The capital of Negros and its most vibrant city, tourism in Bacolod, Philippines has also been the main engine that is propelling the province to prosperity. The many sightseeing wonders and hotspots have turned it into one of the biggest attractions in the archipelago.

So how does one get started on a tour of this fascinating place? The best time for most would be in early October as that is when the famed Masskara Festival occurs. Here the participants wear oversized multicolored masks painted with smiling faces, and are attired in equally colorful costumes while dancing to the beat of drums and other rhythms.

Yet another fiesta close to the hearts of the people is the Panaad Festival, which begins with a mass of thanks and prayers and culminates in a display of splendid fireworks. St. Joseph is honored in the colorful Sinigayan Festival which has become a big part of tourism in Bacolod, Philippines, while the Pasasalamat and Kali-Kalihan fiestas are also anticipated.

The popularity of the city is also helped by its lovely beaches. Antulang Beach is famed for its greenish waters, while the Punta Ballo is well loved by tourists for its white sands. The beaches at Sipaway and Sipalay on the other hand, are ideal for scuba diving as they are host to some of the most beautiful underwater scenery in the province. Do not forget to include Tambobo Beach and Isla Puti when you go beach hopping.

If you would rather go diving instead, there are plenty of dive sites that you can explore. Broccoli Reef is the home of a large number of coral reefs and exotic forms of aquatic marine life and fishes, all the while advancing tourism in Bacolod, Philippines; other sites that the intrepid diver will be inclined to explore will be the Sibulan House Reef, Dauin, the El Dorado House Reef, the Coconut Plant Jetty, Polo I and II and the three sites at Calong.

Needless to say, attractions here are not just limited to festivals and its beaches; there are a host of hotspots on land as well. The Patag Valley draws people who love to go trekking and enjoying the many wonders of nature; the Mambukal Resort is not just a place to relax and unwind, but it is also near to some of the scenic nature spots that have been popularizing tourism in Bacolod, Philippines, among them the streams, lakes and mountains nearby.

For history buffs, there is the Holifena Ancestral Home, the Talisay Church, and also the Revolutionary Markers in Magalona which serve as reminders of the battles fought on the land.

There are other places worth seeing and these are the Capitol building, with its striking architecture, the Bacolod Golf and Country Club where you can admire the views of the setting, and Orange Gallery, where artistic works are displayed. You might also want to see the Super Bowling Lanes if you love the game, and of course, when you drop by the city, do not forget to get some chicken inasal, a tasty form of roasted chicken.

With tourism in Bacolod, Philippines reaching heights of success and popularity like never before, is there any wonder that this place has been christened the City of Smiles?

Please click these links if you want to know more about bacolod or bohol transportation in general.

Philippines’ GDP was US$85.1 billion with a GDP per capita of US$1,042 in 2004. The economy of the Philippines grew at annual GDP growth averaging 4.6% from 2000 to 2004 contributed mainly by growth in the service sector, agriculture and exports of electronics. Inflation declined from 6.5% in 2000 to 2.5% in 2002 but trended upwards to reach 8.6% by 2004. Unemployment remains relatively high compared to Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore ranging between 9.8% and 10.9% from 2000 to 2004.

The service sector contributes to half or 52.8% of the Philippines’ GDP in 2004 while manufacturing contributed 31.8% and agriculture 15.3%. Major industries include electronics, garments, footwear, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, processed foods, petroleum refining and fishing. Major agriculture products include sugarcane, coconuts, rice, corn, bananas, cassavas, pineapples, mangoes and seafood.

DEMOGRAPHY. The Philippines comprises of nearly 7,100 islands but eleven islands account for 90% of the country’s total population. Main islands are Luzon and Mindanao accounting for 65% of the population. Other major but less populated islands include Negros, Samar, Panay and Palawan. Filipino society and culture is nearly homogeneous and 90% of the population are of the Malay descent. Other ethnic groups include the various indigenous tribes and Chinese immigrants. Spanish-Mexican culture brought by the former Spanish colonial rulers who ruled the country from Mexico has an influence of Filipino culture. The country is predominantly Catholic accounting for 81% of the population followed by various Christian denominations (11%) and Islam (5%). Tagalog is the national language and widely spoken across the islands while English is predominantly used in government and business.

