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MANDALUYONG CITY MAKES HEADWAY IN IMPROVING TOURISM IN THE NEXT SIX YEARS

Nolan Angeles heads the city tourism department and is tasked to see to it that the city's growth in tourism will expand further and stronger that will provide employment and more facilities to put Mandaluyong on the map of important cities to enjoy tourism in Metro Manila.

IN ITS SECOND of a three-part workshops, Mandaluyong City through its City Cultural Affairs and Tourism Department (CCATD) invited the private sector where Crossroads Manila attended to take part and contribute in the city’s effort to improve tourism in the city and become a contributor in the country’s program for economic growth.

The workshop entitled Mandaluyong Tourism and Cultural Depelopment Plan was facilitated by BIODEV, Inc. which specializes in urban planning, researched, developed, and conducted the event to get more help from the private sector so it can tackle tourism plans and maximize the city’s potential natural, historical, and commercial destinations and improve it further and attract more investments as it were. Strategically, the city was divided into four hubs where it plans to situate tourism growth. The proposed Mandaluyong Hubs touted to bring potential tourism growth are:

HUMANITYVILLE – Where the landmarks and heavyily-situated residential areas are such as Welfareville Compound and Addition Hills. It is also where history and declared cultural properties are located such as the Jose Rizal University, BSA Townhomes, and works of national artists found in Population Center Foundation.

CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (CBD) – Where towns of Wack-Wack Greenhills, Pleasant Hills, and Highway Hills are located. It is the largest of all the hubs. CBD is heavily known as the shopping district where high-rise residential and commercial places are found including the the Wack-Wack Golf Course.

CIVIC CIRCLE – Highlighting the center of governance where the government is located. Several landmarks are also situation in this area which are the Kaban ng Hiyas Building, Congressional District Library, The Dambana ng Alaala, and many more. The Civic Circle is composed of four barangays, which are Muaway, Plainview, Barangka Drive, and Malamig.

RIVER LINE – Based on the Pasig River line where residntial area of Mabini-J. Rizal, Namayan, Vergara, hulo, Barangka Ibaba, Barangka Itaas, Barangka Ilaya, and Buayang Bato which all have access to the river.

City stakeholders and the private sector teamed up to brainstorm and create proposals for the city council’s approval in growing the city’s tourism prospects.

The hubs are meant to highlight the diversity of the city’s possible areas of showcases and help stakeholders and future administration heads plan out what and how to maximize the areas for tourism growth. Each area are protracted to gain from what organizers indicate would be growth for employment, discovery and protection of heritage sites and activities, other programs and projects that will be identified in a six-year program that leaders would tackle.   

Throughout the day-long seminar, delegates were guided by the working vision crafted during the first workshop held in August, “Mandaluyong envisions to become globally competitive, adaptive, sustainable, and state-of-the-art for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE).” The attendees brainstormed ideas and sought ways in identifying challenges each hub faces in the areas of global competitiveness, ability to adapt (being resilient), to be sustainable, and having state-of-the-art facilities for MICE activities. Each challenge was paired with ideas on how to solve or address it through measurements that the City Council can tackle after the facilitators would summarize it in a report that will be given this month for budget purposes.

Site development planner, Arch. Miguel Fernando Ortiz shared the proposed development plans the city has lined up to develop and improve public fixtures important to the growth of the city's tourism plans.
Site development planner, Arch. Miguel Fernando Ortiz shared the proposed development plans the city has lined up to develop and improve public fixtures important to the growth of the city’s tourism plans.

Energized by new delegates and attendees, innovation, friendly, progressive, and environment sustainability were strong statements that provided key factors in gathering many ideas in solving many tourism challenges the city is facing in reaching its vision to becoming one of the leading tourism spots in The Philippines. Crossroads Hostel is one of the only two accommodation establishments (AEs) that attended the event, which expressed gratitude to the leadership of CCATD Head, Nolan V. Angeles who spearheaded the fact-finding mission with the support of then mayor and now Vice-Mayor Menchie Abalos.

Mandaluyong is home to more than 400,000 residents faced with some overpopulation and flood problems to deal with as it tackles numerous potential for economic growth thereby giving each local citizens a measure of prosperity. 

