The Philippines is an archipelago of 7107 islands located at the Pacific Ocean at the South East Asia region, with neighboring countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand.
What comes to your mind when we say Philippines? Some people may not really know where it is. Some may have come up with unpleasant and negative experiences. I have to admit, Philippines can really receive a lot of bad reputation. These are Government Corruption, Poverty, Garbage, Destructive Typhoons, Natural Disasters, Overpopulation, and the worst is Terrorism and Rebellion.
Then how can I convince you to come here to the Philippines? Even the people of the Philippines knows how bad their country is. That’s what I think before, but as you know the Philippines is a HUGE COUNTRY, yes and each country has its own unique magic, Like every country on this planet has. Philippines really has a lot to offer no other place on earth can match. Highly recommended is the beach and shore, where Philippines is abundant of, but in the Top 5 the best is described. Another is the food, yes it may be ordinary to Pinoys but its really special for non-Pinoys ( Pinoys or Filipinos are the citizens and locals of the Philippines ). Did I mention its a huge country? then you will experience a lot of culture, people, nature, history and modern city life.
Still concerned? Is Philippines worth the risk? Don’t you worry, I assure that lot of things has improved and things are shaping up for the better ( You will see what I mean when we get to the TOP 5). Well let’s get to the TOP 5!
5. BAGUIO
Photo by Jun’s world at Flickr.com under Creative Commons. Photographers links are provided at the end of this post.
BAGUIO or BAGUIO CITY ( Large urban centers are called cities ) may not be the white sand beach and tropical paradise Philippines is famous for, but its a city on top of the mountains. Baguio’s main attraction is its weather that’s unique in the entire Philippines. The temperature is around 20~12 degrees, much cooler than the entire country which has temperatures around 28~24 degrees ( but this isn’t bad either, because these temperature’s aren’t extremes ).
The landscape here is also different from the entire country. Pine trees are abundant, there are hills everywhere, and cold temperature fruits can grow here such as strawberries ( But wait until we get to the tropical fruits…. ). The city here is vibrant since there are schools, universities, tourism and a local industries. One downside of Baguio is its accessibility, because of its remote mountain location. Its in the center of Luzon Island ( a large Philippine island ) where there are no seaports, and the aircraft landing is difficult due to a small airport. To get to Baguio, one must do land travel from Manila or from other towns and cities in Luzon.
Baguio City is also experiencing rapid urbanization, and now people and tourists prefer the neighboring town of Sagada which is more laid back ( and yes it has the same temperature as Baguio, but a little less crowded )
4. MANILA
Photo by Alvinjs5 from commons.wikimedia.org. Photographers links are provided at the end of this post.
We have the Philippine Capital at number 4. This is the largest urban area in the entire country. The Metro Manila is composed of several cities combined creating the NCR ( National Capital Region ) Cluster. In Metro Manila, we have cities such as Quezon, Makati, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Marikina and including the old city of Manila itself which is located at the famous Manila Bay.
Even though Cebu is the Philippines first city established by the Spanish Colony ( Philippines was a Spanish Colony for around 300 years ) Manila was created as the capital because it may have better location and resources. Fast forward today, Manila is the top commercial and the business destination of the Philippines. This is the jump off point to all major cities in the Philippines, and also the main entry point from other countries where it has the largest international airport in the entire country.
Manila may still have problems on urbanization such as automobile traffic, inefficient transportation, pollution and poverty. But there have been positive developments on real estate and infrastructure. With a lot of resource in people and infrastructure no other Philippine city can match, Manila has a lot to offer from shopping, food, accommodations, business and leisure.
3. PALAWAN
Photo by nennn at Flickr.com under Creative Commons. Photographers links are provided at the end portion of this post.
The hidden paradise on earth is at Number 3. These rankings are based on the traffic I received from my Philippine Travel Guide ( See Google Play and Samsung Apps under Cebu CM Solutions – unavailable as of now ). Lack exposure compared from the other Philippine destinations, difficulty in accessibility, getting around the island, or the lack of city life in this place may have contributed to its lesser internet traffic compared to the top 2.
Some more infrastructure improvements, better tourism planning and organization will surely make this place straight to TOP 1, but of course this will take time since Palawan is an untouched beauty of nature and probably lets keep it that way.
I won’t describe much about Palawan here, they say its better to see the real magic and grandeur of this place yourself . Although I recommend it for some “soul-searching” and also perfect for a “honeymoon”.
2. BORACAY
Photo by ToGa Wanderings at Flickr.com under Creative Commons. Photographers links are provided at the end of this post
This tiny magical island of powder-white-sand-beach stretching at straight kilometers is at number 2. ( Although it really comes close and surpasses number 1 sometimes ). This is the party island of the Philippines. Everything here is hotels, watersports, outdoor activities, swimming, food, party, fun, music, drinks and still party! A lot of people say this is their favorite island in the entire Philippines.
