Travel and Tourism

Apart from being known as “Culinary Capital” of the Philippines, Pampanga boasts of local tourist destinations that will surely bring joy and adventure. Here are some things to see and do in Pampanga: Museum tour Maestro Willy Layug, a household name for ecclesiastical art, plans to open his museum in Pampanga in the future. His exhibit includes religious sculpture and …

In 1992, the Philippine government, through the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), shed light on the many cultural bearers of folk art through the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA).  Also known as the National Living Treasure Awards, GAMABA recognizes Filipino artisans, “whose distinctive skills have reached such a high level of technical excellence and have been …

According to the Department of Tourism (DOT), 2.65 million foreign tourists visited the country in 2022, higher than its 1.7 million target. In the meantime, thousands of Filipinos keep local tourism alive by flocking to domestic destinations to try new experiences. Most tourists often visit vital locations in the Philippines to immerse in the culture and cuisine. While tourists remain …

The proposed rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) by the Manila International Airport Consortium (MIAC) is projected to contribute $14.6 billion to the Philippine economy through direct investments and knock-on effects on trade and tourism. The mega-consortium – composed of six of the country’s largest conglomerates – said its unsolicited bid to upgrade the NAIA would cost $3.8 …

InDrive, a ride-hailing company with roots in Russia but based in California, is preparing to enter the Philippine market dominated by Grab Philippines after it sought to secure a franchise license. Arsen Tomsky, InDrive CEO and founder, said they submitted their request to have transport network vehicle service (TNVS) slots before the Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). The …

Capital A chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes is willing to hasten the local tourism industry’s recovery and attract more foreign investments to the Philippines. The AirAsia owner said more customers are switching from more expensive to less expensive products and doing shorter trips as a result of flying across the Pacific. In the Philippines, connectivity has always been …

Filipinos welcome summer with open arms – despite of or due to the heat wave – being the first summer people free from the pandemic restrictions.  While they plan their summer vacations, they need to stay out of harm’s way. Summer comes with its share of seasonal health issues.  “The scorching temperature is responsible for common heat-related illnesses. Vacation spots …

The Manila International Airport Consortium (MIAC), a partnership among six leading Filipino conglomerates and US-based Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), has submitted a P100-billion unsolicited proposal to upgrade the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).  The consortium is made up of Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corporation, Alliance Global – Infracorp Development, Inc., Filinvest Development Corporation, and …

International passenger demand remained solid, driven by the robust recovery in leisure and business travel in Asia and globally, as opposed to global cargo market, which was lackluster, according to March 2023 traffic figures from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).  The easing of travel restrictions, coupled with strong travel appetite, led to a 494.6% year-on-year increase in the …

Online travel platform Agoda has found that the Bacolod City in Negros Occidental is the country’s cheapest tourist destination.  Agoda analyzed the average room rates of tourist destinations for April 2023, and after crunching the numbers saw that rooms in Bacolod cost an average of P2,650.  Beyond affordable room rates, the company noted that Bacolod — coined the “City of …