The proportion of the Filipino population living in the urban areas increased from 49% in 1990 to 62% by 2004. Philippines’ main city is Metro Manila (comprising of the city of Manila and 16 surrounding cities and municipalities) has a population of 10 million. Other major cities include Zamboanga, Baguio, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu City, Davao and Cagayan de Oro.

The Philippines suffers from a high level of income inequality and an estimated 30% of the population live below the poverty level. Another 50% of the population belong to the low-income group while the remaining 20% belonging to the middle and high-income group. The average income of those living in Metro Manila is twice than the national average.

INFRASTRUCTURE. Telecommunication services within and between the islands is adequate while international services is relatively good. Internet broadband coverage is mainly concentrated in the major cities and towns of the islands. The islands are adequately served by roads and road transport. Travels between the islands are by air or coastal boats. All the major islands are served by international and domestic airports and sea ports.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE. Philippines’s exports increased nearly 4-folds from 1995 to 2004. Major trading partners include Japan, US, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. Main exports from the Philippines include electronics, garments, optical instruments, coconut products, fresh produce, copper products and chemicals. Main imports include machineries, equipments, fuel, vehicles, transport equipments, plastics chemicals and food grains.

CONSUMER USAGE OF TECHNOLOGY. The total number of fixed-line telephones installed in the Philippines was 3.4 million or a penetration of 8 fixed-line phones per 100 population in 2004. However, the penetration for mobile phones is much higher at 39 mobile phones per 100 population. The penetration of computers in the country is low estimated at 2% of the population while the estimated number of internet subscribers is 1.2 million and internet users is 8.0 million. The average penetration of televisions among households in the Philippines is 71% but higher in the Metro Manila at 96%.

RETAIL MARKET. There are nearly 360,000 retail establishments and the traditional “mom and pop” stores account for 98% of the establishments. The remaining 2% are the store brands comprising of hypermarkets, supermarkets, department stores, convenience stores and speciality stores. Shopping in these establishments is popular among middle and high-income consumers. These modern outlets are mostly concentrated in Metro Manila accounting for 30% of the Philippines’ total retail sales. However, many store brands are expanding their businesses outside Metro Manila into other major urban areas in Luzon and Mindanao. Between 2004 and 2007 and estimated three shopping malls will be built in the Philippines annually.

FOOD CULTURE. Like most countries in Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, rice is the staple food in the Philippines. Filipino cooking is a blend of sweet, sour and spicy tastes. Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican and Spanish cooking have an influence on Filipino food culture. Traders and immigrants introduced Indian, Chinese and Japanese cooking while the Spanish colonial rulers introduced Mexican and Spanish cooking. Filipinos are also accustomed to western foods especially American style fast foods, bakeries and snacks.

Khal Mastan is a Senior Consultant with Pegasus Business and Market Advisory (http://bma.pegasus-asia.com) based in Malaysia. He involves himself in business and marketing research and provides consulting services on markets in Southeast Asia namely Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines and Brunei. He has more than 20 years experience in the region and work experience in various industries. He holds a bachelors degree in Biochemistry and an MBA. He can be contacted at khalzuri@pegasus-asia.com or +6 (03) 7726 5373 in Malaysia.

Yuppie Filipinos get the chance to be employed easily once they obtained their bachelor or diploma degrees because of the emergence of contact centers everywhere in the Philippines. These workers started to fill the 24-hour skyscrapers that gives a colorful background to metro Manila’s financial districts at nighttime.

This only shows that people employed in this job for a couple of years were used to on their ticking biological sleeping habit. They slept all day long just to regain their strength and wake up again at the wee hours to prepare themselves for a nightlong work. Clad in casual attire with matching fashionable coats are the most common props if you are a customer service representative. During break time some even used to occupy the al fresco various dining areas in Manila. In Ortigas for instance, call center agents enjoy their 30-minute to 1 hour break at McDonald’s, Starbucks, among others. For those who have extra pennies, they enjoy the hot aroma of Brazilian coffee in various blend. Others may sit on the corner and lit up their cigarette in a way of releasing their stress from work. It is enjoying isn’t it?