  • Hon. Menchie Abalos emphasized the importance of getting more information and feedback from the private sector in order to make the project work.
    Hon. Menchie Abalos emphasized the importance of getting more information and feedback from the private sector in order to make the project work.
  • Nolan Angeles heads the city tourism department and is tasked to see to it that the city's growth in tourism will expand further and stronger that will provide employment and more facilities to put Mandaluyong on the map of important cities to enjoy tourism in Metro Manila.
    Nolan Angeles heads the city tourism department and is tasked to see to it that the city’s growth in tourism will expand further and stronger that will provide employment and more facilities to put Mandaluyong on the map of important cities to enjoy tourism in Metro Manila.
  • Almost 100 attendees came for the event.
    Almost 100 attendees came for the event.
Some of the highlights of the event that took place in the Auditorium of Kaban ng Hiyas inside the area of the City Hall.

Crossroads Hostel Manila is one of the accommodations Mandaluyong has that is accredited by the Department of Tourism offering basic services for tourists, backpackers, and traveling local residents looking for a clean, secure, and safe place to stay.

For more information on this story and how the hostel can you or business owners, call +639478957600. We can be reached through WhatsApp and through our Facebook Page facebook.com/crossroadshostelmanila. /kca

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DOT GRANTS CROSSROADS HOSTEL MANILA ACCREDITATION RENEWAL

shows the owner posing in front of the DOT logo and the certificatekuwadrodigital

THE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM granted Crossroads Hostel Manila accreditation to operate as a duly recognizeo Mabuhay accommodation until October 31, 2024. This is the fifth accreditation the tourism bureau gave the hostel for as long as the hostel open back in 2014. Crossroads Hostel first received its accreditation in 2016 and it helped the hostel tremendously especially during the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hostel didn’t close its doors because it is one of the few accredited properties recognized by the Tourism Department back in March 17 2020 called upon by the national government to continue accepting visitors and use it as a quarantine location. The hostel used its badge in a different way. During the lockdown, it helped essential businesses in the private sector to continue operating such as the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry. Crossroads Hostel continued to provide accommodation to key member staff and it worked well until such time when Work from Home was encouraged.

According to DOT’s website, accreditation by the Tourism government agency would give the following benefits:

  • Endorsement to COMELEC for exemption from liquor ban during election-related events*.
  • Endorsement to embassies and travel trade association for utilization of establishment’s facilities and services.
  • Being prioritized for DOT training programs
  • Endorsement to internation and domestive airports (if appropriate) for Issuance of Access Pass to Qualified Personnel**.
  • Qualification for Exemption from the United Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) of the Metro Manila Development authority (MMDA)***.
  • Endorsement to Land Transportation Franchising and regulatory Board (LTFRB) for Issuance of Tourist Transport Franchise***. Technical / Security / Facilitation Support or assistance.

*For accommodation establishments and restaurants only.

**For Tour Operators and Accommodation Establishments only.

***For tourist Land Transport Vehicles only.

Because of such benefits, Crossroads Hostel Manila will continue to seek the government’s accreditation because it provides the hostel not just credentials but reassurance to guests that they are in a safe place, a safe location, and a safe space to rest and transact business when necessary. 

To date, Crossroads Hostel has earned an average customer rating of 9.0 out of 10 stars. This is a remarkable feat considering that it is a budget accommodation and its rating outlasts some of the three to five star hotels nearby.

Get the same experience. Book a safe, secure, and clean place to stay with us. Call +639478957600 for more information. Guests can reach us via WhatsApp and we can immediately book your stay with us in no time.

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Why Backpack in The Philippines

What better way to impart the message of what a backpacker hostel is than to actually allow more people to experience what backpacking is all about in this country.
Crossroads Hostel Manila is now offering package tours to different parts of the country from very interesting places to bucket-list places that one should go to before they pass this earth.

