My name is Nathan Allen. I arrived in the Philippines in the beginning of 2013, and quickly abandoned any plans of traveling elsewhere. I was spellbound by the stunning natural beauty and incomparable warmth and hospitality of the people.
By Nathan Allen
So what exactly is my goal here in the land of sun-kissed smiles?
If possible, my 1st goal is to help the tourism infrastructure become more streamlined and competitive. As it is now, the country is only receiving a fraction of the SE Asian market, and it deserves so much more.
I hope to try and boost tourism by promoting the warmth and beauty of the country to I Dreamed Of This readers in various parts of the world…from NYC, to Vancouver, to Bangkok, to Finland, to Israel…and even Egypt!
(The government is heavily marketing to foreign tourists, and seeing as though I’ve been one pretty much all my life, I know a thing or two about what they’re looking for;)
I believe that if carried out responsibly, tourism can help preserve the environment and bring economic opportunity to local communities that are very much in need. So far, many officials and agencies have reached out to help me promote their regions, and I appreciate their assistance very much.
I was amazed that my recent Albay post reached a few million people!
The Role Models I Meet Along the Way…
My 2nd goal is to try and highlight the many Filipinos who are bringing about a positive change in their own country.
A lot of people focus on the help coming in from outside the Philippines, but the truth is that plenty of inspirational Filipinos are helping from within. I know they’re out there, because I’ve met them personally. They are donating their time (and even money) to help heal, inspire and empower local communities around the country. Here are a few that are really making a difference…
Dr. Banggi and her staff of volunteers ( Teambanggi ) work hard all week, then, on their day off, make the 5+ hour journey to donate their time (and even money) to provide free medical services to hundreds of islanders. Please visit —-> http://teambanggi.com/
for more info! (Yes, I photobombed..haha)
Alec Santos is Naga City’s beloved Tourism Officer, and a champion for socially and environmentally responsible tourism. He is an honest, passionate, and driven public servant – the country needs more like him!
Jill Enriquez is the founder of Volunteer In Cebu, and along with countless other volunteers, they carry out various feeding/housing projects around the islands. They also have a successful “100 Santas” program that delivers gifts and cheer to children during Christmas!
Joven and Anita Antolin started a non-profit to feed, educate, and empower the local communities around their home on Boracay Island. Their guest house aims to help provide local artists and craftsmen with opportunities to earn and progress in life.
Che Gurrobat-Pascual – She traveled solo through almost every Philippine province before she turned 30, and also started Booksail, which puts books in the hands of the children who need them the most!
A Big Thanks…
They are modest, but their good deeds should not go unseen. I hope they might inspire countless more to follow in their footsteps, and help bring forth a positive change in the Philippines.
Yes, it’s wonderful that foreigners want to come and hand out toys and supplies to children in need, but how much better would it be for these kids to receive this aid from their OWN countrymen – and to realize “hey, if THEY can grow up to be generous and successful, so can I ! “
I’m proud to know them.
An Easy Way For You To Help Me?
As for me, you can help by continuing to “like” and share the content on I Dreamed Of This…but also by doing something many of you might already be doing – using Agoda to book your hotel rooms online!
Booking through my site will provide me with a tiny bit of income to continue traveling and promoting, but it also gets you the best deal on your hotel rooms – it’s a win-win! See below…
Truly a “Labor of Love”
Creating these resources takes up all my time now, and it brings in very little money. To give you an idea, last month, with all advertising and Agoda bookings, I earned just $50USD (2,000 pesos) total.
Don’t get me wrong, I chose to make these sacrifices because I love it here, and I want to do what I can to help.
Some people think this blog must be doing very well with all the traffic it sees, but unfortunately that doesn’t translate to money. I want to keep pushing, but I’m going to have to find ways to generate more income if I keep it going.
If you’d like, you can make a small donation further down the page. That of course is much appreciated, but aside from that, you can actually book your work and leisure travel through my Agoda links…it doesn’t cost you anything extra, and for me, every little bit counts. If you know somebody who travels, please share this page with them!
My Commitment To You
I work very hard to research and provide the absolute best information I can to you. If I recommend a hotel, you can count on it being a great value and experience. I will NEVER promote something I don’t believe in. Your trust is very valuable to me.
If you visit a hotel I have promoted and you don’t have a good experience, let me know! I will consider removing them from my listing. This is how I believe the world should work. I don’t care what they offer me, I will NOT promote a sub-par business. It’s a matter of principle.
Here is the Link to Book Your Rooms 🙂
Use this link to book your hotel rooms anywhere in the world. (Must be clicked from THIS page, so please share this page, not this specific link:) For those who prefer to use booking.com, you can click HERE.
Please bookmark this page for your future travel. Remember, it doesn’t cost you anything extra, but using it will help ME so much!
For those who would like to make a donation to help fund these efforts, no amount is too small, and I cannot thank you enough. Please visit this Paypal link.
As always, I appreciate you sharing this information. I feel so grateful for the opportunity to highlight the best the Philippines has to offer!
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Nathan Allen
www.idreamedofthis.com
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