At 8 pm. about 100 people, most 25 younger, sit in a room of enclosed cubicles outfitted with phones and computers. They’ll be working until 4 am. or depends on the schedule of their shifts. As their shifts starts, it is usually morning in the US. These contact centers are following US standard zones such as Pacific, Eastern, Mountain and Central.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Luisa Geneta disclosed that call center is her first job when she finished her bachelor’s degree on May 4, 2007. At 12 am., Geneta left her house in Tondo, a suburb village in Manila, as her shift starts at 2 am. This Banking and Finance graduate from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) is one of the top caliber representatives for Unique Interaction, an American call center based in Ortigas.

“Working in a call center in the Philippines is really a big challenge for me especially that I’m new to this business. I spent most of my time and energy on this job,” she said, who handles an inbound account.

It is a very risky to leave my house at midnight for a young lady like me. However, I consider that this is the most rewarding career that we have nowadays and this will be a big help in creating another means of livelihood for us Filipinos especially for fresh graduates like me, she claimed.

On the other hand, Margaret Estanislao, 19, a team leader of the same company, disclosed that placing the agents into action challenge her in keeping her job.

Estanislao, who started as an agent added that they tried everything in sorting out the problem of the customers. “We need to maintain our empathy if the customer is upset. They are pissed and upset not because of the representatives but to the products itself”.

Both Geneta and Estanislao agreed that this job has given them the opportunity to enhance their skills and boost their confidence when it comes of interaction with their clients in a phone-to-phone conversation.

“Not to mention the financial aid that it gives to me and my family. I think this industry will continue to prosper in the succeeding years and it will continue to be one of the leading providers of career opportunities for Filipinos,” Geneta further said.

It cannot be denied that outsourcing business is one of the most flavored industries in the Philippines and other Asian countries. It appears that contact center executives preferred this country because of the number of students produced every year, which can speak English in American way. As the third largest English-speaking country in Asia no doubt that business process outsourcing is in demand today.

BPO companies provides a state-of-the-art equipment in outsourcing their business in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. These companies trained their employees to speak like American way. In Unique Interaction, they provide fundamental call center training before the call center trainees will be allowed to take calls. The trainees has to learn account information first. Once they know the account then they are deployed ready on the floor and receive as many calls as they want. The company also teach their employees on how to handle their customers well. It is so hard to lose a customer, we know that they are considered as the lifeblood that gives full stream of support to make the company up and running and stay on the business for long.

The fact is call centers are part of the Philippine economic activity. Almost half of the 86.2 million people in the Philippines are younger than 20 years old. So don’t be surprised if you will be able to meet supervisors, team leaders, managers below 25. This is because that call center has the fastest way of promoting a career development. If the agent is performing better and receiving good CSAT ratings then no doubt that within six months or less than, this certain employee is entitled to move to another level in his or her career path. The Philippines is also one of the potential factors for outsourcing. It has been also forecast by the XMG Inc., Manila-based research and advisory firm that the nation will surpass India by 2008 as home to the world’s largest call center companies.

The Philippines offers attractive environment for the BPO companies, which is one of the key requirements by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) in applying for this business. Even now big contact center firms also expanded their centers not only in Manila but targeting the provincial levels. So it means, the revenues will not only take place within the National Capital Region (NCR) but it will also circulate to the provincial areas after passing the standard set by the Peza. Largest call centers are also found operating in Pampanga, Laguna and Baguio in Luzon; Bacolod, Cebu, Dumaguete and Iloilo in the Visayas; and Cagayan de Oro and Davao in Mindanao.

The Philippine Government is very supportive to this. Under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, she said that BPO companies will generate billions of pesos in the country with target by 2010. When it starts to operate in 2000, now off-shore call center industry estimates to employs 60,000 people.*

Roberto L. Bacasong, 27, works as company writer for Call Center Philippines Unique Interaction.

How can we say that the Philippine outsourcing is ideal in the world? There are so many reasons why the Philippines is considered. This industry is truly amazing because the way it helps the Filipino workers in terms of contribution to the large scale of development for the country. Working in a call center in the Philippines is worthy enough in helping the Filipino families boost up their morale and the level of their competence in terms of adopting English language.

