It is good news that the “Pocket Open Skies” Policy is on full swing. The policy will most probably  take place in NAIA in Pasay City, Laoag International Airport (Ilocos) , Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (Clark, Pampanga), Puerto Princesa International Airport (Palawan), Subic Bay International Airport, Kalibo International Airport (Aklan), Mactan International Airport (Cebu), Davao, General Santos, and Zamboanga.


The effect as said by the proponents is more direct flights from International Carriers straight to those above mentioned local airports.

This action will hopefully increased tourists arrival, lower airfares (not that it has not gone down through the years) and improvement on services offered by airlines to the passengers (this I am keeping my fingers crossed).

A packed exhibition

The government plans to attract 3.3 Million tourist visitors in the country this year. Compared to Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia the target we set is small. However, since we are starting with a new administration and the issue of continuity is always a problem in our government I can say that the target is a decent one.


Now, if we are to focus on the 3.3 Million visitors I would suggest that we go for businessmen and investors to be the large chunk of this pie. These two segments can greatly benefit our economy because they have the spending power.

If all of us agree on this, the question now is how do we achieve it?

I say we must do big changes in our peace and order and promote to the world that it is safe here. Second, we must support our MICE industry. Let us create mega learning conventions and mega expositions. Last but not the least; let us focus on the first A in the 5As of Tourism that is ACCESS. We must open NAIA 3 for International Travel and eliminate all unnecessary taxes that make travelling in our country more expensive than going out of than going out of the country. Our secretary of tourism promotes Open Skies and hopefully the positive things about this policy will redound immediately.

3.3 Million Tourists for this year will be meaningful to our country they are quality tourists. It is time for a fresh start; let us cross our fingers for our country.

The smoke of the revelry welcoming the New Year has settled. The big tasks of making things a reality lies in our hand. In the events management, particularly exhibition the task of creating and offering a new and improved products start.


It is a difficult process. Even though there are available data of the past performances. The event management team must again come together and allow the creative juices flow in order to create something from without and assure that there is value on what was created.

Also, the exhibition team must consider the 3 Cs in crafting the new trade event. The 3 Cs are the Company, Client, and Competitor. This three dynamic elements changes and an near accurate reading of this 3 elements is critical in determining the success of the expo.

As an event’s organizer, I am very positive that this year is a good albeit challenging year. I see that new players will emerge and new concepts will be launch. But that is life and as organizers all we can do is to better ourselves and compete with ourselves the only competition that we must strive to seriously taken on.

Last November 23, 2010 the Final Technical Meeting for the upcoming Philippine Physical Therapist Association (PPTA) National Convention, slated December 4-5, at Traders Hotel Pasay, was conducted.


It is a fun exercise.

The meeting is fun in the sense that all the planning that everyone discussed and agreed upon is already coming to its end – and boy an end that everybody is very excited about.

It is a dry run.

The meeting is a dry run of all the details things that must never be overlooked. All the salient points that must be noted and delivered during the actual event are discussed and re-discussed.

The final meeting for the PPTA working group took place in Traders Hotel and we are just very happy to be part of it, all the hard work is slowly in its final finishing touches ensuring that SUCCESS is not a distant dream but a reality that is about to happen this week.

by Rafael Santos


Mega Balikbayan OFW Expo is more than meets the eye.

In fact MBEX- Mega BalikBayan OFW Expo 2010 is a single event, as what it looks like, but if you’ll just dig on it, there are lots of rooms for opportunities, name it, we have it. It features business firms; either small-scale or large scale ones from different industries of different specialties. Even this enthusiast amateur business-minded guy (me) wants to be part of it; it triggers my adrenaline rush to go all the way at its full speed. Some might say that I must be kidding, but wisecracks aside, hmmmm... maybe a bit, just to step aside from intensity. That’s what it feels like when you are truly passionate not just to what you’re doing, but also to where it might take you along the long, winding road to success. It must have been an entrepreneurial mindset guys, so don’t limit your thinking. In business redundancy is better than plain profitability, always on a positive note, meaning adherence to moral beliefs is a must.



