Travel and Tourism Industry [Archive] - Page 35

Manila-X

November 18th, 2010, 05:47 AM

Tourist spat
By Conrado R. Banal III
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:03:00 11/17/2010

THE AQUINO (Part II) administration seems to have a plan to try to promote tourism in this country. And so our leader Benigno Simeon (a.k.a. BS) just started a spat with the world’s richest countries, which expectedly were mostly western countries.

Those countries alerted their citizens against traveling to the Philippines supposedly due to unverified reports of possible threats of unspecified terrorist attacks. Nobody thus can blame our leader BS for being a bit belligerent. After all, the foremost target of the most notorious terrorist groups of the world is none other than the United States—without any doubt.

But we do not expect those rich countries—or any country, for that matter—to issue, well, some “downbeat” travel advisory on the United States. Anyway, it seems that our leader BS is a bit combative toward our “friends” abroad because his administration is making a big push for tourism. But just exactly what this administration is cooking in the tourism industry, nobody in the business community has any idea whatsoever.

The business sector has been waiting for the Aquino (Part II) administration to spell out its economic program. You know—some concrete plans! Perhaps we just have a rather secretive administration regarding its economic program and policies.

* * *

AMONG the foreign airlines flying to the Philippines, the merged French and Dutch airlines Air France-KLM pays the biggest amount of the 3-percent common carrier tax and the 2.5 percent on all cargo and passenger revenue. The internal revenue code require those taxes for all nonstop flights of foreign airlines originating from the Philippines—no matter where the passengers bought their tickets.

Now, Air France-KLM is the only airline still serving the Philippines-Europe route with nonstop flights. It is also the only European airline still flying here. Since other foreign airlines ply much shorter route than Air France-KLM, they naturally pay less than the total amount of those taxes that Air France-KLM does. Now Air France-KLM just had enough of it. The airline is said to be lobbying in Congress, plus of course Malacañang, for the abolition of the taxes.

Other European airlines already pulled out of the Philippines. Word had it that the German airline Lufthansa pulled out precisely because of those taxes. For its part, while executives of Air France-KLM often say that the airline is here in the Philippines to stay, the tax issue may yet force top management in Europe to cancel the Philippine operation altogether. Well, the operating margin of Air France-KLM here comes up to about 5 to 7 percent of the ticket price. The taxes amount to 5.5 percent of the ticket price. Do the math.

No wonder, foreign airlines have been lobbying for the abolition of those taxes. To begin, the only country in the world that imposes such taxes on foreign airlines is the Philippines.

At least we have such a distinction.

* * *

ANYWAY, if Air France-KLM pulls out of the Philippines, it would be bad for the country’s tourism prospect—and for the apparent tourism program of the Aquino (Part II) administration. And that is true not only because of the implication of such a pullout to the country’s image as a tourist destination, but also because Air France-KLM actually spends hard cash here.

The airline’s crew alone accounts for more than 10,000 days every year in hotel room occupancy. That is a lot of business for tourism establishments here. But the bigger picture shows that the nonstop Europe-Manila flights of the airline deliver roughly 125,000 passengers a year, some 30 percent of which are Europeans on business or leisure travel.

In terms of hotel room occupancy, assuming that the Europeans on the average stay here for about a week, which is even a conservative estimate, based on figures from the Department of Tourism, those Air France-KLM passengers from Europe should account for close to 200,000 days every year in hotel room occupancy. Meaning, ultimately, a lot of tourism business!

* * *

RECENTLY, a new real estate company launched a township project in that area in Batangas that has been riding high on the long-lasting Tagaytay real estate boom. It is called the “Sandari Batulao,” which is a name that should ring a bell. “Batulao” has been associated with the major development project of the Puyat family (steel, memorial park, real estate, etc.) in Nasugbu Batangas in the 1970s. It is the Puyat property adjacent to the Ever Crest resort project of the group led by Jose Go of the bankrupt Ever Gotesco, which was foreclosed by Go’s creditors.

Anyway, a new face in the real estate business is behind the Sandari Batulao project: the former Philippine ambassador to Laos, Antonio Cabangon Chua, who is simply known as “Amba” to his close friends. In the business community, the man is known to have a lucky business charm. Starting with a small motel, he parlayed his business into a billion-peso group in hotel, insurance, car dealership, memorial park, publishing and broadcasting.

Anyway, the Sandari Batulao project is the first real estate venture of the Cabangon-Chua group, which takes care of the development in a joint venture with the Puyat group. Aside from the real estate boom in that area near and around Tagaytay (Sta. Rosa, Silang, Nasugbu), Cabangon-Chua must be confident about his first foray into real estate.

Let us even forget the view, and the clean air, and the cool weather in the area. Or even the golf courses nearby! Really, the area is safe from … well, flooding. Also, unlike other projects in the area that has water-sourcing problems, Batulao is known for the clear, clean water in its river system.

No wonder, word goes around that sales are already doing well, only a week after the project launch. Know what—the wife of a billionaire-industrialist is said to have made a reservation on opening day! I need not say more, I guess.

bledzoe

November 18th, 2010, 06:04 AM

let's wait for P-Noy to comment on this tourism campaign . Bertie Lim is receiving a lot on his plate... while listening to him in UKG, he seems to be a bit nervous defending his tourism campaign.... just my observation!

SHOW up or FOLD up!

xxxriainxxx

November 18th, 2010, 06:10 AM

^^ Who/What advertising company conceptualized Wow Philippines?

BBDO.

normand

November 18th, 2010, 06:11 AM

PACQUIAO PHILIPPINES is even more catchy than PILIPINAS KAY GANDA, Hahaha

Pacquiao Philippines baka maging Pakyow Pilipins tayo...Parang beautifulpilipinas.com at beautifulfilipinas.com ang kalalabasan.

bledzoe

November 18th, 2010, 06:13 AM

what about PAKYAWPHILIPPINES para related sa shopping! :nuts:

wino

November 18th, 2010, 06:25 AM

Sec. Lim was interviewed this morning in UMAGANG KAY GANDA. He admitted that Boy Abunda was one of those people who conceptualized the new DOT Slogan.

Perhaps DOT was inspired by "Umagang Kay Ganda" morning show of ABS CBN that they adopted Pilipinas Kay Ganda.

I also like "More than the Usual" but my favorite is "Wow Philippines".

Almost all people in the media - TV, radio, blogs and even in offices including my friends and colleagues don't like the new slogan.

the "More than the Usual" is still under the WOW Philippines slogan.

haha totoo ba ang chismis na may kinalaman si Boy Abunda sa slogan na "KAY GANDA" ?!!
haha tama ang hinala ko..
umpisa pa lang.. amoy na amoy ang kabadingan ni BOY ABUNDA sa "PILIPINAS KAY GANDA" slogan!! LOL :D

Linguine

November 18th, 2010, 06:26 AM

good news.....

it should be junked, not just may be junked....

Pilipinas kay Ganda may still be junked
By Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star) Updated November 18, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (127) View comments

MANILA, Philippines - Tourism officials may have to drop the new “Pilipinas kay Ganda” tourism slogan after it drew widespread criticism and even ridicule a day after its launch.

“At this time, the new slogan is just a concept and still under study. If the people, particularly the foreign market, won’t like it, we can pull it out,” Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said yesterday.

He said the Department of Tourism (DOT) decided to make the concept public at its “early stage” so that it could get early feedback.

“We held a preview of the concept to test it and get the reaction. What is more important for us now is to know the reaction of the Koreans, Americans who are the main target of our campaign,” Lim pointed out.

He said the government has not spent a single centavo for the concept although P200 million has been allocated for it from DOT’s 2011 budget.

“DOT has not spent anything yet because we have not created a visual or printed materials since we are still in the testing stage,” he said.

The tourism chief said they would test tourists’ reaction to the slogan until the end of the year.

“Until December, we would already know whether our target market would like the new slogan,” Lim said.

He also appealed to critics, particularly those in the local tourism industry, to give the slogan a chance even as he expressed confidence that the international market would accept it.

“We came out with a campaign in the vernacular intentionally to have an edge over our competitors because we know by doing so we could catch the foreign markets’ interest because it is unique,” Lim said.

Lim said the slogan was a product of thorough research by the DOT.

The new slogan drew criticism from various sectors, which argued that it was not as imaginative as “Wow Philippines.” Critics called for the country’s eight-year-old tourism slogan, “Wow Philippines,” to be retained.

The Federation of Tourism Industries of the Philippines Inc. (FTIP), however, clarified that it was not opposing the new slogan.

“We are not attacking or opposing it. We will just wait how the DOT would implement it and how the program would evolve,” FTIP president Alejandra Clemente said.

Clemente said they welcomed the DOT’s announcement that the government was open to revising or dropping the new slogan.

“The private sector would definitely support any program of the DOT that would promote the Philippines in the light of the travel advisories,” she said.

“What we really need this time is aggressive marketing campaign,” she added.

The new slogan was removed from DOT’s tourism promotion website just one day after its launch, after it was severely panned by industry critics.

“Bland,” “Lacks punch,” “Sounds dishonest” were among posts made on popular networking sites about the “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” slogan.

DOT spokesperson Evelyn Macayayong said the government acknowledged the criticisms and pulled down the website on Tuesday for revisions.

“The write-ups were not thoroughly edited. There were errors, and there are even allegations of plagiarism, that we copied from other websites,” Macayayong said.

The website was top billed by a candy-colored logo of the slogan adorned with a coconut tree, an endangered tiny primate called a tarsier, the sun and waves.

“I can’t understand why (we) want to get rid of a brand our country has worked so hard to build and invested so much money on,” tourism industry pundit Ivan Henares wrote on his tourism blog, “Ivan About Town.”

Controversial tourist guide Carlos Celdran wrote on Facebook that the government could have done better with “Mabuhay (Long Live the) Philippines,” which the DOT had used prior to “Wow Philippines.”

“It’s our Ole. It’s our Aloha. Seriously. It’s one word in Tagalog (Filipino) that I think a lot of foreigners might even know,” he added.

Macayayong defended the new slogan, saying “it raises awareness. It inculcates pride in our identity.”

Macayayong said she could not say when the edited version of the new campaign would go live.

The country has been struggling to shake off its image as an unsafe destination after a botched police rescue of foreign tourists seized in a bus by a dismissed policeman in August that left eight Hong Kong residents dead.

Macayayong said tourist arrivals in the eight months to August were up 14 percent from a year earlier to 2.1 million. However, the government has said it expects some fallout from the fiasco for the rest of the year.

• More criticism

Senators joined the chorus of criticism of the new tourism slogan.

“We are trying to entice foreigners to come here. How are they going to understand? First of all, why not in English which is the universal language of the globe today? And secondly, we have to find our niche because we have competitors from Southeast Asia,” Sen. Miriam Defensor- Santiago said.

“We cannot say that we have a beautiful country because everybody says that. Just think of something else. Let’s start some neurons in our brains working. Their neurons are not working. They are not on full eight cylinders. They are on two cylinders,” Santiago said of officials who conceived of the slogan.

“It wasn’t exceptional as an advertising tagline. But it was acceptable,” she said, referring to the Wow Philippines slogan. “Pilipinas Kay Ganda is, I think, ignorant and ignorance is boring,” Santiago said.

“We used to have Wow Philippines, and other countries have ‘Amazing Thailand’ with a beautiful commercial in CNN and BBC; ‘Incredible India,’ ‘Malaysia: Truly Asia.’ I do not hear Malaysia saying their slogan in Malay or the Indians in their native tongue as well as the Thais,” Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said.

“Who are we marketing the Philippines to? Even the Manobos will not understand Pilipinas Kay Ganda,” he said.

“If you ask me, I think somebody is drinking on the job,” Zubiri said, describing the new slogan as “unimaginative and unlikely to attract tourists.”

Zubiri clarified that his “disappointment” was with the slogan, and not with the Philippine language.

“Will it click and be understood by the Indonesian market, the Malaysian market?” Sen. Loren Legarda asked.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III noted that even Thailand has not changed its “Amazing Thailand” slogan.

“If ‘Wow Philippines’ ain’t broke, why fix it?” Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño said.

Bacolod City Rep. Anthony Golez said before changing the country’s slogan, “extensive and tedious marketing research must first be done.”

“I don’t think foreigners would immediately understand it,” Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said instead of wasting time changing slogans, the DOT should be busy with “things that are more substantial like focusing on the good traits of Filipinos.” With Christina Mendez and Paolo Romero

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=631162&publicationSubCategoryId=63

xxxriainxxx

November 18th, 2010, 06:27 AM

Sec. Lim was interviewed this morning in UMAGANG KAY GANDA. He admitted that Boy Abunda was one of those people who conceptualized the new DOT Slogan.

:ohno::ohno::ohno:

Perseus II

November 18th, 2010, 06:49 AM

wala ngang nasabi si sec lim sa mga sinabi nung taga travel agency.

Sec lim could not even expressed his thoughts well on the issue. :ohno:

I dont really know the good secretary pero It made me really wonder if he is up to the job of promoting our country :ohno:

Perseus II

November 18th, 2010, 06:51 AM

basically kasi ang ayaw ng majority ay yung slogan mismo, di ba? :ohno: ang chaka at ang cheap cheap nga naman kasi :ohno:

NOVO ECIJANO

November 18th, 2010, 06:56 AM

hindi lang iyan,pati ang modern logo ng PNR ay unti unti ng inaalis ng Aquino administration.

dancethingy

November 18th, 2010, 06:57 AM

this just comes to show that Aquino did not choose his admin very well...

pi_malejana

November 18th, 2010, 07:12 AM

hindi lang iyan,pati ang modern logo ng PNR ay unti unti ng inaalis ng Aquino administration.

nakakapagtaka nga rin yun eh... ang ayus ayus na eh kasi nga kasama sa rebranding ng PNR (nung panahon ni GMA) tapos papalitan...:dunno:

Sleepwalker

November 18th, 2010, 07:18 AM

nakakapagtaka nga rin yun eh... ang ayus ayus na eh kasi nga kasama sa rebranding ng PNR (nung panahon ni GMA) tapos papalitan...:dunno:

Kasi nga, di pa nila masyadong matalbogan ang mga magandang achievement ni PGMA...So in order for them to look better, ay tanggalin yong mga mabuting nagawa ni PGMA at tabunan nang kanilang mga palpak na efforts.

Ace Durano retained WOW Philippines brand and instead, focused his effort on other areas of tourism that needed immediate attention.

Manila-X

November 18th, 2010, 07:20 AM

BBDO.

BBDO is one of the most creative multinational advertising agencies.

MatudNilaBaby

November 18th, 2010, 07:20 AM

ang pangit! hindi naman ito naiintindihan ng mga foreigners...bat hindi english?

maganda to...

most especially the cebuanos cant understand what is being promoted by dot. :lol::lol::lol:

Sleepwalker

November 18th, 2010, 07:25 AM

^^Am worried, baka ipabakbak nang administration na ito ang kakasemento pa lang na highway doon sa amin...sa northern Cebu...kasi nagawa yon sa panahon ni PGMA.

icarusrising

November 18th, 2010, 07:38 AM

^^ No offense, Bai but that's OA. :lol:

Sleepwalker

November 18th, 2010, 07:40 AM

^^ No offense, Bai but that's OA. :lol:

It's ok...It's really my intention... :okay: Ini-exaggerate ko talaga yan. :)

RonnieR

November 18th, 2010, 08:06 AM

Guys, Resorts World Manila rocks....
http://www.rwmanila.com/images/enjoy/banner.jpg

NTprime

November 18th, 2010, 08:16 AM

Guys, Resorts World Manila rocks....
http://www.rwmanila.com/images/enjoy/banner.jpg

Yeah! Was there a month ago, interesting shows happening in the circle with the Russian or East European acrobats...

Too much cigarette smoke inside an airconditioned area though. They should have designated smoking areas and non-smoking areas. The Marriott was a much better place...

NTprime

November 18th, 2010, 08:18 AM

Hope the HKG authorities manage to contain this case before it spreads...

18 November 2010 Last updated at 03:57 GMT

Hong Kong diagnoses first bird flu case in seven years (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11782582)

A woman in Hong Kong is seriously ill in hospital with bird flu - the first human case of the disease to be diagnosed in the territory since 2003.

Officials said the 59-year-old fell ill shortly after returning from a visit to the Chinese mainland.

It is not yet clear whether she contracted the potentially fatal disease there or in Hong Kong.

The territory has raised its alert level to "serious", meaning there is a risk of contracting the disease.

The last outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus in Hong Kong killed six people in 2003.

Health chief York Chow said there was no sign yet that the virus has been spread between humans and that investigations were focusing on poultry as being the source of the infection.

"But we will be concentrating on people who were in contact with her when she showed symptoms and also when she was in Hong Kong," the AFP news agency quoted him as saying.

"The chances of her catching it is most likely on the mainland, but you cannot rule out Hong Kong," he said.

The woman is reported to have travelled to the mainland with her husband and daughter, and to have visited Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing.

Mr Chow said officials would meet on Thursday to decide what further precautions are needed.

The first time the virus crossed the species barrier between poultry and humans in 1997, every chicken in Hong Kong was culled.

The World Health Organization says more than 500 cases of bird flu have been diagnosed worldwide since 2003. Of those, 302 cases were fatal.

RonnieR

November 18th, 2010, 08:23 AM

Yeah! Was there a month ago, interesting shows happening in the circle with the Russian or East European acrobats...

Too much cigarette smoke inside an airconditioned area though. They should have designated smoking areas and non-smoking areas. The Marriott was a much better place...

I was wondering if RWM is exempted from the law?

Sky Harbor

November 18th, 2010, 08:31 AM

Kasi nga, di pa nila masyadong matalbogan ang mga magandang achievement ni PGMA...So in order for them to look better, ay tanggalin yong mga mabuting nagawa ni PGMA at tabunan nang kanilang mga palpak na efforts.

+1. :okay:

----

Anyway, here's the complete set of WOW Philippines ads, both international and domestic.

International

9BJ_hbj306M

YdBANriBrlw

IfkX2i1B7Ww

HN6yaYKkLzM

X04ZCNQ3DOo

cDKnKi7b4VU

There are a few missing ads: one of them includes an ad of Taal Lake. All the ads were likewise compounded into a five-minute infomercial.

