Articles on the Philippines

A MT. PINATUBO EXPERIENCE BY LUIS MORANO

Getting the chance to travel and see the Philippine countryside is always a welcome respite from the stress of living and working in a metropolis. But when I was told that I was going to Mt Pinatubo with my colleagues in the Department of Tourism and some members of CAPTA, AFTA and the Philippine Specialists Group, I immediately thought I was in for a tiring and stressful trip. Little did I know that as much as it was going to be some kind of a "wasteland" adventure, it will also be a relaxing and "healing" experience. Read more....


PHILIPPINE ECONOMY BOUNCES BACK

The Philippine economy, despite criticisms from within the country against the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has made a comeback. "Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the country's 60-year-old president, gets much of the credit for the turnaround. Two years ago, with thousands of street protesters threatening to oust her and the country drifting toward a financial crisis, she pushed a higher sales tax through Congress and signed it into law over the objections of her advisers. The move raised the tax to 12% from 10% and expanded it to a range of new products and services, including gasoline." (Wall Street Journal, James Hookway, 2007). Read more...