So what are you waiting for hop in this great roller coaster that is about to hit the city called Mega Balikbayan OFW Expo, happening this December 10-12, 2010 at Megatrade Halls, SM Megamall.

The Philippine Physical Therapy Association (PPTA), Inc. shall hold its National Convention this December 4-5, 2010 at the Traders Hotel, Pasay City, Philippines.


The much awaited annual convention offers a lot of learning seeds for all the attendees that will surely upgrade and enhance their knowledge and professional skills in their continuous effort to become an excellent global physical therapist.

Some of the convention sessions are “Filipino Physical Therapists in collaborative practice” (working with an NGO, in a corporate ergonomics program, in sports injury management, and advocacy), “Culturally congruent care in physical therapy”, Physical therapy services: Universal Health Care and Philhealth”, “Professionalizing home care PT practice”, and a lot more informative and skills oriented topics and workshops.

“Our aim for this year’s convention is to broaden the reach and maximize the potential of the Filipino physical therapist”, said Ms. Gayline Manalang Jr., President of the PPTA. “We want to build a stronger practice of the profession in the Philippines, and this is one step towards that vision.”

Co-presented by Signature Healthcare, the PPTA 2010 National Convention is expected to gather around 300 physical therapists and students of physical therapy from institutions all over the country. Showing their support to the Filipino PT as Major Sponsor is TGS Healthcare Solutions, with Gold Sponsors being Avant Healthcare Professionals, Ultimate Care Inc., and Health Carousel Philippines. Media partners are Businessworld, Business Mirror and Philippine Star.

The event is managed by EX-LINK Management and Marketing Services Corporation. For inquiries about participant registration, call EX-LINK at Telephone No.643-3887 or 640-1280. Further details about the PPTA and its upcoming convention are available at www.philpta.org.

Today’s tourism congress only validated the impact that tourism industry can do to eradicate poverty in our country.


In the report given by Ms. Ma. Cherry Lynn Rodolfo, Economist, University of Asia and Pacific she reiterated the MULTIPLIER EFFECT of tourism to 2.5% per tourist that visits our country.

Mr. Khoo Swee Chiow, one of the speakers in the congress shared his testimony of how beautiful the Philippines is. He is a Singaporean who toured the Philippines by using kayak. He showed different pictures and the audience in the tourism congress is in awe.

There is so much to be done in order to realize this potential which we have been harping around for so many years and to different government regime that led this country. Sadly, the movement forward is nowhere to be seen.

Senator Dick Gordon made a very interesting point when he said in this important gathering, “ Lahat tayo ay magagaling, ang problema lahat tayo ay magagaling”.

What ails our industry is not the lack of talents and capabilities, instead we are hampered by all wanting to be leaders and nobody wanted to be relegated as followers.

Let us get our acts together, our potential is just there waiting to be harness to improve the lives in our country.

PAAN Asia Holdings Inc. offers attractive properties for Balikbayans and OFWs in the upcoming Mega Balikbayans OFW Expo, slated this December 10-12, 2010 at Megatrade Halls, SM Megamall.


PAAN Asia Holdings Inc. will showcase Dasmariñas Royale Village, a charming little community in suburban Cavite. Paan Asia’s more than a decade endeavour to become a respected realtor and home developer, ensures the quality of this dream project.

Dasmariñas Royale Village is meticulously crafted with designs that offers every would-be settler an ideal living environment both indoors and outdoors—a stylish, comfortable home architecture that he can be proud of, and a friendly atmosphere outside the house that is conducive to play and socialization. It has amenities like basketball court, gym, swimming pool and playgrounds.

Dasmariñas Royale Village is an exclusive estate of about 6.7 hectares in land area, accessible via public transport plying the major roads of Cavite like Governor’s Drive, Molino-Zapote Road and Aguinaldo Highway. It is favourably near major establishments like schools (e.g., De La Salle University), banks, shopping centers (e.g., SM and Robinsons malls), and hospitals (e.g., DLSU Medical Center).

