Our country is an archipelago made up of 7,107 islands with a total land area of 300,000 square kilometers or 115,830.60 square miles. The 11 largest islands make up 94% of the total land area. All the islands are volcanic in origin and are predominantly mountainous. Being volcanic in origin, our lands are fertile, making it the ideal environment for a magnificent array of flora and fauna. The Philippines is endowed with abundant resources, a place of natural wonders and rarities. Our islands are divided into three groups: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Each island group has a destination worth visiting. And throughout the islands, there are festivals celebrated almost everyday.
It is in this context that the observance of the National Tourism Week began. With the objective of promoting, encouraging and developing tourism as a major socio-economic activity and instilling national consciousness on tourism as an instrument of progress towards national development, President Fidel V. Ramos announced Proclamation No. 894 on October 3, 1996, declaring the last week of the month of September of every year as National Tourism Week.
The Philippines has so many beautiful and scenic places to go to that it would be such a shame if we as Filipinos, would not be able to see and appreciate the many wonderful tourist destinations that our country has to offer. When I was still a Fine Arts student at the University of Arizona, I used to boast about how beautiful the sceneries in our country are. I told my friends then that no place in the United States can match the pristine beauty and picturesque sights of our country. I still maintain this belief until now.
Our country has the Banaue Rice Terraces, 100 square miles of an ancient irrigational innovation found in the Cordillera mountains. It was once declared as the Eighth Wonder of the World and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The beaches of Boracay Island boast of white, powder-like sand and has perennially been voted as one of the world’s best beaches. And who can forget the crystal-clear waters and spectacular sea and landscapes of Palawan? Of course, there are many, many more wonderful places to be seen in the Philippines. My favorites are the provinces of Aklan and Marinduque simply because these are where the Ati-Atihan and Moriones Festivals can be found. I first wrote about these festivals in my book Fiesta and since then, they have become popular.
Fiestas have always been fascinating because to me, they are the highest form of community expression. What is a better way to expose our tourist sites than through the fiesta. Through a fiesta, the tourist gets to know not only the country but also the people and their customs.
Today marks the end of National Tourism Week and coincides with World Tourism Day. Through the commemoration of this yearly event, I am hoping that many more of our countrymen will express pride and learn to appreciate the beauty and magnificence of our country. Only if we learn to appreciate all things Filipino can we truly be called Filipinos.