By: Tessa Wong

THE Philippines, a top holiday destination among Singaporeans in the 1970s before it fell out of favour, is staging a comeback.

This time around, it is a magnet for the young and adventure-hungry.

Statistics from last year show that nearly 16 per cent more Singaporeans visited the country than in 2006, said the Philippine Department of Tourism.

In fact, Singapore is now its biggest tourist market in South-east Asia; four in 10 visitors from Asean are from Singapore.

Singaporeans are welcome there because they turn up ready to spend. Visitors from here blew a record US$141 million (S$195 million) in the archipelago last year.

Back in the 1970s, cities such as Manila and the hill resort of Baguio were popular with families, who flocked there for the lively shopping and food scene.

But in later years, as the country became tangled in political unrest, it declined in popularity as a holiday destination. Countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and Australia started attracting Singaporeans instead.

The country's resurgence comes on the back of growing affluence here and a new generation of Singaporeans with a thirst for travel.

National Association of Travel Agents Singapore chief executive Robert Khoo said: 'We are now seeing more young singles and couples going for resort, diving and adventure holidays in places like Boracay and Cebu.'

A plus point is that the impression of the country being politically unstable is eroding, he added.

The Philippines now sits among the top 15 destinations worldwide for Singaporean tourists, Mr Khoo added, with Malaysia still being the most popular.

The Philippine Department of Tourism has been wooing the Singapore dollar aggressively, tripling its budget for tourism promotion here this year.

Besides putting out advertisements on television, taxis, buses and at bus shelters, it also launched its first trade and tourism fair here on Thursday to mark the Philippines' Independence Day.

Nearly half the 30 stalls at the Philippine Fiesta have been taken up by travel exhibitors. The four-day fair at Suntec City will also feature music and dance performances by Filipino celebrities.

Ms Gerosel A. Sequian, the tourism attache with the Philippine Department of Tourism, said it was no surprise that Singapore tourists are coveted in the region, because of their high spending power.

She said: 'They also love to travel often - up to three to four times a year - because there are not many natural attractions at home.'