Tourism Sec. Bernadette Romulo Romulo-Puyat gushes over Siquijor, one destination that she said Filipinos should go to when restrictions ease. She is so enamored with the island that she's convicing local officials to open their borders.
Beyond the allure of magic and mysticism, Siquijor offers diving and traditional healing to go with its white sand beaches, said Romulo-Puyat, who is working for a slow but steady reopening of tourism to save jobs.
"It's very beautiful," she told Summit Sandwich Sessions of her "new favorit spot."
"There's everything. If you're a diver, it's there. If you're into healing, it's there," she said.
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More on low-key tourism destinations Romulo-Puyat mentioned Isabela, which she discovered during her term as undersecretary for the Department of Agriculture.
"I love it. The churches are really beautiful, the food is really good. For me, the best kutsinta is there," she explained. Kutsinta is brown toasted rice cake. She also noted the region's pancit cabagan, named after the town that made it popular.
Moving south to Mindanao, Romulo-Puyat brough up Dapitan, in Zamboanga del Norte, where national hero Jose Rizal was exiled. She went on to say how the city's museums can serve as a quick history lesson for tourists.
"Actually, there are a lot of places in Mindanao that I want to discover," she said.
For destinations closer to Metro Manila, the tourism secretary recommended San Pablo in Laguna, and the Pinto Museum in Antipolo.
