The Royal Treatment at Puerto Princesa

With safety protocols firmly enforced, Puerto Princesa is poised to again welcome tourists with open arms. In recent years, the highly urbanized city and tourist haven has been paralyzed by the Covid-19 pandemic, then pummeled by Typhoon Odette. But it is now on the road to recovery---as spectacularly as its scenic, romantic and gastronomic attractions. “The tourism industry is the lifeblood of Puerto Princesa, along with agriculture. Almost 15,000 people directly or indirectly benefit from tourism. In varying degrees, most of the recent construction and development projects are related to tourism: hotel-building, parks, cruise-ship ports, street lights, roads, and many more. Unfortunately, some of these have been on hold since the onset of the pandemic,” discloses Demetrio “Toto” Alvior Jr., the city tourism officer.

The Royal Connection

Puerto Princesa, the capital of postcard-perfect Palawan, sprawls across 253,982 hectares of captivating coastlines stretched over 106 kilometers. Due to its strategic geographical location, it has sufficient depth to allow ships of all sizes to anchor, earning a reputation as a “Princess of Ports,” or in Spanish, “Puerto Princesa.” There’s no contention that Puerto Princesa is one of the country’s greatest pleasures. A holiday destination universally beloved by travelers, beach-combers, and trekkers; a bustling business center with a rural allure; a provincial vibe with modern amenities; and a clean and green city recognized for its lush forests, fresh air, and frontier character.

Rising Above Covid-19

The city of Puerto Princesa has been struggling to get to its feet since the outbreak of Covid-19 in early 2020. The lack of tourists, which is the main industry, has forced hundreds of tourism-related businesses to close, leaving thousands of tourism workers unemployed.

“The public-health crisis forced them to find alternative sources of income, which was made more difficult because of the restrictions of movement due to several lockdowns,” Mr. Alvior reveals. “One factor of low tourist arrivals is the fluctuating number of Covid cases, which in turn affects the determination of quarantine requirements and national government intervention policies.” Today, Puerto Princesa is experiencing record lows in terms of economic losses, losing around P5 billion a year for the past two years from potential tourist receipts.

La Union to launch DIGITAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM EXPO

The wave beckons and the mountain calls as La Union sets its gates to once again be unlocked for tourism. As we steadfastly wait for the reopening of our beloved La Union, let us get ourselves prepared as the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) through the La Union Provincial Tourism Office (LUPTO) stage the Love La Union Digital Travel and Tourism Expo on March 15 to April 15, 2021. The Love La Union Digital Travel and Tourism Expo is an online and mobile app platform featuring tourism and travel destinations in the province. It also features limited offers of travel and tour packages which are available for sale and are made especially affordable for the Digital Event. Various accommodation sales are also up for grabs. It also contains information of various tourism destinations that would make one fall in love with La Union.

To be able to join the Digital Expo, one must download the EXPO PH Mobile App on their mobile phones. The App is available through Google Playstore for Android phones and Appstore for IOS. After downloading the App, one can search for the Love La Union Digital Travel and Tourism Expo and browse through the wide array of offers.

The Digital Event is PGLU’s way of assisting its local tourism stakeholders to help them economically bounce back being one of the most affected sectors of the community due to the CoViD 19 Pandemic. It is expected that the event shall help the revival of the tourism industry in the province where tourists from all over the world can once again create fond memories.

For more information, visit Love La Union official Facebook page or call (242) 5550 to 53 local 286 or telefax number (072) 607 9692.

Digital Event Venue and Media Platform: Expo Ph Mobile App, ACES multimedia ph and ATFC

Virtual streaming partner: KUMU App

Official media partners:

Philippine Daily Inquirer

One of the organizations bound to bring your travel needs, the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies - Philippines Inc., is here to give you trustworthy and reliable tour suppliers as the travel industry REBOOTS for a big comeback.

Welcome to NAITAS TRAVEL SHOW 2020!

The liveliest travel show and virtual B2B event for tour operators and travel agents.

Co-presented by the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines and in partnership with the Department of Tourism.

Connect to international and local tour operators and over 1000 travel agents in the Philippines and browse a list of international and local tour operators until February 25, 2021 via EXPO PH Mobile App a free event management mobile app and the official virtual event platform and marketing arm of Naitas Travel Show 2020. Download the Expo Ph app on Android and Ios.

