PHILIPPINE CULTURE AND TOURISM GEOGRAPHY

THE TOURISM INDUSTRY: AN OVERVIEW

LESSON 1- PRE INTRODUCTION
TOURISM
 “Compromises the activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside their
usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and
other purposes” (World Tourism Organization)
 Is the temporary, short-term movement of people to destination outside the places
where they normally live and work and their activities during the stay at each
destination. It includes movement for all purposes (Tourism Society in Britain, 1976)
 Travel and stay of non-residents, in so far as they do not need to permanent residence
and are not connected with any earning activity (Professors Hunziker and Krapt of
Berne University, Switzerland)
 Travel for recreational, leisure and business
 Includes a wide array of people, activities and facilities
 Cannot be classified as a distinct industry

FORMS OF TOURISM

1. Domestic Tourism – involves residents of the given country travelling only within this
country
2. Inbound Tourism – involving non-residents travelling in a given area
3. Outbound Tourism – involving residents travelling in an area other than the given area
4. In case where the area is a country, there are three more forms of tourism
5. Internal Tourism – compromises domestic and inbound tourism
6. National Tourism – compromises domestic and outbound tourism
7. International Tourism – consist of inbound and outbound tourism
8. Excursionist - temporary visitors staying less than 24 hours in the destination visited and
not making an overnight stay.
9. Tourist - person who visits a country other than that in which usually resides for period
of at least 24 hours
10. Inbound Tourist – tourist who travel to a country outside their own
11. Domestic Tourist – tourist who travel outside of their area of residence but within their
own country

CHARACTERISTICS OF TOURISM
1. In Tourism, the product is not bought to the consumer; rather, the consumer has to travel
and go to the product to purchase it.
2. The products of tourism are not used up; thus, they do not exhaust the country’s natural
resources.
3. Tourism is a labor-intensive industry.
4. Tourism is people-oriented.
5. The Tourism Industry is seasonal.
6. Tourism is multi-dimensional phenomenon.
7. The industry is dynamic.

IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM
1. Contribution to the balance of payments
2. Dispersion of Development
 3. Effect on general economic development
4. Employment Opportunities
5. Social benefits
6. Cultural enrichment
7. Educational Significance
8. A vital force for peace
TYPES OF TOURISM
1. Adventure Tourism – involves unusual holidays, which are very different from the
typical beach vacation.
2. Arts Tourism – focuses on the tourists gaining exposure to paintings, sculptures and
other forms of art.
3. Cultural Tourism – involves experiencing or having contact of different intensity with
unique social fabric, heritage and special characteristics of places.
4. Ecotourism – consist of travel to relatively undisturbed or uncontained natural areas.
5. Educational Tourism – it is an organized learning usually made available to students, not
actively seeking a degree, for a duration of not more than a year.
6. Ethnic Tourism – when travellers choose to experience firsthand the practices of
another culture, usually of isolated indigenous communities.
7. Events Tourism – refers to the travel of tourist destination to attend and/or participate
in events.
8. Mega-events – events that attract the largest number of tourist and usually have a
major impact on image of the destination.
9. Special events – one time or infrequently occurring events outside the normal program
or activities of the sponsoring or organizing body.
10. Hallmark events – give a particular destination high profile and provide the tourism
theme for destination.
11. Factory Tourism – involves visits to factories to learn about the production process of
products.
12. Festival tourism – focuses on festivals. It is a sub-category of events tourism.
13. Health Tourism – involves travel for improvement of health. It includes travel to spas,
and fro massage and medical treatments.
14. Heritage Tourism – an immersion in the natural history, human heritage, arts,
philosophy and institutions of another region or country.
15. MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) Tourism – involves travel to
attend scientific, professional and even political gatherings.
16. Nature-based Tourism – main attraction for this type of tourism is nature. It is often
associated with Ecotourism and Wild Life tourism.
17. Sports Tourism – includes travel and participation or attendance at a predetermined
sports activity.
18. Urban Tourism – involves travel to cities and large town to enjoy its landscape and
recreational activities.
19. Disaster Tourism – involves travelling to a disaster scene.
20. Gay Tourism – tourism participated by gays who have open gay lifestyle.
21. Rural Tourism – type of tourism where people who like to escape their fast-paced urban
life engaged in.
22. Sex Tourism – tourism that is partially or fully for purpose of having sex, often with
prostitutes.

The TOURIST PRODUCT

1. Consist of what the tourist buys,
2. Is a combination of what the tourist does at the destination and the services he uses
during his stay
 3. A service, an intangible item
4. Is largely psychological in its attraction
5. Tends to vary in standard and quality over time unlike the production of a television set
6. Supply of product is fixed.
The TOURIST DESTINATION

 Is a geographical unit which tourist visits and where he stays

 It may be a village, a town, a city, a district, a region, an island, a country or a continent
 Attractions, amenities or facilities and accessibility

ATTRACTIONS may be….

