Friday 4 December 2020

31st Philippine Travel Mart (Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila



Despite the still ongoing worldwide COVID-19 pandemic crisis, this year’s Philippine Travel Mart (PTM), the Philippines’ longest and largest travel exhibition, will still push through. 

Organized by the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), a responsible tourism advocate established in 1986, this travel exhibition, in previous years, was usually held in early September but this years’ PTM will run from December 4 to 6, at SM Megamall Megatrade Hall.  

A few years after its formation, PHILTOA set out its mission to develop a project that would curate, identify and feature different destinations within the country; reaffirm its commitment to stability and social inclusion and endorse sustainability and community engagement through travel products and packages. Thus, the Philippine Travel Mart was born. 

Since starting as a simple trade and consumer show 30 years ago, the annual PTM has now turned into the longest-running interactive showcase for Philippine tourist destinations, working with hundreds of exhibitors every year, ranging from provincial and regional travel agencies, airlines, resorts, and hotels. 

Now on its 31st year, the event will be the second biggest travel event to be held this year after community quarantine protocols have been eased.  Just like in the past, various travel and tour agencies will be offering packages to some of the Philippines’ famed tourist destinations which will, likewise, highlight new discoveries to explore in this high-profile destination. 

This year, its theme is “Fostering Sustainable and Inclusive Tourism.”  As in past years, aside from checking out the PTM’s many interesting exhibits and finding new discoveries, there are also many activities and surprises to look forward to. 

Perfect for celebrating and learning about other Filipino cultures, the expo showcases cultural programs such as the Philippine Tourism Quiz Bee Finals, the Eco Chorale, Himig ng Kundiman, Cultural Dance, and the Patimpalak ng Kasuotang Pilipino. 

For the duration of the event, so that exhibitors and participants can get peace of mind while attending, program coordinators have set up several COVID-19 safety protocols and strict compliance is expected from each. In addition, a physical distance of one to two meters at a time will be observed and a proper face masks and adequate facial shields are required to be worn. Frequent hand washing or sanitizing is also highly encouraged. 

With its many sights and attractions, the Philippines have long been one of the top destinations for foreign adventurers.  However, since inbound travelers are still restricted due to the pandemic, PHILTOA and PTM will focus on domestic tourism and many attending guests are sure to strike some very exclusive deals and discounts.  

In addition to highlighting domestic tourism, the PTM will also open up opportunities for Filipinos to visit international cities in the ASEAN region as well as countries such as China, Japan and South Korea. 

31st Philippine Travel Mart: Summit, 5/F Mega B, SM Megamall, EDSA cor. Doña Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas Center 1552, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila.  The opening ceremony of the event will begin at 8 AM on December 4, but the exhibition will open to the public at 10 AM and will close at 7 PM for each day of the event. The last day to attend is December 6, and the closing ceremony will be at 6 PM.


Tuesday 25 February 2020

Swing Out Sister 2020 Philippine Tour (Manila, Cebu. Davao)


Swing Out Sister 2020 Philippine Tour

Corinne Drewery
After almost a dozen years since their last concert (April 7, 2008) in the  Philippines, the English pop duo  Swing Out Sister (SOS), composed of Corinne Drewery (vocals) and Andy Connell (keyboards), is heading back to the Philippines for their 2020 Philippine Tour with special guest Sybil. Their three-leg concert dates are April 16 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, April 17 at the SMX Convention Center, Davao, and April 19 at the Waterfront Hotel, Cebu

The much loved 1980s duo began to dominate the music industry with their sophisticated dance-pop-jazz genre in the autumn of 1986, following the release of the 1986 effervescent song Breakout, their biggest hit to date. The irresistible upbeat single lived up to its name as it became an international chart sensation, not only in the United Kingdom and the US, but in many markets worldwide including the Philippines.

The group was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1988: Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Group or Duo ("Breakout").

Swing Out Sister became part of the defining sound of British pop in the late 1980s and one of the most successful pop bands around the globe with their multiple hit songs such as Where in the World, Fooled By a Smile, You On My Mind, the more serious and jazzy Twilight World, Waiting Game, Forever Blue, Am I the Same Girl? (a remake of the Eugene Record soul composition), the brooding Surrender, The Windmills Of Your Mind, La-La (Means I Love You), Love Won’t Let You Down, Now You're Not Here, Precious Words, Not Gonna Change, Get in Touch with Yourself, Better Make It Better, Wake Me Up When It’s Over and Who’s Been Sleeping.

