Tourist Visa Philipines

 Tourists from 166 countries can now avail of the expanded 30-day free visa upon arrival and six months for retirees as part of the government efforts to prove "It is more fun in the Philippines".
Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez said this in a speech before the General Membership Meeting of the Makati Business Club that the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Immigration have issued circular to extend the free visa upon arrival to 166 countries to 30 days from 21 days and for retirees to enjoy 6 month free visa upon arrival.

"This is to show that the Philippines is more fun no matter what age you are," Jimenez said.
Jimenez said as he stressed that the "national government spearheads the review of policy bottlenecks that run counter to tourism promotion efforts."

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Come to Manila

Here is a link to why you should come to Manila. Great article and very true.

 http://www.smh.com.au/travel/20-reasons-to-visit-manila-20120315-1v7ts.html

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Journalist Shot

Gunmen have shot and seriously wounded a reporter who was assigned to cover the Philippine president, in the latest violent attack on journalists in the country.

President Benigno Aquino III, fellow journalists and media watchdogs have strongly condemned the attack on The Daily Tribune reporter Fernan Angeles, who was beaten and shot six times by unidentified men near his home in a suburb of Manila.



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Fiji Done In Mani

FROM March 5 this year, the UK Border Agency is making changes to its visa service in Fiji by introducing a more streamlined online application process and improving the visa decision-making process by transferring this to the UK Border Agency's visa hub in Manila, the Philippines.

The British High Commission said in a statement that processing times for applications from Fiji would be subjected to the same global targets.
The statement said customers applying in Fiji for a UK visa would be required to complete their visa application form online.
"Only applications completed online will be accepted," the statement said.



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Taking A Trip To Tagaytay

Living in Manila it can be difficult to remember that there is true beauty out there in the beautiful Philippines. One such place is Tagaytay which is about 50 miles out of Manila. Tagaytay has a beautiful cooler climate, and has a breath-taking view of the Lake Tall with the volcano sticking out, reminding everyone how this beauty was actually created.

The journey to Tagaytay may seem straight forward, but the odious traffic of Manila can make it a real pain, not to say a long journey too. There are numerous buses that make the journey, and dependent on where you are in Manila will decide which terminal and service you need to use.
I opted for a more direct route, as my visit was just a short one. I managed to get a driver and vehicle (details on request) that picked me up in Manila Bay and drove me to Tagaytay. The journey was about two and a half hours, but we did hit traffic at certain points. The beauty of getting a driver is that you not only have a more comfortable journey, but once there you have a driver on call.  As the driver lived locally he went home at night, this of course made life easier for us, but cheaper too as it would have been our responsibility to feed him and find him a place to stay. The cost for the driver and fuel and “extras” available on request.

Tagaytay does not have taxis, and the area of Tagaytay has very long roads that hug the drop to the lake. You really do need a car to get around. There are tricycles for short little hops, and there are buses passing through. But for sheer convenience you really need the use of a vehicle and a driver.
The accommodation choice is huge in Tagaytay, but do not turn up at the weekend without a booking. As it is so near to the madness of Manila, it is a weekend getaway for rich and not so rich people trying to escape the pollution of Manila. The other lesson I learned is to be very careful with the location of your accommodation, as it could be within the Tagaytay area, but not really in the town. This of course makes the requirement for your own transportation more urgent.
I chose my accommodation online, and to be honest I think on a weekday I could have found a much cheaper place by just turning up. I also would have got a more central point too.

The accommodation I booked was a lovely place called  MC Mountain Home Apartelle which is opposite the beautiful Spendido Golf Course and very near the famous Sonya’s Garden restaurant. The apartelle has a wonderful view of the lake and volcano. The place is clean and tidy and has a very nice reception area and a very helpful owner. My room was facing the other way, and was able to catch a delightful sunset across the fields and unspoilt views of farm land. Very beautiful, and I well recommend a glass of red wine on the balcony and the watch the red sun drop down from the sky.

The room was very reasonable for a price of around p2000. The TV was on its last legs and the phone to use for reception was gone, and replaced with a text number. The dining area is only used for breakfast which seems a shame. But the accommodation was very comfortable, and all the staff very helpful and courteous.

As time was short I dropped my bags in to the hotel, and then made my way to the palace in the sky. This Palace in the Sky , is the unfinished mansion of former President Ferdinand Marcos,  and had been converted and renamed the People's Park in the Sky . Without a doubt this offers the most speculator view of Taal volcano.

The Palace in the Sky was built for the official state visit of the former US President and Mrs Ronald Reagan, though the Reagan's cancelled their trip due to the general unrest and Marcos' problems at the time. The Palace itself is sadly neglected, and it looks very run down, but it a must vista place. The views are breath-taking, and there are place to drink and eat, and as you sip your brewed coffee and look down at the elite people with massive mansions below the palace, you wonder why there super rich do not put just a little peso back into the people’s palace?

