philippine tourism 1950

History of Philippine Tourism

Ever wonder about the history of tourism in the philippines this can give you a good idea and maybe even say, “woah” you may realize that the origin of tourism in the philippines dates back even before the arrival of the spanish colonizers then you would continue asking why the country slid down from being one of the top tourist destinations in asia to a laggard. it’s kinda sobering, actually. but read on the details to be informed and perhaps entertained..

Ready to be blown away?

Let’s read the history of tourism in the Philippines.

1417: The Sultan of Sulu, Paduka Pahala traveled to Beijing to pay tribute to the emperor of China, Zhu Di of the Ming Dynasty. Perhaps we could consider the sultan’s party as the first official travel group from the Philippines. But the sultan died in China while still in that country and the rest of his party stayed there. As regards travel between the two countries, it has been known that Chinese traders had been visiting the Philippines many years prior to the arrival of Spaniards.

1521 - 1898: Spanish colonial era - Travel was limited between islands and coastal areas. The seas were actually considered bridges instead of barriers between different peoples of the Philippines. Inland travel was very limited due to the absence of roads. However, a very interesting interaction between the Cordillera highlands and the Ilocos lowlands had been ongoing. So-called Spanish or pre-Spanish trails were frequently used by the highland communities in order to trade with the lowlanders. Meat, salt, and housewares were the items often exchanged. Local Cordillera elders whom I interacted with told of their houses having extra space for weary travelers who had to travel several days between the Cordilleras and the lowlands and were in need of places to stay for the cold nights. Perhaps such hospitality has been ingrained in the Filipinos.

The Spanish era also made religious pilgrimage popular and as a reason (or excuse) to travel. That culture has continued to be practiced in many communities up to the present day. One such notable pilgrimage was visiting the Church of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo, Rizal during the month of May. Pilgrims seeking the Virgin’s blessings and protection would board boats near Quiapo, heading upriver to either Cainta or Taytay. Since the church was located on top of a hill, visitors took transport either in hammocks carried by crews of men or by horse-drawn carriage. After the pilgrimage, some visitors would go bathe in a nearby waterfall known as Hinulugang Taktak (i got this description from the website, tulay.ph).

Privately owned rest houses, such as Malacañan Palace (originally owned by businessman Don Luis Rocha) were used for accommodation by the society elite who went on local pilgrimages.

Mid 1800’s - Spanish colonial authorities introduced innovations such as railroad, electricity and telegram. Manila opened to world trade which opened the door to increasing number of foreign businessmen and diplomats and subsequently also increased the demand for first class accommodation facilities.

1889: The first deluxe hotel, Hotel de Oriente, opened.  

1898: United States became the colonial master of the Philippines. American expatriates increased and demand for more hotels increased

1912: Manila Hotel opened. Soon, mineral mining in the Cordilleras resulted to the conversion of Baguio City into a summer vacation destination for American expats and their families. Near Manila, other vacation spots were the hot springs of Los Banos in Laguna and the beaches of Cavite.

First half of 20th century: Limited Visitor arrivals to the Philippines was at the Port Area of Manila.

1935: First trans-Pacific passenger flight from San Francisco was done in 1935 by a huge Pan American Airline flying boat since there was no commercial airport yet in Manila. Each plane could only accommodate 25 passengers.

1937: New Zealand-born businessman Laurie Nielson opened the country’s first civilian airport in Makati City (called then as Nielson Airport and now known as Ayala Triangle).

1941: First flight of Philippine Airlines from Makati to Baguio. Only a few places outside of Manila, such as Baguio and Taal Volcano, were developed specifically for tourism. Public transport such as ships, buses and trains were regarded unreliable and unsafe.

1950: Modesto Farolan, first consul general in Hawaii, set up the Philippine Tourists and Travel Association which was patterned after the Hawaii Visitors Bureau. Its office was in a space in Manila Hotel.

1956: the government set up the Board of Travel and Tourist Industry

1960: The government started keeping records of visitor arrivals. For that year, the country attracted 51,000 visitors.

