Central Luzon Tourism on the Rampage

Amidst the unfortunate chain of events that took place in the year 2009 – from the outbreak of H1N1 virus in and around the world, the global financial crisis that triggered a slowdown in world economy, the threat of a global environmental crisis due to climate change, and the widespread devastation wrought by typhoon Ondoy in Metro Manila, Central Luzon tourism industry still managed to survive the debilitating onslaught by posting a still modest positive growth in terms of visitor arrivals in 2009 as compared to that of 2008. Based on the figures submitted by a number of hotel accommodation facilities around the region, the total visitor arrivals in the seven (7) provinces summed up to 550,277 arrivals in 2009 as compared to 530,802 in 2008 or an increase of 3.67 percent.     more »

Fiance Petition vs. Immigrant Spouse Petition

We are often asked the following question – would it be faster to bring my girlfriend or boyfriend here into the United States if I file a fiancé petition or should I just file for an immigrant spouse petition? Filing a fiancé petition will bring your loved one here into the United States faster than filing an immigrant spouse petition. However, the US citizen may have to consider a number of factors before opting to file a fiancé petition over an immigrant spouse petition. Before a US citizen can file a fiancé petition, he or she must had physically met the fiancé within two years before filing the fiancé petition. This is a mandatory requirement and the fiancé petition will be denied if the US citizen petition has not met this condition. The US citizen petitioner then files the fiancé petition with the US Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS). In the fiancé petition, the petitioner must establish that he or she has an ongoing relationship with the fiancé and that they have the intention of concluding a valid marriage within ninety days after the admission of the fiancé into the United States.     more »

Hot Air - Balloon Fest Assailed - Punto Central Luzon

CLARK FREEPORT – Exclusivity. Over commercialization. Discrimination against local traders. Insensitivity to the indigenous tribes. These are but only the principal accusations leveled against the organizers of the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta here. Traffic jams. Inconvenience to Freeport workers. Stalled deliveries of goods coming out of the factories and supplies going in. Missed flights at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport. These are but the indignant complaints leveled at the festival itself. And then some more: Is Capt. Joy Roa, festival organizer, above the law? That is, exempted from government auditing regulations. The Clark Development Corp. (CDC) is reported to have been providing Roa a subsidy of P3.5 million for the annual festival for a number of years now. It has also been alleged that no liquidation reports have been submitted by Roa to the CDC. And the CDC has been quiet about these allegations since they appeared in print here last year.     more »

Korean firm, Capas execs defy gov’t to run Pinatubo treks anew

CAPAS, Tarlac- Almost five months after six people, including three tourists, were killed by rampaging waters on the slopes of Mt. Pinatubo, a Korean investor and the local government here have defied authorities by again offering treks to the volcanic summit and building new structures at the crater area. Reynaldo Garcia, chief of the Environmental Impact Assessment Division of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) regional office said the EMB issued a “cease and desist” order to the Korean firm Pull Travel Destination Corp. (PDC) which operates a spa and the trekking project after the tragic accident on the slopes last Aug. 6. The PDC was given permit by the Capas municipal government to operate in Barangay Sta. Juliana in this town where the trek to the crater starts, municipal tourism officer Marissa Velasquez admitted in a telephone interview.     more »