2FsBvXh3m2A

A separate ad campaign was targeted for Metro Manila: "Manila: Let's Meet" (also known as "I, Manila").

i3VzISeSrTw

Domestic

The domestic WOW Philippines campaign began with the production of this song: "Tara Na, Biyahe Tayo", back in 2003-2004 (?). This was towards the end of Dick Gordon's term, and marked a new phase in the development of the DOT's tourism campaign: promoting domestic tourism. In fact, "WOW Philippines" was originally used exclusively for domestic tourism, until it eventually became the brand for the DOT's entire tourism campaign, both domestic and international.

8fRgS8iHMsw

From here, several ads were made revolving around this song. These were made in cooperation with Smart and were produced in the beginning of Ace Durano's term back in 2005.

hCV36eV55FI

A02cOWJ6h3o

mGAFWeNMSUk

Bd020ZwSXhY

6y6T93hXGuo

ThsYwIwqtVU

VWjC0N_7WPU

A second set was produced in 2006, also in cooperation with Smart.

wWdtFR7NRms

c0LnyZ6leUc

laui7-IA3pA

YwJkeqp7UD0

For a couple of years the DOT stopped using "Tara Na, Biyahe Tayo" in its promotions (this is around the time of the "The Philippines: Live Your Dreams" rollout for the international market), until it was revived in 2009 with a set of animated ads. These ones were made in cooperation with a new "tourism ambassador": Willie Revillame, and were the first ads to be released after the passage of the Tourism Act of 2009.

lupN7RZ8ftk

4XkGFC3x8_I

20qD0sh_z8Q

GtDoNuVa-vk

DHzR_ujKTGY

Enjoy! :D

NTprime

November 18th, 2010, 08:34 AM

^^Very nice. Thanks for posting the YouTube videos, Sky Harbor!:cheers:

xxxriainxxx

November 18th, 2010, 08:47 AM

Can someone find a link to the interview of Sec Lim about Boy Abunda's inputs on the slogan?

Manila-X

November 18th, 2010, 08:53 AM

xxxriainxxx

November 18th, 2010, 09:08 AM

Simple, just don't touch any poultry.

Anyway, this is an isolated case. Be worried if local transmission ever happens. God forbid!

I think I would be more careful eating poultry in VN too. Hanoi is pretty close to the Chinese border and VN has a history of avian influenza.

xxxriainxxx

November 18th, 2010, 09:10 AM

Rip-Off Much?

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg253/scaled.php?tn=0&server=253&filename=7fi.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

kyril

November 18th, 2010, 09:13 AM

Pilipinas Win Na Win + Umagang Kay Ganda = Pilipinas Kay Ganda

fixed

Manila-X

November 18th, 2010, 09:14 AM

Rip-Off Much?

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg253/scaled.php?tn=0&server=253&filename=7fi.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

I mentioned that earlier. The former logo is more original and is very Filipino.

Manila-X

November 18th, 2010, 09:16 AM

I think I would be more careful eating poultry in VN too. Hanoi is pretty close to the Chinese border and VN has a history of avian influenza.

As long as its cooked well its safe to eat especially KFC.

If you are worried about it, stick to Pho

xxxriainxxx

November 18th, 2010, 09:21 AM

As long as its cooked well its safe to eat especially KFC.

If you are worried about it, stick to Pho

I am sticking to my adobo. ;)

rmb

November 18th, 2010, 09:53 AM

DOT tourism logo: If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
SHOOTING STRAIGHT By Bobit S. Avila (The Philippine Star) Updated November 17, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (18)

Did I read it right that the new logo of the Department of Tourism (DoT) that replaced the famous “Wow Philippines” logo is now “Pilipinas Kay Ganda?” Surely the DoT is kidding! What kind of tourists are they trying to lure with this logo that screams in bold Tagalog??? Is the tourist target under P-Noy only targeting only balikbayans? I would like to believe that logos for tourism should at least be in English so that anyone interested to come here would understand our new brand for tourism.

This is the problem with our system of governance… when the new kids on the block take over they replace the programs of the previous administration even if it was already working and put in their own ideas, which is largely untested! The Americans have a saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” This is why the Philippines never moves forward in this global race for prosperity because everytime there is a new government, it is like everyone goes back to the starting grid and start all over again!

There was nothing wrong with the Wow Philippines campaign of the DoT which actually began under then Tourism boss Richard “Dick” Gordon and carried on under the administration of former DoT Chief Ace Durano. In fact when we went to Shanghai a couple of months back, the trolley traversing the famous tourism destination in Nanjing Road still had a Wow Philippines logo painted in blue showing the white Beaches of Boracay and the Chocolate Hills of Bohol. If the logo Pilipinas Kay Ganda was placed on that trolley, potential tourist might not understand those Tagalog words.

This reminds me of the Q&A when Pres. Noynoy Aquino was in Cebu when he was asked by tourism industry insiders what were his plans for tourism and PNoy said, “We now have a new website and we’re launching a new logo.” To be perfectly honest, there was nothing wrong with the old website and the old Wow Philippines logo. If there’s anything seriously wrong, it is the bad attitude of the P-Noy administration that came into power frothing in the mouth filled with hate against the previous administration under PGMA, this is why they want to change anything remotely attached to her administration. If a new website and a new logo is all that the DoT can do under the Aquino regime, then I’m sorry for our tourism industry!
http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=630880&publicationSubCategoryId=67

I couldn't agree more... :bash:

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

November 18th, 2010, 10:08 AM

^^I agree. It was the best slogan. "The Philippines: More than the usual Asia"...

:master::master::master::master::master:

NO one could ever beat that slogan!!!!! whoever coined that is such a SMARTASS! IMO its no brainer already that the philippines is truly a very beautiful country. it is already given and so i can't understand why they opted such very cheap, lousy and wretchedly bad advertisement to promote the country! :bash::ohno:

amigo32

November 18th, 2010, 10:13 AM

^^Am worried, baka ipabakbak nang administration na ito ang kakasemento pa lang na highway doon sa amin...sa northern Cebu...kasi nagawa yon sa panahon ni PGMA.

Binabakbak na ang Tacloban-Baybay road:D

pero gawa pa ni Macoy ito:D:lol::lol::lol:

amigo32

November 18th, 2010, 10:16 AM

Pilipinas kay Guapa!

na lang kaya para maintindihan din ng mga Cebuano:D

RonnieR

November 18th, 2010, 10:19 AM

Rip-Off Much?

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg253/scaled.php?tn=0&server=253&filename=7fi.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

there you go....this is too much. Who is the ad agency? Does anyone know?

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

November 18th, 2010, 10:21 AM

Pilipinas kay Guapa!

na lang kaya para maintindihan din ng mga Cebuano:D

:hahaha:

thats too spanish bai. hehe... it should be Pilipinas kay maanyag! :D

Manila-X

November 18th, 2010, 10:26 AM

there you go....this is too much. Who is the ad agency? Does anyone know?

I hope Poland's Tourism Authority would sue these bastards for plagiarism!

RonnieR

November 18th, 2010, 10:34 AM

:hahaha:

thats too spanish bai. hehe... it should be Pilipinas kay maanyag! :D

Is "maanyag" commonly used in Cebu? Mostly, people who speak Cebuano in Bohol and Mindanao use "guapa" for beautiful.

I hope Poland's Tourism Authority would sue these bastards for plagiarism!

I hope so.

Campaigns and Grey, which handled the branding of President Aquino during the May 2010 presidential campaign, had an advisory role in the "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" campaign.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/11/18/10/pnoys-campaign-ad-agency-behind-pilipinas-kay-ganda

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

November 18th, 2010, 10:35 AM

Rip-Off Much?

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg253/scaled.php?tn=0&server=253&filename=7fi.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

seriously? goodness a total rip-off! :puke:

Is "maanyag" commonly used in Cebu? Mostly, people who speak Cebuano in Bohol and Mindanao use "guapa" for beautiful.

not really. its still gwapa but if you try to find the real cebuano term for beauty then maanyag best suits it. :okay:

xxxriainxxx

November 18th, 2010, 10:38 AM

From CNN.

Philippines tourism website pulled after porn confusion (http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/life/philippines-tourism-website-pulled-after-confusion-porn-site-239314)
Plus: Why their new tourism tagline isn't going down so well
18 November, 2010

http://www.cnngo.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/article_large/2010/11/18/philippines_main.jpg
A screenshot of www.beautifulpilipinas.com. Athough the website was taken down, screenshots can still be found on blogs such as www.newmedia.com.ph.

The Philippines' government has been forced to take down a re-branded tourism website after many enraged Filipinos pointed out that its domain was almost identical to that of a porn website.

The site, www.beautifulpilipinas.com, is only two letters different from a website that features hardcore porn images on the home page. “Pilipinas” is the local spelling of the country’s name.

The site was pulled down on Tuesday, a day after it went live amid much fanfare, a Philippine Department of Tourism spokesperson in Hong Kong confirmed.

Ministry spokeswoman Evelyn Macayayong said the government took down the website because the content was not edited thoroughly and that there were allegations of plagiarism from other websites, according to a report in the Inquirer Global Nation. She did not say when a new website will be put back up.

The website was introduced alongside a new tourism slogan, “Pilipinas kay Ganda,” which is also drawing ire from the Filipino public. The phrase is Tagalog for “Philippines, What a Beauty.”

“We are trying to entice foreigners to come here. How are they going to understand? First of all, why not in English which is the universal language of the globe today?” Filipino senator Miriam Defensor- Santiago told The Philippine Star.

Netizens slammed the slogan as unimaginative and called for their old slogan, “Wow Philippines,” to be reinstated.

The criticism comes less than a month after the Filipino government pledged P100 million for a new media public relations blitz to revamp the country’s image after a botched bus hostage rescue in Manila in August that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead.

Read more: Philippines tourism website pulled after porn confusion | CNNGo.com http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/life/philippines-tourism-website-pulled-after-confusion-porn-site-239314#ixzz15ca6CZX3

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

November 18th, 2010, 10:40 AM

^^
:hilarious:rofl::rofl::hahaha:

b_two

November 18th, 2010, 10:45 AM

the porn site owners should thank the philippine government for the free ad mileage. for sure, lots of people got curious about this mental lapse and visited the porn site. :lol:

chrismartin

November 18th, 2010, 10:50 AM

Gusto kong sapukin yung Secretary Lim kanina sa Umagang Kay Ganda. Naknamputcha naman Secretary, eh pati ikaw litong lito sa campaign mo eh. Di mo alam ang ginagawa mo. I hope you do better next time. :D

Sky Harbor

November 18th, 2010, 10:51 AM

I hope Poland's Tourism Authority would sue these bastards for plagiarism!

But there's no malicious intent! :lol:

b_two

November 18th, 2010, 10:53 AM

^^^^

while typing this post... a feature on the komodo island in indonesia is being aired on luxe tv. i've seen indonesia, thailand, malaysia, singapore, and even vietnam in some of the previous programing on luxe tv but never the philippines. can't we afford to do the same? sad but true.

bakasaurus

November 18th, 2010, 11:30 AM

WTF, even the font is similar to the Polish logo!!!!

OMG! Hahahaahahha. Way to go Campaigns and Grey!

xxxriainxxx

November 18th, 2010, 11:50 AM

Joke lang ha. :lol:

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg502/scaled.php?tn=0&server=502&filename=mmae.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

Sleepwalker

November 18th, 2010, 11:52 AM

Binabakbak na ang Tacloban-Baybay road:D

pero gawa pa ni Macoy ito:D:lol::lol::lol:

Talagang totoong habulan ito sa mga nagkasala sa mga Aquino... :lol:

rmb

November 18th, 2010, 12:00 PM

Linguine

November 18th, 2010, 12:09 PM

I'm so sad for our country, instead of moving forward, we're leaping backward....the best that they can do becomes a monumental failure and the country becomes the laughing stock in print and cyberspace....I will not be surprised if pnoy will again take the blame for this....:ohno:...

fengrun.

November 18th, 2010, 12:10 PM

mukhang gino google lang nung ad agency yan. then humanap ng similar font sa photoshop.. and walah! 1 million peso logo!

1 day work, for 1 million peso. EASY MONEY!

Linguine

November 18th, 2010, 12:42 PM

Joke lang ha. :lol:

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg502/scaled.php?tn=0&server=502&filename=mmae.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

:okay:......:lol::lol::lol:

NOVO ECIJANO

November 18th, 2010, 12:45 PM

Talagang totoong habulan ito sa mga nagkasala sa mga Aquino... :lol:

Sinabi mo pa,ano ang ginagawa nila ngayon sa mga close allies ni GMA impeachement kay ombudsman Guttierez,Pagsampa ng taxt evation kina Romulo Neri at Thelmo Cunanan iyon na lang lupa ng mga Arroyos sa Negros
na pinamigay.

whippersnapper

November 18th, 2010, 12:53 PM

fixed

Pilipinas Bulaga na lang daw. Mas Maganda pa.

BAKLANGCEBU

November 18th, 2010, 12:56 PM

parang vice ganda

superpilyoako

November 18th, 2010, 02:12 PM

Marcos Era: Where Asia Wears a Smile
Aquino Era: Fiesta Island Philippines
Ramos Era: Bring Home a Friend
Estrada and Arroyo Eras: Wow Philippines
Aquino Admin: Pilipinas Kay Ganda!

Linguine

November 18th, 2010, 03:05 PM

Catanauan Cove: Where the greens and the blue sea merge
By JULIUS P. VICENTE
November 17, 2010, 4:10pm

http://www.mb.com.ph/sites/default/files/mas.jpg

Have a massage at the beach (Photo by RUDY LIWANAG)

Imagine seeing green and blue all in one day and at just one cool spot.

At Catanauan Cove Resort in Catanauan, Quezon, guests are greeted by the rustling of leaves coming from the more than 12,000 different kinds of trees and the soothing blue of the sea. Amazingly, this paradise getaway may look surreal but the verdant area merging with the vast cobalt blue color of the South China Sea is so real, it’s breath-taking.

Catanauan Cove is a very rare discovery because this isolated haven is strategically located in the undulating hills of Barangay Cutcutan in Quezon. The bare land was magically transformed into a first-class tropical beach resort where guests can truly be one with nature.

Located almost 250 kilometers south of Luzon from Manila, this 11-hectare property was developed by JEJ Group of Companies.

Buddy Javier, president and CEO of JEJ Group of Companies said that Catanauan Cove is the perfect destination to fulfill anyone’s dreams of natural “high” of comfort and relaxation. “People who will pay a visit will truly practice their five senses for a perfect off-the-city leisure,” he said.

“Aside from the five senses, we offer comfort and complete privacy as each of our modern nipa huts, complete with first-class amenities, are properly distanced from each other and surrounded by tropical landscape including the two and three bedroom villas, duplexes, dormitories, honeymooner cottages, and family rooms,” he said.

The resort will soon have a residential area with a high-rise hotel and possibly a casino to attract more visitors. Phase three of the project will be dedicated to solemnity with life-size Stations of the Cross, a huge statue of the risen Jesus Christ, garden parks, and residential houses, all with an ocean view.

“We also offer this place for people who just want to relax, read books or surf the internet while enjoying the full view of the blue ocean and even renew their faith,” Javier stressed.

Aside from the infinity pool and Jacuzzi, Catanauan Cove Resort also offers ATVs, horseback riding, beach football and volleyball, boating, snorkeling, fishing, scuba diving, and even island-hopping.

Dining is also an experience as Catanuan Cove’s F&B outlets offer fresh seafood. Visitors can feast via its famous boodle fight style of eating at the Kolokoy Grill during lunch or anytime at the fine dining restaurant behind the main lobby overlooking the sea.

For bookings and reservation visit www.catanauancove.com or visit their main office at JEJ Building, 1137-A, J. Nakpil Street, Malate, Manila with telephone numbers 400-8787 and 523-4812. Branch office at 2nd floor, Edificio de San Antonio, Quezon Avenue, Lucena City with telephone number (042) 660-4782. Email at info@catanauancove.com.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/288069/catanauan-cove-where-greens-and-blue-sea-merge

filcan

November 18th, 2010, 03:38 PM

amigo32

November 18th, 2010, 03:41 PM

department of palpak

Ejames

November 18th, 2010, 03:48 PM

amigo32

November 18th, 2010, 03:59 PM

mas mabuti pa cguro kinuha nila mga top students from top universities.. mas-fresh pa cguro ung slogan natin ngaun... o di kaya nagpacontest cla sa mga studyante kung ano ung nice na slogan then give out even 50,000 to 100, 000..

bakit pa, meron na nakaabang na gagawa:D:lol::lol::lol:

yun nga lang hindi na pinag iisipan.:lol::lol::lol:

sana nga di na binago yung dati ang galing na nga ng wow philippines eh

mugiwara96

November 18th, 2010, 04:05 PM

^^Tumpak! Mas maganda pa nga ang wow Philippines!

Juan Pilgrim

November 18th, 2010, 04:19 PM

http://images.inquirer.net/media/networkindex/images/pic-11180911440668.jpg
Dept. Of Tour(Plagiar)ism Gaya Gaya Talaga!

:ohno:

:horse:

michael677

November 18th, 2010, 04:37 PM

SEC Alberto LIm you should resign!

i think since you took office, you were so elated and started taking drugs??? were u drunk with expensive wine while approving this stupid ad? :bash:

what a disgrace to the filipino-chinese community! and when ur in interviews you dont know what ur saying!!!! u dont seem educated at all

for the record, you are the worst performing govt official/office worst than DPWH/LTO

no other reason for it, for sure u are on drugs

thescene

November 18th, 2010, 04:50 PM

I would love to see the confirmation hearing of Sec. Lim with the CA. I'm sure Miriam will rip him to bits.

ricoyan

November 18th, 2010, 05:13 PM

http://images.inquirer.net/media/networkindex/images/pic-11180911440668.jpg
Dept. Of Tour(Plagiar)ism Gaya Gaya Talaga!

4 Months in the making daw. P$#$@A WTF!!!!:bash: PLAGIARISM, plain and simple. SEC. LIM of the DOT should Resign!!!!

habagatcentral1

November 18th, 2010, 05:18 PM

http://images.inquirer.net/media/networkindex/images/pic-11180911440668.jpg
Dept. Of Tour(Plagiar)ism Gaya Gaya Talaga!

:ohno:

:horse:
Anyway, the Supreme Court of the Philippines uphold plagiarism as legal. :bash::bash::bash::bash:

Buti't pinull-out yan kundi, we may be at risk of lawsuit coming from the Polish government. Its a bigger blow.

fengrun.

