Travel Bites: Metro Naga eyes 20% hike in tourists by 2016 on higher infrastructure spend

METRO Naga is projecting a 20-percent growth in tourist arrivals over the next three years, as it positions itself as a premier destination in the Bicol region.

This developed as Naga City Mayor John Bongat told  the BusinessMirror he is looking to spend some P1 billion for tourism-related infrastructure projects over the medium term that would further boost the area’s chances of attracting more visitors.

“We will solicit support from national government sources,” he said of the proposed budget. Bongat was in Manila on Friday to launch Naga Excursions (Naga X), a tourism brand that pushes the exciting destinations of Metro Naga—composed of 16 local government units in the province of Camarines Sur, with Naga City as its anchor.

One of the most popular festivals in Bicol is the feast day of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, which features a fluvial procession. (Photo by Remate)

About P400 million to P600 million of the proposed infrastructure budget will be spent to rehabilitate the Naga River. “This is the site of the fluvial parade [during the Feast of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia], so we would like to help the river recover, construct a plaza and other gathering areas along its banks,” said Alec Francis Santos, chief of the Arts, Culture and Tourism Office of Naga City, the capital of Camarines Sur.

The rest of the P1-billion proposed budget would be for the repair and construction of roads, bridges, promenades and walkways.

In 2013, the national government allocated P52 million to build a city museum in Naga in memory of the late Interior and Secretary Jesse Robredo, Santos added.

He also said Bongat had recently written a letter to Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya for help in upgrading the Naga City Airport, which is regularly flooded during the monsoon season. The mayor is also seeking Abaya’s support to raise the priority of return flights from Naga, so planes would be able to land on time in Manila.

According to the General Appropriations Act of 2013, the Department of Public Works and Highways is constructing some P338 million in tourism infrastructure projects in Camarines Sur this year. The projects are mainly for the upgrading and improvement of roads to specific tourism areas in the province.

“Metro Naga is now gearing up and positioning itself as the tourism hub for Region 5 [Bicol region],” said Bongat, who is also chairman of the Metro Naga Development Council (MNDC), which groups 16 local governments representing the municipalities of Bombon, Bula, Calabanga, Camaligan, Canaman, Gainza, Libmanan, Magarao, Milaor, Minalabac, Ocampo, Pamplona, San Fernando, Pili, Pasacao and Naga City. The MNDC is an initiative funded by the Canadian International Development Agency through the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The group “seeks to bring about accelerated, equitable and sustainable growth and development by maximizing the resources of its members, following an integrated area development framework. Through local economic development, the MNDC seeks to strengthen the links between urban Naga City and its neighboring rural municipalities to widen the economic benefits derived from its phenomenal growth,” says its project web site.

“For a long time, tourists going to Camarines Sur stay in Metro Naga. So we’ve identified destinations that are ready for promotions, as well as others for tourism development,” said Santos.

Naga X is designed as a one-stop shop for tourists, offering a variety of “highly customizable” travel packages that cover accommodations, tours and other activities in key destinations in Metro Naga, connecting to other tourist sites in the other provinces in Camarines Sur. The province has 35 towns and two cities.

Caramoan is often called the Secret Paradise because of its distance from major urban cities or centers of commerce. It is a favorite location for the reality TV series, Survivor. (Photo from http://www.caramoan.co/)

The packages feature trips to nearby islands like Caramoan, the location for various Survivor series (Islands Excursions), churches like the Minor Basilica of the Virgin of Peñafrancia (Pilgrimage Excursions), cultural landmarks via walking tour of Centro Naga (Heritage Excursions), or a hike through the Mount  Isarog National Park (Highlands Excursions), among other places, with rates starting as low as P550 per person.

Basic inclusions in the package tours are ground handling (land and boat transfers), Department of Tourism (DOT) accredited tour guides and travel insurance.

“Naga X is also a consortium that groups local players in the tourism industry that includes hotels, transport providers, tour operators, restaurants, coffee shops, spas and allied services,” added Santos. All of the members cooperate in marketing Metro Naga, and are expected to adhere to strict standards for operations to make the tourist experience truly satisfying.