Other cuts include Something Every Day, Time Tracks You Down, Butterfly, My State of Mind, I’d Be Happy, Butterfly Lullaby, Secret Love (You’re Invisible), All I Say All I Do, Out There, Beautiful Mess and Little Wizard Mixes of Butterfly and Something Every Day.

Sybil
Their music is a charming mix of synthesized jazz and funk with echoes of Motown, Burt Bacharach and even the Beatles, a resulting mix that is uniquely Swing Out Sister’s own.

Special guest is Sybil, an American R&B and pop singer–songwriter, who gained notable success in her career with songs during the mid-1980s into the mid-1990s. She achieved worldwide crossover hits with her cover versions of Dionne Warwick’s hits Don't Make Me Over (1989) and Walk On By (1990).   Her other hits include When I'm Good and Ready, Make It Easy On Me, It’s Too Late, The Love I Lost, I Wanna Be Where You Are, Lovely Day, etc.

Swing Out Sister Philippine Tour 2020 with Sybil is presented by Ovation Productions in cooperation with TAP Go: Stream Sports Anywhere! 

Tickets for Manila concert are available through www.ticketnet.com.ph while tickets for Davao and Cebu concerts are available through www.ticketnet.com.ph and www.smtickets.com. For inquiries, please call (02) 8911-5555 or (02) 8470-2222. #SwingOutSisterPH #OVATION2020.





Ticket Prices (Smart Araneta Coliseum, April 16, 2020 8:00 PM, Thursday) : VIP (PhP6,075), Patron A (PhP5,545), Patron B (PhP5,020), Box Premium (PhP3,960) and Box Regular (PhP3,435).



Ticket Prices (SMX Convention Center Davao, April 17, 2020, 8:00 PM, Friday): VIP 2 (PhP4,500), Gold 2 (PhP3,000), Silver (PhP1,850), Bronze (PhP950) 



Ticket Prices (Waterfront Hotel Cebu, April 19, 2020, 8:00 PM, Sunday): SVIP (PhP5,000), VIP (PhP4,500), Gold (PhP3,500), Silver (PhP2,000), Bronze (PhP1,000)

Monday 27 January 2020

Hotel and Inn Review: The Hotel Sophia (Cauayan City, Isabela)

Date of Stay: January 27-31, 2020

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)
Location: *******
Rooms: ********
Condition and Cleanliness: *******
Staff Performance: *******
Room Comfort: ********
Food and Beverage: *****
Other Amenities: *******
Value for Money: *******

The Hotel Sophia

This 3-star, 3-storey boutique hotel, with its chic, dark brown and white motif, was named after owner Theo Garcia’s and Angela Bernardo’s daughter.  Opened in 2013, it currently has 110 air-conditioned non-smoking rooms.  


Rates (promo and regular) are Economy (PhP980-1,100), Standard (PhP1,500-2,200), Standard Room with Terrace (PhP1,650-2,500), Standard Twin (PhP1,800-2,600), Matrimonial (PhP1,800-2,600), De Luxe (PhP1,980-2,700), Triple (PhP2,400-2,800), Superior De Luxe (PhP2,400-2,800), Superior De Luxe Twin (PhP2,500-3,200), Family Room (PhP2,900-3,600), Superior Pool View (PhP3,200-3,800) and Presidential Suite (PhP6,000-8,200).  All room rates are inclusive of breakfast and pool access.

Lavende Suite (L25)

Our 20-man media group, covering the 2020 Bambanti Festival in nearby Ilagan City, stayed in the recently built but partially furnished Lavender Suites.  The suite I stayed in (L25) had a magnetic door lock, a king-size bed and a flat screen TV with 9 cable channels (7 local and plus Kix and Cartoon channel).  

Lavender Suite bathroom


It had a still unfurnished area for a living room.  Outlets suggest a future NDD/IDD phone, a mini fridge and possibly an in room safe. There might probably be a provision for an executive work desk too. Other rooms still didn’t have a TV installed.

Lavender Suites (L25) 


The only window is found in the bathroom and I could understand why as my room faces the nearby airport’s runway, thus necessitating blocking jet noise by using the bathroom as a buffer.  The rooms on the other side of the hallway have openings to the outside (but smaller bathrooms) as they have a poolside view.


Shower stall

My ensuite bathroom was huge, with a bidet and complimentary toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, soap and toothbrush) but still no mirror (it seems the window above the lavatory won't allow for it) installed.  

