From November 25 to December 4, 2014, Consul (a.h.) Thelmo Cunanan Jr. led a delegation of Philippine journalists to Georgia. This was the first such 100% media familiarization trip from the Philippines.

Accompanying Consul Cunanan were Benjamin Locsin Layug, noted travel blogger and writer for Business Mirror; Riva Galveztan, contributor for The Manila Standard; Melissa Dizon, television segment host of the Global News Network; and artist/travel photographer Pancho Piano. Consul Cunanan is, himself, also a print and broadcast (television) practitioner.

The familiarization trip, which was arranged by Consul Cunanan in cooperation with the Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA), brought the delegation all over the country for three days. The media people were able to visit such famous tourist attractions and iconic landmarks like the Gergeti and Jvari Monasteries, Ananuri Fotress, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, the Cave City of Uplistsikhe, and the beautiful city of Signaghi. The journalists will be promoting these tourism sites in their respective media outlets. For his part, Mr. Piano, who also held a successful art exhibit at the Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts in Tbilisi, will be holding another art exhibit in Manila, based on his experiences on the familiarization trip.

Aside from the GNTA-organized tour program, the journalists were also to cover multiple events in Tbilisi, including the establishment of the first bust of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal in Georgia and the Caucasus and the lectures of Georgian Consulate officials at Caucasus University. Consul Cunanan was also able to arrange several cultural events for the group.

Consul Cunanan has worked with the GNTA in the past. In 2012, he organized the first tourism delegation from the Philippines to Georgia, composed of top officials of the leading Philippine travel companies and tour operators. The objective of these familiarization trips is to promote tourism to Georgia.