1966: The first Philippine Tourism Week was held, aimed at promoting domestic tourism and encouraging Filipinos to travel within the country.

1967: The "Visit the Philippines Year" campaign was launched, with the goal of attracting more foreign tourists to the country. The campaign was successful, with tourist arrivals reaching over 300,000.

1968: The Sheraton and the Hilton hotels opened

1969: The Intercontinental opened.

1972: Martial Law was declared and curfew was implemented. Tourism took a direct hit. Domestic tourism became non-existent as Filipinos travel only for the sole reason to visit relatives and friends. Outside the usual holidays when Filipinos can flock to provinces and beach destinations, most would not dare go to far-off places due to the possibility that they be accused of being communist rebels. Foreign visitors were limited to very few destinations such as Manila and environs, Batangas, Cavite, Baguio, Laguna, Ilocos and Banaue in Luzon. Tour programs however were still done in Cebu and some parts of Mindanao, particularly Zamboanga City, Cotabato and Davao in the early ‘70s. However, the birth of Muslim rebellion and the declining peace and order situation put a break on tourism in Mindanao.

1973: 243,000 tourists were recorded.

Mid ‘70s: More hotels were built in Manila and some provincial destinations. These include the Holiday Inn, Hyatt, the Peninsula and the Mandarin Oriental. The government focused on hosting international events such as the hosting of Ms. Universe and the fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, which was dubbed Thrilla in Manila.

1977: The University of Philippines opened up the Asian Institute of Tourism, first tourism degree course in the country.

1980: The Philippines breached the 1 million tourist arrivals

1986: Due to the declining political, economic and peace and order situation, the president of the country was deposed and forced into exile. Tourism was totally down on the ground. The tourism office launched the program, Huwag Maging Dayuhan sa Sariling Bayan, which was aimed at encouraging Filipinos to travel around the country. However, very few Pinoys would dare venture into the countryside because of the economic condition of most Pinoys and the still unstable sense of security in many places.

1987: The Philippine government launched the "Philippines: More than the Usual" tourism campaign, which aimed to promote the country's unique culture and natural attractions to international tourists. Outside the few established destinations most of which are located in the environs of Metro Manila, Cebu and Baguio City, domestic tourism was still almost irrelevant.

1987 - 1990: Numerous (seven) violent coup d’ etat were attempted in order to established military junta in place of the government. Although the attempts to grab power all failed, they caused massive impacts to the tourism industry that further set the tourism industry many years backwards. Other Asian countries that used to envy the Philippines started overtaking in terms of development and visitor arrivals.

The tourism industry was having a very hard time recovering that the infrastructure arm of the DOT, the then Philippine Tourism Authority was forced into building basketball courts in some areas as the influencing politicians could only think of basketball courts and local parks for their tourism projects. (In case you’re a little confused, implementing government bodies would be influenced by politicians such as senators and congressmen to allocate funds and projects for their constituents.

1990: A strong earthquake leveled many areas in Luzon. The most affected tourist destination was Baguio City which suffered the collapse of several hotels.

1991: The Philippine Tourism Master Plan was published. It was supposed to guide the development of tourism estates that would rival known tourist destinations abroad. However, land speculations, political issues and government limitations did not allow most of the tourism estates and study areas be developed according to the master plan. Other programs, however, became institutionalized and guided the development and local management of tourism in the country.

1991: The eruption of Mount Pinatubo, one of the largest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, further impacted the tourism industry in the northern part of the Philippines.

1992: WIth the improved peace and order situation in the country, domestic tourism gained improved traction. More destinations in the provinces opened up for the increasing number of Filipino travelers.

1994: The Department of Tourism launched the "Bring Home a Friend" campaign, which emphasized the country's natural beauty and cultural heritage and the influence of millions of Filipinos scattered in many countries to convince their foreign friends to visit the Philippines. The campaign was successful in attracting more foreign tourists.