From 3.1 million tourists in 2010, tourists to the Bicol region have leaped by almost 20 percent to 3.7 million, according to DOT data. Of the total visitor arrivals in the region, Metro Naga/Camarines Sur accounted for 34 percent in 2010, steadily growing to 51 percent, or 1.9 million arrivals in 2012. Domestic travelers comprise the bulk of the visitor arrivals in Camarines Sur, while foreign tourists account for some 25 percent.

Bongat said the construction of the Camsur Watersports Complex  (CWC) in Pili has helped spur tourism in Metro Naga and the entire province.

Aside from the CWC, the annual festival celebrating the feast day of the Virgin of Peñafrancia plus meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) have helped attract more tourists to the province.

Santos added that tourism receipts generated in Metro Naga alone grew by 23.5 percent to P741 million in 2012 from P600 million in 2010.

The growth in tourist arrivals in Camarines Sur has encouraged more private-sector investments in the accommodations sector, he said. From only 22 hotels in 2000, with 551 rooms, there were 56 hotels with 1,609 rooms in Metro Naga as of the end of 2012, which included the Eurotel hotel chain. He also said some 200 more rooms will be added to the accommodations sector this year.

Metro Naga is easily accessible by land or air. PAL Express and Cebu Pacific  fly daily to Naga City. By land, which usually takes eight hours, tourists can take the bus via Philtranco, Peñafrancia Tours or Isarog Line , Cagsawa Travel and Tours (T# 913-4514/0917-6063918)  and DLTB Co. 

(This piece was originally published in the BusinessMirror on June 3, 2013.)

Travel Bites: Hot and spicy Albay

The Daraga Church (Our Lady of the Gate Parish Church) was constructed with volcanic stones, a number of which have been etched or carved with religious images.

ONE of the most spectacular welcomes that I have ever encountered in all my years of traveling around the Philippines or abroad is the majestic Mount Mayon Volcano coming into view of a plane’s window. The sight of the sweeping curvaceous slopes rising to a near-perfect cone puffing white wisps of smoke is enough to take one’s breath away. 

And while you cannot escape its colossal presence—Mount Mayon is visible for miles around even as far as the neighboring provinces—there are several other spots in Albay, even in its capital city of Legazpi alone, that are worth visiting. 

Two of the best times to visit Albay are during the Magayon Festival in April and the Ibalong Festival in August. The Magayon Festival showcases the culture and artistry of Albayanons (as Albay folk are called), and features beauty pageants, food festivals, trade fairs and street dancing. At the Ibalong Festival, people wear masks depicting the ancient heroes and villains in the folk-epic. 

Must-see's

A bit of history. Explore a tunnel that was carved out during World War II and where the Japanese military hid their ammunition, located at the Ligñon Hill Nature Park. Aside from its historical background, the park also offers a panoramic view of Legazpi City, Mount Mayon and its environs, the town of Daraga and the shimmering Albay Gulf. Try other activities in the park such as ziplining, running or jogging along its winding, rising incline, biking or rappelling. 

Waterworks. Busay Falls (Barangay Malilipot) is said to be one of the highest in the country, cascading from 250 meters in seven levels into seven different pools. The last waterfall, a single cascade from 40 meters, is the most popular among tourists who usually come during the sizzling summer months and rent the available huts in the area. Refreshments and snacks may be bought from vendors in the vicinity. 

One has to hike about a kilometer through lush vegetation to get to the gushing Vera Waterfalls (Barangay Bulang). Located in a ravine, the water streams from several points in the bedrock spraying into the pool down below. Bring your own food and beverages for a picnic but make sure to clean up after. The hike back up from the ravine may be quite difficult for inexperienced hikers so it’s best to rest periodically to catch your breath. 

Pilgrimage. Marvel at the baroque architecture of the Daraga Church (Our Lady of the Gate Parish Church), built by Franciscan missionaries in 1773, in Barangay San Roque. Volcanic stones, with engravings and carvings, were used in the construction of the church, making it one of the rarest in the country. It has been tagged a National Cultural Treasure by the National Historical Institute of the Philippines. 

Mt. Mayon, the enduring icon of the province of Albay, as seen from the Cagsawa Ruins, which are remnants of an old Franciscan church buried during the eruption of the volcano in 1814. About 1,200 residents in the town of Daraga died from the eruption, hundreds of whom had taken refuge at the church. 