November 18th, 2010, 05:55 PM

parehong pareho nga.. see the S and the P.. the same .. same fonts same style
mukhang yung mga nasa dept of tourism busy mag tour

Juan Pilgrim

November 18th, 2010, 06:00 PM

http://outoftownblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/magayon-festival-2010-453x500.jpg
http://outoftownblog.com

Albay tourist arrivals soar 109%
(http://www.malaya.com.ph/11192010/busi11.html)

LEGAZPI CITY. — Tourist arrival in Albay soared by over 109 percent in the
last three months.

The surge may partly be due to the iconic endowments of the province in
addition to its role as gateway to Bicol’s emerging tourist destinations.
Quoting a report from the Department of Tourism (DOT), Albay Gov. Joey
Salceda said tourist arrivals in Albay recorded 62,280 tourist arrivals from
July to September, 27,290 of whom were foreign while 34,990 were domestic.

The surge boosts Bicol’s new title as the "third fastest growing tourist
destination" in the country, he said...

This is a clear indication that we should do more on our own while DOT is out sick!

http://www.jentainternational.com/images/wow_philippines.jpg

:horse:

xxxriainxxx

November 18th, 2010, 06:03 PM

Tuwang tuwa na si Mai Mislang nito, nakalimutan na ang Tweets nya. Hehehe.

:lol:

This government better listen.

fengrun.

November 18th, 2010, 07:16 PM

isn't that a form of corruption? The tourism officials may have earned something there. I have heard the price of that logo is 500k pesos. What the hell! its 500k pesos to google an existing logo and modify it? That's only 1 day work! 1 day work for 500k? nah.. 1 day work and the logo designer gets 2000 pesos, while the 498k goes to the pockets of some person(s).

DEPT OF TOURISM OFFICIALS MUST EXPLAIN THIS!

gaLj

November 18th, 2010, 09:41 PM

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/6707/philfail.jpg

filcan

November 18th, 2010, 09:45 PM

^^Hahaha!

b_two

November 18th, 2010, 10:07 PM

kayo naman kasi e namimintang kaagad. di naman nila nikopya... slight lang. tsaka iba naman corol at may tarsier pa o. :lol:

habagatcentral1

November 18th, 2010, 10:46 PM

^^ :lol:
If you have facebook, try this: :D
http://sandbox.0x00000000.me/kaygandah/cache/e99d4f5da93d6e9e1563bb4782e2b7cc.jpg
http://apps.facebook.com/kayganda/

:lol:

FlashCollider

November 18th, 2010, 11:48 PM

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/6707/philfail.jpg

Totoo to? hahahaha Kung totoo then he doesn't know the meaning of plagiarism.

hakz2007

November 18th, 2010, 11:55 PM

Bicol is now No. 2 in tourist arrivals verse travel advisory is non-issue
LEGAZPI CITY ---The Bicol tourism industry has remained bullish despite the adverse travel advisories issued by foreign countries like the United States, Australia, and Canada, Tourism Regional Director Maria Ong Ravanilla said in a telephone interview yesterday.

She said that the hostage crisis that claimed the lives of eight Hong Kong tourists in Manila recently and reports about incidents of violence and disorder in other areas did not deter foreign tourists and Balikbayans from visiting the Bicol region.

In fact, out of curiosity these tourists came to the Bicol region to prove their country’s advisories wrong, Ravanilla said.

She revealed that during the recent Peñafrancia Festival last September some 3 million Marian devotees came to Naga City for the 300th devotion to Ina.

Many of those who had attended the religious festival were Balikbayans and their friends.

Ravanilla said that Camarines Sur and Naga City have remained No.1 in tourist arrivals in the Bicol region posting an improvement of 135 percent over last year’s statistics.

She said that during the 3rd quarter of the year some 768,167 tourists had actually visited Naga and Camarines Sur as tourists, staying in hotels and lodging houses.

Meanwhile, Ravanilla reported that Albay and Legazpi City ranked No. 2 in tourist arrivals. For the 3rd quarter of this year, Albay and Legazpi City posted a total of 73,056 tourist arrivals from 35,105 for the same period last year.

Over all, the Bicol region is No. 2 among the 15 regions when it comes to tourist arrivals.

Ravanilla attributed this growth in the Bicol tourism industry to the concerted efforts of local government units and the private sector who have invested much in putting up hotels, restaurants, and beach resorts.

She also acknowledged the role of the Department of Tourism (DOT) with the help of the media in promoting local tourism nationally and internationally.
http://www.bicolmail.com/issue/2010/nov18/b-story.html

Ady001

November 19th, 2010, 03:16 AM

^^ Itanggal na yang mga tauhan sa DOT, ang ipalit eh yung nasa Bicol. Grabe...

Ady001

November 19th, 2010, 03:29 AM

Very good site for those who are good in designing and are willing to put their own creations:

http://www.facebook.com/DOT.DIY?v=app_4949752878

Linguine

November 19th, 2010, 03:36 AM

Back to the drawing board for new RP tourism branding

MALACAÑANG has sent back to the drawing board the Tourism department’s new branding for the country after it was met with criticism.

Tourism Secretary Alberto A. Lim told reporters at the sidelines of the infrastructure summit held yesterday at Marriot Hotel Manila in Pasay City that President Benigno S. C. Aquino III recommended that the concept be subjected to a focus group discussion (FGD) to determine its acceptability to the market.

The new branding, which replaces the previous "WOW Philippines" slogan with "Pilipinas Kay Ganda", was criticized soon after it was launched last Monday.

Criticisms centered on brand recall for foreigners who may not be acquainted with Filipinos as well as observations that the Web address of the campaign site was similar to that of a pornographic site. The campaign site, at www.beautifulpilipinas.com, was promptly taken down.

Uncertain

"It will go through market testing focus group discussion all the way until January," Mr. Lim said.

He added that the FGD, which will include foreign visitors, will have a bearing on the decision on whether to proceed with the country’s tourism rebranding.

"The focus group discussion is very important. It will tell us if this will work or not... Hopefully, it becomes acceptable," Mr. Lim said.

It is only then that the department will start drawing up revised "creative artwork" such as visuals for television and print advertisements, he added.

Mr. Lim downplayed the criticisms, saying he welcomed any feedback.

"It’s just a preview for the comment of the industry. It’s a work in progress, it’s not final. We’re getting feedback and a lot of it negative," he noted.

At the same time, Mr. Lim stressed that the scuttled new branding was the product of intensive research.

"Our research told us that the beauty of the people in a naturally beautiful land is the essence of what attracts the people here. We have to put that in a short and punchy word [sic] as possible."

Concrete foundations

Senators yesterday chimed in, saying in separate interviews that an effective marketing campaign has to be backed by factors that matter to tourists, like efficient transport systems and physical security.

Sen. Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, who had initiated the debate over the new campaign during the plenary session last Wednesday, noted that many provinces lack the facilities to accommodate tourists who may be lured by the new campaign. "Infrastructure-wise, we’re not ready yet. Hopefully, this administration can focus on the infrastructure, the slogan and the marketing," he said.

Sen. Gregorio B. Honasan II cited the need for improved physical security for tourists -- particularly relevant in the wake of warnings issued by five governments against travel to parts of the Philippines earlier this month.

Sen. Francis G. Escudero, in a press conference on Thursday, singled out an inadequate air transport system. "If we develop more international airports, it would be more efficient. In Bicol for example, we’re just now building an international airport," he said.

Sen. Ralph G. Recto, for his part, said that limited resources for promotion necessitate a more focused campaign, possibly targeting tourists closer to home and unlikely to be put off by long-haul flights.

"You can’t just use a shotgun approach for the entire world. You focus on who do you want to target. Do you want more American and European tourists? It takes 15 hours from the US to come to the Philippines... They have economic problems [right now]. Should you target them, or the Chinese, the Japanese, the Koreans, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand...?" -- A. M. G. Roa and J. P. D. Poblete
|

[I] http://www.bworldonline.com/main/content.php?id=21500

Linguine

November 19th, 2010, 03:38 AM

Tourism zone rules expected to be issued by yearend

TACLOBAN CITY -- The implementing rules and regulations for Republic Act (RA) No. 9593, or the Tourism Act of 2009, should be issued before the end of the year, a ranking official of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) said in an interview here yesterday.

The rules are supposed to designate tourism enterprise zones (TEZs) and provide the guidelines for the grant of incentives in these jurisdictions.

Edgar T. Bocar, TIEZA deputy general manager, said Tourism Secretary Alberto A. Lim has ordered the issuance before the end of December of the final rules, now still in draft form for comment on the agency’s Web site.

"Based on information reaching our office, many investors are waiting for the designation of TEZs to avail of the incentives," Mr. Bocar said.

RA 9593 mandates TIEZA to designate tourism zones upon the recommendation of local governments or private entities.

Incentives for locators in these zones include a six-year income tax holiday, duty-free importation of construction materials and special investor resident visas for foreigners who will be hired by locators.

Any area may be designated as a tourism enterprise zone, provided it has historical and cultural significance, beauty, existing or potential leisure facilities within its bounds or within reasonable distance, as well as adequate transport facilities and utilities.

An ideal tourism zone must also be strategically located so as to catalyze the socioeconomic development of neighboring communities.

Those proposing tourism zones will also have to submit a development plan that will contain all these data.

"I would advise local government officials to study the Tourism Act of 2009 for them to understand this enterprise zone [concept] before submitting a proposed area," he added. -- SQM

http://www.bworldonline.com/main/content.php?id=21497

Ady001

November 19th, 2010, 03:40 AM

^^Another thing to consider. If they want a good website, make it simple. http://www.phil.com is short and without any of the pompousness.

Ejames

November 19th, 2010, 03:50 AM

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/6707/philfail.jpg

WHAT????? having a unique font these days are too way simple......SIMPLE is the WORD.. simple!!.... for the good of our country bakit pa kelangan gumamit ng existing font and design.. we create slogan to be unique and catchy not just to seat , approve and make Money.. --- cguro si LIM di nya alam na may ganitong existing design na.. dapat ung artists and sisihin...

wynngd

November 19th, 2010, 04:01 AM

^^ napaka-lousy naman nyang tingnan... walang kabuhay buhay for someone na magmamarket ng pinas...

I agree with the statement na "Don't fix something that isn't broken!" Ang ganda ng WOW Philippines na slogan eh... tapos may kasamang "More than the usual Asia"

wino

November 19th, 2010, 04:01 AM

Back to the drawing board for new RP tourism branding
Uncertain

At the same time, Mr. Lim stressed that the scuttled new branding was the product of intensive research.

"Our research told us that the beauty of the people in a naturally beautiful land is the essence of what attracts the people here. We have to put that in a short and punchy word [sic] as possible."
[/I]

Intensive research???
O M G!!! :nuts:

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AGAIN... waste of time, WASTE OF MONEY, waste of opportunity.
the highest positions of the country are run by AMATEURS!! this is scary.. tsk tsk tsk

RonnieR

November 19th, 2010, 04:43 AM

^^Hmm...maybe this was DOT's plan all along. The uneducated choice of choosing Tagalog over English. The similarity of the domain name to a porn site. The pulling out of the campaign after just one day online. The ridiculous rip-off of the Polish tourism logo. It stirred controversy and discussion. It got everyone talking about Philippine Tourism!...even CNN picked it up. Maybe this P100 million failure was a success in disguise all along. :wink2:

Bad publicity is still publicity, featured in CNN, free of charge. hehehehe :)

The nation was stunned with the use of local language in promoting tourism for foreign tourists. The first time...

wino

November 19th, 2010, 04:45 AM

Sleepwalker

November 19th, 2010, 04:45 AM

RonnieR

November 19th, 2010, 04:48 AM

5th Pipe Organ Festival marked

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/lifestyle/32431-5th-pipe-organ-festival-marked

Friday, 19 November 2010 00:00

Various performing groups from Catholic conservatories and colleges of Music in Manila performed old and new compositions with the Manila Cathedral-Basilica Choir during the gala concert of the Fifth Manila Cathedral Basilica Pipe Organ Festival on November 12. Performing this year were the Saint Paul University—Manila Chorale, Saint Scholastica’s College of Music Choir, Santa Isabel College of Music and the University of Sto. Tomas Liturgikon Vocal Ensemble.

They were joined by the Halili-Cruz Dance Company, Pamanadanse and Saint Dominic Savio College Cultural Dance Group.

“This cultural and arts event is a laudable undertaking by the Cathedral in its efforts to promote the historic place as a center for the appreciation of classical and religious music,” said Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, D.D., in a written message.

Megr. Nestor Cerbo, rector of the Manila Cathedral-Basilica (MCB), who led the restoration of the pipe organs, shared the three wishes they had for this year. First, that performing groups from Catholic conservatories and colleges of music would perform side by side. Second, that the Manila Cathedral Basilica would have its own official choir. And finally, that MCB would become a powerhouse of new liturgical musical compositions.

The first wish was realized through the help of Cecile Guidote Alvarez, ITI Philippines President, whereas the second was made possible through the collaboration of Ferdinand Bautista, Jason Ross and Domino Marcos, MCB Institute of Liturgical Music professors. And for the last wish, new mass songs were composed by Ferdinand Bautista, some of which were featured in the gala night of the festival.

The annual Pipe Organ Festival was launched upon the restoration of the pipe organ in 2006.

xxxriainxxx

November 19th, 2010, 04:56 AM

NTprime

November 19th, 2010, 05:06 AM

^^ :lol:
If you have facebook, try this: :D
http://sandbox.0x00000000.me/kaygandah/cache/e99d4f5da93d6e9e1563bb4782e2b7cc.jpg
http://apps.facebook.com/kayganda/

:lol:

wala na sa facebook. tinanggal na. online repression yata ito.:ohno:

So anyone can go into his or her Facebook account and then make their own Tourism logo, free of charge?

And to think the DOT is spending P100 million on promotions via social media?:bash:

NTprime

November 19th, 2010, 05:26 AM

Well written article, I am also highlighting the sections he that were highlighted in the online edition...

Tourism is all about memorable experience (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=631355&publicationSubCategoryId=66)

DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco (The Philippine Star) Updated November 19, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (8)

The fatal flaw in the new tourism campaign is not so much the slogan being in Tagalog. More importantly, it misses the point about why people become tourists in the first place.

Based on my and my family’s experience, we spend time and money to visit a country because we want to taste their food, get a feel of their culture, see their natural wonders, visit their museums and historical sites. In other words, experience something that can only be experienced or experienced best in that country.

To me, the best campaigns I have seen in recent times are the Incredible India and Malaysia Truly Asia campaigns. They are all about the tourist experiencing something unique with the country and all the beautiful spots are just there in the background to clinch the deal. The India campaign is a masterpiece with the tourist himself as the hero, experiencing a country that’s different, exciting and memorable.

A tourism campaign is effective only if it is able to stick a nagging message to visit the country to a potential tourist’s mind. A good campaign must therefore be an effective introduction of the great times such a visit will etch in a visitor’s memory for a long time. In this sense, Dick Gordon’s WOW Philippines is better as it offers more than natural beauty, a world of wonders… memorable experiences.

Sometimes, the best materials for a tourism campaign are not 30 second commercials but subliminal messages imbedded in, for example, a movie. A recent movie, Eat, Pray, Love comes to mind. I thought the story line was thin but I enjoyed the experience of eating in Rome and Naples, learning a few things about India’s mystical gurus and loved the charm and beauty of Bali.

As a result, taking a vacation that includes a drive through the Italian countryside is an item in my bucket list and so is revisiting Bali, an island I first visited 40 years ago. I am not too hot about Indian gurus and their spiritually-starved Western brethren. But the Incredible India campaign has landed the country a spot in my bucket list out of sheer curiosity.

I missed the extravaganza of the tourism people launching their new campaign. But from what I have seen of it, I think Pilipinas Kay Ganda is rather lame. It does not sell the country with the promise of a unique memorable experience that’s only possible with a Philippine visit. It merely declares our country is beautiful, something many other countries can claim as well.

Unless, of course, if the slogan is intended to have a double meaning on the sex experience, because that is also an effective come-on for visitors but I don’t think we want that. It doesn’t help that the tourism department’s website beautifulpilipinas.com <http://beautifulpilipinas.com/> ” could lead a potential visitor to a porn site offering Filipino women, with similar key words. Why didn’t our DOT hotshots do better due diligence before launch.

It also didn’t help, Anton Diaz of Awesome Planet website observed, that at last Monday’s launch, “the Pretty Young Thing group performed a sexy number for the representatives of the international community. It was not appropriate and it gave a totally wrong mental image about the campaign.” I saw the picture of the scantily dressed girls with the Pilipinas Kay Ganda logo in the background and it did look salacious. Maybe there is an intention to subliminally sell sex, after all.

Anyway, I think DOT should have learned a number of lessons from our participation in the recently concluded Shanghai World Expo. I found the Philippine structure horribly simple as an ordinary looking box can be. The artwork in the structure’s façade featured hands, plenty of outstretched hands (of beggars, perhaps?) and no hint of Philippine culture or what to expect in visiting the pavilion, much less the country. No flag flew outside too.

But once inside, the experience could overwhelm the visitor. It was like a large but fancy karaoke bar with an endless stream of Filipino singers and bands entertaining the visitors. The party atmosphere was very Filipino and very endearing to the visitors, many of whom I saw dancing their lunch hour away. It also showcased the excellent talent of the Filipino for music, something that’s well appreciated internationally.

The other thing that was there was food. There was this self service carinderia with a lot of Pinoy delicacies including halo halo and other sweet desserts. The prices were reasonable and it was obvious that Pinoy comfort food had something to offer the visitors… something to reassure those who will visit the country.

Then there was this hilot experience. There was a long line of visitors eager to experience this relaxing Pinoy massage. It was a good way to introduce visitors to traditional healing therapies, another reason to visit the country.

I know it may seem trite but the words that capture the atmosphere in that Shanghai Philippine experience is Endless Fiesta. I think that’s something that could sell our tourism program better because Endless Fiesta suggests our culture, our people and the fun experience of being here. Our scenic spots can serve as the backdrop in much the same way that Incredible India handled their campaign.

Or maybe, still under the Endless Fiesta theme, have Manny Pacquiao say the line: Enjoy a knockout, never ending fiesta experience! Similar lines can be crafted for Charice, Lea Salonga and other world class Pinoy entertainment and sports icons, including our telenovela stars who now have quite a following in Southeast Asia and elsewhere.

