NAIA (No. 5 Worst Airport in the World)

In the website (http://sleepinginairports.net), our NAIA International Airport has been voted as No. 5 in the worst airport in the world and No. 1 in Asia. NAIA or Ninoy Aquino International Airport hosts all international flights except those from PAL, Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines and Nippon Airways.

1. Paris Charles de Gaulle,  France
2. ParisBeauvais, France
3. Moscow Sheremetyevo, Russia
4. Los Angeles airport, USA
5. NAIA, Philippines

One reviewer said that NAIA: “It has to be experienced to be believed. Think of a bombed out ruin and you'll get some idea. It's like a cattle yard only worse. Toilets filthy. No seating once you get thru customs [maybe 40 seats for a thousand passengers].”

And one acknowledges that “there is hope at this airport if you go to Terminal 3 where it is clean, spacious and has Internet connection.”

Inquirer.net quoted Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Jose Angel Honrado: "We are aware of the deficiencies. We really appreciate the comments and we're trying to correct these things. But please understand that this will take time."

Honrado also asked critics of Terminal 1 to visit the 30-year-old terminal and take note of the improvements such as efforts to renovate the restrooms, reports Inquirer.net. He added that international flights will be moved to Terminal 3 in the next few years but that they are likely to retain Terminal 1 for "spillover" flights.

Taal Volcano

Once upon a time, the Taal Volcano was a large volcano, in fact was one of the largest volcanoes in the world, towering 18,000 feet up in the sky. Now, it is the world’s smallest active volcano, only about 700 meters high.


One can travel from Manila by land to Taal by going through Tagaytay. With the spectacular view from Tagaytay, the Taal Volcano can be seen. 


The experts (seismologist) say that the Volcano may erupt anytime now. They advised the local residents to evacuate from their residents. At the evacuation centers in Talisay, San Nicolas and Tagaytay City were down from 88 families to just 14 families. The DSWD said that they are still providing relief goods to the evacuees and that they may have to compel the families to evacuate.


Last April 19, 2011, the Philvolcs recorded six volcanic quakes and issued a alert level 2 indicating that anytime the volcano may erupt.


Water for Elephants

Hundreds of Dolphins Stray into Philippine Bay

Who are the persons behind Pinoy church designs? 04/20/11 (GMA News)

Tagbilaran City, Bohol (Holy Tricycles)

After watching the report of Marc Logan in TV Patrol about the tricycles in Tagbilaran City being posted with verses and sayings about religion, this makes me think if this will be followed by the different local government in the Philippines, there might be less road accidents. They said that this is one of the requirements for the city government to issue license for them to drive around the city.


Tagbilaran City is the gateway to Bohol, where you can find Chocolate Hills that is composed of hundreds of small mountain and their main tourist attraction. It can be reached though ship, fast craft and airplane. Many foreigners and local tourists visit this place annually making it as one of the most competitive cities in the Philippines. 


In the report, Marc Logan asked the tricycle drivers if they can understand what the verses all about, some answered correctly and some failed. Although not all really understand why they are required to post such verses in the tricycles, some of them understand. This means that with the risks surrounding one when travelling, one can expect at least the driver is always guided by the Lord therefore less chance that mishaps might happen while on the road.

Donsol - Whale Shark Capital of the World

Are you familiar with the animal that scares people when swimming in the sea when in fact it only eats planktons and seaweeds?

The answer is whale shark; it is not scary as it may sound. They just feed on microorganisms like planktons, algae, protozoan and seaweed, considered as a gentle creature of the sea.

One good news about them is that the smallest living whale shark was found in the Philippines, particularly in Donsol (a first class municipality of Sorsogon). It was recorded in Donsol Municipal Tourism Office. A size of 15 feet, this whale shark is considered as the smallest of its kind. On the record, the largest whale shark ever recorded was in Baba Island, Pakistan measuring 12.56 meters and weighing 21.5 tons.

WWF-Philippines Vice President Jose Maria Lorenzo said that the team freed the shark from the rope that was tied around its tail, documented, measured, and transferred it to a big plastic bag to allow it to swim freely. Less than three hours later it was released to the sea.

(In 2004, Time Magazine declared swimming with whale sharks in Donsol as the “Best Animal Encounter in Asia” and today Donsol is the “Whale Shark Capital of the World” and a world class tourist destination). Source: Enriched Magazine.

How to Ride the Jeepney in the Philippines

Watch this video! Learn from the true blue Filipinos on how to ride a jeepney. This is specially dedicated to foreigners who are not use in riding a jeepney. Jeepney is considered the most common public transportation in the Philippines. From Luzon to Mindanao you can find jeepney roaming around to find passengers to transport to their destinations.


