Our government doesn't support local tourism, read more for an example..

[darkwing]

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as i said, lain lain ta ug opinyon, i still think its better to spend the money locally, it would greatly help our local industry anyways i got this news from this newspaper clipping i read

First posted 00:31am (Mla time) Dec 14, 2005
By Neal H. Cruz
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on Page A14 of the December 14, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

FIRST Gentleman Mike Arroyo called a press conference last Monday to reply to our column last Dec. 12, which questioned the wisdom of taking almost 200 athletes (not only 125 as earlier reported) on a three-day junket to Hong Kong Disneyland, all expenses paid, instead of taking them to tourist spots in the Philippines. I said there are more beautiful places to see in the Philippines than in Hong Kong and that it is an insult to the Department of Tourism’s campaign to attract tourists when it cannot attract its own countrymen, led by the nation’s First Gentleman no less, to visit our own tourist attractions. Whatever happened to our slogan to “See the Philippines first?� I asked. "Sayang naman ang efforts ng DOT." [The tourism department's efforts are wasted.] The DOT spent a fortune in Filipino taxpayers’ money to advertise the Philippines in London and other countries. And how will our economy improve if our own First Gentleman, who should set the example for the rest of our countrymen,

If it is only to make the athletes enjoy the rides in Disneyland, I said we have our own Enchanted Kingdom, which is world-class and can compare favorably with the best theme parks in the world. Is the Philippines not good enough for our First Gentleman? The column’s title asked. Is that an indication of how he feels about how his wife is running the country? I asked myself.

At the press conference, his lawyer and spokesperson Jess Santos (who, by the way, is a good friend of many years and is also my lawyer) said that the trip to HK Disneyland was a promise made by Mr. Arroyo before the Southeast Asian Games, and he wants to keep his promise. (Is this an unintended reference to his wife’s promises?)

My answer is: Why did he make that stupid promise in the first place? That’s still his fault. Besides, aren’t patriotism and the local economy good enough reasons to break the promise and take the Filipino athletes on an extended tour of the Philippines instead? After all, his wife breaks promises for flimsy reasons. And doesn’t she always cite the economy when asking the opposition to unite behind her?

Santos said that not a single peso of government money would be spent for the trip. All expenses will be paid by Arroyo’s foundation.

Maybe so, but that’s still scarce foreign exchange to be wasted on a whimsy. And that money was contributed by business firms that could have used it to improve the lives of their employees. And as I understand it, the athletes would rather have the cash promised to them.

There is no Disneyland here, Santos also said.

But as I said, we have Enchanted Kingdom, which is just as good as Disneyland. It is owned and operated by Filipinos and capitalized with Philippine pesos. And the income they earn is not taken out of the Philippines but spent right here to make our economy grow.

What I’m driving at is that we should promote our own tourism, not that of other countries. If Mr. Arroyo were somebody else, the faux pas may not attract so much attention. But he is the First Gentleman and he should set the example for others to follow, especially other public officials who rush out of the country at every opportunity and spend the people’s taxes in foreign tourist spots while we beg for foreign tourists to come here. Here was a golden opportunity for him to show his patriotism and common sense, not least to our athletes, and he muffed it.

Everybody makes mistakes. It is not shameful to admit that one made a mistake. What is shameful is to deny it and insist on going through with it.

which i agree completely

[Miguel]

^^ that column is a fine example of making issues out of nothing. geez, it's too obvious that the tone is anti PGMA. why mention the wife's promises when the trip to disneyland is the issue. how bout that line, "Why did he make that STUPID promise in the first place?" what's so stupid about making a promise for a trip to disneyland? very poor commentary that deserves rebuttal. well, as what i mentioned before, basta lang gud mabutangan ug issue, butangan.

[darkwing]

a follow up to that article, take note that other athletes even signified they wanted the cash award or wanted to see the country first,


As I See It : Despite criticisms, Mike Arroyo goes ahead with HK junket
First posted 00:58am (Mla time) Dec 21, 2005
By Neal H. Cruz
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on Page A12 of the December 21, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

IN SPITE of widespread criticisms against wasting precious dollars on an all-expense-paid junket to Hong Kong and Disneyland, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo went ahead and quietly left last Monday -- minus the planned fanfare -- with 209 of the athletes, plus some members of his family. Another group left a little later. There were so many of them they could not all be accommodated in one jetliner.

Aside from the plane fare, hotel, food, land and water transportation, tips and other sundry expenses, the athletes were each given at least $300 as pocket money. Now you have an idea how much foreign exchange went out of the Philippines for the junket, and how many overseas Filipino workers toiled long hours to send that much foreign exchange here.

We had suggested that instead of bringing them to Hong Kong, the First Gentleman take them on an extended tour of Philippine tourist spots; if the intention was to make them enjoy the rides of Disneyland, to take them to Enchanted Kingdom
in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, which is just as good, if not better, than Disneyland. Thus, that money would be spent here, to be invested here, and make our economy grow instead of making Chinese and American capitalists rich. But his spokesman said the Hong Kong junket was a promise made to the athletes by the First Gentleman before the Southeast Asian Games and that he did not want to break his promise and be likened to his wife. And he was not spending government funds but private money, anyway.