My big problem with Pilipinas Kay Ganda is that it is invisible and does not offer a good reason to visit. It does not offer an unforgettable experience. It may even be false advertising because once the visitor lands at NAIA, he will see that the airport is kay pangit and driving to the hotel will reveal squatters and other evidence of a poverty stricken third world country that is definitely hindi maganda.

We need to put all that on fast forward and go to Fiesta mode… the fun and games and the traditional Filipino hospitality that awaits the visitor. An effective tourism campaign for our country must have two heroes: the host (that’s us) and the visitor. Everything else must support promise of a unique experience.

A good tourism campaign must focus on the unique experience as the main selling proposition. That’s what made my son visit Brazil a few years ago where he jumped off a cliff on a hang glider. That was also why he visited Peru earlier this year to experience the dizzying heights of the Andes and the cultural heritage story of Machu Picchu.

For me, an item on my bucket list is visiting Germany to experience Oktoberfest. The only real reason I may visit Hong Kong again is for their roast goose… strictly culinary experience. The thing I remember most about a trip to Japan I had many years ago was the tea ceremony my host arranged. Experience. Memories. Experience. That’s what tourism is all about. That’s what the great campaigns of India, Malaysia and Thailand are offering and what our budding campaign forgot.

I hope Tourism Secretary Bertie Lim isn’t too proud to consider going back to the drawing board. The bureaucrats cannot just talk to each other and unfurl a campaign on us and expect us to like it. They need to consult as widely as possible. I realize this is time consuming and you can not really get everyone happy, but at least the effort must be there.

Consulting widely will at the very least, give them the benefit of Pinoy creativity. Veteran PR consultant Danny Gozo told me that the concept of Malaysia Truly Asia campaign was the brainchild of a Filipina, Julie Lingan, who formerly worked with him at Ace-Saatchi here in Manila. She and a group of Pinoy advertising creative people were tasked by Adrian Zecha of the group that created Amanpulo, to produce a campaign for Malaysia.

The beauty of that campaign is that it made a problem (Malaysia’s racial tensions) into an advantage… Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures in a country that has the best of Asian cultures… visit one country, experience all… truly Asia. The key message here is still EXPERIENCE.

Expect nothing exciting for our tourism industry if even the locals are bored stiff.

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@gmail.com

Linguine

November 19th, 2010, 05:44 AM

Ugong Rock on top of village tourism

By Redempto Anda
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:19:00 11/17/2010

Filed Under: Tourism

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Philippines—In their case, the formula had not always worked. When a group of foreign tourism consultants encouraged residents of the sleepy village of Tagabinet in Puerto Princesa City to build a view deck atop a limestone rock overlooking a rustic scenery of paddy fields and karst, only a few tourists came.

The people had hoped to tap into the tourist traffic passing through the place en route to the famous and more established Underground River, now a world-class attraction and candidate to land on a global short list of natural wonders.

For some reasons, their expectations were not met. Tour operators stuck to hauling their guests back to the city after visiting the underground caves of the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. The Ugong Rock Viewdeck as an extra come-on and spelunking thrill was ignored.

Quickly enough, the grant awarded by a developmental agency to build and promote the platform was used up and no other support was forthcoming. Local interest began to wane, and the community reverted to its way of life—farming, fishing and roadside selling of crabs and young coconuts to tourists.

The concept of a tourist attraction run strictly as a sort of socialized project to benefit the community, as opposed to how a private company would do it to amass profits, has made Puerto Princesa a veritable laboratory for community-based sustainable tourism (CBST) over the past decade.

When the European Union funded a major forestry project in the early part of the decade to conserve Palawan’s remaining forests, the Underground River was seen as a priority site and the CBST as a strategy to promote conservation.

Alternative destinations

Several initiatives were launched to develop tourist sites, particularly around the Underground River, and alternatives, and easing the pressure of having too many people see the insides of a dark cave on a boat.

The core idea behind the CBST is found in two catch phrases—“community-based” and “sustainable”—plus environment-friendly. The successes and failures achieved by the EU initiative only showed that the CBST as a nontraditional mode of developing a tourism product was easier said than done.

“There were mixed results. Some projects took off with some kind of promise, but none never really crossed over to the mainstream,” recalled Rhodora Clarito, a community organizer who was involved in the EU projects.

In Tagabinet, an attempt to develop the unique outcrop of karst and caves into a major tourist attraction was among the projects identified, but the initial result was not encouraging.

The kidnapping and murder in the plush Dos Palmas resort in the mid-’90s, which involved a terrorist group allied with the al-Qaida, brought tourism in Palawan to a halt and did not help the CBST thrust any.

By the time the city government, in partnership with the ABS-CBN Foundation, tried one last time to rekindle it, the interest of community members who had already invested time and effort was at its lowest.

One more try

“It was difficult when we came in, but we gave it a try and the community has gotten back on its feet,” Gerardo Ortega of the ABS-CBN Foundation said.

The overall tourism boom in Puerto Princesa, as seen in the burgeoning travel and tours sector and the rapidly increasing demand for travel and accommodation, has augured well for the city’s role as a CBST lab.

The Tagabinet Community Association, which runs the Ugong Rock as a spelunking and sightseeing alternative, has graduated into a full-fledged tourism enterprise, busying itself to meet the challenge of handling the increasing number of visitors.

The Ugong Rock itself offers a rare treat. One is challenged to conquer the rough and jagged inner precipices of an ominous looking karst outcrop in the middle of a paddy field, only to be rewarded by a breathtaking view of the St. Paul limestone mountain range.

It is classified “easy to moderate” as a rock-climbing obstacle, and the scientific and historical interpretation of the local guides makes it a complete package.

The locals christened the place Ugong, which literally means “hum,” because of the haunting sound from one particular stalactite inside the cave once it is gently tapped. According to old-timers, the Tagbanua natives called it “bunglon” cave after the wild dogs that once roamed the area.

Ortega points out that the more encouraging success so far reaped by Tagabinet is that it could become a major economic vehicle to address rural poverty.

Women power

The women spearhead the operations of Ugong Rock. They run the tours and man (pun intended) the kitchen, while most men, including their husbands, flock to the field to tend to the paddies.

“About 97 percent of the people involved in this project are women of the community,” said Marivel Orcajada, 33, president of the Tagabinet Community Tourism Association Inc.

The women and the entire community are busy enhancing the site and will soon offer Palawan’s first zip line, a chance for visitors to experience going down the view deck strapped on a steel cable.

Ortega cites the project as a success story on the CBST, “a concept which in many places around the world is still in its infancy.”

He noted that one of the several projects agreed upon by the ABS-CBN Foundation and the city government to develop community-based tourism—the Iwahig River firefly watching tour—was such a huge experimental success that it won the prestigious Pata (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Gold Award this year.

Community benefits

Tagabinet is no longer the sleepy remote village it once was. The association has entered into a deal in which the barangay council will get 35 percent of the project’s net profit.

Guides are recruited from the community, and the local cottage industry makes and sells souvenirs and novelty items to tourists.

Rodolfo Baldo, a guide and one of the few men directly involved in the project, said his income augmented the meager earnings from his farm and he can now afford to support his children in school.

From its historical beginning as a hiding place and the main fortress for the Tagbanua tribes that had fought Moro pirates in the past, the Ugong Rock has emerged as perhaps the latest testament to a new form of tourism enterprise.

Manila-X

November 19th, 2010, 05:45 AM

Endless Fiesta and Mabuhay Philippines will work well.

I actually have an idea for The Endless Fiesta logo. Have The Philippines in bold festive font and in it will have an illustrated mosaic of some of the most important fiestas from Jan to Dec.

PHILI will have Jan to June fiestas with an illustrated mosaic of a Jan fiesta in the P

PPINES will have July to Dec. I was thinking a parol on the S to represent a Philippine Xmas.

I hope you guys get what I mean.

Linguine

November 19th, 2010, 05:47 AM

Cebu vies to make it into a sports paradise

By Cris Evert Lato
Inquirer Visayas
First Posted 22:55:00 11/18/2010

Filed Under: Tourism, Philippines - Regions

CEBU CITY, Philippines—As Cebu tourism stakeholders look at ways to bring back Cebu on the list of Top Island destinations cited by international magazine Conde Nast Traveler, the Lapu-Lapu City government has intensified efforts to promote the city as a sports tourism destination.

“We envision to become the new hotspot of international sports tourism as international sports federation have begun taking notice that we have what it takes to host these prestigious international sports competitions,” Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza says in a statement sent to Inquirer.

Radaza discloses that the city will be hosting the games between the Philippines and Japan in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone group, which will be held on March 4-6, 2011.

“The event is one of the results of our continued effort to put the name of Lapu-Lapu City in the international tourism market. In 2009, we launched our sports tourism program with the creation of the Lapu Lapu Sports and Events Bureau. Now we are about to witness the development of our sports tourism,” Radaza says.

She notes that Lapu-Lapu City has a strategic location in Asia-Pacific, with all major cities just three to four hours away, and an international airport surrounded by world-class hotels and resorts.

In the wake of the Quirino Grandstand hostage crisis, Lapu-Lapu City also introduced the Island City Experience where tourism establishments were encouraged to develop more competitive attractions to attract local and foreign tourists.

Part of the campaign was to offer 50-percent discount to locals who check in at hotels and resorts from September 20 to December 15.

Meanwhile, in a forum held Tuesday, Hans Hauri, general manager of Marco Polo Plaza, says Cebu’s losing out to Luzon should be taken as a challenge by tourism players to work harder in promoting its destinations.

“It is time to check what has been done in Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue to attract more tourists so they will come back because they’ve been going to CamSur. CamSur is offering them something new, wakeboarding. It’s a no-brainer then that CamSur will overtake Cebu soon,” says Hauri.

Shangri-La Mactan general manager Joachim Schutte stresses the need for Cebu to be included again on Conde Nast’s top resorts list.

“The magazine has 25,000 readers but these are highly experienced travelers who know about the best hotels and resorts around the world. People talk about this. We have to get Cebu back (to the list),” Schutte says.

Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort and Spa and another Mactan-based resort, Plantation Bay Resort, have landed on Top Resorts in the World list.

habagatcentral1

November 19th, 2010, 06:08 AM

After all the debate and the intense criticism, its time to take up the challenge and help our country, DOT to have a better information of our beloved places. Lets Help DOT this time by volunteering. :okay:

http://64.19.142.11/tourismpilipinas.com/landing_page.jpg

Send an email to eamacayayong@tourism.gov.ph and express your desire to volunteer.
She will then give you the URL of the interim website.
Tell her (via email) the page you'd like to work on.
Submit a write-up (either as rewrite of existing one or an entirely new one) and/or a captioned photo.
We will put your name as a contributor, both to give credit and assign accountability.
Of course, we will exercise editorial control throughout the whole process.

This content will not only be used in the interim website but also in the full-featured website.

Think of it as the wiki-approach to building our tourism website.
BTW, put on the subject, "I WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER TO PROJECT DOT WIKI-WEBSITE"

Visit their website at http://tourismpilipinas.com/

RonnieR

November 19th, 2010, 06:12 AM

Bosnyboy

November 19th, 2010, 06:12 AM

Bad publicity is still publicity, featured in CNN, free of charge. hehehehe :)

The nation was stunned with the use of local language in promoting tourism for foreign tourists. The first time...

Clearly dot chief Lim is incapable of handling his present situation. With the way he is working I wouldnt be surprise if tourist arrival drops after 6 years. Only qualification of Lim is being a fren and a campaginer of pnoy during the last election. I remember when pnoy first appointed Lim to the DOT industry players were all up in arms against his appointment kaso di naman nakinig si pnoy. With the current boo boo pnoy like in previous occasion would only defend Lim just like how he defended puno in the luneta crisis. In both instances pnoy was indirectly involved in the problem. I really dont know how long people will stand for the incompetence of this current administration. They seemed to have lots of ways of bringing shame to our country.

Bosnyboy

November 19th, 2010, 06:14 AM

if pnoy truly cares for tourism in this country, I hope he appoints someone else. There are other more qualified individuals for the job like gov villafuerte of cam sur or even gov gwen of cebu and not some old guy whose face doest smile. Nakakawalang gana. Ang layo ng hitsura nya kay durano.

Bosnyboy

November 19th, 2010, 06:18 AM

Sayang lang ang P100 million for such a lousy slogan. Suggestion lang sa DOT get the public involve. Make a slogan making contest. The winner will get free vacation for two at any of the countrys top tourists spot with free pocket money. Kahit bigyan nyo pa ng libreng car ok pa ren mas matipid kesa sa P100 million na iilan lang nagbulsa.

Bosnyboy

November 19th, 2010, 06:20 AM

there you go....this is too much. Who is the ad agency? Does anyone know?

Campaigns and Gray, same ad agency behind the pres presidential campaign

bulabog jalaur

November 19th, 2010, 06:21 AM

No matter what bruhaha the DOT are doing, still the bottom line is the security concerned are not fixed,we still be kulelat sa ating kapitbahay na bansa.:bash:

RonnieR

November 19th, 2010, 06:36 AM

Campaigns and Gray, same ad agency behind the pres presidential campaign

Yes. A bitter one this time.

Anyway, we can't go forever on with the bitterness and bad news.

http://desarellano.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/run.jpg

RonnieR

November 19th, 2010, 06:52 AM

No matter what bruhaha the DOT are doing, still the bottom line is the security concerned are not fixed,we still be kulelat sa ating kapitbahay na bansa.:bash:

I agree with you. The good news is:

Street crimes down in Metro–NCRPO

By Alcuin Papa
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:41:00 11/18/2010

Filed Under: Crime, Statistics, Police

MANILA, Philippines—Despite two high-profile robberies in Metro Manila on Sunday, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) maintained Thursday that the crime rate was down in the metropolis.

In a briefing with reporters in Camp Crame, NCRPO director Chief Supt. Nicanor Bartolome said there was a 50 percent decline in street crimes reported to police, from 1,185 in September to 549 in October.

For the period of January to October of this year, the NCRPO reported that there were 9,644 street crimes as compared to the 14,667 for the same period last year.

He also said there was a decline in the numbers of all types of crimes compared with last year.

“The trend shows a decline in the number of street crimes in the National Capital Region (NCR) since March 2010, except for the month of September where there was a slight increase in the number of data that was recorded. Nevertheless, an abrupt decrease was noted for the month of October,” Bartolome said.

He attributed the decline to increased police visibility, checkpoints, the establishment of detective beats and the arrest of wanted persons.

The snatching of bags and other valuables constituted 29 percent of the crime this year. Theft through the “salisi” method came in second with 27 percent.

Thieves using this method usually distract a victim. Once the victim is distracted, a cohort runs off with the victim’s laptop, wallet, cell phone or other valuables. Third in street crimes are muggings, with 21 percent of the total.

Bartolome said these rankings have remained “more or less the same for some years now. We hope we can maintain these low statistics.”

The top three police stations with the most number of crimes reported were the Ermita police station, the Sampaloc police station and the Raxa Bago police station in Tondo.

All three are located within the jurisdiction of the Manila Police District (MPD). In the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), which has the largest jurisdiction in terms of land area, its Kamuning-Edsa police station registered the most number of crimes reported.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20101118-304020/Street-crimes-down-in-MetroNCRPO

^^ Does it follow that if the economy is improving, crime decreases?

Manila-X

November 19th, 2010, 06:57 AM

I just hope Alberto Lim won't be as egotistic as Alfredo Lim where he only thinks of himself and his department than that of the people.

reign

November 19th, 2010, 07:10 AM

Tired of INCOMPETENT Pnoy cabinet officials.Take a look of Lim and Puno ,their only qualification are of being friend of the president. Haay only in the Philipines !

RonnieR

November 19th, 2010, 07:12 AM

http://jayelxx.blogspot.com/2010/09/resorts-world-manila-first-integrated.html

RESORTS WORLD MANILA
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kf6Cmm7gIGk/TI-8XJL0vmI/AAAAAAAACFk/5-5-2UOws-4/s640/RWM+Facade.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kf6Cmm7gIGk/TI-saA30McI/AAAAAAAACAM/-X7IONshhyk/s640/bar+360+%283%29.JPG

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kf6Cmm7gIGk/TI-sjtT5dEI/AAAAAAAACAU/L9oiAf8sx2o/s640/Bar+360.JPG

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kf6Cmm7gIGk/TI-tDC5S2pI/AAAAAAAACAc/mv2sune_5Ys/s640/power+duo.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kf6Cmm7gIGk/TI-tFFjyXRI/AAAAAAAACAk/knA4zRdRcXM/s640/Watch+local+and+foreign+acts+at+RWM.JPG

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kf6Cmm7gIGk/TI-tHjhhqlI/AAAAAAAACAs/yLrUsrxwOQE/s640/World-class+performances+and+acts+are+regularly+featured+at+.JPG

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kf6Cmm7gIGk/TI-uJ5PU9KI/AAAAAAAACA0/6nMe3qfRG8s/s640/gaming+shot.jpg

Manila-X

November 19th, 2010, 07:37 AM

hakz2007

November 19th, 2010, 07:47 AM

DOT Bikol have said that "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" is applicable for local market while "Wow Philippines" for international market.

Linguine

November 19th, 2010, 08:14 AM

valid point.....

Slogan: Tourism stakeholders not consulted?
SHOOTING STRAIGHT By Bobit S. Avila (The Philippine Star) Updated November 19, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (1) View comments

Early morning last Wednesday, my text message alert for my celphone was buzzing with messages. Friends and people congratulate me for putting the Department of Tourism (DoT) in its proper place for changing the tried and very tested and widely accepted “WoW Philippines” branding for the Philippines which began under then DoT Sec. Richard “Dick” Gordon, and later continued under Tourism boss Joseph “Ace” Durano. No sir, there was nothing wrong with the WoW! Philippines slogan.

Perhaps our Tourism boss Sec. Albert “Bertie” Lim doesn’t realize that in the eight years that we sold the Philippines under the Slogan “Wow Philippines” the DoT came up with hundreds of thousands of beautiful colored posters that adorn so many travel offices or agencies all over the world. It just makes me wonder how much money the DoT would spend to change all that? Could it be that there is someone behind the scenes who will certainly “profit” from the printing of these new slogans? Hey, I thought the Philippines had money problems? Hmm, maybe Sec. Lim knows about this.

All that the Philippines sorely lack was some kind of booster, like an advertisement campaign on CNN or BBC to impress upon the world that the Philippines can wow tourists to come and visit us. The fact is, we needed those foreign ads especially after that deranged highly-decorated PNP officer killed those eight innocent Hong Kong tourists who only came to see and have fun in this country. This is why we don’t need a new slogan; rather what we need is something of a booster for our tourism campaign.