1996: Entry of Cebu Pacific and eventual introduction of low-cost carriers in the Philippines. The “Piso” fare campaign of the LCCs almost immediately helped explode the number of domestic tourists in the Philippines.

1997: The Asian financial crisis had a negative impact on tourism in the Philippines, as many foreign tourists cut back on travel. But compared to many other Asian countries whose travel industry was greatly affected, the Philippines did not suffer severely because foreign tourism was not yet a major economic sector in the country. Further, the growth of the domestic market greatly cushioned the impact of the financial crisis. Perhaps the Filipinos were already used to crises that another one did not bother them with their travel plans.

2000: The government launched the "Philippines 2000" tourism campaign, which aimed to attract more high-end tourists to the country. The campaign was successful, with tourist arrivals reaching over two million.

2006: The Department of Tourism launched the "WOW Philippines" campaign, which focused on the country's diverse tourist destinations and unique experiences.

2007: The Holiday Economics was launched. A government program wherein workers would have the chance to have long holidays which allowed them to take longer vacations. No-work holidays that fall on a weekend or Thursday and Tuesday would mean that the paid no-work day would be implemented on a monday or friday. Coupled with the “piso fare” of the low cost carriers, this program proved to be another major influencer of the growth of domestic tourism.

2013: Super Typhoon Haiyan devastated the central part of the Philippines, including many popular tourist destinations such as Boracay and Palawan.

2016: The new government administration launched the "It's More Fun in the Philippines" campaign, which highlighted the country's friendly people, unique culture, and natural attractions.

2017 - 2019: Domestic travelers became an undeniable major force in the tourism industry with more than one trillion pesos of economic redistribution happening in the country in 2019. Many local governments fully adopted tourism as an opportunity for economic growth. Many have even prioritized tourism as their banner program in improving the economic status of their areas.

2020: Taal Volcano erupted greatly disrupted tourism in the country.

Then the pandemic happened. The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on tourism in the Philippines, with tourist arrivals dropping by over 80% compared to the previous year. The tourism industry was basically at a stand still which lasted for more than two years. Many tourism businesses, including some large hotels were forced to shut down.

2023: Covid-19 seeming to be finally under control. Health and travel restrictions were lifted and destinations started opening their borders. Tourism businesses and stakeholders started picking themselves up with the hope that the travel prior to the pandemic would return the soonest.

This is actually just scratching the surface. There are so many other events that I have failed to include. But at least, we got to get a good glimpse of the travel industry in the Philippines and the challenges that punched it in the face. Let’s hope that everything will become great, eventually.

Also, please keep in mind that while most of the info can easily be found online, a number of them were based on my personal observations when i used to work as a research officer of the Department of Tourism, an academician, and a tourism planning resource person. And I can tell you that it’s really more fun in the Philippines.

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VIAJE: How tourism developed in the Philippines

• Post author By Anson Yu
• Post date February 21, 2017

Tourism is a trillion-dollar – and still growing – global industry. United Nations World Tourism Organization records show that in 2015 alone, there was a 4.4 percent increase in international tourist arrivals, reaching 1.18 billion travelers. Because of this global boom in travel, tourism has emerged as the fifth most important industry in the Philippines. In 2015 earnings from the tourism industry contributed about $5 billion or 10.6 percent to the country’s gross domestic product; with an estimated 4.7 million Filipinos directly employed in the tourism sector.

But how did tourism take root in the Philippines?

Archaeological evidence indicates that people have been traveling around these islands way before the Spaniards. Such travels involved trade, diplomacy or war.  The Sultan of Sulu who traveled to Beijing to pay tribute to the emperor is a case in point. What is more uncertain is whether any such travels were done for leisure.

During the Spanish colonial era, most travel involved trading between coastal towns and cities. The rivers and seas help linked the settlements. Mountains and forests formed natural barriers in the interior spaces of most of the islands. As road-building technology was not well developed, communities located on mountains or near forests were considered remote. Some of the more common reasons for traveling during the Spanish colonial period included getting an education, searching for work and going on a religious pilgrimage.

