TOURISM POLICE. Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr. (left) announces the launching of Zambales Provincial Police Office (ZPPO) Tourism Police Patrol. The program was highlighted with the presentation of 15 e-Bicycle which will be used by the newly-formed Zambales Tourism Police. The bicycles will be distributed to the 13 towns of the province.(Right) S/Supt. Rafael Santiago, Jr. tries one of the e-Bicycles. (Allen M. Villa, PIA Zambales)

In its aim to boost tourism in the province, the Zambales Provincial Police Office (ZPPO), in partnership with the provincial government, has launched its “Tourism Police Patrol” project.

The launching, which was held at the provincial capitol plaza recently, was highlighted with the presentation to the public of 15 units of e-Bicycle which will be used to patrol the tourism destinations in every municipality of the province.

The environment-friendly bicycles have functions similar to motor vehicles including lights and horns. By using its pedal, it stores electricity on an attached rechargeable battery through a mini-motor (dynamo).

ZPPO Provincial Director S/Supt. Rafael Santiago, Jr. said the launching of the tourism patrol is necessary in keeping the roads safe for the people and in providing a secured and tourist-friendly destination.

Santiago also said that the patrol group went through training in tourism management to keep up with the demands of tourism promotion.

Governor Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr. hailed the provincial police force for coming up with the project and said that it is another step towards promoting the province as a safe haven for tourists, investors and all Zambaleños. (WLB/AMV/PIA Zambales)

Tourism business in Subic Freeport is growing, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) said yesterday citing visitor arrivals that reached 5.5 million with 33.48 percent cent year-on-year growth.

The SBMA said it was optimistic that visitor arrivals will be surpassed this year as the 2010 influx posted the highest visitors recorded over the past six years.

According to the SBMA tourism department, overall visitors last year surpassed the 4.1 million total arrivals in 2009.

In particular, arrivals peaked during the summer months of April, May and June with 558,779; 518,596 and 786,738 tallies, respectively. The month of December followed with a 464,525 record. The data however, did not show how many foreign tourists visited the Freeport compared to local vacationers.

The SBMA is now aiming for sustainable and quality tourism to further boost visitor arrivals in this free port.

Because of the influx of visitor, hotel occupancy in Subic registered an annual rate of 88.7 percent in 2010, a 3 percent increase over the 2009 rate.

“In addition to developing Subic as a logistics and maritime hub, we have also been pushing Subic as a tourist destination – and quite successfully at that,” SBMA administrator Armand Arreza said in a statement.

Arreza said key performance indicators last year, including visitor arrivals, showed a sustained rebound from the weak performance in the previous years, owing to the global economic crisis.

Because of the growing trend in tourism, the SBMA intends to attract more visitors this year by staging more events and encouraging tourism stakeholders to invest more, Arreza added.

Arreza attributed the influx of visitors to the diverse events staged by or hosted in cooperation with the Subic agency and its locators, as well as tourist destinations like theme parks that provide anchor attractions for the free port.

SBMA deputy administrator for business Raul Marcelo also said that the SBMA has steeped up its tourism promotion efforts in line with the government’s thrust to boost eco-tourism in the country.

“This way, we create more jobs in local communities without losing their unique culture, character, landscape and natural environment,” he added.

Marcelo said that last year, a total of 389 events staged in Subic attracted 92,749 participants.

Subic’s expansion in the tourism industry has been cited by no less than Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim, who described this premier free port as “an ideal tourism capital” and a “perfect model of sustainable and quality tourism.”

Arreza said this was because the SBMA have exerted efforts “to lead the entire Freeport community, down to the grassroots level, in adopting a culture of tourism, as well as to guarantee the protection and preservation of the environment as a community resource that supports the economy.”

Moreover, Arreza said that the business community has invested much in Subic because of its huge tourism potential. He said that last year alone, the SBMA received a total of $1.02 billion in committed investments for tourism-related projects here. Cecille Garcia

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga — Domestic air carrier South East Asian Airlines (Seair), will further expand its operations at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) with flights to Hong Kong and Macau that are expected to start February 14, 2011, and, is considering flights to Taipei.

Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) President and CEO Victor Jose I. Luciano announced today that Seair will operate additional Clark-Hong Kong flights twice daily and Clark-Macau flights three times a week from the DMIA as part of the marketing program for the country including Clark Freeport Zone to boost the tourism industry.

The move came after the success of their twice weekly flights from the DMIA to Singapore that started in December 2010.

“We are happy to announce that Seair, will launch flights to Hong Kong and Macau at DMIA,” Luciano said.

“This is a welcome development for the airport as this will certainly redound to the benefit of travelers, tourists and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) as well as boost the tourism industry not only in the Metro Clark area but Central Luzon and eventually, the rest of the country,” the CIAC chief pointed out.

He said the Seair will add 17 more flights a week that will average a total of 85 international flights a week aside from the flights of Federal Express and United Parcel Service (UPS) at the DMIA.

Seair is the second oldest airline in the country that started operations at DMIA in 1995. The air carrier leased two 144-seater Airbus A-319 aircraft from its partner Tiger Airways of Singapore last year for their international flights at DMIA catering to destinations in the South East Asian region. Seair currently operates daily flights to Caticlan at DMIA.

