MANILA, PHILIPPINES – As a tourist destination, the Philippines sees millions of tourists every year, but in a unique year, some tourists found themselves stranded as the government ordered a quarantine to curb the spread of COVID-19.
In an interesting turn of events, some foreign tourists chose to stay in the country, even sharing their experiences — and some kind words about Filipinos — with the rest of the world.
Here are some of their stories highlighted by the Department of Tourism (DOT) Philippines as part of its #WakeUpInPH initiative with BBDO Guerrero:
Chris and Carol of Jumping Places
Chris and Carol are travelers from Brazil who first arrived in the Philippines back in February. They were out on a tour in the Gigantes Islands when they heard about the quarantine. After deciding that it was better and safer for them to stay in the Philippines, they moved to El Nido, Palawan, for better amenities.
“When I go outside just to get groceries, I know we can’t spend time on the beaches, but just going past it and looking, it’s like a reset button,” said Chris in a vlog that explains their decision. “Filipinos, in general, are just positive people, and that’s helping a lot.”
“We may feel a bit sad sometimes because we miss our families and friends, but at the same time we realized that we are lucky to be stuck in a place like the Philippines,” he continued. “Even the very few people that we meet are being friendly and very nice to us. They’re always smiling even knowing that things are not so good out there, and we think that’s the mindset that we all must try to have.”
Mike and Nelly of Making It Happen
Austrian travel vloggers Mike and Nelly found themselves stuck outside of Manila when the quarantine struck, so they traveled to Siargao where they knew some people. While they admit that their situation is a little difficult, the generosity of Filipinos makes it easier for them to bear as they wait to be able to get back to the capital.
“The Filipino generosity never ceases to surprise me,” said Mike in a vlog entry showing Filipino friends that hosted them for a get-together on Mother’s Day. “I wish it were like that everywhere on planet Earth, but we are lucky to be in the situation that we can be here in the Philippines.”
“I am very, very grateful that we are able to experience [Filipinos’ hospitality],” added Nelly.
Jmayel and Sacha of Eight Miles From Home
English family Jmayel, Sacha, and daughter Story are also staying in Siargao. They visited the Philippines as they were looking for a new home, a place to “feel content in,” and ended up in Siargao as a tourist destination right before the government announced a quarantine.
“I love the way it feels on the island, just general day-to-day living. It has a very nice, relaxed vibe,” said Sacha in their vlog entry explaining their circumstances. “The people are wonderful, and the island attracts a good crowd.”
“We are safe and sheltered on what can only be described as a paradise and we are grateful for that each day,” said Jmayel.
Carson and Zowie of Bisayang Hilaw
American travel vlogger Carson Moody and his Filipina-Australian girlfriend Zowie Palliaer ended up spending their quarantine in Dumaguete City. Carson, who professes a genuine love for the Filipino culture and people with his extensive content immersing himself in it, manages to stay upbeat and positive despite the quarantine.
“If you look closely, you’ll see raw, authentic Filipino life. A young girl by herself on a bamboo boat with ramshackle homes by the river. Forget the tourist spots. This is what the Philippines is all about, and moments like this will always be my favorite,” said Carson.
Anna and Trevor of the Delightful Travellers
Canadian travel vloggers Anna and Trevor also found themselves stuck in wonderful El Nido, Palawan when the quarantine hit. They arrived in early March and were given the option to repatriate in April, which they turned down after realizing that they had the chance to stay in what they considered one of the most beautiful places in the world.
“We are in one of the most beautiful places in the world… that’s just a nice perk,” said Trevor in their fateful vlog entry in which they discussed their options. “The people have been exceptionally nice to us, we feel right at home, we feel safe. We feel really good about where we are.”
“We don’t know how long we’re going to be here, but we think this is the right thing to do,” said Anna.
George and Lucy of the Juicy Vlog
Manila-based British travel vloggers George and Lucy moved to the Philippines in 2019 to explore everything the country had to offer, but got caught up in the quarantine in March. The worst-case scenario hasn’t dampened their spirits and sentiments about the Philippines, as all its sites and experiences still occupy a special place in their hearts.
“We definitely wanna go back into our family afterwards, of course we do. It’s not gonna be a permanent move back to the UK, we still have [the Philippines],” said George in a recent vlog where a fan asked them about their current plans.
Rod of RodVivKids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoakRalcbnE
Dutch travel vlogger Rod documents his travels with Filipina wife Viv and their six kids found themselves stranded in Marabut, Samar.
“Thank you so much for helping us out—seeing the deeds, instead of just words,” said Rod of Filipinos who sent money to help the family in their time of need in a recent vlog entry. “When we say we care for people, we should also show it in our deeds.”
For the latest travel updates and advisories in relation to COVID-19, visit philippines.travel/safeph. Until we can travel again, stay home, dream, and #WakeUpInPH by planning your next dream vacation to the Philippines. Check out philippines.travel/wakeupinph.
You forgot The Travelling Clatt and Coshan Uncharted. Check it out.
Too bad half of these people are living in the country earning money illegally while on tourist visas, and don’t pay any taxes here, either. Come exploit the Philippines!
TF is wrong with you.
These people are helping boost the tourism industry of the Philippines. You should be thankful.
these people sacrificed a lot as well. better watch their vlogs and see how much they love our country and how they promote the Philippines to the world.
I reall love these guys …… especially Mike and Nelly of Making it Happen and also George and Lucy of the Juicy Vlog. continue with your wonderful works and stay safe.
These people do not boost tourism in Philippines. I guarantee no one knows them outside of ph. Literally in Europe and USA they are nobody’s, their content is aimed at Filipinos and they know this.
So many suffering in PH paying tax but these foreigners are prospering and not paying a centavo to ph. What a joke!!!! Wake up kabayans
Very true, they are just using the Philippines to grow their channel as they know if you make videos saying nice things about the Philippines local people will watch it. They are making huge money and your right, only locals tend to watch their content as it is aimed at locals as the clickbait titles show. Amazing people are ok them working on a tourist visa paying no local taxes. In the uk they do not have to pay tax earned abroad. That is the law their so they are living tax free earning upto £100.000 per year.
Also when have you ever seen them give anything back. Filipinos trusting nature is sweet.
The spainish took advantage of it as do these vloggers. Check out youtuber poop orange for videos exposing these low lifes
Very true. Tax free living. They are earning £100.000 per year. You guys really need to stop exposing them on facebook and reporting them to immigration and the tax office.