Hundreds of Americans Now Know Why It’s More Fun in the Philippines After Embassy Open House in DC

Americans, got to know why it’s more fun in the Philippines after the Philippine Embassy opened its doors to the public for the first time and regaled them with dances, music and, of course, Filipino food! A total of 6,105 visitors, mostly Americans and other nationalities, were able to experience Filipino culture, many for the first time, in what Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. considers the most successful cultural diplomacy event undertaken by the Philippines here in the United States. “It simply was overwhelming,” Ambassador Cuisia said of the open house event that was undertaken as part of the annual Passport DC Around the World Embassy Tour organized by the District of Columbia Cultural Tourism Office. More than 50 embassies participated in this year’s Passport DC, one of the much-awaited cultural events in the US capital that the Philippines participated in for the first time this year. “For six hours on Saturday, we were able to let other people know why it’s more fun in the Philippines,” Ambassador Cuisia said, adding that the event was a tremendous success since the Embassy was only expecting a maximum of 3,000 visitors. People started streaming into the Embassy grounds along Massachusetts Avenue even before the gates opened at 10 a.m. Many said the Philippines was their first destination for the day because the Washington Post listed it as among the embassies to visit for this year’s event. The number of visitors entering the Embassy gates averaged 1,000 per hour with the 3,000 target being reached by noontime. There were still some people who wanted to get in after the gates closed at 4 p.m. Minister and Consul for Cultural Affairs Emil Fernandez said the ube, buco and mango popsicles from Magnolia; calamansi juice; the Ati-Atihan costumes; and the Tinikling lessons were instant hits among those who trooped to the Embassy. Aside from Filipino dance, music and martial arts, the Embassy also gave visitors a taste of Filipino cuisine by serving them lechon, pancit, lumpia and turon that were provided by Filipino restaurant Bistro 7107 and caterers like Filipino Global; Northstar; Lumpia, Pancit Atbp; and Luming’s. Even Philippine fastfood chain Jollibee supported the event by providing its popular Chickenjoy and Peach Mango Pie while its sister company Red Ribbon provided mamon. Tito Al’s served its signature chicharon as well as lumpia, Magnolia popsicles and Skyflakes while the Filipino Community provided four suckling pigs for the occasion. The fiesta-like atmosphere at the Embassy was highlighted by Filipino dances like the Sakuting, Aray, Pagapir, Pansak Pindulas, Tinikling, Salip-Banga, Pangalay and Asik performed by Mabuhay Incorporated, Club Filipino of Georgetown University the Philippine Culture Society of George Washington University and the Migrant Heritage Commission. Visitors were also treated to an exhibition of Filipino martial arts such as arnis and escrima courtesy of DC Lightning Scientific Arnis of Virginia and Pinakatay Arnis Sigidas of Maryland. The open house was capped by classical Filipino music performed by the Northern Virginia Rondalla. Many of the visitors said they also were impressed by the wood and fruit sculptures prepared by the Paete Woodcarvers Association. Also popular was the exhibit at the Romulo Hall of photographs of the Danajon Bank taken by members of the International League of Conservation Photographers as well as the Filipiniana pina gown collection of fashion designer Cathy Ebrada Cleveland. Visitors were also provided with brochures from the Department of Tourism, with a number of them expressing their desire to visit the Philippines. The US-Philippines Society was also able to promote its After the Storm benefit concert for victims of Typhoon Haiyan. ###

 

From L-R) Special Chief Secretary Chandana Khan and Mrs. India International 2013 Amita Motwani present the ‘Best National Tourism Organization’ award to Philippine Tourism Marketing Officers Madvhi Awasti, Navritu Kaushal Rai, and Sanjeet.

PH bags ‘Best National Tourism Organization’ award in India

Travel and tourism professionals in South India voted the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) as the “Best National Tourism Organization” for 2013. “South India Travel Awards will create an all-India platform to recognize those behind the success of the travel and tourism industry and to recognize their achievements,” Amit Bhasin, Convener of the India Travel Awards, said The DOT wa awarded for its branding campaign and roadshows in South India, particularly in the cities of Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore. Last year, the Philippines organized three roadshows and one location meeting with filmmakers in the region alone to promote various destinations and facilitate business-to-business deals among its private sector partners. Amit Bhasin added that the South India Travel Awards, supported by the Indian Ministry of Tourism, is the first of the four regional recognition events (the other three are in the North, East, and West) leading to the nationwide India Travel Awards scheduled later in the year.The South Indian cities of Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Chennai collectively make up 1.22 million out of 5.24 million Indian passports issued nationwide in 2012. These are also the top three cities in the number of passports issued for the same year. The United Nations World Tourism Organization predicts that India will have 50 million outbound travels by 2020. “We are very pleased to know that our Indian counterparts recognize and appreciate how serious we are in what we do. India is one of our priority opportunity source country markets with a potential for high growth. This award will definitely inspire the industry stakeholders to raise our country’s comparative advantage in terms of product offerings, as well as conduct more in-depth studies of this market segment to better prepare and match evolving preferences,” Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. said. In 2013, India contributed 52,206 visitors to the Philippines, a 12.53-percent growth from the 46,395 visitors recorded in 2012. Indian tourists comprise 1.12-percent of the total volume of visitors for 2013.

DOT Quality Assurance Accreditation System to go full blast in key pilot areas

Travelers to the Philippines will soon be guided with a globally-accepted quality standards for tourism enterprises. Starting this May 2014, international accommodation assessors will be testing the quality standards introduced by the Department of Tourism (DOT) in 2013 to ensure that they adhere to global practices. The Hotel and Resorts Quality Assurance and Accreditation System is an objective and internationally recognized guide that seeks to assist visitors in terms of the quality, service, and comfort provided by accommodation businesses of all sizes and types in the Philippines. The system, launched last year, will be applied and tested in 155 hotels and resorts located in the country’s main tourist destinations: Cebu, Bohol, Davao, and Palawan. If successful in the pilot areas, DOT will consider an expansion nationwide. Forming part of the Philippines Improving Competitiveness in Tourism program, the international assessment is one of the outputs identified in the US$7.1-million assistance funded by the Government of Canada and administered by the Asian Development Bank. The project also focuses on assisting local governments to reduce red tape affecting businesses operating in the tourism sector and rolling out a tourism industry skills development program. Under the Hotel and Resorts Quality Assurance and Accreditation System, DOT recruited 10 International Assessors (IAs) who will undergo an orientation, along with DOT Area Officers and industry third party auditors, on the new standards to prepare for joint pilot assessments. Apart from focusing on quality over and above the provision of facilities, the project will also zero in on the service, hospitality, efficiency, and food provided by the pilot hotels and resorts. Accommodations will also be graded according to their environmental practices, comparative review against international quality assurance systems, and overall guest experience from their arrival until their departure. In getting an independent and official seal of assurance from DOT, hotel and resort owners will gain access to assisted manpower skills programs; promotional support such as being included in DOTaccredited listings; technical assistance in planning, research, and development; as well as favorable endorsement to relevant government departments for access to fiscal and non-fiscal incentives. Beyond supporting private accommodations businesses, the Philippine tourism industry is poised to benefit from the Hotel and Resorts Quality Assurance and Accreditation System. “Through tourism accreditation, local and foreign visitors can be assured that their hotel or resort is committed to service quality and professionalism. Accreditation plays an important role in the field of global competitiveness to gain the confidence of the international travelling community,” ADB Program Manager Kelly Bird said. In 2013, the Philippines advanced by five levels in world tourism competitiveness ratings, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF).