Progressive Guangzhou by Night

Wow! Guangzhou is more progressive than Metro Manila!

This was the first thing that entered my mind seeing Guangzhou all lit up on our first night here at the capital of Guangdong Province. The most popular business city in China, this may be where our favorite noodle dish originated from. Guangzhou is known historically as Canton or Kwangchow.

Our group of government officials from MMDA, DPWH, DOTC, and cities of Metro Manila could not help but gawk at their giant animated LED billboards -- a far cry from what we have back home.

This is their more advanced version of our Ayala Avenue -- a brilliant and dazzling display of lights at night. Their avenues are much wider than ours with separate lanes for pedestrians and bikes on both sides. We even saw their bike patrols in pairs, with matching flashing lights of blue and red, making sure that everything was peaceful and in order on the sidewalks and bike lanes.

Walking these streets at night ... people are not bothered, or worried about being a crime statistic. Guangzhou is a very walkable city. Green all over. Quiet yet alive. Teeming with people from all walks of life -- walking, and walking, and still walking to wherever it is they are headed to for the night. No wonder it is rare to see obese people here.

Liuyun Xiaoqu Neighborhood. We visited this old housing project which was redeveloped in time for the 2010 Asian Games. They closed off the inner streets and made it accessible only to people and bikes. The place experienced a rebirth and it metamorphosed into a destination place frequented by locals and visitors. The change came naturally as the lower floors became commercial spaces and spawned boutiques, cafes, shops, etc.

The streets and open spaces are well lighted and have recreational and exercise contraptions that attract young and old alike.

These colorful, toy-like exercise hubs keep people busy and active -- burning fat as they while away their time.

Shophouses catering to every need attract people from afar especially those who simply want to shop, look around, eat, and stare into the eyes of a loved one. Those who live in the neighborhood do not have any reason to leave since everything is within reach downstairs. 

Pocket gardens, landscaped areas, trees all over. The breathing green canopy of Liuyun Xiaoqu provides its residents with a fresh and endless supply of oxygen 24/7. This lush greenery is better appreciated during the day when shafts of sunlight penetrate the treetops and illuminate the plants below.

A simple stroll along its walkways, bikeways and greenways is a well-deserved respite from the stress of fast-paced life making all senses and emotions slow down into quiet reflection.

This neighborhood of mid-rise residential buildings is now a better place to live in because of pedestrianization, greening, and redevelopment.

Now, if we can only do the same for our settlement areas here in Metro Manila.

Hopefully, our dream for a bike superhighway via the "Daang Bakal" Greenways (from San Mateo to Manggahan, Pasig) can be realized sooner because of this trip with those who can make our dreams come true.

Thank you, Rockefeller Foundation. Thank you, Ateneo School of Government.

Why Bertie Lim? Because tourism is not all about promotions.

Tourism is the answer to address poverty and unemployment.

Thus says an International Labour Organization (ILO) report that urged governments to invest in the travel and tourism industry to address poverty and unemployment because the industry will soon make up more than a third of the total global services trade. It said tourism contributed at least 9 percent of total GDP and provided more than 235 million jobs in 2010, representing 8 percent of global employment.

GMA News Online reports that ILO expects the travel and tourism industry to create 296 million jobs by 2019, which is definitely good news for the Philippines because the country intends to double last year’s tourist arrivals from three million to six million in 2016.

The think tanks, the joint foreign chambers, and the current administration know this. That is why we are very fortunate that our tourism czar is someone who can deliver. One who could put mechanisms in place to ensure that our annual visitor arrivals count will substantially increase to 6.6 million by 2016. This translates to 5 million new jobs and Php 1.3 trillion in revenues from tourism.

The silent operator that he is, Tourism Secretary Bertie Lim is focused on doing just that.

People in the industry … those who are genuinely involved in primary tourism enterprises … those who have been in tourism and travel for decades … say that, as someone who once belonged to their ranks, Sec. Lim’s understanding of intricacies of the industry is of great value to the Aquino administration.

They say that people have to realize that tourism is not just about promotions.

That is what the DOT secretaries before him concentrated on. The problem is … what happens when tourists arrive here and realize that the product is sub-standard? Can you imagine the damage that will cause by simple word of mouth alone?

Bertie continues with promotions but is diligently working on the product.

Unfortunately, that’s something which people do not find sexy. People are so used to seeing tourism as all hype and hoopla that anything else is relegated to the background and not given much weight.