They are left by the US Military in the country during the World War II. There are many surplus jeepneys at the end of the war, they were either given or sold to Filipinos. Due to Filipinos ingenuity, they stripped down the parts and added roofs to accommodate many passengers. 

Motorcycle: Safety 1st

            It is a craze; everyone is enjoying the ride of a motorcycle. It is easy to maneuver, low cost, and can get you places you never been without being stuck in traffic. But haven’t you notice that 1/3 of every motorcycle accident, the single vehicle is involved? Why is that, for the basic reason that motorcycle is prone to accident because of its unprotected sides and some due of the carelessness of the driver. Some even consider it as a death machine because death is mostly the result of a single vehicle accident. One must comprehend that when riding a motorcycle, he should wear safety gears like helmet, jacket, gloves, boots and others to prevent fatal injuries. Remember that street is not racing circuit for you to race; it is just a place use for transporting people or things.

            An estimate of one-third of every motorcycle accident was single vehicle accident, according to data. Do not blame the weather; almost 98% of the motorcycle accident does not involved weather issue. And mostly, the rider involved in the accident is always without a license, without registration and with license revoked.  For safety purposes, please use safety helmet, jacket, gloves, and other safety gears because these are proven equipment that reduce injuries to the rider in time of trouble.

            Next time when you want to stroll around your place observe proper gears, and traffic rules, and never be in a hurry. Take note of the intersection, it is where the accident happens like when the other driver doesn’t observe traffic rules or when he is in a hurry.

A different Summer

         It is already April, time to relax from the busy schedule during the school days and focus on how to pamper yourself while vacation period is on. Summer is observe here in the Philippines from April to May, when the sun's temperature is supposed to be at its pick .


         There many ways to enjoy summer, trips to the zoo, cave, river, lake, beach, and other tourist spots in your place. One doesn't have too spend to much to enjoy summer, what matters most is the bonding you get out of going to other place with your friends or family. But a wealthy family can go to Boracay Island to enjoy the white sand beach and stay at night to party. 


         But this year, we will be experiencing a different kind of summer. Mostly rains or cloudy with rain showers are expected this summer. Twenty typhoons will be visiting us here in the Philippines that will surely bring rains and thunder storm. So, this year's summer will not be all about swimming suits, it may even be raincoats.

Fuel saving tips.

01. Clean your vehicle – this is not only for your car to look good but also prevent future malfunctions.

02. Plan – Before you enter your car, be sure that you have planned already where to go so that you don’t have to take several trips or go back and forth to get things done.

03. Travel light – Just like human, one will get tired easily with a heavy load. So get rid of those things that make your car heavier. The heavy your car becomes the more it will not be efficient. Bring only basic tool kit for minor repairs on the road.

04. Reduce aerodynamic drag – rack on roof of your car for bike, surf board, or even for bags will increase drag. So use it only when you need it, after using keep it at home.  And don’t open your windows while the car is at full speed because in effect it will increase drag. But it is ok to open the windows before you start your car so that air will come in and reduce the temperature thus you don’t have to make your car air conditioning full.

05. Walk/commute - you can use a bike or just walk for errands of short distance, this will reduce your fuel consumption of up to 50% and you can exercise to keep you healthy.

06. Parking – If possible park your car in a shady area always. This will reduce evaporation of your gas and reduce the need of air conditioning.

07. Avoid the rush hour – rush hour is from 7 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 8 pm in the evening.

08. Check your tires- under inflated or misaligned tires will cause increase fuel consumption by up to 20 % and increase the early occurrence of wear on your tires.

09. Right gear – using gear lower than what you really need will make your engine work harder. This can use fuel more than using the right gear at the right time.

10. Car clinic – visit your serviceman periodically. He has the knowledge on what to do with your car. He can check all the fluids in your car if those are properly maintained or if your car is properly aligned.

Tips for short distance travel.

01.  Bring bag that is comfortable like a backpack that is easy to carry and light. It can keep your all important items intact. Bring only those necessary to you. 
02.  T-shirts and short pants are the best in your rugged lifestyle.  They are comfortable and not hot when used. Consider using light color for your shirts because it does not absorb heat.
03.   Basic gadgets like cell phone for easily communication, camera for capturing nice views, watch to tell time and other gaming device that will entertain you are bored during your travel.
04.  Rubber shoes for easy navigation of the roads and hat provide heat protection.
05.  Books and other reading materials make you ponder on things to be done or provide suggestions on how to live a good life. Books also help you consume time especially if it takes long hours to get to your destinations.
06.  Don’t flood yourself with junk food. This will make you sick. Some junk foods are high in cholesterol or salt. So if you don’t want to feel sick, eat only one to two packs.
07.  Tablet like bonamine (generic name - Meclizine) helps you prevent motion sickness. Drink this tablet one hour before you travel and you’re good to go.
08.  A Jug or container use for water or any soft drinks or coffee will help you dehydrate during your trip. 
09.  If it’s your first time going to this place it is best to bring map. Print a copy of a map in the internet or you can buy in a nearby store. This will give quick information regarding the place and the road you should take.
10.  Don’t forget to bring cash, and ATM card. 

