‘One Malaysia,’ an economic model for a diverse nation

Malaysia celebrated its 55^th Independence Day last August 31 led by Malaysian King Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah and her Majesty Tuanku Hamimah Binti Hamidun flanked by government officials who were garbed in one pair of outfit: Black trousers and blue-collared white polo shirt emblazoned with the number “1” on the upper left chest signifying “One Malaysia.” Photo: Rhony Laigo at the Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur. 

Malaysia is only country in Southeast Asia that produces its own cars

(Note: The author who became a full-fledged journalist right after college is a witness and at the same a victim of Philippines’ corrupt society, whose worsening economic conditions back then forced him to abandon his country to work as a reporter abroad – just like the 10 million Filipinos who are employed overseas – and has been an outsider since 1991. Last month, the author visited Malaysia, then an inferior country compared to the Philippines a few decades ago, but now an economic power in Southeast Asia. The following article is the author’s attempt to present contrasting features of the neighboring countries as he tries to persuade the Philippine government to review its current policies on population control and federalism, and perhaps even emulate its Malaysian cousins, who welcome 22 million tourists a year compared to Philippines’ only four million foreign visitors.)

As a Filipino, I’ve always heard that in the 50s, a few years after the Second World War, the Philippines was one of the most progressive countries in Asia and was the leading country in the southeast Asian region until the 60s. When I was a kid, there was even an ad on television that said Philippine Airlines was “Asia’s first airline.” In fact the Philippines’ flag carrier still promotes that title sans the shining luster it used to enjoy. Well, we were illustrious, until Ferdinand Marcos became president in 1966 and then the country went into a downward spiral. Some 20 years later into his dictatorship, the Philippines became the “Sick Man of Asia.”

This month, the Philippines will remember that fateful day, September 21, 1972, when Marcos declared martial law. If not for the EDSA uprising in 1986, in which I was very much involved being a student activist at that time and a scribe for a college paper, the “Sick Man of Asia” may have been in a worse condition, no thanks to the plunder that the Marcoses and his cronies did to their own country.

Now, 26 years after the EDSA revolt, the Philippines has yet to fully recover. But our leader, current President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, whose both parents suffered a lot during the dictatorship – his father, Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino was assassinated, while his reluctant mother ran against Marcos and became president after the dictator was ousted (she survived seven coup attempts during her six-year presidency!) – may be looking at a country that is ready to face its economic challenges and hopefully be able to recover some of its lost prestige of the glorious past.

Back in 2009, I had the privilege of returning to the Philippines. Admittedly, a lot has changed...at least in Metro Manila. There have been signs of progress, construction was flourishing and many of our kababayans were employed as outsource service providers in companies more commonly known as call centers, and even leads India in this sector. Personally, I felt good…momentarily.

Just last month, however, I was fortunate enough to have been invited by the Malaysian government to take part and chronicle their 55^th Independence Day celebration that took place last August 31. As a Filipino journalist who has written several stories about the Philippines’ transition from a dictatorship to a democracy, seeing our Malaysian neighbors celebrate their independence day was an event I will never forget.

While we in the Philippines have yet to cultivate a full sense of national pride mainly perhaps because of our parochial differences, the Malaysians are marching towards greater heights, in spite of what I would consider a fractured multi-ethnic union of different cultures, religions and backgrounds. On the contrary, our neighbors down south feed on their own diversity, using their own creativity and competitiveness to become an envy of other southeast Asian economies, the Philippines included as it tries to make peace with two insurgent groups. Despite a majority of Malaysians being Muslims, rarely if none were news about terror threats, unlike in Indonesia where there have been acts of violence against innocent civilians.

Blessed with its own crude oil, Malaysia is the only country in Southeast Asia to produce its own cars, Proton and Perodua. The country is also among the world’s top manufacturing hubs for semi-conductors and other electronic components, employing hundreds of thousands of people, including foreign labor, many of whom are, you guessed it, Filipinos.

Malaysia’s infrastructure is also among the most developed in Asia, according to Wikipedia. In one of our tours, we got the chance to view the new city of Putrajaya, located some 15 miles outside of Kuala Lumpur, in a well-planned urban area where new government buildings are located. The city is beautifully landscaped with a massive man-made lake dotted with captivating bridges – there are nine spans around the city – because of their modern architectural design.

In addition, Malaysia’s railway systems are one of the best in the world. Its KLIA Ekspres also allows international airline passengers to check in their luggage at the train station, therefore no long queues, and enjoy a convenient high-speed but quiet half-hour ride from Kuala Lumpur to the airport, and with free wifi connections.

