Recorridos
In the footsteps of Jose Rizal
Hongkong, 19th century refuge of Filipino patriots
Hongkong and the Philippines, however, share historical ties that cannot be overlooked. Augusto de Viana writing for Inquirer on August 1, 2007 says "Hongkong became a refuge of Filipino patriots. Among them was Jose Ma. Basa, a rich Manila merchant who gave financial and moral support to Filipino reformists in the 1860s."
Continue reading "Hongkong, 19th century refuge of Filipino patriots"
My Secret Philippine Destination Travel Writing Competition Entry Submission Form - Rotary
My Secret Philippine Destination Travel Writing Competition submission form exclusively for the members of the Rotary Clubs in the Philippines.
Dapitan is in the heart
I believe Dapitan would be in the heart of anyone who has known of Jose Rizal's La Liga Filipina, a civic society he established in 1892 while the Philippines was under the Spanish colonia rule.
Rotary Club of Rizal Southwests supports travel writing contest
Atty. Lito Ala, the current president of Rotary Club of Rizal Southwest District 3830 has just given the Club's full support behind My Secret Philippine Destination Travel Writing Competition.
In our meeting yesterday, Atty. Ala even provided additional inputs to make the contest more exciting and interesting, so that the objectives of the competition will be met. His insightful suggestions are based on lessons learned from previous work with a group of Spanish investors looking into Philippine tourism and travel opportunities. The work required travelling throughout the country, thus, he had full appreciation of the tourism potentials of our country waiting to be tapped.
It is, however, the positive impact of the competition on the locals and communities that appeal to Atty. Ala. The education aspect is compelling but each participant's insider's knowledge of his town and and region, if given an outlet for sharing, offers a fresh approach to promoting local tourism and as a consequence, the livelihood opportunities that will be developed. Rotary Club of Rizal Southwest, he added, would like to be partly responsible for it.
Marie
Manila, September 9, 2010
The challenge to everyday folks like you and me
Travel Mole Asia, citing August Interim Update of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, reports last September 2 that "international tourism has been a driving force in the Asia region - currently the second most visited region in the world - with 181 million international tourist arrivals (21% of world total) and international tourism receipts of US$ 204 billion (24% of world total) in 2009.
Figures revealed by Travel Mole Asia do not mention the Philippines' contribution. Countries experiencing a very dynamic rebound with strong results according to the reports are: Sri Lanka (+49%), Japan (+36%), Vietnam (+35%), Myanmar (+35%), Hong Kong (China) (+23%), Macao (China) (+23%), Singapore (+23%), Fiji (+22%) and the Maldives (+21%).
Optimism in the Philippines, nevertheless, is high. And we, everyday folks have a key role to play. Are you ready?
Marie
Manila, September 7, 2010
