Land of the Malls and English Speakers
I came across this travel reviews about Manila in Yahoo.com. While several countries warned their citizens abour coming to Manila, apparently, many who DID make it here were surprised and thoroughly enjoyed their stay.
It warms my heart to see all these positive reviews, but after reading 2 pages worth of review, it seems that our redeeming values are our malls and competency for English. Oh, there are the gorgeous beaches and beautifully preserved and restored historical sites, but yeah, we have great malls.
LOL. That’s what I keep hearing. They keep saying we have better malls than anywhere.
*shrug*
The only catch is they’re always crowded! :z
better malls than other countries? well, yes. most of our malls have more floors, SM and Glorietta and Robinsons to be specific. And most of these malls are in the NCR region and several key cities across the nation. I managed to watch Travel Time and got informed by the Department of Tourism’s report about our other scenic locations being frequently visited by Japanese, Koreans, Germans, and Russians (complete with respectable data). I’ve been to some of the spots that the report gave and I saw for myself the increasing visits from such tourists. It’s about time that the Philippines is recognised for its provinces and not just its national capital region, which is awfully sick (with all the noise, air and water pollution) to be called progressive — just look at the river and the poor urban planning that the several city mayors are tolerating (more illegit dwellers along the riverside and under the bridges mean more votes!).
@charlie: yup, Ilocos and Davao definitely deserve tourist attention! I’m in love with the Burgos Lighthouse (Ilocos) and the Pearl Farm Resort (Davao)! :D
That’s sad, since there is so much more! I lived in Quezon City (went to school in Makati) for 5 years, and I’ll never forget it. The Philippines is probably one of the most beautiful places I’ll ever see. I hope to visit again soon!