Its Major Exhibitors include RIVIERA Tours and Travel, TBO Holidays Philippines, BELMONT Hotel Boracay, SAVOY Hotel Boracay Newcoast, HIS PHILIPPINES Travel Corp., TURKISH Airlines and The TRAVEL Depot will be streaming virtually via KUMU App thru the collaborative efforts of EXPO PH, ACES Multimedia Ph, and ATFC.

Official media partners:

Philippine Daily Inquirer, INQ.Subscription, Inquirer Lifestyle, Mindanao Daily, Businessweek Mindanao, Village Connect, LionheartTV, 90.7 Love Radio, and Wave 89.1

Visit NAITAS TRAVEL SHOW on Facebook or Call 09778043787 and 028874-5686 for inquiries or log on to WWW.GOEXPOPH.COM.

The NAITAS TRAVEL SHOW 2020, The liveliest travel show and virtual B2B event in the palm of your hand!


Brought to you by ExpoPH.com

"I have a dream, and I hope it will come true that you're here with me, and I am with you," oops, I'm not singing a song for you, but it's going to be more of my story, my dream travel. Have you dreamt of a scene where you always find yourself in a place not known to you? Or have you seen yourself walking in your dream vacation? Well, I have been dreaming that since I was a child, an instance where I go to different places. In other words, I travel.

Fortunately, little by little, that dream came true. I have been to places I never thought I would be. I'm very thankful to people who help me experience this travels. It's a great blessing to be there, and at the same time, it is excellent to experience first-hand learning. Now, I'm not only reading books but actually experiencing it and seeing it with my own eyes.

There are still more places that I want to see and explore. My childhood dream probably had accomplished a little bit near fifty percent. I still have a long way to go to complete that dream travels.


During my college days, one of the places that ring a bell to adventurous explorers like me is the island of Palawan. At that time, Palawan is well known for its forest preservation efforts. I was glad that our organization chose the island to be the beneficiary of our annual activity, the Lakbay Aral, Sanay, at Gabay sa Barangay. It's on this activity, where I learned the value of budgeting and getting all ways and means to accomplish the project.

When budgeting, always have a back-up plan, and that's where I learned it. The group's initial plan was a thrifty ride using the Philippine Air Force's C130 plane bound to Puerto Princesa. A week before the flight, we manage to secure our names in the manifest. Unfortunately, there was a priority operation that day, and we got bumped-off. Not backing off with our commitment, the group manages to pull some resources, and we end up traveling by a commercial ship bound to Puerto Princesa. The travel may not be as fast as through the sky, but it compensates with the scenic view and fresh wind breeze of the sea. We landed in the afternoon of the following day.

That was the first time I landed on the island of Palawan. I almost kiss the soil after the thought sink-in that I was there already.


Then, the work started by immersing in one of the local families. It's more of a community-driven purpose rather than leisure. Consider it as an official business, and leisure time is on a tight schedule. But they have this phrase or saying the "come back, come back spirit." They said that you are bound to come back again to the island.

Well, it seems that they are right because a few years after, I found myself getting my discounted plane ticket bound to Puerto Princesa, Palawan. It may be natural to some people, but it seems mystical that destiny is fulfilling my dream to go back to the island where I missed a lot of places to visit during my first travel to Palawan.

It was less than an hour's flight from Manila to Puerto Princesa. The good thing here is that I have someone waiting for me. She's waiting to take me on my dream travel and to make it come true. The 'half' of my life that completes my whole being, my fiancee.

It's not wrong to go on a budget. It's one way of extending more of your resources to spend more time with that someone. And Puerto Princesa offers a lot of affordable things to do. The only problem at that time was you're limited to 36 shots of photos, but you can still enjoy the most of it. My fiancee and I did enjoy our time together. We did island hopping, spent some time at the beach, dined at some of the Puerto Princesa's famous and yet affordable restaurants, and of course, roamed around the city. The best part is that we had excellent accommodation to relax our tired souls. The experience was great, but it felt incomplete because of our limited time. I missed the opportunity to visit the Underground River, the Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park.

After more than a decade, I still feel the spirit and the longing to complete my dream travel. Though the situation now is much more different, the dream is still there. But this time, I wanted to share that dream with my whole family. Especially now that keeping memories and moments aren't restricted to 36 shots anymore. We'll make sure to bring a gigabyte of data enough to store photographs and videos of our family. It will be another keepsake to cherish.