Beyond expectation, contact center is widely known today in the Philippines. It is a word of mouth which now became a common trend setting for yuppie Filipinos strongly agreeing that there’s better future on working in call center. For instance, once they have graduated from their respective bachelor’s degree thousands of them employed easily to different world class contact centers in the country. It is with great knowledge that call center companies offer great package such as salary scheme and benefits which attract Filipinos workers grabbing the opportunity with no doubt. Despite the high attrition rate in this industry, looking for staffing and manpower services have never been a problem to the call center locators in the Philippines. Most of them, received volumes of applicants everyday in which the shortlisted applicants were thoroughly screened upon reaching the job offer. The ratio goes this way, only three out of ten successful applicants qualified were mployed in the call center arena. But this does not mean that the level of competency is affected, this only reflect how the human resources team of hundreds of call center companies in the Philippines doing stiff hiring process to fill in their vacant position.

Outsourcing in the Philippines is very ideal in the world, as what most commented by some international call center owners published nationally and internationally in different medium especially in the newspapers. In Asia, along with the Philippines that is known for outsourcing are India, China, Thailand, among others. With strong command in English is a great advantage among other competitors. The country has huge number of graduates from reputable colleges and universities which is also a factor to consider.

In a research entitled: "Outsourcing to the Philippines: Metro Manila and Beyond" by neoIT highlighted some economic activity which contributed by this industry. The report noted that Metro Manila is considered as the most popular destination for outsourcing. This is because that Manila has a large skilled resource based that assures smooth operation scale-ups. The city houses 81 institutions of higher education and 1,600 other schools, boast a literacy rate of 92.4, and is home to institutions such as the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), Ateneo de Manila, De La Salle University, the University of the Philippines and the University of Santo Tomas. But not only this, the research further showed that not only Manila is the focus of call centers, it is also incubating other provinces such as Pampanga, Bacolod, Iloilo, Dumaguete, Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro. It further revealed that as an offshore outsourcing enters its next phase of evolution, the competitiveness of offshore nations will rest on their ability to develop multiple centers of excellence within their boarders – centers that satisfy the skill requirements, delivery capabilities,and risk appetite of outsourcing organizations.

Outsourcing continue to gather crowd of interest in the country. It opened opportunities to the Filipinos and combat the war against unemployment which is one of the major problems of the Philippine Government. The increasing demand in this industry has been given attention by the national government in order to attract other investors to stay in the country. It is no doubt that truly the Philippines is not only the land for its bountiful rich in tourism but also the home for the growing outsourcing industry.

Roberto L. Bacasong, 27, works as company writer for Call Center Philippines Unique
Interaction.

Undoubtedly, the Philippines being in the Third World country is sharing a big slice in the success of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. The outsourced voiced-based (or call center) remain strong in generating millions of revenue for the country over the past years.

And speaking of it, India was the center of the growth in outsourcing but the Philippines is lobbying seriously to gain the paradigm shift in the outsourcing. When it was introduced in the country, it became emerging industry offering systematic technology and never-ending opportunity to the workers. The BPO in the Philippines is attributed in the offshore market raking a total of $25.6 billion in 2006, landing third between India and China. On the other hand, the overall offshore IT market is estimated at $36 billion and growing. The revenue increased to 62% comparing in 2004 with posted income of over $1.3 billion in the same year. It is estimated that 200,000 talented Filipinos are working in 120 BPO facilities nationwide in 2006. It was forecasted by the national government and outsourcing players to earn US$11 billion by employing 900,000 people by the year 2010.

The growth in the Philippine call centers is fueled because of the high-end quality contact centers offering different services such as Web design, medical transcription, software development, legal services, animation, and other shared services. The call centers have the largest portion sector because of the fluency in the English language. In maintaining the industry, the National Government continues to offer fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to attract locators to outsource their business in the country. The details of this contract is written under the 2006 Investment Priorities Plan, which was formulated by the Board of Investments (BOI), as the lead agency in promoting investments, focused on the sectors identified in the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) 2004-2010 (PBOI 2006).

