Boracay is the bestCOMMONSENSE BY Marichu A. Villanueva (The Philippine Star)
Based on the latest weather monitoring by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), most parts of our country will continue to experience rains and strong winds. In fact, Pagasa issued “gale warning” to affect the entire southern Luzon, Visayas and the eastern seaboard of Mindanao.
A “gale warning” by Pagasa refers to strong winds we locally call as amihan. Fishermen and people who use small boats and other light transport seacraft are advised not to sail out to sea, especially those in the eastern seaboard.
A “gale warning” by Pagasa refers to strong winds we locally call as amihan. Fishermen and people who use small boats and other light transport seacraft are advised not to sail out to sea, especially those in the eastern seaboard.
Due to the La Niña phenomenon, or long wet season, our weather experts have alerted us that summer months this year would be much shorter. Pagasa predicts early onset of rains to start early in May.
Since the last Christmas holidays, and up to now for the first few weeks of the new year, we experienced intermittent rains here in Metro Manila. While there was no typhoon situation, torrential rains that have been hitting Albay, Camarines, Leyte, Samar, and all the way to Davao del Sur have caused flashfloods and landslides. The bad weather has lately also reached Palawan.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported the flashfloods and landslides have so far killed 53 people as of yesterday and more than P1 billion worth of damaged crops and public infrastructure. A pro-active Governor, Joey Salceda implemented pre-emptive evacuation of residents in flood-prone towns and areas susceptible to landslide that have reduced unnecessary loss of lives.
The weird weather season we are having is basically traced to climate change that affects the rest of the globe. In fact, while I was in Bali, Indonesia last week, it was humid all day long but rains poured heavily in the evenings.
The nearby Queensland in Australia was also suffering from the most serious case of flooding for the first time due to heavy rains. Heavy rains have likewise caused so much flood in Brazil.
In the United States and Canada, the people there are experiencing another worse winter season. That’s why, top executives of Canada-based Research in Motion, the mother company of Blackberry (BB) excitedly related to us they escaped the winter and enjoy the warmth in Bali where they held the First BB Development Conference in Asia.
There was not much tourist traffic in Bali, as I was told, because it’s the off-peak period. Tourists come in droves to Bali during the summer months.
It was my first time to come to Bali. I had so much expectation about Bali. So on my last day there, I took a dip on the beach. But it disappointed me no end. Boracay is still the best, with its white and fine sands and crystal blue water.
When I arrived in Bali for the BB DevCon Asia, I had the weird experience of going through x-ray scanner before newly arrived passengers are allowed exit out of their airport. I have traveled in many other countries but this was the first time that I experienced this kind of redundant screening of luggage and suitcases at the exit of the airport.
Selamat jelan! That’s the farewell greeting in the local Bali dialect as you enter their airport grounds. The security checks have become a way of life for tourists and travelers. For all the hassles, it makes us all feel safer that way.
Actually, it should be no surprise if security authorities at the Bali airport observe such extra tight check of goods and people coming in to their country. After all, they experienced one of the deadliest terrorist attacks. The Bali bombing on Oct. 12, 2002 nearly crippled their tourism business which is the chief source of their economic wealth.
The three separate bombing attacks in the tourist district of Kuta killed 202 people (including 88 Australians, 38 Indonesians) and injured 240 others. A local Indonesia terror group known as Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) carried out these bombing attacks in Bali. Yes, they are the same JI terrorists who have sneaked into the Philippines via Mindanao. Some of these “wanted” JI terrorists were reportedly behind the training of our locally bred terror group called Abu Sayyaf bandits.
This sad episode in Bali has obviously been laid to rest. This is evidenced by the renewed robust tourist traffic in their island by Australians and other Westerners who love to spend their vacation and bask at the beaches of the tropics. The experience of Bali on how it became the tourist capital of Indonesia is the favorite example of Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim in promoting the “open skies” policy.
Before I left Manila, I heard the Tourism Secretary being interviewed over DZRH radio station where he explained the ongoing efforts by his Department to promote the concept of “open skies” in pocket basis like what the Indonesian government did that propelled Bali as a major tourist destination in their country. The Indonesian government allowed other foreign airlines to serve direct flights only to Bali but Jakarta airport remains as the primary port of entry for the rest of their country.
“Bali is a good example. They now have more than three million tourists,” Lim cited. He recalled Bali did not have that much tourist arrivals until they adopted this policy of allowing more airlines to come in.
Lim said they are implementing the same concept of “pocket open skies” that would allow other foreign airline companies to enter in secondary international airports in the Philippines like Clark in Angeles City, Pampanga, or in Cebu or Davao international airports.
“Open skies signals we’re open for business. The sky is the limit, so to speak, for them to the see the Philippines as a good destination,” Lim pointed out. The Tourism Secretary disclosed that starting next month, Jin Air of Korea, All Nippon Airways of Japan and Air Asia are coming in under this “open skies” policy on pocket basis.