Seair is expected to add more flights from Clark to Vietnam, Korea and Thailand. Flight booking can be done via internet through their website www.seair.com as well as Tiger Airways’ website www.tigerairways.com as part of their marketing arrangements.

Carriers also operating from the DMIA include Air Asia of Malaysia with flights to Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia; Asiana Airlines and budget carrier Jin Air of South Korea both with flights to Incheon; and domestic carrier Cebu Pacific Air that flies to Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and Bangkok with domestic flights via Cebu, Spirit of Manila Airlines that flies to Taipei.

More than 300 skydivers from all over the world will be joining the first ever mass skydiving event in the country this November to introduce the Subic Bay Freeport as an skydiving destination in the Philippines.

Dubbed as the 1st Philippine Parachuting Phun Phestival, the world-class skydiving event will run from November 8 to 20 and will involve “chuters” from the United States , Canada , Europe, and the Philippines , among others.

The event is being organized by Sheldon Rice, a Canadian national who serves as operations manager of Adrenoline Island Adventures at the Baloy Beach Resort in Olongapo City , in partnership with Exotic Sky Adventures from Europe .

“We will bring in about 300 to 400 skydivers from all over the world to the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) to skydive for about eight or twelve days to promote skydiving as another tourist attraction in the country,” Rice said.

Aside from skydiving, the organizers are also lining up tours to some tourist attractions in the free port, including Zoobic Safari and Treetop Adventure Park . Festival participants are also expected to engage in other adventure sports here like horseback riding, scuba diving, kite boarding, jet skiing, wake boarding, parasailing and more.

As planned, YS 11 and Antonov 26 aircraft will take off from the SBIA here on November 14, with some 107 divers who will be jumping from a height of 15,000 feet. The divers will do various skydive formations like the “First Jump Tandem”, “Pro-Swoop Competition ”, “Canopy Formation”, and “Big Way Formation”.

To further thrill the spectators, Rice is also planning to do several publicity stunts during the festival, including taking his three-year old son on a first jump tandem skydive.

Rice added that a European partner will also be taking his son, aged 10, and his daughter, aged 11. Both have completed tandem jumps at the age of two and currently hold the world record for the youngest tandem skydiving passengers.

Rice also intends to take with him some daring newscasters or reporters, showbiz personalities and other personalities for a first jump tandem skydive, free of charge.

The event hopes to break records here in the Philippines because, according to Rice, skydiving has not been performed in the Philippines in such big groups.

Both the YS 11 and Antonv 26 planes to be used in the festival are owned by the Interisland Airlines, a Manila-based passenger and cargo charter company providing domestic and international flights for scheduled services, and passengers and cargoes.

Rice noted that Subic has the advantage over other skydiving destinations in the country because it can be easily reached from Manila or Clark by land, and it has its own airport for those coming in with their own planes.

Aside from skydiving events, about a hundred airline operators will set up their own booths during the festival to offer different services or sell skydiving and scuba gears.

“After each dive, our guests will find it more exciting to stay in Subic as we have teamed up with the most popular resort hotels serving the best food menu in the entire mainland. All are within walking distance from the many entertaining bars and restaurants,” Rice said.

“Teaming up with other tourism establishments means more diving adventures. It would be like sky diving one day, para-sailing the next day,” he added.

Rice said that organizers are planning to do the event on an annual basis to help promote Subic as the best tourist destination in the Philippines , especially for sky divers.

“Provided that the event goes well, and that the skydivers enjoy their vacation here in the Philippines , we will start working towards a world record attempt in 2013,” Rice also said. Ruben Veloria

CDC Tourism and Promotions Office (TPO) Manager Noemi Garcia said this is the sixth year the state-owned corporation has supported the activity which aims to raise money for charity and promote the game of rugby.

Garcia said proceeds of the game will go to the Philippine Rugby Football Union and the Angeles Bahay Center.

She added that the Angeles Bahay Center is a home for street children opened and run by the Rotary Club of Clark Centennial since 1999.

On September 5, more than 10 teams from the Philippines will compete against ruggers from Hong Kong , Taiwan , Shanghai , and other Asian teams.

”The CDC is helping the organizers invite the public to this free activity. No entrance tickets are required. The tournament is not only an opportunity for Filipinos to learn more about rugby but it is also a good time for families to spend time together,” Garcia said.

She said audiences will not only enjoy watching rugby but will also enjoy food, music, cheerleaders, stalls, and rubber castle for kids.

To assure the safety of the players, ambulances and medical staff will also be present in the site. A masseuse is also available to help players with bruises and aching bodies.

On the eve of the tournament there will be a “weigh in” at Sub Delicious along Field’s Avenue in Angeles City . After the tournament, there will be a dinner and auction at the Salakot area of the Bayanihan Park.

Garcia added that the CDC is supportive of activities such as the upcoming rugby tournament. In the past, the CDC has been in the forefront of sports tourism events, among them are extreme outdoor sports and duathlons.