But critics countered that it would still be Philippine dollars that would be wasted, dollars that could be put to better use or kept here, and help improve our balance-of-payments problem.

Besides, whatever happened to the government slogan to "See the Philippines first"?

The Department of Tourism is laboring mighty hard to attract tourists here, spending more of the people's money to advertise in London and other cities. "Sayang naman" [Wasted] all that "pagod" [effort] and expense if our own countrymen don't visit our own tourist spots and prefer those of other countries.

Besides, many of the medalists have signified that they preferred to get the cash awards promised them. A few have expressed fears that they were being taken on the junket because the cash awards would be delayed or, horrors, would not be paid to them at all. Still, others were reported to have said they would rather see the Philippines first.

Critics said that as First Gentleman, Mr. Arroyo should have set the example for his countrymen and should have visited the Philippines' tourist spots first. It does not speak well of his wife's administration that, just after coming home from an extended vacation in the United States, the First Gentleman had a chance to take some of his countrymen on a Philippine tour but instead he brought them to another country.

Is the country his wife is governing not to his liking? Is it not good enough for him? Can't he stand his wife's governance, too? Does he love Hong Kong more than the Philippines? Does he love things Chinese more than he loves things Filipino?

If Mr. Arroyo were not the First Gentleman, the junket that he led would not have attracted so much censure. But because he is the First Gentleman; he should be, like Caesar's wife, above reproach.

If some of the athletes want to go to Hong Kong, he could have just given them the cash and let them go on their own. That way they would not attract so much attention-and make a bad example to other Filipinos, as the First Gentleman did by leading the junket.

The First Family has already committed so many boo-boos you'd think its members have already exhausted their quota of boo-boos. But the boo-boos keep coming up with surprises.

But wouldn't it be a nice Christmas gift if the matriarch surprises us with her resignation?

[jumps_zilla]

if i was one of the athletes, i would have preferred to have a trip around all the tourist spots in our country. the way i see it, the tourist spots would benefit and our athletes would get a better appreciation of the beautiful places in our country.

[pandisal]

But wouldn't it be a nice Christmas gift if the matriarch surprises us with her resignation?

and again... the article really shows the color... and anti GMA again

[darkwing]

hehe its an opinion column you can't really be neutral, but he raised valid points...

@jumps: yup after playing for your country, i think you would want to see what you were fighting for...

[SPRINGFIELD_XD_40]

An ARTICLE cut and pasted of the same reporter/editorial opinion .... " AS I SEE IT " . Still would be another opinion whom who knows his intentions but clearly suggest's based on personal views and not on facts and figures relevant to the countries interest .

[FK]

@ FK ....ma compare ta na bai sa usa ka manglilimos na gi gutom , hatagan nako ug pagkaon instead of kwarta kay inig talikod nako isuyop ra unya or i sugal . Besides , naa na man silay monetary prizes aside from the gift of MIKEY ARROYO di ba ?

but this athletes bai at not makalilimos... they have discipline.Â* Sa pag training pa lang daan but-an sila onsa ang kan-on... gipangotana ba sila kong onsa ila gusto?

they even suspected early as now that this monetary cash gifts will not be given. Karon panahona na hatag na ba completely ang cash incentives sa mga previous medalled Athletes? like Onyok Velasco perhaps?

[pandisal]

it was promised before by mike that aside from monetory price *from the government*, he himself will try to comeup with money from him and some private sectors for them to send the gold winners to Disneyland... and that's was way before it started the SEA games... nobody complains... and now, a lot of critics of PGMA are doing what their good at... taking ride on the anti-bandwagon...

so... his promise is not part of the government... and if you try to think that its just a ploy coz the gov might not fully give the monetory price... think again... your sooooo negative....

add:

ganaha ba gyud ninyo but'an ang mga mga tawo unsa ila gusto i hatag sa mga pinoy champions...? na hala.. pag comunista nalang ta ani kung mao na inyo gusto!....




kung usa ko sa champs... bahala na mo sige mo reklamo diha... basta ako... i'm going to see MICKEY!!!!

[FK]

so... his promise is not part of the government... and if you try to think that its just a ploy coz the gov might not fully give the monetory price... think again... your sooooo negative....

but again it was proven time before that this monetary awards for the medalled athletes are not completely given. Like Onyok Velasco lagi... nahatag na ba tanan gi promise sa iyaha nga monetary rewards?

ganaha ba gyud ninyo but'an ang mga mga tawo unsa ila gusto i hatag sa mga pinoy champions...? na hala.. pag comunista nalang ta ani kung mao na inyo gusto!....

pero mas nindot jud onta kong ang athletes maoy pabut-on kong onsa jud ilang gusto... Hinoon ingon man sila beggars can't be choosers, but are they beggars?

he himself will try to comeup with money from him and some private sectors for them to send the gold winners to Disneyland

so dili jud d i ni personal fund from Mike? Hmmm... so pila kaha iya share ani? Mura sab og uban NGO ba sige og solicit para kintahay sa good cause homan wala lang saba asa punta ang uban.