One Tama Blog

The world is getting smaller as air travel becomes quicker and cheaper. In fact, it’s come to a point where travel to nearby countries: Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Vietnam cost only a little more than flights to Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Bohol, and Davao. Therefore, by many people’s logic (and sometimes ours, too), it’s easy to say: “Well, if I’m spending just as much anyway, I might as well take a trip to another country rather than just to some Philippine province.”

The key pressumptions of this school of thought, we think, are: 1) There is more to see and do in another country; and 2) The Philippine destinations are just around the corner, and we can always go there next time.

Allow us to try and refute these assumptions by sharing some of our thoughts and research with you.

Is there more to see and do in other countries?

It’s easy to take our “backyard” for granted. We’ve heard things about our country over and over again that we’ve grown desensitized to just how awesome some of these things are. Let me share with you a bit of Philippine Trivia–maybe you know some of them already, but indulge us this one time and try to think of them as if they were new to you.

• The Philippines was colonized by the Spanish, Americans, and Japanese. We actively trade with China and other neighboring countries. There are more than 180 native dialects spoken throughout the nation. There is a myriad of culture and influences throughout the Philippines, which are manifested through rituals, festivals, food, and architecture.
• The Philippines ranks fifth in the world in length of coast lines, with 36,289km. (The top four are Canada, Indonesia, Greenland, and Russia, which are all more than 5 times bigger than the Philippines.) Many of these coastlines are now considered to be among the top beach destiations in the world.
• Of the 500 known coral species in the world, 488 can be found in the Philippines. The Tubbataha reef in Sulu, Mindanao was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a nominee to be among the 7 New Natural Wonders of the World. The Philippine waters is home to all sorts of fish–from the smallest (Pandaka Pygmaea) to the biggest (Butanding). Divers from all over the world come to the Philippines to see some of the planet’s richest aquatic ecosystems at their finest.
• Tourists come to the Philippines to hike, camp, surf, wake-board, and go white-water rafting in the country’s lush mountains, pristine shores, and mighty rivers. Not only are these activities more affordable here, our mountains, oceans, and rivers are also known to be among the best world-wide.
• The Philippines boasts of a 2-time Best Resort in The World award-winner (Amanpulo), the longest accessible underground river (Palawan), the most perfect cone-shaped volcano (Mayon), 2000 year-old mountain-side rice terraces (Banaue), and 1,268 perfectly cone-shaped limestone hills (Bohol), among many other awesome sites which are flocked by local and foreign tourists year-round.

We believe there are more than enough things to see and do in the Philippines for just about anybody. It’s a matter of actually going out there to explore just how awesome this country really is. We know that so many foreigners come to our country every year as visitors. In fact, many of them even end up calling this place their new home. If they find such wonder in the Philippines– the sights, the culture, the people– then maybe we can too.

Will it still be there next time? Probably. But do you miss out by postponing your visit? We believe so.

The Philippines is quickly becoming a world-class tourist destination. More than 3 million foreign tourists vist the country every year, and this number is growing annually. For the first quarter of 2009 alone, foreign tourist arrivals increased by 4.2%. Foreign institutions have also found Filipino tourist destinations appealing to their respective markets. Survivor France and Israel have both been hosted in Caramoan, Palawan. International wakeboarding and surfboarding competitions have been held in Camarines Sur and Siargao, respectively. In some of the more popular destinations, Filipinos often find themselves a minority among the hordes of visiting foreigners. For many of these places, there is no turning back. International tourists have arrived, local economies have adapted, and it’s almost as if the place is no longer just Filipino.

Not that international tourism is bad, of course. After all, our economy depends to a large part on foreigners coming over. Their trips here generate income and development which serve to better our countrymen. But, to some extent, the charm of the secluded natural or cultural wonder is lost. This charm, we think, potently spurns awe, pride and love for country which we could only hope every Filipino experiences.

True, domestic tourism as a whole is on the rise (12.9% in 1Q09). But we continue to hope that the Filipino fervor to know our own country continues to grow, and that Filipino tourists appreciate what our country has to offer with the same awe and inspiration as foreign tourists who see our sights for the first time.

Think of the Philippines as your home. Don’t you want to get to know it for yourself even before visitors come and explore it?

Think of the Philippines as your home. After all, it really is.

Get to know your country. Check out actions 73, 85 and 93!