The Cagsawa Ruins (Barangay Busay, Cagsawa) is what remains of an old Franciscan church that was damaged during the eruption of Mount Mayon in 1814. The old church’s belfry still stands, a constant reminder of the dangers of living near the still active volcano. Outside the park are stalls selling popular products made from abaca such as slippers, hats and bags. 

Other churches worth visiting are the Saint Dominic Guzman Parish Church in Santo Domingo; the Albay Cathedral (Cathedral of San Gregorio Magno) in the old Albay District; the Our Lady of the Assumption Parish Church in Guinobatan, Albay; and Saint Raphael’s Church in Legazpi City. 

To-do's

Cave exploration. Albay is a haven for spelunkers, with a number of caves found all over the province offering varying degrees of difficulty. 

Pototan Cave (Barangay Tinucawan, Batan Island, Rapu-Rapu) is accessible from the island’s beach via stairs and one of the easiest to traverse. There is an underground river inside that flows into different caverns, while multiple rock formations abound along with a generous number of stalactites and stalagmites. 

Also on Batan Island is the Minaroso Cave (Barangay Villahermosa), which provides a natural sanctuary for seabirds and swallows, while the Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave (Barangay Cotmon, Camalig) has remnants of coral embedded in its walls and on the ground, having once been below sea level. 

Eat up a storm. If spicy food is your thing, there is no better place in the country to feast on such dishes but Albay. 

Sibid-Sibid Food Park (328 Peñaranda Street, Bonot, Legazpi City) is where one goes for an introduction to authentic Bicolano dishes that are hot and cooked in coconut milk. Specialties include bicol express, tinotungang manok sa gata, crispy fish sisig, and homemade ice cream. 

For merienda, drop by DJC Halo Halo (across the Gaisano Mall in Legazpi City) for its grated-cheese-topped halo-halo, which come in special or supreme (with a scoop of ice cream). 

One shouldn’t miss eating the “new look,” a fleshy dried fish only available in Legazpi. Buy at the Legazpi Market to take home, or order it for breakfast at Hotel Venezia or Misibis Bay Resort. The Legazpi Market is also a haven for pako (fern) lovers. 

Suntan and a swim. Beaches abound in Albay, though these are of the grainy black-sand variety, pulverized over the centuries from the volcanic rocks spewed by Mount Mayon. Check out Barangay Sogod in the town of Bacacay; Kaluyukai beach in Santo Domingo; and Joroan beach in Tiwi. 

Misibis Beach on Cagraray Island offers guests at the private Misibis Bay Resort (T# 052-487-1540/+63917-599-1590/http://www.misibisbay.com/) a white-sand beach for tanning and engaging in water sports. (See http://tourism.albay.gov.ph/destinationpage.html for details on resorts.)

Busay Falls is one of the more popular destinations in Albay even for locals who enjoy a splash in its cold pool during the sizzling summer months.

Where to stay

IN downtown Legazpi, check into Hotel St. Ellis (Rizal Street, and Gov. Forbes Street/www.hotelstellis.com.ph/), which has an elegant lobby washed in white, spacious rooms and a generous breakfast buffet. Value for money, considering its strategic location—about 10 minutes away from the airport, and a short tricycle ride from the mall. 

For great views of Mount Mayon, book a room at the Casablanca Suites (Benny Imperial Street, Legazpi City/T# 052-481-0788/http://www.casablancasuites.ph/). It has Wi-Fi access in its rooms, making it the perfect hotel for business travelers. The food is simple and overall service by the staff can be sluggish especially when the hotel is fully booked, but they make up for this with their friendliness and accommodating nature. 

Getting there

BY air, Legazpi City is accessible from Manila and Cebu via Airphil Express and Cebu Pacific, and from Manila via Zest Airways. Check their web sites for daily schedules. 

You can also drive to Legazpi by hitting the South Luzon Expressway and exiting at Calamba City. You pass through San Pablo, Lucena and Quezon then turn to Quirino Highway that will take you to Bicol. It’s a long albeit scenic route, so take frequent stops along the way to stretch your legs and back, as well as to eat and use restrooms. 

There are also various bus lines that ply the Manila-Legazpi-Manila route: Raymond (Cubao terminal), DLT Co. (Pasay), Philtranco (Cubao) and Peñafrancia (Cubao) are just a few of them. (Click on http://wowlegazpi.com/travel-and-transport/by-land/ for particulars.) 

