Elizabeth V Reyes - The Philippines: A Visual Journey

mabuhay!

W ELCOME to one unique Filipino national sensibilityhospitality. Unlike any other Asian nation, the Philippines is a destination readily accessible to visitors from both East and West. Warmth and accommodation come naturally to the islander Filipinos. Guests are feted, honored and shown the best of the countrys offerings.

The Philippines can be an exciting, even flamboyant place, driven by the exuberant spirit of the Filipino people. Their hybrid culture derives from a unique mingling of Eastern and Western influences, from diverse Malay, Chinese, Spanish and American strains and bloodlines. Their special character was formed by four centuries in the convent and four decades in Hollywood, wrote historian Carmen Guerrero Nakpil. However one sees it, Filipinos have evolved a real cosmopolitan flair, topped by their national knack for song, dance and theater throughout seven regions. Welcome to the Philippine Islands abundance of natural attractions and rich archipelagic experiences beyond the urban centers.

Yellow daisy flower teenagers, about to join the street parade at the Panagbenga Flower Festival in Baguio.

Life is a beach on Boracay, one of the top destinations in the Philippines.

Mabuhay is the aloha greeting of the Philippines. In one word, Mabuhay hails: welcome, farewell and long-live. Spirited Filipinos are among the most hospitable people in the world.

A tricycle driver enjoys a laugh in Divisoria Market, Manilas largest street market.

Cone-shaped Mt Mayon, the main attraction and active volcano of Bicol.

Fresh catch of the day, served on Isla Naburot, Iloilo.

Civic parade passing the heavyset Basilica of Taal, Batangas.

Surfboards at sunset on the northern Ilocos coast of the big island, Luzon.

O VER THE CENTURIES , both Spain and America have colonized this fragmented archipelago and left behind their tracesin staunch Roman Catholicism, the Spanish attitude of maana and the American-accented tongue and legislative system. Early Malay-Filipinos intermarried with Chinese and Arabs from the 10th century onwards and were colonized by the Spanish from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The Americans arrived in 1898 and occupied the islands for four decades. In 1946, after the devastation of World War II, the Philippines took its place as Asias first constitutional democracy. In 1986 and 2001, two popular uprisings called People Power ousted bad leaders, renewed the sense of national self and installed the best Filipinoswomenas Presidents!

cebu & the visayan isles

Hanging midway down the archipelago like a necklace of uneven pearls, the Visayas comprise six major islandsCebu, Bohol, Negros, Panay, Leyte and Samarand their fringe isles.

V IVE LA DIFFERENCE of the Visayas: the slower pace of life; the seductive lilt of the languages; the loving women; the seafood, beaches, guitars; and the sweetest of mangoes. CebuQueen City of the Southwas named the eighth most livable city in Asia! The Cebuanos work harder, try harder and have created the second biggest city in the country. Cebu boasts an international airport and malls and convention centers within this historical cradle of 16th-century Spanish Philippines.

A beach bunny in bikini on Mactan, Cebus own resorts isle. The tropical resort formula: white sandy beach, aqua sea, palm trees and picturesque cottages here those of Argao, Cebu.

Basilica of Santo Nio in Cebu with the Sinulog parade.

Relaxing in a resort on the island paradise of Panglao, down south of Bohol mainland.

b USINESS -MINDED CEBU is a manufacturing center and port, doing a thriving trade in handicrafts and accessories, furniture and guitars. Taste the sea food. Enjoy the nightlife. See Magellans Cross, the Basilica of the Santo Nino, and Casa Gorordo for a glimpse of the citys heritage. Catch Sinulog, Cebus dancing, costumed parade in January.

Iloilo possesses the gentility of a bygone era, with its lovely ancestral houses of the Jaro district, the folksy carvings on Iloilos old churches and some of the nicest people and pastries of the Visayas! For adventure seekers, theres exotic Isla Naburot, a private isle southwest of Guimaras Island. From Iloilo, take a ferry to Bacolod in Negros, island of the sugar barons and golfing center of the Visayas. Here the Negrense people live hard, play hard and enjoy the lifestyle of the modern haciendero . Both creative crafts and wild notions originate here. Visit Silay town to the north, with its ancestral mansions and orchid farms. And be in Bacolod when the stunning Masskara Festival unravels on the streets.

For scuba diving, plunge into the seas of Bohol, southeast of Cebu, where rich fishing waters flow over some of the Philippines most seductive dive sites.

Isla Naburot, off Guimaras and Iloilo, is a private isle made for adventurous, Robinson Crusoe-type guests.

A resort cottage right by the sea, for holiday-makers in southern Cebu. Masskara is a thanksgiving and Mardi Grasthe ultimate costumed revelry of Bacolod, Negros Oriental. Mogambo Springs at Plantation Bay Resort and Spa on Mactan Island is a fantasy resort built round a shallow lagoon. Guitars are a specialized product from craftsy, musical Cebu.