Eileen had a moment to catch up with Annie Cuevas of Philippines Tourism for the latest promotions.

I have already been there myself and enjoyed some pretty interesting food, jeepney rides and beautiful islands. Check it out.

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As a travel writer, there are loads of perks that I love. Lots of travel mostly, but I also frequently get good food and great cultural exchange. Of course, there is a downside. The real downside is no one is going to become a millionaire as a travel writer. The imaginary downside is that something terrible is going to happen while I am out of the country. Something statistically microscopic like crashing planes, stranded in a foreign country, or being kidnapped by banditos. The truth of the matter is that I am far more at risk at home than on vacation, but these musings still flutter in my head.

So, I was not surprised when I had a fluttering or two about a scheduled trip to this year’s ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Tourism Forum held in the Philippines. I tried to pay these fears little mind as I filled out a state department form on the internet to let the government know where I was going – a precaution I take when traveling anywhere. No sooner had I pressed enter on the keyboard when a giant warning appeared on my computer screen. The travel advisory was dated 3/23/05 and looked pretty scary. Danger, don’t go to the Philippines, it said. The Philippines was part of a group of countries listed with warnings urging travelers to stay home. This seemed odd to me. The next morning I tried to contact the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines searching for answers – after all, the advisory was now over a year old. Was it still unsafe? How unsafe? Not surprisingly, I never received a response from Uncle Sam.

I arrived fearful. I waited for what I imagined were kidnappers at every corner. However, I found loads of security folks everywhere in the Philippines. As it turned out, the ATF was a major event. Then, I felt safe – too safe. All the military presence was a bit disconcerting. What made matters worse was the moment I realized I was a visiting white American journalist attending a high-profile event. I, in my mind, must be a target, right? My dreadful Caucasian-ness stuck out like a sore thumb. Evil-doers must have been watching me. I put on some dark Hollywood sunglasses and a Los Angeles Dodgers’ baseball cap and tried to keep a low-profile while participating in some of the fun events held around Mindinao.

However, after a day or two of worry, I realized I was not going to be a target after repeatedly getting stopped in the street by locals intent on congratulating me for my part in a recent victory in Team USA’s championship tug-of-war team at an innocuous ATF event on the island of Samal. My teeth-clenching, body straining photo would eventually appear in at least four newspapers that featured my name, profession, and nationality. One photo appeared on the front page of the Mindanao Mirror – the U.S. defeating the Philippine team – so much for low-profile. The banditos now knew I was in town and prime for kidnapping.

In spite of my new-found celebrity target status, I stopped worrying about the American-hating bogeymen and started enjoying the unique and enthusiastic culture of the Philippines. There was nothing else to do unless I felt worrying was going to help. I was not alone; 3,000 other international delegates who attended the event also enjoyed themselves. They did so by walking the streets, taking public transportation, and eating tons spicy foods in local restaurants.

For those unaware, the U.S. State Department has a list that it maintains to remind/assist travels of potentially dangerous places that, in the opinion of the U.S. government, are dangerous to visit. I believe it is a good idea to give travelers information they can use before deciding where to spend their holidays. However, going down the list of these “problem” countries, there are some discrepancies. Sure there are some obvious places to avoid – including Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan – countries that have clear negative tourism value for Americans. However, even with the most negative of situations, countries in the middle of war, there are still thousands of foreign workers, including Americans, going about their daily lives in these countries. Recently, one U.S. teenager bought a plane ticket to Iraq and landed with nothing but a phrase book and returned home in one piece. I am not suggesting that anyone pack their bags for the toasty resorts of Iraq or any other war-torn nations, but it is important to understand that the U.S. wrongly places the Philippines in the same category as Iraq. The U.S. is not at war with the Philippines. In fact, the Philippines have remained a strong, supportive U.S. ally.

Another important and compelling reason that I further scrutinized the travel advisory to the Philippines was by again reviewing the State Department list itself. Spain and England have both terrorist strikes that have seen more casualties. South Africa is frequently regarded as having the highest murder rate in the world. France has had its riots. And the United Stated has more convicted criminals than anywhere else in the world. None of these countries currently carry a State Department travel warning. It is also important to acknowledge there are no travel advisories for Las Vegas’ visitors risking the loss of their life savings or visitors to Los Angeles who will face traffic jams and boob jobs.