Lavender Suite


My glass shower enclosure had a rainshower head and 6 body sprays.  Hot water, though available to the rooms at the end of the hallway, never reached my shower. This, as well as slow draining floor drain, has to be remedied.  An electrical outlet and a water supply stub out at the back end of the bathroom suggests a future whirlpool tub.
 
Poolside view rooms of Lavender Suites

Nighttime view of Lavender Suites
Armchair recliners

Rooms at the Lavender Suites have wall-mounted split type airconditioning but the older rooms are said have, according to previous tenants, window-type airconditioners which are located so high up for average-size persons to reach for the controls.  Airconditioning temperature in our rooms was very good.  Some public areas have a number of armchair recliners.
 
The 24-hour Front Desk

Free WiFi was not yet available in our rooms but was available at the older rooms and the public areas. It was spotty at best. To avail of it, you have to get a password from the 24-hour Front Desk.  



The internet was good for two days only and you have to secure a new password when it expires. The magnetic door lock card key also has to be renewed after three days. It seems, housekeeping is only available upon request.
 
The current on-site restaurant

Function Room
Function Room
The on-site restaurant was small with seating for possibly 20 people.  It had a flat screen TV where you can watch the morning news while dining.  However, you can dine al fresco at the trellised outdoor dining area.  

We only dined here for breakfast in the morning and I noticed that the menu choices was very limited – soup, coffee (3-in-1 only, brewed was ordered a la carte), sliced bread, fried or hardboiled egg, fried or plain rice and one or two viands (fish, vegetables or meat, I thoroughly enjoyed the Isabela longanisa though). Not much choice for a foreigner used to Continental fare.  Things may change as soon the new, bigger restaurant (plus additional rooms), currently being constructed, will be opened.

The grand hotel lobby

Hallway
Stairway
The new hotel lobby (the old lobby was located where the function room is now) was huge, with several seating areas, comfortable sofas, area rugs, high ceiling, gold trim, ritzy chandeliers, winding stairway, fanciful artwork, flat-screen TV and 24-hour Front Desk. Complimentary iced tea is also available here.

During the duration of our 4-day stay at the hotel, a number of oil paintings, done by Isabela-based artists, were on display (and for sale) at the lobby.  Hotel security was top notch, with luggage X-ray machines and metal detectors provided at the entrance. There was parking for possibly 8 to 9 cars at the front.  

On our last day in Isabela, we had a farewell brunch, with Vice-Gov. Faustino "Bogie" Dy II, at the aforementioned 30-pax, airconditioned function room.


Secondary seating area at lobby
The spacious main seating area

There were also two swimming pools (adult and children).  

The adult pool had a poolside bar, sun loungers, cabanas and a monster-size flat screen TV beside it. The terraces of some of the ground floor rooms open up to this swimming pool. 

The adult swimming pool with its poolside bar (left) and big screen TV (at the end)

Poolside cabanas
Children's pool
Cauayan Airport is just a few steps (300 m.) away but The Hotel Sophia  is 5.2 kms. (a 15-20-min. drive) to the city.  

However, tricycles are available for those wishing for a night out or shopping (at SM Cauayan) in the city.  The hotel is also located 33.3 kms. (a 55-min. drive) to the City of Ilagan, 38.3 (a 1-hour drive) to Gamu, 61.6 kms. (a 1.5-hr. drive) from Tumauini Church and 85.3 kms. (a 2-hour drive) to the San Pablo Church Ruins.

The hotel's interior court
The luggage X-ray machine


The hotel, being near the airport, is very convenient (land travel takes nearly nine hours and 400 kms.) for those flying in from Manila.  Cebu Pacific Air has one-hour, 15-min. morning flights from Cauayan (CYZ) to Manila's (MNL) NAIA Terminal 4.  

As soon as hotel hotel management can iron out some of these major and minor hiccups and the hotel expansion is completed, The Hotel Sophia has the potential to be one of the best, if not the best, hotel accommodation in the whole Cagayan Valley Region. 

The author (second from left) relaxing with other media colleagues by the pool

Media group with our hosts posing at the hotel lobby

The Hotel Sophia: Airport Access Rd., Brgy. San Fermin, Cauayan City 3305, Isabela.  Tel: (078) 307-5184. Mobile number: (0917) 881-2379. E-mail: thehotelsophia@yahoo.com