Top Holy Week Destination for 2017----Metro Manila

Press Update:

It seems that more Metro Manila residents chose to just stay near their homes for this year’s Holy Week.

Metro Manila is the top destination for Holy Week, making a huge leap from its 5th ranking in 2016, according to leading online travel agency TravelBook.ph.

“Data shows that three months prior, Filipinos booked a stay in the metro for Holy Week (April 10 to 16) this year, which is 10.4% of Travelbook.ph’s total bookings for the Lenten Season,” the report said.

The report also indicated that Makati, Manila, and Quezon City thrive the most among other cities in Metro Manila.

In comparison to the 2016 data, Metro Manila only acquired 6.6% of the previous year’s total bookings, which placed them on the 5th rank while Baguio City is at first with 10.8%.

According to a Jane Cariaga, a Travelbook.ph customer, spending the Holy Week within Metro Manila is a practical choice.

“Considering the additional expenses for the fare and other travel necessities, plus the heavy traffic you’d have to endure while traveling, it is best to spend a quiet staycation in Metro Manila to observe the Holy Week,” the customer said.

Travelbook.ph caters mostly to Filipino travelers aged 18 to 34.  A lot of them are also from Metro Manila.

In 2016, the top 15 destinations were Baguio, Cavite, Boracay, Zambales, Metro Manila, Ilocos Norte, Palawan, Cebu, Bohol, Ilocos Sur, Batangas, Albay, Davao, Pangasinan, and La Union respectively.

It is also interesting to note that Mindoro, Camarines Sur, and Laguna made it to this year’s list, replacing Ilocos Norte, Bohol, and La Union.

Interested travelers can book accommodations for their staycations or out of town trips by visiting www.travelbook.ph or downloading the TravelBook.ph mobile app for free on Google Play and App Store.

Manila Vanilla Pokes Fun at Pinoy Quirks at Mabuhay Restop

Foreigners will get a chance to understand Pinoy culture better when they watch the funny performance of Manila Vanilla at Mabuhay Restop located in Roxas Boulevard corner T,M, Kalaw Ave. 

It is a widely known fact that Filipinos are very hospitable people, so much so that they greet guests not by asking, “Kumusta (How are you)?” but by asking, “Kumain ka na ba (Have you eaten)?”  Such quirks and other peculiar Filipino traits are celebrated in Mabuhay Restop’s Manilla Vanilla--a unique musical comedy directed by Nestor U. Torre, with music composed by Ryan Cayabyab.

The show tells the story of a Filipino family as they prepare to open their home as a bed & breakfast. Served with deliciously self-deprecating humor and lighthearted song and dance numbers, the show will tickle your funny bones and serve as an enjoyable introduction to those new to Filipino culture.

Mabuhay Restop’s Manila Vanilla! stars Celine Fabie of the Ryan Cayabyab Singers and Spotlight Artist Centre's "Katy: The Musical," Astarte Abrahan of Resorts World Manila's "The Sound of Music" and Repertory Philippines' "A Portrait of the Artist as a Filipino"; singer and comedian Andy Bais; and entertainer and Gawad Kalinga volunteer Edward Fernandez.

Aside from a night of pop-cultural entertainment, audiences will also get to enjoy a delicious Filipino buffet of home-style dishes and different regional specialties.

Celine Fabie, Andy Bais, Astarte Abrahan

“At Mabuhay Restop, we want our guests to get to know and experience the Philippines like never before,” says owner and president Rose Cabrera, a UCLA-educated California lawyer and GK advocate. “We don’t just offer great food and entertainment; we also offer voluntourism tours and other avenues to provide visitors with an opportunity to create better lives for communities who need it most.”

What makes this show and venue even more worthwhile to patronize  is the purpose behind the effort . . .  A Catalyst of Nation-Building.

As a museum, travel café, and social enterprise in one, Mabuhay Restop is devoted to promoting Philippine culture and heritage in creative ways while making a difference. The social enterprise has committed to give 30% of Mabuhay Restop’s net income to Gawad Kalinga, a Filipino nation-building movement dedicated to eradicating poverty and restoring human dignity through building empowered and sustainable communities.

Rose Cabrera, President

Ultimately, Mabuhay Restop aims to make a difference in the lives of Filipinos through social tourism and entrepreneurship. “We want to be able to set an example to other entrepreneurs by showing it is profitable to invest in the poor and partner with them through social enterprises.” 