If I were always on a budget before, I think now and more than ever that I need to be more economical. Like what my kids would always ask, "Pasok ba sa budget?" So Palawan wait for us because our family will be there very very soon!

Next to this dream travel, the destination will be Tagaytay. After that devastating eruption of the Taal Volcano, I think it's about time to go back and admire the beauty of the place aside from the lake and the volcano. I'm sure there are hotels in Tagaytay that we can lodge in perfect for a family like ours.

#RedDoorzPH, #LetsTravelAgainSoon

Where in the world would you want to go this year? I know there are lots of places to visit and fascinating destinations to go to, but there is one place that I know would interest you. Have you been to Japan, the "Land of the Rising Sun?" Well if you ask me, I want to go there and enjoy the marvel of their culture and rich history.

Interestingly, you can enjoy that fun getaway in the "Land of the Rising Sun" by joining SKY's "Go Hokkaido Flyaway Promo." Yes, they are having this promo, where a subscriber and a travel companion will win an all-expense paid 5D/4N trip to Hokkaido, Japan.

This exciting flyaway is made possible with Hotel 101, staged to give the lucky SKY subscriber a fun-filled itinerary to enjoy.

The lucky winner will have a fabulous adventures that includes a trip to Sapporo’s Odori Park, Sapporo Clock Tower, Sapporo Old Government Building, the festive Shiroi Koibito Park, Tanuki Koji/ Susukino shopping street, Chitose's North Snowland, Lake Shikotsu, Mt. Moiwa, Sapporo Beer Garden, Otaru Canal City, Music Box Museum, Kitachi Glass Factory, Mitsui Outlet Park, and get to dine at the Gyuya Edohachi.

Subscribers just need to log on to mysky.com.ph/myaccounts, register their SKY account number, or update their mobile numbers and/or email addresses from January 25 to February 25, 2020, to qualify for the raffle promo.


The promo is available to all SKY Fiber, SKYcable, and SKYdirect Postpaid subscribers. The winner and his travel companion must have valid passports for six months from the travel period and must have a Japan VISA. The deadline for registration is February 25, 2020.

Travel promo period is from March 23 to 27, 2020. For more details, visit mysky.com.ph/gohokkaido. Show original message

It's another year and we're going to see another season of Pia Wurtzbach's Pia's Postcards. Pia Wurtzbach returns to Japan to embark on yet another remarkable adventure on the second season of “Pia’s Postcards,” this time exploring a fragment of the land of the rising sun’s quiet countryside—Saga.

The beauty queen helps shine the spotlight on the small prefecture in Kyushu, most famous for being the so-called origin of ceramics in Japan, and for its hot springs. People who are looking to retreat a little from the hustle and bustle of the city life and who generally prefer a more low-key destination may just find comfort in this place.


Join Pia as she visits Cat Café Coron, a charming café which shelters rescued cats, all of which are available for adoption. She also tries her hand in ceramics making, even painting one herself, as well as dropping by Takezaki Fish Port and The Floating Torii Gate of Ouo Shine, which stands on a shallow area of the ocean in Tara-cho.

The lovely host also stops by Hirakawaya, a place popular for its Onsen Yudofu (onsen tofu), a Japanese tofu hot pot boiled with hot spring water that’s a known specialty of the Ureshino Onsen area. She also digs in on some tofu ice cream for the very first time.

The trip also takes Queen P to her very first hot air balloon ride, an experience that gives her a peek into where the largest international hot air balloon competition in Asia—the Saga International Balloon Fiesta—is being held, usually in late October to early November of every year.


Now on its 2nd season, “Pia’s Postcards” has brought the country’s third Miss Universe across fascinating local and foreign destinations where she immerses herself in the wonderful culture of the places she visits. She has previously reveled in Philippine festivals such as the Pahiyas in Quezon and Higalaay in Cagayan de Oro, as well as witnessed the mesmerizing Jinhae Gunhangje Cherry Blossom Festival in South Korea.

Conquer your travel goals this 2020 starting with the captivating natural marvels and artistry of Saga in “Pia’s Postcards,” airing this Sunday (January 19) on Metro Channel, iWant and Metro.Style’s YouTube channel.

