By; Catherine Cueto

THE Department of Tourism (DOT) applauded the naming of the country's three island destinations among "The 25 Best Islands in the World" by the New York-based travel magazine Travel + Leisure (T+L).  

Boracay Island is featured with a "postcard perfect sunset" and is ranked 9th in the T+L World's Best Island list.

Palawan follows this on the 11th, to which the article showed a photo of an idyllic lagoon in El Nido.

Cebu ranked 16th, and it featured the Taoist Temple in Cebu City. 

According to T+L, readers were asked to "weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. In addition, readers rated islands according to their activities and sights, natural attractions and beaches, food, friendliness, and overall value." 

"The Philippines is truly blessed with the unrivaled beauty of our natural resources coupled by 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," Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said.  

Boracay and Palawan also topped T+L's 5 Best Islands in Asia alongside Phuket, Thailand, Bali, Indonesia, and The Maldives. 

"Travel + Leisure readers fondly recalled pre-COVID-era visits to the best islands in Asia. Now that the region is reopening, they're surely eager to return to these five ports of call, including the islands of the Maldives, as well as those found in Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines," said T + L. 

"We express our heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to all tourism stakeholders from the public and private sector, the national and local government units, the efforts of the previous administration included, and all the hardworking employees and officials of the Department across the country for forging forward amidst the challenges of the pandemic and contributing in their ways so our country may earn the title as one of the most beautiful in the world. The natural beauty of a country can truly shine through when we are united in heralding our best qualities," Frasco said.  

Meanwhile, the Philippines was featured as among the "40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World."

On the other hand, lifestyle travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler (CNT) said the country is accompanied in the list by other countries such as Brazil, France, Italy, Japan, and the United States of America, among others.  

On the other hand, the DOT said Manila is cited as one of the top cities in the world.

TimeOut.com ranked Manila among the top cities in the world. The ranking comes as a result of a survey among city-dwellers worldwide. The choice results from several criteria, including walkability, good public transport, safety, and sustainability other than a thriving nightlife, amazing food and drink, and art and culture. It should be noted that Manila is usually about Metro Manila or the Philippines' National Capital Region.  

"May this global recognition of the beauty of our natural resources inspire our efforts to raise the Philippines' standing in the tourism industry by introducing tourism infrastructure development and improvements that would enhance connectivity and convenience in reaching our destinations," Frasco said.