I think Filipinos don't need to be convinced that the Philippines has great tourist destinations, and that we ourselves can be tourists in our own country.

The trouble begins with what links tourists, foreign and local, to the destinations. Airports in this country seem to be too small for big dreams. Just like a lot of infrastructure built supposedly on our behalf, they are often too tiny, too boring, too inaccessible to the common person.

The airports are often cut off from the public transport system. This is unlike most other airports elsewhere in the world where they are part of the routes of trains and buses.

Most Philippine airports' default connections to the public transport system are private taxi and car rental services owned by officials or persons close or related to them or to other powerful persons.

Then, there are the hotel rooms and other accommodations. Except perhaps for Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Baguio, most other supposed destinations don't have adequate hotel rooms for millions of supposedly potential visitors.

The hotel rates are too expensive for Filipino tourists. There are so-called hacks for getting cheaper accommodations, but the problem would fester as long as those are exceptions. Are hotels overtaxed? Or are taxes unduly passed on to guests. Are utilities just that expensive in the Philippines that even a modicum of comfort one expects to find in a hotel stay would really cost that much?

Filipinos are most familiar with Panagbenga, Traslacion and other Metro Manila events, and Sinulog. This is not incidental. Fares are relatively cheaper going to and from Manila or Cebu. In the case of Baguio, land travel has improved by a lot compared to 20 or 30 years ago. These cities can also accommodate millions.

We can't say the same for other cities. Even if we love Ati Atihan, Dinagyang, or the different places and events in the Visayas and Mindanao, the bare facts about their airport capacities, hotel rooms, and costs, do not inspire confidence among foreign and local tourists.

Fuel surcharges, levies and a host of taxes also make air travel more expensive and inaccessible to the public.

The travel tax should be abolished. If it is to be maintained, the travel tax should be imposed only on first class, business class and charter flight passengers.

Perhaps our historians, economists, sociologists and social anthropologists could confirm this. But I have been hearing and observing that Visayans and Mindanaoans seem be more seasoned in domestic tourism and travel than those from Luzon. By the time they reach Luzon (like checking out Quiapo, Makati and Baguio), the Visayan or Mindanaoan visitor had already gone to a lot of places the Visayas and Mindanao.

Promoting the Philippines is an unofficial duty that overseas Filipino workers and Filipino immigrants have not been remiss about. They are most loyal to and most knowledgeable about their hometowns, and so they are outstanding ambassadors. Many have visited the country because of their low-key but effective efforts.

The same could be said about Filipinos here at home. Despite the parade of bad news and humiliations, many choose to stay and do a lot to promote favorite Filipino events and places. Whether it is about our foods or music, sports or sights, any Filipino can say a lot and show any guest around.

Travel and tourism bloggers have done a lot in terms of producing written, photographic and video content directly and indirectly promote domestic tourism. They have promoted places and events, as well as introduced us to "hacks" to get the best deals from airline and hotel bookings, to event highlights and places that badly need our attention.

But whatever solutions we find or develop, we must look to our people for inspiration and guidelines to avert selling them off, or turning them into sellouts, expropriating what's not ours to expropriate, protecting heritage, and ultimately making tourism work not just for the tourists. Good, durable jobs. Self-determination and self-dignity. Local culture. Pride for one's identity and language. No special treatment for foreigners and not giving a lot less to citizens. Tourism should be part of our personal, community, regional and national development goals.

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Condolences to our Tita Tessie and our cousins on the passing of Tata Roming. May God bless you in this time of grief.