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The Department of Tourism or DOT said a portion of the bordering hill at the Caticlan airport will be tapered first, to remove the obstacle near the runway and accelerate the reopening of the airport to larger aircraft by September 2009.

Under the initial phase of runway rehabilitation, the project involves contouring of the bordering hill, as an alternative to flattening out the mound which will take four to five months, according to Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

Contouring the bordering hill will remove the obstacle that prevents the full use of 950-meter runway and ensure that the Caticlan airport reopens in September.  Pilots had to make difficult flight maneuver for steep ascent to avoid getting close to the hill, he said.

More than 65,000 expats or foreign nationals have visited the Bureau of Immigration (BI) since the start of 2011 for their annual report. 
Data from the bureau’s alien registration division shows that a total of 65,155 resident foreign nationals or expatriates reported to the bureau as of 3rd March 2011, up by 5,123 or 8.53 percent from a year ago. 

Hotel chain operator Tune Hotels opened its first hotel in Manila and its third in the Philippines.  Located in Central Manila, Tune Hotel Ermita offers 167 rooms comprising 117 double, 48 twin sharing and 2 wheelchair-friendly rooms.

“We are very excited with the opening of Tune Hotel Ermita, our very first hotel in the capital city. With three more Tune Hotels coming up in Manila this year and next, Manila will be a very important growth centre for our regional expansion. With its international city stature and coupled up with the rigorous economic landscape, Manila attracts tourists and business travellers from across the world and Tune Hotels is proud to serve them all,” said Tuna Hotel CEO Mark Lankester.

Directory of Bulacan hotels and Bulacan resorts with address, telephone number and websites.

4K Garden & Waterfun Resort 

http://www.4kgardenresort.com/

314 Catmon, Santa Maria, Bulacan

044 6410690 

8 Waves Waterpark & Hotel

http://www.8waveswaterpark.com.ph

The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have unveiled a nine-year National Ecotourism Strategy and Action Plan (NES) at the 5th World Ecotourism Conference (WEC) in Cebu...

Cebu Flowerpecker has recently received the Bird Life Species Champion award in the British Birdwatching Fair 2009 in Oakham, Rutland, United Kingdom.  Known as the ‘Woodstock of Birders,’ the British Birdwatching Fair is an exclusive event where all sectors in birdwatching and wildlife conservation from all over the world gather.

Presented by BirdLife International, the award was given to the Department of Tourism (DOT) which was also named as the Species Champion for the said endemic bird.  “This award seals our country’s status as a premier birdwatching site in the global birders’ community.  More importantly, it will draw further support for biodiversity awareness and wildlife preservation from our local sectors,” said Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

International visitor arrivals in the Philippines grew 17.3 percent year-on-year in January 2011, on increased visitors from Korea, China and Taiwan.  Even arrivals from Hong Kong, which prohibited its nationals from visiting the Philippines in August 2010, bounced back with a growth of 11.9 percent during the first month of the year.

The Department of Tourism said tourist arrivals reached 349,713 in January, up from 298,119 visits recorded a year ago.  South Korea was the top source of arrivals, representing about 26 percent of the total.  Arrivals from Korea posted a 28 percent growth to reach 92,249 in January.

Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas said he has signed a memorandum of understanding with Japanese firm Takenaka Corp. to complete the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.  He said the terminal could be fully operational either by end of 2012 or early 2013.

Twenty-three different areas of construction are still lacking at the terminal, including baggage handling, fire alarm, flight information and closed circuit television surveillance systems.

The deal with Takenaka will reportedly cost about US$45 million.   “We would like to thank Takenaka Corporation for both being thorough and sincere in negotiating with us,” said Mr. Roxas.

Takenaka Corp. was the original contractor for NAIA 3. Its work at the facility was not completed because the airport was expropriated after the concessionaire, Philippine International Air Terminals Co. (Piatco) was declared a mere dummy firm for partner Fraport AG from Germany.

The government expects tourists from Taiwan to return to the Philippines, after Taipei lifted the red alert status for Taiwanese travellers bound for the country.

The Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), which represents the country in Taipei, said the lifting of the travel ban would bring back thousands of Taiwanese tourists to major tourist destinations in the country.