to open between 2018 to 2019.
Some of the planned hotel projects in the country include a 519-room Hotel 101-Davao City of Double Dragon Properties, through its Hotel of Asia, Inc. unit. The project is touted as the biggest hotel to open in Mindanao in southern Philippines, with a target opening by 2020.
Aside from its Hotel 101 brand, the group, which is eyeing a portfolio of 5,000 rooms by 2020, is also the exclusive franchisee of the Chinese hotel chain JinJiang Inns in the country.
Bloomberry Resorts Corp., owner-operator of the Solaire Resort and Casino, plans to start construction of its second hotel and casino project early next year in Quezon City.
Berjaya Philippines, a unit of Berjaya Corp. Bhd, wants to increase its presence in the Philippines. It is looking to build a high-end hotel in Cebu to boost its Philippine hotel portfolio. The company presently operates the 223-room Berjaya Makati Hotel.
TIPPING
Tipping is traditional in many services. The standard practice is 10% of the total bill. Tipping is optional on bills that already include a 10% service charge.
GETTING AROUND
You can go around the city on jeepneys, metered taxis, buses, rapid transit systems like the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) or rent-a-car services.
Take a deep dive
Philippine waters offer some of the best dive spots in the world. The country lies within the “Coral Triangle” of Southeast Asia, recognized by scientists and environmentalists as the global center of marine diversity, giving this eco region the moniker “Amazon of the seas.”
So rich are Philippine waters that it has been dubbed the “center of the center” when it comes to marine biodiversity. The Philippines has a very high concentration of species per unit area, higher than anywhere else in the Coral Triangle.
Divers can expect good visibility (from 5 to 45 meters) and temperatures (from 23 to 30°C). You can dive year-round in the Philippines, and with its rich biodiversity, divers will revel in the assortment of marine life. Philippine waters offer hundreds of coral species, as well as more than 3,000 fish species and 19 species of seagrass (the Philippines has the second highest seagrass diversity in the world, second only to Australia). There are also sunken ships, mostly World War II vessels, found in many of the country’s dive spots.
Recommended dive spots
Tubbataha Reef (Palawan)
Majority of the dives here are drift dives. In the shallows, divers will see hundreds of species of corals and reef fish—reef sharks, tuna, groupers, and barracudas.
Malapascua (Cebu)
Monad Shoal, an underwater island on the edge of a 200-meter drop-off, is known as a “cleaning station” used by thresher sharks. There are also manta rays, pygmy seahorses, and mantis shrimp.
Puerto Galera (Mindoro)
There is a sunken ship, the Alma Jane, in the shallows (30 meters) that attracts schools of sweetlips, batfish, rabbit fish, scorpionfish and stingrays outside the wreck.
Dauin (Negros Oriental)
There are numerous soft corals in the waters here, and they teem with juvenile clown frogfish, nudibranchs, dragonets, and blue-ringed octopus.
Apo Reef (Occidental Mindoro)
One of the Philippines’ most well-known dive spots, Apo Reef is the second largest contiguous coral reef in the world, next only to the Great Barrier Reef. It was declared a natural park by the government in 1996. It is famous for its rich marine life and drop-offs.
Boracay (Aklan)
Acclaimed for its powdery white sand beach, Boracay’s waters are also an excellent dive spot. Currents can be strong so it will be a drift dive here. Sea snakes, lionfish, moray eels, and giant gorgonian fan corals can be found in these waters.
Anilao (Batangas)
Another popular dive spot, Anilao is considered perfect for muck diving and therefore for beginners. The dive sights include ghost pipefish, frogfish, blue-ringed octopus, Coleman shrimp, and nudibranchs.
Balicasag (Bohol)
Another dive spot with strong currents, this area teems with corals and small reef fish. There are also Napoleon wrasse, barracudas, groupers, and tuna.
New gateways to open direct connections to island destinations
The Philippines is building new and better gateways to open up more destinations.
The government is laying down a new growth strategy of a multi-airport approach to address congestion issues instead of putting one other major gateway to help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila. This approach is part of the government’s “build-build-build” infrastructure development program.
There are two current proposals for new mega airport projects: a US$50-billion plan for an economic zone in Sangley, Cavite (28 kilometers south of NAIA) and a US$10 billion four-runway international airport in Bulacan (about 80 kilometers north of Manila).
These big-ticket projects are being evaluated even as the government pursues its multi-airport strategy. The new US$76 million Puerto Princesa International Airport was recently inaugurated, which has a 13,000-square meter passenger terminal with a seating capacity of 15,000 passengers. The airport is expected to boost access to Palawan province, one of the Philippines’ most popular destinations.
The Panglao International Airport in Bohol is another major gateway that is expected to promote tourism in Bohol, a popular sun-and-sea destination in central Philippines. The US$140-billion project, which will replace the small Tagbilaran Airport, is expected to be operational by June 2018.
The government is also pushing through with plans to construct and upgrade five airports across the country designed to open up other key tourist destinations. These include the Bacolod-Silay International Airport in Negros Occidental, the Iloilo International Airport in Iloilo, the Davao International Airport in Davao City, and the Laguindingan International Airport in Misamis Oriental.
Negros Occidental and Iloilo are prime destinations in central Philippines while Davao City and Misamis Oriental are gateways in Mindanao island in southern Philippines.
There are also plans to upgrade and expand the NAIA and the Mactan International Airport in Cebu. The government is expected to decide soon on a US$1.5 billion upgrade for NAIA as soon as it completes a rationalization plan for its national airport development program.
There is also a US$4 billion offer for the expansion of Mactan airport to include the construction of a second runway and the construction of a third passenger terminal based on projections that passenger traffic in Cebu will reach 28 million by 2039.
The government is already fasttracking the program with a decision to use government funds for the upgrade of the Clark International Airport in Pampanga and avoid delays, even though at least two private companies have already proposed an offer to undertake the project at a cost of up to US$5 billion.
The massive airport development program is aimed at addressing the projected increases in passenger traffic in the country over the next 20 years. NAIA, for instance, has a current capacity of 31 million but accommodated 39.5 million last year.
Contact Information
—
TOURISM
PROMOTIONS BOARD
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Legaspi Towers 300,
Vito Cruz St cor. Roxas Blvd. Manila 1004
Trunk Line +63 2 525 9318 to 27
Fax No. +63 2 521 6165,
525 3314
Email [email protected]
www.tpb.gov.ph
DEPARMENT OF TOURISM
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Makati City
Tel. Nos. +63 2 459 5200,
459 5230
Email webmaster@
tourism.gov.ph
www.tourism.gov.ph