Boracay island was entirely just a small island at the tip of a larger Panay Island ( Panay is where the city of Ilo-Ilo is located ). The island was just another ordinary island to the Pinoys ( yes that’s us including me ) since we have a lot of crystal clear water and beautiful shores all around us. Yet the some people see this island as something really special, Its vast powder-white-sand-shoreline plus the magical Philippine weather makes this place a paradise. Around the year 1970’s people from around the world are coming to Boracay, Then it really took of in the 1990’s where this place has become the top tourist destination of the Philippines. Now every modern hotel, bar and restaurant is found in this island. Water sports, diving and outdoor activities are also the main attractions. The island is so small it can only accommodate the tourism business only, to fulfill the Holiday Island everyone is dreaming of.
1. CEBU
Photo by dbgg1979 at Flickr.com under Creative Commons. Photographers links are provided at the end of this post.
We have Cebu to claim the number 1 spot ( but I have to admit its a close tie with Boracay ( http://cebucmdatalibrary.blogspot.com/ and check popular posts, this is where I base the top 5 rankings – but this site is unavailable now ). Then what makes Cebu no 1?
Boracay may be the Star of Tourism, Manila the King of Business, Palawan the Nature’s Enchantress and Baguio the Highland haven. But Cebu is the Philippine Island that has all these elements combined. Yes, all of these in one Philippine City. May not be comparable to scale to the other destinations in the top 5, but Cebu is unique in its history and geography that it takes every best part of the Philippines in just one place.
Cebu city is the oldest city in the Philippines established by the Spanish colony way back in time. Cebu is rich in history and the religion of Christianity is embedded deep in the hearts of the people in Cebu ( The Philippines is dominated by Christianity, but there are Muslim minorities and its concentration is in some parts of Mindanao ). Fast forward today, Cebu has rapidly expanded economically since the start of 1990’s. Manila was already an established city at the 1950’s during the time when Philippines was the best economically performing country in South East Asia. ( Yes, Thailand and Singapore were behind the Philippines during those times ). Cebu was just a provincial city way back in time and was just like present day Davao. Now Cebu is fast becoming a Global City in its own pace.
Cebu has a lot to offer, since I said it has all the elements of Manila, Boracay, Palawan and Baguio combined. Lets start with Manila. Just like Metro Manila, Cebu is also composed of Metro Cebu, but unlike Metro Manila which is composed of 10+ cities, Metro Cebu is only composed of 4 Cities. These are Cebu City, Mandaue, Talisay, and Lapu-Lapu. Metro Cebu does not include the towns in the North and South of Cebu island. With this composition, Cebu is a smaller city version of Manila. Cebu has International flights from other 5 major cities in Asia and also offers business opportunities, and its resorts and tourism has the edge over the much larger city of Manila. Cebu is also very accessible from the other neighboring islands such as Bohol, Negros, Leyte and Mindanao, so resources is highly available.
Comparable to Boracay, Palawan and Baguio? Yes, Cebu offers much nature and paradise just as any island in the Philippines does ( Its the country’s specialty ). White sand beach, seashores, natural marine and sea life can be experienced around the Cebu island in the towns of Moalboal, Oslob, Argao, Malapascua and the nearby Mactan Island and Olango Island. For more outdoor adventures, there are trials, mountains, rivers and waterfalls waiting for you to discover. If back to nature may not be your linking, Cebu has a lot international and world class hotels and resorts to choose from, and you may choose the location whether you like beachfront, city or highland. Also know the local industry such as guitar making, wood furniture, the local food Lechon ( whole roasted pig ), the variety of seafood and other local cuisines Cebu is famous for.
OTHER PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND TOWNS
Photo by Hanna Norlin from flickr.com under Creative Commons. Photographers links are provided at the end of this post.
Aside from the Top 5, there are more places to discover in the Philippines. Take any part of the region from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. See other towns and cities such as Davao, Gensan, Bacolod, Vigan, Bohol, Camiguin, Cagayan de Oro, Batanes, Aurora, Batangas, Laguna, Legazpi, Dumaguete, Siquijor and the rest of the islands. The bad reputation that Philippines is getting does not even dent the beauty and diversity of this country. Philippines has a lot of untapped potential and discoveries waiting to unfold.
Image credits below as follows
Featured Image – Sir Mildred Pierce
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sirmildredpierce/
Baguio – Jun’s World
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33942000@N00/
Manila – Alvinjs5
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metro_manila_rp.jpg
Palawan – nennn
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nenborromeo/
Boracay – Thomas Galvez
http://www.flickr.com/photos/togawanderings/
Cebu – dbgg1979
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dbgg1979/
Other Philippine Towns ( Photo taken in Tagbilaran Bohol ) – Hanna Norlin
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hanorlin/
THE CEBU STRIDES 