Today, large outsourcing players started to expand their operation in the provinces giving the people from the province to work in the call center by not staying in Manila anymore. The local government units in the Philippines promote their respective cities to the foreign investors that it’s viable to put up centers in their area not only in the mainland city. BPO centers are found in the cities of Lipa, Baguio, Dagupan in Luzon; the cities of Cebu, Bacolod, Dumaguete, Iloilo in Visayas region; and the cities of Davao, Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao.

The Philippines is among of the offshore “centers of excellence” in Asia Pacific alongside its fellow Asian countries which are India and China. The country is recognized to be good in the inbound and outbound call centers which satisfy the customers worldwide because of its strong English speaking people. It was reported that the Asia Pacific regions topped the as the best destination for outsourcing and placed second in terms of the BPO market solutions.

It cannot be denied that studies spearheaded by private sectors classified the Philippines as the center of excellence in service providers for the outsourcing. In the next following years, the programs of the National Government like providing scholarship and allocating budget in the trainings to the near hire applicants will add as manpower in strengthening the workforce of the country’s outsourcing sector.

Roberto L. Bacasong, 27, works as company writer for Call Center Philippines Unique Interaction.

Mainly, tropical climate is noticed in the country of Philippines, which makes March to May hot, June to October rainy and November to February cold. However, the best time to explore this country is from December to the middle of May. Getting in this country is easier as well. Two major cities, Manila and Cebu have connected Philippines with the rest of the world by air. Even more, it is also possible for travelers to come here by sea from the nearby parts of Malaysia and Indonesia.

As a famous tourist spot, Philippines has so many things to offer to its guests. Beguiling beaches and hair-raising beach activities are the prime attractions to the travelers here. Especially, Boracay Island, Mactan Island, Panglao, Samal Island, Negros Island will entice you to get marooned amidst sun, sand and sea. In addition, the country has been adorned with some unforgettable sights. These are like, Banaue, Chocolate Hills, Hundred Islands National Park, Lake Taal & Taal Volcano, Siquijor Caves and so on. So, your itinerary for Philippines mustn’t miss all these places.

Nonetheless, Philippines houses a wide range of hotels sprawling in different parts of the country. Besides Manila and Cebu, other places including Bacolod, Bohol, Boracay, Butun, Davao, Palawan etc. boast a wide range of hotels. All kinds of accommodation ranging from luxury beach resorts to budget hotels are available here. And definitely, it gives an assurance of accommodation to all travelers having different budgets.

Some renowned hotel groups like Intercontinental, Hyatt, Sofitel, Shangri-La, Holiday-Inn, Pan Pacific, Crowne Plaza, Mercure have possessed a number of hotels in Philippines. Accenting on high-end facilities and services, all these hotels offer sheer comfort and luxury to their guests. On the other hand, the budget hotels in the island have catered to necessary amenities and services, with which budget travelers will enjoy their sojourn without comprising anything with their comfort.

Most of Philippines hotels have their official websites, where the briefs of their locations, rooms and amenities are available. Apart from that, other websites also publish unbiased testimonials and travelers’ reviews on various hotels in the country. All these information will enable you to choose your accommodation during your trip to Philippines.

Get a lucrative deal on the hotels in Philippines here, in AsiaRooms. Our extensive online database will enable you to make a choice without any hassle.

A doctor and a US veteran are currently being held under the surveillance of Philippine authorities in connection with the scam that victimized an American military health insurance programme.

Lawyer Claro de Castro, chief of the National Bureau of Investigation’s Interpol division, stated extradition cases are coursed through the Department of Justice (DOJ). He explained once the DOJ approves an extradition request a warrant of arrest will be issued and the NBI will serve it.

However, De Castro denied requests to reveal the identities of the two suspects so as not to jeopardize police operations.

In 2007, de Castro said a US veteran was extradited to the United States for his involvement in a scam that had been paid by TRICARE, the US Department of Defence’s worldwide healthcare programme for active duty and retired uniformed services members and their families, more than $100 million through fraudulent claims.

The scheme involved Philippine health providers, which were accused of getting kickbacks from false claims, inflated by as much as 2,000 percent, filed with TRICARE for medical services.

