Pinatubo Buried Houses - creating a major tourism product

Here's another unsolicited advice. This time for the province of Pampanga.

Mt. Pinatubo erupted about 20 years ago.

It is one of the very few volcanoes that almost the whole world knows.

And what (MAJOR!) tourism products can be developed out of that unfortunate catastrophy? Of course, there's the crater and the trek, plus the 4x4 adventure drive.

But what I think has been neglected or never thought of (inspite of the in-your-face opportunity) as a major tourism product are the buried houses (uhm... can I put some exclamation points?).

You see, the buried houses have great stories to tell to all the visitors. It can make the volcanic event and the lahar floods seem more personal to the tourists.

I hope there are Kapampangans reading this who have the powers and resources to make this product into a reality.

1. Find a buried house (or a village! - which is much better)

2. Dig out the dirt (or only part of the dirt) which will allow visitors to go down and enter the house. They will see up close how high the lahar was.

3. Im very sure that if properly implemented and coupled with good guiding or interpretation, this can add to the Philippine tourism map!

Anybody out there interested to take on the challenge?

The Viral Moriones (Marketing Marinduque)

Here's an unsolicited advice for the province of Marinduque.

Marketing a destination has always been a challenge and perceived to be very expensive (well, in most cases, marketing could really cost gazillions!). So here's a marketing strategy that would cost maybe 500k to pull through. That amount would go to the transport, meals and accommodation of the guys who will be involved.

You see, Marinduque has something very unique that no other province in the Philippines can claim to also have - the Moriones.

Branding-wise, its almost automatic: Marinduque = Moriones..... Moriones = Marinduque.... Much like the equation Tarsier = Bohol, except that there are also tarsiers in the islands of Samar, Leyte and Mindanao, only Bohol was quick and savvy enough to use the tarsier as its tourism ambassador.


So the idea is to go into viral marketing. Bring a bunch of Moriones to Manila (or even Cebu) and make them walk and pose in crowded areas and landmarks.


Yes, people will notice them! Take photos and videos of them and post them in their blogs, facebook walls and even google+ boards. Did I mention Youtube already?

Some might say that it would be no-different from the Ati-atihan. Yes, in a fraction of a way..... But AA has already been ubiquitous in all the cities and towns of the Philippines. While the Moriones still has that sense of mystery and definite uniqueness that will surely make people stop on their tracks and gawk on the colorful, intimidating strangers.

People don't have to go to Marinduque to see a real, live Morion. They can see them in the city, then many would be more curious to know more about the province, and still, a good number may decide to visit that destination. And that, is one guerilla-type strategy of destination marketing.


And to make things really more interesting, invite a Filipino band to join in the fun and eventually create a music video with the Moriones in the city.



And yes, invite bloggers and writers to also join in the walks of the Moriones, see the reactions of the people and get caught up in the virus of the Moriones sowing interest in the people who catch a glimpse of them.

Kayaking in Small Lagoon, El Nido, Palawan

No matter how many photos you click, how many times you paddle, and how many times you have witnessed this creation, kayaking inside the small lagoon in El Nido is an almost magical moment. The limestone walls that flank the emerald waters, the flitting birds, and the quietness of one's presence never fail to impress every visitor to the area.


Accessible only during low tide, a kayaker would have to bend, lie down and say a little prayer that he won't bump his head on the limestone "gate"



It does not take much skill to learn and be an expert in kayaking. A few paddling practice and you should be ready to go and experience nature on a more intimate level.




You have no choice but be awed by nature. You have to stop paddling and try to absorb everything you see.





Exploring a very shallow cave on kayak! Only three kayaks can fit into the chamber.



All the guests of El Nido Resorts in both Lagen and Miniloc islands can have this experience to bring with them the rest of their lives.

El Nido can be reached by small planes from Manila (Seair and Island Transvoyager) or 6 hours land travel from Puerto Princesa City.

Apulit Resort in B/W

Had fun converting my photos to pencil sketch! Of course, courtesy of Photoshop. And my victim is Apulit Island Resort in Taytay, Palawan.

This used to be Club Noah Isabelle. When the El Nido Resorts company (yes, that same company that operates two other top resorts in the neighboring town of El Nido - Miniloc and Lagen islands) took control over it, they named it after the island where it is located.


