Visit Bislig

By JOJIE ALCANTARAScene Stealer

Tinuyan falls

MANILA, Philippines — In the olden days, before the Spanish colonizers came, legend has it that a royal couple tried to cross a gushing river and was almost swept away by the currents. They were saved by the incredible strength of a thick vine they had clung to. This forest vine, thriving along the riverbanks, was called bislig – and in gratitude, the town was consequently named after it.

Bislig, now a component city of the Province of Surigao del Sur in Region 13, is at the southeastern coast of Mindanao facing the Pacific Ocean, 158 kilometers south of Butuan, 152 kilometers south of Tandag (Surigao del Sur's provincial capital) and 208 kilometers northeast of Davao City.

A lot has changed progressively in the past years. When I first came to this quiet city in 2002 (a rough, bumpy seven-hour ride, no less), I stayed in the only hotel (Paper Country Inn) and visited a bar which closed at 9pm. Today, they have at least 10 facilities for tourist accommodations composed of hotels, inns and lodging houses, and a less sleepy night life to boost.

Bislig has blossomed into one of the potential ecotourism destinations in southern Philippines. With the present officials joining forces towards programs for sustainable peace and development, this once economically thriving city is slowly regaining its lost glory (it was once home to Paper Industries Corporation (PICOP), the largest paper mill and only integrated forest and paper company in Asia back in the '50s).

Ironically, Bislig wasn’t depleted of its natural resources. Hidden in its lush forest are destinations worth the long drive. There are several bird watching locations in the former forest concessions of the city, making it a favorite of bird photographers. Distinct with formations and characteristics, caves here are good sites for exploration, trekking and research for avid spelunkers and enthusiasts.

High above a hill overlooking Bislig Bay is Ocean View Park owned by the Willimanns, which serves not only a variety of tasty dishes, but a showcase of the Swiss couple’s incredible collection of 400 dolls from travels around the world. The fully air-conditioned dollhouse, which preserves toys in colorful costumes, is a treat to children and adults as they view the most popular (think international Barbies, including Filipina wear) to the rarest and most expensive (look for the eerily live-looking doll named Anne, their favorite). Entrance is P20 for adults, P10 for teens, P5 for kids.

For a dose of swimming, snorkeling and fun in the sun, the white sand Hagonoy Island and Lawigan Beach provide wonderful backdrops to a tropical stay. The city also has a top hangout, Baywalk, famous for its sunset and ocean view on its promenade.

Though largely agricultural, Bislig is quite blessed with aquatic resources and abundant in fresh seafood. Mud crabs, lobsters, shrimps, sea urchins and giant clams are delivered by suppliers from around Mindanao.

Tinuy-an Falls

Tinuy-an Falls is a spectacular three-tiered falls (a fourth is hidden from view) about 55 meters high and a breathtaking width of 95 meters, the widest in the country, earning its moniker "Little Niagara Falls of the Philippines". Centuries-old amazing giant trees, ferns and vines in a thick rainforest envelop visitors who ride through thick forested hills that enclose the falls. Islets on the swimming ground, a swaying bridge, plus multi-layered stones as pathways complement its spray-misted environment. Every morning, the area is blessed with a sprinkle of a rainbow between 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Cottages and function rooms are available in breathtaking proximity to the falls.

Not far away is Lake 77, a manmade lake with 77 hectares of land which used to be owned by PICOP as water supply for its operations. This photogenic lake was then developed into a tourist attraction and source of fishing livelihood for the locals.

While flights from Manila and Cebu to Davao or Butuan ply the routes daily, there is now a new Midsea Express plane which flies an hour direct from Cebu to Bislig twice a week. Bislig City is a good five-hour ride from Davao City by bus or van, and only around three hours if from Butuan City

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Philippine economy seen heading toward high-growth path

CLSA study sees start of private investment cycle

By: Doris C. Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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The Philippines is undergoing a renaissance that looks all set to bring the economy to a higher trend growth and power stocks to new heights, according to regional investment house CLSA Asia-Pacific.

In a research titled “The Eagle Flies Again” dated February 20, the CLSA report written by analyst Mitzi de Dios said that like the rare endangered Philippine eagle, a private sector investment cycle was a rare sighting in the country. But now, it said the country was on the cusp of another investment cycle for the first time in 15 years driven by political stability, rising business confidence, low interest rates, robust balance sheet and the country’s long-term demographic potentials.

“The Philippines soars like an eagle, again,” the research said, adding, however, that this time around, there was hope that this nascent recovery would not be as endangered as that rare eagle.

