35th Asean Tourism Forum 2016

UPDATE: 35th ASEAN TOURISM FORUM 2016

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ASEAN targeting big neighbors to hike inbound tourism volume

PHILIPPINES - The 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), in positioning and promoting itself as a single destination, is targeting the region’s big neighbors as a strategy to raise inbound tourism volume as fast as possible.

This assessment emerged from the lineup of activities in the forthcoming ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2016 slated in Manila on January 18-22.

The schedule of ATF 2016 meetings involving non-ASEAN countries shows China, Russia and India, aside from Japan and Korea, figuring prominently.

Those three countries form part of the so-called BRICS, the acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, all emerging markets and investment destinations that have been posting enormous economic growth for more than a decade.

While there have been signs of decline in their growth rates, those five countries with large populations and hefty dollar reserves from their economic booms remain a vast source of tourists for inbound travel to ASEAN, especially the nearby India to the west, and Russia and China to the north.

Their importance to ASEAN is acknowledged by ATF 2016 Philippine Host Committee Chairman and Undersecretary Benito C. Bengzon Jr. of the Department of Tourism (DOT), who describes their regular inclusion in this annual regional meeting as “strategically mutual” for all intents and purposes.

“The proximity to ASEAN of Russia, India and China -- together with Japan and Korea -- makes us all account for more than a contiguous half of the entire Asian continent. Travel between those countries and ASEAN entails less time and cost than anywhere else beyond,” Bengzon said.

Included among the invited foreign buyers at ATF 2016 are travel agents from South Africa, which is much closer to ASEAN than Brazil that lies far across the Pacific. Nonetheless, Brazil will have a delegate to the ATF.

“And by proximity alone, ASEAN becomes attractive to the people of those countries, which can help our tourism volume attain critical mass and get our region promoted as an integrated destination for the world market by mere word of mouth. It’s a strategy that just turns up and happens naturally,” Bengzon explained.

He said surplus capital from developed and emerging markets could also help ASEAN expand its absorptive capacity for tourism through investments in property development and support infrastructure.

“But we have to do that (product and property development) according to the current and projected requirements of the market. That’s why ASEAN does consultative meetings with our Asian neighbors. We cannot afford to have a disconnect simply because of gaps in communication and diplomacy at levels that matter most,” Bengzon stressed.

Thus, participating in ATF 2016 are some 2,600 delegates from 64 countries, at least 438 of them are wholesale buyers of tourism products and travel packages and 86 are members of the media from 37 countries. They will also have the opportunity to visit the ASEAN exhibits and see what makes this region a single, unified destination. Included in their itineraries are post-event tours on Jan. 23-26 to heritage sites in the Ilocos, Cordillera and Southern Tagalog regions, and eco-adventures in Palawan, Bicol, Bohol, Cebu, Siquijor, Negros Oriental and Davao.

Comprising the huge foreign delegation are industry players and decision makers from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong, Belgium, India, Bangladesh, Greece, Netherlands, France, Poland, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Cambodia, Bulgaria and Japan, among others.

“And for the very first time, the ATF has just been organized specifically to provide a fully-integrated ASEAN brand experience to the global market, ironically but deliberately key messaging our regional diversity as a brand-defining differentiator, whose visual idiom translates into ‘complete tourism package’,” Bengzon stressed.

Ref: Joy A. Gador / Tel. No. (63 2) 533-9732 / MEGAReach


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Filipino Talent - Asian Audience

By: Cora Llamas, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Bobby Barreiro, Tony Tuviera and Bobby Garcia of Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group (Ateg). In celebrating Filipino talent in whatever form, Ateg’s message for all Filipinos, audience and artists alike, is “Be proud of who you are,” says Barreiro. PHOTO FROM ATLANTIS THEATRICAL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

After decades of making television shows and transforming their talents into stars (just recently, the phenomenal AlDub love team), Bobby Barreiro and Tony Tuviera are working toward realizing their dream of bringing Filipino artists to the attention of an Asian audience.

And they have started with theater, stoking a personal passion for the art form which they have long enjoyed as private members of the audience.

Barreiro and Tuviera are the producers who make up two thirds of Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group (Ateg); resident director and Atlantis founder Bobby Garcia is the third.

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Merger

The current organization is a merger of Garcia’s original theater company Atlantis Productions, and Ten Bridges Media, owned and managed by the first two gentlemen.

The partnership was formed in 2014, and Barreiro and Tuviera had their first crack at producing musical theater when they mounted “Ghost,” which starred Christian Bautista and Cris Villonco and was directed by Garcia, in 2014.

For 2016, Atlantis will be showcasing two musicals: “Jersey Boys,” the hit musical about Frankie Valli and the 1950s boy band the Four Seasons; and “Fun Home,” the award-winning piece on a lesbian daughter’s coming-to-terms with her gay father.

Ateg’s version of the disco-movie-turned-theater-showcase “Saturday Night Fever” might also tour again in other countries in Asia, after finishing a profitable run in Singapore and Malaysia in 2015.

No dates have been set as of press time, but all of them will open by the last half of the year, probably to avoid a collision with the Australian run of the Schonberg-Boublil musical, “Les Misérables,” which runs at The Theatre in Solaire from March to May.