De Castro said the American veteran’s plea agreement with the US government was a bargain. The bargain consisted of the US government reduced the veteran’s pension after he admitted to overcharging his health claims by an estimated $35,000. The veteran had since returned to the Philipines.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, however, said his office has yet to receive an extradition request from Washington. ‘If there are people here and they have been indicted in the US and they ask us for extradition, we have no recourse but to comply because of the extradition treaty,’ Gonzalez said.

He anyhow maintained that the extradition proceedings might take particularly long, in particular if the accused questions the extradition request before the local courts.

Gonzalez added that he was not surprised when reports regarding the fraud came out, citing an incident in which a health provider operating in Subic, Angeles City and Bacolod was blacklisted due to fraudulent claims.

The justice chief said the health provider has overcharged and manipulated a patient’s medical records.

On April 22, 2008, the online edition of Marinas Variety reported that a Filipino doctor was arrested and charged with conspiracy, aiding and abetting, and filing of false claims in Wisconsin in connection with the kickbacks he purportedly got from TRICARE claims.

It was reported that Diogenese Dionisio would allegedly give the beneficiaries between 40 to 80 percent of the amount of the claim while the rest of the money would go to him and his clinic, CDMF Medical Clinic in Mandaluyong City. In 2006, a former American administrator of Philippine health provider, Health Visions Corporation, pleaded guilty to defrauding the TRICARE program. Thomas Arthur Lutz was charged with participating in a conspiracy with Health Visions and a physician in the Philippines to double bill TRICARE and kickback the inflated payments to the health provider.

On Thursday reports said a US judge ordered Health Visions to pay back the $100 million it swindled from TRICARE. An Associated Press report said Health Visions was ordered to liquidate all its assets within months and give the proceeds to the US government. On top of the $99.9 million in restitution, Crabb directed the company to forfeit an additional $910,000 and pay a $500,000 fine.

Under Crabb’s decision, the report said the Health Visions will be required to sell off land, office buildings and hospitals in the Philippines and an airplane and houses in the US. Meanwhile, Commissioner Eduardo Malinis of the Office of Insurance said Health Visions is not part of its roster of insurance companies.

Sofia is an author of several articles pertaining to Health Insurance. She is known for her expertise on the subject and on other Business and Finance related articles.

M/Sgt Jorge G. Herrera, Jr. discovered just what kind of a soldier he was when the Imperial Japanese Forces invaded Negros Islands in the Philippines during World War II. His heroic tale can now be told in the exciting new book, “Dare & Live.”

The superior Imperial Japanese Forces overrun the spirited defenses that the combined United States and Philippine Commonwealth Government Armies put up in the battles for Bataan and the Island fortress of Corrigedor. The US-Philippines defenses crumbled against the onslaught of superiority of numbers of the Japanese soldiers, the naval and aerial bombardments. The valiant defenders had only one option: surrender. The Japanese Forces went on mopping operations on the more than 1,700 islands and islets of the Philippine Archiepelago. The Island defenders under orders of the Military High Command in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, gave up resistance.

In Negros Islands of central Philippines, M/Sgt Jorge G. Herrera vowed he would never surrender to the Japanese Army; so he gathered 3 Filipinos and they started the recruiment and training of other Guerrilla Soldiers. The Japanese Army cordoned Bacolod City, the capital of Negros islands where the US and Filipino surrenderees were imprisoned. The Japanese soldiers guarded every entrances and exits of the City, still M/Sgt Herrera escaped from the heavily-guarded City under the very noses of the Japanese Army sentinels.

It is worth reading the whole story of Dare & Live and obtain the backgrounds that equipped M/Sgt Herrera in his decision of fighting the whole Japanese Army that occupied Negros Islands for three long years of World War II.

