Paying a taxi ride with credit or debit card might not be new to other countries but in the Philippines it’s still not common. That’s why it became widespread when Mabuhay Taxi announced its new system of accepting atm or debit card payments. For over two weeks now passengers have had the option to pay with their Banknet and Megalink ATM and debit cards provided it isn’t short of money. For the time being it’s only the black Mabuhay Taxi’s that’s been installed with this technology.

For tourists and others who own national or international credit cards they may not enjoy the system yet. But hopefully soon according to the company. Aside from ATM/Debit card payments system, black Mabuhay Taxi’s have been equipped with a GPS (which is not common among other taxi fleet) which inputs the location of the taxi, thus making it easy to find one that’s close to the passenger’s location. The GPS system on Mabuhay Taxi works similar to that in Singapore, as stated by the company.

The Department of Tourism has recently presented the top 3 RP destinations based on tourist arrivals from January to March. Among the three, Davao City named as the third top destination following Cebu and Boracay. With 156,468 tourist arrivals recorded, Davao continues to soar high as one of the top “must-visit” cities in the country before the year ends.

Balikbayan visitors and tourists of this city are not only overwhelmed by the emerging shopping malls, hotels and restaurants but the naturally rich flora and fauna as well. Island resorts are also one of the reasons why Davao City is popular among tourists. Furthermore, the celebrations like Araw ng Dabaw and Kadayawan invite visitors who want to witness and celebrate with each year.

Places to see in Davao:

Crocodile Farm
Puentespina Orchid Garden
Philippine Eagle
Paradise Island
Malagos Farm House
Malagos Garden Resort
- and many more

Davao Zone will feature those places in a later postings…

The P2 – billion, 85 kilometer Talaingod – Valencia, Bukidnon Road is already making great progress, promising improved transportation between Cagayan de Oro City, Bukidnon and Davao del Norte. The once dilapidated, winding road with sometimes dangerous twists is now gone. Heavy equipment and machineries are cutting mountain sides to widen the road and straighten the curves.

President Arroyo personally came last February 8, 2008 to unveil the project. Governor Del Rosario of Davao del Norte is the man behind this important project.

The road will truly improve the living condition of the people in the area as they can easily transport products to the urban centers, particularly in Davao del Norte. “We can also readily bring essential government services to the indigenous communities”, Del Rosario said. This mega project is touted to be completed in 2010 and is expected to increase the volume of export in the region and accelerate socio-economic development in the province.

People’s Park is the latest among the few parks in Davao City. It is located in the former Palaruang Panglungsod in the middle of the city and has become a delight in the lives of the Davaoeños.

People’s Park has an area of 7 hectares, mostly open areas covered with greens. The park offers facilities to cater to children, disabled and senior citizens. It opens early in the morning to accommodate health buffs who like to jog and do aerobic workouts. The ambience is also very conducive for reflecting and spending some quiet time in the morning. Usually, it gets a bit crowded when afternoon comes.

The presence of a few huts using bamboo poles and slats as additional materials inside a replica of Philippine rainforest, gives an aura of exoticness of the park.

Of course, public safety is always first, thats why there are security cameras installed in strategic corners of the park. There are also a lot of visible law enforcement personnel roving around the vicinity.

This project will be one of the many legacies from Mayor Duterte as soon as he steps down from public service and politics.