Site Attraction – one in which the destination itself has appeal

Event Attraction – is one in which tourists are drawn to the destination solely because of what
is taking place there
Natural Attraction- include mountains, beaches, climatic features
Man-made attractions – includes buildings of historical or architectural interest

THE PHILIPPINES
LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION

Republic of the Philippines

 Officially known as The Republic of the Philippines.
 Nickname: Pearl of the Orient
 Discovered by Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese-born Spanish explorer on 1521.
 The Philippines is named after King Philip II of Spain (1556-1598).
 The Philippines was colonized by three countries, namely:
 Spain colonized the Philippines for 333 years
 United States of America for 48 years
 Japan during World War 2 for 3 years
 Consists of an estimated 7,641 islands. National Mapping and Resource Information
Authority (NAMRIA)
 Divided into three major islands: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao
 2nd largest archipelago in the world
 Capital: Manila City
 Population: 108, 241, 936 (2019 estimated) Commission on Population
 Currency: Philippine Peso (Php)
 Time zone/GMT : +8.00
 Land Area: Around 300, 000 square kilometers or 115, 831 square miles
 Inhabitants: Aetas
 Climate: Tropical
 Religion: Roman Catholic, Islam
 Form of Government: Democratic

LOCATION
 Where is the Philippines located?
 Below the equator and located at Pacific Ring of Fire
 East – Pacific Ocean
 West – South China Sea/West Philippine Sea
  North – Bashi Channel
 South – Celebes Sea
 Where can we find the Philippines?
 North of Indonesia, Taiwan at the North
 East of Vietnam, Palau at the East
 Tourism Campaign Slogan: “It’s More Fun In the Philippines”
 1,490, 255 tourists arrivals 1st quarter of 2019
 Top nationality of tourist who visited the country
o Korean(Korea)
o Chinese(PROC)
o Americans (USA)
o Japanese(japan)
o Taiwanese(Taiwan)

The Philippine Flag

 Also called the Three Stars and a Sun.

 Officially adopted on June 12, 1898.
 The Philippine national flag has a rectangular
 Design that consists of a white equilateral , triangle, symbolizing liberty, equality, and
fraternity. A horizontal blue stripe for peace, truth, and justice and a horizontal red
stripe for patriotism and valor.
 In the center of the white triangle is an eight-rayed golden sun symbolizing unity,
freedom, people's democracy, and sovereignty. Each ray represents a province with
significant involvement in the 1896 Philippine Revolution against Spain; these provinces
are Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Pampanga, Tarlac, Laguna, Batangas, and Nueva Ecija.
 Three five-pointed stars, one for each of the triangle's points, stand for the three major
islands where the revolution started: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The Philippine regions

1. Region I (Ilocos Region)
2. Region II (Cagayan Valley)
3. Region III (Central Luzon)
4. Region IV-A (CALABARZON)
5. Region IV-B (MIMAROPA)
6. Region V (Bicol Region)
7. Region VI (Western Visayas)
8. Region VII (Central Visayas)
9. Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)
10. Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula)
11. Region X (Northern Mindanao)
12. Region XI (Davao Region)
13. Region XII (SOCCKSARGEN)
14. Region XIII (CARAGA)
15. CAR (Cordillera Administrative
Region)
16. NCR (National Capital Region)
17. ARMM (Autonomous Region of
Muslim Mindanao)

 81 provinces
 145 cities
 1, 489 municipalities
 42, 029 barangays

HISTORY OF THE REGIONS

 July 7, 1975: Region XII created and minor reorganization of some Mindanao region.
 July 25, 1975: Regions IX and XII declared as Autonomous Regions in Western and
Central Mindanao respectively.
 August 21, 1975: Region IX divided into Sub-Region IX-A and Sub-Region IX-B. Minor
reorganization of some Mindanao regions.
 November 7, 1975: Metropolitan Manila created.
  June 2, 1978: Metropolitan Manila declared as the National Capital Region.
 July 15, 1987: Cordillera Administrative Region created.
 August 1, 1989: Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) created. Region
XII reverted to an administrative region.
 October 23, 1989: First creation of Cordillera Autonomous Region. Ratification rejected
by residents in a plebiscite.
 October 12, 1990: Executive Order 429 issued by President Corazon Aquino to
reorganize the Mindanao regions but the reorganization never happened (possibly due
to lack of government funds).
 February 23, 1995: Region XIII (Caraga) created and minor reorganization of some
Mindanao regions.Sultan Kudarat transferred to Region XI.
 1997: Minor reorganization of some Mindanao regions.

