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Were you considering visiting South East Asia, but concerned about recent news reports about the region? Let me see if I can help, since I live in the region and would like to think that I am still a credible journalist.
First of all, the Foreign Press as they are known here, don’t have much professional empathy for the region, since few put much effort or money in reporting SE Asia News.
It’s hard for them to get real news directly from most of these countries, except The Philippines, which has the only free press in the region. The other countries have varying degrees of kinda sorta free presses.
Unfortunately for the SE Asian Nations, the Foreign Press often recycles stories from the news wire services, which do a good job. However, the wire services’ clients too often cherry pick the bizarre or sensational stories, leaving many people with the wrong impression.
That being all being said, here’s what I have been able ascertain. The very popular destination Thailand is currently suffering severe political growing pains.
However, the demonstrations you may have heard about haven’t endangered foreign visitors so far, and likely won’t, as Thailand’s political issues continue fermenting. Most experts think the political upheaval going on should peacefully go away in a few months.
The Philippines has had two terrible natural disasters, you may know about. However, it is a very big country, whether you know it or not. In other words, specific areas of the Philippines were affected, not the entire country, which is comprised of 7,100 islands. Some of the Philippine Islands are bigger than many European countries.
To assume the entire country has been affected by earthquakes and typhoons, just isn’t the case. That would be like thinking that the American West Coast is suffering from the same severe winter storms currently affecting other parts of the US.
There are plenty of beautiful, affordable parts of the Philippines that are very much open for business, you should seriously consider for a totally safe, interesting and fun visit.
The Philippines is really not that much like its neighbors, after 400 years of Spanish rule and almost 100 more by the USA, as The Philippines was prepared for its eventual nationhood. So, over time, The Philippines evolved into a Western nation, which is located on the edge of Asia.
What makes the Philippines different from other SE Asian countries? It is the 3rd largest English speaking country on Earth, as well as the 3rd biggest Roman Catholic one. It’s also the most literate in Asia.
The fastest growing traveler destination is Palawan, on the Western side of The Philippines. Palawan is very unique in many ways. The 200 mile long island province has never had an Earthquake or Typhoon and has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.
Palawan’s capitol, Puerto Princesa (Population 250,000) has a crime rate of 0.08%. That is 8% of ONE PERCENT. You can literally go anywhere you want in the city, 24-7, with nothing to worry about.
I often see teenage girls walking around past 10 PM, without a care. Nothing bad is going to happen to them, in Puerto Princesa. The biggest problem they could run into is an unexpected rain shower.
Puerto’s biggest attraction is its world famous Underground River, one of The Seven Natural Wonders of the World and an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
You can also spend a day Island Hoping and that night; take an evening cruise on Puerto’s Bay, Firefly Watching included. Whatever you decide to do in Puerto, all ground transportation, meals and professional guides, are included in the packages for less than $40. Compare that price to what you can do in Europe or North America.
You might just want to sit on one of Puerto’s pristine beaches, which there’s no shortage of.
Or, enjoy a parade.
It’s OK to eat from the little food shops and stalls you come across, wherever you go. No one ever get’s food poisoning here, so don’t worry about that. Each shop is basically that family’s Filipino home cooking. Plus, you can drink the tap water. Locals are extremely proud of how clean, honest and safe their city is.
There is one thing you can’t do in Puerto. You will be fined if you are caught littering. This is a very clean city, with the garbage picked up every day and street sweepers also out daily.
There is just about every kind of hotel you can imagine in Puerto, from little family owned pensions (Means small---not retirement) to major resorts. The pensions are everywhere. They are in the rain forests, in quiet neighborhoods, on beaches and main thoroughfares.
Many of these pensions don’t market or have websites, but there is information about them on TripAdvisor. So you should be able to find one that fits your budget.
So, don’t give on this part of the world over political unrest in another SE Asian Country or unfortunate events that recently transpired in another part of this one.
I wrote this because it occurred to me, as I have been following news in SE Asia and the Philippines, that many could have the wrong impression about visiting here.
Palawan is very much open for business. I am a television news/programming executive, working from here, and not in the travel business. But, feel free to email with any questions you may have.
Also, on this blog is detailed information about Puerto Princesa, Palawan, The Philippines and what is going on in Asia. (Admittedly from my point of view)
Below is what I do, if that interests you.
Millennium Media Entertainment is a Television News, Marketing, Programming Development and Content Consulting Firm, continuing to do business in the United States.
President and Chief Executive Officer John Sheehan has over 30 years of Senior Television Management Experience, Consulting Television Station Group Heads, Network Executives, Syndication Presidents, Chief Financial Officers, General Managers, Sales Managers, News Directors and Creative Services Managers about almost every aspect of the Television Business.
Sheehan was Chief News Consultant for Group W Television, 
later The CBS Owned and Operated Stations in 12 Major US Markets, from 1991 to 1999, responsible for News Content Development, Station Branding and Talent Development.
Besides News, Sheehan consulted several Nationally Syndicated TV Shows including: Win, Lose or Draw, with Burt Reynolds, A Current Affair, The Gail King Show, and Evening Magazine.
Sheehan started Millennium Media Entertainment as a News Program Syndication and Consulting Company in 1999, after being President of the Clemensen Sheehan Rovitto & Company since 1991.
While with CSR, Sheehan worked closely with the CEOs and managements of Allbritton Communications, Anchor Media, CBS Owned and Operated Television Stations, Group W Television (Westinghouse), New World, 20th TELEVISION, Group W Productions, Granite Broadcasting, and CBS’s EYEMARK ENTERTAINMENT.
Sheehan was President and General Manager of Audience Research & Development, from 1988 to 1991. As president, he directed a staff of nearly 60 highly skilled television professionals, providing broadcast research and consulting services to over 120 stations, broadcast and cable networks and syndication clients.
Prior to that, he managed AR&D’s sales efforts from 1985 to 1988, as Vice President of Client Development. During his time with AR&D, Sheehan increased revenues by over 100%, quadrupling the company’s client base.
Before joining AR&D in 1985, Sheehan was Executive Vice President of SRI Research Center, now The Gallup Organization. He started as Production Manager for SRI in late 1977 and within two years was named Executive Vice President, overseeing all market research and financial operations with a staff of more than 80 people.
Sheehan served in the Peace Corps from 1974 to 1977 in the South Pacific. He spent his first year in the region as Director of the Solomon Islands’ Information and Broadcasting Department overseeing a weekly newspaper and the national radio station. He was responsible for each medium’s content, staff development and sales.
In 1974 he was assigned to Kingdom of Tonga as general manager of Tonga Feeds the country’s only source of livestock feed. Sheehan managed all aspects of the company including accounting, inventory, pricing, importing/exporting products, new product development, a farm, government relations, staff development and negotiating foreign aid packages.
When Sheehan left Tonga Feeds, nearly bankrupt when he arrived, the company was earning a 30% profit and influenced 25% of the Kingdom’s economy. Sheehan was offered senior management positions by both the New Zealand and Kingdom of Tonga Governments. He returned to the US in 1977.
Sheehan earned a BA in Journalism from Creighton University. He fluently speaks Tongan and Melanesian Pidgin. He has a working knowledge of Cebuano.