A popular journey was visiting the Church of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo. In May, pilgrims seeking the Virgin’s blessings and protection would board boats near Quiapo, heading upriver to either Cainta or Taytay. Since the church was located on top of a hill, visitors took transport either in hammocks carried by crews of men or by horse-drawn carriage. After the pilgrimage, some visitors would go bathe in a nearby waterfall known as Hinulugang Taktak.

During those times, traveling to foreign lands was very slow and very expensive. Traveling to Spain, for example, took as long as a year via the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade route. Thus, a popular option was to stay at rest houses, which were frequently located on the edges of towns or city, so travel time became shorter. Some rest houses were run by religious orders such as the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in what is now Makati. But this was exclusive only to religious workers and high-ranking colonial officials.

There were also privately owned rest houses. A good example would be Malacañan Palace, which was originally owned by businessman Don Luis Rocha. During the latter half of the 19th century, the Spanish colonial authorities introduced innovations such as railroad, electricity and telegram. As Manila opened to world trade, non-Spanish businessmen, diplomats and sailors began visiting the city. As their numbers grew, it became apparent that the standards of Manila’s inns were no longer adequate. The city needed a first class hotel.

So in 1889, the city’s first deluxe hotel, Hotel de Oriente, opened.  When the United States replaced Spain as the country’s new colonial administrator in 1898, one of their goals was to make Manila look more like an American city.  Hotel de Oriente was deemed inadequate and considered a symbol of the Spanish-era Manila, and was replaced with a bigger and more modern hotel.

On the commemoration of American Independence on July 4, 1912, the Americans opened the Manila Hotel, which quickly became and is still one of the city’s most important landmarks. America began exploiting the mineral and forest wealth in the country’s mountain regions, and soon realized how much cooler the area was compare to the coastal areas. They converted a remote rural settlement called Baguio into a city. Because of its cooler temperature, it became a popular destination during the hot summer months.

During the first half of the 20th century, the number of foreign travelers were still small and limited to the capital city of Manila. It was the country’s main point of entry, as this was where the main harbor was located. The country then had one of the of world’s longest passenger piers, Pier 7. The first scheduled trans-Pacific passenger flight from San Francisco was done in 1935. Since Manila did not have an airport then, Pan American Airline would use huge flying boats known as the Pan Am Clippers that would land on Manila Bay. Where before the journey by ocean liner took two weeks, Pan Am was able to reduce travel time down to 59 hours with four stops. But it was far from the age of mass tourism as each plane could only accommodate 25 passengers.

Anticipating the growth of civil aviation in the country, New Zealand-born businessman Laurie Nielsen opened the country’s first civilian airport in 1937. It was from this airport that the country’s first airline, Philippine Airlines, first flew in 1941. Because the country’s road systems then were not extensive, local travel was very limited and difficult. Only a few places outside of Manila, such as Baguio and Taal Volcano, were developed specifically for tourism. Public transport such as ships, buses and trains were unreliable and unsafe.

After World War II, the government maintained its pre-war view of tourism. But one Filipino, Modesto Farolan, saw tourism’s potential. He was serving as the country’s first consul general in Hawaii, where he saw how tourism there was stimulated by the Hawaii Visitors Bureau. Upon his return to Manila, he started the Philippine Tourists and Travel Association in 1950. Beginning with a small space at The Manila Hotel, the PTTA began its modest work of publishing and distributing brochures about travel in the Philippines. In 1956, the government began to acknowledge the potential of tourism. That same year, the Board of Travel and Tourist Industry was set up. Then in 1960, the government began keeping records of the number of visitors arriving in the country.

For that year, the country was able to attract 51,000 visitors. As numbers began to rise, a few foreign hotel chains took notice and decided to enter the local tourism market. The three earliest to enter were the Sheraton and the Hilton in 1968, and then the Intercontinental in 1969. By 1973, visitor numbers grew to 243,000. With the rising number of tourists, the board was reorganized as the Ministry of Tourism (now Department of Tourism). As awareness about tourism grew, Filipinos began seeing a career in tourism as a respectable choice. The University of Philippines responded to this by offering one of the first tourism degree courses in the country in 1977.