Other Attractions
To add to its repertoire of shows, Mabuhay Restop also offers something for the kids and kids-at-heart with Mga Kwento ni Tita Beauty, also written and directed by Nestor U. Torre. A spin-off from Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang, the show features creative and theatrical storytelling featuring 6 original Filipino and English tales imbibed with valuable moral lessons.

For a different Philippine travel experience, Mabuhay Restop offers the Voluntourism or Kalinga Tours. They provides visitors a totally different Philippine travel experience by taking them not just to beautiful tourist spots in Bicol, Bacolod, Palawan, and Davao, but also to several Gawad Kalinga villages, where they can experience the warmth and hospitality of the Filipinos, practice compassion in action, and understand the soul of bayanihan.

Additionally, Mabuhay Restop also offers the Bayan Tour, a 3-hour guided and interactive tour in Rizal Park for visitors who wish to learn more about the Philippines and the Filipino. This tour features the one-of-a kinds "I am Filipino" art exhibit with 12 Filipino artists like Ugu Bigyan, Nemi Miranda, Ramon Orlina, Ryan Cayabyab, JC Buendia and Ernie Francisco, and Albert Badz Magsumbol.

For more information, visit their website at www.mabuhayrestops.com or call 0917-810-8194 or 359-7927.

Airbnb Lands in the Philippines

Many people are not confident, to say the least, about transacting online . . .  and with good reason.  There are a lot of fraudulent activities going on in cyberspace, lots of money being lost, and at the worst, even lives.  Well, as much as crime is prevalent in the online world, there are a lot of money saving conveniences as well.  Costs go down because we remove the middleman’s cut, we go straight from manufacturer to customer, or at least remove some layers in between that translate to additional expense.  Well, now the travel industry also has its online version . . . Airbnb.  

There are multiple advantages to utilizing this online travel service: first as a traveler, you have a varied selection of  residences with rate options,  you can customize your vacation packages at the comforts of your home, you get to see lots of pictures and reviews about the place before you book, and you have a 24-hour option of changing venues if you are unhappy with your selection among others. Second as a property owner or even just a homeowner, you have a chance to earn extra income from an unused room by simply enlisting your property to the Airbnb directory. As a traveller, your choice of residence includes options you may not find in a hotel, such as a yacht, castle, or even and island all to yourself at a rate that may surprise you.

 So if you want to pursue or explore this travel or income-generating option, read on . . .   

Press Release:

MANILA, Philippines – December 20, 2012 - Airbnb, an online marketplace listing to discover and book unique accommodations, announced its expansion into Southeast Asia beginning in the Philippines at a press conference held at Mary Grace, Greenbelt. Airbnb will focus on engaging with its rapidly-growing community in Manila and throughout the country, as the company has seen over 400% growth year-over-year in the Philippines in 2012.

“Airbnb is about creating unique, memorable experiences, and we’re seeing a huge increase in demand in the Philippines and across Asia,” says co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Nathan Blecharczyk. “Manila is a growing travel destination, and people from the Philippines are traveling abroad at increasing rates, so we believe it will be a crucial market for us as we continue to grow.”

A few statistics on Airbnb’s growth in the Philippines:

• ·         Guests have come from 67 different countries around the world to travel in the Philippines on Airbnb.
• ·         The number of guest nights booked on Airbnb in the Philippines has increased 345% in 2012 alone.
• ·         The number of Airbnb guest nights booked by people from the Philippines traveling elsewhere has increased 263% in 2012, with the most popular destinations being Hong Kong, New York, Paris, Singapore, Manila, Rome, Seoul, Barcelona, Florence, and London.
• ·         Airbnb has over 975 listings in the Philippines, including 530 in Manila.

To support the rapid growth in the Philippines, Airbnb has tabbed Ole Ruch as manager of the Southeast Asia region. The team focused on the Philippines will work to better support hosts and guests in the market, assisting in managing listings, bookings, and educating users about the Airbnb process.

Airbnb is currently the world market leader in unique, short-term accommodations. In June the company celebrated 10 million nights booked, and on any given night, over 50,000 guests are staying at Airbnb accommodations around the world.

About Airbnb:
Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world – online or from a mobile phone. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 30,000 cities and 192 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.

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