It is a wonder how M/Sgt Herrera secured arms and ammunitions when the Japanese Army divested all US and Filipino Soldiers upon their surrender, suspected as non-surrenderees and killed anyone caught in possession of weapons. Herrera went on to recruit and train over a hundred soldiers and armed most of them. He established a Bivouac at the mountain sides of Negros Islands and equipped his hideout with telephone communication for fast intelligence. He staged many ambushes against the Japanese soldiers and was an only Filipino Guerrilla Leader who captured, alive, 21 Japanese soldiers in one ambush encounter. To try to capture him, the Japanese army even hired a Filipina Spy and sent her on a secret mission to entrap M/Sgt Herrera. Read how Herrera discovered the plot of the Japanese Army against him, before it could unfold.

How the Filipino Guerrilla Fighters fought the Japanese soldiers in Negros Islands during the three long years of World War II, was akin to how the Terrorist mounted resistance against the United States Army in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is of immense importance that a Superior Military Power should take cognizance of what the enemies on the opposite side of the war zone could utilize to mount stiff opposition and inflict maximum destruction.

Dare & Live is a profile in courage, ingenuity, and innovation worthy of study and emulation times of personal crisis.

The lessons of World War II was true 50 years ago; they still ring true today!

 

Visit website: http://www.darelivewwii.com

Born in Negros Islands, Philippines, now Resident of New Jersey, USA, he is the Author of Dare & Live,the tale of an incredible World War II Survivor who created a Guerrilla Army to battle the Japnese in Negros Islands, Philippines, after the battles for Bataan and Corrigedor were lost.

The Majestic Mount Kanlaon

A nice and relaxing way to spend a vacation is to travel. It depends on a person’s trip on what he or she will do on his free time. But for me, I love to travel, it gives you that unexplained feeling of freedom and also an opportunity to experience an alternate or different culture. There are lots of places wherein you could spend your vacation which is very worth.In the Philippines Beaches and resorts are always present in places where you could spend your vacation. Below are the places in which will pass your standards on travel exclusively in the Philippines.

El Nido Palawan

A protected area and sanctuary with lots of beatiful beaches and rich historical culture, El Nido is located in Palawan. Plenty of wildlife and other marine reserves are available in this area and other diving spots. Coming in this place will give you a different sense of relaxation, as there are plenty of resorts also available which gives you high quality service. Best Summer Destination(El Nido Palawan)

A haven for mountain climbers who wanted to experience another chill in hiking, Mount Kanlaon is Located in Negros Oriental, somewhat boundary of Negros Occidental and Oriental, in Visayas Philippines. Mount Kanlaon was said to be extinct but it erupted I think in 1991, I was in Bacolod City when the Volcano erupted, the climate change and I think it rained for a week or so. Mount Kanlaon is now considered to be an active volcano, but although with its Mighty power, Mount Kanlaon Houses some exotic species in its vast rainforest.

Mt. Kanlaon is a majestic active volcano located in Negros Oriental in the Philippines. It is an attraction to tourists and other mountain climbing enthusiast. According to history, the name came from an hiligaynon goddess named Laon. Native priests believes that offering gifts to Laon will bring themgood harvest. Kanlaon stands 2,435 meters and a diameter of 30 km and is abundant with pyroclastic and craters. Mount Kanlaon has many hot springs, and one is located in mambukal resort.

Wildlife is lushing th the forest of Mt. Kanlaon. Mt. Kanla-on National Park is the home of abundant species of birds including the rare and only seen in the area, hornbill, parakeets, and even migratory birds from northern part of Asia. Monitor lizards scramble over fallen logs and Draco the “flying” lizard might sweep overhead. Although there are several harmless species of snakes which are very rare on encounters, caution must be a primaty thing to do.

At the top, panoramic scenes of rock walls and cliffs cover of the forest, beside the Margaha Valley’s cogon grass and shrub-covered floor. Mornings are late and the evenings are early in the Valley. Patches of greens, yellows, olives, and tans from agricultural lands below are cut by the sea with formations of clouds hugging the horizon.

The second deadliest snake in the world which I think was featured in National Geographic Channel, the Philippine Pit Viper can also be found here. Other species of monkeys and birds, orchids and other plants can also be found here. In the foot of Mount Kanlaon Hot Springs are abundant, In Murcia Negros Occidental can be found a well known resort, Mambukal resort, Its a haven of tourists who wanted to have a light hiking in falls within the range of Mount Kanlaon itself.

