Tag: tourists

31st SEA Games in Vietnam officially set for May 12 to 23, 2022

31st SEA Games in Vietnam officially set for May 12 to 23, 2022

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Finally, the delayed 31st Southeast Asian Games (also referred to as 31st SEA Games or Hanoi 2021) that will be hosted by the City of Hanoi in Vietnam will officially take place from May 12 to 23, 2022 as the event organizers announced recently. This is a breakthrough following the previous announcement that May 2022 would be the month of organizing the events that will lure the best athletes of Southeast Asia.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the article published recently by Philippine News Agency (PNA). Some parts in boldface…

Organizers of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in Vietnam announced on its website on Friday that the biennial multi-sport games postponed from last year will be held from May 12 to 23 next year.

The specific dates were posted on Vietnam’s national Olympic committee website and reported by Channel News Asia (CNA).

The Games will open three days after the Philippines holds its national elections on May 9, 2022, and according to Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president, Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, the majority of the athletes, coaches, and officials on Team Philippines would be unable to cast their votes.

“This is one of those sacrifices of having to represent the country in an international competition,” he said in a news release.

The POC has determined a 626-athlete delegation to the Vietnam games, which will be played in the Hanoi main hub.

“The main bulk of the delegation will be leaving for Vietnam no less than a week before the opening ceremony,” Tolentino said. “This is because our athletes need to acclimatize and get the feel of the competition venues, environment, and weather.”

It gets hot in Hanoi in May, with temperatures expected to reach 34 degrees Celsius.

Hanoi hosted the SEA Games for the first time in 2003 in a December schedule when the weather was wintry, with temperatures dropping to 11 degrees Celsius in the evening.

Vietnam originally scheduled the SEAG from November 21 to December 2 last year, but was forced to postpone it due to the pandemic.

Hanoi will be the main hub with 11 other sub-venues.

Vietnam, the ANC said, has allocated a budget of about USD69 million (PHP3.45 billion) for the games, which are expected to attract nearly 20,000 participants, 7,000 of them athletes from 11 countries.

Visiting Vietnam

With regards to Vietnam, those who plan to visit the country during this pandemic should take note that recently the country opened specific tourist destinations for foreigners without the hassle of quarantine related to COVID-19. There will be specific rules and requirements that should be met in order for foreigners to be accepted. Posted below is an excerpt from the New Straits Times report. Some parts in boldface…

VIETNAM has opened up five popular tourist destinations in the country for foreign visitors to visit without quarantine.

The government said that foreigners who have either been fully vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19, can visit the five destinations starting this month.

The Vn Express said that the move comes after Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh approved the pilot plan by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The plan will be carried out in three phases, with the first phase allowing foreign travellers to visit designated places in Vietnam’s biggest island Phu Quoc, Da Nang City, Quang Nam Province which is home to the ancient town of Hoi An, Khanh Hoa Province which is home to Nha Trang beach town, and Quang Ninh Province home to Ha Long Bay.

Authorities said that travellers must show proof of full vaccination or Covid-19 recovery, as well as a negative coronavirus test done within 72 hours before departure.

Only test results done using RT-LAMP or RT–PCR methods will be accepted.

Visitors will also need to have a medical or travel insurance that includes coverage for Covid-19 treatment worth at least US$50,000 and must book a package tour.

Children under 12 years old travelling with a parent or guardian do not require a certificate of vaccination against Covid-19.

They must also install the contact tracing IGOVN application on their smartphones and use it during their tours in Vietnam.

Although there is no quarantine requirement, visitors will be tested on the first day of arrival using a rapid antigen test and if the result is positive, they will be taken to a medical facility and the cost will be borne by the insurance company or the tour operators.

Authorities said that foreigners who want to see their families in Vietnam can register with the tour operators to do so.

The second phase of the plan is expected to take effect in January next year and it will allow tourists to travel between the five destinations allowed in the first phase.

The Express said that the third phase will see Vietnam fully reopen to foreign visitors.

However, a detailed timeline will depend on the pandemic situation in the country.