So what is all the fuss about in the Philippines? There must be a reason. Here is what the official advisory states:

The Department urges Americans who choose to travel to the Philippines to observe vigilant personal security precautions; to remain aware of the continued potential for terrorist attacks against Americans, U.S. or other Western interests in the Philippines, and to register with the U.S. Embassy. The Department warns against all but essential travel throughout the country in light of a heightened threat to Westerners. (http://travel.state.gov)

True, the Philippines has had several isolated incidents of terrorism. It is tragic and I hope that it never happens again. These acts are described by the State Department as, “…including several deaths.” This quote really grabbed my attention. It does not claim these bombs were directed at Americans. Nor does it state that the victims were Americans. Moreover, “several deaths,” based on crime, to someone living in Los Angeles (namely me) is hardly worth the trouble. Bad things happen everywhere and travelers should always use caution at home or abroad. However, it is irresponsible to suggest the Philippines as a particularly unsafe destination, especially because it is not. In my recent interview with the Philippine’s Minister of Tourism, Joseph “Ace” Durano, commented, “We invite the opinion makers to come to our country to see it for themselves. It is largely an over exaggeration of the situation.”

I experienced a powerful security presence in the Philippines, one that was far more stringent than the one I experience in the U.S. Furthermore, most experts agree the main threat in the Philippines comes from one organization, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a secessionist group who wants to have its own country apart from the Philippines. They are Filipinos fighting Filipinos primarily in the distant mountains in an area called Sulu. While their means of argument are appalling, MILF frustrations are not aimed toward Americans; they are directed toward the Philippine Government. In a similar example, Pakistan (another U.S. ally) has just received another updated travel advisory, dated 1/27/06 describing the U.S. concerns as thus, “Due to on-going concerns about the possibility of terrorist activity…” There are no specifics listed in this advisory as evidence only the prospect of an unnamed concern. So how should travelers view advisories like these? Global futurist, Rohit Talwar, tries to answer this question during our recent interview in Davao City.

The problem is that those travel advisories are not completely independent. We don’t know what’s been written behind them, the political issues. And they’re not written by people who live on the ground and in the place. It would be very important to create travel advisories that were consistent written by people who know and that [the advisories] are constantly updated.

From my own perspective, I came to a possible realization while going through customs leaving Manila, in which, I would pass through four checkpoints, two x-ray machines, several pat-downs and one baggage search in half the time it took standing in a similar security line at L.A.X. airport for a single screening.

So where does this travel advisory come from? One thing I noticed was that many of the countries on the travel advisory warning list all have something in common. They are small countries. They are considered third-world. They do not possess the public relations strength to disagree with larger opinionated nations, and their isolated acts of terrorism are just like our own, but are sometimes the only reason these countries appear in our news. To me, it is clear that not all countries that have received terrorist attacks or have dangerous political climates find their way onto travel advisories. Furthermore, the Philippines have an active and present security force taking frequent measures to ensure safety. Troubled regions in the Philippines are not necessarily targeting Americans. The overwhelming majority of travel warning recipients are third-world nations: a label which in of itself is not enough of a reason to avoid visiting. On a personal note, I found Davao clean, friendly, and most of all safe, statistically one of the safest places in Southeast Asia. Ultimately, the State Department warnings are a good place to start investigating an exotic vacation, but maybe does not have to be the only deciding factor.

Works Cited
“ATF Formally Opens.” Front page photo. The Mindanao Daily Mirror 18 Jan. 2006, sec. 1: 1+
Durano, Joseph Ace. Personal Interview. 19 Jan. 2006
Pakistan Travel Advisory. U.S. Department of State. 27, Jan. 2006
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_930.html
Philippine Travel Advisory. U.S. Department of State. 23, Mar. 2005
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_2190.html
Talwar, Rohit. Personal interview. 17 Jan. 2006.

Written and photographed by Devin Galaudet

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During my Sunday morning Manila layover, a funny thing happened on my way to Davao City in the Philippines. As I waited for flight 813, after a 17-hour flight from the States, a loud voice boomed over the intercom, “For all those interested in attending morning mass, please go to domestic terminal gate number eight.” Although I would not call myself religious, I still had several hours to kill and this had to be a joke. I made my way across the crowded terminal to discover two men with a silver briefcase. They were pulling out a sparkling white tablecloth, several candles, and a Tupperware container filled with wafers. It was not a joke and I was not the only one who showed up that morning for services. It also appeared that many other travelers had a bit of spirituality on their minds. They were predominantly Filipino people ranging in age from late twenties to mid-sixties with no particular social status, just some folks leaving for flights around the Philippines.

This patient airport congregation watched two men play around with a wireless microphone, which seemed not to be working. One of the men thanked us for being here as the clock struck 9AM without a working microphone. Much to my surprise, the entire service was presented in English. The specifics of their sermon, which appeared to come form the New Testement, was difficult to understand not only be due to the accents of the Filipino clergy, but also from the constant interruptions by the airport intercom, the low rattle of air-conditioning vents and typical airport acoustics. Certainly, words like “Jesus” and “Jesus’ love” were frequent and understood, but definitely played second fiddle to airport announcements.