(Travel Bites is published every Monday on the front page of the BusinessMirror. This piece was published on Dec. 10, 2012. Photos copyrighted owned by the author.)

Surrendering to bliss

THE province of Albay in Bicol doesn’t exactly conjure images of luxury and pampering. To most people, it just means the ever-rumbling Mayon Volcano, rows of abaca plants, and a great deal of pili nut products. Oh, yes, and who can forget—the devastating typhoons that always seem to batter the area?

Surprisingly, as my friends and I arrived in Legaspi City after leaving Manila’s rain-drenched streets only an hour before, the sun was shining at its mightiest. We were later told that in this part of the country, the weather is actually the reverse of what it is in Metro Manila. So if you feel that vacation itch during the rainy season, the Bicol region is actually the best destination to escape to.

We were on our way to Misibis Bay Raintree, one of only three Philippine establishments that have made it into the Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) of the World group. SLH counts only 500 of the most exclusive establishments in the world which cater to a very discriminating clientele in terms of luxury and hospitality.

Upon our arrival at the airport, we were met by the friendly resort staff and whisked off in a van to its dock at the newly built commercial and entertainment complex, the Embarcadero at the Legaspi port. A fancy welcome of bubbling champagne and suman awaited us, while cool pleasantly scented white face towels did the trick in refreshing and energizing us for the next part of our journey.

We then boarded a fastcraft for the 30-minute ride to the lush and verdant Cagraray Island, located northeast of Legaspi. Everywhere we looked, the calm azure waters provide a delightful contrast to the sunny cloudless sky. The only visible puffs of white were from Mayon Volcano, no longer with the perfect cone, but still unparalleled in its grandeur.

Local folk dancers dressed in colorful costumes welcomed us as we made our way to the Spice Market, the resort’s main restaurant. It being the early morning, and already battling low blood-sugar levels, we eagerly wolfed down our breakfast of fried garlic rice, sunny-side up eggs, and New Look, a very meaty dried fish that we discovered on our visit last year. (It’s called New Look because the specie was only discovered in the waters of Bicol sometime in the 1960s, and has yet to be identified with any scientific name, or so a local fisheries graduate told us.) Super-addicting!

After a hearty breakfast, we were led to our beachfront villas, where a soothing foot scrub and massage awaited us. The villa I was assigned to had a commanding view of the sparkling Albay Gulf and the clear blue sky visible through floor-to-ceiling picture windows. It also had a sundeck with two lounging beds where guests could soak up the rays of the sun.

The main feature of each of the villas is, of course, the king-sized bed and fluffy goose-down pillows all wrapped in 350-thread count linen. It was so heavenly to sink into, it took much effort to get up from after a nap or a night’s rest. Imagine a stunning view of peaking waves and drifting clouds each morning, and lying in a huge comfy bed...now that’s what I call a vacation! Even when it drizzled, it was just so peaceful and serene to lie in bed, under the snug covers, neck cradled by gentle pillows, and look out those windows.

(Some of the activities you can enjoy at Misibis Bay Raintree in Albay. Photo colllage courtesy of the resort.)

The villa also had a large heated bathroom where guests can bathe using either the generic bottled bathroom amenities or L’Occitane toiletries.

Each villa is assigned a female butler, who conscientiously tidies up the room whenever the guest is out, folds clothes strewn about, hangs wet bathing suits in the outdoor clothes line, and rearranges the hand towels into their original fan shapes. Okay, truthfully, by the second day, this was freaking me out because this was way too OC for me. Personally, I’m the type who needs a little disorder in my life, but I’m sure other guests will not mind the careful attention to detail the butler gives to their room. (The butler also had an annoying habit of waking me up while I was fast asleep, which I suppose can be ascribed to the resort being just in its soft-opening phase and the staff still needing to get used to the ways of guests.)

What I did appreciate was the warm sudsy bath the butler prepared on the dot, at 6 pm, each evening. Returning to the villa from a vigorous yoga workout and soaking in that bathtub even for just 30 minutes was so divinely comforting.

Adventurous guests have lot of activities to choose from, such as jetskiing, windsurfing, skipping on the water via the banana boat ride, snorkeling, lava trekking near Mount Mayon, and doing the zip line. My pal Marianne went scuba diving just off the Misibis dock and was pleasantly surprised to have seen a manta ray with a 6-foot wingspan swim near her and her dive master. She said it was so close, it could’ve been possible for her to just reach out and touch the creature’s belly. And this was just in 30 feet of water.

