PH cited Asia’s top beach and dive destination anew in 2021 World Travel Awards

 The Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) announced today that the Philippines is, once again, Asia's leading beach destination and Asia’s leading dive destination at the 28th World Travel Awards (WTA).

“We are elated that the country’s pristine beaches and mesmerizing dive spots have once again been cited as the best in Asia by the prestigious 2021 World Travel Awards. We share this recognition with our tourism stakeholders, local government units, partner agencies, and all Filipinos who have been helping us promote our country’s attractions, products, and culture,” said Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat.

Panglao Island, located in Bohol Sea in Central Visayas, is a famous tourist destination known for its

white-sand beaches and world-class diving sites. Photo courtesy of the Department of Tourism.

This is the Philippines’ fifth time to win Asia's Leading Beach Destination and the third time in a row since 2019 to win Asia’s Leading Dive Destination award.

The Philippines is still in the running for the following World categories of the 28th World Travel Awards:

● World’s Leading Beach Destination 2021: Philippines

● World’s Leading Dive Destination 2021: Philippines

● World’s Leading Island Destination 2021: Siargao, Philippines

● World’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2021: Intramuros, Philippines

● World’s Leading Tourist Board 2021: Philippines, Department of Tourism

Voting runs until midnight of October 25, 2021 via https://www.worldtravelawards.com/.

Siargao Island, a popular surfing destination, is home to unspoiled white sand beaches. Photo by Beautiful Destinations, courtesy of the Department of Tourism.

The WTA aims to acknowledge, reward, and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.

“This will boost our efforts to keep the Philippines as a top-of-mind destination for foreign tourists as we await the resumption of international leisure travel to the country, consistent with our “More Fun Awaits” global campaign,” said Puyat..

Some of the country’s top beach destinations, such as Boracay in Aklan, Siargao in Surigao del Norte, and El Nido and Amanpulo in Palawan, have already opened to domestic tourists and are ready to welcome foreign tourists once international borders reopen.

El Nido is a Philippine municipality on Palawan Island. It is one of the most popular destinations in the Philippines for its absolutely stunning islands and beaches. Photo by Erwin Lim, courtesy of the Department of Tourism.

Moreover, the PDOT has developed many of the country’s beach destinations, as well as new and existing dive circuits and is constantly identifying potential destinations that may be developed for dive tourism. Top diving spots in the country include the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Palawan, Anilao in Batangas, Malapascua and Moalboal in Cebu, Balicasag, Panglao and Anda in Bohol, and Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro.

Tubbataha Reef is known for its extraordinary biodiversity, abundant marine life, and breathtaking drop-offs into the open ocean. Photos by Robert Yin.

Anilao in Batangas has some of the best scuba diving for underwater photography in the world, particularly for rare underwater critters and new species of fish. Photo by Evelyn Go, courtesy of the Department of Tourism.

Sombrero Reef in Batangas is a diving site where gorgonians, black coral, shells, rays, grunts, jacks, snappers, and a great variety of soft corals are scattered all over the place. Photo courtesy of the Department of Tourism.

The Department also ensures that the safety of visitors remains is prioritized with the strict implementation of health protocols in destinations that have opened their doors to guests. Meanwhile, more than half or about 65.53% of tourism workers in the country have already received their Covid-19 jabs as of October 16.

For more updates and information on the DOT’s campaigns and programs, please visit www.morefunawaits.com.

Smart brings you the most exquisite Filipino contemporary art at ALT Philippines 2020

After a multitude of reimagined experiences it has brought to its customers, Smart Signature now dares consumers to reimagine the way they see local art. Introducing ALT Philippines 2020, a first-of-its-kind collaborative project among 10 galleries in Manila that aims to not only showcase contemporary Filipino art, but also to reframe the notion of the art show itself.

The landmark art event, which will be held at the SMX Convention Center at SM Aura on February 13 to 16, brings together galleries Artinformal, Blanc, Finale Art File, Galleria Duemila, MO_Space, The Drawing Room, Underground, Vinyl on Vinyl, West Gallery, and 1335 Mabini. This epic collaboration will result in a showcase of over 150 leading contemporary Filipino artists, in a groundbreaking and dynamic way that involves the immersion of viewers and the engagement of artists and professionals.