Kuala Lumpur of course is home to the tallest twin towers in the world – the Petronas Towers – each having 88 floors and stands 1,483 feet high into the sky. These buildings of stainless steel alone are a testament of Malaysia’s solid growth, whose economy is third largest in southeast Asia and is ranked 28^th in the world vis-à-vis the purchasing power of its 29 million people.

Speaking of population, there again lies my envy. While the Philippines has 90 million inhabitants – 7^th in Asia and 12^th largest in the world – Malaysia’s smaller population means more social services for its people. In my one week stay, I’ve tried my best to look for squatters and beggars in the streets of Kuala Lumpur, which were very clean by the way, to no avail. Contrast that to Manila’s large squatter population, which often than not, results in violent confrontations when the government tries to relocate them away from the metropolis.

Malaysia has 13 federated states and three federal territories, which just like in the U.S. is a form of government that the Philippines I think should also greatly consider to let regions become more self-sufficient and compete with one another.

Comprised of 60 percent Muslims, other religions are practiced freely in Malaysia, including Buddhism and Hinduism along with a variety of Christian denominations. The Philippines, meanwhile, has more than 80 percent who are Roman Catholic faithfuls, whose church leaders oppose the use of contraceptives, but that is another issue altogether. The Philippines also is the lone country in the world that doesn’t allow divorce.

During their Independence Day celebration, most, if not all, buildings and homes displayed the Malaysian flag. Among those who proudly paraded in the Merdeka Square were local Malaysian folks, some of whom drove their teksis (taxi) that carry the Proton brand, which much to my own chagrin, were symbols of how far Malaysia has gone in terms of progress compared to where I was born. I had goose bumps and my eyes welled up upon seeing them celebrate their 55^th year as a free sovereign Malaysia with great pride. I wished the Philippines would emulate the same kind of self-respect that the descendants of our own forefathers possess, a truly united nation.

As they passed by the grandstand during the parade, those who took part waved proudly to their king and queen and to their government officials who, except for the royal couple, were wearing one type of uniform, both men and women: black trousers with a blue-collared white polo shirt emblazoned with the number “1” on the upper left chest signifying unity and “One Malaysia.”

Asiatique: Bangkok’s new shopping attraction

Asiatique The Riverfront is Bangkok’s newest open mall shopping district that when completed will house 1,500 stores along with restaurants and theaters to serve the ever-growing number of tourists that visit Thailand and also its local populace looking for bargains. Photo: Rhony Laigo

Some twenty-five years ago, Bangkok and Hong Kong were the shopping meccas for RTWs (ready-to-wear clothes) as far as Filipinos were concerned. Those three letters then were the most widely used term for these production line-manufactured clothing that would soon force neighborhood custom tailors to close shop. For a Filipino journalist who covered the airport for years, bales of RTWs from Bangkok and the former British colony that swamped the airport terminal somewhat revolutionized the clothing industry in Manila, where I grew up, in the sense that suddenly fine-looking wardrobe of high quality material became affordable to the average person.

Since signature clothing line were expensive at that time not to mention scarce – they were only available to selected markets where the affluent would shop – RTWs from these Asian cities were most-sought after in the streets of Manila because Filipinos just loved imported items, and unlike the branded ones, buyers can haggle for even lower prices.

Once, I remember entering hotel rooms in Sta. Cruz, Manila with my late sister near Escolta – then the most famous cobbled-stoned street in Manila for high-end shopping – for these RTWs. They were illegal, I was told, but the “knowledgeable” people like my sister flocked the hallways of these hotels where “occupants” peddled clothes from Hong Kong and Bangkok, along with other imported commodities. It was a fledgling industry that allowed many, like myself, to buy and wear fashionable clothes. Whereas before Hong Kong was so popular because Hollywood celebrities made it so, Bangkok would soon become a household name in Manila because of their fine quality RTWs as far as the ordinary Manileño like me was concerned.

Fast forward to the present, Bangkok has become a favorite destination to many not just for the “biyaheras” (from the Spanish word viaje which means trip or travel), the term we used to call the travelling Filipino women who used to go to Bangkok and Hong Kong just to buy RTWs to sell in the Philippines. Now, anyone looking for bargains while touring a country rich in old-age cultures, authentic cuisine and fantastic destinations that are known the world over go to Bangkok for a hands-on shop-till-you-drop experience, the Asian version. 

