Looking back at the WOW Philippines TV ad campaign

WOW Philippines is no doubt the best tourism promotion campaign the Department of Tourism ever came up with to date. If we come up with a new one, this definitely sets the standard. Part of the campaign was the slogan Philippines, it's more than the usual which came with great TV commercials that aired internationally. The commercials are brief, concise, creative and catchy enough to grab the attention of those watching CNN. Kudos to BBDO / Guerrero Ortega for this wonderful campaign!

Our neighbors have had tourism campaigns that are at least a decade old, surviving several changes in governments. The multi-awarded Malaysia Truly Asia campaign was launched in 1999 and after eleven years and five tourism ministers, it continues to entice tourists to visit Malaysia. Amazing Thailand is even older, having been launched in 1997. Despite political instability and several changes in government, it remains as Thailand's tourism brand. After its launch in 2002, the Incredible India campaign has become a strong brand for Indian tourism. So I thus can't understand why the current execs of the Department of Tourism want to get rid of a brand our country has worked so hard to build and invested so much money on. Read more in What's the point of rebranding?

Davao Oriental: Surfing & skim boarding at Dahican Beach in Mati

As I write this, surfing season has started in Dahican Beach in Mati, Davao Oriental where waves could reach as high as 10 feet. This beach facing the Pacific Ocean is also very popular among skim boarders and is often referred to as Skim Paradise.

I took the 2 a.m. bus from Davao City and found myself in Mati at about 6 a.m. The bus actually goes further northeast to Cateel. At the bus station, I hired a tricycle that would take me to the beaches of Mati since they are quite far from the town proper and the main roads.


We actually saw the sign to Dahican Beach but decided to go further down the road first. My first stop was Masao Beach which is about 45 minutes away. I was a bit disappointed though since I did not see the fine sand one would expect in a beach. But it's quite popular because of the pavilions and huts which stretch into the sea.


From Masao, we headed back to Dahican Beach which turns out to be the home base of a very vibrant local surfing and skim boarding community known as the Amihan Surf and Skim Team. In fact, you could get surfing lessons there for Php400/hour inclusive of board rental. Surfing season in Mati is from November to April. But since I arrived in mid-October, the waters were relatively calm. I was told that once the Amihan winds come in, the swells do too!


Note also that Dahican Beach is a sea turtle or pawikan sanctuary. And you just might be lucky to see one when you go snorkeling in the area. They even have an awareness campaign called Pawikan sa Dahican.

There are some comfortable rooms around the Dahican Beach area. But if you are on a budget, you can pitch a tent too. Anyway, I didn't have much time to stay since I wanted to be in Compostela Valley by afternoon.

Botona Beach Resort
(0918) 5255227 / (0916) 7968054

Hong Kong: Tsui Wah Restaurant & Ying Heong Yuen in Causeway Bay

Causeway Bay has its share of famous food outlets which locals patronize for certain specialties. So before proceeding to the Novotel Bloggers Dinner in Novotel Century Hong Kong, I sneaked out together with Novotel Citygate Marketing Communications Manager Josephine Tang, to try out some local flavors.



One of those places in Causeway Bay is Tsui Wah Restaurant. You can't miss it because of its gargantuan neon sign outside the store which is clearly visible from the street. It's actually very popular because of its Pineapple Bun with Iced Butter. You basically place the thick slice of butter served on ice inside the bun and bite!


Then there's the Crispy Condensed Milk Bun which was basically a toasted bun with butter topped with condensed milk. It was really good! And don't forget to get yourself one of their very famous iced coffees to go with your buns.



Still not satisfied, we moved over to this street food stall called Ying Heong Yuen. It reminded me of the hawker stall we ate at in Mong Kok during our family trip last May.


From fried or boiled innards to deep-fried vegetables or tofu, boiled beef balls, sausages and seafood on skewers, you had a lot to choose from. They basically but it in a paper bag or styrofoam cup with their signature sauce.


