Out with the old and in with the new. I said goodbye to 2025 with a nice morning hike to the seldom-visited Tibag community. And then I attended the New Year’s Eve gathering in the penthouse suite at the Rooftop Hotel. All my contributions (chili, cornbread muffins, brownies) seemed to be enjoyed, judging by the fact that there were no leftovers.
The party started at 4 pm, and I was the first to arrive. The only time I see midnight these days is when I get up to pee, so I wasn’t expecting to be around when the new year arrived. Another complicating factor was that there was no Zero beer available, so I was drinking the more powerful San Miguel Light. I limited myself to one bottle every thirty minutes, and that seemed to help keep me standing. And lo and behold, I was still on the rooftop when the fireworks started exploding over the bay. Yep, 2026 began with a miracle!
Here’s the day in pictures:
And then it was time to party! Tim spends six weeks a year in the Philippines (Pennsylvania is his home) and always rents the penthouse at the Rooftop Hotel. It is by far the biggest and nicest hotel room I’ve ever seen, more like a fancy apartment with three bedrooms, three baths, and a large, fully equipped kitchen. I understand that it was once the residence of the hotel owner. It’s on the top floor of the hotel, and the views are quite nice.
Time passed, and then this happened:
And then I was done.
A nice way to end the year. Let’s see what the new one brings.
From the June 2016 LTG archives, I found myself unexpectedly in Manila for the weekend. I was coming home from a trip to Cebu and missed my connecting flight to Incheon. The airline couldn’t get me on another flight for two days, but they put me up in a decent hotel, and I got to do some exploring. I was still thinking of the Philippines as a potential retirement destination, but after this trip, I knew it wouldn’t be in Manila.
Today’s YouTube video is a short (4-minute) account of how the vlogger transitioned from being a visitor in the Philippines to it feeling like home. I’m approaching eight years here now, and I’ve still got only one foot firmly planted here. I just can’t seem to accept some of this culture’s norms, like noise and litter.
Let’s start the new year with a smile or three:
I’ve been a lazy shit and haven’t left the house all year so far. I’ll take a nap and see if I feel like going out later. Staying up until midnight kicked my ass.
Will tourists find their way back here in 2026? I’ve not seen any hopeful signs of that happening.
That 3.96M number seems anemic for the PI. I thought English was an advantage. But here’s what the AI god has to say:
Tourist arrivals in the Philippines showed significant growth leading to a peak in 2019 (over 8.2 million), a drastic drop during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021), and a strong recovery post-pandemic, reaching around 5.44 million in 2024, with projections and early 2025 data indicating continued recovery towards pre-pandemic levels, though official full-year 2025 graphs aren’t fully released yet, but nearing 5.6 million by late 2025.
So AI, at least, is a bit more optimistic.
Bloody Hell, Tim……Save some pussy for the rest of us!!!
https://imgur.com/a/fKEK8of
Thanks for the update about the site re-direct…..seems okay today.
Let me clarify my thought on one point:
I thought English was an advantage re: tourism because Western tourists looking for an “Asian experience” could go to the PI, instead of to other SE Asians countries, and not have to worry too much about a language barrier. The PI is also largely Catholic, too, which pivots the country even more Westward than other SE Asian countries. In all, you’d think the PI could be a more “relatable” Asian country for Westerners looking to get a taste of Asia. Maybe the PI needs something like its own version of the Korean Wave to market itself better on the global stage. So far, all it seems to have—in terms of international marketing—is Jollibee, which many Foodtubers (like Joshua Weissman) are raving about in the States. Maybe that’s a start.
Kevin, you’d think that the language and cultural similarities, along with its natural beauty, would be enough to make the Philippines a popular tourist destination. So why isn’t it? Thinking back to the days when I was a tourist, there are many things the PI just doesn’t get right. The airport in Manila is consistently ranked among the worst in the world, and yes, first impressions matter. When I see your walk photos, the quality infrastructure in Korea really stands out. Nothing like that here. Then there is the litter and noise to contend with. Hotels aren’t always that nice, but are still comparatively expensive. Public transportation is Jeepneys, trikes, or scamming taxis. I’m guessing that many of the tourists who visit for the first time don’t come back.
Kevin, I don’t really trust those tourist numbers. For example, I’m on a tourist visa and have lived here for years. Many other expats are in the same category. So, unlike AI, I’m pessimistic about the numbers. I know the business owners here in Barretto have been complaining for quite a while about the lack of tourists.
Re: tourist arrivals.
I wonder how many of the tourist arrivals to Indonesia are just Bali. My guess is at least 75%, if not more.
I don’t think that the PI markets itself very well, and as you mention, there are a lot of challenges for someone visiting who is not an experienced international traveler that they wouldn’t face in other SE Asian countries.
(Somewhat funny, but in that map, the countries are identified pretty accurately geographically; the flag of Thailand is over the country of Thailand, same for Indonesia, etc. but the flag of the PI is on Indonesian Borneo.)
Brian, I’ve been to Bali (and loved it) but never Indonesia proper, so make it 100% for me.
Yeah, marketing isn’t a strong point for the Philippine Tourist Agency. It was so shocking to see all the young European tourists during my visit to Siargao. Most of them were apparently there for the surfing, so maybe it was word-of-mouth advertising amongst that crowd that brought them there. There are some beautiful places here, but like most things here, they don’t make it easy to access.
I’m going back to Vietnam for a visit next week. They do a much better job catering to tourists there.
Ha! I hadn’t noticed the misplacement of the Philippine flag on that map.