MANILA, Philippines — The islands of Boracay, Palawan and Cebu were listed among the world’s best islands by US-based travel magazine Travel+Leisure (T+L).
On T+L’s list of “The 25 Best Islands in the World,” Boracay ranked ninth, while Palawan and Cebu landed on the 11th and 16th spots, respectively.
The magazine’s “5 Best Islands in Asia” list also included Boracay and Palawan, which earned the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.
Boracay returned on the Asia list “after a hiatus,” according to T+L.
“Two and a half miles of Boracay’s four-mile length consist of the aptly named White Beach, which is dotted with restaurants and lodgings for visitors looking for easy access to ideal snorkeling and diving,” it said.
It added that one of its readers described the tourist spot as “tropical paradise that boasts azure waters, powdery white sand, abundant flora and fauna and diverse marine life.”
Meanwhile, the magazine wrote that the “ever-popular” Palawan, which stayed in fifth place on the Asia list from last year, shared the same praise as Boracay and “offer(s) blissful beachfront experiences.”
T+L said it conducted a survey asking travelers who read the website to rate the tourist islands “according to their activities and sights, natural attractions and beaches, food, friendliness and overall value.”
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco praised the inclusion of Boracay, Palawan and Cebu – where she hails from – in the T+L list.
Frasco also thanked tourism stakeholders, government units and the Department of Tourism’s previous administration led by former secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, who is currently Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas deputy governor, for their efforts in keeping tourism alive amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Philippines is truly blessed with the unrivaled beauty of our natural resources, coupled with the warmth and endless talent of the Filipinos manifested in this citation of Travel + Leisure that included our Cebu, Palawan and Boracay in their prestigious list,” Puyat said in her statement.