Bianca Gonzalez Shares The Candid Truth About Families Traveling in The Philippines
Bianca Gonzalez asks a question that many Filipino families feel: “Why on Earth is it so hard to travel within one’s own country?”
When broadcaster and host Bianca Gonzalez shared her frustration about how a trip to Siargao can cost as much—or even more—than traveling to some foreign countries, it struck a nerve. Not because families begrudged beautiful destinations charging what they must to maintain the place, but because many parents felt seen.
Seen in that familiar, heavy way parents often feel when they’re doing the math in their heads: airfare times four, accommodation that fits children (and not just Instagram), meals, transfers, emergencies. Suddenly, a local trip meant to connect kids to their own country feels out of reach.
And when that happens, children’s worlds shrink.
When Money Shrinks The World
Most parents want to take their kids around—not just abroad, but around the Philippines. They want their children to know that the country is bigger than their barangay, their city, their school route. That there are islands where people speak differently, live differently, and believe differently. That the world is wide, and they belong in it.
But when local travel becomes prohibitively expensive, families make practical choices. They stay home. They postpone. They say “maybe next year” until next year becomes a habit.
The result isn’t spoiled children. It’s often the opposite: kids who grow up more sheltered than their parents ever intended. Their understanding of the country comes secondhand—through textbooks, YouTube vlogs, or school projects—rather than lived experience.
Travel isn’t just leisure. For children, it’s education in motion.
How Families Make It Work, If And When They Can
When families do manage to travel locally, it’s rarely without a strategy. Filipino parents have become master financial jugglers.
They book flights using credit card miles saved over the years. They wait for midnight seat sales and stack travel app vouchers like puzzle pieces. They choose budget airlines, off-peak dates, red-eye flights with sleepy children leaning on their shoulders.
Some families travel in groups with relatives or friends, splitting accommodations, sharing vans, booking tours together just to make the numbers work. Others skip hotels entirely and stay with family friends, or choose destinations that feel less “trendy” but more forgiving on the wallet.
While these trips are less luxurious than the ones on social media, they’re meaningful. It’s still something parents should take pride in.
When Local Travel Costs More Than Leaving the Country
What unsettles many families is the comparison: that a trip within the Philippines can rival—or exceed—the cost of traveling abroad.
This isn’t about shaming local tourism or overlooking the realities of island logistics, fuel costs, or post-pandemic recovery. It’s about accessibility.
When seeing your own country becomes a premium experience, it unintentionally filters who gets to participate. Families with fewer resources are left behind—not just financially, but culturally. Children learn about Paris or Seoul before they ever see Palawan or Siargao. Not because parents don’t value local travel, but because the economics tells them that they’re one hop away from bankruptcy.
Why This Matters More Than We Admit
Travel expands a child’s sense of possibility, teaching adaptability, empathy, and curiosity. They learn their life is one of many as they absorb the culture—through language, food, fashion, and many other things.
When families can’t afford to travel locally, kids lose more than photos and souvenirs. They lose context. Perspective. Their homes become constrained to the four walls they’ve grown up in. It’s why many aspire to be rich: not just because of comfort, but because they want to experience what the world has to offer.
As parents, we try to carry that weight—hoping every little penny pinch builds up to the grander scheme of bringing the kids out.
Going Beyond The Barangay
Traveling around the Philippines shouldn’t have to cost so much that it becomes a privilege instead of a possibility.
Because the moment local travel becomes inaccessible, it limits families and children’s learning experiences in ways that ripple far beyond a single vacation. Many Filipino families should be able to explore their own country without feeling like they’re choosing between memories and financial stability.
Children deserve to see the country they call home. And parents deserve to believe that showing it to them is still possible without financially compromising everything else.
Frequently Asked Questions
Besides inflation of airfare pricing, accommodation rates, limited competition in tourist areas, and seasonal demand, much of it includes the workload and salaries of many working families. Some, because they are often talent-stretched, find themselves unable to enjoy the money because of the work they handle to make that amount.
Some book red-eye flights (those late-night flights) months before they go. Others have gone the “couponing” and “voucher” route, stacking as many as they can through travel apps and credit card promos.
Because they learn better via experience. A book’s description of a place or thing is limited by the writer’s understanding and layout. It’s learning using the five senses.
Because it’s not that far, distance and time-wise. A one-hour flight shouldn’t have to cost as much as a 16-hour flight. Provincial rates for accommodations are also supposed to be lower.
In some cases, yes. Promos, budget airlines, and package deals can make destinations like Vietnam, Thailand, or South Korea more affordable than popular local spots like Siargao or Boracay.
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