RIYADH, 12 June 2005 — The Philippines is a premier tourist destination as can be shown by the fact that tourism is one of the country’s dollar earners. It boasts of sea, sand and sunsets, which have made travelers’ stays something to remember. This is complemented by the Filipino brand of charming hospitality, in which one is welcomed with warmth and friendship.
Destinations in the country abound for tourists and it would be a good experience to start in Manila, called the “city of many striking contrasts.” Glass and steel skyscrapers stand alongside the concrete images of heroes past. Sleek cars drive past horse-drawn carriages. Ancestral churches are a stone’s throw away from the poshest of shopping malls.
A Department of Tourism official said, “Manila is a city plunging head on toward the 21st century with a healthy respect for the spirits past.”
Manila took its name from a white-flowered mangrove plant, called the nila. Born as a small tribal settlement along the Pasig River, Manila was then ruled by Rajah Sulaiman and by the 16th century the Spaniards invaded Manila, built a wall around it, and claimed it as their own. Spain ruled from the walled city of Intramuros, Manila, and the Philippines, for the next 300 years. Afterward, it was the Americans’ turn to conquer the islands. But above all, Manila thrived and survived.
“Today, Manila is a fast-growing metropolis with countless possibilities for the enterprising tourist. Apart from this bustling city, 12 cities and 5 municipalities were developed and annexed for the new Metro Manila,” said Philippine Ambassador Bahnarim A. Guinomla.
There are many ways of exploring Manila. Apart from the kaleidoscopic jeepneys, the overhead railways, cabs and buses ply the main routes particularly the historic Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA).
After experiencing the charm of the city, which is also famous for its Manila Bay sunsets, it’s time to move on to other adventures.
Called the “Queen City of the South,” Cebu in the central Philippines is the site of new and exciting business ventures between foreign and local capital. Amid a hectic and commercial activity, Cebu’s numerous beach resorts and exhilarating historicity beckons tourists of all races. It is blessed with numerous churches and museums. As for shopping, Cebu offers a lot of souvenir ideas from export quality fashion accessories and furniture, handcrafted guitars, shell-crafts and handicrafts to dried mango preserves, sugar coated biscuits and peanut wafers.
Davao is one of the most “alluring gateways” to the Philippines’ south. Known for its elegant orchids, exotic fruits and Muslim heritage, Davao is a bustling city teeming with cultural diversity.
Baguio City in the north is the country’s summer capital. Also known as the “City of Pines,” Baguio, situated 1,500 meters above sea level in the mountainous region of the Cordillera, is one of the few places in the country blessed with a cool climate.
Apart from the numerous sightseeing “musts” as Burnham Park, Camp John Hay, Lourdes Grotto, and Mines View Park, Baguio is also a great shopping place and an education hub. It is also the jump-off point to the famous Banaue Rice Terraces and other tourism resorts in the region.
Southwest of Manila is Palawan, an archipelago of peace and quiet, where time seems to have stood still.
Known as the “last frontier,” Palawan is home to over 80 cultural minority groups and is a sanctuary for the most exotic animal, plant and aquatic life in the country including the Calamian deer and the Palawan bearcat and pheasant.
Bohol, near Cebu, is a veritable masterpiece of nature with its blend of pristine white sand beaches, wonderful dive sites, virgin forests and rolling hills. It is also in Bohol where one could find the Philippine Tarsier, one of the world's tiniest primates.
The island is particularly popular for the Chocolate Hills, a “a geological wonder” which consists of hundreds of dome-shaped limestone hills covered with grass which dries up and turns brown under the sun.
Just south and east of the national capital, in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Rizal are a tapestry of mountains and volcanoes, springs and beaches as well as rituals and festivals. It is a perfect destination for Manila-based tourists.