Let your feet do the talking

Let your feet do the talking


What is Backpacking?
Backpacking is your old fashioned way of getting around places and it’s practiced by more and more people around the world because the experience is nothing like luxury and you get to meet people and do stuff that other packages would offer that is not what you’d expect from locals who can give you the feel and experience you will never get by getting on more expensive tours that offer bus trips, boat tours, and plane rides. Backpacking is touring countryside while immersing yourself with the culture and vibrant lives of locals living in those places.
Is it expensive?
It costs to get around, however, you can be sure that these rates are much lower compared to the one offered by big, established tour agencies. What’s the goal of these lower rates? To get you around faster without cutting quality and safety. You still get the same 4×4 rides you get from others, same boats, same buses, same tents — it’s just easier to reach.
Can I customize my trips?
You bet! In fact, you and your friends can design your own trips, do your own destination, at the dates you want. It’s that simple for as long as you can organize seven-member barkadas and more.
How much is the cost to designing my own tours?
PhP2,000 for Day trips and PhP3,500 for overnight to two day trips. The cost goes higher depending on how many sites you want to visit.
When should I time our trips?
The best time to get around is between January – May and between November to December depending on the weather situations of course.
We have three places you can try to visit this year and we’re sure you are gonna have a lot of fun. Please email us if you have questions or even call us at +63 (2) 984-9844. Please try calling us Manila time if in case you’re reading this from another country.

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Taxes Out, More Tourists In!

Commercial Airliners will surely line up to bring in more visitors

Commercial Airliners will surely line up to bring in more visitors


Crossroads Hostel learned that the Philippine Senate recently passed its own version of the Bill, which the Lower House passed much earlier that will remove burdening taxes that continue to discourage airliners from bringing in more passengers to The Philippines. The President is expected to sign the Bill into Law very soon, which airline industry experts say will make The Philippines more attractive than ever in getting its tourism business further off the ground.
For travelers, the said airline taxes is estimated to bring the cost of airline tickets down by as much as eight percent and is estimated to bring in PhP455 Billion pesos worth of revenues from tourism and could most-likely generate six million jobs.
This would mean better infrastructures, better services, and better prospects in showing what the 7,107 islands have to the delight of travelers especially backpackers.
In this regard, Crossroads Hostel will continue to provide high value service to budget travelers looking for a place to stay in after they’ve landed in Manila. This is definitely a Win-Win situation both for our country and for our full-service business.
We wrote this post because of this news we saw today from INTERAKSYON:

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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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Taste our Philippines

Filipino dishes, instead, colors the ‘palate’ of your mouth


I find it hard to title this piece but yielded to what will catch your imagination of our food in the Philippines. Filipino dishes can be the most un-colorful bunch but dishes like Chicken Adobo, Lumpia, or Pancit can give your tongue a delightful sensation only your mouth can define.  Filipino dishes burst with flavors from salty, sweetness, and spicy and everything in between. I remember my lunch that my wife cooked me this morning. A spoonful of savory sweet, salted shrimp paste pork (called “Binagoongang” <Bee-na-go-ong-ang Bah-boy>) White Jasmine rice, and a bite of an unripened mango breaking off in your mouth releasing flavors that just screams with impact. It haunts my mouth giving my palate a bit of work. My senses gets flooded with thoughts that nothing has ever discovered it. It’s indeed a find, the best of Philippine dishes in gastronomical proportions.
Why don’t you taste our Philippines and the Department of Tourism’s Kulinarya Food Trips? This is where visitors and locals alike can dive deep into the different flavors of foods found in different parts of the country’s regions. There are more than ten food trips you can join and enjoy a hearty feast while touring the country with your belly filled and fulfilled.
Come and visit the Philippines and bite into the fun of sumptuous dishes not all can partake. We guarantee that booking your travel with Crossroads Hostel will not just add more value to your tours, give more into your pockets but will allow your taste buds to go wild screaming for more of these flavorful dishes that only our country’s Kulinarya Food Trips can give.
[slideshow]
Images Acknowledgements

  • Dinguan – http://www.skiptomalou.net/2010/06/to-be-fierce.html
  • Chicken Adobo – http://bakecookeat.blogspot.com/2009/08/adobong-manok-chicken-adobo-filipino.html
  • Chicken Pastel – http://totoslechon.com/chicken-menu/chicken-pastel/
  • Bistek – http://onefilipinodish.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/small_bistek004.jpg
  • Halo Halo – http://365greatpinoystuff.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/11-halo-halo/
  • Chicken Afritada – http://www.alicekalaw.com/files/2011/02/DSC02944.jpg
  • Caldereta – http://www.filipinouk.co.uk/forum/showthread.php/36925-Beef-Caldereta-(Or-is-it-Kaldereta-)
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Launched! Philippines Tourism TVC

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecfEmSJrrbs]

