Philippines commemorates milestones of Korean arrivals

Korean journalists had the honor to become the first guests at new Philippine Ambassador to Seoul Noe Albano Wong’s residence last week, in celebration of milestones of Korean tourist arrivals to the Philippines.

Korea topped the number of international visitors to the Philippines in 2018 with 1.6 million, according to the Philippine Embassy in Seoul.

Korea also hit the 1 million mark during the January-July period, fueling optimism for a record 2 million by the end of this year.

This increase in Korean travelers comes as the two countries commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations.

“It is our way of expressing heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all the things you have done,” Ambassador Wong told journalists who were invited for lunch at his apartment in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Sept. 26. “Last year in 2018, we were able to achieve 1.6 million Korean tourists … And at the end of 2019, we’ll be proud to say that we achieved more than 2 million.”

With direct flights connecting Incheon and five popular tourist destinations — Bohol, Boracay, Cebu, Manila and Palawan — new airline routes are also being launched.

For instance, low-cost carrier (LCC) Jeju Air has been running nonstop flights between Daegu and Cebu four times a week since Sept. 18, while Air Busan, also an LCC, will connect Busan and Kalibo, the gateway for the resort island of Boracay, from Oct. 27.

Flag carrier Korean Air will open a new route between Incheon and Clark in October, too.

Meanwhile, the guests on Sept. 26 had a chance to get to know about popular Philippine dishes.

Among them were adobong manok (chicken marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and black peppercorns), biko (sweet rice cake), Inihaw na Baboy (grilled pork belly), lumpiang gulay (vegetable egg roll), pancit palabok (noodle topped with shrimp gravy, shrimp and eggs), sisig (minced pork, chicken liver and chopped onions) and turon (spring rolls made of thinly sliced bananas and sliced jackfruit and dusted with brown sugar).

Also joining the lunch were Wong’s wife Maria Elena Wong, Philippine Department of Tourism-Korea Director Maria Apo and embassy officers.

A former military and police officer, Wong has been serving in Seoul since May. He was an ambassador to Cambodia from 2008 to 2014.

Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo Philippine Ambassador to Seoul Noe Albano Wong, fourth from left, poses with his wife Maria Elena Wong, third from left, Philippine Department of Tourism-Korea Director Maria Apo, left, and his embassy officers before a lunch with Korean journalists at his residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Sept. 26.