Looking Back at 2011

Wow, time flies so fast! So fast that 2011 ended even before I could finish writing about all the travels I did in that year!

It had been a wonderful year for me. A year ago, I remember how I planned to travel every two months as part of my New Year's resolutions. But soon after my first travel escapade in January, I found the urge to travel more too strong to resist. I was bitten by travel bug, they say. And that travel bug brought my feet to different Philippine destinations almost every month.

It was only in September that I realized to put up my own travel blog. Yes, it took me some 9 months to realize that I should not keep the experiences only to myself. I've learned a lot and discovered so many things about traveling that sharing is the least thing I could do to inspire others to travel as well. Also, it's because of these experiences that I learned to appreciate the beauty of the Philippines. This blog is my little contribution in helping promote the local tourism industry.

I wrote a blog post last September on where I have been so far, but this year-end post completes the rest of the destinations I've been the whole year.

Why Travel Blog?

Putting up a travel blog never crossed my mind. All I wanted to do was to travel, take pictures of my trips, share some photos on Facebook and keep the travel experiences in my memories.

Then a few weeks ago I heard about the resignation of former DOT Secretary Alberto Lim that made headlines. Rumors and speculation about his resignation started to come out. Despite the controversy, I tried to remain hopeful and focused on the positive news that Philippine tourism has seen a rapid growth in the first five months of 2011. By the way, this news came out even before Lim's resignation so I didn't quite get why leave in the middle of the celebration. Or was there a more serious issue behind his resignation?

Anyway, like I said, I'd rather focus on the good news. A new DOT chief has now been named. Like what everyone else believes, I'm very positive that Ramon Jimenez can do a better job. I'm happy in his enthusiasm in encouraging everyone to promote the Philippines - comparing the country to a "chicken joy which is very easy to sell". I deliciously second that! LOL.

Whether good news or bad news, we cannot deny the fact the Philippines is a beautiful country. And for me, that is an understatement. I'm putting up this blog so that other people realize that fact. Every Filipino should be aware that there are plenty of hidden gems all over the country, waiting to be discovered. I don't hate my friends or some people who prefer to travel to other countries but one thing is for sure, they are missing to experience the treasures in their own backyard.