Want to promote Manila’s tourism? Here’s one way you can walk the talk — literally.
The Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), which manages one of the metro’s three commuter trains, will launch a tourism project called ikotMNL (Trip around Manila) come July that will have locals and tourists walking around spots near LRT-1 train stations.
In partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT), the project will come together with the help of tour operators such as Carlos Celdran of Walk This Way Intramuros, Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks, and digital booking platform Tralulu which will be in charge of the Binondo’s Chinatown Food Crawl.
“We want to boost tourism in [Metro Manila], especially since our [train] line passes through Pasay, Makati, Manila, Caloocan and Quezon City,” Rochelle Gamboa, head of LRMC’s corporate communications, told Business Mirror.
The walking tour will take people to spots like the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Baclaran, the Shrine of Our Lady of Grace in Monumento, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design in Vito Cruz, and thrift-shopping areas like Divisoria.
Those who don’t mind long walks can also opt to stroll around the Rizal Park.
Manila’s transportation system has proven to be a downer with multiple breakdowns every month, long queues, and its lack of personal space during rush hour.
In February, the LRT-1 offloaded 120 passengers off a station due to an “air pressure problem” while on the same day, the Manila Metro Rail Transit System (MRT-3) passengers had to walk on the train tracks between the Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard stations when one southbound train had an “electrical failure” in its braking system.
You could say that it’s a rollercoaster ride when commuting in the Philippines, so let’s hope it’ll be smooth sailing for ikotMNL‘s participants.
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