Photo caption:Ambassador Garcia together with Consul General Gilberto Asuque (Calgary), Consul General Maria Andrelita Austria (Vancouver), and Deputy Consul General Bernadette Therese Fernandez (Toronto), other officials of Philippine Foreign Service Posts in Canada , and participants from the Edmonton delegation pause for a photo after the wreath-laying ceremony at the Rizal Monument.

Winter Escapade – It’s More Fun in the Philippines (WE-IMFITPH) successfully closed its latest season after bringing snowbirds to the province of Batangas and the islands of El Nido, Palawan, from January 28 to February 4, 2019.

The group, composed of participants from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines, opened the tour with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Rizal Monument in Manila followed by visits to historical sites in Intramuros, Philippine museums, and the Greenhills Shopping Center.

The Tourism Promotions Board greeted the snowbirds with a Welcome Dinner held at the Makati Shangri La accompanied by cultural performances by Banda Kawayan and the Bayanihan Dancers.

The next day, the group proceeded to the heritage town of Taal, Batangas where they were hosted for lunch by Governor Dodo Mandanas and Mayor Pong Mercado. The Batangas leg of the tour also included stop overs at some of the Philippines’ oldest structures such as the Basilica of St. Martin de Tours and Escuela Pia, as well as visits to the homes of Philippine revolutionary figures Marcela Mariño de Agoncillo and Don Leon Apacible.

Photo caption:(Clockwise from top) Winter Escapade participants kayaking at El Nido’s Big Lagoon, at one of the stops during island-hopping, dancing during the Farewell Dinner, and having lunch by the beach.

From Taal, the tour moved to Nasugbu, Batangas, where the participants spent a few days at scenic Pico de Loro exploring the coves and beaches of the region.

The second leg of the tour brought participants to the famed town of El Nido, Palawan where they enjoyed island-hopping, swimming, and snorkeling in the town’s crystal clear waters. The group was also regaled by local cultural performers and met by Mayor Nieves Rosento.

For eight days and seven nights, Winter Escapade 6 participants were treated to beachside feasts, side tours to heritage arts and crafts centers, as well as impromptu dance parties. A Farewell Dinner hosted by AyalaLand in Makati rounded off the tour.

Winter Escapade is the flagship tourism project of the Philippine Embassy and Consulates General of the Philippines in Canada organized in cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, and official ground handler Rajah Tours Philippines, Inc. The tour has been known to showcase the best Philippine destinations coupled with feasts of local culinary delicacies and trademark Filipino hospitality.

Previous editions of the tour have brought visitors to Boracay, Iloilo, Guimaras, Cebu, Bohol, the Ilocos region, Albay, Coron, Negros Occidental, and Davao. [Photos courtesy of Rajah Tours Philippines and Mr. Danilo Arriola] END.