What’s more, Bangkok and other cities in Thailand offer bargain hunters a wide array of just about anything the world has to offer and they are as diverse as the people of Thailand, where vendors use all possible places to market their wares both in land and water. Thailand of course is famous for its floating markets, where sellers paddle their way thru water channels to move their merchandise without worrying about other overhead expenses that shops need to bear.

Just recently, Bangkok opened one of its newest and most modern night markets to meet the growing demands of around 20 million annual visitors while also serving the needs of its local populace. Aptly called Asiatique The Riverfront, the open shopping mall combines the bustle and hustle of a night market, yet classy, and the relaxing character of its slow-moving Chao Phraya River.

Aside from clothes, handicrafts, souvenir items, musical instruments, electronic gadgets and other home merchandise, restaurants, theater and shows make Asiatique The Riverfront a one-stop-shop destination that the 5-11 p.m. nightly schedule may never be enough for anyone to explore the splendor of this sprawling shopping complex. And I’m just talking about District 1 as more shops will be built at Asiatique The Riverfont that will soon boast of some 1,500 shopping stalls, 40 “gastronomic” restaurants and many more outlets that is fully endorsed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

This reporter was able to visit Asiatique just last month, courtesy of TAT, where I was able to purchase high-end printed t-shirts for my friends back at the office. You know, the kind where there are elephants and anything that would say that the shirt had come from Thailand. And when I say high-end, the prints were not just textile paint, they were embossed and glossy…with glitters, I might add. They were selling each for 150 baht ($1 = 30 baht) for a medium size and I was able to buy a few at more or less 125 baht each. By the way, size matters in Thailand as bigger sizes command a higher price. That’s just the way it is there, so you have to “pang” your way to buy your merchandise at a lower price. Don’t worry about negotiating for a better deal, it is to be expected.

 Located along the historical Charoenkrung road, Asiatique The Riverfront is also accessible by ferry boats that ply along the river. Aside from the Waterfront District, Asiatique The Riverfront will also house the Factory District where fashion and designer shops will be put up over a renovated 100-year-old sawmill in the area; a 2,000-square meter Town Square District for restaurants, winery and all other dining pleasures; and the Charoenkrung District where1,000 more shops will be located.

For more information on Asiatique The Riverfront, please visit www.thaiasiatique.com.

Invading nature’s canopies harmlessly

Brazilian journalist Marina Gomes of Corremundo enjoys the ride of her lifetime as she zips across a span to reach one of the 23 platforms of the Flight of the Gibbon, a zipline in the forests of Mae Kompong, a Thai village in Chang Mai. Photo: Rhony Laigo

Flight of the Gibbon gives zipliners a breathtaking view of Thailand’s forest cover

One of the most sought-after extreme sporting activities for vacationers nowadays is the thing we call zipline. It is a ride on cables where you zip through mind-blowing heights harnessed in a way that will make Six Flags a place for the amateurs if you’re doing it say, in Thailand’s Flight of the Gibbon.

Installed way atop the forests of Mae Kompong, a Thai village in Chang Mai, Flight of the Gibbon is a daunting adventure that may not be for the faint of heart. And why not? Not only is the sport gliding through the forest cover seem precarious, you will have to keep on climbing up trees as if one huge drop of height is not enough while you negotiate the cables in a heart-stopping ride to reach one platform after another.

Flight of the Gibbon has 23 platforms, mostly makeshift landing stages around a tree, in the jungles where mostly monkeys, birds and other forest critters are the official residents, except for the sky rangers who have made Flight of the Gibbon their home – the bunch of Tarzans who make a mockery of scaling heights while earn a living from it, many at the “expense” of nervous wreck tourists.

Consider this: There were 11 of us who went to Khao Kheeo, Chonburi, where animals roam free as if they were ordinary pets or in most cases just doing their daily routines as if they were ordinary individual village residents because of their size. However, only seven of us dared to take the challenge of trekking deep into the forest amid the shortness of breath climbing the trail made worse by the mountain’s dizzying heights.

Of the original five journalists in our group, one didn’t join us because, he claims, he’s already “done it before.” But isn’t “done it before” supposedly makes it easier to do it again, apart from conquering other wuthering heights? Although obviously the roaring sound you will hear is your own voice screaming and that of the pulleys zipping through the cables.

Scream the seven brave souls did. [I didn’t (ehem)? And my six fellow gibbons can attest to that! And so did Jason Li. I mean, he never made a sound, I think in all the 12 days that we were together – he was so quiet!]. Well, Marina Gomes of Corremundo, the prolific Portuguese writer from Brazil, mostly did the screaming and by Terry Regan (president of Berkeley’s Northside Travel up there in Northern California), who I’m pretty sure hid his screams in what other folks would describe as swearing. 

