Planet Philippines (Calgary Edition) February 16-29, 2012 issue

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By ChERiE del rio

OR as long as I can remember, there is always going to be one day in January when my hometown, Lipa City, would hold a feast that’s grander than any other holiday celebration. Neither the Christmas noche buena nor the New Year’s media noche can rival the extravagant commemoration of the town fiesta.

It seemed mandatory -- preparing four to five entrees for a daylong gaiety consisting of small talk over meals, traditional Filipino recipes, small tokens from the guests for the host, beer and pulutan, and videoke singalongs blasting through practically every household.

Over the years, not much has changed with the fiesta merriments in the province of Batangas. The same sociological

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tHE FiESta: FoStEring FiliPino traditionS Over the years, the same sociological forces are at play: people feel the overwhelming pressure to prepare as many dishes as they can and invite friends from neighboring towns. All houses should be open to guests — even those who actually live just next door and have a celebration of their own as well.

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forces are at play: people feel the overwhelming pressure to prepare as many dishes as they can and invite friends from neighboring towns. all houses should be open to guests -- even those who actually live just next door and have a celebration of their own as well.

January 20th is a legal holiday in Lipa City. This meant open houses, customary servings of afritada and adobo, terrible main road traffic, reunions of relatives and friends, and what could be an annual relinking with one’s hometown and roots.

nostalgia for the nineties Back in the 1990’s, I remember citywide celebrations that only ran for a day or two. Highlighting the day’s activities would be the

the annual Mutya ng Lipa is a societal event highlighting family prominence, wealth, and beauty.

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morning parade. The city’s major companies were represented by floats and mascots and they were showcased all around town accompanied by marching bands. A pageant was usually held before the fiesta and a coronation night served as the main event of the bisperas. The night’s stellar elegance was prelude to the next day’s pompous procession of the city’s biggest corporate names.

During the mayoral leadership of now Governor Vilma Santos, the activities leading to the fiesta were star-studded. The who’s-who in the Philippine showbiz industry were invited and the town plaza was always crowded. It didn’t matter what class you belonged to, the plaza was simply the hub of revelry and high spirits.

Two mayors and many years later, the Lipeño fiesta was marked with lesser celebrities but certainly more arts and culture affairs. What used to be a day or two of variety shows was now stretched into weeklong or even a month’s worth of celebratory episodes. Because key retailers have now established themselves in the city, events were now held in shopping malls. Memorial-

The Church has activities of its own all in commemoration of the patron saint’s feast.

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izing the fiesta meant more than just a day of preparing food and welcoming guests. Today, fiesta for Lipeños equaled mall activations and contests, parades and pageants -- a fusion of the traditional feast and the modern commemorative practices.

Both the progressive city proper and the rural areas take part in the fiesta. In the city, families have explored non-traditional recipes in their fiesta menu. The upper classes would skip the cherished affair of cooking together as a family and employ catering services instead. In the rural sections of the town, old practices and traditions are more evident.

Cooking and preparing for the fiesta are joint family efforts.

Their dishes are far more conventional too. The afritada and the morcon will always be on the

Colorful floats representing Lipa’s various industries serve as the highlight of the fiesta’s morning parade.

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A packed dining area is always a characteristic of a town fiesta and it likewise reflects the relationships that are strengthened by the celebration. buffet table, along with a llanera of the leche flan and the gelatin.

Fascination with the fiesta The act of preparing a feast for the celebration is almost a necessity, a requirement from society. God forbid that a certain family name would be associated with their inability to join the feast, being branded as ungenerous or stingy---committing treachery against customs which have been honored for centuries. Failure to join in on the celebration is usually considered shameful, something that a family cannot possibly live down -- something they would have to make up for the following year or perhaps in another upcoming celebration. A lot of Filipinos have taken to this practice: combining holidays and events into one grandiose occasion. This is also the reason why there are a lot of weddings and baptisms that are scheduled around the fiesta if not on the day itself.

At the center of all the pressure to join the jollity, however, is the question of whether or not the townsfolk really know what they’re celebrating. An encounter with my aunt gave me the idea that the youth may not know at all what the fiesta is about. The older citizens, however, still remember that the Lipa fiesta is a commemoration of the feast day of our patron, Saint Sebastian.

While chopping carrots for the morcon, my aunt told the house help that she wasn’t really planning on hosting a feast this year.

Unfortunately, she woke up that day with a sore throat and felt that it was Saint Sebastian’s way of letting her know that he was offended she wasn’t paying homage this year.