After years of false starts and missed opportunity, there was a real sense of optimism building in the business community, the research said, suggesting the time was right for the Philippines to shed the stigma of being the “sick man of Asia.” Beyond the huge remittances from overseas Filipinos, CLSA said the country could now count on other major growth drivers.

“The transformation continues for Asia’s once most promising. The service sector continues to grow with the BPO [business process outsourcing] segment underpinning rising employment and per capita spend. Tourism and gaming are other drivers,” the research said.

Well known globally for the Philippines’ quality service sector, CLSA said the BPO sector would likely see its employment doubling to 1.2 million and generating revenues of $25 billion by 2016. The employment opportunities will keep more locals at home while per capita income should improve and the middle class continue to grow, the research said.

The country’s middle class was growing at 9 percent a year and by 2015 could well represent a fifth of the Philippines’ population, the research said.

“For sure the country’s middle class is still nascent, especially in areas such as investment. Most have their savings in fixed income and have yet to invest in equities in a big way,” it said.

CLSA recounted that the last investment cycle in the Philippines took place in the early 1990s under President Ramos, who deregulated the telecom and banking sector, which coincidentally laid the foundations for the growth and development of the BPO industry over the past decade.

In the past 12 years, the country’s gross domestic product growth averaged 4.54 percent with population growth of 2.6 percent in the past 10 years. CLSA said trend GDP growth should be higher starting 2013.

“The country’s economic growth has lagged its regional peers. But, without much fanfare, the economy has transformed itself into an emerging services center, laying the foundations for today’s growth,” it said.

What all this meant for stock market investors, CLSA said, was that old reliable names and upcoming companies would be the ones investors should own. By sector, it said conglomerates, banks, construction and infrastructure firms would likely outperform.

CLSA has recommended a “conviction buy” on Ayala Corp., Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Cebu Air, Philippine National Bank, Security Bank and Robinsons Land Corp.

For specific infrastructure play, CLSA also has “buy” ratings on construction firms Megawide Corp. and EEI Corp. and a buy rating on Metrobank.

Bonifacio Global City was cited as a “microcosm” of the change afoot in the broader economy. “Fifteen years ago it was a military camp most famous for the incarceration of Sen. [Benigno “Ninoy”] Aquino. Today, it is home to high offices, luxury residential towers and upmarket shopping centers catering to the emerging middle class,” the research said.

The CLSA report also noted that total tourist arrivals hit an all-time high of 3.9 million in 2011 and was forecast to grow at double-digit rates over the next few years, eventually hitting more than eight million by 2016. The tourism industry employs 3.7 million people and tourism receipts accounts for 2 percent of GDP.

Philippines to shine in global community soon, says finance guru Suze Orman

By: Doris C. Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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SUZE ORMAN: Build on cash and you could never collapse. Photo by Arnold Almacen

MANILA, Philippines—Visiting personal finance guru Suze Orman sees the Philippines soon shining in the global community as an investment hub and having more of its households emancipated out of their dependence on overseas remittances.

Orman, who was once described by USA Today as a “one-woman financial advice powerhouse,” said, however, that Filipino consumers should avoid going the way of the US, which had allowed its economy to grow on credit card and lending to people who could not afford homes and have been grappling with more people “on a highway to poverty.”

“Build this country on cash so that it could never collapse, then you can change your lives,” said Orman, who was raised in an unruly Chicago neighborhood and who used to wait on tables and sleep in her car before transcending poverty as a broker at American investment house Merrill Lynch.

The host of the award-winning Suze Orman Show, which airs every Saturday night on CNBC, is in town to fulfill a promise made for the last five years to her friend Doris Magsaysay-Ho, chairwoman of Asia Society Philippines, to help inspire Filipinos in their quest for financial freedom.

Orman, who earns around $190,000 on speaking engagements in the United States, agreed to speak before Filipinos pro bono and expressed interest in coming back and helping draft financial literacy programs for the country. In a speech before the employees of the Ayala-led Bank of the Philippine Islands, Orman said the Philippines would likely shine in the global arena.

“You’re going to be taken note of in other countries, see investment money come to and you’ll see that the time for the Philippines has just about arrived. The question is, will you be able to hold on to the gifts that are about to come your way?” she said.

The American personal finance guru spoke strongly against incurring debt to purchase non-essential things, noting she had watched her own country fall apart because of this.  She said consumers must distinguish between good and bad debt, good debt being amortizing to one day own a home. On the other hand, she said that credit card debt was “very bad debt.”

“If you have credit card debt, what that says about you is that you are buying things that you can’t afford,” she said, urging banks to issue credit cards only to those who could responsibly use credit.  Ideally, credit card users should use their card all they want but pay everything when the bill arrives, according to Orman.