“We are truly excited to be part of this momentous event in the local art scene. This is just one of the many ways we provide meaningful connections by bringing subscribers closer to their passions,” said Smart President Alfred S. Panlilio. “Through this, we enable our subscribers to live the life they want, including the kind of life fueled by art.”

Amongst the anticipated highlights at ALT Philippines 2020, is the digital art wall that will be brought to life by artist Derek Tumala. “Derek’s work in collaboration with Smart is a coming together of art and technology. His “Pure Impermanence” 10-channel video in portrait orientation mirrors how we view images on our mobile phones. It represents the endless cycle of experience and image-making through a network of fleeting connections,” according to a statement released by ALT Philippines 2020.

Reimagine the way you see art

Smart subscribers will have the opportunity to freely reimagine the way they see art, as they can avail of exclusive passes to ALT Philippines 2020 as part of the elevated customer experience that Smart provides its valued customers.

With Smart Signature Plans, subscribers can also enjoy the best postpaid and overall experience. Smart Signature affords for its subscribers the capacity to live the life they want because their passions are supported by Smart Signature's bigger data allocation and Smart LTE, the undisputed fastest mobile network in the country, as awarded by third-party organizations such as Ookla, OpenSignal, Tutela, and P3 in their respective crowdsource-based studies on mobile internet services in the Philippines.

But Smart doesn’t stop with data and network speed that customers deserve. Smart also serves perks and privileges to its subscribers, in this case, the levelled-up Signature lifestyle that allows loyal customers to pursue their love for art by getting free tickets and ticket discounts to ALT 2020 Philippines.

To score tickets and discounts to ALT 2020, Smart Postpaid subscribers may submit their entries by answering the question, “What are you looking forward to the most at ALT 2020?” Just go to the comment’s section of Smart’s ALT 2020 ticket giveaway post on Facebook and include the hashtag #SmartALTPH2020.

For more levelled-up love-for-art experiences, follow Smart on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SmartCommunications or @ReimaginePH on Instagram. Keep tabs on the hashtags #Reimagine and #SmartALTPH2020 for more updates as well as ALT Philippines on social media at Alt Philippines on Facebook and @altphilippines on Instagram.

Click on the link for additional event details: https://www.facebook.com/events/222715622076541.

PAL cancels flights from China, Hong Kong, Macau until March 28

(February 12, 2020) — Philippine Airlines (PAL) extended its cancellation of flights from China, Hong Kong, and Macau until March 28 an advisory said Monday.

According to PAL, flights between Manila and Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xiamen, Quanzhou (Jinjiang), Hong Kong, and Macau will remain cancelled.

“We are compelled to cancel these flights until March 28 in view of the continuing travel restrictions imposed by the Philippine Government as a public health and safety measure, related to the novel coronavirus situation,” the advisory read.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Feb. 2 ordered a ban on the entry of foreign travelers coming directly from China, Hong Kong and Macau or who have a history of travel to those places within the last 14 days. Filipinos and holders of permanent resident visas issued by the Philippines are allowed to enter the country but subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine. Filipinos are also barred from flying to those places.

“As there is no definite end date to the travel ban and thus no certainty that we may resume flying after March 28, we are unable to carry out automatic flight re-accommodations for passengers of cancelled flights.”

Once the travel ban is lifted and the flights are reinstated, passengers can “rebook, reroute, or refund tickets within the ticket’s validity period, with rebooking, rerouting, or refund serve fees waived,” the statement said.

The airline was mum about flights to Taiwan. On Monday, Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said Taiwan has been included in the temporary travel ban, although it was enforced late last week and was not part of Duterte's initial order.

Domingo pointed out that the World Health Organization considers Taiwan as part of China. The Philippines also follows a "One-China" policy that recognizes China and limits relations with Taiwan to cultural and economic ties.

China considers the self-administered island of Taiwan as its province.

AirAsia prioritizes health and sanitary management for guest safety

MANILA, 7 February 2020 - AirAsia wishes to inform its guests that it has implemented a mandatory temperature screening of all passengers prior to boarding any domestic and international Z2 flight.

Screening is part of precautionary measures that AirAsia has put in place to safeguard its guests given the current health situation and in view of its core value of safety always.

AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla said, “From the moment guests book their flight to when they pick-up their baggage at their destination, travelers can be assured that AirAsia has taken a step ahead of planning their safety and convenience. We take our responsibility seriously given the health situation the global community is facing today. We thank our guests for their cooperation and understanding.”