The San Sebastian Cathedral, named after the city’s patron saint, has its own set of religious activities for the feast. But the said events don’t create as much buzz in the town as Holy Week church activities. As a result, residents pay more attention to government-initiated activations and consequently overlook the church’s efforts. This,

Filipinos have a high regard for culture and tradition. They uphold family values through the observance of holidays like the fiesta.

I believe, leads to the failure of younger citizens to recognize the real reason behind the celebrations. It is rather clichéd, in the same way that a lot of people forget the meaning of holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, but the fact remains that the recognition of the saint’s role in the festivities takes a back seat, if not altogether forgotten, to all the glamorous parades and luxurious buffets.

Sustaining traditions A typical Filipino family will partake in the fiesta regardless of their economic situation or whatever socio-cultural circumstances surround them. It does not matter if one belongs to a broken home, if one is unemployed, if one is facing a scandal or going through something equally tough and trying. It is simply how Filipinos are -they have a high regard for culture and tradition. They uphold family values through the observance of holidays like the fiesta. It is as though the townspeople feel that personal problems and economic tribulations are simply at a pause during this time of the year.

When the day of the feast arrives, households will open their doors to guests and welcome them in, usher them towards the dining table, and -- even if just for a day – be a traditional Filipino family that exemplifies the highest form of hospitality. This is one of the major forces that not only bonds the Filipino family ties stronger but also redefines the culture and traditions, fostering the latter in the face of modernity. n

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‘We are not playing here’

ADIO AnD television personality Grace Lee has confessed that her current constant date, President Benigno Aquino III, makes her happy.

Asked about the chances of the bachelor president, the Korean celebrity said, “I think he’s in the forefront. He’s first in the line.”

“He’s one of the many aspects in my life right now that’s making me happy,” she said in a talk with reporters last Feb. 8.

Grace said that she feels flattered that the Pnoy publicly admitted last Feb. 1 that he is seeing her, adding that among the qualities she likes about him is that he is “considerate.”

In a separate interview, the 29year-old TV and radio host said she and the President did not get a chance to hang out on his 52nd birthday last Feb. 8 because he spent his birthday visiting victims of the deadly quake that rocked negros and Cebu on Feb. 6.

“I greeted him, but as we all know, he had to fly to the Visayas to visit the victims of the earthquake,” she said.

“I understand. He belongs to the people first.”

Grace finds the presidential style of courtship normal.

“Yes, very normal like any other guy. I received a couple of chocolates and flowers. He’s very sweet.”

‘I didn’t want so many people having so much to say about what’s going on between us.’

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“I think he’s in the forefront.

He’s first in the line. He’s one of the many aspects in my life right now that’s making me happy.”

The Korean radio-TV personality admitted the age difference between them sometimes bothers her. But she quickly added, “We are not playing here,” a remark viewed as an indication that they are seriously dating.

She said she does not want to share every detail of their budding romance. “One of the reasons why I wanted this to be more private was because we’re at the stage of getting to know each other,” she said. “And I didn’t want so many people having so much to say about what’s going on between us.”

Grace admitted the age difference between them sometimes bothers her. But she quickly added, “We are not playing here,” a remark viewed as an indica-

tion that they are seriously dating.

She denied reports that the President is spending hours talking to her on the phone.

“The very few times that I get to see him with his very busy schedule we have dinner and, of course, you can’t have it for 30 minutes,” she shared. “Nagkukuwentuhan kami, we catch up, that’s it. . . And no, we don’t have time to talk for three hours on the phone. So many people need him. Things like that, when it comes out, I think people should not believe it.”

In spite of the undue media interest, she insisted that dating the President has not really turned her world topsy-turvy.

“My life hasn’t changed much,” she said.

Grace is a news presenter on GMA-7’s Balitanghali and 24 Oras Weekend. She is also a co-host of the radio program Good Times with Mo, Mojo and Grace Lee together with Mo Twister and Mojo.

Grace’s real name is Kyung Hee-lee. Born and raised in Seoul, she had since been “Filipinized” after moving to the Philippines at age 10 because of her father’s business.

She went to high school at St. Paul College in Pasig City and earned a degree in interdisciplinary studies at Ateneo de Manila University. She is fluent in Korean, English and Filipino.

Grace first caught the President’s eye during the inauguration of a Korean power plant in naga, Cebu last June. They met again months later when she served as official interpreter of the Korean president when he called on the President in Malacañang.