In anticipation of the growth in visitor numbers, more hotels and resorts began opening in Manila and a few key provincial cities in the 1970s. Among them were international brands such as Holiday Inn, Hyatt, The Peninsula and the Mandarin Oriental. Most of the newer hotels were geared toward the business and luxury markets. Because of the entry of these new luxury hotels, it prompted older hotels such as the Manila Hotel to undergo major renovations in order to keep up with the competition.

Instead of investing money in a marketing campaign, the DOT tried to promote tourism through hosting international events such as conferences and sporting meets. Among those that were held here were the Miss Universe beauty pageant in 1974 and the World Bank-International Monetary Fund meeting and the Ali-Frazer “Thrilla in Manila” boxing match in 1975. By 1980, the country was able to attract 1,008,000 foreign visitors.  But the country was unable to sustain the numbers as it struggled with political instability in the 1980s. One of the major issues was the massive debt problem with foreign financial institutions. Unable to obtain loans, the country’s infrastructure began to fall behind. The foreign debt problem also led the local economy to collapse. With the local economy providing fewer jobs, some Filipinos tried to cope by going into prostitution.

Because of this, the country’s tourism image suffered further as it became known as a destination for tourists seeking cheap sex. Because the government was poor, the tourism department was unable to mount a marketing campaign to counter these negative images. Visitor arrivals dropped to 783,000 in 1986. Visitor numbers did not breach the one million mark again until two years later in 1988. Except in 1991 when it fell again, there were at least one million visitors who came to the country per year throughout the last decade of the 20th century. By 1999, the country was able to attract 1.9 million visitors. This is because the DOT started investing in a marketing campaign. By then, many Asian governments were already conducting their own campaigns in an effort to create a brand image for their country, such as “Malaysia Truly Asia” and India’s “Incredible India” campaigns. The first campaign launched by the DOT was in 1994 with the slogan “Fiesta Island Philippines!”

The sector that gave tourism the biggest boost in the 1990s was local civil aviation. It was then that budget airlines were introduced and more provincial airports were opened to international flights. This move enabled local and foreign travelers to go to areas that were once too remote and expensive. The move helped stimulate tourism in provinces such as Batanes and Palawan. The island resort of Boracay became a popular international resort destination.

In 2001, the DOT relaunched the country’s tourism image with a new campaign called “Wow Philippines.” The campaign was deemed a success as the volume of visitors increased to three million by 2007. It was not easy for the DOT to achieve such a figure as it had to deal with a number of domestic and foreign events that affected tourism in general, such as the SARS epidemic and the hostage-taking crisis at a seaside resort by the Abu Sayaf group.

In 2000, the country saw the introduction of the long weekend, where the celebration of a public holiday was moved to the nearest weekend, creating a three-day holiday break. This gave Filipinos more time to travel around the country. In addition, an increase in income and car ownership, as well as a better highway network, enabled Filipinos to explore their own country like never before. Some analysts estimated that the number of domestic tourists could be as high as 50 million and contribute as much as P1.4 trillion annually in tourism revenues.

The DOT had a difficult year in 2010 as it faced three major crises. The first was the attempt to rebrand the country’s tourism image once again. The new marketing campaign was dubbed “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” (Philippines so beautiful). The use of the Filipino language in its slogan was heavily criticized, as it might not be understood in foreign markets. Others criticized the campaign’s new logo as resembling Poland’s tourism bureau logo. The embarrassment led to the new campaign’s pull out just weeks after it was launched and the tourism secretary was replaced.

The second crisis was when all Philippine carriers were banned from flying over European airspace due to safety concerns. With the ban’s initiation, Dutch carrier KLM became the only airline left that flew between the Philippines and Europe. The ban limited the number of European visitors to the Philippines until it was lifted in 2015. But the most damaging event to local tourism was the hostage-taking incident at the Quirino Grandstand, when a disgruntled police officer held a busload of tourists from Hong Kong hostage. The bungled rescue operation was broadcasted live around the world and the reputation of the Philippines suffered.