At first, I thought Terry directed his “kind words” to Paworn (Paul) Chatrungnopakun, our Thai host from the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Marketing Officer for the Los Angeles outfit, until I realized that it was probably his way of casting away the evil spirits of the Thai jungles. I think Terry uttered his famous line more or less 20 times, which made us laugh and helped calm our nerves each time we heard him deliver the words “holy s _ _ t” even when we were hundreds of feet above the jungle below us. 

I admit it was a little intimidating at first. But volunteering to be the first to ride the zipline ahead of the six others was a “feat” I’d do over and over again. Seeing others ride the cables while witnessing in their faces how scared they were, or pretended not to be, added to my own evil pleasure while I clicked those pictures for their own selfish posterity. One setback though, you keep to be the photographer, and if I didn’t ask the Brazilian amazon Marina to go ahead of me at one time, I may never see myself moving forward if you choose not to purchase the official photographer’s shot, which of course will cost you 100 baht for a copy as I found out later.

But it was all worth it (and I bought the picture), especially upon learning that one of our fellow gibbons struggled to keep his poise as he suffered from a wedgy after each cable ride (right, Nick Winfrey?), which added more excitement for him and probably from other female primates in the area, homo sapiens included. Oh, I should probably mention that a big part of the proceeds go to the conservation efforts of Thailand’s wildlife so your zipline ride goes a long  way.

Truly, the mere thought of having to climb gigantic trees, up where nature photographers only used to go (thanks to zipline now anyone can be a jungle air tourist) was an experience of a lifetime. It was as exhilarating as probably scuba diving with equally dangerous depths, especially in instances where the dangling cable is so long that sometimes it takes more than 10 seconds to reach the next platform, as you see the glider becomes smaller and smaller while they reach the other end of the cable.

It’s a “shame” that the others didn’t come with us. Just ask Certified Travel Counselor Mary Ann Mari, who was more than willing to conquer yet another zipline in one of her tours. So, next time you’re in Thailand, please don’t pass up on the Flight of Gibbon. It’s an adventure you’ll never forget.

Dateline Thailand: Where Mother Earth goes for a vacation

Locals coax a herd of reindeer to come to them for an interaction like no other at Khao Kheeo Open Safari, where animals roam free including elks, wild boars, macaques and even elephants. Photo: Rhony Laigo

(Note: When I was invited by the Tourism Authority of Thailand or TAT to visit their country, I never hesitated and immediately said yes, “bypassing” even my publisher who should know first if I can even leave my day-to-day work at the office and get her permission. Who would say no to visiting the Kingdom of Thailand, where my one of my favorite dishes – tom yum – originates? Needless to say, I didn’t have to “beg,” but I pleaded, as if that meant something else.)

If there is a country where utopia may exist, Thailand may be the place. You may smoke weed in Amsterdam and feel high, but Thailand is where freedom to be yourself doesn’t need any hallucinogen, including even becoming the “woman” of your dreams if you were born a man. Say that again?

More popularly known the world over because of its cuisine, Thailand is also the land where the east and west didn’t just meet, they stayed there. Here is a country where cultures, languages, religions and whatever makes a nation different is present in Thailand. So don’t be surprised if a Thai suddenly utters a word in your native tongue, even if you are from Russia.

For those who have been to Bangkok, they know that the city of more than six million cars and an infinite number of motorbikes snaking through traffic the “opposite way” – motorists there drive on the left side of the road, just like the Brits do it in England – is a very modern city where sarongs, architecture, religious practices and even paying respect to others may date back earlier than in the 1700s, when the first king, King Rama I, reined over the Kingdom of Thailand.

While Japanese and Koreans bow their heads to greet one another, in Thailand, it is customary for people to clasp their hands, bow their heads and greet you in Thai as if you are someone that they honor. They don’t do this because you’re just a visitor, they do this to anyone, especially to people who deserve their utmost respect – the elders, officials and especially, their bosses.

As a nation of mostly Buddhists (95 percent practice Buddhism in Thailand, but for some reason they don’t believe in Dalai Lama, which is explained later), Thailand is where animals, particularly elephants, are revered, which of course the world already knows. But what’s best in Thailand is while you can probably see an elephant with a visit to the zoo, elephants in Thailand can be petted, rode on and watched as they do tricks outside of a circus.

