We Can Never Expect Foreign Tourists To Flock To Our Country Unless First We Improve Our Airports And Our Horrible Traffic Situation

WE CAN'T HELP but laugh sardonically every time we read the government's efforts to attract more tourists from abroad and they're even spending millions of pesos for campaigns directed to foreigners so we can be at par with other countries like Thailand and Singapore where tourism is so successful.
We can never achieve their success in the tourism industry as long as basic services here in our country are below standard. Let's start with our airport. Each time we take a plane, whether for domestic or international travel, we almost always encounter delays. The last time we went to Tacloban, we were stranded in the runway for more than one hour because of heavy air traffic. The time we spent while waiting for our plane to take off was actually longer than the travel time to Tacloban.

The same thing happened on our way back to Manila. Before we can touch down, our plane was going around and around in circles for more than half an hour, again due to heavy air traffic. And when we finally landed, the heavy traffic from the airport to our home is even more horrifying. It took us four and a half hours to get home from Paranaque to Quezon City.


When we went to Boracay, we landed at the Kalibo Airport and learned that this is now an international airport because planes coming in from Korea and China land here directly, without the foreign tourists passing through Manila. The problem is the Kalibo airport is so small and there are so many foreign planes coming in and out that all the passengers are crowded inside the arrival and departure areas like sardines. And it's so hot inside that everyone is really sweating and huffing and puffing.

We heard some tourists saying they will never come back here again and we're not surprised. Why would you when the airports in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan are so much more efficient and comfortable? So scrap all those plans for tourism ads and improve our infrastructure first before enticing foreign tourists to come and visit us!
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Maureen Wroblewitz, First Pinay Winner In Asia's Next Top Model, Is Being Wooed By Both Kapuso & Kapamilya Networks To Sign Up With Them

ASIA'S NEXT TOP MODEL first Pinay winner, Maureen Wroblewitz, seems destined for showbiz. We heard both the Kapuso and Kapamilya networks have standing offers for her and she's studying her options before making a choice as to where she'll sign a contract. Her beauty is really pang-artista, unlike other models who are really just meant for the ramp.

Fast rising actor Ruru Madrid is an unabashed fan and he rushed to the GMA Studios when he learned that Maureen was a guest in GMA News Channel's women's show, "Mars", just to have his photo taken with her. And in all fairness, they have very good chemistry on screen. Maybe GMA should move heaven and earth and pair her with Ruru whose being built up now as a young action star and whose next project is "Alyas Robin Hood, Book 2", where he will play title-roler Dingdong Dantes' half brother. We have no doubt their love team will quickly take off, especially now that Ruru's tandem with Gabbi Garcia is a thing of the past.

We are guessing that "Alyas Robin Hood, Book 2" will replace Jennylyn Mercado's "My Love from the Star", which will end soon and whose ratings suffered when "La Luna Sangre" started airing. Dingdong's action show will just be getting back its former time slot where it then ruled supreme.
We believe it has a better fighting chance in the ratings game than "My Love from the Star" as it already has an established legion of followers. The sequel will see the return of Andrea Torres as Venus, plus Jaclyn Jose as Dingdong's mom, Paolo Contis as his brother, the young love team of Dave Bornea and Lindsay de Vera, Rey Abellana as Andrea's dad and Antonette Garcia.

Ruru will be the new addition to the cast, along with Solenn Heussaff as Dong's new love interest, replacing Megan Young who died in Book 1. Directing it is the director of Book 1, Dominic Zapata, who's now busy with "Mulawin Vs. Ravena", which means Zapata will be saying goodbye to the bird people to concentrate on "Alyas Robin Hood Books 2" that will start taping soon. As for Dong, he will be super busy as he is now also doing a new movie, "Seven Sundays", with Star Cinema co-starring with Aga Muhlach and Enrique Gil, and a new romcom, "Sig and Aya", with Anne Curtis for Viva Films.
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