 December 22, 1997: Second creation of Cordillera Autonomous Region. Ratification

rejected by residents in a plebiscite.
 December 18, 1998: Sultan Kudarat returned to Region XII.
 March 31, 2001: ARMM expanded.
 September 19, 2001: Most Mindanao regions reorganized and some renamed.
 May 17, 2002: Region IV-A (Calabarzon) and Region IV-B (Mimaropa) created from the
former Region IV (Southern Tagalog) region. Aurora transferred to Region III.
 •May 23, 2005: Palawan transferred from Region IV-B to Region VI; Mimaropa renamed
to Mimaro.

 August 19, 2005: Transfer of Palawan to Region VI held in abeyance.

 May 29, 2015: Negros Island Region (NIR) created. Negros
Occidental and Bacolod from Region VI and Negros Oriental from Region VII transferred
to new region.
 August 17, 2017- President Rodrigo Duterte Dissolved the Negros Island Region created
by previous administration, reverts the provinces of Negros Occidental to Region VI and
Negros Oriental to Region VII
 February 1, 2019: Split of Southern Leyte into two Legislative Districts
 April 5, 2019: Republic Act (RA) No. 11259 divided the Palawan into 3 distinct and
independent provinces. Palawan Del Norte, Palawan Oriental, Palawan Del Sur(mother
province), each will have its own legislative districts representatives to be elected in
May 2022.

Philippine Culture and Tourism Geography

Lesson 2 : Luzon Island

 The name was derived from the Tagalog word “Lusong” which is a large wooden mortar
used in dehusking rice.
 Coined after the Tagalog word Kalusunan which means Northern Part Largest island of
the Philippine which measures 109, 904. 9 square kilometers (42, 457.7 square miles)
 Considered also the most populous island in the Philippines and the 15th largest island
in the world.
 Luzon is divided into four section: Northern, Central, Southern, National Capital Region
Composed of Region 1 to Region V, NCR and CAR

o Home to tourist Destinations such as Palawan, mountain terrain volcanoes such as Mt.
Pinatubo, Taal volcano, and perfect coned shape Mt. Mayon
o Home of numerous rivers (Cagayan, Abra, Agno, Pampanga and Bicol)
 o Ethno linguistic groups such as Ilocano, Kapampangan, Bicolano, Tagalog, and
Pangasinense
o The island’s highest peak, Mt. Pulag (9,612 ft.)(Benguet, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya)
o Location of the largest lake in the Philippines, Laguna de Bay (344 square miles)
o More than half of population lives in Luzon

Luzon is the biggest and economic most important island of the Philippines.
The main reasons are:
 the presence of the national capital Manila City
 the national airport is situated here
 the possibilities for many tourist round trips
 most industries and services are located in Metro Manila

LANGUAGE
 Ilocanos predominate in the regions of Ilocos and the Cagayan Valley, Pangasinense
primarily inhabit Pangasinan, while the Capampangans primarily live in Pampanga,
Tarlac and the rest of Central Luzon.
 Meanwhile, Tagalogs are the majority in CALABARZON, and Metro Manila while
Bicolanos predominate in Bicol.
 Other ethnic groups are also present such as the Aeta and Agta of Zambales, the Ibanag
of Cagayan, and the Igorot of the Cordilleras.

RELIGION
 Major religions present in the island include Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, the
Philippine Independent Church, and Iglesia ni Cristo. Indigenous traditions and rituals
are also present

BASIC FACTS AND INFORMATION

1. The island of Luzon is the 15th largest island in the whole world and the 7th in Asia with an
area of 109,965 km²

2. In terms of population, the island of Luzon is the 5th largest in the world with a population of
over 46 million people

3. In terms of density, the island of Luzon is the 3rd most densely populated island in the world
with 538.9 people per km².

4. As an island group, other islands which are part of Luzon include Batanes and Babuyan group
of islands in the north and the main and outlying islands of Romblon, Masbate, Mindoro,
Marinduque and Catanduanes in the south.
5. Some of the most popular and most active volcanoes in the country are located in Luzon such
as Mount Mayon, Taal Volcano, Mount Bulusan, Didicas Volcano, Babuyan Claro, Deguey
Volcano and the explosive Mount Pinatubo.

6. There are also numerous inactive volcanoes in the island of Luzon such as Mount Arayat in
Pampanga, Mount Bulungao in Pangasinan and many others.

7. The largest plain in the Philippines is the Central Plains of Luzon. Provinces that consists the
region include Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales.

