Islands Souvenirs
The leading retailer of premium-quality souvenir items in the Philippines, Islands Souvenirs broke the mold of cottage-industry-type products when it first opened in 1992. Today, Islands Souvenirs is a multi-awarded brand that has expanded to key destinations all over the country.

The Islands Group
Synonymous with travel and tourism, the Islands Group is the leading brand for tourism services in the Philippines. It is a holding group for diverse tourism-oriented companies that focus on underserved needs of travelers in the country, starting from premier quality souvenir items (Islands Souvenirs) and eventually expanding to other subsidiaries nationwide, with various pioneering components in retail, hospitality, adventure, tours, and design.

Featuring the many colors of Sinulog and the I heart Phenomenon that captivated Cebu, Islands Magazine features the destination where it all started: Cebu. Islands Magazine will indulge your wanderlust with tips and tidbits from travel junkies and locals to make the most of your stay in whatever part of the country. Available for free in Islands Souvenirs Boutiques, Maya, Abaca, Hotel Elizabeth, Chika-an, and more. For the online version, go to http://bit.ly/islandsmag1

Islands Magazine
Islands Magazine is a free quarterly magazine that showcases the best of Philippine destinations. Distributed nationwide, Islands Magazine will give a refreshing take on the best of the Philippines as a travel destination, targeted towards the new generation of discerning and value-driven travelers. This exciting new publication is a chance for readers to catch the travel bug, with tips and tricks to realize that traveling can be an enjoyable and hassle-free experience. We want to entice them to pack their bags and see the Philippines, and help them get to their destination of choice with ease and in style.

The Islands Group
Synonymous with travel and tourism, the Islands Group is the leading brand for tourism services in the Philippines. It is a holding group for diverse tourism-oriented companies that focus on underserved needs of travelers in the country, starting from premier quality souvenir items (Islands Souvenirs) and eventually expanding to other subsidiaries nationwide, with various pioneering components in retail, hospitality, adventure, tours, and design.

The hotel chain is part of the Islands Group’s five-year plan to bolster Philippine tourism.

For Islands Stay, location is key. Its first two hotels are situated at highly prized locations – Archbishop Reyes and the Marina Mall intersection in Mactan – with popular food and shopping establishments within walking distance. Their central locations also provide ease of access and several transport links assuring that the independent-minded traveler is easily mobile for whatever his purpose.

The hotel is modeled after the Japanese concept of no-frills accommodations, catering to the modern-day traveler. Islands Stay may be a new concept in the Philippines, but such a concept is gaining ground elsewhere outside of the country. Some examples would be Ace Hotels in the US, Tune Hotels in Asia, or Ibis Hotels in Europe – all these chains focus on pure and simple accommodations without the unnecessary accouterments that result in high room rates and hidden costs.

Independent travelers are usually on-the-go and end up skipping on hotel amenities that have been paid for, like the daily breakfast. Research has shown that travelers prefer a quick bite for breakfast compared to sitting down for a full-scale buffet when that time could be used for exploring the area and finding something new. It’s a similar concept to low cost airlines finding that meals on the plane are one of the more practical things to do away with, in turn passing on the savings to the customer.

Islands Stay draws on the Islands Group’s expertise in retail with Islands Souvenirs. It has gone as far as labeling rooms XL, L, M, and S – emphasizing user-friendliness from the moment guests book their rooms to the moment they check out. “Until today, travelers get confused by ‘deluxe’, ‘superior’, and ‘standard’ room classifications,” Jay Aldeguer, Islands Group President and CEO, explains. Rooms are comfortable and well-equipped, with quality beds and linen, rain showers, flatscreen TVs, and free wireless broadband access in rooms. The Islands Group is renowned for its value-driven retail experience (having won the PRA Hall of Fame award) and translates this idea into Islands Stay.

The Islands Group has an extensive database of customers stemming from its endeavors in retail, adventure, media and design, and seeks to deliver its trademark Islands Way service in that respect. “Just because it’s a value hotel, it doesn’t mean you won’t be treated well,” says Aldeguer. Islands Stay provides its signature cold towels and a personalized gift as you check in — guaranteeing that from beginning to end, guests have a truly delightful experience. Even the design of the hotel adds value to guests, coming from Aldeguer’s involvement in the creative industry – saying that guests don’t need to book in an expensive hotel to enjoy good design. It’s a philosophy that carries over to the other subsidiaries of the Islands Group.