Last December Grace interviewed Pnoy at the Palace for her radio show.

The latest tale in Pnoy’s romantic saga came a few days following the wedding of his former girlfriend, Shalani Soledad, to Pasig Congressman Roman Romulo last Jan. 22. Although he was invited, the President skipped the affair and chose to spend a “quiet time” in Baguio.

After he and Shalani split in September 2010, Pnoy had been linked to several women, including Liz Uy, his former stylist; Len Lopez, a stockbroker; and Bunny Calica, a teacher. n

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Jeepney art is a merry mix of religious icons, US symbols such as the American eagle and flag, and Hollywood superheroes.

By CAndiCE lopez-quimpo 3

N a dusty workshop in the town of angono, Rizal, just outside Manila, an artist glances up at a poster from the Disney animation “Tangled.”

He compares it with the image of the film’s strong-jawed hero, which he is airbrushing onto the side of an old jeepney.

The artwork has been commissioned by the owner of the jeepney, and will be a brash, ostentatious statement that he no doubt hopes will mark his vehicle out from every other.

“This will be finished later today,” says Damaso Reyes, owner of Dasoy Motors, the small auto workshop charged with completing the design.

Reyes will make a small profit for his work. For some, however, the scene here is a sign of the decay that is affecting Filipino jeepney art.

Disney characters and US flags are now the commonplace stars of these colorful buses, when once they used to be mountains, rivers and other natural Filipino characteristics.

A humble passenger jeepney traversing the mean streets of Manila’s Quiapo district.

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JEEPNEYS

NEARING END OF A COLORFUL ROAD The iconic jeepney is losing its luster as owners ditch art to save cash. So now Manila’s streets are filled with naked metal carriages, packed with passengers but lacking the audacious designs of their predecessors.

additionally, from being one of the most enduring and endearing legacies from the time the US army spent in the Philippines during World War II, jeepneys are now in danger of losing their artistry altogether, as owners prioritize finance over flourish.

Proletariat artistry Virgilio Parcellano, a jeepney owner, says profit now comes before art.

“The truth is, it’s not about how beautiful your jeep is,” he says.

“These days it’s more of a race to get as many passengers as you can.”

Parcellano points out that despite his love for his jeepney -- it has six antennae and two horns on its hood, the names of his children emblazoned on the windshield and fierce characters painted on the sides -- the design does little to raise the day’s earnings.

Prettifying a jeepney costs up to 100,000 pesos (US$2,370), no small change for an owner who is earning around 7.5 pesos per passenger. as a result, many jeepney owners are saving that expense.

Take alfredo Reyes (not his real name). His jeepney is jarringly plain, just daubed with a splash of paint and his route indicated on the sides.

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“People are being thrifty,” he says. “I’d rather save the money.

This is why you see jeepneys that are ordinary, simply galvanized.”

He explains that his jeepney has been constructed and is owned (he’s just the driver) by a new breed of micro-entrepreneurs.

“This kind is made by the Igorots,” he explains. “They used to be drivers who saved their earnings and now assemble jeepneys.”

He is referring to natives of the mountainous northern province of Ifugao, who have learned the trade but not the art.

So now Manila’s streets are filled with naked metal carriages, packed with passengers but lacking the audacious designs of their predecessors.

Western design infiltrates Even where jeepney design still exists, it’s now heavy with Western influences, like Disney’s “Tangled,” American flags, F1 logos and Western superheroes.

“You could see the individual brush strokes on past pieces -- it felt local,” says Paul Catiang, a regular Manila jeepney passenger. “These days, I see reproductions of movie posters from abroad and cringe. I feel that the jeepney art I grew up with was more original.”

“When people started getting access to the Internet, they began printing different designs,” adds Damaso Reyes.

This fondness for foreign culture is nothing new to Filipinos. The United States didn’t just bequeath its army jeeps to the Philippines, it also introduced Hollywood and a love of show business.

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Plain, bare and simply galvanized jeepneys are becoming a common sight, an indication of hard times.

It’s the way that these modern, Western icons are forced to sit alongside traditional symbols that some Filipinos do not appreciate.

“The image of Jesus is usually present, especially if the owner is Catholic,” explains Reyes. “For them, it is assurance of divine guidance. The strangest request we had was a black jeep decorated with images of demons. And bizarrely, on the door, we also had to paint an image of Jesus Christ.”

“Jeepney art is a dying art,” complains Zarah Dominguez, a regular jeepney passenger. “A decorated jeepney gives me the impression that the owner takes care of

his jeep and values it more than just as a source of income. He’s making a declaration that ‘This jeep is mine.’”