In 2012, a new marketing campaign was launched, dubbed “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” Within weeks of its launching, it was judged one of the top three smartest campaigns by global marketing campaign ranker, Warc 100. And though there were criticisms that it copied a 1951 Swiss tourism campaign, it did help tourist arrivals rise to 4.2 million.

To sustain the growth momentum, the DOT continued its campaign with a “Visit the Philippines Year” in 2015. Visitors figures reached 5.3 million. The following year, the DOT further increased visitor arrivals to 5.96 million, an 11.31 percent growth, with the “Visit Philippines Again 2016” campaign.

Indeed, Philippine tourism has come a long way, although challenges to local tourism are still numerous, particularly in the areas of security, marketing and infrastructure. But as more Filipinos become more aware of how tourism can affect their lives, the more they will see themselves as stakeholders. Hopefully more Filipinos will learn to come and work together in order to fully harness – and reap – the benefits of tourism.

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Philippines In The 1950s

Philippines In The 1950s –   The Way We Were: Rare Color Photos of the Philippines in the 1950s.

How time quickly fly never fails to fascinate me. My mom was fresh out of her mother’s womb in 1956, but now she’s already a grandma celebrating her 60th year on earth.

For millenials like me, the 1950s is a decade we only hear from stories or see in “throwback” videos on Facebook. And based on the stuff we’ve been exposed to so far, it’s a time when the country was relatively more peaceful, progressive, and simple. In other words, we’re in a far worse condition right now.

History buffs, meanwhile, look at the 1950s with the same sense of nostalgia. It’s the decade when Filipinos joined the Korean War , when the great Ramon Magsaysay had a short-lived presidency, and when matinee idol Rogelio de la Rosa reached the pinnacle of his career.

But for someone who is really intrigued by the 1950s, what I need are more than stories and facts. I want to see proof that shows what it’s really like to live during those years, and how things have really changed since then. Well, I did my own research, and the things I’ve discovered so far are more than what I bargained for: Rare, candid color photos of the 1950s Philippines you’ve probably never seen before.

Philippines , from the lens of a 1950s photographer.

In 1951, Marc Riboud left his job as a research engineer to pursue his passion in photography. He was already working as a freelancer when in 1953, the co-operative photographic agency Magnum came knocking at his door. Since then, the French photographer had traveled Europe and several Asian counties to take snapshots of their different cultures.

Although he is best known for his stirring photos of the Vietnam War and Cultural Revolution in China, Riboud also visited the Philippines in 1958 and used his talent to preserve a lot of memories. Some of these candid shots featured people from all walks of life and classes–from the late President Carlos P. Garcia to ordinary folks doing ordinary things.

Riboud served as  Magnum’ s vice-president, president, and chairman of the board. He retired in 1979, but the agency still maintains his archives .

© Marc Riboud/Magnum Photos

© Marc Riboud/Magnum Photos .

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How the Jeepney Became a Filipino National Symbol

Down the chaotic Manila streets, alongside large buses, private cars, and taxi cabs, an eye-catching, anachronistic vehicle carelessly makes its way through. It’s painted with bright colors and adorned with gaudy accessories. This is the Philippine jeepney , a post-World War II innovation, a cultural symbol, and the undisputed “King of the Road”.

What is the philippine jeepney.

Locally referred to as a jeepney or jeep, this interesting-looking vehicle is an affordable mode of Philippine public transport. With designated routes, which are usually painted on their sides or displayed on their windshields, jeepneys stop anywhere along the way to pick up or let off passengers.

Jeepneys are stretched long enough to accommodate around 15 to 25 passengers, have open ventilation through windows all along their side and an open backdoor for easy passenger embarkation and disembarkation. Jeepneys are famously characterized by their vibrant, multicolored paint jobs and flashy decor, so much so that through the years, they have become a symbol of the country and its culture.