Coincidentally, when our article came out last Wednesday, there was a front-page story on this in The Philippine STAR dubbed “Tourism Industry unimpressed with New DOT slogan.” Well, it looks like the opposition against this new slogan is snowballing not just on the social networks like Twitter, but also from the Federation of Tourism Industries of the Philippines, Inc. (FTIP) whose president Alejandra Clemente was quoted in that front page story saying, “The slogan did not ignite much excitement. Maybe they rushed in coming out with a new brand. But what we need is something that would create a great impact.”

If at all, the new slogan ignited indignation from the tourism industry who are asking what is the direction for our tourism campaign under the P-Noy administration. I have worked closely with the Tourism sector for so many decades, after all I was in the restaurant business for 26 years until I sold our Chika-an Restaurant and let me tell you that we do not need to start from scratch because Wow Philippines has already wowed many foreign tourists to our shores, which is why we got a record number of tourists coming here.

But if Sec. Bertie Lim thinks that the tourism campaign starts by changing the old but well accepted tourism slogan, let me tell him that he is starting on the wrong foot and if he wants to save the day, he ought to scrap this new Tagalog based slogan (I refuse to say that it is in Pilipino) because he’ll be wasting money or should I say, someone will profit from it?

Now that the opposition to this new slogan has snowballed, I was watching Sec. Lim trying to explain his side that this campaign was done in Tagalog similar to what Hawaii did when they used their “Aloha” greeting as their campaign slogan. Of course no one told him that this is Hawaii’s only tourism slogan since time immemorial. In short, they never changed it!

I also saw Anthony Taberna’s TV Show “Umagang Kay Ganda” (hmmm this talkshow sounds like the DoT slogan) yesterday with my good friend Bobby Joseph, chairman emeritus of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS) who told Sec. Lim on his face that changing the slogan was “Idiotic” and that the stakeholders in the tourism industry were not consulted on this. Now didn’t Pres. P-Noy make a vow in Cebu during the campaign that his Presidency will be one of consultation?

What I found deeply disturbing is that Sec. Lim lied when he said that the new slogan was not yet final… that it would be finalized in three weeks. Come now, didn’t the DoT send out formal invitations to the launching of the new slogan? Didn’t we see him offer a champagne toast with DoT Undersecretary Vicente Romano when they unveiled the new slogan? Come now Mr. Secretary, why don’t you simply admit that this was all a mistake? As I said, the Philippines could never catch up with our ASEAN neighbors because we do not have a program for continuity. Every new kid on the block puts in his own ideas and start from the beginning. Meanwhile the Malaysians continue with their “Malaysia truly Asia” campaign. Incredible India for India, Amazing Thailand for Thailand or Singapore’s Uniquely Singapore or South Korea’s Soul of Asia. If only Sir Max Soliven were alive, he would have screamed “Sanamagan!” Perhaps I should rephrase that to “susmarijosep!” Is this all that the DoT can do for our tourism industry?

Sky Harbor

November 19th, 2010, 08:34 AM

^^ Does it follow that if the economy is improving, crime decreases?

According to Freakonomics, it does, but only for crimes that have a direct economic gain, like robbery and car theft. It wouldn't have an effect though on serial crimes like murder, manslaughter and rape.

RonnieR

November 19th, 2010, 08:44 AM

RonnieR no offense but why is it that I'm not interested in checking out Resorts World?

Is it because its isolated from the entertainment areas of Makati or Malate/Ermita? Or it does not have a major shopping area?

It could be both: far from Makati/Malate/Ermita areas and no major shopping area. For shopping, the Newport Mall is like the one in Macau, thus not much choices except for those high end brands.

I just learned that RWM has shuttle bus from NAIA (not sure of its frequency though).

Well, if you're into clubbing and gambling, RWM is "it".

DOT Bikol have said that "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" is applicable for local market while "Wow Philippines" for international market.

Pwede...

According to Freakonomics, it does, but only for crimes that have a direct economic gain, like robbery and car theft. It wouldn't have an effect though on serial crimes like murder, manslaughter and rape.

Logical......what is Freakonomics? Any website?..

Sky Harbor

November 19th, 2010, 08:50 AM

^^ Freakonomics is a book written by American economists Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. The book has since spawned a website (http://www.freakonomics.com) and a sequel, Superfreakonomics.

RonnieR

November 19th, 2010, 08:51 AM

^^ Freakonomics is a book written by American economists Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. The book has since spawned a website (http://www.freakonomics.com) and a sequel, Superfreakonomics.

Thanks for the info/link.

Manila-X

November 19th, 2010, 10:13 AM

Radyo Inquirer: Tourism chief defends controversial logo
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 16:01:00 11/19/2010

MANILA, Philippines – There is nothing final about the controversial logo that was launched by the Department of Tourism this week, Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said Friday.

“The work has not begun yet,” Lim told Radyo Inquirer in an interview, amid criticisms that the “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” design has striking similarities with Poland’s tourism logo entitled “Polska.”

“There is no implementation yet. It’s just a logo, a concept,” said Lim, adding that the reason why the DoT released the design was in order to generate discussion.

At the same time, Lim said the government has not spent any money “except for the presentation last Monday and on research.”

He said the DoT did not even pay for the “expert advice” that was given in the formulation of the concept that took “four months” to form.

On the likeness to the Polish logo, Lim said there was nothing wrong in using the same font since “people use this font for a purpose” and said that the colors of the two logos were completely different.

Lim admitted, however, that the idea of using Filipino in the “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” design was inspired by Poland, which used its own language in its logo.

“This is to teach foreigners how to speak our language,” said Lim, adding, “This is the reason why we are being criticized.”

He also said that using our own language, “gives us a sense of pride. If somebody from abroad, tells you, ‘kay ganda,’ wouldn’t that make you proud?”

When asked why the DoT did not make do with the present “Wow Philippines” slogan, Lim said it was because the previous administration failed to promote it.

“We have been left behind. Besides when you launch a new brand, there is excitement. Everybody wants to see what it’s all about,” said Lim.

RonnieR

November 19th, 2010, 10:16 AM

Manila-X

November 19th, 2010, 10:21 AM

Lousy justification from a Tourism Secretary who rarely smiles on TV. Good that he admitted he copied the one in Poland. That shows his lack of creativity.

I hope he is getting the picture that most Filipinos HATE the campaign plus the logo.

Defending the current campaign is totally useless.

Sky Harbor

November 19th, 2010, 10:33 AM

When asked why the DoT did not make do with the present “Wow Philippines” slogan, Lim said it was because the previous administration failed to promote it.

“We have been left behind. Besides when you launch a new brand, there is excitement. Everybody wants to see what it’s all about,” said Lim.

This proves that the Tourism Secretary hasn't seen those animated ads released last year with Ace Durano and Willie Revillame on TV. Or even those Magic Sing ads! :bash:

amigo32

November 19th, 2010, 12:33 PM

Ex-DOT chief asks: What's wrong with WOW Philippines?
By RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News
Posted at 11/19/2010 5:51 PM | Updated as of 11/19/2010 5:51 PM

MANILA, Philippines - The country's tourism chief under the Arroyo administration is surprised that his successor is changing the popular "WOW Philippines" brand created by Richard Gordon.

In a text message, former Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said: “First thing that came to mind when I heard about it is why?"

Durano said he had a rule of thumb when he first took over as Secretary of the Department of Tourism.

"First, is it still needed? If yes, how can we improve on it? I’m more interested to find out the process they undertook in deciding to adopt a new logo and slogan and the creative process in coming up with 'Pilipinas kay Ganda,'" he said.

Tourism officials have been criticized for changing the WOW Philippines catchphrase to "Pilipinas Kay Ganda,” which means Philippines so beautiful."

Critics have noted that foreigners will not be able to understand the brand since it is in Filipino. They also said the Pilipinas Kay Ganda logo seems to have been copied from Poland's tourism website.

Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said the new slogan will not be introduced anytime soon since it will have to be subjected first to focus group discussions and public opinions.

Durano urged the DOT to show how the new slogan fits into their marketing plan for the country.

He said the WOW Philippines brand continued to bring in many tourists even in his last months in office.

“Can't really remember the actual percentage, I just remember that first 3 months saw a double digit growth in foreign tourist arrivals…A logo and the accompanying slogan should just be a component of an umbrella marketing strategy. Otherwise the logo and slogan is hollow and ineffective. It's the strategy and its proper execution that results in tourist arrivals. DOT should present its marketing strategy and its various implementing programs then explain how the new logo and slogan fit into the strategy," he said.

amigo32

November 19th, 2010, 12:35 PM

If aint broke don't fix it.

kalbongdad

November 19th, 2010, 12:44 PM

If aint broke don't fix it.

well bago sa pwesto gustong magpakitang gilas na wala sa lugar.....:ohno: pilit pang isisiksik butaw na nga....:lol: neurons paganahin sabi ni miriam s....:lol:

SleMarKen

November 19th, 2010, 01:06 PM

From " Best tourism campaign in Asia" thread

from Singapore
^^Any video on the new campaign? I think the logo looks a bit childish...........sorry

from Malaysia
I think "Mabuhay Philippines " would be far more professional....

Mabuhay is a famous word so you are not only promoting the country, but promoting the language too :cheers:

from Thailand
It's kinda funny that you have to have the translation underneath it. It makes the whole thing too cluttered, I think. They could have saved the problem by using some other words that require no translation to begin with instead, i.e. English words? ..... Or even Mabuhay is quite ok and is surely better than that "gay s'th" thing. (Sorry, but my first thought when I saw it was really that)

But the font is cute and colorful btw. :)

from Singapore
Mabuhay Philippines sounds much better!! I think the new campaign logo has a more resort feel to it. So if it is for the whole of Philippines i don't think it will work.

kalbongdad

November 19th, 2010, 01:20 PM

agree....may dating ang Mabuhay na word.....kahit ako when i'm out of the country....pag meron mga toasts MABUHAY! sigaw ko.....

Linguine

November 19th, 2010, 02:15 PM

‘White Christmas’ in Baguio
By dexter
November 19, 2010, 7:00pm

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – This mountain resort city has added yet another attraction to its month-long activities in celebration of the Yuletide season showcasing a scenic snow show that is certain to attract tourists and generate the attention of local residents to have a feel of the Christmas festivities.

The snow show will be along the stretch of Session Road for at least two hours with five minutes interval every weekends starting December 4.

Councilor Elmer Datuin, chairman of the Christmas in Baguio celebration, said the snow show will be part of the planned festive mood in the city following the putting up of a multi-million decorative light agreement with a private firm to light up the city’s central business district starting December 1, 2010.

Aside from the installation of decorative lights around Session Road, Magsaysay Avenue, Harrison Road, Abanao Street, and the premises of city hall, the city government also purchased at least 1,500 lanterns from the inmates of the Baguio City jail, which will be used to decorate major establishments and streets around the city.

Also, the largest Christmas Tree located on the foot of Session Road will also be lighted up by 82 strands of Christmas lights to spice up attractions at night.

Datuin said downtown Baguio will be brightly lit and would look festive once the decorations will be in place in time for the opening of the Christmas in the Baguio celebration on the first day of December.

LED lamps and lanterns are now undergoing installation around the city’s central business district area to boost the city’s celebration of the Yuletide season.

By the first week of December, the city hall area will also become an attractive tourist site as it will be the most lighted and decorated public structure nationwide.

Burnham Park and other major tourist destinations in the city will be lighted in preparation for numerous crowd-drawing activities that are scheduled by various government and private sectors to celebrate Christmas.

Part of the lights used to decorate the city’s parks are the LED lamps to be donated by the Department of Energy (DoE) while the rest will be purchased by the local government.

Earlier, city residents demanded the installation of appropriate lighting facilities in major roads and parks to prevent the occurrence of untoward incidents that pose a serious threat to the safety of the people.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/288508/white-christmas-baguio

the glimpser

November 19th, 2010, 03:00 PM

Cebu vies to make it into a sports paradise

By Cris Evert Lato
Inquirer Visayas
First Posted 22:55:00 11/18/2010

CEBU CITY, Philippines—As Cebu tourism stakeholders look at ways to bring back Cebu on the list of Top Island destinations cited by international magazine Conde Nast Traveler, the Lapu-Lapu City government has intensified efforts to promote the city as a sports tourism destination.

“We envision to become the new hotspot of international sports tourism as international sports federation have begun taking notice that we have what it takes to host these prestigious international sports competitions,” Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza says in a statement sent to Inquirer.

Radaza discloses that the city will be hosting the games between the Philippines and Japan in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone group, which will be held on March 4-6, 2011.

“The event is one of the results of our continued effort to put the name of Lapu-Lapu City in the international tourism market. In 2009, we launched our sports tourism program with the creation of the Lapu Lapu Sports and Events Bureau. Now we are about to witness the development of our sports tourism,” Radaza says.

She notes that Lapu-Lapu City has a strategic location in Asia-Pacific, with all major cities just three to four hours away, and an international airport surrounded by world-class hotels and resorts.

In the wake of the Quirino Grandstand hostage crisis, Lapu-Lapu City also introduced the Island City Experience where tourism establishments were encouraged to develop more competitive attractions to attract local and foreign tourists.

Part of the campaign was to offer 50-percent discount to locals who check in at hotels and resorts from September 20 to December 15.

Meanwhile, in a forum held Tuesday, Hans Hauri, general manager of Marco Polo Plaza, says Cebu’s losing out to Luzon should be taken as a challenge by tourism players to work harder in promoting its destinations.

“It is time to check what has been done in Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue to attract more tourists so they will come back because they’ve been going to CamSur. CamSur is offering them something new, wakeboarding. It’s a no-brainer then that CamSur will overtake Cebu soon,” says Hauri.

Shangri-La Mactan general manager Joachim Schutte stresses the need for Cebu to be included again on Conde Nast’s top resorts list.

“The magazine has 25,000 readers but these are highly experienced travelers who know about the best hotels and resorts around the world. People talk about this. We have to get Cebu back (to the list),” Schutte says.

Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort and Spa and another Mactan-based resort, Plantation Bay Resort, have landed on Top Resorts in the World list.

http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20101118-304010/Cebu-vies-to-make-it-into-a-sports-paradise

xxxriainxxx

November 19th, 2010, 03:08 PM

Please share.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs498.ash2/77106_10150090247876282_530586281_7731520_7348010_n.jpg

narthuril

November 19th, 2010, 03:18 PM

http://blogs.gmanews.tv/yourvox/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/pilipinasgandaPhoto.jpg

http://www.americantourismsociety.org/images/members/logos/polska-logo.gif

http://www.poland.travel/en

the glimpser

November 19th, 2010, 03:34 PM

Gov’t airs open skies policy for tourism takeoff

By Norman Bordadora, Paolo Montecillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:19:00 11/19/2010

MANILA, Philippines—The government will further liberalize the civil aviation industry to increase tourist arrivals, President Benigno Aquino III said Thursday.

“We will pursue the full implementation of Executive Order No. 219 (the liberalization of the air travel industry) in international aviation,” Mr. Aquino said at the opening of the public-private partnerships and infrastructure summit.

In his keynote speech before foreign and local business leaders, he said: “Our national development requires promoting an open and competitive international aviation sector that enables Philippine and foreign air carriers to expand their operations, maintain a strong Philippine-based aviation industry, and ensure international connectivity in order to allow Philippine and foreign air carriers to plan and make long-term investments in the Philippine market.”

Sought for comment during a break, Mr. Aquino indicated that the liberalization would be done gradually.

“I think we will start with what is called pocket open skies. Then we will really strengthen and increase it. The bottom line is we see a bridge that can bring many more tourists to our country and an increase in the opportunity to use air services like air cargo,” he told reporters.

The President said the government had already liberalized telecommunications, trade and foreign investments.

“The change in the country’s investment policies has been a crucial factor in building up confidence in the economic prospects of the country. This is what we will do with aviation,” he said.

Rebrand country

Despite its beautiful beaches and many other attractions, the Philippines attracts only 3 million tourists a year, while Malaysia and Thailand have more than 14 million a year, he said.

“Needless to say the potential is significant. To tap this potential, we are embarking on a new campaign to rebrand the country as a tourist destination. We are also reviving our tourist police to deal with visitors’ concerns,” Mr. Aquino said.

“And if that is not enough, we are also rationalizing our network of airports around the country, by expanding runway and terminal capacities in areas that we see as potential tourist hubs,” he added.

The President said his administration recognized the importance of international aviation as a major driver of economic progress and a leading catalyst of tourism, trade development and employment generation.

“Aviation moves 98 percent of international visitors, 54 percent of Philippine export value and more than 1 million overseas Filipino workers per year,” he said.

He said EO 219 provided the framework for liberalizing the country’s air policy as early as 1995.

“The impact of this measure has been dramatic in the domestic passenger market as passengers have enjoyed a wider range of choices and travel opportunities,” Mr. Aquino said.

More jobs

“Additionally, it will also enable more aviation and tourism-related jobs through the increase in local tourism, trade and investment. What remains to be done is putting teeth to existing policy,” he said.

The liberalization has allowed the entry of low-budget carriers like Cebu Pacific, now the country’s biggest airline by number of passengers, displacing flag carrier Philippine Airlines.

PAL supported the government’s plan to fast-track the liberalization of the country’s aviation sector and opening up more airports to foreign airlines.

“We welcome the President’s vision to promote a competitive international aviation sector anchored on a strong Philippine-based aviation industry, which we firmly believe is indispensable to the development of Philippine tourism, trade and economic progress,” PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime J. Bautista said in a statement.

The company said it would continue to work in partnership with government to attract more foreign visitors from both existing and new markets overseas.

Reciprocity

PAL’s position does not oppose any liberalization in air rights, which would lead to tougher competition. However, PAL has stressed the need for reciprocity, which means that any country allowed to fly to the Philippines must return the favor.

“PAL has always led the way in promoting Philippine tourism, by being the most aggressive airline in pioneering new routes, serving key tourism markets, and making necessary investments to put the Philippines on the tourism map as a destination for the world,” Bautista said.

Cebu Pacific could not be reached for comment as of press time, but its president and CEO Lance Gokongwei had said in previous interviews the airline welcomed the liberalization of the air industry.

