Tourism Campaign: It's MORE FUN in the Philippines!

As the year 2012 opens for the Philippines with diverse emotions and alarming news, the Department of Tourism is hopeful that amid such catastrophes, it is more fun to travel in the beautiful 1,707 islands of this tropical country.

As a Filipino, I welcome this new campaign:It's More Fun in the Philippines! with lots of optimism.

Here are my personal reactions regarding this trending topic both in Facebook and Twitter and other social media online.

1. I've seen a glimmer of hope as this campaign shed a ray of light on the first week of January. We all know that the country is facing disastrous effects due to natural calamities, aside from internal problems in politics, as in the impeachment of Supreme Court Judge Renato Corona.
2. The news at the prime television networks in the country will draw mix reactions, both positive and negative. I will add my thoughts on the positive side as this slogan will bring more jobs to small business owners and individuals who are jobless right now.
3. This tourism campaign will bring more tourists here in the Philippines!
4. Redefining FUN through tourism may be a double-meaning word, both clean and dirty. What do you think?

Aside from the Philippine heritage sites being marveled and peddled to visiting tourists through online travel promos and beautiful pictures online, there's more-than-meets-the eye once you descend at the tarmac of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Paranaque then with the connecting flights to the strategic tourist destinations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Let me refresh my memory regarding the national tourist spots that are promoted each year to lure tourists to visit and have some fun here in the country. Take note, aside from inhaling the tropical fresh air of the countryside, these foreign tourists will also have fun at the lists of surprises that will amaze or annoy them.

Luzon has its surfing spots, the Banaue Rice Terraces (Mountain Province at the northern part), Rizal Park (Iis compared to Vatican City in Rome when it comes to its size), the CWC (Camarines Sur Watersports Complex in Bicol Region),Mayon Volcano in Albay, Underground River (in Palawan), to mention a few.

Visayas has its Chocolate Hills (in Bohol), Boracay (in Aklan) and lots of heritage sites.

Mindanao have many amazing falls (as in Maria Cristina Falls in Lanao), heritage sites in Camiguin island and Dapitan. The only hindrance in order to boost tourism is the insurgency happening in the peninsula.

The hospitality being given by the Filipinos is unequaled. The term will have a deeper meaning, as in treating you like an old member of the family.

I love to travel and take memorable photos whenever my camera can (as long as its batteries endure).

Last year, with the help and invite of family and friends, I was able to document some of the beautiful spots that are known to the locals and hidden to the public eye.

While writing hubs regarding travel and places here in the Philippines, I started sharing what I did aside from just sitting in front of the desktop computer.

I assure you that pictures really paint not only thousand but gazillion of words that you can add.

Let's revisit those places, once again and you will agree that it is really 'more fun' to visit the Philippines this year.

I also included the albums of those photos for you to enjoy and appreciate with.

(Copyrighted, personal writings and opinion by travel_man1971 aka Ireno Alcala)