Cebu Pacific launches bigger Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge for University students

Bigger prizes and more exciting adventures await young explorers in the Cebu Pacific Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge, now on its second year. Once again, the Philippines' leading low-cost carrier will bring daring students with an insatiable thirst for adventure and a knack for budget travel on the ultimate all-expenses paid backpacking trip around the country.

Cebu Pacific representatives will tour different colleges and universities all over the Philippines this July in search of fun-loving students who want to join the Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge. The contest is open to college and university students who are 17 to 23 years old and residing in the Philippines. To join, interested participants must form a team with three members and upload a short video to www.juanforfun.com. The audition video should answer the question "Why should we send your team to a fun adventure?" Deadline of application is on July 29, 2013.

The five teams with the best and most creative audition videos will be chosen to explore six of the best destinations in the country from August 27 to September 2. During the weeklong backpacking challenge, the teams will be tasked to have as many fun and adventurous experiences and discoveries within a given travel allowance. They should also complete the special fun challenges prepared by Cebu Pacific in each destination to earn extra points and win additional prizes.

At the end of the challenge, the team with the most number of experiences and the least amount of total expenses will win the competition, based on these criteria: Fun Activities (50%) and Budget Friendliness (50%). The team will win 12 roundtrip tickets to any short-haul international or domestic destination, plus a three-day, two-night Philippine tour package for three, courtesy of the Department of Tourism.

Each member of the team will also receive Samsung Galaxy tablets, Wenger watches, Sun Cellular pocket wifi and broadband wireless kits.The Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge 2013 is co-presented by Sun Broadband Wireless and the Department of Tourism, with the support of Wenger, the official travel gear of the Juan for Fun backpackers, and Canon.

"This will be a bigger Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge, so we encourage student teams to send in their most creative and fun audition videos, for the opportunity to travel all over the country, and represent their schools. It will be a celebration of travel and adventure, so if you're up for it, go to www.juanforfun.com now," said CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog.

Last year, Team Big Explorers, composed of Iris Patricia Ang and Benj Tuason of De La Salle University, and Godfrey Medina of the Philippine State College of Aeronautics, won the first-ever Cebu Pacific Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge. "The challenge taught us that we didn't really have to spend a lot to have fun in the Philippines. From the people we met to the bucket list activities we got to do, the experience was definitely worth it," said Iris. "Cebu Pacific is giving so many students the chance to travel around the country with their affordable fares. We're very excited for the next batch of Juan for Fun backpacker teams," she added.

Among the daring tasks that the trio had to overcome were eating exotic Kapampangan delicacies such as kuhol (snail), batute (fried frog) and kamaro (crickets) in Clark and learning the art of making puso (cooked rice wrapped in a woven palm leaf pouch) in Cebu. In Iloilo, they were given the mission to put on a Dinagyang costume and have their photos taken with 10 locals in Iloilo, while in Davao, they were tasked to complete a durian-eating and pomelopeeling race. The challenge concluded in a stilts race in Cagayan de Oro and a trivia game in Intramuros, Manila.

Do you have what it takes to be named the ultimate backpacker team? Then join the Cebu Pacific Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge Year 2. Visit its official website, www.juanforfun.com, for the complete contest mechanics, plus backpacking adventure stories and tips from popular travel bloggers. To stay up to date on their exciting promos and events, follow Cebu Pacific's official Facebook and Twitter pages.