The Philippines may be accessed through 6 international gateways:

Laoag

In north Luzon, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vigan displays precious remnants of the splendid architectural legacy of the colonial era.  The well-preserved structures create a unique 17th-century European atmosphere. The town has several museums in honor of the national heroes born in Vigan.

The other northern capital is Laoag City.  Laoag is a major crossroad for international trade and commerce in the Ilocos region. It serves as a gateway to some of the best resorts and beach destinations in Northern Luzon such as: Fort Ilocandia Resort, Nipa Beach Resort, Pagudpud and Curimao.  The city has retained its unhurried and laid-back lifestyle. 

Clark Freeport

Clark Freeport is an industrial and tourism zone in Angeles City, Pampanga.  The port was once home to the U.S. Air Force in Asia. Clark banks on its appeal as an ideal business and leisure destination.  Visitors enjoy a dynamic balance of a well-kept nature reserve with world-class service facilities.

Clark’s attractions include: world-class championship golf courses, sky diving, off-road driving, or go on an aerial tour of Mt. Pinatubo, and more. 

Manila or click here for the English translation on Manila.

Metropolitan Manila is a vibrant and modern city. It is a teeming metropolis, with towering office and residential buildings with pockets of colonial architecture.  Manila is the transit and entry point for the Philippines that survived the bombing of the city during WWII. Beneath its modernity and fast life, the traveler will be pleased to discover the peoples’ friendliness and charm.

Like any metropolitan gateway, Manila is ideal for business mixed with leisure trips.  It is an ideal place for travelers that are in search for a culturetainment - from vibrant markets, golf courses, health and wellness facilities, restaurants that offer local and international cuisine, bars and casinos, sprawling shopping malls, historic buildings and museums.  Manila mirrors the Philippines' unique cultural mix.

Cebu

Cebu has served as the gateway to Central Philippines.  Cebu has hosted traders and merchants from China and South East Asia. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan landed in Cebu in his voyage to circumnavigate the world.  Cebu continues to serve as one of the primary commercial destinations in the Philippines.

Today, Cebu has blossomed into a choice tourist destination in Central Philippines.  Cebu’s 166 islands possess a ring of beaches and sapphire-clear waters teeming with marine life that beckons divers from all over the world.

It is the country's second largest metropolis and is the political, economic, educational and cultural center of the Visayas.  It has the widest class of accommodations from luxurious resorts to budget hotels.  Cebu has shopping malls, entertainment halls, casinos and golf courses that cater to every tourist's whim.

For more information in English on Cebu, click here.

Kalibo

Kalibo has tourist boom-town character- and is famous not only as a jump-off point to Boracay but as the home of the Philippines most popular, most colorful and wildest festival Ati-atihan - Asia's answer to Brazil's Mardi Gras. The festival is celebrated during the third weekend of January of every year.

Aside from Ati-atihan, another place of interest in Kalibo is the Bakhawan Eco-Park, dubbed as the Philippines most successful mangrove reforestation project and the Kalibo Museum which serves as a repository of the town's history and heritage.

Being the capital town of Aklan, it is the center of political, social, economic and religious activity. Hence, this municipality is the central point of the province’s tourism activities aside from the island of Boracay, as the prime tourist drawer of the province of Aklan.

Davao

Davao offers an array of colors, shapes, tastes and textures that manifest a fusion of indigenous Filipino and Malay culture. In terms of land area, it is the biggest city in the world, part of which is already the base of the country's highest peak, Mt. Apo. Situated in the eastern part of Mindanao, Davao acts as the international gateway to its neighboring provinces: Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, Compostela Valley.

One can explore other popular destinations and venture out of our international gateways by land, sea, or air.

Palawan

Palawan boasts of its diverse and unique variety of flora and fauna.  The province is proud of maintaining an ecological paradise while opening its doors to tourists.  Palawan is blessed with 1,780 islands with breath-taking landscape, white-pure beaches and a sea teeming with colorful marine life.

Activities in Palawan include diving, snorkeling, trekking and caving. However, the greatest resource of Palawan is the friendship and hospitality it extends to all its visitors.

Boracay 

The palm-studded island of Boracay - with its white, talcum-fine beach, balmy weather, warm crystal waters - is like a hypnotic magnet that lures many.  The visitor can choose to simply laze on the beach, commune with nature, and indulge in the parties that spring as the sun goes down.

Bohol or click here for the English translation of the site.

Bohol has positioned itself to highlight its rich cultural heritage and ecological diversity. 

Bohol is the home to the Chocolate Hills, a unique geological formation that resembles chocolate droplets during summer. Bohol is home to exotic flora and fauna. Its most famous resident is a very small nocturnal primate called the tarsier.

Bohol has developed its sandy beaches, majestic caves, water falls and rivers to cater to visitors looking for a chance to commune with nature.

The island of Bohol hosts numerous centuries-old churches and structures that have served as reminders of the Philippine’s colonial era.

Bohol is two hours away from Cebu and has accommodation facilities that can suit a wide variety of packages.

Or you may visit the Department of Tourism's website for more interesting destinations or click here for the English translation of the site.

Tourism Events Calendar 

2008 Asia-Pacific Traditional Arts Festival in Yilan, Taiwan .   October 13-21, 2008 - Philippines' Cultural Representative to Asia Pacific Traditional Arts Festival, Yilan, Taiwan, R.O.C., sponsored by the DOT Philippines, DOT Taiwan and Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO).  (Click here  to view the official website in Taiwanese).

The Philippine Department of Tourism features festivals and tourism events  by region and month or click here for the English translation of the site.

For the calendar of events on forthcoming Philippine conventions visit the Philippine Convention and Visitor’s Corporation.