Sound marketing

A sound marketing strategy is part and parcel of the package that Barreiro and Tuviera bring to their game. Aside from the usual standards of quality and audience preferences, the two always consider other factors such as the material’s suitability for a Filipino cast, who are expected to perform at their best, and the feasibility of touring the same production to a wider audience outside the Philippines.

A case in point was “Saturday Night Fever.” Despite positive reviews and ticket sales, the musical, which was a different version from the one seen in New York, made more money in its Singaporean and Malaysian tour than it did in its Manila performance.

It was part of their learning curve, says Barreiro. “We had to import talent, not just the actors but even the crew; the lighting and sound directors came from New York and Australia. We had to import sets from Australia that could be rebuilt here. But we wanted to come up with something that we could be proud of and bring, regionally.”

The casting of the Caucasian leads in “Fever” was done with an Asian audience in mind, Barreiro admits. Still, he and his partner are working for the day when they can bring a majority of Filipino talent to theaters outside the Philippines through musical theater, and in time, perhaps through other kinds of performance arts like concerts.

“All you have to do is look at the international talent shows to see Filipinos excelling,” says Barreiro. “Our studies showed that, in some countries like Malaysia, if you put up a sign outside a club that says a Filipino band is playing, the audience would increase. Tony and I wanted to promote Philippine talent, and not just the bands. We came to Bobby, whom we had worked with in certain projects at GMA 7, and our visions aligned.”

Invitation

The Atlantis duo also sees the establishment of new theater venues in the country—such as Resorts World Manila’s Newport Theater, The Theatre in Solaire  and the Power Mac Center Spotlight in Circuit Makati—as a virtual invitation to develop more shows.

“You have theaters, but you do have to develop the content for the market. The Filipino theater market is small; we are more for concerts and movies, and we are heavy users of TV.  Plus, a limited number of runs in a theater that has a limited number of seats makes the cost of tickets high. That’s why we were happy with theater successes like Peta’s [Philippine Educational Theater Association] ‘Rak of Aegis.’ We are now finding a way how to price our tickets to make them more affordable to a broader market.”

Tuviera adds that while the Filipino theater audience is still small compared to concert-goers, “it seems to be growing. People look forward to the next shows and ask you about it, and a lot of them are young.”

Singapore, meanwhile, “is building new theaters and they have to put content there,” says Barreiro. “But to always import shows directly from the United States or United Kingdom is expensive. You also have to keep logistics in mind. The cost is making some Singaporean producers look at other options. Our objective is to create top quality shows [for these international theaters] at less cost.”

Partnership possibilities

Their success in Manila and other Asian cities has brought Atlantis to the attention of theater operators outside the Philippines. The licensor of “Fever” offered to bring their interpretation of the dance-musical to Japan and Korea.

Some Asian theater producers have also begun talks with them on partnership possibilities not necessarily limited to musical theater. Atlantis, for instance, was tapped to oversee the Manila talent casting for the London run of “Here Lies Love,” the David Byrne-Fatboy Slim musical about Imelda Marcos.

Western musicals with familiar titles and a proven audience record, but performed mostly by Filipino talent—that is the driving vision of Atlantis. However, a homegrown original musical is also in the works, although the producers are wont to give scant details at this time.

“It is Filipino, but it can cater to a bigger market because of the story,” says Tuviera. We had initial plans to test it first as a short piece with a small audience, but decided to just move forward and develop it into a full-length play.”

Barreiro adds, “It will reach out to the OFW [overseas Filipino worker] audiences. In producing Western musicals, I have asked myself if we are just catering to the elite.” But, in celebrating Filipino talent in whatever form, he says Atlantis carries a bigger message for all Filipinos, audience and artists alike: “Be proud of who you are.”

(Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct “Fun Home”s description as about a lesbian, not heterosexual, daughter.)

Read more: http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/219484/bobby-barreiro-tony-tuviera-and-a-new-theater-road-map-filipino-talent-asian-audience#ixzz3xNsJJ2UH
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Duterte-Cayetano will not allow Philippines to become "Asia's Mexico"

Office of the Senate Majority Leader

Alan Peter S. Cayetano

Rm. 603 GSIS Complex Senate of the Philippines Roxas Blvd Pasay City

         

PRESS RELEASE

14 January 2016

Duterte-Cayetano will not allow country to become "Asia's Mexico," to go after local “El Chapos"

Presidential contender and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte said the country has no place for "El Chapos" as he reiterated his commitment to fight the problem of illegal drugs, magnified by international drug cartels operating in the country.

"El Chapo" is the alias of the dreaded Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, who was recaptured on January 8 of this year after six months on the run following his escape from a Mexican prison.

"I will wipe out illegal drugs in 3-6 months. I will not allow our country to become Asia's Mexico. We will not become a narco-state,” said Duterte who explained that the country's drug problem has become a national security issue.

Duterte's Vice President, Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, added that he and Duterte have a comprehensive plan and stategy as well as the political will to win the war against illegal drugs. "With the help of the people, we will end the reign of drug lords and make our streets safe again for our people," he said.