At the check-in counter, guests’ temperature will be read by AirAsia staff using a digital infrared thermometer. The same procedure will be done again at the boarding gates. As needed, guests will be endorsed to airport health authorities. 

Aside from temperature screening, AirAsia has also put in place the following sanitary and health measures. 

Protective gear such as face masks and surgical gloves have been provided to ground and cabin crew. Guests may request for surgical masks free of charge upon boarding the plane. All aircraft are also equipped with antibacterial sanitizers compliant with the Bureau of Quarantine. 

All AirAsia aircraft undergo disinfection procedures before and after each flight, with the use of hospital grade disinfectant spray as approved by the Bureau of Quarantine and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

AirAsia’s ground and cabin crew have been adequately trained in identifying and handling passengers showing symptoms, to be endorsed to authorities. 

AirAsia assures that the safety and wellbeing of our guests and Allstars is our top priority. AirAsia is complying with advice and regulations from the local government, civil aviation authorities, global and local health agencies, including the World Health Organization.

We recognize that prompt and proper coordination with our partners in the government remains a crucial part of this commitment. As such, AirAsia will cooperate with the government should there be any request for assistance in their efforts to manage public health. 

AirAsia is closely monitoring this situation and reserves the right to announce further policies according to the latest developments.

Mandatory temperature scanning at the AirAsia check-in counter at NAIA Terminal 3

Follow AirAsia on Twitter (@AirAsia) and Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsia) for the latest updates, or contact our customer support team at support.airasia.com. Guests are also encouraged to check their flight status at airasia.com/flightstatus for live updates.

DOT and MMDA Launch Pasig River Ferry Tourist Cruise

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Two months after Pasig River Ferry was relaunched, the Department of Tourism and the Metro Manila Development Authority have partnered not only to reduce travel time in Metro Manila and to ease traffic flow in the metropolis but to offer a new way of exploring the Metro both for tourists and locals.

MMDA, in collaboration with the DOT, has agreed to exclusively allocate one 150-seater air-conditioned ferry to service the needs of tourists, both domestic and international, who may want to explore Manila, Pasig, Mandaluyong and Makati, using the river transport and its 11 ferry stations.

Dubbed as Pasig River Hop On Hop Off Ferry Tour, the new tour program, as packaged by the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), Guide to the Philippines and DOT – National Capital Region, will offer two main categories - the Hop On Hop Off Tour and the MICE Program initially using select stations.

The Hop On Hop Off Tour is meant for individuals, small groups and families who want to make use of select ferry stations based on specific time schedules and 1.5 to 3 hours walking tours. Tourists may explore the City of Manila through the Lawton, Escolta and Sta. Ana ferry stations where a tour guide will be waiting to walk you to the iconic attractions of nearby Manila, a heritage tour of Intramuros, Sta. Ana heritage walking tour and the famous culinary tour of Binondo and a photo opportunity of the now famous Jones Bridge. For Makati City, tourists may disembark in Guadalupe and Valenzuela Stations with a waiting guide to help you explore the country’s financial district either through a Poblacion Heritage tour, Makati Skyline, the famous Poblacion Bar crawl and even the nearby cities of San Juan and Mandaluyong through Hulo Station. The packages include a tour guide, entrance fees and survival kit. This is also intended for tourists who want to make use of the regular ferry schedule.

The MICE Program targets corporate clients and big groups who are in Metro Manila for meetings, conventions, incentive trips and business trips on a pre-arranged chartered tour using MMDA’s ferry. Four options are in place such as the one way Guadalupe to Escolta, Escolta to Guadalupe program and the Guadalupe to Guadalupe and Escolta to Escolta return tours.

Guide to the Philippines, DOT’s official online tour aggregator partner, will initially offer using Guadalupe and Valenzuela Stations, an exclusive Poblacion Chocolate Bar Crawl highlighting Makati City’s night life with an interesting twist on both drinks and food using a local Filipino chocolate brand and Escolta Station for the Binondo culinary tour.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, together with select media, travel trade guests and tourism partners such as MMDA and Intramuros Administration, took on the first Pasig River ferry commercial tour starting in Guadalupe Station to try the Poblacion bar crawl and ending in Escolta for a quick photo op of the Jones Bridge and a historical trip of the enhanced and refurbished Intramuros.