The palace is not too far from the People’s Park, and as you travel between the two there are numerous restaurants and hotels and resorts to suit most tastes, but for those on a budget there is always Starbucks and Burger bars too. The night life is restrictive but available.

I did not have time to travel down to the lake, or even get a boat on the lake, but maybe next time. But the views were enough for my first trip. Also because of the cooler climate you see so many beautiful flowers all around. Plenty of orchids on the roadside too.

One of the places I stopped at was a British Style restaurant called the Bag of Beans. Great food and a very nice “sunken” dining area, the only problem on my visit was the other diners all were mosquitoes!

There are so many places to stop and view the lake. So many places to breath in the fresh air. The prices are along the lines of Manila, but be prepared to pay much more in some of the well-heeled restaurants. But the choice of food is tremendous. I will be going back for a longer stay very soon.

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It Is Fun In The Philippines

PRESS RELEASE
09 February 2012

Philippine Tourism makes history at 3.917 million visitors in 2011

Helped by gains in all regional markets, the Philippines eclipsed the previous 3.52-million record for foreign visitors set in 2010 with 3.917 million visitors last year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) reports.

“When the industry exceeds expectations as it had done last year, we feel very encouraged. And with the overwhelming response to our new brand campaign launched last month, we know that we have broken ground on crowdsourcing. The people’s campaign will help bring more numbers,” said Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr.
 


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Manila Cathedral

Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle announced yesterday the temporary closure of the Manila Cathedral for at least a year to give way to renovation to correct some structural defects.
Fearing that it might not be able to withstand a strong earthquake, Tagle said that the 54-year-old Cathedral would be closed for about a year for repairs.
Tagle said they estimate the cost of repairs to reach P50 million.


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Is It More Fun In The Philippines?

 Helped by gains in all regional markets, the Philippines eclipsed the previous 3.52-million record for foreign visitors set in 2010 with 3.917 million visitors last year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) reports.
“When the industry exceeds expectations as it had done last year, we feel very encouraged. And with the overwhelming response to our new brand campaign launched last month, we know that we have broken ground on crowdsourcing. The people’s campaign will help bring more numbers,” said Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr.
Even before the new campaign was launched, the initiatives taken by former Tourism Secretary Albert Lim during his tenure have likewise contributed to this milestone. Thus, for the first time in the history of Philippine tourism, total visitor arrivals in the country in 2011 reached 3.917 million -- 11.28% higher than the 3.520 million posted in 2010 and also surpasses by 4.6% DOT’s 2011 target visitor arrivals of 3.7 million.


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More Brits In The Philippines

For the first time in history, tourism arrivals to Philippines from the United Kingdom reached 104,466 in 2011, 7.78% higher than the registered visitors of 96,925 in 2010. Arrivals from the United Kingdom contributed to a record-breaking 3.917 million foreign visitors to the Philippines in 2011.
In the face of the economic downturn experienced across Europe, the Philippines Department of Tourism (PDOT) London tirelessly implements innovative promotional projects and marketing campaigns to drive tourists to the country.




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Battle Of Manila Remembered

February 1945 marked the end of the Japanese military occupation of the Philippines. In what is referred to as the "Liberation of Manila," American and Filipino forces fought against the Japanese, who occupied the city in 1942 after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

 

But in this so-called liberation, thousands of Filipino men, women and children died in the struggle, which is remembered as the "Battle of Manila." The formerly beautiful city was destroyed. Buildings were reduced to rubble, schools and churches burned to the ground. Heritage sites, like the University of Sto. Tomas campus, were used to hold civilians, and were also damaged in the battle.

 

In his essay "Caught in the Battle of Manila," survivor Dr. Joseph Romero recalls an eerie sky of smoke and flames, with "glowing bits of paper sailing like leaves against the orange-black sky.

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Manila Bay To Be Clean?

At the sidelines of the Global Conference on Land-Ocean Connections, which ended Friday in Pasig City, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said the government will strive to make the coastal waters of the Manila Bay fit for swimming before President Benigno Aquino III leaves office in 2016.

Paje admitted the goal is “so difficult to attain” but to restore the waters of Manila Bay to “recreational water” quality levels is the mandate from the Supreme Court, which, Paje said, ruled in 2008 on a case originally filed by concerned bay residents.