Too bad I had to control my appetite since we still had a dinner to catch. But I made sure to have some before proceeding back to Novotel. For more Hong Kong photos, check out my FB page.

Tsui Wah Restaurant
G/F, 493-495 Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay

Ying Heong Yuen
Jaffe Road cor. King Lung Street, Causeway Bay

Tai O Fishing Village 大澳 on Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Tai O Fishing Village 大澳 on Lantau Island is one of those Hong Kong tourist attractions that are off the beaten track. It's one of the last remnants of Hong Kong's fishing culture as more and more fishing villages are being transformed into high-rise communities. From Ngong Ping, it's just 30 minutes away by bus.


From Ngong Ping Village, I took bus no. 21 which goes direct to Tai O. Make sure you have HK$6.50 or an Octopus card since they don't give change (note that it's more expensive on Sunday). It's a scenic ride that takes you down the mountain into the village. Of course, the first thing that greeted me were the fishing boats docked near the shore.




Tai O Market is also very popular because of the wide variety of fresh and salted seafood available. You'll see a lot of the seafood on sale alive and kicking in large plastic basins. And being a source of fresh seafood, Tai O naturally has a lot of seafood restaurants.


The distinct architecture of Tai O are the stilt houses or pang uk 棚屋. I guess coming from the Philippines, these were not new to me since almost every corner of the country has fishing villages and houses on stilts. But this is a perfect example of how Hong Kong was able to preserve the local character of this fishing village while adapting to modern needs. In fact, a fire had destroyed many of the stilt houses. But instead of building modern houses, they rebuilt the pang uk. It thus has attracted a lot of local and foreign tourists who want to try out the local seafood or experience the scenery of a Hong Kong fishing village.

The best way to to see the village is by boat. So just ask around where you can take a boat ride around Tai O.

How to get to Tai O Fishing Village
From the Novotel Citygate and Tung Chung MTR Station, take bus no. 11. From Ngong Ping Village, take bus no. 21 which leaves every hour. You can also take a bus to and from Mui Wo, another rural town on Lantau Island. Here is information on Mui Wo.

Ivan Henares sets foot on all 79 provinces of the Philippines

When I got off the plane this morning at the Masbate Airport, there was a strong sense of fulfillment. I could truly say that I have seen the Philippines. Masbate was the last province I had not visited. And with my arrival this morning, I am proud to say that I have visited all 79 provinces of the Philippines.


The last few weeks was hectic. I wanted to achieve the goal before 2010 ended. In October, I found myself breezing through the last four provinces of Mindanao which I had not visited yet - Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur. I endured several hours at a time on buses and boats given my limited time. And on my last day, I virtually traveled from morning until early morning the next day. I got to visit Dahican Beach, a popular surfing area in Mati, the waterfalls of Maragusan, stayed a night with the Manobo community of Sitio Panlabuhan in the Agusan Marsh, and marveled at the spectacular Tinuy-an Falls in Bislig.

Just yesterday, I had arrived from a 1800-kilometer drive around North Philippines to visit Abra, Apayao, Kalinga and Quirino. The views during the drive were so refreshing. It made me even prouder of our country. Highlights of the trip included visits to the Tayum Church, a National Cultural Treasure, the ruins of the Pudtol Church, the Chico River and Dam in Tabuk, and a peek inside the Aglipay Caves.

And just as soon as I arrived home, I found myself packing my bags again for Masbate. The Buntod Reef Marine Sanctuary is a must-visit when in Masbate City. It has an islet or sandbar with various species of mangrove trees. During high tide, you might be lucky to spot a pawikan amongst the trees since there are a lot of them there.

I still can't sleep since the high from having visited all the provinces of the Philippines is one-of-a-kind! The Philippines is such a beautiful place.

Update: Dinagat Islands was reinstated as a province in March 2011. With my visit to Dinagat Islands late last year, I've visited all 80 provinces of the Philippines.