El Nido, Palawan (File photo) MANILA - The annual tourism revenue in 2020 is no doubt higher than the receipts generated this year since tourists were still able to enter the country from January to mid-March last year before the lockdown was imposed. But if you compare the figures from April to September of both years covering the pandemic period, the tourism industry this 2021 is seeing a renewed hope towards a steady recovery path. Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed that tourism receipts from April to September 2021 reached PHP3.1 billion, up by 91.6 percent from PHP1.6 billion generated in the same period last year. "The current tourism scenario is looking generally optimistic as we end 2021. As Alert Levels have gone down, local travel requirements were also eased. Many of our destinations now accept local tourists who are fully vaccinated, with no need to present a negative RT-PCR test," Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat told the Philippine News Ag
REPAIR.A lineman of the Antique Electric Cooperativerestores powerin Barangay Bontol, Sibalom on Dec. 21, 2021. The utility company said they will ask the national government to refund the expenses incurred in restoring connections and electrical posts damaged by Typhoon Odette. (Photo courtesy of ANTECO) SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique - The Antique Electric Cooperative (ANTECO), the province's lone utility provider, will seek assistance from the national government through a refund of its expenses in restoring power in areas affected by Typhoon Odette on December 16. Ruth Ann Fadrigo, ANTECO information officer, said Monday that based on their initial assessment, the electric company has already incurred PHP11.3-million damage due to toppled electric posts, fuse, and wirings. "The estimated damage might still increase because the energization of some remaining villages is ongoing," she said in an interview. As soon as the damage assessment is complete, they will send th
SHELTER MATERIALS. Hamtic municipal tribal leader Perlita Oyong shows a portion of her house wrecked by Typhoon Odette on Dec. 17, 2021. National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) - Antique head Milagrosa Crespo said on Wednesday (Dec. 22, 2021) more than 1,000 IPs houses and livelihood were damaged by the typhoon.(Photo courtesy NCIP Antique) SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique - The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) is appealing for shelter construction materials and livelihood assistance for the more than 1,000 IP families in Antique's four municipalities affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Odette. Milagrosa Crespo, head of the NCIP in the province, said Wednesday the IPs in the towns of Tobias Fornier, Anini-y, and Hamtic in the southern part of the province, and Culasi in the north were devastated by the typhoon with their houses destroyed and their livelihood disrupted. "The houses of the IPs, which were made of light materials, were either partially or
(Photo courtesy ofNCIP-Nueva Vizcaya) ARITAO, Nueva Vizcaya - The Isinai indigenous people here finally got their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) covering more than 11,000 hectares after almost 15 years of waiting. The approved CADT has total a land area of 11,586.4091 hectares covering 16 barangays of Aritao town, a barangay of Dupax Del Sur town, and a portion of Barangay Mauan in Bambang town, all in Nueva Vizcaya, lawyer Roderick Iquin, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples-Nueva Vizcaya acting provincial officer told the Philippine News Agency on Friday. NCIP chair Allen Capuyan and other commissioners, in a full-court session, earlier deliberated and approved the title with 20 Isinai leaders led by head petitioner Edgar Llowelyn Daniel. "With the undying vision of the community, the waiting is over and the journey has just begun for the Isinai indigenous cultural communities of Aritao in Nueva Vizcaya. Their grassroot struggles and sacrifices were significan
NEGO-KARTS. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III (right), Dagupan City Mayor Brian Lim (left), and 4th District Rep. Christopher de Venecia lead the ceremonial turnover of the Department of Labor and Employment nego-karts (Negosyo sa Kariton) to 25 initial recipients on Oct.19, 2021. De Venecia requested the nego-karts to help his constituents who are barely earning as ambulant vendors. (PNA photo by Liwayway Yparraguirre) SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has distributed 286 units of nego-kart or the "Negosyo sa Kariton" in the Ilocos region from January 1 to December 15 this year. In a phone interview on Friday, DOLE 1 (Ilocos) information officer Justin Paul Marbella said 33 units were given to Ilocos Norte beneficiaries, eight units in Ilocos Sur, 20 units in Western Pangasinan, and 225 units in Central Pangasinan. He said the nego-kart units were worth PHP5.7 million. Each unit costs PHP20,000. Rialyn Bernabe, 38, a widow and one