Lim pointed out this would pose a healthy competition to the so-called “legacy airlines” in our country like the Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific and usher in better services and lower fare.
We flew to Bali via Singapore. There is no direct flight from Manila to Bali. But I could only envy Bali with the constant stream of flights coming in to and from their island. If indeed Bali’s “open skies” did wonder for Indonesia’s tourist capital, Boracay’s wonders should hopefully do the same for the Philippines.
Since the last Christmas holidays, and up to now for the first few weeks of the new year, we experienced intermittent rains here in Metro Manila. While there was no typhoon situation, torrential rains that have been hitting Albay, Camarines, Leyte, Samar, and all the way to Davao del Sur have caused flashfloods and landslides. The bad weather has lately also reached Palawan.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported the flashfloods and landslides have so far killed 53 people as of yesterday and more than P1 billion worth of damaged crops and public infrastructure. A pro-active Governor, Joey Salceda implemented pre-emptive evacuation of residents in flood-prone towns and areas susceptible to landslide that have reduced unnecessary loss of lives.
The weird weather season we are having is basically traced to climate change that affects the rest of the globe. In fact, while I was in Bali, Indonesia last week, it was humid all day long but rains poured heavily in the evenings.
The nearby Queensland in Australia was also suffering from the most serious case of flooding for the first time due to heavy rains. Heavy rains have likewise caused so much flood in Brazil.
In the United States and Canada, the people there are experiencing another worse winter season. That’s why, top executives of Canada-based Research in Motion, the mother company of Blackberry (BB) excitedly related to us they escaped the winter and enjoy the warmth in Bali where they held the First BB Development Conference in Asia.
There was not much tourist traffic in Bali, as I was told, because it’s the off-peak period. Tourists come in droves to Bali during the summer months.
It was my first time to come to Bali. I had so much expectation about Bali. So on my last day there, I took a dip on the beach. But it disappointed me no end. Boracay is still the best, with its white and fine sands and crystal blue water.
When I arrived in Bali for the BB DevCon Asia, I had the weird experience of going through x-ray scanner before newly arrived passengers are allowed exit out of their airport. I have traveled in many other countries but this was the first time that I experienced this kind of redundant screening of luggage and suitcases at the exit of the airport.
Selamat jelan! That’s the farewell greeting in the local Bali dialect as you enter their airport grounds. The security checks have become a way of life for tourists and travelers. For all the hassles, it makes us all feel safer that way.
Actually, it should be no surprise if security authorities at the Bali airport observe such extra tight check of goods and people coming in to their country. After all, they experienced one of the deadliest terrorist attacks. The Bali bombing on Oct. 12, 2002 nearly crippled their tourism business which is the chief source of their economic wealth.
The three separate bombing attacks in the tourist district of Kuta killed 202 people (including 88 Australians, 38 Indonesians) and injured 240 others. A local Indonesia terror group known as Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) carried out these bombing attacks in Bali. Yes, they are the same JI terrorists who have sneaked into the Philippines via Mindanao. Some of these “wanted” JI terrorists were reportedly behind the training of our locally bred terror group called Abu Sayyaf bandits.
This sad episode in Bali has obviously been laid to rest. This is evidenced by the renewed robust tourist traffic in their island by Australians and other Westerners who love to spend their vacation and bask at the beaches of the tropics. The experience of Bali on how it became the tourist capital of Indonesia is the favorite example of Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim in promoting the “open skies” policy.
Before I left Manila, I heard the Tourism Secretary being interviewed over DZRH radio station where he explained the ongoing efforts by his Department to promote the concept of “open skies” in pocket basis like what the Indonesian government did that propelled Bali as a major tourist destination in their country. The Indonesian government allowed other foreign airlines to serve direct flights only to Bali but Jakarta airport remains as the primary port of entry for the rest of their country.
“Bali is a good example. They now have more than three million tourists,” Lim cited. He recalled Bali did not have that much tourist arrivals until they adopted this policy of allowing more airlines to come in.
Lim said they are implementing the same concept of “pocket open skies” that would allow other foreign airline companies to enter in secondary international airports in the Philippines like Clark in Angeles City, Pampanga, or in Cebu or Davao international airports.
“Open skies signals we’re open for business. The sky is the limit, so to speak, for them to the see the Philippines as a good destination,” Lim pointed out. The Tourism Secretary disclosed that starting next month, Jin Air of Korea, All Nippon Airways of Japan and Air Asia are coming in under this “open skies” policy on pocket basis.
Lim pointed out this would pose a healthy competition to the so-called “legacy airlines” in our country like the Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific and usher in better services and lower fare.
We flew to Bali via Singapore. There is no direct flight from Manila to Bali. But I could only envy Bali with the constant stream of flights coming in to and from their island. If indeed Bali’s “open skies” did wonder for Indonesia’s tourist capital, Boracay’s wonders should hopefully do the same for the Philippines.
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