Islands Stay is set to open more rooms in Cebu, building from 30+ rooms in Archbishop Reyes and 50+ rooms in Mactan to a total of 400 rooms in key locations in the city. Aside from this, Islands Stay is expanding its accommodations service to Baguio and Palawan in the near future.

Islands Stay Hotels
Islands Stay Hotels is a new value hotel chain that focuses on strategic locations at low prices. Its first two hotels are situated at highly prized locations in Cebu– Archbishop Reyes and the Marina Mall intersection in Mactan – with popular food and shopping establishments within walking distance. While equipping each room with the traveller’s modern needs, Islands Stay Hotels does without the unnecessary accouterments and amenities that jack up room cost.

The Islands Group
Synonymous with travel and tourism, the Islands Group is the leading brand for tourism services in the Philippines. It is a holding group for diverse tourism-oriented companies that focus on underserved needs of travelers in the country, starting from premier quality souvenir items (Islands Souvenirs) and eventually expanding to other subsidiaries nationwide, with various pioneering components in retail, hospitality, adventure, tours, and design.

“Island hopping and other sea-based activities are part of leisure itinerary of a tourist that is visiting Cebu because of the beaches and islands. I see the opportunity of providing a transportation facility through ‘banca” that will offer good service and amenities,” Aldeguer said in an interview.

“Cebu is known as one of the top dive destinations in the region. Great dive sites, such as Mactan’s Gilutungan and Nalusuan island marine sanctuaries are a short 20-30 minute banca ride from Mactan Island. Visitors are given good service on board with welcome drinks, hot/cold towels. We also offer ‘chill-out’ parties on board’ cruising the Mactan channel,” he said.

Islands Banca Cruises will start the trend on professionalizing the standard of services offered by the “Island Hopping” banca facilities off Mactan Island, Aldeguer said.

At present, the company has maintained three “banca” units for a start, Aldeguer said adding that he is planning to acquire a 20-30-seater Island Hopping banca in the next few months.

A banca is an archetypical Philippine boat, fundamentally, a sturdy, deep-hulled outrigger canoe designed primarily for inter-island transport. Despite being very simple, almost rustic, a banca is a stable, reliable and fast vessel.

An Island Banca, on the other hand, is a more streamlined, elegantly styled, and efficient version of the traditional motorized banca, fondly called a “pumpboat.” It combines the versatility and speed of a classic banca, with the convenience and reliability of modern transport and travel. – Ehda M. Dagooc

From the Freeman (June 2008)

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=69175&publicationSubCategoryId=108

These suggestions were made by tourism capitalist and advocate Jay P. Aldeguer as the government still has to spot the proper adjective of the country’s tourism edge, as part of branding for the international market.

Aldeguer believes that the deployment of Filipino nurses and caregivers all over the globe, has strengthened the reputation of Filipinos as caring, warm and friendly. “We should be the heart of Asia.”

India is considered as the “brain” of the region, as China as the “bone”. The Philippines should immediately position itself as the “heart”, Aldeguer said.

Highlighting the festivals, fiestas, parties, among others could re-enforce this suggestion, as well as emphasizing the natural friendly ways of Filipinos to accommodate guests, and visitors.

After the failed attempt of the Department of Tourism (DOT) to make “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” as the new tourism tagline, the private sector had been urging the department to spot the country’s true identity.

Aldeguer joined other private sector tourism advocates in its stand that the country is still suffering from “identity crisis” in terms of identifying itself in the positioning as global tourism destination.

Unless the government will be able to address this issue of “identity crisis”, the country will not be able to take advantage of its maximum potential.

Cebu Business Club (CBC) president Dondi Joseph said that an active and brilliant move should be done immediately by the government led by the DOT in terms of selling the Philippines to potential tourism market abroad.

Otherwise, the country’s potential to attract more foreign visitors, will be slowly eaten by neighboring states which have also the same attraction as the Philippines, like Thailand, Vietnam, among others.

Joseph said the Philippine tourism in the recent years had been exploring its niche, but up until now, it still has to decide where to settle down, and on what strength the sector should put its confidence to.

Although, the Philippines is diverse with attractions cover from different market interests, Joseph said it has to establish its identity properly, just like other developed destinations are doing.

He said one of obvious causes that push this problem, is the discontinuity of government’s programs in tourism “every new administration changes the rules.”