I would later discover I was attending a Roman Catholic service presented by Monsignor Modesto M. Teston and Brother Art Jimenez. Brother Art explained to me that the service had been part of the domestic airport experience for more than ten years. He then leaned in to me as if he was about to tell me a big secret. “There is only been one complaint, it was from a Muslim.” He then paused and looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was listening in before continuing. “I told him that the Philippines is a free country, and that he can pray however he wants to. We were doing the same. I don’t think he was not happy with [our] services being around.”

At some point, during a particularly long airport announcement about unattended baggage, everyone’s stood up. Then Brother Art began took incense and smudged the air around the folding table that acted as an altar. The Monsignor looked serious. One by one, people began to line up kneeling before the Monsignor, communion had begun. I decided just to watch as the Monsignor made hand gestures before delivering each wafer. I am a little uncomfortable by the whole thing. Again, I was not alone. I guess that only fifty-percent took the wafer. I was surprised. I thought there was a rule of sorts pertaining to this.

As it turns out Monsignor Teston is the airport chaplain. His services were requested by the outbound passengers and the airplane crew from Philippine Airlines. At the morning service, which lasted a full hour, I counted seven flight attendants and three nuns. The nuns would later share my plane to Davao. The Monsignor can be heard every Sunday at the Manila airport in the domestic terminal and communion is always available to those who want to participate – or not. For those who just want to attend the services and not take a flight, it still costs 200 Philippine Pesos for domestic airport departure tax and a thorough search of the person and property via security checkpoints.

Monsignor Teston closed his services by saying, “Go in the Peace of Christ and enjoy you’re flight.”

Written and photographed by Devin Galaudet

For more on Philippines at ITKT

I wasn’t sure what to expect from my first ASEAN Tourism Forum. For that matter, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Philippines either. As a destination, I have always imagined the Philippines as curious and exotic. At the same time, I know plenty of Filipino people who are just pleasant and friendly. Perhaps, a couple of good reason’s why I jumped at the chance to attend this year’s ATF.

I would soon dream of mysterious islands filled with social and fun people – barely considering the ATF, the reason why I would be going to the Philippines. I would soon discover that the ATF was a big deal. From the moment I landed in Manila, ASEAN logos were everywhere: plastered on banners, billboards, and magazine covers that littered the newsstands heralding the pending event – not to mention the logos affixed to my own luggage. When I landed in Davao, I barely made it out of the gate before I was met by a hero’s welcome. There were enthusiastic guides baring gifts. There were dancers, singers, fantastic drumming by local children dressed in colorful costumes and headdresses, and police escorts. I was not alone, 3000 delegates worldwide were expected to attend this year’s festivities.

I know what you’re asking, “What is the ATF?” Well, the ATF is a yearly gathering of the ten member nations that comprise the ASEAN community (Association of South East Asian Nations). These member nations gather to exchange ideas, set goals, strengthen cooperation between neighboring countries, explore tourism trends and decide on best ways to present Southeast Asia as a worthy tourist destination. These nations include: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Countries take turns hosting the ATF, by alphabetical order.

This year it was Davao City’s turn to host the ATF. While the ATF location was initially scheduled for Myanmar (Burma), Davao City became a last second replacement after Myanmar opted out as this year’s host. Myanmar’s nebulous decision left Davao City with only six months preparation time and journalists looking for answers. The event also marked the ATF’s 25th anniversary, which was themed, “Celebrating the many faces of ASEAN.” It was a good premise considering that Asia may be the most culturally diverse continent in the world and these countries are sometimes lumped together through their geography. I admit there was a lot to learn.

As one of the few American journalists at the event, I had the opportunity to learn about ASEAN’s commitment to protect western visitors from terrorism, the softening of visa restrictions for international travelers, and plans to promote tourism worldwide. Beyond the gathering of dignitaries, the ATF hosted a sea of press conferences with notable representatives from each country, networking events and the Travex convention. Travex presents several hundred ASEAN-based organizations under one roof. National and regional tourist boards, hotels, resorts, airlines and attractions get together and meet with tour operators from all over the world (49 countries to be exact), who put together tour packages that you and I eventually experience. It is the behind the scenes look at the travel industry.

As one of the few American travelers, I also learned some important tips about the region. Davao City is an ethnic melting pot and the capital of the Southern Mindanao Region and one of the world’s largest cities in terms of area. Its confines embrace a sprawling 244,000 hectares of land. It is clean, friendly and feels more like a village than a lively metropolis, at times. I was surprised by the uncluttered skyline and lack of street lights. In fact, there are only 15 street lights to direct the 1.4 million people (and 50 trillion cars) of Davao through the city. While appearing chaotic to the eyes of a westerners, Davao’s cars comfortably move together and intertwine like a nice plate of spaghetti. Davao is relatively smoke-free from heavy regulations and smoking is permissible only in a few designated areas. Visa and Master Card are readily accepted, American Express is less so. Davao also promotes itself as the safest city in the Philippines. This is probably true, but at a cost. Visitors can expect to see plenty of army, police and other security almost everywhere and can plan to have bags perused and their persons patted down when entering hotels and large markets. To Davao’s credit, this process is fast and relatively innocuous unlike my lengthy experiences at U.S. airports.