And now here is Vietnam tourism video for your viewing…

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Are you looking forward to the 31st SEA Games now that it has a finalized set of dates for the organizing? What is the one sport you are looking forward to watch in the Hanoi SEA Games? Are you interested to visit Vietnam anytime soon?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

I Love Israel: Direct Philippines-Israel flights before the end of 2021 in the works

I Love Israel: Direct Philippines-Israel flights before the end of 2021 in the works

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Have you been dreaming of visiting the Holy Land or doing business in Tel Aviv in Israel? There is something positive in development right now and breakthroughs could happen before the year ends. This is because recently, Israel’s Ambassador Rafael Harpaz announced that the establishment of direct flights between the Philippines and Israel is being worked on with 2021 in mind (specifically before the end of the year). There is no timeline yet as to when will Philippines-Israel travel will resume but make no mistake that Israel is opening its borders to foreign tourists (who got vaccinated for COVID-19) starting May 23, 2021 which itself is connected with their successful vaccination program.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Philippine News Agency (PNA) article. Some parts in bold…

Direct flights between the Philippines and Israel before the end of the year are in the pipeline, Israeli Ambassador to Manila Rafael Harpaz said Friday.

“We would like very much for the Filipino tourists to be back to Israel. The Philippine Airlines already informed us that they are planning to start a direct flight to Israel towards the end of the year,” Harpaz told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview.

There’s no timeline yet when tourism exchanges between the Philippines and Israel would resume, but he said the deployment of Filipino caregivers continues despite the pandemic.

“Actually, every day we see new caregivers because there is a demand. So they are flying to Israel and when they get there, they also get the vaccine immediately,” Harpaz said. “We don’t have a quota (on deployment) but it depends on the demand. Because our population is getting older and older, the demand is getting high. We also have from other countries but the demand is high for Filipino caregivers.”

In 2019 alone, about 35,000 Filipino tourists visited Israel, while more than 30,000 overseas Filipinos are working there as caregivers.

‘Tourism restart’

At present, there is no agreement between the Philippines and Israel for a travel bubble setup, but Harpaz said he is hopeful that the two nations’ tourism exchanges would soon resume.

He added that several Filipino tour operators are interested to bring travel groups once Israel fully reopens.

“They’re waiting. There’s so many tour operators in the Philippines who are eager to take groups to Israel because it’s a big tourist destination for Filipinos,” Harpaz said. “The Israelis are also eager. The businessmen are eager to return to the Philippines. They want to go to Banawe, Palawan, Siquijor, and all those wonderful places. Let’s hope that it will soon work out.”

Israel is opening up its borders to foreign tourists under a travel bubble setup, with the vaccinated population no longer required to undergo a long period of quarantine.

But for now, the vaccines that Israel recognizes for this arrangement are Pfizer and Moderna.

It has so far signed a travel bubble agreement with Cyprus and Greece.

“We are moving slowly with more countries because we want to have tourism back and business back,” he said.

As you already know, I strongly believe that the ties between my native Philippines and Israel are very essential. I really love it when Israelites and Filipinos are in harmony together, and the fact that Filipino caregivers and students were vaccinated for free in Israel is an example of that. Filipino caregivers have been known to be very helpful towards Israelites and there is a strong demand for more caregivers. Christians here in the Philippines, led by faith, love to visit the Holy Land and discover personally the places where Lord Jesus had been to.

Speaking of Philippines-Israel ties, Ambassador Harpaz also announced more good news for Filipinos struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Posted below is an excerpt from another Philippine News Agency article…

The Philippines can expect to be among the priority countries of Israel once the latter is able to transfer its excess vaccines for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), Israel Ambassador to Manila Rafael Harpaz said Friday.

Harpaz explained that Israel, for the time being, could not transport its extra vaccine doses to any third country due to some legal issues in its contract with Pfizer.

“It has nothing to do with the Philippines. Israel, for the time being, was not able to give vaccines to a third country because we have a contract and there are limitations on giving it to a third party,” he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview on Friday.

Aside from Manila, more than 10 countries have also expressed interest in purchasing their excess vaccines, Harpaz said.

“It’s something we are looking generally in a favorable manner but it’s the legal issues that must be resolved first. But it’s one of the issues in the discussions and when the moment that there would be a green light to give (the vaccines) as assistance to third countries, the Philippines will certainly be among them,” he said.

“The Philippines is definitely a high priority for us once we’re capable of giving away the vaccines.“

Wow! Considering the current situation here in the Philippines, it’s nice to learn that our country is a high priority for Israel for potential donations of excess vaccines from their own stocks. The legal issues are blocking access. To be very clear, the Philippines secured many millions of COVID-19 vaccines but those stocks cannot come fast enough. Very recently, the cities of Muntinlupa and Parañaque became the first recipients of vaccines from Russia. How many exactly? THREE THOUSAND doses for each city.

