24 April 2015 – After a three-night/four-day familiarization tour to Manila and Boracay, Hong Kong-based consular officials promised their hosts that they will return to the Philippines to further explore and enjoy the country’s many tourist attractions.
Seven members of the consular corps in Hong Kong SAR traveled to Manila and Boracay Island from April 16 to 19 in a tour organized by the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong SAR. The delegates were the Consuls General of Thailand, Pakistan, Kuwait, Angola and Honorary Consuls of Slovenia and Mozambique and their respective spouses.
Accompanied by Philippine Consul General Bernardita L. Catalla, the delegation toured the walled city of Intramuros in Manila for a briefing on Philippine history, culture and heritage. They visited Fort Santiago, Fort San Diego, San Agustin Church and Museum, and Casa Manila. To have a taste of Spanish-inspired Filipino cuisine, the group dined at Bistro Remedios, where they were serenaded with popular Spanish and Filipino old songs by a Filipino trio.
The delegation spent three days in Boracay, where they were warmly welcomed and treated with generous hospitality by the Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI), Department of Tourism- Region VI, and the Local Government of Malay, Aklan. Round-the-clock protection was provided by the regional unit of the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard while sailing and enjoying the blue, crystal clear waters of Boracay.
All first-time visitors to Boracay, the consular officials were very appreciative of the activities lined up by their Boracay hosts, particularly sunset sailing on a paraw ( i.e. passengers are seated on a locally-assembled boat with wings), coral planting in a designated coral garden, and island hopping. The delegates expressed overwhelming satisfaction over the paraw sailing, the experience of which they described as “once-in-a-lifetime.”
The delegates were also feted to a firedance and a cultural show of various dances from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao during hosted dinners of a wide array of Filipino cuisine and seafood.
The familiarization tour was a priority project of the Consulate General to boost tourism into the Philippines and was organized in collaboration with the Philippine Department of Tourism Marketing Office in Hong Kong SAR, ably represented by Mr. David Leung.
The last familiarization tour of Hong Kong-based consular corps was for Cebu in 2011. END