Like PAL, Cebu Pacific also stressed the need for other countries to also open up their skies so as not to put local carriers at a disadvantage.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20101119-304027/Govt-airs-open-skies-policy-for-tourism-takeoff

Linguine

November 19th, 2010, 05:33 PM

Medium Rare
Filipinas, how pretty!
By JULLIE Y. DAZA
November 19, 2010, 5:39pm

MANILA, Philippines – Maybe that’s what the author of a “branded” Philippines meant when he chose “Pilipinas kay ganda!” to sell our beautiful emerald, sapphire, jade and aquamarine islands.

Truth to tell, “Pilipinas kay ganda!” did not originate from any advertising agency, nor was it the product of months of consumer research as claimed, because about 14 days after his appointment, Tourism Secretary Bertie Lim was already telling stakeholders during a getting-to-know-you at the Manila Peninsula that he thought Dick Gordon’s branding of “WOW! Philippines” was uninspired and needed retooling.

In the next breath, Mr. Lim said he needed something more catchy, “something like Pilipinas kay ganda,” to market our tourism program.

Truth to tell, “Pilipinas kay ganda” is a wonderful slogan. For domestic tourists.

But in a globalized world, who wants a local brand? The slogan is all of seven syllables contained in three words – a mouthful for any non-Tagalog-speaking foreigner. On the other hand, “Aloha,” also a non-English word, is three syllables. Short, but longer than Wow! – one syllable packed with a pow! and a punch.

WOW, lest DoT forget, stands for Wonders of the World.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/288471/filipinas-how-pretty

habagatcentral1

November 19th, 2010, 05:33 PM

Here's the official video/presentation of "Pilipinas Kay Ganda." Ypu'll be needing 3D glasses for it...:nuts:
k1e5Hi2hc-0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1e5Hi2hc-0&feature=player_embedded#!

michael677

November 19th, 2010, 05:48 PM

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/6707/philfail.jpg

why are you fucking on drugs ?????

you should be shot on the head asap! you should publicly issue an apology for the disgrace you put on the country!! kung sa japan ka, you should even bow to a live audience

fuck u sec lim!!!!!!!!

michael677

November 19th, 2010, 05:54 PM

Here's the official video/presentation of "Pilipinas Kay Ganda." Ypu'll be needing 3D glasses for it...:nuts:
k1e5Hi2hc-0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1e5Hi2hc-0&feature=player_embedded#!

iim speechless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

i dont know if i should be angry or laughing but during the entire length i feel so ashamed so down, im teary eyed :bash::bash::bash::bash:

THIS IS A CLEAR INDICATION OF HOW CORRUPT OUR DOT BECAME. THE VIDEO SEEMS LIKE THE MAGIC SING VIDEOS OH NO PHILIPPINES:ohno: SOMEONE PLS REMOVE THE LINK NOW

michael677

November 19th, 2010, 05:57 PM

cant take it anymore..

PUTANG INA MO SEC ALBERTO LIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

crappypants

November 19th, 2010, 06:10 PM

somebody lost it. :rofl:

at least you can sing along with it. :rofl:

Deus Ex

November 19th, 2010, 06:13 PM

******* alfredo lim should resign.

thescene

November 19th, 2010, 06:19 PM

^^ The question is will PNoy accept his resignation? Let's not forget about Usec. Puno's resignation.

Deus Ex

November 19th, 2010, 06:23 PM

Someone should do something about this ********. Alfredo/Alberto Lim. Two chinky chunks born and bred to ********* and destroy tourism in the Philippines.

Sleepwalker

November 19th, 2010, 06:24 PM

Cebu tourism players want "WoW" branding retained (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=631742&publicationSubCategoryId=108)
By Ehda M. Dagooc (The Freeman) Updated November 20, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (0)

CEBU, Philippines – Sensitive on how the Philippines is being promoted abroad, Cebu tourism stakeholders plan to make a unified call to the Department of Tourism (DOT) to retain the nine-year-old branding "WoW Philippines." Cebu tourism advocate Milagros Espina said that it would be very feasible to take action to urge the DOT officials to consider the continuity of the Philippine branding to attract foreign tourists.

Espina, who is also the chairperson of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) tourism committee said that it is very feasible for Cebu tourism players to get their voices heard, considering that Cebu is the top tourism destination in the country.

"For continuity, we should retain the 'WoW Philippines'," Espina stressed.

Tourism prime mover, Jay P. Aldeguer, whose business largely depends on tourism in the country, the Islands Souvenirs Inc. (ISI) said that in the over-crowded marketplace, "we have to find our niche and brand ourselves accordingly."

The plan to call for a unified call followed after the DOT initially launched the new slogan for the Philippines dubbed "Pilipinas, Kay Ganda" which continues to draw controversial reaction from tourism players and the public in general.

"I think we can definitely do better. The initial branding lacks impact, plus I think the use of Filipino language will not be effective in the international market. We should carefully brand our country based on how we want to position the Philippines in travel and tourism," Aldeguer said.

While the DOT secretary Alberto Lim reported aware of the negative reaction from the newly launched slogan, former DOT-7 regional director Patria Aurora Roa hopes that the new tourism officials will reconsider some actions.

Cebu, which largely depends on tourism, is expected to be largely affected by the rebranding of Philippine tourism especially in foreign markets.

"The slogan has no impact and global appeal. I believe 'WoW Philippines' which means 'wealth of wonders' showcases the entire natural and man-made resources of the country," Espina said.

Just like other countries, that effectively attracts the worldwide traveling market. They are able to sustain their branding or slogan for years, in order to establish strong recall to its target market, such as the "Amazing Thailand", "Malaysia, Simply Asia," "Incredible India", among others.

The "WoW Philippines" slogan was introduced in 2001 by then DOT secretary Richard Gordon.

At present though, Cebu tourism movers have yet to officially discuss on the planned "pro-active" action convincing to scrap the newly introduced slogan, and may retain the "WoW Philippines."

Cebuano stakeholders suggested that if DOT will not retail the "WoW Philippines", it has to come up with something brilliantly thought out slogan, instead of "Pilipinas, Kay Ganda."

Besides, promoting the Philippines in Filipino language will further create confusion in the global market. (FREEMAN)

mwg12a

November 19th, 2010, 06:27 PM

^^ I dont see why "wowPhilippines" can't be reinstated, if it has proven effective in the past most especially.

SleMarKen

November 19th, 2010, 06:36 PM

SUS GINOO! that video ad is sht!

PEOPLE POWER!

habagatcentral1

November 19th, 2010, 07:07 PM

^^ The question is will PNoy accept his resignation? Let's not forget about Usec. Puno's resignation.

Let us not forget that as of the moment, the Senators are grilling the Commission of Appointments. This "scenario" may affect Bertie Lim's appointment to the cabinet.

Nagwala na si Miriam nung isang araw. Gudlak.

Cebu tourism players want "WoW" branding retained (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=631742&publicationSubCategoryId=108)
By Ehda M. Dagooc (The Freeman) Updated November 20, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (0)

CEBU, Philippines – Sensitive on how the Philippines is being promoted abroad, Cebu tourism stakeholders plan to make a unified call to the Department of Tourism (DOT) to retain the nine-year-old branding "WoW Philippines." Cebu tourism advocate Milagros Espina said that it would be very feasible to take action to urge the DOT officials to consider the continuity of the Philippine branding to attract foreign tourists.

Espina, who is also the chairperson of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) tourism committee said that it is very feasible for Cebu tourism players to get their voices heard, considering that Cebu is the top tourism destination in the country.

"For continuity, we should retain the 'WoW Philippines'," Espina stressed.

Tourism prime mover, Jay P. Aldeguer, whose business largely depends on tourism in the country, the Islands Souvenirs Inc. (ISI) said that in the over-crowded marketplace, "we have to find our niche and brand ourselves accordingly."

The plan to call for a unified call followed after the DOT initially launched the new slogan for the Philippines dubbed "Pilipinas, Kay Ganda" which continues to draw controversial reaction from tourism players and the public in general.

"I think we can definitely do better. The initial branding lacks impact, plus I think the use of Filipino language will not be effective in the international market. We should carefully brand our country based on how we want to position the Philippines in travel and tourism," Aldeguer said.

While the DOT secretary Alberto Lim reported aware of the negative reaction from the newly launched slogan, former DOT-7 regional director Patria Aurora Roa hopes that the new tourism officials will reconsider some actions.

Cebu, which largely depends on tourism, is expected to be largely affected by the rebranding of Philippine tourism especially in foreign markets.

"The slogan has no impact and global appeal. I believe 'WoW Philippines' which means 'wealth of wonders' showcases the entire natural and man-made resources of the country," Espina said.

Just like other countries, that effectively attracts the worldwide traveling market. They are able to sustain their branding or slogan for years, in order to establish strong recall to its target market, such as the "Amazing Thailand", "Malaysia, Simply Asia," "Incredible India", among others.

The "WoW Philippines" slogan was introduced in 2001 by then DOT secretary Richard Gordon.

At present though, Cebu tourism movers have yet to officially discuss on the planned "pro-active" action convincing to scrap the newly introduced slogan, and may retain the "WoW Philippines."

Cebuano stakeholders suggested that if DOT will not retail the "WoW Philippines", it has to come up with something brilliantly thought out slogan, instead of "Pilipinas, Kay Ganda."

Besides, promoting the Philippines in Filipino language will further create confusion in the global market. (FREEMAN)

^^ I dont see why "wowPhilippines" can't be reinstated, if it has proven effective in the past most especially.

I say, I go for WOW....Magic Sing! Hehehehehe!!! :D

NTprime

November 19th, 2010, 07:46 PM

Here's the official video/presentation of "Pilipinas Kay Ganda." Ypu'll be needing 3D glasses for it...:nuts:
k1e5Hi2hc-0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1e5Hi2hc-0&feature=player_embedded#!

There are a lot of problems with this jingle.

First, it's too long. Almost 2 minutes. Unless the DOT has the budget for ads lasting more than 1 minute on international channels like CNN, then they won't get much air time. And when they do get airtime, the viewers will space out after 30 seconds, what more one minute?

The concept of 3D seems advanced, but in reality, how many people really have 3D TV sets? Also, they're just panning photos, not real videos. The fluidity of motion is not there.

While the tune is catchy (although only for Filipinos because of the melody of Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika), having subtitles when singing the refrain is poor taste. And they're trying to teach foreigners a lesson or two in Filipino...it's about experience, not about the physical description of the place (see my repost earlier from Boo Chanco's article).

@michael677 - cool it, dude! Don't vent your anger here in SSC with foul words. We understand your frustration, but that's not an excuse to start cursing other people, even though Sec. Bertie Lim is not an SSC forumer. Try doing that on their Facebook page instead. You'll probably get better results.

For someone who is as bland as Bertie Lim, it seems he is covering up for the incompetence of the people under him. But under the concept of command responsibility, he should be accountable for anything that comes out of his department...obviously, he's caught between a rock and a hard place (pardon the pun)...

OtAkAw

November 19th, 2010, 08:20 PM

Light segue lang guys hahaha para tawa naman tayo http://apps.facebook.com/kayganda/

IslandSon.PH

November 19th, 2010, 08:39 PM

"Pilipinas Kay Ganda" logo copied from Poland's tourism campaign logo?:bash:
Published: November 19, 2010

No sooner than the Department of Tourism's new tourism slogan of the Philippines, "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" was launched and barraged with criticism from the tourism industry and netizens alike comes the latest controversial development: an insinuation that the new logo was plagiarized from Poland's own tourism campaign logo "Polska," reports abs-cbnnews.com.

In his blog "Manila Boy," Spanky Hizon Enriquez showed both logos side by side and urged whoever was responsible for the alleged plagiarism gaffe from the Department of Tourism to resign.

http://www.spot.ph/files/2010/11/1290121995-polska.jpg

It seems that both logos used the same font, with the letters P, S and A looking eerily identical. Both logos turned the letter L into a tree trunk, with the Philippine one using a coconut tree instead of what looks like an oak, said to be the national tree of Poland. Both logos also used blue squiggles underneath to denote the sea.

In reaction to this issue, DOT Secretary Alberto Lim told abs-cbnnews.com,"There are similarities, pero sa pagkakaalam ko... sa atin mas makulay," Lim said.

Abs-cbnnews.com says that the advertising agency Campaigns and Grey "admitted it had a hand in the 'Pilipinas Kay Ganda' tourism brand, but 'only in an advisory capacity.' said Campaigns and Grey Group Chairperson Yolly Ong." She told ABS-CBN, "We only did the logo and theme line as I had to leave for a business trip."

Pffttt!!

Deus Ex

November 19th, 2010, 08:57 PM

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that Lim has no creativity, passion, or drive to adopt a realistic perspective on our current situation.

wino

November 19th, 2010, 10:08 PM

DOT treated the "re-branding" like a GRADE SCHOOL HOMEWORK... kung si titser ang mag iiskor.. pwede na, 90+ ang grade.

too bad for LIM.. this is not grade school anymore.. this is real life..

vishaya

November 20th, 2010, 12:13 AM

Yolly Ong (Campaigns and Grey), Alberto Lim and everyone who had a hand with that 'Pilipinas kay ganda' (including the ones making that amateur presentation/video) are a bunch of idiots!

We do make mistakes but trying to justify mediocrity or coming up with stupid defenses just reinforces Miriam's statement about these people, i.e, 'their neurons are not working'.

An idiot, dolt, or dullard is a mentally deficient person, or someone who acts in a self-defeating or significantly counterproductive way. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiots

sandwindstars

November 20th, 2010, 12:35 AM

@Wino & @Desu Ex

You guys took the words out of my mouth. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to develop a marketing campaign. Their biggest mistake is to reinvent the wheel. All they had to do is get their staff is to first REVIEW and EVALUATE historical past - what are the numbers, what worked, what didn't work etc. Then, plan it accordingly. It's a proven template. This latest fiasco is like giving the country an extreme makeover. They give a beautiful lady a boob and nose job when all she needs is a good scrub, a good hair do, and feed her.

Unfortunately, Mr. Lim and his cohorts under estimated the abilities and expertise of working Filipinos everywhere. It looks like they have been attacked by swarms of killer bees from different corners and they have nowhere to hide.

sandwindstars

November 20th, 2010, 12:37 AM

I hope he is getting the picture that most Filipinos HATE the campaign plus the logo.

Defending the current campaign is totally useless.

Even expats have commented about that in expat forums.

sandwindstars

November 20th, 2010, 12:54 AM

There are a lot of problems with this jingle.

First, it's too long. Almost 2 minutes. Unless the DOT has the budget for ads lasting more than 1 minute on international channels like CNN, then they won't get much air time. And when they do get airtime, the viewers will space out after 30 seconds, what more one minute?

The concept of 3D seems advanced, but in reality, how many people really have 3D TV sets? Also, they're just panning photos, not real videos. The fluidity of motion is not there.

While the tune is catchy (although only for Filipinos because of the melody of Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika), having subtitles when singing the refrain is poor taste. And they're trying to teach foreigners a lesson or two in Filipino...it's about experience, not about the physical description of the place (see my repost earlier from Boo Chanco's article).

@michael677 - cool it, dude! Don't vent your anger here in SSC with foul words. We understand your frustration, but that's not an excuse to start cursing other people, even though Sec. Bertie Lim is not an SSC forumer. Try doing that on their Facebook page instead. You'll probably get better results.

For someone who is as bland as Bertie Lim, it seems he is covering up for the incompetence of the people under him. But under the concept of command responsibility, he should be accountable for anything that comes out of his department...obviously, he's caught between a rock and a hard place (pardon the pun)...

Sec Lim questioned the expertise of his critics. Well, you showed him. My take as well. 1. Too wordy, too long, sort of like karaoke (Simon Cowell hates karaoke, so you won't get him visiting the country anytime soon with that jingle.) 2. All online users suffer from ADD, and we are in perpetual state of instant gratification - give it to me now, show me now, tell me now. We are inundated with so much info if it doesn't get you in first couple of frame you're toast. I stopped the video about a 10th of the way.

Finally, about EXPERIENCE. In my presentation to a small group of tourism workers (guides, etc) in Batanes, I highlighted that word. This is what it all amounts as the real product, and the motivation is very personal. I have to check Boo Chanco's column for that article.

As I have noted in an earlier comment, their efforts are like a throwback to 20 years ago, when this type of campaign might/could have worked. In the past 15 years, internet has changed how we live, what motivates us, and how we go about living. Mr. Lim and his ad agency seem to be working in a time warp.

hakz2007

November 20th, 2010, 02:07 AM

Bishop urges DOT to listen to the reaction of the people regarding its new slogan
MANILA, Nov. 19(PNA)-- A senior official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged the Department of Tourism (DOT) to hear what the people are saying amid the criticism on its new slogan, “Pilipinas Kay Ganda.”

“They should listen to the feedback of the people and try to consider it,” said Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, head of the Public Affairs Committee of the CBCP.

He added that the public might have other ideas and suggestions so they should be open to it.

However, the Caloocan prelate admitted that he has yet to see the new slogan of the Tourism that was created to entice tourists to visit the country.

He said that since the objective of the new slogan is to promote the country then it should do exactly that.

“Anything that will call attention to our country that will serve its purpose,” Iniguez said.

Early this week, the DOT has launched its new campaign "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" (Philippines so beautiful) but earned flak from various sectors saying it was unimaginative and not well thought out.

Some even alleged that it was copied from the slogan of a particular country. (PNA)http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=6&sid=&nid=6&rid=314048

NTprime

November 20th, 2010, 02:21 AM

Sec Lim questioned the expertise of his critics. Well, you showed him. My take as well. 1. Too wordy, too long, sort of like karaoke (Simon Cowell hates karaoke, so you won't get him visiting the country anytime soon with that jingle.) 2. All online users suffer from ADD, and we are in perpetual state of instant gratification - give it to me now, show me now, tell me now. We are inundated with so much info if it doesn't get you in first couple of frame you're toast. I stopped the video about a 10th of the way.

Finally, about EXPERIENCE. In my presentation to a small group of tourism workers (guides, etc) in Batanes, I highlighted that word. This is what it all amounts as the real product, and the motivation is very personal. I have to check Boo Chanco's column for that article.

As I have noted in an earlier comment, their efforts are like a throwback to 20 years ago, when this type of campaign might/could have worked. In the past 15 years, internet has changed how we live, what motivates us, and how we go about living. Mr. Lim and his ad agency seem to be working in a time warp.

I definitely agree with you on your assessment as well!

And I think we can really overemphasize this: EXPERIENCE. A lot is really about experience, real and not just vicarious experiences. With the internet nowadays many people pass off things as their own (recent plagiarism scandals), in the guise of wanting to get acknowledged as an authority on whatever topic they choose.

