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ABOUT

This is a personal blog of Gil delos Santos, a Boracay-based advocate, entrepreneur, tourism professional, and community leader with a deep commitment to sustainable development and local empowerment. With years of hands-on experience in the island’s tourism and business sectors plus two decades of professional hospitality experience abroad, Gil has dedicated efforts to uplift local voices and championing homegrown enterprises. 

He is the founder of the Small Players Association of Boracay (SPAB), a pioneering initiative that brought together the island’s Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) into a unified organization. Under his leadership, SPAB has become a vital platform for collaboration, resilience, and innovation among Boracay’s independent business owners.

Driven by passion for culture, community, and Filipino food heritage, Gil is a pioneer Slow Food Boracay Community member who founded GMarket, showcasing the flavors and craftsmanship of local producers. Whether through advocacy work, entrepreneurship, or grassroots organizing, his mission remains the same: to help build a more inclusive, community-led Boracay.

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OVER-DEVELOPMENT STRIPS BORACAY'S CULTURAL IDENTITY

By Gil delos Santos OVER-DEVELOPMENT STRIPS BORACAY'S CULTURAL IDENTITY For us local Boracaynons, taking over or giving away our cultural spaces to mega corporations and government projects disable us to conduct traditional activites on public spaces that belonged to the community.  That's how Boracay's cultural identity is lost due to over-development.  Sa Baryo or Punda (that's how we traditionally call Manocmanoc proper), in my childhood, Manocmanoc Beach was our playground. We used to catch and play with "guyokoy", hermit crabs or "bungog" and "mawik" all day. Swim in the water everyday like it's our own paradise—unbothered, undisturbed.  In the afternoon, our oldies gather at the shore to wait for Nong Musing and Nong Rudy, our local fisherfolks, to bring fish to the community which at that time "Lambiyong" or "Balangawan" costs 5 pesos per caltex (1 liter tub).  During the monsoon season, a sandbar ...
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Understanding Low Foreign Arrival

By Gil delos Santos While the western world now combats against over tourism, the Philippines in other hand struggles to get a good share on foreign arrivals: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Q44TeFswV/ The latest Seasia stats report placed the Philippines at the bottom with 3m arrivals from January to August 2025 versus the top: Malaysia and Thailand with over 20m respectively, Vietnam with 13m.  Pre-pandemic (in 2019), Thailand records 30m+, Vietnam 18m, The Philippines with 8m. It has always been a struggle for the Philippines. But 2025 is looking the worst so far.  We always read reports on statistics but we don't often see the reasons why we're behind—except for the usual complains how bad our Department of Tourism is being run. I have followed the tourist arrival stats and trends in the past years. I research and collect tourist impressions over time. Here's what I found out: FACTORS AFFECTING LOW FOREIGN ARRIVAL 1) 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶...
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BORACAY AS LUXURY DESTINATION

By Gil delos Santos Recognized as the World's Leading Luxury Island Destination again in 2025, Boracay can take advantage to gain in solidifying its share in the "luxury" market. Marketing efforts must target the niche luxury slow travellers.  Boracay does need Tiktok vloggers in contrast to most people's exaggerated regard for influencers. Here's why: 1) Vloggers are not spenders (in general). They always demand xdeals and sponsorships if not paid. 2) The viewing Tiktok community are mostly validation seeking which the influencers take advantage of in giving affirmations and "pa-inggit" through their contents focused to trigger emotions. 3) The wealthy and the professionals don't have time and interest on Tiktok. They have life standards most people can't afford. They don't seek approval nor validation. These are the people we want to attract to come to Boracay. They are spenders that don't care about the price tags—people with value and...
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