Let's treasure our Philippines

When it comes to culture, heritage sites, nature adventures, breathtaking scenery, beautiful beaches and warm people, the Philippines has all these and more.

But as an archipelagic country—islands divided by sea—many Filipinos find it difficult to explore the land because of the high cost of travel. Often, foreigners have more access to enjoy the Philippines.

Thankfully, as of late, a good number of shipping and airline companies have started offering discounted rates, which should hopefully translate to more Filipinos vacationing this summer.

Where to go?

With affordable fares available, the next question is where to spend a summer holiday in the best possible “local” way?

A travel advocacy launched by Bonamine of Johnson & Johnson Philippines should give families, barkadas, individuals and groups pretty good ideas. Dubbed “Basta Pinas Byahe Tayo,” the project is a private-public partnership with the Department of Tourism’ (DOT) own travel campaign “Pilipinas, Tara Na,” which aims to promote the appreciation of domestic traveling among Filipinos.

Morever, according to Tina Sabarre, Johnson & Johnson senior brand manager, said, “Our partnership with DOT to promote local destinations increases our appreciation of the Philippines, and with that (also comes) conservation awareness.”

At the same event, travelers and bloggers Ivan Henares and Ivan Man Dy shared digital tours of the Philippines the way we most of us have never seen before.

Heritage Luzon

Let us begin with Luzon—the largest mass of land in the Philippines.

Manila alone boasts one of the country’s best heritage sites, which is Intramuros. With its stone walls, Intramuros also houses the San Agustin Church, which in turn is the only Unesco World Heritage Site in Manila.

According to Dy, Manila is actually a very rich city in terms of cultural heritages. And his tours, “Old Manila Walks,” aim to show everyone the cultural value of Philippine’s prime location.

Henares, meanwhile, who has traveled the 79 provinces of the country, talked about the best destinations in Luzon. He said that though the farthest and most detached is Batanes, “it is definitely the place to be.” The scenic views are endless; the Ivatan tribes continue to flourish, with their heritage towns with stone houses well-preserved.

Henares added that there are countless other heritage towns in Luzon, the most popular of which are Vigan, Ilocos Sur, some towns in Bulacan, Cavite, Isabela and Batangas.

Adventure Visayas

Adventure comes with nature and for Filipinos who love these kinds of trips, it is time for them to discover what Visayas has to offer.

Henares shared what is probably the most thrilling adventure of all: A 60-meter plunge down a canyon.  Bohol might be most famous for its Chocolate Hills, but this new adventure is found in Danao town’s Danao Adventure Park. Called “The Plunge,” it is a free fall from the top of a 200-meter high cliff, and is the first of its kind in Asia. 

Meanwhile, in Cebu, the duo suggests a different adventure of the gastronomic kind. At the tip of the province is an island named Bantayan, which had Boracay’s reputation a few decades back. All the same, it still has its beautiful beaches as well as foodie destinations. The Jungle restaurant, to name one, offers a bountiful buffet: 50 dishes of fish, every seafood you can think of from crabs, oysters, shrimps, as well as pork, chicken and beef dishes, all for P300.

Mindanao’s sand

Who doesn’t love the beach? It’s on the top of everyone’s to do list every time summer comes along. And usually, they’re after the white sands of such popular places as Boracay.

But how about pink sand? Yes, pink! Henares said that in Zamboanga City—the Latin City of the Philippines for the Chavacano dialect—there is the Santa Cruz Island with the only pink beach in the country.

Another culturally enriching tour to experience this summer is that of the Agusan Marsh in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur. Tourists will get to see a flourishing native community living in floating houses. This wetland has an ecology and wildlife that is unperturbed.

Hidden charms

The domestic tourism campaigns of DOT and Bonamine aims to give people the right information about our country’s hidden charms, according Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim.

Truly, we are lucky to be living in a country that has so much to offer the senses.   This summer, let us get to know them because there is so much more to the Philippines than meets the eye.

For more information, like Basta Pinas on Facebook. 


*First published for The Manila Times.