Many tourists nowadays are going beyond the traditional package of sightseeing and shopping being concocted by travel agencies. Sure, in the past, you could really get shopping bargains in Hong Kong or Bangkok which were difficult to find here in Manila. Or certain brands in Singapore that were normally found there or in Europe but not here. But with cheap products flooding places like Greenhills and Divisoria, shopping isn't the main draw for traveling abroad anymore.

Even when it comes to having a gastronomic trip, nothing beats eating at the place of origin. Like eating chili crabs or chicken rice in Singapore's hawker centers, or authentic Thai dining by the Chao Phraya River, or even eating at Claude Tayag's place in Pampanga. The food may be good at the high end restaurants here in the metropolis, but you can't completely recreate the actual experience.

Even shopping in the malls in Metro Manila is not a substitute for shopping in the souks of Dubai, or the flea market in Istanbul, the outlet stores in the US, or Harrod's in London. Or Divisoria for that matter:lol:

So the DOT has to sell to the potential tourists the experience of going to the Philippines, not just its beaches or natural wonders...but especially the fiestas, the warm Filipino hospitality, and the part of our culture that hasn't been damaged...

Ady001

November 20th, 2010, 03:21 AM

cant take it anymore..

PUTANG INA MO SEC ALBERTO LIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cool ka lang pre...

kalbongdad

November 20th, 2010, 03:27 AM

i don't like the jingle used in fact i hate it......although maganda ang yung music....nde swak ang lyrics sa tune... could they not come up with something original...gulay.....very amateurish naman ano ba yan....magkano kaya bayad dyan...definitely not worth the money paid....i say......

tj_brewed

November 20th, 2010, 03:33 AM

Tourism Secretary Bertie Lim was already telling stakeholders during a getting-to-know-you at the Manila Peninsula that he thought Dick Gordon’s branding of “WOW! Philippines” was uninspired and needed retooling.

]

Here's the official video/presentation of "Pilipinas Kay Ganda." Ypu'll be needing 3D glasses for it...:nuts:
k1e5Hi2hc-0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1e5Hi2hc-0&feature=player_embedded#!

Let's compare...

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YdBANriBrlw

HN6yaYKkLzM

IfkX2i1B7Ww

cDKnKi7b4VU

Wow Philippines as a global brand, Pilipinas Kay Ganda probably for the local tourists or balikbayan. However, mas maganda pa nga ang Tara Na Byahe Tayo ng DOT before eh for the local market compared to this new Pilipinas Kay Ganda.

FRosscGXYc0

peejay202

November 20th, 2010, 04:10 AM

maganda naman ang past ads natin ah. If they spent the P100 million media blitz on replaying our ads in international channels, it would have been more cost efficient and effective rather than spending money on conceptualizing a new tourism strategy and campaign. The opportunity cost of retaining a "tried and tested" campaign strategy would have been far less than creating a new one. Our ads are equally or even better than our asian counterparts. The reason why they have higher tourist arrivals because their ads have been registered on the frontal memory cortex of foreigners.

I don't believe what Lim said that we don't have the money to play those ads. If P-noy can spent BILLIONS OF PESOS ON TEMPORARY and SHORT-TERMED CONDITIONAL CASH TRANSFERS, WHY NOT INVEST THAT MUCH ON OUR TOURSIM INDUSTRY???

Like what former Toursim Sec Ace Durano said, "It's all about STRATEGY".... DUH!! :)

Sky Harbor

November 20th, 2010, 04:22 AM

However, mas maganda pa nga ang Tara Na Byahe Tayo ng DOT before eh for the local market compared to this new Pilipinas Kay Ganda.

FRosscGXYc0

This is still part of WOW Philippines. WOW Philippines was the brand for the entire Philippine tourism campaign, both domestic and international, before Alberto Lim arrived.

tj_brewed

November 20th, 2010, 04:43 AM

This is still part of WOW Philippines. WOW Philippines was the brand for the entire Philippine tourism campaign, both domestic and international, before Alberto Lim arrived.

Thanks for the correction. Mas gusto ko pa past ads natin!

icarusrising

November 20th, 2010, 05:16 AM

I detest it too but aren't we just assuming that the video presentation would come out as THE AD and overreacting?

Sleepwalker

November 20th, 2010, 05:27 AM

^^It could be, but to save his face, DOT chief will just say, it's not really the final one... :)

icarusrising

November 20th, 2010, 05:43 AM

^^ Heaven forbid it actually becomes one! However, among other things it's been pointed out that at 2 minutes, it's very long to be a TV ad.

hakz2007

November 20th, 2010, 05:49 AM

Tourism chief defends logo, says it cost nothing
MANILA, Philippines—Not a single centavo was paid for the conception of the new but widely criticized new Philippine tourism brand “Pilipinas Kay Ganda,” according to Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim.

Campaigns and Grey, an advertising agency, helped the new tourism administration come up with the idea and design of the campaign slogan, which aims to draw at least 3.8 million foreign tourists to the country by the end of 2011.

After being chided for its lackluster appeal and for having a website whose name was similar to that of a porn site, the DOT again drew flak from Internet users who pointed out that the “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” design had obvious similarities with Poland’s tourism logo, “Polska.”

Lim countered that although there were similarities with Poland’s tourism motif, there were differences too.

No copyright on font

“First of all, Poland doesn’t have a copyright on the font,” he told the Inquirer by phone on Friday. “What looks very much alike is the font, but if you look at the colors, they used one color, we used several colors.”

“We have a coconut tree, they don’t. We have a tarsier, they don’t. We have ‘Kay Ganda,’ they don’t,” he pointed out.

At the unveiling of the new Philippine tourism label earlier this week, Lim told the Inquirer that the tarsier and the smiling coconut tree were inputs provided by President Aquino when his team presented it to him.

The tourism chief also reminded critics on Friday that the new campaign was only a preview meant to draw suggestions from the public.

‘Work in progress’

“This is a work in progress and we are listening to the public, so it could change, definitely,” he said.

The ad agency, he added, did all the work for no cost “for the love of country.” “They also know that the DOT has a very limited budget,” he added.

In a separate phone interview, Assistant Secretary Benito Bengzon said the creative aspect of the new campaign was being subjected to focus group discussions.

“It is being reviewed but what is important is that we are hearing out comments from various stakeholders and we are open to suggestions,” said Bengzon.

A DOT has allotted P200 million for the new tourism campaign but Lim said the budget remained intact. “We haven’t paid a single centavo to Campaigns and Grey,” he added.

Bengzon said a budget has been allotted for the creative aspect of the campaign but he could not disclose the amount “at the moment,” he said. “But certainly, there has been no payment made at this point.”http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20101120-304249/Tourism-chief-defends-logo-says-it-cost-nothing

Linguine

November 20th, 2010, 05:53 AM

Paradise by the Pacific Ocean

CORTES, Surigao del Sur -- Next to Pacific Ocean on the east coast of Mindanao, this town is a hidden paradise. Cortes is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean; on the north by Lanuza Bay; on the west by Mt. Diwata; and on the south by the capital town of Tandag.

http://www.bworldonline.com/webpics/articles/image/2010111885aad.jpg

The castle-like rock formations found in Cortes

Both mighty and gentle waves of the Pacific Ocean beat rhythmically into the 27-kilometer coastline of this town.

Natural wonders have been carved out near the shoreline from rhythmic beating of ocean waves. Just five kilometers from Cortes town hall, a different kind of lake can be found. Dubbed Salt Lake Pacific, it is separated from the Pacific Ocean by massive rocks.

The locals call this place Laswitan, from the word laswit or seawater splash. During high tide, waves of the Pacific Ocean vigorously batter the massive rocks that separate the ocean and the lake. Buckets of seawater are literally poured by the strong Pacific Ocean waves into the lake.

The lake is ideal for swimming. It can comfortably accommodate 30 people at a given time. Nature has its way of keeping this lake clean. There is an exit canal at the lake for excess water to be drained out to the sea.

Another natural wonder that were formed out of the rhythmic beating of the ocean waves are the castle-like rocks that can be found near the shoreline of this town. The best way to view these castle-like rocks is by renting a small boat. It is best to hire local fisherfolks for them to man the boat as they know the local weather, and they know the safe places to pass through.

During the boating expedition, the castle-like entrance should not be missed. This rock formation is actually an entrance to a seaside cave. Not to be missed, as well, is the "Black Castle," prominent for its black-colored towers. This formation is just a few feet away from a sunken vessel.

Unlike its neighboring towns where riding the waves is promoted, in Cortes, the waves are just admired. To date, there are still no declared safe areas for surfing in Cortes. The best place to admire the gigantic waves of the Pacific Ocean is nearby the lighthouses of Cauit Point.

The environmental group Green Mindanao Association reported that in early 2000, Cortes town had a total of 12.6 kilometers of seagrass. The group said the seagrass habitat "must be protected since more species are really dependent on it."

Green Mindanao also reported that in early 2000, the town had 2,000 hectares of coral reef. This coral reef, the group said "apparently supports thousands of marine organisms."

To preserve the remaining marine resources, the local government of Cortes established marine sanctuaries that are off limits to extractive activities such as fishing and intended to be breeding places for various marine organisms.

Evelyn Dublas, tourism officer of this town, told BusinessWorld that Cortes, to date, has eight marine sanctuaries.

Ms. Dublas said the local government of Cortes is planning to open the town’s marine sanctuaries to visitors for snorkelling and scuba diving.

Roel C. Casenas, a scuba diving enthusiast and project coordinator of Green Mindanao, told BusinessWorld that the marine sanctuaries in Cortes are ideal for scuba diving.

Notable areas to dive into, he said, are the Kapandan, Uba, Burgos, and Tigao marine sanctuaries. "What is great about these diving sites is that these sites are very accessible," he said.

Mr. Casenas added that the diving sites in Cortes are only a five-minute boat ride from the town’s shoreline. Locals and researchers reported to have seen rare species such as the sea turtle, takbobo or giant clam, dolphins, and manta rays in the coastal area of Cortes.

http://www.bworldonline.com/webpics/articles/image/cortes2.jpg

Salt lake during low tide

Paradise is not only found at coastal area; it is also found at the mountainous part of this town.

Based on the early 2000 data of Green Mindanao, 8,445 hectares of the total 13,000-hectare land area of Cortes were still timberland or forestland.

A portion of Mt. Hilong-Hilong, considered by another environmental group Haribon Foundation as one of the 117 Important Bird Areas or IBAs in the Philippines, can be found in the mountainous part of Cortes.

Researchers from Haribon Foundation and Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology conducted a survey at Mt. Hilong-Hilong from March 25 to April 3, 2007. "The results indicate that the rate of endemism is high for the Mt. Hilong-Hilong bird areas making it an important conservation priority considering that seven species of mammals, five species of birds, one species of herpetofauna, and 18 species of plants are included in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) list of globally threatened species," the team’s report noted.

Locals and researchers reported that flying lemurs, tarsiers, deers, hornbills, hawk-eagles, red lauans, and white lauans are some of the rare species that can be found in the mountains of Cortes.

In an inspection conducted Oct. 20, the multi-sectoral group formed by the local government of Cortes, found evidence of full-blown large-scale logging operation at Mt. Hilong-Hilong, particularly in Barangay Tigao, Cortes.

Members of the multi-sectoral group reported that the involved lumber company allegedly built two-lane roads at Mt. Hilong-Hilong, cut hundreds of naturally-grown trees through the help of big bulldozers and trucks.

Cortes mayor Pedro M. Trinidad, Jr. is calling for the immediate suspension of logging operations in Cortes. -- Ellen P. Red

http://www.bworldonline.com/weekender/content.php?id=21433

Linguine

November 20th, 2010, 05:55 AM

Exploring Calbiga Caves

CALBIGA, Samar -- Getting to the Calbiga Caves, the largest cave system in this country, is no mean feat.

From the village center of Panayuran, we hiked for nearly two hours through the forest before we arrived at the entrance to the 12 caves.

Forty-six-year-old Renato S. Jacla, the local cave guide, said that because of its vast area cover, it takes at least three days and two nights to explore parts of the caves. The 12 systems are spread over 2,968 hectares. Most are still unexplored.

Calbiga Caves, probably the largest cave system in Southeast Asia, is being proposed as a show cave. The local government unit is currently setting up some facilities to make the trip more safe and convenient.

Considering time constraints, our group explored only Langun cave, the main area often visited during spelunking trips. Getting in is a struggle because the opening has a very steep slope that one has to use a stick or hold onto something in order not to lose balance.

Visitors are also advised to wear shoes, instead of flip flops, because the cave floor is filled with sharp rocks. A few minutes into the dark chamber, we were startled by black birds that were flying around. Then, with the aid of the lights from our helmets, we came across the stalactites, stalagmites and flowstones.

These formations, some of which rise from the floor, provide visitors with an unending source of wonder.

But nothing beats the tall, smooth rock wall that ripples like a stage curtain with glittering crystals.

"This cave is home to numerous cave life and some of them are considered endangered species," said Nonoy C. Verdejo of the local tourism office.

It took us about two hours to get to the main chamber. It is so huge that a football field could easily fit in. It’s where visitors who stay overnight pitch their tents for a camp-out.

To the right of this field is a body of water that is about four meters deep and is home to white eyeless fish. Discovered in 1987 by an Italian caver, this is the first known cave fish in the Philippines.

Cave spiders and crabs in white and red colors also abound inside. In some portions of the cave, there are also thousands of bats which leave the cave at dusk and build their nests on the walls near the entrance.

Mr. Jacla said the cave has been drawing tourists but many town residents never thought of exploring the caves, believing that the underground is a haven of monsters and bad spirits.

He told us the story about three lads who bravely entered the caves without a guide a few years ago. They were stranded in the dark after their flashlight batteries went dead. They were rescued only after military in torches combed through the caves.

The local government has since installed ropes leading from one of the first chambers to the exit to guide visitors.

Despite horror stories about the caves, Calbiga Caves continue to draw adventure tourists. For the first seven months of 2010, at least 400 visitors have entered the karst formation.

"With the absence of hotels and lodging houses in our town, we are implementing a homestay program wherein a group of four visitors will have to pay only P350 to P450 for an overnight stay," said Lea P. Rafales, special assistant for eco-tourism in the local tourism office.

The increasing awareness about the wonders of Calbiga Caves has raised concern of the local government. Tourism officials have been educating villagers to take part in preserving the cave.

"To preserve the beauty of the cave, we always tell visitors to leave nothing but footprints, even taking their urine and waste with them until they return to the surface," Mr. Verdejo said.

Rosauro S. De los Santos, a member of the Philippine Cave Guide Association, also suggested tourist traffic control.

"The place is large and many people don’t understand that’s why they do things that are harmful inside the cave," he said.

"Cave tourism is just new in the country and it is just now that people start to realize that human activities have long-term effects on the cave," he added. He was among the cave experts who were recently invited by the Department of Tourism to evaluate eco-tourism destinations in Samar province.

Eric A. Bontuyan of the Philippine Speleological Society revealed that about 70% of caves in the country are still unexplored as of this year.

"Efforts to explore caves went slow because of environmental considerations," he said.

A single expedition by cave experts, which lasts for about two months, leads to the exploration of some 150 to 300 caves, according to Mr. Bontuyan. -- Sarwell Q. Meniano

http://www.bworldonline.com/weekender/content.php?id=21432

xxxriainxxx

November 20th, 2010, 07:14 AM

Campaigns and Grey Statement on the Logo Fiasco.

It seems to contradict the official statements coming from the DOT

http://a.yfrog.com/img33/2856/xvvb.jpg

http://a.yfrog.com/img522/882/cs4d.jpg

amigo32

November 20th, 2010, 07:18 AM

palusot:D

ibalik na lang ang wow:D

xxxriainxxx

November 20th, 2010, 07:41 AM

Aquino rejects new tourism slogan (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20101120-304292/Aquino-rejects-new-tourism-slogan)
By Norman Bordadora
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 13:10:00 11/20/2010
Filed Under: Tourism, Government, Travel & Commuting, Advertising

MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III has rejected “Pilipinas kay ganda” as the new slogan for promoting tourism in the country.

“[The] stakeholders appear unsatisfied. Perhaps it’s automatic that it needs, no longer fine-tuning, but a replacement that will be more appropriate,” President Aquino told reporters in Malacañang Saturday morning.

Mr. Aquino acknowledged that many of the stakeholders were happier with the old slogan.

The Arroyo administration’s tourism campaign was anchored on the slogan “Wow, Philippines.”

Mr. Aquino said he ordered Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim to submit to him all the tourism plans. He said he would review all of them.

amigo32

November 20th, 2010, 07:43 AM

ayan, may point/buhok ka sa akin Noy:D

IslandSon.PH

November 20th, 2010, 08:02 AM

fire alberto lim!m))

superpilyoako

November 20th, 2010, 08:12 AM

^^^i actually love that Visit Philippines: The World's Warmest Welcome

TWK90

November 20th, 2010, 10:09 AM

As a foreigner, "Mabuhay" is more familiar to me :)

NTprime

November 20th, 2010, 10:12 AM

Campaigns and Grey Statement on the Logo Fiasco.

It seems to contradict the official statements coming from the DOT

http://a.yfrog.com/img33/2856/xvvb.jpg
[/IMG]

Looks like Campaigns and Grey is now distancing themselves from the DOT, since they wouldn't want to be identified as the ad agency responsible for plagiarizing the Polska logo (when in reality they offered more options, but I wonder who the nincompoop was in insisting on the Polska font and design).

I bet you they're willing to lose DOT as their client rather than be known to their other clients as the ad agency who was responsible for the failed "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" campaign.:lol:

In the 5 concepts above, never was there a mention of "adj. how beautiful". Which means whoever insisted on adding the clarificatory phrase didn't believe in the first place that the audiences would understand it outright.

