FVR lauds Subic for effective tourism promotion, jobs creation

Former President Fidel V. Ramos lauded the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) for effectively promoting tourism in the Subic Bay Freeport and providing jobs to thousands of residents in Central Luzon.

Ramos was in Subic with Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengson for the Global Youth Forum 2015 held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC) on Thursday.

Addressing over 700 students and members of the academe from various colleges and universities, as well as representatives from tourism-related businesses and organizations in as far as South Cotabato and Zamboanga City, Ramos cited Subic’s role in job generation, pointing out that the Philippine tourism industry has already provided jobs to millions of Filipinos.

“Tourism is a business where people make profit and create jobs,” Ramos said.

He pointed out that tourism is now one of the world’s biggest industries and that by the year 2020, there will be about 1.6 billion people traveling around the world and spending about US$2-trillion.

Ramos also said that despite the high prices of commodities, people can be thankful that there are government agencies like the SBMA and the Department of Tourism (DoT), which provide people with means of livelihood.

For his part, Undersecretary Bengson said that the tourism industry is the largest income generator in the country, with about P275 billion last year in terms of income by providing one tourism-related job for every ten Filipinos.

Bengson then urged everyone to continue supporting the tourism industry by helping promote local tourism attractions on their network accounts like Facebook and Instagram.

“If one will post on Facebook or Instagram the beautiful places they visited, he or she will actually be promoting the places with 10 of his or her friends, who then will share the same to their friends and so on,” he said.

The forum was organized by the International School of Sustainable Tourism, DoT, Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines, and Agrea Agricultural System Intl., Inc. to create awareness among the youth of the many opportunities in the tourism industry, and to highlight lessons learned from successful tourism ventures and expose government workers to best practices and success stories.

The three-day activity featured five sessions that each focused on topics like “The Country’s Future- Getting Youth into Tourism Jobs”; “Sowers of Change- Education”; “Creating opportunities for Dialogue and Encounter- Social Media and IT”; “Economic Development in the Countryside versus Environmental Concerns”; and “Global Market for Local Talents- ASEAN Youth on the Move.”

Invited speakers included Efren Peñaflorida, the CNN Hero and founder of Kariton Foundation; Pocholo Gonzales, author and public speaker on youth culture, media and technology; and Durrie Hassan, executive director of Carlton Mansfield Ltd., Malaysia. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] Former President Fidel V. Ramos views pictures on display at the SBMA office with SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia during a visit to the Subic Bay Freeport recently. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[2] Former President Fidel V. Ramos listens intently during a briefing with SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia during a visit to the Subic Bay Freeport recently. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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‘Green’ film fest in Subic

A FILM festival focusing on “green” films will be held this weekend at the Subic Bay Freeport.

The 1st Subic International Ecofilm Festival will be presented at the ISST FilAm Theatre on Feb. 27 and 28. This is a project of the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST) together with Cinema Verde of the United States.

The two-day festival will screen six international films and three local award-winning independent films and will have the Cinema Verde founding director as the guest of honor.

According to ISST President Mina Gabor, the Ecofilm Festival intends to bring environmental awareness to the audience and inspire, educate and engage participants in sustainable business and lifestyle solutions.

“If the Cannes Film Festival is for commercial films, we intend Subic to be known for environmental films,” the former Tourism secretary said.

Among the foreign films to be shown is Love Thy Nature, directed by Sylvie Rokab and narrated by Hollywood star Liam Neeson. It is a cinematic immersion into the beauty and intimacy of human’s relationship with the natural world.

The other films that will be screened are: Confessions of an Eco-Terrorist, Deep Green (Final Cut), Silent Now (The Poisoning of the Arctic), El Perro del Hortelano, and Radio Love.

The Filipino films in the festival are Brutus: Ang Paglalakbay, which stars Ronnie Lazaro; indie film Batad, which won multiple awards at Cinemalaya; and the Batanes-inspired Kadin The Goat.

The festival will also hold group discussions on “Best Practices on Environmental Conservation,” and “Challenges in Producing Environmental Films,” as well as bird shows and photo exhibits by the Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines. (BusinessWorld)

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Arts&Leisure&title=green-film-fest-in-subic&id=103403

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Subic tourism school holds eco-kayaking course

Kayaking enthusiasts from various provinces in the country took to the water here recently, not to compete in a race, but to learn about how their favorite activity could help in promoting tourism in the Philippines.

The course, spearheaded by the Subic-based International School for Sustainable Tourism, consisted of a three-day training on kayak paddling, kayak guiding, and kayak safety with an emphasis on eco-tourism.

The course took advantage of the waters of Subic Bay, which varied from placid to choppy, and featured notable kayaking experts from here and abroad, who gave practical lessons on eco-kayaking.

According to Buzzy Budlong, a noted kayaking enthusiast who has led an 88-day kayaking expedition around the country, kayaking can be both a recreational activity as well as a boost to local tourism in the country.

“It can create jobs, boost sustainable tourism, and at the same time educate people about our coastal and marine resources,” Budlong said.

Ogie Empeño, a registered scuba diver from the local government of Masinloc, Zambales, said they joined the course because they would be expanding their eco-tourism program in Masinloc Bay, featuring several resort islands and a unique mangrove island.

“This would be a big help in our efforts to conserve the bay area, as well as promote it to boost the local tourism market,” he added.

The course was also attended by Bill Temby, a seasoned kayaking instructor from Australia, who gave lessons on basic kayaking skills.

Temby said that the Philippines has a very big potential when it comes to kayaking, given the lengthy coastline in the country.

But he noted the differences between kayaking in Australia and the Philippines.

“Well, the conditions are completely different to start with. I was teaching in Australian waters where we have issues like hypothermia,” he said. “In Australia, it is competency-based and we instruct only with proper certification. It’s much more regulated there.”

Temby said he hopes that kayaking would be recognized as a tourist activity in the Philippines and that it would be standardized to ensure safety.

“It all comes back to safety,” he said. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
Participants in the eco-kayaking course at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone pose with kayaking expert Bill Temby (sixth from left)

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