NCR

Metro Manila is the metropolitan area that contains the city of Manila, as well as sixteen surrounding cities and municipalities, including Quezon City, the capital from 1948 to 1976. Metro Manila is the political, economic, social, and cultural center of the Philippines, and is one of the more modern metropolises in Southeast Asia. Metro Manila is the smallest of the country's administrative regions, but the most populous and the most densely populated. It is also the only region without any provinces.

Makati City Makati, one of the cities that make up Metro Manila, is the countrys
foremost business and commercial quarter. Running through the heart of its Central Business District is Ayala Avenue, nicknamed as the Wall Street of the Philippines. This highly cosmopolitan city is also a major cultural and entertainment hub. Amidst the towering skyscrapers, you will also find posh neighborhoods, five-star hotels, and firstclass shopping centers. Makatis vibrant nightlife is unparalleled anywhere else in the country.

Marikina City
Over the centuries, the city has been known to its thriving production of shoes for import and export quality. So it is not a surprise that the Worlds Largest Leather Shoes according to the Guinness World Records can be found here in Marikina City. One can also find the Shoe Museum where the 3,000 pairs of shoes of former First Lady Imelda Marcos can be found.

Binondo
Binondo is famous for its imitation of a small Chinese town which is locally called "China Town". During the financial crisis of the early 80s, Binondo earned the nickname "Binondo Central Bank" as Chinese businessmen in the district engaged in massive black marketing of US dollars, often dictating the actual Peso-Dollar exchange rate. The term has survived to this day. Given its rich history and financial significance, Binondo is said to have one of the highest land values in the entire country.

Intramuros
Intramuros is the old capital of Manila built in 1571. It remains a monumental, if ruined, relic of the Spanish period in Philippine history. It is a city within a city, separated from the rest of Manila by its crumbling walls. This ancient capital had well-planned streets, plazas, the Governors Palace and churches. However, many buildings were reduced to shambles in World War II. Among the places to visit in Intramuros are the two churches The Manila Cathedral and St. Augustine Church and Fort Santiago. The Manila Cathedral is the fifth stone church of Manila. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times. From the air, it appears as a giant cross. St. Augustine Church is the oldest stone church in the Philippines. It was built in 1599; however, it was also destroyed and rebuilt many times. It is an immense structure of thick walls of Corinthian and Ionic designs. Fort Santiago used to be the seat of the colonial powers of both Spain and the U.S. It was also a dreaded prison under the Spanish regime and the scene of countless military police atrocities during the Japanese occupation. Here, too, Dr. Jose Rizal spent his last hours before his execution on Bagumbayan. (now Rizal Park). To date, Intramuros is nothing like in the past. Restaurants are built under the tunnels and young pips are now enjoying the place as it offer variety of food selections and best place for meetings.

Mall Of Asia
The SM Mall of Asia (MOA) is the largest shopping mall in the Philippines and third largest in the world. Located in the South most tip of EDSA, MOA has a roundabout constructed in the front with a huge bronze globe similar to that of the Universal Studios Theme Parks. Aside from being a shopping haven, offering wide ranges of luxurious brands, you can also go ice skating in an Olympic size rink or simply enjoy a movie in the IMAX Theater. Kids will surely have fun while learning in the Science Discovery Center. At the back of the mall is an esplanade that served as the observation center for the Worlds Pyro Olympics on 2005 and a venue for Lovapalooza 2, wherein more than 5,300 couples kissed for 10 seconds on February 2007, making it to the Guinness World Records. The next time youre in Manila, go visit this mall even if youre not going to shop. Hang out in the breezeway, sit in one of the cafes to bask in the warm Manila sun and watch the sunset! There are a lot of events in the evenings at this overlook - concerts and bands bring nightlife back again at the Bay.

Luneta Park
The park in modern times has become a local spot for families to have picnics on Sundays and holidays and a major tourist attraction of Manila. It has a small man-made lake with a replica of the Philippine archipelago in the middle. The park has recreational value as well -bands, orchestras and other sorts of entertainment are provided for free in an open-air auditorium, aptly called "Concert at the Park". Here, national hero and genius Jose Rizal was executed on December 30, 1896 as the Spanish soldiers shot him to death. The monument also serves as the point of origin or Kilometre Zero to all other cities in the Philippines.