If that were not enough, you can actually see elephants grazing through an open field without the need for a safari suit as anyone can witness if you go to the Khao Kheeo Open Safari, located south of Bangkok in Chonburi, where “wild” animals roam free, including deer, macaques, wild boars, etc., some of which even let people touch and feed them. Don’t be surprised when as you negotiate a curve you happen to see a set of huge eyes staring at you straight in the eye by an antelope standing by the side of the road as if they are the mountain rangers manning the facility.

Meanwhile, if you like to touch an elephant, a visit to Rose Garden in the Sampran Riverside is the place to be where these behemoths mix it up and interact with people. Here they show their powerful limbs and at the same time entertain visitors in a performance that is also educational. Rose Garden also provides a cultural show where the locals in a colorful theatrical show share with the audience a glimpse of the history of Kingdom of Thailand complete with live elephants as part of the cast, children actors and where you can become spectators to three rounds of Muay Thai boxing in full contact...or so it seemed.

But while Thailand’s ancient culture is preserved and is part of most, if not all, Thais’ everyday lives, Bangkok and its famous beach fishing village, now world-renowned sporting beach destination, Pattaya are a testament to the country’s economic standing offering both vacationers and businessmen world-class amenities that are very competitive in the whole of Asia. Even if 19-20 million or so annual visitors flock to Thailand, it is not short on room accommodations and hotels have sprouted everywhere in Thailand’s famous cities including Bangkok, Phuket, Chang Mai, Chonburi and many others that cater to tourists. And did I say that Bangkok is the Mecca of all shopping places, where you can “pang” (which we Filipinos call tawad) your way to big bargains for clothes, shoes, jewelry, arts and crafts?

Speaking of culture, Thailand of course is a land of temples – around 33,000 Buddhist temples alone can be found in Thailand – and is a worldwide destination for anyone looking to pay homage to Buddha statues without trekking high up in the mountains of say, the Himalayas.

One such temple located in Pattaya is the Big Buddha Hill, locally known as the Wat Phra Yai Temple, that sits on Patramnak Hill overlooking the scenic Gulf of Thailand that offers both serenity and contentment. Here, there are statues around the Big Buddha for any day of the week so you can offer your prayers and hopefully be enlightened by the Buddha “on duty” or just be amazed at the beauty of each golden statue all around you.

But while Wat Phra Yai houses the Big Buddha, the most famous of all Thailand temples is the Wat Phra Kaew, or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, in Bangkok housed in the same grounds where the Grand Palace stands, which is a statue that is tiny (just 26 inches tall) compared to the 426-foot tall Big Buddha, but was said to have been carved out from one single block of jade stone. Interestingly, only the king can touch the Emerald Buddha, who needs to change its wardrobe three times a year to signify the three seasons.

As to the question of Dalai Lama, who at the moment is said to be the 14th reincarnation of the spiritual leaders in the Tibetan Buddhism, Thais don’t necessarily follow that belief in the sense that to Thais Buddhism is focused on man and not on God, at least that’s what our friendly and very resourceful guide Tom, whose real name is Tavatachai Chuensawadee, told us. This is why instead of the Dalai Lama or any other spiritual leader, you will find the photo of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, if not Queen Sirikit’s, all over Thailand, some in towering heights as a reminder to Thais that they have a king who is the head of state albeit just a figurehead, but a monarch nevertheless, who deserves utmost respect from all citizens of the Kingdom of Thailand.

As you may well know, King Bhumibol Adulyadej is King Rama IX, a descendant of the ruling dynasty that dates back when the country was still known as Siam until the Siamese Constituent Assembly changed its name to Muang Thai or Thailand, which means, “Land of the Free”, on May 11, 1949. And land of the free it is. Just ask the so-called “ladies” at Tiffany’s Show in Pattaya, where actors are a showcase of what you can achieve in Thailand where you can be the person you want to be: liberated, carefree, joyful and even look amazingly and stunningly beautiful as the case may be.

Thailand reminds me of John Lennon’s Imagine, where the people of all races seem to live as one, be they religious, communist, agnostics or atheists. It is a place where everyone goes for a trouble-free vacation and where you can easily afford to be pampered (Thai massage anyone? Or, perhaps a foot rub?) and have plenty to spare to enjoy Thailand’s nightlife like no other.

If you want to visit Thailand anytime of the year, please visit the Tourism Authority of Thailand-Los Angeles located at 611 North Larchmont Boulevard, 1st Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90004. Or call (323) 461 9814 and ask for Marketing Officer Paworn  Chatrungnopakun, who was responsible for arranging our wonderful stay in Thailand. You may also drop them an email at info@tat-la.com, tatla@tat.or.th or visit their website at www.tourismthailand.org/LA.