The history of the iconic jeepney bears a resemblance to that of the equally iconic Filipino dish, sisig(sizzling chopped parts of the pig’s head): both were products of ingenious innovation. Just as sisig was created by making the most of cheap throw-away cuts of pigs from the US Air Base in Pampanga, the jeepney was up-cycled from leftover U.S. Willy Jeeps used during World War II.

In the early 1950s, jeepneys began making their rounds in Manila. Soon, they became a solution to the post-war public transportation problem.

Filipinos lengthened the American vehicle to accommodate more passengers, and attached a roof to protect them from the scorching Philippine heat. The seats were removed and replaced with two benches that stretched lengthwise on either side, allowing more seating space, and leaving a narrow space down the middle for an aisle. Jeepney drivers started to adorn their new vehicles with striking colors and images of anything that suited their fancy, from holy Catholic imagery to pictures of the Philippine countryside to word art and their favorite cartoon characters.

One of the early jeepney producers was Sarao Motors. They began making the vehicles in 1953 and quickly shot to the top of the production ranks, recognized for quality output. They also contributed to the framing of the jeepney as a Philippine cultural icon.

Jeepneys as a cultural symbol

The jeepney as public transport is unique to the Philippines . It is a proudly Pinoy creation. Considering its history, it has also become a reflection of the Filipino spirit — resilient, innovative, and optimistic.

But another significant factor in making the jeepney a cultural symbol of the Philippines was Sarao Motors. The popular automotive manufacturing company created jeepneys that were shipped overseas and displayed in tourism exhibitions in cities like New York and London as a Philippine icon. Back home in the Philippines , movements promoting the jeepney as a Filipino symbol were being carried out as well. Today, not only are jeepneys flaunted in the streets of the country, but they also grace the shelves of souvenir shops in miniature form.

The Filipino jeepney today

Much has been said through the past few decades about phasing out the jeepney to make way for much more efficient modes of public transport. While there have been extensive debates on the matter, and even a decline in jeepney production in the early 2000s, one thing in certain: they are still around. Surviving nearly 70 years of the country’s struggles, progress, and change, this cultural symbol proves that the King of the Road can withstand even the arduous test of time.

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MISSION: To foster FILIPINO NATIONALISM. "Shake the foundations." Seek knowledge/understand/think critically about roots of socioeconomic-political predicaments in our homeland; educate ourselves, expose lies/hidden truths and fight IGNORANCE of our true history. Learn from: our nationalist heroes/intellectuals/Asian neighbors/other nations;therefrom to plan/decide/act for the "common good" of the native [Malay/indio] Filipino majority. THIS BLOG IS NOT FOR PROFIT.

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The philippines: 1940s to 1950s - u.s. oldest colony.

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The Philippines: Decades Lost

• First Online: 24 November 2021

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• Roderick Macdonald 2  

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By 1960, the Philippines had closed its borders to foreign ownership and thus all but eliminated foreign direct investment. It also curtailed imports and the terms of a transitory period of ‘free trade’ with the United States had left domestic firms incapable of competitive exports. The situation changed marginally in the 1990s under Ramos. Up to that time, the economy of the Philippines was stagnant. The Marcos administration had partially turned around the economy but ultimately failed due to excessive debt. Much of today’s rapid growth is explained by business process outsourcing, that exports 30% of value added, and retailing. Foreign direct investment is permitted in both sectors, and retailing is aided on the demand side by personal remittances.

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Macdonald, R. (2022). The Philippines: Decades Lost. In: Open and Closed Economies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79534-4_3

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Today’s front page, Sunday, May 12, 2024

The current state and outlook of global and Philippine tourism

• Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes
• July 8, 2021
• 3 minute read

Tourism, broadly defined, refers to travel for business or leisure. It is beneficial to an economy because it generates jobs and has income multiplier effects. In light of this pandemic, perhaps, it would be good to review the current state and outlook of global and Philippine tourism.

