“It would be more emphatic if DOT Secretary Frasco gave particular emphasis on what tourists would love to see in the country that they could not see elsewhere”
The Department of Tourism launched last week its slogan “Love the Philippines” in time for its 50th anniversary.
The DOT called it rebranding the Philippines with special emphasis on the issue of “love.”
This brought me to ask the question, who or what is the target of the DOT in launching its slogan of “Love the Philippines”?
Santa Banana, it would seem the DOT would like Filipinos to “love” the Philippines more than to make foreign tourists love the Philippines!
This is rather confusing.
Yes, we Filipinos should love our country.
But at the same time, how can foreign tourists love the Philippines without telling them what they should love about the Philippines?
I can admire Tourism Secretary Cristina Garcia Frasco for giving emphasis on “love,” but what would foreign tourists love about the Philippines that they should come here?
To me, this question of the word “love” misses the whole point in rewriting a new slogan to rebrand the country.
There have been some slogans done to rebrand the country, but for me, there’s no substitute to what the world knows what the Philippines is known for — its famous beaches like Boracay, island resorts like El Nido and Panglao in Bohol.
I’m not saying here that “Love the Philippines” won’t work, with the special emphasis on “love,” which is a universal feeling.
But then, as I stated earlier, it would be more emphatic if DOT Secretary Frasco gave particular emphasis on what tourists would love to see in the country that they could not see elsewhere.
It is for this reason the DOT should be specific on what tourists would love about the Philippines, like India’s slogan “Incredible India” which gives emphasis on the many “incredible” experiences that India would give foreign tourists, the main target of rebranding the country as a tourist attraction.
I’m not an expert in rebranding anything.
But, my gulay, being a DOT secretary, one must be like an excellent salesman who can even sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo.
Yes, there’s a need to rebrand the country, like selling something to the world which would entice foreigners to come to the Philippines.
And I still believe that more than anything the DOT must use all means of propaganda in selling the country to the world, like buying spots at CNN to attract foreign tourists.
In other words, a DOT secretary must realize that he or she must utilize all means to sell the country to the world.
It is for these reasons why the DOT must send, really send posters, selling devices, brochures worldwide to “sell” the country, and one of the means is to flood all Philippine consulates and embassies with propaganda materials.
Whenever I go abroad and visit Philippine consulates and embassies, more often than not, one of their main complaints is the lack of materials.
They are often asked by people getting visas to the country why the utter lack of brochures where tourists can go once they enter the Philippines, when there are so many things to see in the Philippines, the cultural wonders, the heritage sites, the wondrous island tours, resort beaches, diving spots and so many interesting places.
Santa Banana, come to think of it tourism should be about selling the Philippines as a place of wonder.
The problem of PH
Yes, there are many things to love in the Philippines.
The problem, however, is that while there are many things that tourists can love about the Philippines, Santa Banana, how can a tourist love a country when tourists upon arrival at NAIA airport see our airport as a far cry from other international airports in Southeast Asia?
We have an international airport chronically called the “worst” airport in the world and, sadly enough, all main international gateways in Southeast Asia are referred to as the best.
I used to travel a lot in my younger days as a journalist and when I pass through the main gateways to countries around us, my heart truly breaks when I compare NAIA with airports like Hong Kong, Narita in Japan , and Seoul, Korea.
The international airports of Jakarta far excel NAIA.
There’s also the problem of infrastructure.
Yes, there are many things to love in the Philippines but can tourists just go there safely and easily?
And yes, Filipinos are known for their hospitality, but if tourist flights are delayed and canceled, my gulay, the stories that they would tell people when they go back home are about all the delays and inconveniences.
These would definitely erase whatever they love about the Philippines when they get back home to their country.
Yes, Santa Banana, there are many things a tourist can love about the Philippines.
But what first impression will a tourist have about our country when they go through NAIA and flights are delayed or canceled or they have a difficult time going to the places they want to go to?
First year of BBM
When a President like Marcos Jr. ends his first year, he is usually rated as a success or a failure.
In fairness to BBM, while others may claim he did not do well during his first year, I will not rate him since he assumed office after the May 2022 elections at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic was still ongoing and when oil prices soared due to multiple reasons like the Russia-Ukraine war that had a domino effect on prices of almost everything in the country, especially on consumer goods and transport fares without any fault to BBM.
Moreover, what BBM wants to do for the country and its people is rather incomplete.
There is also the problem when productivity and services were diminished because of the pandemic, causing the surge of inflation sky high that reached as high as 8.1 percent, like many countries, and inflation causing prices of consumer goods to rise which necessitates Bangko Sentral to raise interest to tighten borrowings, due mostly to excess of money supply more than productivity and services, as economists would say.
All this necessitates President Marcos Jr. to assume the secretaryship of the agriculture department to ensure food security and affordability, knowing full well that food security is basic and essential to the people.
It was indeed necessary and essential for the President to assume the position as Secretary of Agriculture because of the need to control smuggling of food, like sugar , rice and other vital consumer goods in the wake of hoarding and manipulation of prices, like what I said of vital food.
There are many other things that President Marcos Jr. had to do during his first year in office.
Santa Banana, there was the need to import sugar and other consumer goods that only a President was in a position to do.
It is for these reasons it would be unfair to rate the President whether or not he did good or bad.
But, to be honest I would say that as President he did well. He knew what was vital and essential for the common good.
Thus, I would say for those who rated him bad for the first year in office, they fail to realize we cannot rate a President during his first year knowing full well what he must and had to do for the common good.
As I said, BBM still has five years to go to get any rating. But,as far as I am concerned, he did pretty well.
The most essential and important thing is that BBM knows what he must do.