Tourists flock to Boracay Island

A Boracay Island sand artist finishes up on his sand sculpture in time for tourists to appreciate his art work. Hundreds of thousands of tourist crowd the shoreline of Boracay during the Holy Week celebrations to spent time away from the big city. While tourists check out the green algae on the shoreline of the famous tourist island and wonder where the P50 environmental fee the provincial government has been charging upon entry gone. (Pinoy Gonzales)

Dennis Trillo, 1 pa naaksidente sa Boracay; kasamahan patay!

MAYNILA (Mindanao Examiner / September 9, 2009) – Isinugod kahapon sa pagamutan si Dennis Trillo at ang kasamang si Maxine Eidemann matapos ng umano’y isang trahedyang kumitil sa buhay ng kanilang kasamahang si Jolibee Bordajo sa Boracay island sa Bisayas.

Ayon sa ulat ng dzRH ay nadulas umano si Bordajo sa karagatan ng Boracay habang nagsasaya ang tatlo. Pinilit umanong sagipin nina Trillo (larawan mula sa facebook) si Bordajo ngunit nabigo ito at hindi na umano inabot ng pagamutan ang biktima.

Binigyan diumano ng first aid sina Trillo at Eidemann sa pagamutan sa nasabing isla.

Hindi naman nagbigay ng pahayag ang pagamutan at isinara umano pansamantala ito dahil sa dami ng taong nakikiusyoso sa naganap kina Trillo.

Nasa state of shock pa umano si Trillo at hindi makapaniwala sa naganap na trahedya. Hindi naman agad makunan ng pahayag ang kampo ni Trillo o ang pamilya nito ukol sa naturang balita. (Mindanao Examiner)

Holidaymakers flock to Boracay Island in central Philippines

Tourists and Filipino holidaymakers crowd the white-sand Boracay Island in the central Philippines. The island near Aklan is famous for its powdery sand, clear water and fresh sea foods. (Philippine News Service / Pinoy Gonzales)

Sulu To Become Like RP's Boracay Resorts Or Thailand's Phuket

One of the many white sands beach in Sulu province. Sulu is embarking on an ambitious tourism program that will make it like world-famous resorts similar to Phuket in Thailand. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 16 Sept) – Sulu province in the southern Philippines may soon become an island resort similar to Boracay in central Philippines or even Phuket in Thailand as part of a new tourism plan to lure Filipino and foreign visitors.

Governor Sakur Tan said they would convert some of Sulu’s islands and pristine beaches into resorts, complete with amenities and business centers and land and water vessels to transport holiday-makers.

“We wanted to develop Sulu into one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines and we are pursuing an ambitious program to promote tourism and also trade and investments,” Tan told reporters.

Tan said the plan to put up world-class resorts in Sulu would probably begin in 2008 and would take between one to two years to finish. “We are now working on this project,” he said.

Aside from Sulu’s white-sands beaches, Tan said the province also boasts of dive sites and is rich in marine resources.

Tan said Sulu would also begin shipping live marine products, such as groupers and lobsters and abalone to buyers in Manila and Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan.

He said that there is plan to put up an air cargo and passenger airlines in Sulu to further help local fishermen and cooperatives sell their products, from coffee beans to live marine animals.

“This is a long-term plan that will help many people and cooperatives in Sulu and eventually the province will become a center of marine trade in the southern Philippines. We can supply huge marine products to buyers,” Tan said.

He said the province is also abundant in copra and exotic fruits, such as durian and mangosteen berries and has a steady supply of high-grade abaca ropes.

Just this month, Sulu shipped out about six tons of durian and mangosteen to markets in Manila as part of the so-called “Invest in Peace and Prosperity - Fruits of Hope program.”

The international nongovernmental organization, Asia-America Initiative, headed by Albert Santoli, has supported the program and promised to help even more by tapping other NGOs to help support the peace and development in Sulu.

Sen. Richard Gordon said the government is putting more efforts in Sulu and other areas in Mindanao to help farmers sell their products.

President Gloria Arroyo in August ordered a "humanitarian and development offensive" in Jolo island.

Sen. Loren Legarda has filed a bill proposing the creation of a special economic zone and free port in Jolo island to promote and hasten the industrial and economic development of the area.

The SSEZA shall be provided with transportation, telecommunication, and other facilities needed to attract legitimate and productive foreign investments, generates linkage with industries and create employment opportunities for the people of the province, she said. (Mindanao Examiner)