Industry News Updates brought to you by MY RANGGO Hospitality Magazine for the week 21-27 June 2025.
Our Industry News Headlines:-
- Montalban River, Calabarzon closed to swimmers.
- Senior Citizen’s sought as Intramuros Tour Guides
- Tourism Secretary visits first Interactive Living Museum
- Eco-Tourism Park coming to Carabao, Romblon
- Cebu – Philippines premier MICE Destination.
- Bulacan Chef launches restaurant in San Francisco
- Ongoing Flight & Travel Disruptions after US Air Strikes
Montalban River, Calabarzon closed to swimmers.
The Montalban River, in Rodriguez Rizal has been temporarily closed to swimmers, after high levels of fecal coliform bacteria was detected in water samples taken in April and May.
The area is a popular tourist spot for nature lovers, with its mountainous terrain and scenic landscapes. It is also a favoured day trip and weekend spot for hikers and trekkers, rock climbers, spelunkers, and even paramotor flying fans – being within driving distance from Manila.
The DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) via the Pamitinan Protected Landscape (PPL) Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) announced the decision to close the river to swimmers on Monday 23rd June.
The swimming ban covers the stretch of river from Sitio Wawa to Sitio Kayrupa in Barangay San Rafael, Rodriguez (formerly known as Montalban), Rizal.
Intramuros seeks Senior Citizen’s as Tour Guides
In an earlier edition of Industry News Updates we reported that the DOT and the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) had signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the 21st May. This MOU included creating tourism job opportunities for Senior Citizens, and involving them in tourism training initiatives, as a way to promote and achieve Inclusive Tourism.
This week the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) has announced that they are already seeking senior citizens as tour guides for Intramuros, and other cultural and heritage sites.
The initiative is banking on their newest employees sharing their love of storytelling, and the culture and heritage of the Philippines with visiting local and foreign tourists.
The NCSC is hoping to have its first active senior citizen tour guides working in Intramuros by the end of August 2025.
Tourism Secretary visits the Philippines first Interactive Living Museum
The Department of Tourism is on a drive to discover and showcase tourist attractions that promote Philippine culture, heritage and food.
This week Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco visited the Philippines first interactive Living Museum, which opened in 2012. The Motag Living Museum, located in Brgy Motag, on the mainland of Malay, is just a 20-30 minute journey from Boracay Island.
Motag is also a guiding light for the DOT seniors in tourism initiative. The Motag Living Museum has been employing elders in the recreated farming village since before its official opening.
Typical roles for the Elders at the museum include teaching how to gather water, plant and pick rice, and weave. They are also involved in baking and preparing the merienda snacks, story-telling and overseeing traditional games.
Sec. Frasco was accompanied by Malay Municipal Mayor Frolibar Bautista, and former City Council SB member Neneth Graf, who was behind the creation of the Motag Living Museum.
Eco-Tourism Park coming to Carabao, Romblon
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco this week attended the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the first Eco-Tourism Park in Romblon.
The Eco-Park project proposal took 4th place in the DOT’s Tourism Champions Challenge (TCC), and will receive funding and technical support from the DOT and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA). The Eco-Park is being developed on Carabao Island.
The park will restore and preserve timberland ecosystems, and enhance wildlife habitats. Facilities will include a scenic view deck, model houses designed used traditional Ati architecture, performance areas, a gallery, souvenir shop, and a Cultural Information Center.
Attention has also been given to ensuring restrooms are accessible for persons with disabilities, and that there are changing rooms and a breastfeeding area.
The project proposal was praised as an example of what can be achieved when national and local governments bodies, and the local community work together for tourism development.
“…. we must also give opportunities to emerging destinations to take part in the national tourism development of the country. This way, the more destinations we are able to assist and develop, the more chances there are for our fellow Filipinos to gain from the development of tourism in the country.” Christina Garcia Frasco, DOT Secretary.
Cebu promoted as the Philippines Premier MICE Destination.
200 tourism stakeholders and representatives from the Tri-City local government, national agencies and private sector, met at SM Seaside Skyhall in Cebu City on June 26. The aim, to further Cebu’s position as the Philippines premier MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) destination.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who has had a very busy week touring the Visaya region, led the keynote speech reaffirming the Department Of Tourism’s commitment to supporting regional destinations through policy, infrastructure, and collaborative platforms that drive sustainable tourism development.
The event was organized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) in partnership with the Cebu MICE Alliance Steering Committee.
Industry News Updates: World Hospitality & Travel News
Bulacan Chef launches restaurant in San Francisco, USA
Chef Jade Mauricio Cunningham has opened her first restaurant, in the Napa Valley with husband Mathew, and business partner Eric Gonzales. Carabao is also the area’s first Filipino restaurant, serving classic Filipino dishes with a modern twist.
Jade, who was born and raised in Bulacan, grew up helping at her aunts eatery. She first worked in the US when she was 16 studying for a hotel and restaurant management degree. At 18 she was back in the US to work at the Meritage Resort in California.
She and her husband both worked at the French Laundry, with Jade working her way across the different stations in the kitchen to learn as much as she could across all culinary disciplines.
The couple started their own business journey in 2021 with a series of pop-up kitchens, while still working at the French Laundry. And their first pop-up sold out in one hour!
The Carabao menu includes staples like Pork Lumpia, Sisig Taco, Tortang Talong, Inasal, Pansit Palabok and Kinilaw.
Ongoing Flight & Travel Disruptions after US Air Strikes
Flight cancellations and airspace closures continue to disrupt the travel world, after the US air strikes on Iran on 22nd June.
The Israeli and USA’s air strikes on Iranian [alleged] nuclear and military sites – and Iran’s retaliatory strikes on US military bases in Qatar – has resulted in airspace closures, re-routing and flight cancellations.
FlightAware, which provides air tracking data, recorded 243 flight cancellations worldwide on the 24th, two days after the strikes. But flight cancellations have continued particularly in Qatar and the UAE.
Philippine Airlines cancelled several flights to Doha, Dubai and Riyadh.
Emirates has taken the step to suspend all flights to Iran and Iraq until after Monday 30th June, and have rerouted many of their flights to avoid the area.
Eithad has enforced flight suspensions between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv until 15th July, and has cancelled a number of regional flights this week with travelers in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Doha, Dammam and Muscat affected.
Travelers who are still able to take their flights, which are rerouted to avoid the conflict areas, are complaining about extensive wait times, delays, missed connections and above average cases of missing or lost luggage.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. spoke on Monday 23rd June via a video message, assuring the public that steps were being taken to ensure the safety of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Iran and Israel. Any Filipino in Iran and Israel who want to be repatriated will receive assistance to do so.
Missed last weeks Industry News Update – read it here.