Pleasure over the Pacific aboard Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia Airlines’ Economy Class seat design spells quality all the way featuring adjustable reclining positions, footrest, lumbar support, headrest and retractable armrest. Other features within easy reach include a 6.5-inch in-seat personal TV, individual overhead reading light and a coat hook for each seat. (Photo courtesy of Malaysia Airlines)

By Rhony Laigo

Weekend Balita/US Asian Post

The sarongs are beautiful, elegant and the prints are but a glimpse of the colorful and varied cultures of the Malaysian people yet united in peace and harmony. The hairstyle of the female crew, tied all the way up in a bun to show a complete and wonderful smile, exudes simplicity and grace and when they walk down the aisle, their sarongs flow that you can't help but notice and appreciate their complete hospitality.

At first, knowing that you will have to travel for more than 18 hours of flying time from Los Angeles to Kuala Lumpur (the capital of Malaysia) with a two-hour layover in Narita would understandably make someone cringe; just imagine buckled up for several hours up in the sky. It’s presumed that most if not all would feel the same, however, I admit I was a bit excited to experience how Malaysians – our friendly neighbor down south – would treat their harried passengers, including a Filipino just like myself. Besides, Malaysia has earned the reputation of being one of the best tourist Meccas in Southeast Asia as it is able to welcome 22 million visitors a year, according to Tourism
Malaysia Vice President for Western USA and Latin America Mazlan Araju, while my Motherland the Philippines could only manage a little less than five million this year. No need to compare that.

Aboard a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, my first since my travels across the Pacific have always been a 747 (yeah, I don't travel a lot across oceans, but I plan to do more), was also another experience as the well-appointed aircraft has higher overhead bins that retract further hydraulicly as they close revealing a more open space all around you in the otherwise usual claustrophobic tube ride. Each seat had its own monitor with probably more than 30 movies to choose from, which by the way, were translated in several languages. There are also movies in their original language – from Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Malaysia, etc. – satisfying all, if not most of the passengers that fly Malaysia Airlines.

Since it was a 777, the lavatories were not as cramped I think compared to the older 747s, not to mention much newer facilities inside. But what's great is that each time I visited the lavatory, it was always clean. I'm pretty sure it is because of the character of Malaysia Airlines passengers, although the airline crew makes sure that the facilities are always spic and span each time they’re vacant.

Meanwhile, Malaysian cuisine may not yet be as popular as that of Thai, Japanese or Chinese I guess to a lot of Filipinos, but Malaysia Airlines' unique way of preparing what is reputedly the most maligned food you'd ever get when you're an airline passenger is a window of just how varied the make-up of the Malaysian Peninsula is – they’re surprisingly delicious, healthy, and they come with fresh fruits and vegetable salads that one might think as if they were prepared by the Ironmen at the Food Network. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if they are indeed dished up by top Malaysian chefs.

Moreover, as someone of Filipino heritage, eating buttered rice was uncommon (there’s always a choice of two meals by the way). But the Malaysians do, at least in a Malaysia Airlines flight that I took. And I'm glad that was served as the rice alone could stand out as a separate dish in all by itself. They were clever enough to top it with sliced almond and voila!, I got myself an authentic
Malaysian rice dish which I am fortunate to have enjoyed with, what else, chicken curry! But it was not just an ordinary chicken curry meal. Apart from the buttered rice, diced red and yellow paprika, dried parsley and steamed okra – yes, okra – and eggplant Malaysia Airlines made what was supposed to be a "bland" airline meal into a sumptuous dining experience that you get to savor up above the clouds.  

Oh, don't even worry about thinking that Malaysia is predominantly a Muslim country. Malaysia Airlines has wine, whiskey and beer for those who want to stay "spirited" while in the heavens. And that just suits me fine. And I’m not even talking about the Business Class or First Class for that matter.

No wonder, Malaysia Airlines was awarded as one of “The World's 5-Star Airlines.” Apart from earning the title of “World's Best Cabin Staff 2012,” and did I need to mention winning the “Best Airline Signature Dish” for 2012? – all by United Kingdom’s Skytrax. Last year, it was chosen as the “World’s Leading Airline to Asia.”

Landing on Kuala Lumpur International Airport or the very popular KLIA is another experience but that is another story. For those who want to try one of the best in Asian hospitality, Malaysia Airlines flies from Los Angeles to Kuala Lumpur five days a week until October this year, according to its website. Reputed to be having the largest fleet of airlines in Southeast Asia, Malaysian Airlines travels to 60 destinations all over the world, according to travel.com. For more information, please visit http://www.malaysiaairlines.com.

