Around GMA

Article Inside Page

Worrying about the cost of your next trip to Boracay, El Nido or Siargao?

Well, even celebrities think that traveling around the Philippines is expensive.

This is how Pinoy Big Brother host Bianca Gonzalez-Intal thinks when she reacted to a post on X by former Commission on Elections commissioner Gregorio Y. Larrazabal.

Commissioner Larrazabal stated that it is cheaper to visit some of our Southeast Asian neighbors like Singapore than traveling to other parts of our country.

He wrote on X, “How can you convince Filipinos to travel to other parts of the Philippines, when it's cheaper to fly to Hong Kong, Singapore or other ASEAN destinations, than it is to fly to some tourist destinations IN the Philippines?

Mr. Larrazabal stressed, “Make flights cheaper to destinations INSIDE the Philippines.”

Bianca also has the same sentiment that it is hard to support local tourism, because it is expensive.

She even shared her own experience of booking a pricey trip to Siargao.

“Totoo. Bakit ganun. We booked a trip to Siargao and it is more expensive than a trip to Hong Kong, Bangkok, or Vietnam. Mas mahirap suportahan ang lokal na turismo dahil ang mahal,” The Kapamilya host posted.

Based on the data gathered by the Department of Tourism, the Philippines attracted 6.4 million foreign tourists and returning overseas Filipinos in 2025. But that figure pales in comparison with neighboring Thailand that recorded 32.97 million foreign tourists in the same period.

RELATED CONTENT: Celebrities in Siargao