In Marcos’ time, he said the Philippines was widely known for its “Tinikling (national dance)” branding, after that the country had no identified recall and it changed branding, and direction, every time new government leaders come in.

This time, while the Philippines has started to take off as a tourism destination, the new government should continue to good things that started by the past administration for the sake of the industry’s success.

In his earlier pronouncements, President Benigno Aquino III said that the Philippines will put its focus more on the tourism sector, as this has proven its strength, and considered as the fourth engine of growth of the country.

Making the Philippines, as the “Heart of Asia” is one of the closest and most effective branding strengths that should be seriously considered, Aldeguer said. (Ehda Dagooc for Freeman, January 2011)

From the Freeman (June 2008)

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=651965&publicationSubCategoryId=108

Islands Group chief executive officer Jay Aldeguer said the capital expenditure (capex) budget is meant for the acquisition of more bancas for the company’s Islands Banca Cruises, construction of Phase II of the Talima Adventure Park in Mactan, additional Island Souvenir stores and the company’s new venture that will be announced early next year.

Aldeguer said in an interview last Monday that the aggressive expansion of the company’s products and services was buoyed by renewed market confidence and the growing tourism industry in Cebu.

He cited the “I love Cebu” campaign of Island Souvenirs, which has earned positive feedback and patronage among local and foreign tourists.

Aldeguer said that since its debut in the market last February this year, the company has sold close to 300,000 T-shirts nationwide. He added that they are now adding a new facet to the campaign, where consumers can customize their “I love T-shirts” to further sustain the campaign’s momentum.

Island Souvenirs has about 98 outlets nationwide, which are mostly company-owned.

Aldeguer said that the company considers putting up stand-alone concept stores if the campaign’s momentum is sustained.

Aldeguer also announced the company’s plan to open more land-based activities next year for its water adventure park in Talima, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City. He said the construction of the park’s second phase will also start next year.

The construction of the Talima Adventure Park was meant to boost adventure tourism in Cebu, said Aldeguer. He added that the company was overwhelmed by the feedback the park got that it decided to upgrade activities and facilities there.

Aldeguer also said the company will add eight new boats next year to the Islands Banca fleet to accommodate a growing number of customers. Islands Banca Cruises has nine bancas, at present.

“The Islands Group is really positioning its products and services to cater to the tourism market because we believe that this is one of the industries in the country that has the capacity and edge to sell…apart from the business process outsourcing and information technology,” Aldeguer said.

The Islands Group, he added, will also venture into a new business next year to help bolster Cebu’s tourism industry.

(Kathleen Cacho for Sunstar, December 2010)

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/business/p70m-expansion-eyed

According to Chai Apale, The Islands Groups Executive Officer for Corporate Social Projects, their green program is in line with the goals and mission of the International Coastal Clean-up activity held every September, designated coastal clean-up month.

Apale bared that the activity, which is also in partnership with other environment-conscious establishments, including Bigfoot Studios Inc, ScubaDen, Aquadive Inc, Cebu Ocean Care, Hilton Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel, Albert Schweizer Foundation and some local volunteers, was able to gather more than 200 participants. The latter collected a total of 630 kilos of waste in a span of 45 minutes covering an area of one hectare.

She added that true to its campaign of promoting and supporting environment protection activities, The Islands Group, with its subsidiaries Islands Souvenirs Inc., Islands Banca Cruises, Islands & More, and Islands Pasalubong Center along with volunteers, used recycle trash bags and wooden tongs to gather waste strewn on the shoreline of Mactan Island.

The underwater and coastal clean-up were done simultaneously to gather wastes and waste disposal done in the proper manner. An environmental orientation was conducted before the clean-up activity. Topics on biodiversity, the negative impacts of garbage on the marine ecosystem and the importance of clean-up drives were discussed.

A statement distributed by The Islands Group, said world-renowned marine scientists have learned that the Philippines has one of the most diverse marine ecosystems on the planet. Thousands of reef fishes and coral species, a wide range of marine invertebrates and vertebrates’ genus, and different kinds of flora families can be found in the seas of the country.

However, studies revealed that only five percent of the 27,000-square-kilometer of the coral reefs in the country is considered to be in excellent condition. The declining health status of the marine ecosystem is attributed to anthropogenic issues such as unsustainable ways of disposing waste.

http://www.mb.com.ph/node/220428/cebu-con