New Creative Project to help Preserve the Traditional Way of Life in the Ifugao Region of the Philippines

A group of artists and social entrepreneurs are hoping to preserve the traditional way of life in the Ifugao region of the Philippines, through a new creative project funded through crowdsourcing site Kickstarter.

Ricefield Collective, a creative social enterprise based in Ithaca, New York, aims to produce a collection of stylish hand-made knitted products from the Ifugao region, while providing a much-needed supplemental income to the local community.

British artist Anna Maltz, the project’s design director, will stay in the village of Ujah for three months, to teach local women the art of knitting and to oversee the communal production of the group’s first collection. “By teaching them how to knit and by making a market for the things we knit together, we hope that we can bring an alternative income stream to them, in order for them to stay where they want to stay,” she told ABS-CBN Europe.

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How a New York Dentist used his Life Savings to Start an Airline...

A New York dentist, Joel Alcantara Mendoza, (or Doc Joel as he is fondly called by people around him), used his entire life savings to create an airline to benefit the people of remote Batanes, Philippines.

He left New York in 2006 to embark on an adventure of a lifetime to this  beautiful group of islands north of Luzon, in pursuit of love. He married a girl there, settled on the island, and used his life savings to buy the airplanes and set up the company.

He says as a young boy, he never dreamt of buying his own aircraft.  The idea to buy airplanes began when he was mesmerised by the breathtaking beauty of remote Batanes, where flights were sparse and infrequent. “I was stunned by the majestic beauty and awe-inspiring view of the island” he said in a recent interview.

Read more HERE...

The Philippines Wins ‘Most Romantic Destination’ Award in Shanghai...

The Philippines Wins ‘Most Romantic Destination’ Award in Shanghai.

On 21 January 2013 the Philippines received the “Most Romantic Destination” award given by the Shanghai Morning Post, based on a consumer survey.

The awarding ceremony was held on January 15 at the posh Shanghai Peninsula Hotel by the Bund.

Consul General Charles C. Jose received the award, which was presented by Mme. Liu Sha, Editor-in-Chief. He was accompanied to the event by Mr. Niel Ballesteros of the Philippine Tourism Office in Shanghai.

The full story can be read HERE...

Bayleaf Hotel, Manila is one of the "Hot New Rooftop Bars"...

Check out Yahoo Travel's feature of Top New Rooftop Bars, which includes the Bayleaf Hotel, Intramuros, Manila!

They say: "The new rooftop bar at The Bayleaf Intramuros Hotel has 360˚ views of the Manila skyline and bay. After a day sightseeing or sealing a business deal, the daily happy hour from 5.30 to 9pm for cocktails and local beers is welcome, as is the fiery Manila sunset. 

You can eat up here too, including mouth-watering dishes like kanji beef salad and fried Hainanese chicken rice, plus tapas and pizza, and on Saturday and Sunday things hot up with a Sky Deck buffet and live music: tipples and tunes beneath the clouds and stars while the city buzzes below, that’s my kind of weekend. 

Make mine a…Bayleaf signature iced tea will quench your thirst on a warm Manila night (followed by a gin & tonic, of course). "

Read the whole article HERE...

Twelve sights in Batanes you shouldn't miss...

Twelve sights in Batanes you shouldn't miss, according to the latest article from GMA News. It reads:

"Everywhere in Batanes is a pretty picture. Oddly enough, postcards aren't popular in the northernmost part of the Philippines. But then everyone who visits is prepared with a camera - whether it's a bulky professional SLR or a simple phone camera. It doesn't matter much what you’ve got, because Batanes is that beautiful.

Here are twelve sights you'd be sorry to miss..."

The article continues HERE...

A series of must-see stunning Philippines photographs...

A series of must-see stunning Philippines photographs from silverkris.com

Take a look for yourself!

http://www.silverkris.com/sk-in-pictures/photo-essay/philippines-islands-sun

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Our image above is of the Chocolate Hills, Bohol, Philippines. (Photo courtesy Philippines Department of Tourism)

The Philippines - a Destination to Watch in 2013!

The Philippines - a Destination to Watch in 2013... So says no other than respected Condé Nast Traveller!
"For travellers willing to go the extra thousand miles for a deserted beach, thePhilippines has around 7,000 of the most heavenly islands in the world.
It's still not the most obvious beach-holiday destination, but it soon will be. It's becoming particularly popular among serious divers, who come for the incredible underwater life, unspoilt coral gardens with rainbow-bright fish, green sea turtles and dugongs.
In Bicol you can swim with the biggest fish in the world, the whale shark. While fish-fans of a different nature can go deep-sea fishing in one of the deepest trenches in the oceans, not far from the little-known island of Siargao."

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Read the full story HERE...

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Photo shows El Nido, Palawan