In the US, she said it was a common mistake for banks to even increase the credit limit when somebody had maxed out his ceiling and was only paying the minimum due.  The best way to help these people would be to stop charging interest and as the borrowers pay off, reduce their credit limit.

For overseas Filipinos, Orman said her advice would be to consider whether sending money to adult brothers or relatives would only be encouraging dependence. “Is it possible that it’s hurting them rather than helping them?,” she said, adding that some people may not reach their potential or may not be driven into making contingency plans because they have remittances to fall back on.

But she stressed that for parents, it’s a whole different light, as she herself would want to take care of her mother.

For young people, they should realize that their best commodity is time and that by starting to regularly save a portion of their earnings regularly, they will accumulate more wealth with the help of compounding, which means earnings from an initial investment are reinvested over and over, according to Orman.

With the help of compounding, she said a person who would set aside $100 a month starting the age of 20 would end up with $1 million upon reaching 60.  But if one waits until age 30 to start setting aside, the same person will end up with only $300,000 at age 60. This 10-year delay in starting an investment plan has thus cost the person $700,000, she noted.

Before becoming a prominent personal finance expert and inspirational speaker, Orman used to earn $400 a month as a waitress. She waited on table for seven years until the age of 30, when she dreamt of opening her own restaurant. She asked her mother for $20,000 to open her restaurant but her mother was unable to help her. One of her regular customers took a pity on Orman and pooled $50,000 from other customers to lend to her for 10 years without interest. She brought the money to Merrill Lynch but the broker convinced the then naive Orman to invest everything by speculating in the stock market. She said she was made to sign papers to make it appear that she was a sophisticated investor who was qualified to invest in stock options. Within three months, she lost all the money.

“If I hadn’t lost that money, I won’t be standing here today. Nothing ever goes wrong, everything happens for the best,” she said.

Realizing she still owed $50,000 to her customers, she thought of getting a job as a broker at Merrill, which at that time never hired female brokers. She was hired but with a caveat that she would be fired in six months.

One Merrill Lynch executive took a liking at Orman and advised her to sue Merrill Lynch for the bad handling on her $50,000 even when she was still an employee. This she did and because of the ongoing case, Merrill Lynch could not fire her.

As the case dragged on, she said she became one of Merrill Lynch’s top producers and realizing that the firm was earning more money than Orman’s $50,000-suit, the brokerage gave back her money plus interest.

Orman said this only showed that any wealth that she had made was something she had worked for.  Even as she has gone a long way since then, Orman is not fond of splurging on jewelry, clothes or purses and has chosen to live in a tiny apartment in New York even if she can afford a penthouse.

“Every single person in this world has the ability to be more and have more and it’s the choices that we make about ourselves that become our net worth,” she said.

Philippine Resorts Win Big At The Asean Green Hotel Awards

By JACKY LYNNE A. OIGA

Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort in Puerto Princesa, Palawan (Photo Source: daluyonresort.com)

MANILA, Philippines — Vacations aren’t just more fun in the Philippines, They're greener too.

Already four years operating as a lodging establishment in Palawan, Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort is a 16-room affair owned and managed by brothers, Ruben and Clifford Tan and their wives, Maria and Deborah.

Little did they know that their advocacy for green tourism as practiced in the resort would pay off when the Department of Tourism (DoT) made its usual search for nominees to the ASEAN Green Hotel and found the resort compliant with the criteria.

“We were pleasantly surprised as we only got to know of the awards when we were sent forms to fill and more surprised after being evaluated as compliant.  We are firm believers of the green agenda and are happy that we have contributed through our own small way,” the Tans said during the awards at Manado, Indonesia, held to coincide with the 2012 ASEAN Tourism Forum.

Meanwhile, Mandala Spa and Resort Villas in Boracay Island in Aklan, born in 2001 as a day spa, evolved into a destination spa, reaping numerous awards as best spa destination and best holistic treatment, among others.  It is presently owned and managed by Mr. Dieter Scrottmann.

Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. shared their pride as he handed the plaques of recognition to Daluyon and Mandala, received by the Tans and DoT Director Ma. Rica Bueno, respectively.

“We at the DoT will try to provide the support environment that will attract more green investments.  Through the TIEZA (Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority), we may be able to extend ample incentives and assist in looking for financing windows to make easy the start-up investments into green technology.  We want to contribute significantly to the global effort of greening tourism,” Jimenez said.

The ASEAN Green Hotel Awards are held every two years.  Its criteria covers environmental policy and activities, use of green products, collaboration with the communities and local organizations, human resources development, solid waste management, energy efficiency, water efficiency, air quality management, noise pollution control, waste water treatment and management and toxic and chemical substance disposal management.