In the December 18, 2008 ruling penned by SC Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, the high court specified that the bay's waters must be restored to and maintained at “SB level” or Class B sea water as defined in Water Classification Tables under DENR Administrative Order No. 34, so that its bathing waters will be “fit for swimming, skin-diving, and other forms of contact recreation.”
More at http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/245985/news/metromanila/mission-possible-ndash-a-manila-bay-safe-for-ldquo-recreational-swimming-rdquo-by-2016?ref=topstories


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Terminal One Second Worst Airport

TERMINAL 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport has been ranked the world’s second worst airport by travel guide publisher Frommer’s, the USA Today newspaper reported Tuesday.

Frommers.com named New York’s JFK Airport Terminal 3 as the world’s worst airport, followed by Manila’s Terminal 1, Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport Terminal B/C, Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 3, and Aman, Jordan’s Queen Alia Airport.
The travel guide said it based the list of worst and best airports on cleanliness, services, on-time departures, navigation, and ease of getting to and from a city’s center.
The world’s best was Hajj Terminal at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Covering 120 acres, the terminal is only open during the six-week Hajj, when millions of Muslims make a pilgrimage to Mecca, Frommer’s said.
Manila’s Terminal 1, which was named the world’s worst airport by “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports” website in 2011, was the only Asian terminal to make Frommer’s worst list.


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Malate Killing

POLICE have launched a search for a man, believed to be a Korean or who has connections with Koreans in the country, for the killing of an unidentified Oriental-looking woman in Malate, Manila, on Saturday.

Manila Police District homicide section head Chief Insp. Joselito de Ocampo, however, refused to give further details on any lead on the suspect, saying it might hamper their pursuit operations.

He said they already got hold of the plate number of the black car that ran over the victim.

The victim was seen early Saturday arguing with the suspect along the Roxas Boulevard Service Road in front of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas building.

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Philippines Is Fun

Malacañang on Sunday claimed Filipinos are “getting on board” with the new tourism slogan “It’s More Fun in the Philippines,” even as it continued to fend off criticisms against the new catchphrase.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte cited several netizens who posted online their own photos showing why it is fun in the Philippines.

“You can see the reactions online, everyone is getting on board. Everyone is having fun with the slogan ... A lot of the photos our citizens made for themselves nilabas nila (they showed Filipinos) biking... mountain climbing. It seems people are on board, staunchly behind the Department of Tourism,” she said

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Manila Airport Defective Equipment

Several domestic and international flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have been delayed due to defective equipment used by air traffic controllers, according to an official of the Manila International Airport Authority.

According to the source, who asked not to be identified by name for lack of authority to speak on the matter, the airport’s terminal radar data display (TRDD) has been “unserviceable” since January 2.

He said the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has advised airline companies that it would take about until the end of the month to fix the equipment.

Because of the damaged equipment, air traffic controllers are forced to increase the time between plane landings as well as between takeoffs, a procedure that causes delays, especially during peak hours.

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Canadian Warning on the Philippines

OFFICIAL WARNING: Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada advises against all travel to the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (consisting of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi Tawi, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, and Sharif Kabunsuan), as well as the Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga del Sur, Sarangani, Lanao del Norte, Davao del Sur (excluding urban areas of Davao City), North and South Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat, due to the serious threat of terrorist attacks and kidnapping. Canadians living in or visiting the region are advised to review their security situation and to take appropriate precautions, particularly when visiting places frequented by foreigners, such as resorts. 

Clashes between the Philippine Armed Forces and insurgent groups have killed civilians.

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Dead And Unclaimed For Three Months

The body of a 24-year-old student languished in a Manila morgue for more than three months before the family of the deceased was notified.

The parents of Alexander Reich, together with a team of international investigators, searched desperately for the 24-year-old man for more than three months, but he had died the same day he disappeared.

Filipino media have revealed that the body was discovered a few hours after Reich was shot in the head in Antipolo City, 25 kilometres from the capital Manila.

Local residents reported hearing gunshot and the sound of a vehicle leaving the area. When the police arrived at the scene, they found the body in a vacant lot, Inquirer News reports. 

Reich's body was brought to the local morgue where it remained unidentified and forgotten for more than three months. It was not until Monday afternoon that the city's deputy police chief informed the unit in charge of the investigation that they had located the victim's body.

According to Inquirer News, the Antipolo police should have reported the body’s discovery to the National Capital Region Police Office, particularly since it involved a foreign national.

“It’s standard procedure,” said Ding Pascu, the police officer who led a search that involved Filipino, Swiss and American investigators.

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Rizal Park will get a facelift

 The nearly 200-year-old Rizal Park will get a facelift next year with energy-saving lamps and closed circuit TV cameras among its new fixtures.

Budget Secretary Butch Abad made the announcement as the country celebrated Rizal Day.

Abad said the government has allocated P150 million for the project. The fund will be used to replace over 700 lamp posts with solar-power LED lights.

