Travel and Tourism
DOT releases initial list of Boracay hotels ready for opening
September 1, 2018, 12:58 pm
MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Friday announced that an initial 2,063 hotel rooms are ready for next month’s reopening of Boracay. In its Boracay Bulletin dated Aug. 31, 2018, the department listed 25 hotels and resorts that have complied with the permits and clearances from the… Read More
Purely Filipino travel, trade expo opens in Taguig
August 24, 2018, 8:42 pm
MANILA-- A purely Philippine-travel and trade expo opened on Friday at the Central Square Mall, Taguig City where local tourist destinations, farm tours and Filipino-made products are showcased for a three-day sale. Department of Tourism (DOT) Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. said the exhibition… Read More
Not all parties, events banned in Boracay: DOT exec
August 24, 2018, 6:45 pm
MANILA-- Department of Tourism (DOT) Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. on Friday said not all parties in Boracay will be banned. "Sa ngayon, ang tinitignan namin is doon sa beach area lang (Currently, we are looking at restricting (party-activities) in the beach area)," he told reporters in an… Read More
Jan-July '18 tourist arrivals grow by 9.74%
August 23, 2018, 2:29 pm
MANILA -- Tourist arrivals in the first seven months of the year increased by 9.74 percent to 4.3 million visitors compared to 3.92 million in the same period last year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) reported Thursday. In July alone, visitors tallied 601,322, posting a growth rate of 5.86… Read More
Boracay to emerge as 'peaceful, sustainable' island destination
August 22, 2018, 4:16 pm
MANILA -- The government wants the rehabilitated Boracay to be known as a "peaceful" and "sustainable" tourist site, deviating from its usual party island image, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said on Wednesday. "Definitely it won't be like a really party place anymore, it will be… Read More
DOT targets 5k Boracay hotel rooms ready on Oct. 26
August 21, 2018, 2:31 pm
MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) targets to have at least 5,000 Boracay hotel and resort rooms opened on October 26. "Our target really is to have 5,000 rooms to be opened by October 26," DOT Undersecretary Arturo Boncato said during a Senate hearing on Monday. "The strategy is for us to… Read More
DOT apologizes to tourists affected by NAIA runway mishap
August 21, 2018, 12:51 pm
MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) has apologized to local and foreign tourists affected by the flight cancellations and delays at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after a Xiamen Air passenger aircraft figured in a runway mishap on Aug. 16. In a press statement issued Tuesday,… Read More
DOT sees October 26 as fixed Boracay reopening date
August 12, 2018, 10:54 am
MANILA -- While rehabilitation efforts in Boracay are continuous, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat does not hint a possible extension and still sees October 26 as the fixed date for the island's reopening. In an interview with reporters, Puyat said efforts to bring back its pristine… Read More
Rediscovering the metro through ‘Ikot Manila’
August 11, 2018, 6:59 pm
MANILA-- Foreign and local tourists alike may now rediscover old and new must-see places in Metro Manila through the Ikot Manila tourism campaign of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the LRT-1, which has options for guided and unguided tours. “IkotMNL” features an updated list of sites and… Read More
DOT condoles with kin of 7-yr old girl killed by jellyfish sting
August 3, 2018, 3:59 pm
MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Friday sent condolences to the bereaved family of Gaia Trimarchi, the 7-year-old girl who died from jellyfish sting while on vacation in Caramoan, Camarines Sur DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat has instructed the agency to extend full assistance… Read More
DOT to rehabilitate Banaue Rice Terraces
July 27, 2018, 1:24 pm
MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) will rehabilitate the famed Banaue Rice Terraces in Ifugao by end of 2018 or next year, a Tourism official revealed Thursday. In an interview, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) Chief Operating Officer Pocholo Paragas said DOT… Read More
Royal Air eyes Macau-Subic flights
July 27, 2018, 1:15 pm
MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) is working with Royal Air to mount chartered flights between Macau (MFM) and Subic Bay International Airport seven times per week. “Royal Air is among our airline partners, which the DOT is working with to bring in tourists from China. Through our Route… Read More
TIEZA inks 5 tourism enterprise zone partnership agreements
July 27, 2018, 9:24 am
MANILA -- The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) on Thursday inked five Tourism Enterprise Zone (TEZ) partnership agreements, granting fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, and tax and duty-free importation of goods and services in such areas. TIEZA Chief Operating Officer… Read More
DFA to Filipinos traveling to Paris: Be wary of break-ins, robberies
July 23, 2018, 11:16 pm
MANILA-- The Philippine embassy in France on Monday issued a travel advisory, reminding Filipinos traveling to Paris to be wary of spate of break-ins, robberies, and pickpocketing incidence in the city. The advisory, coursed through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), also noted "the string… Read More
January-June tourist arrivals hit 3.7-M: DOT
July 20, 2018, 4:25 pm
MANILA -- The country is "on track" with its 2018 target for international arrivals after foreign tourists to the Philippines reached an "all-time high" of 3.706 million in the first half of the year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Thursday. "We are actually on track. We are halfway the year… Read More
PH, France eye deeper tourism cooperation, set sights on faith tourism
July 17, 2018, 8:02 pm
MANILA -- The French Embassy in Manila is optimistic on the further development of France and Philippine relations, with the two countries' upcoming bilateral meeting on tourism. During the Bastille Day celebration in Makati City over the weekend, French Ambassador Nicolas Galey cited an active… Read More
Palawan, Cebu named among best islands in the world
July 13, 2018, 6:46 pm
MANILA-- Two Philippine islands were named among the best in the world by the 2018 poll of New York-based Travel+Leisure magazine. Travel+Leisure conducted its annual World’s Best Awards survey, where its readers share insight on best travel experiences around the globe, from top cities,… Read More
Taiwan extends visa-free program for Pinoys
July 12, 2018, 12:45 pm
MANILA -- The visa-exemption program for Filipinos is officially extended until July 31, 2019, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) announced Thursday. The move was an extension of the visa-free trial period and will be subject to be reviewed until it lapsed next year. In a statement,… Read More
Int'l, local composers join Banaue-inspired music competition
July 10, 2018, 8:21 pm
MANILA-- Twenty local and foreign composers will compete in the Banaue Rice Terraces-inspired symphonic competition as part of a project to restore the landmark's glory. The 20 were among 84 participants who sent entries for the Banaue International Music Composition Competition (BIMCC), the first… Read More
LGU, private sector tie-up to save Banaue Rice Terraces
July 10, 2018, 7:00 pm
MANILA -- With a huge land area of the Banaue Rice Terraces deteriorating, the local government has partnered with the private sector to save the country's northern treasure and prevent it from being removed from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World… Read More