This romantic ideal of the jeepney is one many Filipinos cherish. Take a closer look at the bare, galvanized carriers, for instance, and amidst the blur of gray metal you can still occasionally spot a splash of color or a small sticker.

Subtlety, however, is hardly

what jeepneys are about, or why people love them.

More than buses For decades, countless nameless artists have used the jeepney as a canvas.

Left behind by the US Army after World War II, they were adopted by enterprising Filipinos who turned them into public util-

ity vehicles.

While they remain one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get around Manila and the Philippines -- they can access many inner-city roads that are off-limits to buses -they will also remain part of local life.

But what if the loss of color from these characterful transports of delight that are a hallmark of the capital reflects something deeper altogether, such as a loss of Filipino character?

Riding in a jeepney can be a thrilling experience. Passengers often hang half out of the bus on rails at the back or sometimes sit on the roof.

They zigzag on roads like they own them: a blur of color and metal. They cause traffic jams as they stop arbitrarily to let passengers on or off.

Their artwork dresses a chunky piece of metal with unmistakable personality.

If that disappears, so might the thrill of riding in these vehicles, that have historically been so much more than people carriers. (CNNGo. com) n

A driver patiently awaits the loading of passengers

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14 PHILIPPINES

TECHNOLOGY IS PINAY DOMESTIC’S TICKET OUT OF POVERTY

sidered entering the BPO industry, and for good reason.

Unlike other professions, an entry-level position in a call center firm offers as much as P16,000 monthly salary, on top of other employment benefits. Because of this, the sector has easily employed 600,000 Filipinos, contributing as much as $9 billion to the economy in 2010. the Philippines’ unique gains in the BPO business — particularly for voice-based services — has earned it the moniker “call center capital of the world,” surpassing India, which has held the throne for many years.

For industry leaders and players, the growth of the Philippines’ BPO sector could not have been more apparent with such glowing accolades and numbers. But it’s not until Padilla told her life story that these executives have felt the genuine effect of the industry in the lives of many Filipinos.

Realizing the opportunities presented by technology, particularly the Internet, the Filipina domestic helper packed her bags and headed home to establish a business process outsourcing firm, now a thriving venture.

IT services for OFWs

By j. m. tuazon

Padilla’s success story serves as an inspiration to OFWs who dream of striking it on their own at home.

OR almOst twenty years, Davao-based myrna Padilla has worked as a domestic helper once in singapore and then another time in Hong Kong.

Just like the millions of Filipinos fleeing the country for better opportunities abroad, Padilla was driven out of her homeland in hopes of bringing her family out of the cycle of poverty. as a young girl who grew up in a poor fishing village in Bohol in the Visayas, Padilla busied herself not with crayons and play toys — but with seaweeds and seashells she worked hard to collect from the ocean in order to fend for her family’s needs.

the Internet — and it is in this digital realm that she found the solution to her decades-old problem.

“life was never easy but my family and I learned how to survive,” Padilla told an audience comprised of members of the Philippine software Industry association in December. “I thought that we shouldn’t be living like this for the rest of our lives. I knew that only by moving away would we ever change our lives.”

Padilla’s story is not unfamiliar to the thousands of Filipino families who have had to be separated from their parents or siblings who have found job opportunities abroad. after all, millions of Filipinos have found employment outside the Philippines — whether as a domestic helper like Padilla or as skilled workers or seafarers — helping buoy the local economy with more than $18 billion in remittances, or about 10 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Ticket out of poverty In many ways, working as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) has become the golden ticket of many families out of poverty. that ticket, however, came with the price of being away from their families, giving rise to the problem of absenteeism among many OFW parents.

“If Filipinos back home heard how difficult life was for domestic helpers working abroad, they would not have wanted to leave, but the other domestic helpers also understood that going home was not an option so they had to put up with all the hardships,” Padilla shared. as luck would have it, Padilla found herself a door that led to an opportunity that would let her stay at home while earning the same amount she got as a worker abroad.

One of her young wards in Hong Kong taught her how to use the computer — and subsequently,

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Power of Internet “I was blessed to have been taught how to use the Internet. It changed a lot of things in my life and I saw it as a great equalizer, especially [for] my kababayans,” she pointed out. With the realization of the possibilities the Internet could bring, Padilla sought to augment her knowledge and looked for more ways she could use the Internet to help herself and her family.