What ordinary people do not know is that product development is necessary for tourism to grow. Look at any Thailand and Malaysia – they poured money in developing the necessary tourism infrastructure. Investments and more tourists followed.

Ask any marketing expert and they will say that promotions is only a fraction of the marketing mix. Traditionally, the marketing mix is made up of the 4 P’s : Product, Placement, Promotions, Price. The marketing audit determines what mix among the 4 is prioritized.

Bertie is a no-nonsense workhorse. He is decent and hardworking. That is why he will not pander to please the whims of those with vested interests. He is not one who will show what people want if he knows that it is not what is needed at the moment. He is not one who will throw away good money in promotions if the product (our country and its destinations) is not yet ready.

He knows what he is doing. For the sake of our country … trust him.

The secretary has accumulated at least 20 years direct experience in tourism.

He was president of the following companies and institutions involved directly in tourism: ANSCOR Travel Corp. (travel agency), Tours Specialists Inc. (local tour and tourist transport operator), ANSCOR Tourism Development Corporation (general sales agency), ANSCOR Aviation Corporation (air charter operator), Ten Knots Development Corporation (El Nido Resorts operator), Ten Knots Philippines Inc. (Palawan land holding company), Palawan Tourism Council (regional tourism promotions council), El Nido Foundation (social development agency and partner of resort owner).

Aside from these, Bertie has been a member of the following bodies involved in tourism: National Ecotourism Development Council, Palawan Development Council, Southern Tagalog Tourism Council, El Nido Protected Area Management Board, among others.

So you see, the man knows his craft.

He is also an academic heavyweight: an economics graduate from Ateneo, a Master in Business Administration from Harvard Graduate School of Business, and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

So, when he says that we need to improve our product first by improving access and infrastructure in cooperation with other agencies – it is what’s best for our country.

Thus, the pocket open skies policy, pushing for new international airports, repair of existing airports, and other tourism infrastructure projects. We will expound on this later once the tourism road map has been approved by President Aquino.

Alberto Aldaba Lim will definitely add on to the family legacy enshrined by his mother Estefania Aldaba Lim and sister Cheche Lazaro.

So, when people ask “Why Bertie Lim?” It is because we need someone credible to show us that tourism is not all about promotions.


Please email your comments to paulsison@ideasman.ph

PH: Home to the world | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online

PH: Home to the world | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online

PH: Home to the world
Fiesta Islands
By PAUL EDWARD P. SISON
July 31, 2011, 8:00am

MANILA, Philippines — A wise old man from Liwasang Kalayaan in Marikina Heights, who we shall call Mr. T for purposes of anonymity, always says, “Sa Pilipinas lang genuine ang ngiti natin sa mga bisita. Sa ibang bansa, fake lahat yan.”

What he really means is -- it is very natural for Filipinos to be hospitable to tourists compared to our Asian neighbors who have to put up a front. He attributes this to something which we have considered all our lives as a negative trait and weakness as a people – the fiesta mentality.

The fiesta mentality is all about putting our best foot forward. It’s about wanting to please our guests. It’s about giving up the best room in the house for our visitors to sleep in. How many of us have slept on the floor so our guest could have a comfortable sleep on our own bed?

Filipinos throw the best parties. Have you noticed that? Fiesta is about a whole community coming together as one to host a party where every home is open to everyone – even those you don’t know.

Mr. T believes that if we succeed in harnessing this newfound strength into a culture of tourism and make the whole world know about it – we can surpass all our neighbors in terms of visitor arrivals.

Why talk about destinations when we can talk about our people? Let’s face it, our impressions of places we visit linger in our consciousness for a while – but our impressions of people we meet in those places last us a lifetime.
Besides, our top destinations are superior to what the rest of the world has to offer. Even foreigners attest to this fact.

Have you ever wondered why is it that expatriates who initially resent being assigned to the Philippines and consider it initially as a hardship post eventually find it so hard to leave when their tour of duty is up? Why are nurses and caregivers from the Philippines very much in demand in different parts of the world?

It is because we are a nation of 90 million smiling, caring, and affectionate people. Taking good care of the needs of guests is second nature to us. Somehow, the racial mix brought about by centuries of being a colony of different foreign powers is now working in our favor.

The challenge now is how to harness this competitive edge and galvanize all tourism-related sectors behind this collective positioning.

