Clark airport info blitz goes international

MANILA, Philippines - Olongapo, Balanga, Dagupan, Malolos, Laoag, Vigan, Baguio, and then Hong Kong.
It was a blitz the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) at first pursued locally to promote the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) at the Clark Freeport as a more convenient alternative for those in provinces north of Metro Manila as well as for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
The logic of the campaign that finally went international recently in Hong Kong surfaced in the reactions of OFWs, mostly domestic helpers, who converged at the hall of the Bayanihan Kennedy Town Center (Bayanihan Center) at 55 Victoria Road. The hall was filled up to capacity beyond the CIAC team’s expectations, way past the morning Mass that dispersed them after the final blessing.
The hall’s stage background was a huge poster with the words “Para sa Inyo ang Airport na Ito,” summarizing the essence of the Hong Kong event that the organizers referred to as a “roadshow.”
“I should have known about the Clark airport earlier. I could imagine the trouble my family and I could have been spared from had we used the airport instead of traveling all the way through the traffic in Manila every time I go home and every time I fly back here,” said Aileen de la Cruz, 32, who hails from Tarlac City. She is a domestic helper in Hong Kong and a Sunday volunteer at the center.
De la Cruz is one of about 130,000 OFWs in Hong Kong, most of them with families living in the four northern Luzon regions. Most of them are domestic helpers whose “minimum allowable wage” is HK$3,580.
CIAC executives, led by president and chief executive officer Victor Jose Luciano, briefed De la Cruz and other OFWs on what is happening at the DMIA and what is in store for them: the DMIA lies in the heart of Central Luzon, making it the most viable and convenient airport of choice for travelers anywhere north of Metro Manila, offering travel convenience and less dent on finances whenever OFWs, welcoming or well-wishing relatives in tow, fly in or fly out.
Among the bus lines plying routes to the DMIA are Partas, Philtranco and Genesis. Soon, Victory Liner will join their ranks, Luciano said. Taxis, too, are available.
Noting that many of the OFWs before him have not gone home for years, Luciano also cited the completion last year of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway as another convenience factor in considering the DMIA.
But a major factor that should lure OFWs, according to Luciano, is that several ”budget carriers” fly international at Clark: Air Asia of Malaysia, Tiger Airways of Singapore, and local airline Cebu Pacific and, by Sept. 31, Zest Air. Cebu Pacific has connecting flights to other parts of the country such as Cebu and Davao.
“The DMIA is only one-and-a-half to four hours from most major Asian cities and, by land, less than an hour away from Metro Manila and the Subic Bay Freeport,” he said.
Accompanying Luciano in the Hong Kong mission were CIAC chairman Nestor Mangio, CIAC consultant and former tourism secretary Mina Gabor, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) vice president Raul Marcelo, Hotels and Resorts of Pampanga Association president Marc Nepomuceno, and Clark Development Corp. tourism officer Noemi Garcia.
After the meeting with the OFWs who went back to their work after tucking securely into their bags or wallets a handout on the DMIA, the CIAC team dressed up more formally the following day for a meeting with 50 executives of travel agencies and travel media professionals in Hong Kong at the Langham Place in Mong Kok.
“The DMIA international roadshow is initially focused on promoting greater awareness of the DMIA as a practical point of departure and arrival for OFWs deployed in that country, as well as a convenient gateway of travelers from South China to the business and leisure destinations in Central Luzon, specifically the Clark and Subic freeport zones,” Luciano said.
Gabor noted that while the world still has to fully recover from the global financial crisis, “there is reason to think positively, mostly in terms of short-haul tourism.”
“There remains much space for tourism in the Philippines despite the global crisis, because there are many areas such as medical and other such forms of tourism whose potential still has to be maximized,” she said.
Philippine Consul General Claro Cristobal said tourists from Hong Kong have grown, accounting for the fifth largest group of visitors to the Philippines.
“Hong Kong can be persuaded to rediscover the Philippines,” he said, noting the historical ties between the two places.
Luciano expressed confidence that the DMIA, which served only 7,000 passengers four years ago, would process no less than 750,000 passengers this year.
The CIAC’s first international roadshow, the Hong Kong OFWs and tourists are expected to help realize this.