A place found in an unusual part of Rodriguez, Rizal, Villa Milagros is one of the ancestral houses of the Alta families who decided to restore and convert it into an events place. Covered with so many greens, instagrammable sections, and picture-perfect areas makes it a better place for weddings, pictorials, and other celebrations. Some of the celebrity celebrations already transpired in this venue are Aljur Abrenica and Kylie Padilla, Mike Tan and his non-showbiz wife, Bangs Garcia, as well as fashion designer Francis Libiran and shoe designer Jefferson Si. Having Villa Milagros their venue of choice.

Like any other beautiful and magnificent place, with its lush of greens and majestic mansion,
it always comes with a wonderful romantic story behind it. As the lush of greens and majestic mansion paints the picture of today, it is as well present in the pictured story of the past.

On September 3, 1969, businessman Isidro Liamzon and his wife Milagros celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary. After a renewal of vows at Aranzazu church in San Mateo, Rizal —witnessed by their 11 children and other relatives—Isidro presented to his wife the completed mansion named in her honor. It took Isidro five years to have this house built, and the event marked the first time Villa Milagros was used as celebration grounds.

For several years, Villa Milagros served as the Liamzon’s vacation home. In 2015, the family decided to restore the villa and open it to the public. Since then, it has hosted numerous weddings, birthdays, baptisms, corporate events, launches, pictorials, even shoots, and other significant occasions.


“We are proud of the fact that we have kept this place alive for so long,” says Andrea Liamzon-Cote, Villa Milagros Managing Director and granddaughter of Isidro and Milagros. She is also very happy that by painstakingly reviving and maintaining the splendid structure and surroundings, they are able to share the spirit of love, which was the reason why Villa Milagros was built.

Built with a strong foundation of love and heritage, Villa Milagros continuously is keeping the love alive by opening its doors open to guests who would love to experience the beauty of the villa.

To further honor the memory of its founders and also look forward to Villa Milagros’ next chapter, Andrea and her dedicated team are constantly working hard to give their clients the best experience. Andrea says, “We look at the Villa Milagros experience from all angles. It is not only the visual aspect that we take care of. We look at the texture, taste, sound, and smell.”

As such, Villa Milagros keeps strong ties with partners such as Banquets by VS&F and Project Events MNL who are as passionate about creating unforgettable memories and magical moments.

Headed by Chef Joyce Abesamis—who obtained her Culinary Arts degree at Enderun Colleges and trained in Paris, France—Banquets by VS&F is a full-scale contemporary catering service that provides delectable food, timeless banquet set-up and professional hospitality services. The company is rooted in VS&F Catering, a family corporation that has been in the industry for more than 25 years, and is a Wedding Expo Philippines Hall of Fame awardee. Project Events MNL, meanwhile, specializes in clean, classy and contemporary event styling. Weddings comprise a bulk of their portfolio, but the company also styles debuts, launches, and other celebrations.

Seared Filet Mignon in Spanish Caldereta Sauce served with Crispy Potato Leek Cake and Carrot Puree

Warm Mushroom and Pear Salad with Kesong Puti Dressing

Appetizer - Bruschetta a la Pobre with Kang Kong Chips and Bistek Reduction

Natillas de Leche with Anniversary Macaron

As part of the tour of the Villa Milagros, we were given a chance to partake in what frequently is offered by their partner Banquets by VS &F. A sumptuous lunch.

An offshoot of the Villa Milagros’ revival is the opening of new opportunities for related businesses and endeavors. Andrea says, “We essentially placed Rodriguez on the map for destination weddings, paving the way for many microbusinesses and individuals to take part in our brand.”

As Villa Milagros journeys into its 51st year and beyond, Andrea, her partners, and their teams continue to reinvent, expand and innovate to meet the changing times.

For more information, visit the Villa Milagros website villamilagroseventsplace.com, and the social media accounts of Villa Milagros, Banquets by VS&F and Project Events MNL on Facebook and Instagram.

If you're an owner of a seaside property, Saturday brunchin at the beach is your casual weekend thing but for someone who grew up in a city, this is something that we would look up to. A different experience where sea air breeze unto your skin while having your preferred cuisine in the morning.


