We hope that Philippine residents and balikbayans will re-discover their rich culture and feel proud to be Filipinos. We also hope that foreign tourists will form a positive impression of the country and encourage their relatives and friends to visit the Philippines, in other words, to boost Philippine tourism.” – Marsha Ledesma, Philippine Postcards.
Economic problems, political differences, and war between countrymen maybe hurting the reputation of this wonderful land called the Philippines. But there lies a tiny, yet significant source of redemption and hope -- a bookzine called Philippine Postcards that showcases the Filipino culture proudly.
Prior to this publication, Marsha Ledesma, publisher and lone author of Philippine Postcards, wrote Snapshots. In this book she featured 50 pictures from her travels in Europe, Asia, Micronesia, Africa, and the Caribbean. From her stirring experience in creating Snapshots, she was inspired to produce a publication -- one that will be informative, entertaining, and socially responsible at the same time.
“I thought of how nice it would be to use a locally-written guidebook to explore my own country,” Marsha shared.
Marsha and her staff came up with a bookzine because they wanted to create a travel guide that will the feel and look of a magazine but at the same time maintaining the authored format of a book.
Philippine Postcards will launch five different volumes that will feature Manila, Manila environs, Luzon, Visayas, Mindoro and Palawan. After safety issues in Mindanao are resolved; the region will also be featured. Philippines Postcards will have five sections. The Philippines is a section which will generally provide information about the country— fast facts, history, travel tips, money matters, health concerns, society & conduct, things uniquely Filipino, etc. The second section will be about individual regions which will be featured in each volume. This section will supply information about the region— shopping, local food, transportation, pasalubong ideas, festivals and more. The third section is Attraction which will give photographs and description of places to visit, sights to see; and things to do in the region. The fourth section is Making a Difference which is a short section aimed at the increasing number of travelers who wish to positively impact places they visit. This section will also include features on individuals and non-governmental organizations that address problems which tourists inevitably see (like child beggars, stray animal, garbage, etc.). This section will give readers simple suggestions on how to help. The last section is the Establishment Directory which is a list of contacts and addresses for embassies, accommodation, dining, entertainment, beauty & wellness and more.
This month, the first volume of Philippine Postcards will be circulated. Philippine Postcards can be every Philippine traveler’s best friend. It will give entertainment and social awareness to every person who’ll have it and set foot to this amazing country. Philippine Postcards is not just a simple travel guide, it is a representation of the things the Philippines has to offer and yet to be discovered. (www.asianjournal.com)
(Published November 5, 2008 p.mdwk3 LAMDWK)
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