WESTERN VISAYAS
Western Visayas is located in Central Philippines and lies between two large bodies of water, namely; the Sibuyan Sea and the Visayas Sea. The Region is composed of six provinces: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental. The Region has a total land area of 20,223.2 sq km, which is approximately 6.74 percent of the total land area of the Philippines. Forty-three percent of the region's land resources is devoted to agricultural purposes. Sugar cane covers the majority of area in Negros Occidental and rainfed or irrigated palay in Panay. The region's fishing grounds produce a large variety of marine, fishery and aquaculture products. It is one of the country's major exporters of prawn, tuna, and other fish products. Natural attractions like Boracay and Guimaras Islands make the region a major tourist destination. Its rich cultural heritage provides a microcosm of Philippine culture and heritage.

ILOILO
Iloilo also host to a number of festivals. It gathers great number of visitors both local and international. The most popular of these festivals are: Dinagyang Festival, AtiAtihan Iloilo version, Our Lady of Candles Feast, Paraw Regatta, Festival of Bulls or Pasungay, and the Carabao Race. Bucari - Iloilos little Baguio is located in the town of Leon. It is a popular summer destination in this hot spot of the Philippines. Iloilos Beaches The place to be when you want to be wet and hot. The island of Panay is blessed with beautiful islets and coasts teaming with diverse marine life and fantastic seascapes just like other islands in the Pacific. Iloilo is the Philippines Heritage Haven of Panay'. It is popular for its gentry living as displayed by its majestic and colonial mansions and churches scattered throughout its beautiful landscape. The beautiful province is set in a graceful and refined repose between Batiano and Iloilo rivers forming the shape of a nose. The reason it was given the name Iloilo from the word Ilong-Ilong, which means nose-like.

GUIMARAS ISLAND
The island of Guimaras is famous in the Philippines for its sweet mangoes and unspoiled beaches. The natural beauty of Guimaras from its lush vegetation, limestone cliffs and white sand beaches attracts many tourists who prefer to have a more peaceful place for relaxation.

AKLAN
South of the bustling crowded and fast pace city of Manila is an island called Panay, where you will find the Province of Aklan. The provice is bounded by the Sulu Sea on the northwest, by the Sibuyan Sea on the east and northeast, by the province of Antique on the west and by the province of Capiz on the south. It is the oldest province in the Philippines, founded in 1213. The town is accessible by private cars, tricycles and motorcycles. The town features famous landmarks where fierce battles ensued between the combined Filipino and American troops together with the Aklanon guerrillas during World War II. A monument was built to signify the heroic stand of Aklanons. Mortar and other fragments of armaments can be found in the vicinity. Pink Sisters Convent, New Washington. Everything here is pink, from the convent's facade to corridors and to the nun's attires.

Boracay Island, Malay. Paradise Island of the Philippines. It is world-famous for its fine and lovely palm fringed sugar-fine white sand beaches, azure waters, coral reefs and rare shells. Its area is 1083 hectares consisting of three barangays namely Balabag, Manok-Manok and Yapak.

ANTIQUE
Nogas Island, A 24-hectare government naval reservation island 3 miles from the shoreline of Anini-y town proper; 20 minutes by sailboat or motorboat. Ideal for shell hunting, snorkeling and scuba diving. Sira-An Hot Spring, A government-owned hot sulphur spring atop solid rock; warm water flowing from crevices and collects in tiled basins into a junior size, swimming pool; is along the highway 1&1/2 kilometers from Anini-y town proper and overlooks Nogas Island. Anini-y Church, Anini-y. A massive white coral building located in poblacion Anini-y, 40.46 kms. south of San Jose de Buenavista. Tibiao River, Tibiao. 4 kms. from the poblacion considered ideal for white water kayaking by the Boracay based Tribal Adventure Group. Semirara Island, Part of Caluya. Has the second largest depositof coal in the Philippines; a bird sanctuary, ideal for horseback riding. Patadyong Weaving, Bugasong. Produces the famous Bugasongpatadyong (a colorful native fabric), the only one of its kind in the Visayasand well-known throughout the islands.

NEGROS
Iron Dinosaurs Known among locomotive enthusiasts as the "Steam Paradise of the Philippines". Seven of the fifteen sugar centrals in the province maintain these machines in good working condition. Each milling season, one may occasionally encounter one of these "dragons" creeping along the canefields like a mechanical caterpillar dragging along a host of canefield cars. Mt. Guintubdan, (About an hour and half south of Bacolod City). Is one of the jump-off points to the Mt. Kanlaon National. The lush hills of Mt. Guintubdan is where the fiecest fighting cocks are bred for the coutry's top derbies. Cock fighting is a very popular sport in the province, with the price of one fighting cock commanding as much as as US$600. Each cock is house in teepees and groomed and trained daily. Mt. Guintubdan likewise has several waterfalls and excellent camping facilities.