8. Central Luzon is the “rice granary of the Philippines” producing the largest quantity of rice in
the
archipelago. It ha a total land area of 11,000 km².
9. A mountainous island, the 3rd highest mountain is located in Luzon – Mount Pulag which is
bounded by the provinces of Benguet, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya. It has an elevation of 2,922
meters. It is the highest in the island.

10. The island of Luzon is bounded by Bashi Channel on the north, the Philippine West Sea or
Luzon Sea on the west and the Philippine Sea on the east.

11. Sierra Madre, a mountain range in Luzon, is the longest in the Philippine archipelago. Its
highest point is Mount Anacuao with an elevation of 1,849.83 meters.

12. The two other longest mountain ranges in Luzon are Cordillera Mountain Ranges and
Caraballo Mountain Ranges.

13. The longest river in the Philippines is Cagayan River which is located in Cagayan Valley. It
has a total length of 505 km. It is also the country’s largest river. Other notable rivers include
Magat River, Pampanga River, Bicol River, Marikina River, Pasig River and others.

14. The second largest province in the Philippines in terms of land area is Isabela in Cagayan
Valley with an area of 12,556.8 km2.

15. One of the most historic and one of the finest harbors in Asia is the very beautiful and
captivating Manila Bay. One of the most beautiful sunsets in the world can be seen at Manila
Bay.

16. The largest lake in the Philippines is located also in Luzon – Laguna de Bay. It has area of 949
km². This notable lake is drained by the Pasig River into Manila Bay.

17. Another popular and significant lake in Luzon is Batangas’ Taal Lake. It is home to the
remarkable fish species the tawilis – one of the only two freshwater sardines in the world.

18. Taal Lake, which contains the famous and active Taal Volcano, is also a popular Philippine
tourist destination and is best viewed from Tagaytay City.

19. Among the most popular tourist destinations in Luzon include Hundred Islands, Subic Bay,
Manila, Pagudpud, Vigan, Puerto Galera, Laoag City, Baguio City, Mount Mayon, Mount
Pinatubo, Taal Lake and Taal Volcano, Mayon Volcano or Mount Mayon.

20. Among the major languages/dialects in Luzon include the Ilocanos in Region I, II and III, the
Tagalogs of Region IV A&B and the Bicolanos of Region V.

21. Other widely spoken dialects in Luzon are Pangasinense of Pangasinan; Kapampangan of
Pampanga and Tarlac, Ibanags of Isabela and Cagayan, Igorots such as Kankanae, Kalanguya,
etc.

22. There are also considerable population of Chinese, Hindus and Moros including Americans,
Desis, Japanese and Koreans.in the city. In the Bicol region, the most dominant language is
Bicolano.

23. Majority of the residents of Luzon Island are Christians under different denominations but
the most dominant Christian denominations are the Catholics.
24. Of the 15 Philippine presidents, most of them hailed from Luzon – Aguinaldo, Quezon,
Laurel, Quirino, Magsaysay, Macapagal, Marcos, Aquino, Ramos, Estrada, Macapagal-Arroyo
and Aquino III.

25. Makati City in Metro Manila is the center of economic activities in the Philippines.

26. The smallest commercial fish called “Sinarapan” is endemic to Luzon particularly in Lake
Buhi in Camarines Sur.
27. The Tamaraw, which is the largest endemic terrestrial mammal in the Philippines, can only
be found in Mindoro.

28. The largest city in the Philippines in terms of population is located in Luzon – Quezon City in
Metro Manila.

29. The smallest Philippine city in terms of population is Palayan City – the capital of Nueva
Ecija in Central Luzon.

30. Baguio City, which is known for its mild to cold temperature, is the most visited city in the
Philippines receiving hundred thousands of visitors annually.

31. Luzon was also known as Nueva Castilla which literally means New Castile in English.

32. Portuguese explorers called the island Luconia or Lucon and the native inhabitants were
called Lucoes.

33. Of the top 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Philippines, seven can be found in Luzon
– Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, Apo Reef National Park in Mindoro, Mount Iglit-
Bacu national Park in Mindoro, Old Vigan Colonial Houses in Ilocos Sur, Santa Maria Church in
Ilocos Sur, San Agustin Church in Intramuros manila and Church of San Agustin in Ilocos Norte.

34. The major religious pilgrimages in the island of Luzon include the Black Nazarene in Quiapo
Church,Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan, Our Lady of Piat in Cagayan, Mount Banahaw in
Quezon and Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Bicol.

35. Of the 17 regions of the Philippines, 8 regions are located in the island of Luzon namely
Region I or Ilocos Region, Region II or Cagayan Valley Region, Region III or Central Luzon, Region
IV-A or CALABARZON, Region IV-B or MIMAROPA, Region V or Bicol Region, National Capital
Region or NCR and Cordillera Administrative Region or CAR