With the Internet at her disposal, she went back home to her family in 2006 to establish mynd tech management services (now called mynd Consulting), a business process outsourcing (BPO) firm that focused on providing social media

management services and mobile application development.

Her unique life story has earned the admiration of various sectors of the country, particularly the It and outsourcing industries, which have considered her a formidable BPO stalwart and a true testament of how the It-BPO industry has uplifted the lives of many Filipinos.

In fact, during the recent International Outsourcing summit in 2011, Padilla’s presentation of her life story drew a standing ovation from hundreds of BPO executives from around the world.

BPO option Just like becoming an OFW, many Filipinos — especially those who have recently graduated from college and are looking for an easy way to an employment — have con-

Padilla receives a token of recognition from Secretary Ivan Uy, Philippine Information and Communication Technology Commission.

But despite her successes here in the Philippines, Padilla has not forgotten her roots, specifically her past as an OFW in Hong Kong.

Padilla said she envisions providing technology services to departing OFWs through their mobile phones, so that they can “empower even the shyest OFWs.” “Wouldn’t it be better if OFWs don’t even need to speak in order to assert their rights?” she asked, referring an application they are developing, which would allow workers to defend themselves from abuses just by using their mobile phones. the application, which would create an alert network among OFWs in a certain area, could give workers the power to inform their fellow Filipinos of possible abuses by employers, such as when their passports are confiscated or when their communications are cut off.

“Even with the passive ‘act’ of not being able to communicate, this technology will empower all of us to hear our people’s cry for help even in the dark,” she explained.

It is Padilla’s hope, according to her, that Filipinos abroad could use the power of mobile technology and social media to help not only themselves but also their fellow kababayans. “as long as we lay the groundwork required to connect them, we are empowering them,” she said. “I see this as a way to prevent exploitation of our kababayans abroad. By using social media, we’ll be able to link together OFWs and help them whenever we can.” (InterAksyon.com) n

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15 PHILIPPINES

PH IS MOST DISASTER-PRONE IN ASIA

HE PHiliPPinEs topped the list of Asian countries hit by disasters in 2011, according to a recent report of the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED).

There were 33 disasters that hit the country in 2011, claiming 1,430 lives and adversely affecting over a million Filipinos. Some P15 billion are lost annually to calamities.

There were 33 disasters that hit the country in 2011 which resulted in 1,430 deaths. The next most disaster-prone countries in Asia last

year were China, with 21 disaster; india, 11; indonesia, 11; and Japan, 7.

The Philippines also registered the most number of people affected by natural calam-

ities like floods, storms and earthquakes in 2011. According to the World Health Organization, there were 1,147,270 Filipinos adversely affected by disasters last year, followed by Japan with 368,820.

Data show that disasters cost the country P15 billion every year.

Damage caused by tropical storm sendong in December alone is estimated at P1.3 billion (roughly $29.6 million).

Deadliest disaster Earthquakes were the deadliest disasters in the region in 2011, followed by floods and storms. The CRED study said 20,747 people lost their lives in earthquakes in Asia last year.

Floods claimed 3,243 lives while storms killed 2,147 people in 2011. in previous years, from 2001 to 2010, storms were deadlier and more destructive than floods.

Asia bore the brunt of nature’s fury in 2010, accounting for nearly half of the world’s disasters.

Forty-five percent of the 302 disasters around the world happened in Asia last year. Over 80% of the 29,782 registered deaths and 86% of the

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205,841,038 people affected by natural calamities were in Asia. in terms of economic impact, Asia accounted for 75.1% of the total global economic loss pegged at $365 billion.

Disaster-risk reduction Margareta Wahlström, special Representative of the Un secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction who visited Manila recently, said she will tell the Un secretary general to convey to President Benigno Aquino iii the need to prioritize disaster-risk reduction in the country.

Wahlström noted that the countries that are most vulnerable to disasters are poor and have no adequate capability to address the risks and problems posed by natural calamities. in her visit to sendong-devastated cities of iligan and Cagayan de Oro, the Un official observed that many municipalities lack practical experience on how to plan and prepare for disasters. This, she said, is the biggest gap on the ground. she stressed that because the country is disaster-prone, there is a need to address the gap even as it competes with other priorities.

The Un official applauded the Philippines for being at the frontline “in the thinking and execution of how to integrate the impact of climate variability” with overall disaster-risk reduction. n

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PHILIPPINES BANKING ON TOURISM The Philippines’s tourism industry has lagged behind its rivals in the region.