“Today we embark on an expanded hub to explore the country’s capital with a new mode of transport forged by our commitment to involve and enable the different sectors of Metro Manila. This is also part of our effort to promote sustainable tourism. As you may well know, the government has just celebrated its first year anniversary of the Battle for Manila Bay and this new tourism offering is our way of contributing towards sustaining a healthier and cleaner Pasig River. We hope to further develop this into a sustainable mode of transport for tourism and the commuting public to further boost the region’s tourism industry”, Secretary Romulo-Puyat said.

Commercial run will commence on March 2020 pending logistical operations and booking facilities. Interested parties may inquire directly with PHILTOA via +632 8812-4513 or email info@philtoa.com and Guide to the Philippines via their website, https://guidetothephilippines.ph/.

Life

Life is short, but it is beautiful

sometimes happy, sometimes sad

sometimes fun, sometimes crazy

sometimes exciting, sometimes boring

full of surprises, and of wonders 

many times a mystery, sometimes a fantasy

everyday challenges, often with changes 

somethings unknown, somethings yet to be shown

there is always hope, above our fears

it is giving and it is taking

at times made of hurts, full of tears

always confusing, but then reassuring

that life can bring grace and bring us to safe

life is loving, life is caring 

life is amazing, life is a great 

life is ...you ... life is with loving people

life is prayers, life is blessed

always joyful, always wonderful 

life is just me...

Amazing, I love God !  ....and I love this Life!

How Far The Journey Is Or How Capable We Are?

Life can begin at 40/50/60/70, it is all in your hands!

Many people feel unhappy, health-wise and security-wise, after 40/50/60 years of age owing to the diminishing importance given to them and their opinions. But it need not be so if only we understand the basic principles of life and follow them scrupulously. 

Here are ten mantras to age gracefully, make life after retirement pleasant, enjoy and treasure the elders years of wisdom and intelligence at its best.

1. Never say ‘I am aged': There are three ages, chronological, biological, and psychological. The first is calculated based on our date of birth; the second is determined by the health conditions and the third is how old you feel you are. While we don't have control over the first, we can take care of our health with a good diet, exercise, and a cheerful attitude. A positive attitude and optimistic thinking can reverse the third age.

2. Health is wealth: If you really love your kids and kin, taking care of yourself and your health should be your priority. Thus, you will not be a burden to them. Have an annual health check-up and take the prescribed medicines regularly. Do take health insurance cover.

3. Money is important: Money is essential for meeting the basic necessities of life, keeping good health and earning family respect and security. Don't spend beyond your means even for your children. You have lived for them all through and it is time you enjoyed a harmonious life with your spouse. If your children are grateful and they take care of you, you are blessed. But never take it for granted.

4. Relaxation and recreation: The most relaxing and recreating forces are a healthy religious attitude, good sleep, music, and laughter. Have faith in God, learn to sleep well, love good music and see the funny side of life.

5. Time is precious: It is almost like holding a horse's reins. When they are in your hands, you can control them. Imagine that every day you are born again. Yesterday is a canceled cheque. Tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is ready cash — use it profitably. Live this moment.

6. Change is the only permanent thing: We should accept change — it is inevitable. The only way to make sense out of change is to join the dance. Change has brought about many pleasant things. We should be happy that our children are blessed.

7. Enlightened selfishness: All of us are basically selfish. Whatever we do, we expect something in return. We should definitely be grateful to those who stood by us. But our focus should be on the internal satisfaction and happiness we derive by doing good to others, without expecting anything in return.

8. Forget and forgive: Don't be bothered too much about others' mistakes. We are not spiritual enough to show our other cheek when we are slapped in one. But for the sake of our own health and happiness, let us forgive and forget them. Otherwise, we will be only increasing our BP.

9. Everything has a reason. A purpose: Take life as it comes. Accept yourself as you are and also accept others for what they are. Everybody is unique and right in his own way.

10. Overcome the fear of death: We all know that one day we have to leave this world. Still, we are afraid of death. We think that our spouse and children will be unable to withstand our loss. But the truth is no one is going to die for you; they may be depressed for some time. Time heals everything and they will carry on.

Regardless How Far The Journey Is Or How Capable We Are, We Do Our Best To Reach Our Goal. 

This Is Perseverance At Its Best ...

—Anonymous