Boracay Island

If your planning to relax and dip into the cool beaches, Aklan province in the Philippines offers a relaxing beach heads in the shores of Boracay Island, 3 hour trip from Iloilo City to Aklan takes you to an enticing and paradise like beach of Boracay. With the gleaming white sand and clear waters. Boracay Island might be your next destination.

Amanpulo

A secluded and private Island wherein you could do all your stuff and party all night without the hustle of downtown life. The island has also recreations with high tech air-conditioned

lodging and other facilities. The Island has been awarded by the Gallivanters Awards in 2007 as the best resort in Southeast Asia.

This are only Some Best Places the Philippines could offer. Hundreds of tourist spots are all around the country, So Why dont you book your flight to this lovely places and try to check them out.

Traveling is a way to relax and detox yourself, The world offers the Best Places To Travel wherein you could enjoy and have a good time. Best Places To Travel.

The WPPP Photo Congress is an annual event held to advance the Philippine photography and videography industry by presenting industry updates and solutions, among them, seminars for enhancing workflow, trade shows for upgrading existing tools, photography and videography contests for challenging creative skills, and photography and videography exhibits for showcasing professional achievements that could inspire and motivate others. A forum is also usually set up as a venue for networking and discussion among industry professionals, studio owners and traders.

The fifth WPPP Photo Congress was held from May 4 to 6, 2009 at the SM Megatrade Hall 2 of SM Megamall at Ortigas, Metro Manila. Sponsors of the event were major industry suppliers such as Canon, Epson, Hewlett Packard, JT Photo World, Kodak, Nikon, Olympus, Sony and the book by Group USA & Company Inc.

After the inaugural on May 4, Jun Miranda opened the regular seminar series with a session on “Photoshop CS4 for Wedding Photographers”. This was followed by Jun Valbuena’s “The Right Coin of Photography”. On May 5, Chito Cleofas started off with “Wedding Travel Photography”. Special guest Mike Larson, an international photographer from the United States and a representative of Pictage, California Sunbounce, Kiss Wedding books and ShootQ studio management software, then spoke on “Leadership & Influence”. The day was closed by Dominic Velasco lecturing on “Digital Video”.

On the final day of the Congress, May 6, Mike Larson again spoke on “Shooting Right the First Time” and “Work Hard, Play Hard”. Raymond Marcelo and company closed the seminar session with “Fashion Boudoir”.

Winners of the various photography and videography contests were announced during the Photographers’ Night on May 5. For Canon’s Pre-Nuptial Photography Contest, Jayson Arquiza of Mandaluyong won first place. He was followed by Mikhail Arrogante of Cebu, whose photographs also garnered fifth, seventh, ninth and tenth places. Rikki Lim of Zamboanga won third and eighth places. Rolando Pascua of Cebu won fourth place while Edwin Orbe won sixth place.

For Kodak’s Bride and Groom Photojournalism Contest, Mikhail Arrogante bagged first and second prizes. Rolando Pascua won third, fifth, eighth and ninth prizes. Arnold Jumpay of Aklan won fourth prize, Jesse Narazo of Bacolod City won sixth prize, Lemuel Arrogante of Cebu City won seventh prize and James Limsoc of Marikina City won tenth prize.

Familiar names emerged as winners, too, in Nikon’s Non-Wedding Portraiture Photography Contest. Mikhail Arrogante won first, fifth, seventh and eighth places. Lemuel Arrogante got second place. Third and tenth places were nabbed by Rolando Pascua, while fourth, sixth and ninth places were taken by Arnold Jumpay.

On May 7, two other international guests conducted Master Classes. Louis Pang is the most awarded wedding & portrait photographer of Malaysia and is the first Malaysian first prize winner at Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI). His topic was “Get Real”.

Charlie Lim of Singapore is both a professional photographer and a painter specializing in oil painting. He has experimented for the past ten years, and has perfected the unique art of “oil painting photography” where he expertly wields light and shadow techniques. “Oil Painting Photography” was also the topic of his master class.

The WPPP Photo Congress 2009 was a resounding success overall. Web Dot Com hopes to see many of the professional wedding photographers among the new web masters at azuldomain, too.

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