Why one should travel to the Philippines?

I will list some of the interesting reasons for you to travel here in my home country.

01.  Philippines has lot of things to offer, from its most adorable natural landscapes to modern buildings are all located here. When you say natural landscape it means god creations without the need of human intervention.  The Philippines is in deed blessed with many god creations that are not only nice to look at, but can only be found here in Philippines.

02.  It is the hometown of famous people like Manny Pacquiao- the only boxer with eight divisions world title, Charice- a cast of Glee, Apl de ap- a member of Black eye Peas, Arnel Pineda- the lead singer of the Band Journey and several others.

03.   Famous of its beaches, the leading example is the Island of Boracay, it is the foreigners and Filipinos favorite destination in the country. Aside from its white sand beach, you can also enjoy other sports activities like Jet Ski, scuba diving and many others.

04.   Tarsier- is the smallest monkey in the world, can only be found in the Province of Bohol. It just the size of your palm, but is cute and adorable because of its shy type personality. 

05.  The entire towns in the Philippines have fiestas commemorating their own Saints. So every month you can except to be invited by the people in your neighboring town to eat. Maskara (Mask) festival is one the famous, celebrated in Bacolod City in Visayas.

06.  The food is awesome. Try to taste Adobo- a favorite dish by Filipinos. Adobo taste like the mixture of soy sauce and vinegar with other ingredients. Some other dishes are Pinakbet, Tinola, and others. 

07.   Filipinos are known for their hospitality, so when you are a foreigner here, you can expect that every person you meet will be smiling at you and always willing to help you when you are troubled.

08.  Mangoes, Durian, Mangosteen are some of the fruits that can only be found here. Next time you visit. Try to taste one of these fruits. Like durian, it has a strong smell but very delicious.

09.   Don’t you know that we have many surfing sites here mainly because Philippines is facing the Pacific ocean. Like Siargao, Aurora in Luzon, and many others.

10.  Philippines is the only Catholic in South-east Asia. You can even witness dramatization of the life of Jesus, where men who portray Jesus are being crucified in reality.

pilipinas kay ganda

The recent controversy involving Department of Tourism of the Philippines was launching of its slogan. The slogan’s main purpose is to promote Philippines as a tourist destination.
Before the slogan was WOW Philippines as conceptualize by Sen. Dick Gordon. Now under the new administration of President Noynoy Aquino, they launch “Pilipinas kay ganda”, or Philippines so beautiful in Filipino. Many people reacted to this slogan, they said why they pick a Filipino slogan when the target are foreigners, the foreigners will not understand even one word of the slogan and later on found out that it was copied from the slogan of Poland. The Philippine government spent 8 Million in launching the slogan, which is very unacceptable to many Filipinos because of little budget allocation to the different departments. This controversy caused the resignation of the under secretary of DOT because he said he is the one who made it.
There are many projects that government should do, and making this fault is unacceptable because of the small budget that government has in providing the people’s need. They should have thought of it first before spending that big amount for nothing. 

Introduction to the Philippine Islands

The second-largest archipelago in the world, with over 7000 tropical islands, the Philippines is one of the great treasures of Southeast Asia. Often overlooked by travellers because of its location on the ‘wrong’ side of the South China Sea, the Philippines rewards those who go the extra distance to reach it. And because it’s off the beaten path, the Philippines is a great place to escape the hordes who descend on other parts of Southeast Asia. First and foremost, the Philippines is a place of natural wonders – a string of coral-fringed islands strewn across a vast expanse of the western Pacific. Below sea level, the Philippines boasts some of the world’s best diving and snorkelling, including wreck diving around Coron and swimming with the whale sharks off Donsol. Above sea level, it has a fantastic landscape with wonders enough to stagger even the most jaded traveller: the Chocolate Hills of Bohol, Banaue & the Rice Terraces and fascinating reminders of the islands’ history in places such as Samar & Leyte and Vigan. And if you’re after palm-fringed, white-sand beaches, try laidback Sipalay or flat-out party town Boracay.Of course, any traveller who has been here will tell you that it’s the people and their culture that makes the Philippines unique. Long poised at the centre of Southeast Asian trade, colonised by a succession of world powers, the Philippines is a vivid tapestry that reflects its varied cultural inheritance. And despite the poverty that afflicts much of the nation, the Filipinos themselves are among the most ebullient and easygoing people anywhere. The Philippines truly qualifies as one of the last great frontiers in Southeast Asian travel. Cross whichever ocean you need to and see for yourself.LONELY PLANET.com