In his speech, the President said if the 80 million Filipino cellular phone users participate in the campaign the PPUR has a big chance to win in the competition that would help spur the country’s tourism and create thousands of job opportunities to the people.
“As of now, the country has no less than 80 million Filipino cellular phone users. All we need is 1 billion votes,” President said as he cited the almost 2 million texts recorded by the leading telecommunication companies in their daily operations.
As more Filipinos are now actively using internet as another tool in communication, thePresident urged them to vote the Philippine environment at www.new7wondersofnature orsimply text PPUR15 to 2861.

During the program, Bernard Webber, president and founder of the New 7 Wonder of Nature,officially designated Puerto Princesa as one of the 28 finalists for the new 7 wonder of naturecategory.  Renowned as the world’s longest underground river, Puerto Princesa Underground River features a stunning limestone karst mountain landscape, impressive cave systems,impressive stalactites and stalagmites formations, lush old growth tropical rain forest and interesting wildlife.  The subterranean river spans 8.2 kilometers long and flows beneathstalactites and stalagmites formation.

The Underground River beat 440 other contenders to be one of the 28 finalists for the New 7Wonders of Nature Campaign. The voting period will end on November 10 and winners will be announced on the following day (November 11). (PCOO)

The major airport project is aligned with the national and Central Visayas regional development framework, which identified Bohol as well within the Central Philippines

super region dedicated to tourism.

To date, the country has eight international airports. The existing airport in Bohol’s

capital city of Tagbilaran is categorized as a domestic airport.

The President said Bohol’s tourism potential will also be bolstered by the decision of foreign cruise ships to begin stopovers in the province starting this May.

These twin announcements on tourism prospects were widely applauded by the students and faculty of Holy Name University (HNU), even as the President shared with her audience her super regions accomplishments, to include those in Central Philippines.

The President praised the Boholanons for their warmth and hospitality that, together with the province’s natural wonders, have been drawing both local and foreign tourists.

The President said her administration has poured in P1 billion in infrastructure investments into Bohol alone over the last nine years, including the construction of the

Bohol Circumferential Road and the Tubigon and Ubay Ports. (PIA-Bohol)

Palayabyab however admitted to the need of scaling down the five million foreign tourist arrival to a more realistic target until the global economy stabilizes.

Topping the list of tourist destinations are Camarines Sur, Cebu and Baguio. Despite the calamities that passed, the number of tourists grew during the long holidays.

Palayabyab encourages the development of local tourist spots to increase the Philippines’ capacity for more tourist arrivals.

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Remonde thanks the various stakeholders in the tourism sector particularly taxi-drivers, hotel chambermaids, tourist guides and others for their role in making the Philippines among the preferred tourist destinations in Asia. (OPS)

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Kini samtang iyang gibatbat ang importansya sa pagpadayag sa destinasyon alang sa mga turista ug ang pagpahimutang sa mga imprastraktura aron mas daghan pang makatrabaho.

Natud niya, daghang trabaho mapasudan sa torismo samtang iyang gipakayab ang panginahanglan sa mga maayong kadalang ug tugpahanan isip mga kritikal nga puhunan sa turismo.

Gipanghambug na sa Presidente ang mga maayong beach resorts sa nasud aron mapakusog ang turismo, santang namatikdang kini usab nakatabang sa dugang pagpangaghat sa mga mamumuhunan dinhi.

Gitukbil usab sa pamuno nasud ang pagdaghan sa mga hotel ug mga puy-anan nga nagpasugod ug tranaho matag buwan.

Matud ni Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, labing menos sa mga naapektohan sa global economic recession ang turismo sa nasud, (rachiu/PIA)

In a Tourism Industry-Related Congress held in Davao City, Senator Richard Gordon together with tourism stakeholders tackled the new bill. Which according to him, features the establishment of tourism enterprise zones across the country thus expecting to boost the domestic tourism.

Gordon stressed that it is now the role of the LGUs to be more creative in having better tourism investments and to develop their tourism enterprise zone. (PIA)

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The tour package which costs only $999 includes roundtrip international airfare from San Francisco, Los Angeles or Las Vegas via Philippine Airlines, two (2) night hotel accommodation in any of the selected deluxe hotels, daily American breakfast and one-way transfer from the airport to hotel or vice versa. The tour operator consortium is composed of Air Travel Center, GTT International, LBC Travel, Pacific Air Leisure, and Travelfast International. The official ground-handler for this extraordinary tour package is San Francisco-based Rajah Tours International; while the participating hotels are Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Crowne Plaza Galleria, Diamond Hotel, Holiday Inn Galleria and Dusit Thani Hotel. This package is available only up to May 23, 2009.

In addition to the basic package in Metro Manila, extension adventure tours to Palawan, Cebu, Bohol, Boracay and Cagayan de Oro are also offered at affordable costs. (perryscope.org)

To avail of this package or for more info, click here.

According to a website by Shootover Canyon Swing in Queensland New Zealand, a canyon swing includes jumping off a platform while fitted to a chair or body harness and attached to jump ropes. The configuration is such that your hands and feet are free from entanglements while you do jump combinations. Gravity does the rest.

Danao Mayor Thomas Louis Gonzaga and Vice Mayor Jose Cepedoza have been closely keeping an eye on the local surveying team so they could judiciously decide which platform can deliver the most exhilarating swing of all, says tourism officer Loinda Corotico Saluan.

Danao, a town 72 kilometers away from Tagbilaran, is struggling to beat its own economic problems by pushing for extreme eco-and educational adventure tourism.

Saluan said the canyon swing would be their next aim as she pointed to a long queue of local and foreign tourists nervously fixing their head gears. The headgear is a standard measure before one is allowed to do the strapping of body harnesses in the town’s newly opened “suislide”.

The suislide, Danao’s best extreme adventure experience as of yet is a 550 meters zipline where tourists slide for their life while suspended up in a canyon of about 250 to 300 meters over the gurgling Wahig River and its rocky beds.

But upping the fear scare factor, Danao wants the scariest: canyon swing complete with free-falls, of course following the standards of safety in extreme sports, Saluan said. (rachiu/PIA)

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Through Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Durano’s help, the government has recently launched the DOT’s Apprentice Program. This program allows the exposure of students in tourism-related courses to be immersed or exposed in the country’s top destinations.

Students eligible for the program are from the following schools:
Arellano University,
University of Sto. Tomas,
Centro Escolar University,
Colegio de San Juan de Letran,
College of the Holy Spirit,
De Ocampo Memorial School,
Emilio Aguinaldo College,
St. Scholastica’s College,
Sta. Catalina College,
University of Manila,
San Beda College,
University of the East,
Far Eastern University,
Feati University,
Lyceum of the Philippines,
Philippine Women’s University,
San Sebastian College Recoletos,
St. Jude College, and
St. Paul University, Manila.

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