MANILA – Canadian Kyle Jennermann, known to many as “Kulas” of the travel blog Becoming Filipino, was recognized in the first ever Choose Philippines Awards.

Jennermann was given the Best Pinoy at Heart Award, beating four other foreigners who are known for showing their love for the Philippines.

“At first when I heard I had been nominated for this award, I felt awkward because the honest truth is this… Every single day I am in this country, I really do feel like it is an award already. It is very strange being recognized by Filipinos because the truth is, I just want to recognize you guys. Thank you for being part of a culture that has inspired so much happiness and inspiration in my life,” he said in his acceptance speech at the Choose Philippines Awards held at the ABS-CBN Dolphy Theater last week.

Jennermann first came to the Philippines in 2013 upon the recommendation of his overseas Filipino worker friends in Hong Kong, where he was initially based.

He said he fell in love with the country since, visiting over 30 provinces in three years.

While he does not want to play favorites, Jennermann admitted that Cagayan de Oro, where he stayed the longest, has a special place in his heart.

“There’s everything there – you have cowboys, beaches, waterfalls, amazing extreme adventures. But the other thing is, there are a lot of friendly people there,” he told ABS-CBN News.

ON CITIZENSHIP, PH TOURISM

Jennermann currently has a three-year work visa, which means he’ll be here until 2019.

“But honestly, I take it one day at a time,” he said. “This is my home, I don’t plan on leaving. I do whatever I can, to stay here as long as I can.”

In his travel videos and in various interviews, Jennermann has always expressed his interest in becoming a Filipino. The Canadian, however, maintained that he has no plans of applying for citizenship here, saying he is happy with the opportunity to promote the Philippines to his fellow foreigners.

“You know what, if someone handed me a passport and asked me if I would like to stay here, of course that would be amazing. But I’m proud to be Canadian, and I’m also really, really proud to call the Philippines my home,” he said.

“Canada is where I’m from, the Philippines is my home,” he added. “So would I like to stay here? Yes, as long as I possibly can. But I’m not worried about getting citizenship, that’s not for me to ever ask for. It’s not appropriate.”

When asked what he thinks should be done to more effectively attract tourists to the country, Jennermann replied: “The Philippines has everything, but I think the only thing missing is positive media. I mean, there are a lot of difficult things that people deal with here and unfortunately, a lot of those get blown up around the world to the point where it detracts people from coming here.”

“That’s why I always just kind of share positive stuff to make people see the good about this country.”

To those who have yet to visit the Philippines, Jennermann encouraged them to have an open mind about the country.

“If you explore the Philippines with an open, positive attitude, I guarantee you will fall in love with this place. You can never get bored here. There’s so much to do, so much to experience. Just come here, that’s all you have to do,” he ended.