Dare to stare with a Tarsier


The first thing that caught my attention was the engaging of what seemed like the 70s Disco-era beat then a techno-sounding voice of who I thought was Apl.D.Ap of Black Eyed Peas (Also Filipino!) repeatedly saying, “It’s more fun in the Philippines, It’s more fun…”
I couldn’t believe that this 30-second ad is what my country is playing now in CNN showcasing the memes of a viral campaign the Department of Tourism started months ago that caught a lot of Filipinos’ fancy. The ad is indeed fun and it poses an intriguing question to suspecting travelers who have yet to discover the country’s appeal and charm, “What will you come up with?”
So why stand in the sidelines? Play this ad over and over and dive into what you can uncover and tell us what you think of fun in the Philippines mean. Book your travel to the Philippines now and add Crossroads Hostel to your plans and save more while you savor the allure of this country.

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Remarkable Tourist Arrivals in First Quarter

Smile. It’s just more fun in the Philippines


The Philippines broke the one million tourist arrivals mark during the first quarter of this year. It’s well on its way to reach the tourism department’s goal of 4.5M tourist arrivals in 2012.
The aggressive “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign hatched by former advertising executive and now the country’s Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. broke ground in the international scene by placing ad spots on cable giant CNN, hiring more than fifty English cabs to carry the country’s slogan and invite more European travelers to this side of the planet.
Tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2012, reached 1,148,072 or 16% more compared to 2011’s first quarter tourist arrivals. The proactive campaign attempts to capture the imagination of prospective travelers who are looking for more fun in Asia by visiting never-before-seen places and unparalleled hospitality Filipinos can give visitors.
Asian countries dominate the top five number of visitors with South Korean travelers holding the number one spot with more than quarter of a million visitors just in the first three months of this year. The United States, on the other hand, is at number 2 yielding the most number of western vacationers in the country with 179,561 visitors to date.
If you’re testing to see what The Philippines can offer because of your limited budget, don’t worry because Crossroads Hostel can help you control your budget without costing you an arm and a leg just to discover how much more fun the Philippines can be. Check out our reservations and tweet us a question (@chostel) so we can help you decide how inexpensive it is to travel in the Philippines with the help of Crossroads Hostel.
Acknowlodgment: http://www.philippinebeaches.net/2011/05/two-jumps-for-boracay/ (cover)

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Security Intensifies in Philippine Airports

Tourists trust tighter security at NAIA


Expect passengers to feel safer and more secured when they travel to the Philippines this year. The Philippine government wants to get the US Federal Aviation Administration’s (USFAA) standard of security operations as it will introduce a two-layered security procedure in all forty-five airports in the country. Secretary Manuel Roxas explains that only twenty-one airports have state-of-the-art security machines that can check passenger baggages.
Several reports have noted the fleet population of commercial airlines flying to the country has doubled to 119 compared to sixty-two only in 2008. This means more tourists are flocking to the country to discover what the tropical nation, known for its fine, white sandy beaches and hiking trails, has to offer.
The country is also developing its medical tourism, which aims to be an alternative to those seeking elective medical procedures without costing more than they should.
Crossroads Hostel offers inexpensive accommodation to both cost-conscious travelers and those who are planning to hike and discover the fun in the Philippines. Check out the properties Crossroads Hostel has to offer.

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Stay and Save With us on Your Medical Tour

If you’re looking for a place to stay in Manila while you have your elective medical procedures, we offer Crossroads Hostel services to you. With our promotional rate of US$7/night/pax, you can be sure to save more have more of The Philippines before you fly back home to your country.
Medical Tourism is a growing industry in the Philippines with doctors and experts patients can rely on. According to the Philippine Medical Tourism, Incorporated, Filipino doctors frequently travel to different countries, especially the United States of America, to learn more about the latest in medical and technical medical procedures that patients may need.
Patients can choose from these fine clinics and hospitals:

You should note that these hospitals and clinics are growing steadily in The Philippines with state-of-the-art equipments within Metropolitan Manila that you can choose from.
Crossroads Hostel will also provide shuttle services so you don’t need to worry about traveling to and from clinics you want us to take you. Inquire now and book your reservation conveniently with our California Garden Square property or to our thirty guest capacity Hostel that will open in October. Use paypal.com and lodge with Crossroads Hostel.

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