So, where is tourism now? Global data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) web site reveal declines in both income and jobs from 2019 to 2020. In 2019, global tourism generated about $9.170 trillion in income (10.4 percent of global income); however, in 2020, it generated just $4.671 trillion (5.5 percent of global income)—a 49.1-percent decline from the previous year. This contraction was much deeper than the 3.7-percent decline in global income.

In 2019, global tourism jobs numbered at 334 million, but this figure decreased by 18.6 percent to 272 million in 2020. From 2014 to 2019, on average, tourism accounted for 1 out of 4 net new jobs created. In 2020, however, the 272 million jobs registered by tourism accounted for just 1 out of 11 jobs globally.

For the Philippines, data from the WTTC web site reveal the same trends. In 2019, Philippine tourism generated about P4.468 trillion in income (22.5 percent of national income); however, in 2020, it generated just P2.619 trillion (14.6 percent of national income)—a 41.4-percent decline from the previous year. This contraction was much deeper than the 9.5-percent decline in national income.

Regarding employment, in 2019, Philippine tourism jobs numbered at about 9.571 million (22.8 percent of total employment). This figure decreased by 21.1 percent to 7.551 million (19.2 percent of total employment) in 2020.

The dampening effect of travel restrictions was also evident in tourist spending statistics. In 2019, total tourist spending in the Philippines was at P3.798 trillion, with P0.600 trillion (15.8 percent of total tourist spending and 10.7 percent of total exports) coming from international tourists and P3.198 trillion (84.2 percent of total tourist spending) coming from domestic tourists. In 2020, total tourist spending declined by 42.4 percent to P2.189 trillion, with P0.127 trillion (5.8 percent of total tourist spending and 2.8 percent of total exports) coming from international tourists and P2.062 trillion (94.2 percent of total tourist spending) coming from domestic tourists.

Nevertheless, more recent quarterly data from Cebu Pacific suggest a tentative recovery, as the number of passengers increased slowly from 61 in Q2-2020 (when strict lockdowns were first imposed) to 604 in Q2-2021. Prior to the lockdowns, in Q1-2020, the number of passengers was 4,391. The same pattern can also be seen in the number of flights, which slowly increased from 597 in Q2-2020 to 5,313 in Q2-2021. In Q1-2020, the number of flights was 29,695.

In a survey covering Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, as of May 2021, for domestic flights, the Philippines was still at 24 percent capacity—way behind Indonesia (64 percent) and Vietnam (114 percent). For international flights, though, the Philippines ranked first in restored capacity (17 percent) and second in passenger seats (298,000).

So, where is tourism likely to go? According to the WTTC, global tourism will likely exhibit four broad trends. One, there will be demand evolution, as traveler preferences and behaviors shift toward the familiar, predictable, and trusted. Domestic and regional vacations and the outdoors will reign in the short term, with tourism businesses and destinations already adapting.

Two, health and hygiene will become paramount in this new era. Personal experiences, advice from experts, and concerns for physical distancing will guide consumer behavior.

Three, amid stay-at-home orders, digital adoption and consumption will be on the rise, with consumers now expecting contactless technologies, including biometrics, as basic prerequisites for a safe and seamless travel experience.

Four, the world will be reinvigorated to tackle social, environmental, and institutional sustainability. In particular, heightened public awareness of the environment, wildlife markets, and poaching will boost advocacy for wildlife protection and ocean preservation.

Here in the Philippines, as reported by Colliers Market Intelligence, the tourism industry will not likely return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023 or 2024. The successful vaccine rollout should bolster travel confidence among foreign and domestic tourists and aid in the recovery of the tourism sector.

The same view is given by McKinsey & Company, which says that countries that have restored confidence—or are close to doing so—have seen economic activity return, or begin to return, to pre-crisis levels. McKinsey & Company also notes that uncertainty due to Covid-19 and related health risks has made many individuals, households, and businesses alter their behavior, even without formal restrictions from government.

Indeed, it all boils down to confidence, and this should not surprise anyone.

Dr. Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes is the Associate Director of the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development.

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