Yes, the possibility of experiencing brunch at the beach and probably a good weekend getaway as well. Saltitude Dive and Beach Resort located in Anilao, Mabini, Batangas revolutionize your usual morning food experience. A few hours of travel from Manila isn't bad because the destination is a good place to have to your weekend and your brunch as they have launched their "Brunchin at the Beach" through their restaurant called the Mingle. They offer a brunch buffet for only Php699 per person that opens from 6:00AM to 12:30PM. The buffet comes with a variety of cuisines to choose from. Brunchin at the Beach is not only for resort guests but also for walk-ins who would just want to enjoy a good brunch in a morning and most probably on a weekend.



In my opinion, for someone who works 8 hours a day and 6 days a week, excluding overtime, will enjoy something like this. As I have enjoyed myself together with the other invite bloggers during our visit. So to give more about the experience I'm sharing my top 5 reasons why you should try.





1. Like I mentioned earlier, this is (as far as I know and as of the time I am writing this blog post) the first time a resort offers a brunch buffet not only for their guests but also for walk-ins who want to enjoy having their brunch at the beach.

2. Saltitude's Brunchin at the Beach will offer different cuisines each week, this is to give guests a different experience every time they visit. When we, together with some invited bloggers, visited the opening they offered an Intercontinental theme, which is a wide variety of food selections like American, Japanese, Chinese, Italian and of course the Pinoy dishes.

Steamed Fish

Japanese Maki Rolls

3. Interesting flavors. As to my experience, well, since its an Intercontinental theme, I made sure to try the ones that I like most but also took some pinch of a taste of almost everything. I'm a pasta guy so I dig-in first with the pasta dishes, the Lasagna and Aglio olio, it is great that I have to come back for another round of serving. For the Lasagna, it is perfectly baked that the sauce and the pasta fused the flavor. The Aglio Olio deserves praise for the firm texture of the pasta with the flavoring and ingredients.

But of course they have more than the pasta, and I did taste other dishes. So what are the cuisines laid on the buffet table? Well, they have All American, Mixed Asian, Mediterranean, and of course all-time favorite the Pinoy cuisine.

Tomato Basil Bruschetta

Salmon Bruschetta

Aglio Olio

4. The selection of food in every cuisine. Another interesting thing to know with Saltitude's Brunchin at the Beach is that they didn't over-packed with dishes they just laid a selection, perhaps 4 to 6 dishes per category. Like, for example, the Mixed Asian, they just put in some Japanese Maki rolls, Pancit, and siomai. And that's it. Not too many that you'll end up undecided on what to eat.

Hotdogs, Eggs, Bacons and Pancakes

5. A rare experience to have your brunch at Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort. We all know that the area of Anilao isn't a sandy beach area but more on pebbles that sometimes they other resort owners put more emphasis on the activities rather the beauty and value. For Saltitude, Brunchin at the Beach is created for guests to fall in love with nature and value the beauty of the surroundings. It may be pebbles but with few tweaks and a little bit of personal touch, Saltitude makes the experience more valuable.

In totality, the food experience was great, sumptuous, tummy-filling and satisfying. If you really enjoy food and you're a total foodie then you might don't want to miss visiting this part of Batangas, more particularly the Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort.

The partner of Champorado Anchovy

Champorado

Halaan (Clam) Soup

Adobo the all-time Pinoy Favorite

Aside from the mouthwatering food they serve they also have different amenities that you'll definitely enjoy. Their rooms are intriguingly cute with its personalized names with personally handpicked decors and designs, the cottages, the benches and the hammock where you can spend the day admiring the beauty of Balayan Bay. There are also activities that you can do like swim, dive, kayak, sail, surf, and snorkel.

I would really like to come back and see the view at sunset or even at night time. I believe they also have their Barbeque Nights during summer.

So, if you're planning to have your weekend getaway, you can check out Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort located at Anilao, Mabini, Batangas. Waze or google map will do to get their or just simply take the exciting commute trip Jam or Alps Bus going to Batangas Grand Terminal, then a jeepney ride going to Anilao Port and lastly a tricycle ride from Anilao Port to Saltitude. Take note that the tricycle ride only cost Php35.00 per person. So enjoy!


You can book your stay by calling +639399088843, +63927422428, or +63434101857. You can also take it online by visiting their website www.saltitude-anilao.com and Saltitude on Facebook to get more of the details.