Here a few random thoughts that may brighten a dim understanding of the ASEAN region.

• Brunei, while frequently mistaken as being part of the Middle East, is surrounded by unspoiled rain forest and Malaysia as a part of Borneo. It is also one of the richest countries in the world with virtually no poverty.

• Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia offer plenty of cultural and historical attractions that are poorly marketed and, sadly, frequently overlooked by travelers.

• Thailand is celebrating their beloved Monarch’s 80th Birthday in 2006 and has scheduled numerous events and openings to mark the occasion.

• Vietnam has seven UNESCO sites worth visiting beyond the historical attractions of their long war.

• The tiny country of Singapore receives nine million visitors a year.

• The Philippines, while having a strict travel advisory from the U.S., may not deserve its present reputation – at least from my experience.

In between the press conferences and interviews, I did take a few moments to enjoy Davao. I recommend getting around by the most available mode of transport in the Philippines, the jeepney. The jeepney is very inexpensive, packed with locals and an opportunity to experience the Philippines’ traffic spaghetti. I also found mysterious islands and friendly people. Our readers can expect to see a lot more in the future from the ASEAN community on In The Know Traveler.

This year’s ATF was open from January 13-21, 2006. Next year’s ATF, Singapore!

Written and photographed by Devin Galaudet

For more on Philippines at ITKT

I am looking forward to my upcoming trip the land of 7000 islands, the Philippines. I have done my research: geography, people, attractions. The trip should be great and I am looking forward to sharing my thoughts and experience. Sadly, my tast buds are going blind. I never stopped to learn about the cuisine of the Philippines! Not very In-The-Know of me. Fortunately, that’s what friends are for. The following is a palette-saving note I received from a fan with heritage to match. I have Elisa’s permission to present her culinary picks and helpful hints for enjoying every morsel of the Philippines. May we both enjoy them. -Devin Galaudet, ITKT Editor and enthusiastic traveler-

As promised, here are some tips to know for you upcoming trip to the Philippines :
First of all..here are a few words that might be helpful to know/use :
Kamusta ka ? (How are you?)
Mabuti (good –a response to kamusta ka)
Opo (yes)
Hindi (simply “no”)
Salamat (thank you)

Ethnic Foods to try :
1. Balut – almost hatched egg…well, don’t ask just try it. If you are not crazy about this idea, try “Penoy” instead. It’s the same preparation but the chicken is still in a yolk form. Just as good for you.
2. Green Mango shake – my favorite drink.
3. Tap-si-log or Lo-si-log – for breakfast. Filipinos eat a hearty breakfast. Here are two standard worth sampling.
4. Halo-Halo (pronounced “halow-halow”) – a dessert that is a must have with either “ube” or “mango” ice cream on top !
5. Pancit Lug-lug (pronounced “pansit loog loog”) – a noodles dish…really good
6. Kare-kare (pronounced “kahreh kahreh”) – a notable entree to the Filipino people.
7. Taho (pronounced “tah hoe”) – a healthy dessert made with soy. This cannot be ordered in a restaurant. You can buy this dessert from a street vendor. You can’t miss him, the dessert will be carried on his shoulders while he walks the streets and screaming, “Taho- Taho.” If you find one, ask for the works !
8. Puto bong-bong – a purple rice cake dessert that is usually served during the holidays. You may still find them in January. I ilike this one, it’s yummy
9. Sansrival cake – a decadent cake. Another must have, even just a slice. Good ones are made by either Goldilocks Bakery or Red Ribbon Bakery.
10. San Miguel Beer – famous Filipino beer (by the way, San Miguel was my maiden name…..unfortunately no connection to the owner of the brewery.)
11. Lumpia shanghai – My husband’s favorite eggroll

Fruits
1. Lanzones – this is usually only available during January – March
2. Atis – one of my favorites
3. Santol – mostly sold from a walking vendor. They will peel it for you. It’s a sour kind of fruit usually eaten with rock salt.

Other things to do :
1. Ride a jeepney
2. Ride a tricycle (costs only pennys — they take you anywhere)
3. In the provincial area there is a cockfight called “sabong”. Filipinos love cockfights. See one if you have the opportunity.
4. Get a massage at the beach

Filipino people are hospitable in general. It will be easy for you to get around the island as they all understand English. They love Americans and many striving to be “western” as possible. I found it helpful on my last visit to bring a bag of hard candies. I gave it out to the local kids in the street and they became helpful tourist guides showing me places worth seeing — plus they enjoy the treat.
Have a great and safe time.

Written by Elisa (San Miguel) Krall

http://www.tourism.gov.ph/

For more on Philippines at ITKT