Nestled in Cavite’s lush green landscape, it is also surrounded by historic landmarks (e.g., Aguinaldo Shrine, Fort San Felipe) and tourist destinations (e.g., Tagaytay, Cavite’s tropical beach resorts).

Dasmariñas Royale Village is practically located in the center of it all—right where one can enjoy modern conveniences, as well as bask in the tranquil elements of the countryside.

So all Balikbayans, OFWs and OFW families who are looking for an ideal place to invest or settle their families Dasmarinas Royale Village is one of the best place to consider. The property will be showcased during the event. Sales and Customer Service Associates of the PAAN Asia Holdings will be ready to answer and entertain all your queries to make you a step closer to your dream home.

Other links to give you additional information:

Website - http://www.dasmaroyalevillage.com/

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dasmarinas-Philippines/Dasmarinas-Royale-Village/120364064686496
PRTV Segment on youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIh1JPXffNI

The 7th Mega Balikbayan OFW Expo boosts 200 plus exhibitors that offer a wide array of business and investment opportunities. It also offers free seminars, business competitions, raffle and giveaways prizes – elements that make this event exciting and a must see event for those who wanted to start the year 2011 by running their own business.

For inquiries call tel # 6433887 or email ex_link2001@yahoo.com.

Present this Card at the Entrance to Get a Free Event Souvenir Photo

How times fly, literally! We were just planning it last January. We are planning how to make the once one hall event into two halls. We are planning with trepidation and excitement the increase number of exhibitors that we will accommodate and invite.


Hardwork.

Indeed this is the corner stone of the expanded Megabalikbayan OFW Expo (MBOX), hardwork that is sprinkled with a deeper sense of commitment to educate and assist our balikbayans and ofws to find the right business and investment for them.

We know the effect if ever our deeper reason for staging this event clicks. We know that for every balikbayan and ofw that will turn into a successful businessman is a number of jobs waiting to be created, and a number of cities who will find their economic activities go up.

But most important, we know that every successful balikbayan and ofw businessman is one family saved from separation. This is the most important of all the objectives that we wanted to achieved.

Family is the atomic element that makes Filipinos strong. By forwarding MBOX, we are making the Filipinos strength stable and growing.

16 days and indeed we don’t mind if time flies faster that we expected. The faster it flies the nearer we are to the accomplishment of our objectives for this year.

*******************************************************************************

I like December.


More than the holiday season where the streets turned to twinkling stars because of the Christmas lights, there is something that is always happening BIGTIME in EXLINK.

Of course, I am talking about the events that we are producing, organizing and managing. It seems that the projects that we are handling happens hand-in-hand with the hustle and bustle of the season. There is this gait that every member of the organization makes. A certain energy that gives you the feeling that we are about to make things happen.

If you are in events, every day we always make things happen. As if we are miracle workers. We create in our minds the idea of how and what shape an event will be formed. After that, we work hard (physical work) to ensure that the shape that we conceived for and event takes place – that is called simply as EXCECUTION.

To show you why there is a rush; let me reveal to you that we will be having three events this December. They are:

a) Philippine Physical Therapist Association Convention, December 4-5, 2010 at Traders Hotel

b) Mega Balikbayan OFW Expo, December 10-12, 2010, Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall

c) Korean War 60th Anniversary, December 14-15, 2010 at Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Yes, a loaded schedule that is in every bit challenging and EXCITING. It keeps us on our feet and motivated to wake-up every morning knowing there is a lot of details to be coordinated and accomplished.

Yes, December as the cold air whiff in our skin and people swell in all malls and marketplace, we are at one with them with our adrenaline ticking in the Richter scale in the higher levels. Akin to earthquake, our office is shaking because of these exciting events and most of all the people in our organization Rocks!