Boracay among top holiday destinations

By BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

BORACAY - The popular island paradise of Boracay was voted among the top ten holiday destinations in Asia in a recent Smart Travel Asia online survey.
The "Island of the Gods”, Bali, Indonesia ranked first followed by Thai island of Phuket. The South Indian idyll of Kerala in India came in third while the neon-powered city of Hong Kong is fourth.
Bangkok, Thailand co-ranked with Hoi An, Vietnam in fifth for the best holiday destinations in Asia.
According to Smart Travel Asia, Bali remains a peaceful ritual-minded Hindu enclave in a bustling Muslim country and Phuket for its string of wonderful beaches, fine food, nightlife and special Thai can-do hospitality.
Boracay, off mainland Panay, climbed one position to share the sixth spot with newcomers Goa, India and Langkawi, Malaysia.
Boracay is the top island beach destination in the country with over 400,000 travelers in the first six months this year, data from the Department of Tourism showed.
The island of Palawan and Chiang Mai in Thailand were ranked seventh followed by Angkor (Siem Reap, Cambodia,) Shanghai, China and Tokyo, Japan. Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Koh Samui, Thailand in ninth while Penang, Malaysia and Rajasthan, India in the tenth spot.
Mandala Spa of Boracay was also ranked 24th for the Best Spa Hotels in Asia, Cebu Pacific ranked fourth for Best Budget Airlines and Philippine Airlines maintained the tenth spot for Best Cabin Service Worldwide.
Smart Travel Asia, the region’s only dedicated online travel magazine with over one million readers worldwide, also voted the best business hotels, luxury resorts, spas, business cities, shopping spots, and the world's best airlines and airports.

Malaysia blames Discovery Channel in dance flap

KUALA LUMPUR (AP) – Malaysia sought Friday to allay anger in Indonesia over the use of a Balinese dance in a promotional spot for a TV documentary series on Malaysia, with officials laying the blame on cable network Discovery Channel.
The clip sparked outrage in Indonesia, with hundreds staging rallies and accusing Malaysia of stealing the "Pendet" dance from the Indonesian resort island of Bali, in the latest cultural dispute between the neighbors.
Cultural Minister Rais Yatim said the mistake was committed by Discovery Channel, which produced the 30-second clip to promote its series "Enigmatic Malaysia."
Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific said it regretted using the image of the Balinese dancer, which it said was sourced from an independent third party.
"The promotional clip has been removed from all feeds," it said in a statement, adding that it had no intention of causing any misunderstanding or distress.
Rais said the clip had nothing to do with any film producers in Malaysia and "there is no need to fight in public or be emotional."
The two countries share Islam as their main religion and have similar national languages, but have had a history of testy relations.
In late 2007, Indonesia threatened to sue Malaysia for using traditional Indonesian songs and dances in its national tourism campaign. The two countries established a high-level panel to resolve the dispute.
On Tuesday, about 30 Indonesians pelted the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta with rotten eggs and attempted to hoist an Indonesian flag at the gate to protest the video, The Star newspaper said. Hundreds of art students also staged theatrical protests on campuses nationwide, and rallies have been held in Bali.
Indonesian Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik said Friday he wrote a protest note last week to Malaysia saying it had violated a 2007 agreement to honor each other's cultural heritage.
Malaysia has "promised to reprimand the production house" which created the clip, he said.

Hit TV ad reveals enchanting Batanes

MANILA, Philippines - More people than ever are now looking forward to visiting Batanes – yes, the group of islands at the country’s northernmost tip – thanks to “Home,” a 60-second TV commercial of Nescafé Classic.
As the ad became a hit with viewers and is now a favorite in YouTube and much-discussed in blogs, so has Batanes perked the interest of travelers looking to experience what they saw on TV. (The ad is available for viewing on YouTube at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRRDIisCuzE).
The Batanes presented in “Home” is one of breathtaking beauty: romantic lighthouse views; a dreamy seascape; a pristine laid-back place that’s close to the natural rhythms of life – where time seems to have either slowed down or stood still; a perfect locale for introspection, spiritual rejuvenation, and the contemplation of Nature, God, and the meaning of Life itself.
The lifestyle and culture in Batanes are irrevocably shaped by its cold climate, its wet and stormy periods, and its rocky, hilly and mountainous geography. These unique characteristics of Batanes caught the attention of viewers, who no doubt felt as much a hankering for a warm instant brew of Nescafé Classic as much as a desire to visit the province.