On January 2015, Horacio Hernandez, a Mexican national suspected to be part of Guzman's drug cartel, was arrested by the PNP’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Force and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Makati City after selling P12 million worth of cocaine to undercover agents.

Last Tuesday, around P180 million worth of suspected “shabu” or methamphetamine hydrochloride were seized in Valenzuela City from two Chinese-Filipino men, both believed to be members of the "Asia Drug Network," an international drug network operating in China, Philippines and Hongkong.

Duterte said the country's crime situation, particularly drug trafficking, has become so dire that no less than bold solutions and swift actions are necessary to end this debacle.

"We will not allow our country to become a Narco State like some countries in Latin America. We will reclaim our streets from the drug lords and criminals who have made them unsafe. We will bring the war to their doorsteps. If they want to play rough, I will redefine to them the meaning of 'rough,'" Duterte said, referring to criminals and drug syndicates.

Cayetano said that 92 percent of barangays in the National Capital Region (NCR) are infiltrated with drugs. He also said that 50 percent of those in jail are because of drug-related cases.

Cayetano said if elected, he and Duterte will round up the big-time drug lords of the country, local and international alike, by combining the elements of the military and the police and modernizing their crime-fighting strategies such as creating a national anti-crime hotline number similar to Davao's 911 emergency hotline.#

Jennylyn Recounts Her Evolution As FHM Cover Girl—And Now Nation's Finest!

What Tourists Must Keep Sacred in Sagada

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Inquirer Northern Luzon

By: Kimberlie Quitasol and Jessica Tabilin

THE “HANGING COFFINS” in Sagada town in Mt. Province remain a must-see for visitors in this resort town in the Cordillera region. RICHARD BALONGLONG

When a newlywed woman’s photograph at the Lumiang burial grounds of Sagada town in Mt. Province became viral online in August last year, residents were forced to confront the dark side of tourism and its impact on their heritage.

In her bridal gown, the woman posed near the wooden caskets on the mountain walls, part of the popular “Hanging Coffins” of Sagada.

The post itself was scandalous only because it drew condemnation online. It incensed Cordillerans, forcing the bride and her photographer to apologize and compelling local officials to impose a “No Tour Guide, No Tour” policy on visitors.

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Vandalism

The issue also prompted residents to reflect on the vandalism, the artifact thefts and damage to Sagada’s heritage sites committed by souvenir hunters. These are tales that have not drawn the same notoriety as the bridal photo.

For instance, many of the hanging coffins in caves popular to visitors bear the names of strangers—some printed in ink, others crudely etched by small blades.

In May 2015, authorities reported the theft of a burial jar at the Balangagan Cave after it was introduced as a tourist spot, said Robert Pangod, municipal tourism officer. Only two jars remain there and officials are concerned about their security, he said.

In other sections of the cave system, residents reported the loss of bones from the hanging coffins. Some visitors have also spirited away wooden planks from the caskets, probably as ghoulish souvenirs.

Pangod said the community did not want to whittle anymore goodwill it still has for strangers who pass their way each year.

In 2014, Sagada drew 64,970 visitors. The number increased by 115 percent in 2015 when it hosted 140,000.

But the community wants to draw the line as to what tourists must keep sacred in Sagada, Pangod said.

TOURISTS hike for more than an hour from the town center of Sagada to reach the Bomod-ok water falls. RICHARD BALONGLONG

Heritage sites

One solution is to declare the 12 “dap-ay” of Poblacion village of Sagada as heritage sites, which would fall under the protection of the National Heritage Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).

A dap-ay is where elders gather the community to discuss pressing issues that affect their lives. Some areas are now designated as tourist spots.

Another proposal is for Sagada to impose tribal restrictions over tourist haunts through ordinances. This contrary view is being espoused by residents who do not want their community to be controlled by a national agency.

Jaime Dugao, the indigenous representative in the municipal council, said some residents were skeptical, fearful that “the restrictions imposed by the NHCP will hamper the development of the town.”

Any improvement or repair of damaged state-protected heritage sites would need the permission of the NHCP, he said.

Conservation groups are pushing the idea of preserving these heritage sites and prompting their restoration using government funds, said Sagada Vice Mayor Benjamin Capuyan.

He said making the dap-ay heritage sites did not make these areas exclusive only to a select few. The dap-ay belong to the community, he said.

Some groups are also lobbying to make Sagada a heritage community, in the same way cities like Vigan in Ilocos Sur province are granted special protection. Others have initiated a petition seeking a council measure declaring the town’s tourist spots protected cultural heritage sites.

The Sumaguing Cave, the Crystal Cave, the Lumiang Burial Cave and the Matangkig Burial Cave are some of the most frequented tourist destinations in Sagada.

“Even if we were able to locate new burial caves, we will not open them to the public because things that happened in the past might occur again,” Pangod said.

“The Lumiang cave where a couple took nuptial photos that caused a stir online is still open to the public. We cannot promise that [another bridal photo shoot using Sagada’s burial site] won’t happen again. Nobody guards the place. We cannot afford to hire security there. So we have asked souvenir shops near the place to keep watch.”