In closing this, here are some Israel-related videos for your viewing pleasure and for your insight.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

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Asian Games Triathlon Gold Medalist Banners Large Field in 2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT)

Asian Games Triathlon Gold Medalist Banners Large Field in 2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT)

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Asian Games Triathlon Gold Medalist Banners Large Field in 2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT)

Pasig City, Philippines – April 20, 2019 – Japanese Jumpei Furuya, 2018 Asian Games triathlon gold medalist, banners a large field of   foreign hopefuls vying for qualifying points in the 2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) Asian Cup set for April 27 and 28.

Furuya, currently ranked no. 43 in the world and champion of last January’s NTT ASTC Asian Cup event in Rayong, Thailand will be backstopped by 13 other Japanese triathletes.

Poised to crowd out the Japanese are China’s sextet and Hong Kong’s large contingent–33 entries spread over the Elite, Junior and Super Sprint Distance Categories.

Supported by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC,) NTT, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), Standard Insurance, Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines (ACIP) and Pocari Sweat, SuBIT lured over a hundred foreign entries.

Chinese Taipei had entered 18, Korea 16, Macao 10, Singapore nine, Syria six and Thailand four.

Not to be discounted in the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike and 10-kilometer run Elite competition are both the pair of Australians and Palestinians and a sole Canadian.  

According to Tom Carrasco, Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) president, John Chicano will spearhead the Philippine challenge along with Kim Remolino even as Filipino-Spanish Fer Caseres is seen to spring a surprise in his quest for a slot in the Team Philippines for the SEA Games in December.

In the distaff side, 2017 SEA Games medalist Claire Adorna, Asia Games veteran Kim Kilgroe and fast rising JC Abad are the country’s best bets.

Overall, close to 800 foreigners and locals will see action in the annual event organized by the TRAP in cooperation with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Tourism Department.

For more information, visit Triathlon.org.ph or send email at trapsecretariat@gmail.com.

 

 

Capiz TriAksyon NAGT event set for April 13 and 14

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Capiz2018.jpg

Capiz TriAksyon NAGT event set for April 13 and 14

Pasig City, Philippines – January 14, 2019 – The emerging economic and tourism hub of Roxas City in the province of Capiz is all set to host hundreds of triathletes from around the country as the much-awaited Capiz TriAksyon leg of the 2019 National Age-Group Triathlon (NAGT) season fires off on April 13 and 14.

The event has a Standard Distance (1.5 Km swim – 40 Km bike – 10 Km run) course for the seasoned triathletes as well relay participants. There is also a Sprint Distance (750 M swim – 20 Km bike – 5 Km run) course for those who want a lighter challenge and for Junior Elite participants. At the same time there will be Super TriKids (STK) contests for youths aged 6-below (50 M swim – 300 M bike – 100 M run), 7-8 years-old (50 M swim – 500 M bike – 200 M run), 9-10 years-old (100 M swim – 1 Km bike – 500 M run) and 11-12 years-old (150 M swim – 2 Km bike – 1 KM run). Participants aged 13-15 will engage in a Super Sprint race of 400 M swim – 14 Km bike and 3 Km run.

At stake in the event sponsored by the Province of Capiz and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Capiz (PCCI-Capiz) are cash prizes of P20,000, P15,000 and P10,000 for the Standard Category for Male and Female (overall) and the Open Elite Category for Male and Female; P12,000, P7,000 and P5,000 for Top 3 Relay Category winners; P12,000, P7,000 and P5,000 for Top 3 Sprint Male and Female; P10,000, P8,000 and P5,000 for the Top 3 Junior Elite Male and Female; P5,000, P3,000 and P2,000 for the Top 3 Super Sprint Male and Female. There also will be cash prizes for the Top 3 winners in the STK, Standard Distance age-group and Sprint Distance age-group.

Registration for the event sanctioned by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) is ongoing with entry fees set at P3,000 (for Standard and Sprint Distances), P5,000 for Relay, P2,000 for Super Sprint, P2,500 for Junior Elite and P1,500 for STK.

Effective January 19, the entry fees will adjust to P4,000 (Standard and Sprint), P6,000 (Relay), P3,000 (Super Sprint and Junior Elite) and P2,000 for STK.

For inquiries, interested parties are encouraged to send email to capiztriaksyon@gmail.com and visit https://www.capiztriaksyon.com. The Facebook page of the race organizer is open to visitors.

Note: Picture photo credit to the Capiz TriAksyon Facebook page.