Your guide to the Philippines at SM City North Edsa

MANILA, Philippines - Mallgoers can now enjoy a tour of the Philippines in just one stop in the country’s largest mall as SM City North EDSA celebrates some of the country’s top tourist destinations in “Your Guide To The Philippines,” which is on view until June 12.

The mall’s Skygarden showcases 3D replicas of eight of the country’s most exciting tourist destinations. The exhibit, which aims to promote tourism and environmental preservation, features breathtaking natural wonders like the Tubbataha Reef, the Apo Reef, and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park; UNESCO World Heritage sites like Vigan, the Miag-ao Church in Iloilo, and the Saint Augustine Church in Paoay; historical sites like the place of Mac Arthur’s Leyte Landing; and, of course, the Ifugao Rice Terraces, which has been called the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista and Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte-Alimurung during the launch of “Your Guide in the Philippines” summer campaign of SM City North Edsa

“Your Guide to the Philippines” was recently launched at the Skydome, in a cultural program hosted by David Celdran. Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte-Alimurung, Tourism Undersecretary Ma. Victoria Jasmin, Nayong Pilipino executive director lawyer Apolonio Anota Jr., Haribon Foundation executive director Annabelle Plantilla, the Filipino Heritage Festival president Armita Rufino and Finance director Araceli Salas, graced the event, as did UNESCO’s Mavic Punay and the World Wildlife Fund’s Marilyn Santiago.

Vigan Councilors Henry Formoso, Loreto Quibilin and George Villanueva, Filipino Heritage Festival Inc. president Armita Rufino and SCMC president Annie Garcia pose in front of a replica of a heritage village street in Vigan.

Representatives from the cities — Banaue Vice Mayor Fermin Haclalo, Jr. and Ifugao Cultural and Heritage officer Renato Pataksil; Vigan Councilors Loreto Quibilin, George Villanueva, and Henry Formoso; Puerto Princesa tourism director Rebecca Labit; and Paoay Tourism consultant Jose Cacayorin — where the sites are located were delighted to see mallgoers crowd around their attractions.