Pacquiao says Street View will help Philippine tourism

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and tourism officials say images of the Philippine capital and the country's main tourist spots on Google's Street View could help attract more visitors to the country.

Google country marketing manager Ryan Morales said the Philippines on Wednesday became the 69th country included in Google's Street View.

The images captured over six months last year include panoramic street views of Manila and 39 other cities, 30 historic and heritage sites as well as Pacquiao's southern hometown where he began his career as one of the world's most popular boxers.

Pacquiao says the images will bring the "wonders of the Philippines" to the world.

Rocked by insurgencies and poor infrastructure, the Philippines struggles to bolster tourism, which lags behind neighboring Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.