A Pacific Swallow


Leading to the water cottages.


The beach area. Many guests prefer the quiet the resort offers. Of course, they have the option to do many outdoor activities like scuba diving, island hopping, cave exploration and visits to the town.


Island hopping


Hardy plants that survive on limestone walls.







An interesting combination of a sea cave and a limestone cave. The speleothems (limestone formations) inside are also quite impressive.



The signature El Nido Resorts send-off. Even hardened guests are touched by this simple, yet sincere gesture.


Not bad for a full-serviced beach lunch. Call this lifestyle.... it simply is an unforgettable experience.

My First Tourism Lecture Walk

At last! After so many years of procrastination and always asking myself if I could do it, I finally did my first lecture walk. My friends have been egging me to do this thing, it finally took a tour by Carlos Celdran to make me put one foot forward. Also, we have the same first name, so if that could count......

What is Lecture Walk? - Its a lecture module designed for the students and the industry players in tourism. Its all about giving additional education (and hopefully, inspiration) to the participants about the Philippines as a tourist destination and its various attractions.

I will try to encourage the tourism educators to participate, along with their students. Can non-tourism industry people join in? Yes, and we will call them sit-in participants :D


My first "captured audience" simply because they are my students, he he....



Since it was the first gig, had so many lessons that I should really learn from. First - iPads don't work. Second, a huge magnifying film does not work also. Third - always bring an umbrella.

It was very tiring and fulfilling. I saw first-hand how lacking we are as regards the "software" in tourism. Meaning - the stories we should share to the visitors and the story tellers themselves. I really do hope that with this simple contribution of mine, the Philippines can develop more tourism treasures that come not in the form of attractions or facilities, but of people who tell true and amazing stories about the country. Stories that could make the foreign visitors declare that it was more than worth it to visit the Philippines, and could make the Filipinos better appreciate their country.

5 Reasons - to go Birdwatching in El Nido

The nice thing about island resorts is that there is usually an ideal level of effort to keep the natural environment as it serves as the main "tourism product" in the area.

Take the case of El Nido Resorts in Palawan which has a comprehensive program on environmental protection and has been validated by various national and international awards on tourism and the environment.

And for the bird enthusiasts out there, staying in a place like Lagen or Miniloc island resorts (both managed by El Nido Resorts) in Bacuit Bay can provide a double reward for a great vacation and birdwatching.

Here are some of the birds that can be encountered in Lagen Island and most probably, other small islands of Bacuit Bay.


The Palawan Hornbill - Endemic to Palawan, it is most awesome to easily see flocks of this large bird on the trees lining the the resort pool and just behind the restaurant and cottages.


White-vented Shama - These flyers would wake you up with their melodious songs. Much smaller that the hornbills, it would take a bit of an effort to spot the shama. However, if you're in luck, you could easily spot one perched on a tree branch just beside the restaurant veranda.



Sea birds and migratory birds. It would be an honor to name this bird - "Whiskered" Pacific Swallow :D. But i have to drop the "whiskered" thing if I want to gain some credibility. As you go island-hopping, you will be treated to an optical overload of not just towering limestone islands, but also of birds that you will encounter such as terns, egrets, the edible nest swiflets, and swallows.


Green Imperial Pigeon - It is also a sight to see these huge pigeons flying and hopping on tree branches and canopies of the trees bordering the resort facilities.



Reported by the resort guides - Palawan Peacock Pheasant and Hooded Pitta. Yes!! But hold your excitement yet.... The peacock pheasants are very shy and it would still be difficult to spot them (unlike the famous one that has become a regular guest in Puerto Princesa Underground River). The easier bird to see would be the Hooded Pitta in the trail that leads to the lookout point. Had to bang my head for not waking up early to do birdwatching in the trail!!

Yup! Birding can be very rewarding for the visitors of Lagen and Miniloc Island Resorts. Its best if you bring your bins while on vacation and tick off those significant ones.

I've recommended that spotting scopes be brought into the resorts so that their guests can have better environmental moments while in their properties.

Oh, I think it would also be a good idea to set up a viewing deck or a cctv camera trained on a hornbill nesting tree! hmmmm.....