Malaysia has received 32 million tourists so far this year, and Thailand has seen 14 million. The Philippines had less than 4 million tourists to show in the same period.

The tourism department aims to attract at least 4.2 million tourists in 2012 and 10 million in 2016.

ITH 2011 having seen a spike in visitor arrivals, the Philippines’s tourism sector is moving ahead with plans to become a major engine for the country’s economic growth.

That this increase in numbers occurred at a time of global economic downturn, not to mention some turbulence in the sector’s leadership, is no small achievement. Although tourism currently accounts for only 11 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, hopes are high that this number can grow significantly.

“I hope the 12-percent increase in tourism arrivals [in 2011] will mark the start of better things ahead for the country,” President Aquino said recently. “The private and public sector must work together to promote tourism.”

The 12-percent increase in the first nine months of 2011—compared to the same period of 2010— meant that more than 3 million tourists visited the country. Between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011, there were more than 3.7 million

international arrivals, with South Korea as the country’s largest tourism market, followed by the US, Japan, China and Australia.

But despite the additional visiThe government has adopted a “pocket open skies” policy, allowing the entry of foreign budget carriers like AirAsia.

tors, the Philippines’s tourism industry has lagged behind its rivals in the region. Malaysia, for example, has received 32 million tourists so far this year, and Thailand has seen 14 million. This demonstrates both the catching up to be done and the Philippines’s vast tourism potential.

The surprise resignation in August of the tourism secretary, Alberto Lim, who had held the position for a little over a year, left some in the industry wondering if the Department of Tourism (DOT) would take some time to regain its footing.

Acting quickly to address the

gap left by Lim’s resignation, President Aquino appointed former advertising executive Ramon Reyes Jimenez as the new tourism secretary on Sept. 1.

Jimenez now has the task of completing and implementing the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) that was initiated

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FEBRUARY 16-29, 2012

by Lim and originally set to be unveiled in July. The plan has met with numerous delays, but heavy-hitting industry players such as the Tourism Congress and Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) have pledged to support Jimenez in developing it.

Under the NTDP, the DOT will work with government agencies and private industry players in implementing infrastructure projects aimed at increasing accessibility to more destinations and providing better services once tourists arrive.

Jimenez has said the DOT hopes to attract at least 4.2 million tourists in 2012, with the longer term goal of 10 million arrivals in 2016. The NTDP also includes a new branding campaign along the lines of the successful “Malaysia Truly Asia” campaign that both the government and private industry players can use.

In January, the Philippines unveiled the new branding campaign featuring the slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” While the initiative initially received some criticism for being too plain or unmemorable, the slogan quickly went viral, spreading quickly across social-media platforms and receiving praise from many in the country.

Yet many challenges still con-

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Modern and reasonably priced tourist facilities such as hotel accommodations are needed to attract more visitors. front the industry that the country must try to resolve if the tourism industry is to continue its ascent.

These include working to reverse the European Union’s ban on the entry of Philippine air carriers, reducing hurdles in the procurement of visas by foreign nationals, and reviewing the taxation scheme on

airlines to avoid double taxation.

An insufficient tourism promotions budget, poor infrastructure and facilities, and contradictory government policies are also issues that sector insiders feel need to be more fully addressed.

To attract more international carriers to the Philippines, the gov-

ernment recently implemented a “pocket open skies” policy, which eases restrictions on foreign airlines servicing airports outside of Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Nonetheless, heavy taxation on foreign airlines has resulted in the departure of many from the country, with KLM recently an-

Calgary Edition

nouncing that it will cease all direct flights to the Philippines in 2012, eliminating the sole remaining direct connection to Europe.

A bit of good news arrived on Dec. 3 when the DOT announced that the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR), which is believed to be the world’s longest underground river, had made it to the New Seven Wonders of Nature list, thereby enhancing the Philippines’s image on the international tourism stage.

“With the PPUR’s success, Palawan and Puerto Princesa are now part of what will be the national tourism development plan,” Jimenez said at a news conference.

“The PPUR will lead the way for the golden era of tourism in the country. Tourists are coming and we all have to prepare.”

The World Travel & Tourism Council estimates that tourism’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) will rise by 6 percent per year, from 11.4 percent of GDP in 2011 to 12.6 percent by 2021, or P1.09 trillion ($24.9 billion) to P1.96 trillion ($44.7 billion).

The country will be waiting to welcome these new arrivals, with all eyes on how much they will contribute to the country’s GDP. (Oxford Business Group) n