Let us hope for the best and pray that Tourism Secretary Alberto Aldaba Lim will be able to triumph over adversity, caused by industry outsiders, to lead us into the 6.6 million foreign visitors mark he is targeting for 2016.

The poor secretary, the decent and hardworking person that he is, is at the receiving end of a harsh and brutal demolition job coming from outsiders posing as know-it-all tourism experts.

You know something is fishy when people assailing the DoT Secretary are not the ones from the primary tourism enterprises like travel agencies, tour operators, hotels, resorts, tourist transports, etc. – but, people from real estate and hospital services.

The real score is that one of the most aggressive turns out to be a losing bidder for the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP). But he does not mention this. He allegedly tried to pull a fast one with his association’s board of directors but was rebuffed. So, looking around for an entity from where to launch his “advocacy,” he finally found an NGO that would legitimize his vendetta. He even wrote P-Noy with concocted tales to discredit the tourism chief.
We were informed that past officers of the association are poised to censure this wily fox for using the name of the prestigious association to further his personal agenda.

The two others, on the other hand, belong to a body that was described as “not in accordance with the intent and wordings of the law” by solons who authored the Tourism Act of 2009 and are asking that the body be revamped to conform with the law.

The NTDP is Lim’s contribution to President Benigno S. Aquino’s poverty alleviation agenda. It is the roadmap which translates the DoT chief’s vision into actionable programs and projects. It rationalizes the different priorities into a strategic framework and outlines action plans to guide the DoT and other stakeholders in the development of the tourism sector between 2011 and 2016.

The strategic vision is to become the “must experience” destination in Asia. For the sake of our country, let us pray that Sec. Lim and the DoT succeed.


For comments, please email paulsison@ideasman.ph

Long weekends benefit tourism, says DOT Sec. Lim

SIARGAO, April 29. Tourism secretary Alberto Lim welcomed the announcement of Malacanang declaring June 20 as a special non-working holiday.

Lim revealed that they are studying the possibility of reviving the holiday economics of the previous administration where holidays were adjusted to create long weekends that encouraged domestic tourism and resulted in higher visitor arrivals and more tourism revenues for favorite local destinations.

“We just have to avoid the abuses of the past,” said the DOT chief.

He explained that creating new holidays is counter-productive. But, there is no loss in productivity by moving holidays in the middle of the week to a Friday or Monday and it is good for tourism, “You are actually enticing consumers to take trips and spend their money elsewhere.”

Lim added that a two-day weekend is too short for people who have to travel out of town and having long weekends is good for communities with local attractions.

“We will forward our recommendation to the president once it has been thought out thoroughly and finalized,” said the secretary.

As per Official Gazette post, President Benigno S. Aquino III signed Proclamation No. 154 entitled DECLARING MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2011, AS SPECIAL (NON-WORKING) DAY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

According to the Proclamation No. 154, June 19, 2011 marks the 150th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, thePhilippines national hero.

The proclamation further declared that to give all Filipinos the opportunity to commemorate Rizal’s patriotic deeds and sacrifices for the country, rekindle their admiration and respect for him, and to celebrate this milestone with appropriate ceremonies, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) requested that Monday, June 20, 2011, be declared as special non-working holiday instead of June 19, 2011, which falls on a Sunday.

Mountain Woods Subic

This is where we had the DOT-PCVC Planning Session for Greet Program last June 4-6, 2009. It used to be an open pagoda of the Mountain Woods Resort Hotel in Subic which they later enclosed as a function room.

It was very rainy that weekend. No tropical cyclone though, just monsoon rains. But I enjoyed it immensely. Very conducive.

The hotel used to serve as quarters for U.S. Navy personnel. It was refurbished and converted into a small hotel then. The rooms were okay. So was the comfort room. The view was that of Subic's natural rainforest below. One could get a glimpse of the bay somewhere in the horizon.

Mountain Woods is on the periphery of SBMA so it is about 5-10 mins drive from Subic proper where the happenings are. However, driving to the hotel gave us this feeling that we were not in the Philippines because the housing area which we passed by looked more like it was in the States. No fences, American architecture, wide front lawns, clear sidewalks, etc. Some homes had "For Rent" signs with corresponding contact nos. so it gave me some ideas -- or it left me dreaming or wishing to be here with my family ... living amidst the green surroundings of nature preserved -- the American way.