If you’re not the type who wants to push up your cardiac rates while on vacation, my pals and I, for instance, had a cooking class with the resort’s chief cook, Danny Gonzales, a Batangueño who has learned to whip up feisty Bicolano dishes. We also made pili nut panna cotta under the guiding hand of Pastry Chef Edgar Encinas. (Of course, we playfully berated Chef Edgar for not preparing sugar-free desserts for diabetics and health-conscious guests.)

In the evening, one can enjoy the nightly entertainment provided by the resident lounge singers, sing yourselves hoarse at the videoke room, or just chillax watching a movie in the den. And if you can’t really tear yourself away from your busy urban life, there is a business center where you can check your e-mails, or insanely update your Facebook status detailing all your activities at the resort.

What I love about Misibis Bay Raintree is that feeling of privacy and blissful isolation, where a real vacation of doing nothing is possible. For people like me who have had enough of the chaotic rush of vacationers, the garbage on the beach, as well as the nightly noise and parties of some island resorts, Misibis is really the perfect place to get away from it all. (Originally published in the Life section of the BusinessMirror, Sept. 2009)

(More resort photos in my August blog entry.)

Albay is hot!

I SUPPOSE it was the perfect time than any to travel to Albay, especially given that Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano is batting for Mayon Volcano to be among the “New 7 Wonders of Nature.” It would be my second time in Albay, and I just couldn’t take enough photos of the grand volcano with its sweeping curvaceous slope ending in a near-perfect cone.

As soon as she came into view as our plane was descending into Albay, I started clicking away on my trusty camera-phone through the plane’s window, and again as I got out into the Legazpi airport tarmac, then everywhere else we went. I have so many photos of Mount Mayon: its enormity shrouded in clouds, a breathtaking one with a clear view of its entire magnificence, and—past sunset—its brooding figure looming in the darkening horizon.

In a way, I envy the residents of Albay for having the volcano in their midst. I mean, how cool it must be to wake up every morning with Mayon visible through your bedroom window, or have coffee and breakfast while gazing at it from your kitchen? Even the locals say they are constantly awed by her presence, and never get tired of looking at her.

Of course, I’m sure the people living around the volcano’s 6-kilometer permanent danger zone have a different view of Mayon, gripped by sheer terror when she rumbles and growls, and then spews off her anger and spite at the world. They then pack up their belongings in a rush and flee, heavy with worry if their houses and farms will survive yet another of her legendary tantrums. (Click here for the rest.)

The richest man in Bicol

ELIZALDY CO is probably a name Metro Manilans are not familiar with. But out in Bicol, this is one 'taipanet' that has been making waves in the region's economy, and soon Luzon natives will also be able to benefit from his businesses.

I met Zaldy when I recently went to Legazpi, Albay to cover the inauguration of two new tourism properties – Hotel Venezia in Renaissance Gardens, Legazpi, and Discovery Bay Misibis in Cagraray Island. Both properties are to be managed by HSAI Raintree Inc. (which also oversees the Discovery Hotels and resorts), but unlike the other Discovery-branded establishments, the Bicol properties are owned by Zaldy.


(Zaldy Co, CEO of Sunwest Group of Companies, poses at the lanai of a model unit of Discovery Bay Misibis, a luxury resort in Albay scheduled to open in December.)

Only 38, this guy is so unassuming and humble I can't imagine him as one of the richest men, if not, the richest man in Bicol. He is into almost all businesses — construction, aviation, tourism, renewable energy, and soon, even mining. An ex-seminarian, Zaldy's businesses (under his Sunwest Group of Companies) are aimed at protecting the environment (yes, even the mining although he declined to reveal the details of this rather new venture), giving more jobs to people, and lifting economies.

His renewable energy projects, for example, are powering small islands like Catanduanes, and soon Antique and Iloilo. "It's a good feeling," Zaldy says of his hybrid power projects (geothermal, hydro, wind). "It's acceptable to the people, and good for the environment.... We are just stewards of this earth, e."

Read more about how this taipan-in-the-making is making a difference in Bicol and the Philippine countryside.