Twenty-five security cameras will also be installed.

The National Parks Development Committee (NPDC) earlier said it looks to complete Luneta Park's facelift ahead of its 2016 deadline.

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Repair The Wall

he Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started repairing the 1.4 kilometer section of the seawall along Manila Bay that was damaged by strong waves spawned by typhoon ”Pedring”three months ago.

DPWH undersecretary for regional operations Romeo Momo said repair works commenced on Thursday.

The DPWH-National Capital Region has four months or until April to finish the repairs on the seawall from the US embassy to the Manila Yacht Club.

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HIV Test Gay Children Offical Says

The Philippine health chief is under attack for suggesting at an AIDS conference that health workers survey homes of gay children and warn their parents about potentially risky behavior.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona said that “parents should rein in their homosexual children and get them tested.” He made the remark in a speech at Friday’s conference while discussing options for voluntary testing for young people who are most at risk of HIV/AIDS.

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Philippines Growth Slowdown

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) downgraded its growth forecast for the Philippines this year to 3. 7 percent on back of a global slowdown.  

 

According to the latest Asia Economic Monitor (AEM) issued Tuesday, the debt crisis in Europe and the U.S. fiscal problems will hurt the Philippines and other East Asian economies.  

 

"The turmoil emanating from Europe poses a growing danger to trade and finance within emerging East Asia; so the region's policymakers must be prepared to act promptly, decisively, and collectively to counter what could be an extended global economic slowdown," ADB Office of Regional Economic Integration Head Iwan J. Azis said.

 

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Manila 128th In The World..But For What?

Manila ranks 128 out of 221 cities in the world, according to Mercer’s 2011 Quality of Living ranking highlights.

The Quality of Living Survey is based on political and social environment, medical and health considerations, public services and transport, consumer goods, economic environment, socio-cultural environment, schools and education, natural environment, recreation and housing criteria.

New York serves as the base city for the ranking.

Manila scored 173rd in personal safety, which is based on measures of internal stability, crime levels, law enforcement effectiveness and host country international relations.

Vienna has the best living standard in the world – and Baghdad the worst, according to a consulting group that annually ranks the globe’s major cities. Top 10 most livable cities are Vienna, Zurich, Auckland, Munich, Dusseldorf, Vancouver, Frankfurt, Geneva, and Bern tied with Copenhagen at 9th.


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Dolphins in Manila Bay?

 Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim plans to have a dolphin show, fishing and dragon boat race in the new Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard to make the strip attractive to children.

The attractions will be open to public viewing for free.

Speaking at the commemoration of the 5th death anniversary of Max Soliven in front of the late STAR publisher’s monument in Baywalk, Lim also announced yesterday a proposed joint Baywalk project of the city government of Manila and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“That (project) will be a tourist attraction for the people to look and see, especially for those who come to Manila all the way from the provinces,” he said. “We would make their visits to Manila more enjoyable for them and their families.”

The wharf project will include dolphins among the regular public attractions, he added.

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More Manila Bay Clean Ups

 Navotas City joins Saturday the simultaneous metrowide waterways cleanup at the Manila Bay, an activity spearheaded by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) dubbed “One Day. One Bay.”

The city government had been exerting extra effort to raise the awareness and consciousness of the city's residents of the importance of the environment, especially the coastal areas to prevent flooding and its accompanying health risks.

The local government had led massive clean-up activities at different areas in the city with the participation of city hall workers in coordination with school personnel and volunteers from non-government organizations (NGOs) and civic groups.

Mayor Johnrey Tiangco assured that the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) will do its share by collecting garbage in the city on a regular basis.

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Manila Airport I Billion Update

Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 has been often been rated as the world's worst international airport.

While customers of budget airlines get to access a modern, stylish terminal building on the other side of the sizeable airport's runway network, passengers on long haul international flights arrive and depart from a run down, cramped, leaking building which is literally falling down ( a ceiling caved in earlier this year causing considerable disruption to passengers).

At last some relief is in sight. A 1 billion peso (US$23 million) facelift will commence in January, scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. The project will be led by transportation and communications secretary Manuel Roxas II.

Leandro V. Locsin and Associates, the original architects of  NAIA-1, will conceptualise the look of the terminal and an interior renovation will be carried out by designers Kenneth Cobonpue, Royal Pineda and Budji Layug.

“The proposed P1-billion budget will help build a new image of the Philippines, like all modern airports, would provide a “boutique experience,“ not so much for its modest size as for its distinct atmosphere of civility and expedience,” said Pineda. 

To facilitate quick flow of departing and arriving passengers, concessionaires like insurance companies and banks which are currently located in the middle of departure and arrival areas will be relocated to the sides.
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