DOT targets 10 million visitors by 2016

‘It’s more fun in the Philippines’ billboards planned all over the U.S.

By Rhony Laigo

Weekend Balita

The slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines” seems to be working. Ever since the Philippine Department of Tourism launched it early this year, more foreigners have been flocking to the country in record numbers.

In spite of the momentum, however, Department of Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr. is not stopping. After posting an 11.7 growth in tourism arrivals last year, accounting for 3.9 million visitor arrivals, his agency is targeting an annual 20% rate increase as they try to hit the 10 million mark by 2016.

According to Jimenez, who made himself available to the press on Tuesday after a presentation before travel agents, businessmen, Filipino-American leaders and other guests at Universal Hilton during the formal launching of the “It’s more fun in the Philippines” campaign in Los Angeles, the January 2012 figures alone – 411,000 visitors – is showing a good promise for the ambitious plan to get more foreigners to come to the Philippines. Jimenez just arrived from Memphis, Tennessee where the Philippines was the invited country of destination at the Memphis in May International Festival whose themes included “Honoring the Philippines.”

Jimenez said first quarter figures accounted for 1.14 million visitors this year. He said that new law “redesigning the tourism industry” is also helping the cause, but that public awareness is still the key to make the world know that whatever a tourist wants in any place, “It’s always more in the Philippines.”

Jimenez also attributed the Open Skies Policy that the government has implemented as one of the main factors why there was a sudden rush to visit the Philippines. He said that whereas before when all foreigners must pass thru the Manila airport, visitors can fly directly to selected cities within the archipelago and go straight to their destination. “Now, anyone can land straight to Cebu, Kalibo or Puerto Princesa – home to the world’s famous beaches – without passing thru Manila,” Jimenez said. He added that the airports will be modernized in a way where guests will be “in and out quickly,” which is what any arriving passenger wants.

Jimenez said flights to the different cities have also been expanded from one flight a day to as many as 24 flights a day. He said Kalibo that used to welcome only four flights a day now serves 22 daily flights. “The Open Skies Policy has energized the tourism industry,” Jimenez said.

Along with the plan to get more people to come and visit the Philippines, the country is also building more hotels and expects to build at least 11,000 rooms every year. He said there are now 30,000 hotel rooms available for occupancy and they expect to hit 59,000 available rooms by 2016. Jimenez also said that Hilton, the hotel chain that built the hotel on UN Avenue now named the Manila Pavilion Hotel, will be returning to the Philippines.

Here in the U.S., Jimenez revealed that billboards carrying the slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines” will be put up in strategic locations, some of which will be displayed in clever fashions. He said one such billboard planned in Manhattan will be erected in front of a huge parking lot that would say “Parking. More Fun In The Philippines.” He also said that another billboard is planned by the stairs in a New York subway with the words “Getting upstairs. More fun in the Philippines.”

“Whatever the activity is, it’s more fun in the Philippines,” Jimenez said. Whether beaches, scuba diving, other water sporting activities, to nature or wildlife tours, or even nightlife or just having a good time, “It’s more fun in the Philippines,” he said.

“The new patriotism in the Philippines is to give you a warm welcome,” Jimenez told his audience during the luncheon at Universal Hilton as he urged Filipinos to “reinvent your roles as agents of tourism.” He said, “This is our new People Power campaign.”

Time to expose you, Mr. Bander

For the past 20 years, your favorite Balita newspaper has been providing you with news and information that serves both you, our dear readers, and our clients, who in their most honest way have been doing business in the Filipino community. And thanks to you, after two decades, Balita has become a habit, a tradition if you will, and has become a part of the Filipino American culture in the U.S. because of the trust that was built over the years between you and us. Sadly, in the past several weeks, a certain person wishes to destroy this trust. But what's worse is that some in the Filipino community, who use the might of the pen, think that they're doing the community a favor by working with that person, who has harmed the very same Filipino community they're supposed to serve.

By publishing his own newspaper, Atty. Joel Bander, launched a relentless attack on Balita and our CEO, Ms. Luchie Mendoza Allen, our leading advertiser and Bander's competitor in Atty. James G. Beirne, and all of our advertisers. But in a pending court case involving Bander, he accidentally exposed himself to the very same truth that he and his staff are claiming to be promoting in Pinoywatchdog – the tabloid that Bander and a few fake journalists had put up in an effort to smear Balita and Balita alone.

