Five Reasons: Philippine Tourism can Survive Without China

Mountaineers can trek Mount Pinatubo and enjoy scenes like this in the country


The Philippines do not need to cry when China announced that they’re putting the country out of the Chinese tourists’ map. It’s not the Philippines’ lost when Chinese authorities campaigned against the country because of the Scarborough Shoal stand off. Here are some of the reasons why:
1. Language – English is the common language when people of different nationalities communicate and talk. Chinese can opt to go to Thailand, Vietnam, or Indonesia but they will not be able to communicate as clearly and solidly like Filipinos can.
2. Climate – The Philippines is blessed with warm tropical climate and tourists can enjoy the season with sunbathing, windsurfing, wakeboarding, and the likes in a lot of tropical destinations like Camarines Sur, Cagayan de Oro, Bohol, Palawan and not just Laoag and Boracay where tourists usually flock to.
3. Budget – Compared to Malaysia, Thailand, and even Guam, the Philippines can extend the value of any foreign currency. Can you imagine eating lunch – a la Filipino style – in Lucban, Quezon for just a dollar? Imagine all that food you can take in if you double, triple, or quadruple your budget and still feel like a millionaire with all the money to spare?
4. Hospitality – When it comes to hospitality, there’s nothing like the hospitality of this part of the continent. Where else can you feel closer to home than in a country that treats visitors with much care and love like the Philippines? It is something that Koreans and Americans know and sadly Chinese don’t think the same way.

Gota Beach. An upcoming attraction


5. Adventure – Boracay may have missed 200,000 visitors in May but there’s still a lot of nations it can tap to replace the loss the Chinese authorities are bragging about when they don’t see the beauty of other tourist destinations in Davao, Iloilo, Cebu, Albay, Zambales, Batangas, Pampanga, and a lot more other spots that they will not enjoy.
There’s more to the Philippines than the couple of hundreds of thousands of visitors the country is missing right now but it’s not really our loss when their government is trying to control the very freedom that each Chinese should experience flocking to a country that has yet to be explored. There is really more fun in the Philippines and 200,000 people are missing all the fun. It’s a pity that Crossroads Backpackers Hostel wishes that the Chinese will unveil themselves so they can soil in the fun and know how they can be part of the country’s beauty.
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Guinness: Philippines Claims Largest Captive Croc

[slideshow]Crossroads learned that The largest Crocodile in captivity can now be found in The Philippines. The Guinness World Record confirmed that ‘Lolong’ – the name villagers gave the croc – took the top spot away from an Australian saltwater crocodile that measured 17 feet (5 meters) only. Lolong, who measured 20.24 feet (6.17 meters), can be found in the southern island of Mindanao in the town of Bunawan, Agusan del Sur. The town is getting a lot of fame and has earned about PhP3 Million (US$71,000.00) since the gigantic reptile was captured in September 2011. The mayor said most of the income went in to feeding Lolong and the upkeep of the park that houses the crocodile. The crocodile, though not an endangered specie, is prized for its leather and this latest proclamation of Guinness will focus on the importance of the town’s biodiversity and the need to protect it. Villages still believe that there’s a repltile larger than Lolong when another saltwater reptile was seen escaping after the latter was captured.
Crossroads invite you to backpack in the southern island of Mindanao not just to see the mammoth-like creature but to enjoy the vast marshlands and wetlands of Agusan del Sur, which is a haven for mountain trekkers who discovered the beauty of Bega, Gibong, and Binaba Falls just to name a few.
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