As you may have read in today's headline, it is clear that Bander launched Pinoywatchdog to malign Balita, Ms. Allen and especially Atty. Beirne. He has been since their first issue came out back in September and ever since Balita exposed what homeowners called a loan litigation "scam" by his firm, the Bander Law Firm. In all other issues since then, an article or two were about Beirne and his alleged but unfounded legal malpractices, and about Ms. Allen.

Bander and his minions have also been manufacturing lies after lies. They even claimed that a newspaper in the Philippines – People's Tonight – retracted an article about Mr. Bander's sexual molestation case. We at Balita dared them to produce that particular People's Tonight issue. To this day, they have never been able to come up with that article. And this was in their first issue, where the fake writers claim they were investigative reporters and boasted that they will be the vanguards of truth.

In the same sexual molestation case against Bander, which occurred in 2006 when Mr. Bander reportedly attacked a Filipina by the name of Cristina San Jose in a Manila condominium, the fake Pinoywatchdog investigative reporters also claimed that Ms. San Jose was fictitious. But what these fake reporters didn't know was that before a complaint becomes a criminal case, the complainant must submit herself to the police to report the incident and later face the prosecutor for an inquest. 

In our earlier issues, we presented evidence and documents where the prosecutor stated that the victim, Ms. San Jose, swore before him. Not only that, the prosecutor conducted an inquiry if there was merit to the case since:

a) A bogus complaint is a waste of taxpayers' money, the court's time and other resources;

b) The complaint seems minor, however, still classified as a criminal case;

c) There have been several cases involving Americans and other foreigners abusing Filipinas; and

d) The Philippines has been a haven of American criminals who have fled the United States and hiding in the Philippines.

As it turned out, a warrant of arrest was issued against Mr. Bander a year later. It was only in 2011 that he got the case dismissed but not after hiring one of the most expensive law firms in the Philippines and not after the victim no longer showed up in court. It should be recalled however that the victim first came to Bander in 2006, or five years earlier, to seek his help in securing a U.S. visa, meaning she has been wanting to leave the Philippines to seek greener pastures. For all we know, the victim may have already been working abroad after the incident, which is not unusual since there about 10 million Filipinos working all over the globe.

Actually, we here at Balita found out about Mr. Bander's criminal case in the Philippines way back in 2007 when the arrest warrant was issued. But we couldn't verify the report. We could only inquire from Mr. Bander, who was here in the U.S. at that time, but didn't give us any statement. 

Then a year later, in 2008, Bander representing a newspaper competitor suddenly filed a civil complaint against Balita, claiming that we have not been forthright to the community, to our readers and to our advertisers, that our claim to be the leading Filipino newspaper in Southern California was misleading. 

The case was never tried in court, however. It has been dismissed and the claims by our competitor were never proven. The parties have since settled the case, but not after Mr. Bander, who in his "hatred" against Balita, wrote to all our clients stating that we were dishonest and that they should become their witnesses against Balita. No client of ours of course entertained Bander and his evil motive.

Huh?! Did we just mention evil? Actually, that was the word used by many Filipino homeowners who lost their homes when Mr. Bander and the Bander Law Firm neglected them and hundreds more in the infamous "Save Your Home, Sue the Banks" loan litigation campaign that ultimately led to the demise of his own firm. Interestingly, according to his very own lawyers, the the main reason that forced the Bander Law Firm to file for bankruptcy in 2010 was due to Bander's "obsession" to Balita and Atty. Beirne.

If you may also recall, these poor Filipino, Korean and Armenian homeowners paid Bander $8,000-$15,000 each, hoping that Bander can save their home as advertised in full pages in the same newspaper that he represented in the case against Balita. In our our investigation, however, it showed that Bander failed to attend to the homeowners' cases because: 

a) He was too busy going after Balita to the point that he made his attorneys and staff work on that case; 

b) He was obsessed with our CEO and Atty. Beirne as revealed by Bander's own lawyer, Timothy Umbreit, in a testimony that was submitted to the federal court; and 

c) Of his negligence as told by yet another lawyer in his own firm, Atty. Norberto Reyes III, in a declaration to the court that the poor homeowners while paying thousands of dollars where not even informed by Bander that their properties have been already foreclosed.

As much as we want to avoid sensationalized news or that talks about scandals, it is still our responsibility to expose the truth, especially when the truth, which is being twisted by Bander and his newspaper, involves our very own staff.

But they cannot fool the community. They know who you are Mr. Bander. Your bullying tactics may have worked before, but enough is enough. When push comes to shove, you will see that we will always be at the forefront to make sure that you, as have your failed programs and lost cases have come before you, will never do us and the Filipino community any more harm.