MABUHAY is still the Philippines' best know greeting! Nothing else. Period.

kalbongdad

November 20th, 2010, 11:41 AM

Tourism chief defends logo, says it cost nothing
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20101120-304249/Tourism-chief-defends-logo-says-it-cost-nothing

what?.....akala ko ba business man ito.....walang cost......yung ginugul na lang na oras sa paggawa nyan....yung kuryente....yung sweldo ng taong gumawa ng kapalpakan na yan.....walang cost my ass.....palusot pa.....palpak to the bones na lulusot pa.....alangan naman na ginawa lang para sa kanya yun ng libre ...... may nagmagandang loob lang .....gusto kumita mga yan.....kaya papalitan ang nandyan na para may proyektong pagkakakitaan....sumabit lang....:lol::lol:

xxxriainxxx

November 20th, 2010, 01:08 PM

amigo32

November 20th, 2010, 01:25 PM

:D

palusot nga, kasi akala nila hindi papansinin ng mga tao ang logo. millions yun kung nakalusot. eh mukhang kindergaten lang yung mga design na yun ah:D

baka online pa ginawa yun sa logomaker, tapos templates ang ginamit, pareho pa sa Polska:D

jimPUNKZ

November 20th, 2010, 01:35 PM

IMHO, mr. LIM should be charged/sued with economic sabotage..the new slogan together with a xerox logo will trigger to the philippine tourism's fall...MR. LIM should be ousted immediately.....wala namang mali sa dating slogan diba,,bakit papalitan???A BIgBIG QUESTION indeed....could it be politicaly motivated?? hmmmmmm..... what do you think.?...we all know that this administration dnt want to see any traces,footprints,fingerprints whatsoever of the past admin.......:ohno::ohno::):)

mugiwara96

November 20th, 2010, 01:40 PM

Mr. Lim is just wasting our money. He should not change the slogan but he should improved it. IMO Wow Philippines is the best slogan. He should allot more money in advertising in other country. Our neighboring countries barely know about us.

jimPUNKZ

November 20th, 2010, 01:44 PM

if i were a foreign tourist., i would not waste my time and efforts figuring out what PILIPINAS KAY GANDA means..,and upon figuring it out,i would be turned off for PILIPINAS KAY GANDA is A BIG BIG.........boringggg.......trully,, MR.LIM is a DULL....:ohno::bash:

Linguine

November 20th, 2010, 01:56 PM

From boxing icon to tourism poster boy?
Saturday, 20 November 2010 19:11 Recto L. Mercene / Reporter

EIGHT-DIVISION world champion Manny Pacquiao, looking fresh and relaxed, on Saturday landed in the arms of a grateful and adoring crowd at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), a week after he made history yet again in defeating a much bigger and taller Antonio Margarito in a bruising bout at the Yankee Stadium in Texas on November 14.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/images/stories/daily_images/2010/November2010/11212010/news02.jpg

Pacquiao arrived at half past six aboard Philippine Airlines flight PR 103. Among the first who welcomed him as he came out of the plane was former Manila Mayor and Environment secretary Lito Atienza, whom he has called his “second father” for the steady support provided since his early days as a boxer from General Santos training in Manila.

Waiting at the foot of the escalator was his family; wife Jinkee, sons Michael and Jemuel, daughters Princess and Queenie and mother Dionisia.

 “Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat, masayang masaya ako nakapiling ko na ulit ang pamilya ko, iyong mga anak ko, at maraming salamat sa inyong lahat, sa mga media, guests, at lahat ng mga fans na laging naka suporta [Thanks to all of you. I’m so happy to be reunited with my children. Thank you to the media, guests and ever-supportive fans].”

Always unassuming, he shared his victory with his fellow Pinoys. He said, still speaking in Filipino, that the country is lucky to earn the distinction of victory in eight different divisions.

 “This honor pertains not just to me or my family, but to all Filipinos, in whatever corner of the world we go to, but especially to our Lord,” he added.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/images/stories/daily_images/2010/November2010/11212010/news03.jpg

Instead of turning serious when asked about rumors that he is being groomed to be a presidential contender, Paquiao laughed and said: “I am not an ambitious man, I must focus on the congressional seat that I won and for whatever service that I can give our people.”

He said that in the same way he trained hard and studied to be a good boxer, so too must he prepare well for his role as congressman. There must be a deliberateness in doing projects that will benefit his district, and prove to his constituents he is serious in being their congressman.

Meanwhile, a proadministration legislator moved to give the pound-for-pound king a Lifetime Achievement Award.

In House Bill 3681, Liberal Party Rep. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar said the highest singular honor the whole world can give to the Filipino boxing icon is to institute a system of awarding and recognizing the world’s greatest athletes in his name.

“Just when everyone the world over looks up to him with awe and admiration after his methodical demolition of Mexican Antonio Margarito, it’s high time we come forward as a nation to tell the world that we know how to honor our very own hero before other nations do it ahead of us,” said Evardone.

“If the Nobel Peace Prize has attained that much adulation and respect through the years, I think an international recognition for the world’s greatest athletes in Pacquiao’s name would be just as prestigious,” he added.

As embodied in the bill, the Manny Pacquiao Lifetime Achievement Award will be administered by an independent body to be known as the Philippine Institute for Sports Excellence (Pise), which shall also be mandated to rationalize a system of reward and recognition for deserving Filipino athletes.

It will be administratively attached to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) but totally independent from it, and from the Games and Amusements Board (GAB).

Pise will be headed by a chairman and five other commissioners including the heads of the PSC, GAB and Commission on Higher Education in an ex-oficio capacity.

Under the proposed bill, Pise will have a budget of P100 million to be appropriated by Congress, but will be empowered to tap the resources of the private sector to ease the burden on the national coffers as the years go by.

Pressed, meanwhile, whether he would be able to help more as a president or vice president, Pacquiao demurred.

“Sa ngayon ay wala pa sa isip ko iyan dahil siguro malayo pa iyan. Ang nasa isip ko iyong katungkulan ko bilang congressman [As of now, it is not yet on my mind, maybe because that is far into the future. What is in my mind is my duty as a congressman],” a comment that elicited a murmur of approval from the crowd.

Asked what weight class he would prefer in his next fight, seeing that he had difficulty reaching 150 pounds, and ended up fighting Margarito at 148 pounds, Pacquiao said, “It depends, maybe 154 pounds is too heavy, we tried it, and I think I was able to fight in that level but I suffered the punches; we are not made of steel.”

He clarified that when he went into the ring with Margarito, he weighed in at 148 pounds while his opponent was at 165 pounds.

In Photo: President Aquino smiles as he receives a miniature super-welterweight championship belt from WBC super-welterweight champion Rep. Manny Pacquiao. The boxing icon paid a courtesy call on the President within hours of arriving from the United States. Meeting him at the airport were his children, who did not join him in his Texas bout, and former Manila Mayor and Environment Secretary Lito Atienza, his long-time supporter. (Rey S. Baniquet, NIB/PCOO, and Recto Mercene)

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/top-news/3962-from-boxing-icon-to-tourism-poster-boy

juniordiscovery

November 20th, 2010, 01:57 PM

This is still part of WOW Philippines. WOW Philippines was the brand for the entire Philippine tourism campaign, both domestic and international, before Alberto Lim arrived.

In my opinion, mas maganda yung past tourism ads natin. "Wow Philippines" and "Biyahe tayo" are more inviting compared to "Pilipinas kay ganda".

Perseus II

November 20th, 2010, 02:12 PM

bullrun ang travel and tourism thread dahil sa kapalpakan ng dot :lol: :lol: :lol:

myravill

November 20th, 2010, 02:13 PM

kalbongdad

November 20th, 2010, 02:25 PM

o mahabaging BATHALA....iadya mo po kami sa mga incompetents na ito....hindi po talaga nila alam ang kanilang ginagawa.......

Kintoy

November 20th, 2010, 03:03 PM

Ang weird ng Campaigns and grey, blaming its client. They should fire its copywriter.

jimPUNKZ

November 20th, 2010, 04:03 PM

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1153.snc4/149505_176142215734394_100000158495399_687654_6303846_n.jpg

Parang condom ang "sun". peace!! hehe.. :colgate:

napaka elementary ng design,mukha ngang condom w/ mango flavor ang araw LOL,may pa-adjective2X pa!! hayyyy,:ohno:according to them(PEOPLE FROM DOT),baka raw hindi na ituloy ito.,knowing that they have already spent millions and yet it all bound for trash!!..are we really on the right track(DAANG MAT-WID)????::drool::drool:

jimPUNKZ

November 20th, 2010, 04:10 PM

in just a span of more or less five months,,,the incumbent admin. has already done many things and sorry to say,,napakarami nang palpak....,,a few days from now, i'd not be surprised if meron na namang lilitaw na kapalpakan:ohno::ohno:sana naman ayusin na nila ang trabaho nila nang tuloy2X na ang pag-unlad.:):)

Linguine

November 20th, 2010, 04:26 PM

http://www.mb.com.ph/sites/default/files/images/beach_home.jpg

BIGGEST NATURAL 'TV SCREEN'

A surfer sits on the white sands of the seven-kilometer Dahican Beach in Mati, Davao Oriental, as he marvels at the spectacular beauty of the scene around him which even the biggest TV screen in the world could not capture in full. (Photo by HENRYLITO D. TACIO)

http://www.mb.com.ph/?poll=1

xxxriainxxx

November 20th, 2010, 04:41 PM

Ang weird ng Campaigns and grey, blaming its client. They should fire its copywriter.

On the other hand, Campaigns and Grey cannot totally dissociate themselves from this monumental mishap. Nagpaparty, kasabay may sayawan pa, hindi nila alam ito? DOT and C&G are equally liable for this.

NTprime

November 20th, 2010, 04:55 PM

^^ Have you noticed Campaigns and Grey last sentence?

"The road to perdition is paved with good intentions."

May pinapatamaan ba?

Via GMATV

Boy Abunda's suggested a slogan - "Philippines, Your Bestfriend in Asia"

^^ Boinks. Philippines your BFF. ewww

Someone told me Boy Abunda and company are behind the push for "Pilipinas Kay Ganda". I still have to connect the rest of the dots together but obviously, entertaining Pinoys with showbiz intrigues and scoops is very different from running an international tourism campaign.

Let's see once we get to the bottom of things...

Askal82

November 20th, 2010, 05:07 PM

Intensive research???
O M G!!! :nuts:

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AGAIN... waste of time, WASTE OF MONEY, waste of opportunity.
the highest positions of the country are run by AMATEURS!! this is scary.. tsk tsk tsk

I can think of a better slogan for branding the Philippines:

Philippines: 7000 wonders or Life starts at 7000 (they think it could be age, as to provoke their curiosity why 7000?). :lol:

It's both a visual and word of mouth campaign (They would ask what's that 7,000 to any Filipino in general they know that they can answer right away). Take advantage of Filipino's art of gossiping and we will have a cost-effective ad. :lol:

No need for intensive research.

Forget putting Asian, sobrang gas gas na yan + ginagamit yan ng ibang bansa. I want to put something that can identify Philippines and that is we have 7000 islands, so use that as a brand.

I hope some of the DOT people ever gets to glance this.

NTprime

November 20th, 2010, 05:16 PM

Looks like Campaigns and Grey is now distancing themselves from the DOT, since they wouldn't want to be identified as the ad agency responsible for plagiarizing the Polska logo (when in reality they offered more options, but I wonder who the nincompoop was in insisting on the Polska font and design).

I bet you they're willing to lose DOT as their client rather than be known to their other clients as the ad agency who was responsible for the failed "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" campaign.:lol:

In the 5 concepts above, never was there a mention of "adj. how beautiful". Which means whoever insisted on adding the clarificatory phrase didn't believe in the first place that the audiences would understand it outright.

MABUHAY is still the Philippines' best know greeting! Nothing else. Period.

Ad agency says it warned DoT: ‘Don’t take shortcuts’ (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20101120-304290/Ad-agency-says-it-warned-DoT-Dont-take-shortcuts)
By Dennis Atienza Maliwanag
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 12:56:00 11/20/2010

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Tourism (DoT) was “repeatedly warned” against a premature launch of its rebrand, the ad agency behind the repackaging of the Philippines to woo tourists said amid controversies over copied logo, mediocre tagline and link to porn site.

At the same time, Campaigns & Grey always reminded the over-enthusiastic department the need for a market research on the study before its launch, said the agency’s managing director Boboy Consunji.

“We repeatedly warned the client [DoT] that it was premature to launch, or even preview the study, but apparently, preparations for the tour operator event were already underway,” he said in a statement posted in his Facebook account.

The new brand, replacing the “WOW Philippines” slogan, was unveiled early this week before members of the tourism industry and guests.

But the “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” tagline drew more flak than praise from the public.

“We ourselves were shocked at the grand scale of what was supposed to be a mere glimpse to draw out a constructive exchange among industry partners. It was not surprising that media and the public took it as a done deal,” said Consunji.

“Again, we warned the client that we were taking too many shortcuts,” he said.

Consunji stressed “it was agreed that there will be a proper market research where multiple concepts will be thoroughly tested among the target market, i.e. North America, Korea, Japan, China, etc.”

On Wednesday, the DoT campaign website (http://www.beautifulpilipinas.com) was taken down after net citizens frantically pointed out its close link to a porn site (http://www.beautifulfilipinas.com).

The following day, the cyberspace was again abuzz over the striking similarities between DoT’s "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" design and Poland's tourism logo.

The Philippine tourism department swiftly denied it imitated the Polska official travel website badge, only to admit Friday it actually did, and countered: “First of all, Poland doesn’t have a copyright on the font.”

Consunji said it was the DoT’s idea to use the Polska logo for “inspiration.”

“From many different logo studies that we recommended, we were directed to use the Polska logo for inspiration. Again, this went through several revisions until the client approved a logo similar to the fonts of Polska,” he said.

“With the addition of several other Philippine elements like the tarsier, smiling coconuts and the sun, there was enough distinction to send the logo into market research,” Consunji added. “If findings showed negative reactions towards the logo or if respondents felt it was reminiscent of the Polska logo, it would be easier to dissuade the client from using it.”

Campaigns & Grey said it learned a lesson or two from the experience.

“We shall take this experience as a cautionary tale against giving in to the client and allowing their over-enthusiasm to override our better judgment. It was a reminder that the road to perdition is paved with good intentions,” Consunji said.

At a gathering of world leaders in Tokyo last week, President Benigno Aquino III castigated Western allies for issuing terror warnings amid Manila’s efforts to revitalize the low-spirited tourism industry.

vishaya

November 20th, 2010, 06:37 PM

Ad agency says it warned DoT: ‘Don’t take shortcuts’ (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20101120-304290/Ad-agency-says-it-warned-DoT-Dont-take-shortcuts)

............
The Philippine tourism department swiftly denied it imitated the Polska official travel website badge, only to admit Friday it actually did, and countered: “First of all, Poland doesn’t have a copyright of the font.”
............

incredibly idiotic!

plagiarism is entirely a different banana with copyright infringement!

palusot after palusot! could have been better if they just 'suck it up'!

wino

November 20th, 2010, 08:44 PM

bullrun ang travel and tourism thread dahil sa kapalpakan ng dot :lol: :lol: :lol:

oonga eh!! naging pinaka active thread ito for the past week. LOL

habagatcentral1

November 21st, 2010, 12:59 AM

And thus the chief exective of the Republic of the Philippines has spoken. BRING IT DOWN!!!

Philippine president scraps new tourism slogan (http://ph.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101120/tap-lifestyle-philippines-tourism-brand-5cc1ef8.html)

MANILA (AFP) - – President Benigno Aquino ordered the scrapping of the Philippines' new tourism slogan after an attempted rebrand was criticised as boring and unattractive to tourists.

In the latest setback to attempts to revamp the country's image abroad, Aquino said on Saturday a better slogan should replace the motto "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" (Philippines What a Beauty), which his government introduced just days ago.

"The (tourism) stakeholders don't sound content. So probably, we need to do more than just fine-tune it. We should look for something more fitting," Aquino told reporters.

The president conceded that more people seemed to like the previous slogan, "Wow, Philippines", which was used by the government of former president Gloria Arroyo for some eight years.

Aquino said he had asked his tourism secretary, Alberto Lim, to show him the full blueprint of the new tourism programme so he could review it.

The "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" slogan has been bitterly criticised by tourism industry leaders and legislators.

Critics called it bland and said that the fact that it is in the national language, not English, made it incomprehensible to foreigners.

They also said the logo that accompanies it looked strangely similar to the travel logo for Poland.

The scrapping of the slogan was the latest in a series of setbacks suffered by the Tourism Department.

On Tuesday, it had to take down its latest online tourism campaign after critics panned the website and warned that unwary surfers aiming for the site at beautifulpilipinas.com could easily end up on a porn website instead.

The Philippines has been struggling to shake off its image as an unsafe destination after a botched police rescue of foreign tourists seized in a bus by a dismissed policeman in August left eight Hong Kong residents dead.

Lim has said he was confident the tourism ministry would attain its full-year target of 3.3 million arrivals, from just over three million in 2009.

Sky Harbor

November 21st, 2010, 02:27 AM

^^ Noynoy, for the love of Philippine tourism, please keep WOW Philippines. Thanks. :okay:

kalbongdad

November 21st, 2010, 02:42 AM

Linguine

November 21st, 2010, 02:49 AM

Traveling A–Z: Ilocos Sur
By VINCE G. LOPEZ
November 20, 2010, 2:21pm

http://www.mb.com.ph/sites/default/files/Traveling-A-Z_5.jpg

Crisologo Street in Vigan

The myriad of cultures and the stories of history are just among the charms that invite tourists into the province of Ilocos Sur.

But there’s more to the province than its quaint façade and heritage houses. Ilocanos likewise pride themselves with an arsenal of fine delicacies that tingles the guest’s tastes buds. But indeed, the charms of the old world is too hard to resists as it serves as a window to the glory of the past while enjoying the luxuries of modernization.

From churches, bricked streets, and scenic surroundings Ilocos Sur is one destination that every Filipino should try at least once during their lifetime. A tour of the province introduces guests to the glory of the country during the Spanish era. Some consider the province as a living museum.

The historic town of Vigan is one of the most popular destinations in the province of Ilocos Sur. Established during the 16th century, the town is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage site for its important role of preserving a part in Philippine history.

Whether for a taste of unique culinary specialties or simply keeping in touch with the country’s history, the province of Ilocos Sur remains to be one of the most interesting destinations in the country for both local and foreign tourists.

Fast facts

Local dialect: Ilocano

Festival: Viva Vigan Festival

Must See:

• Tirad Pass - A scenic landscape inscribed in the books of Philippine history as the place where Gen. Gregorio del Pilar took this last stand against the colonizers.

• Sta. Maria Church – Many Filipinos have heard of a church that served as a sanctuary for revolutionary heroes during the war. This church in Ilocos Sur has always been mentioned in history books as a fortress for our heroes. The church is recognized as a World Heritage Site and also serves as a national landmark of the country.

• Heritage City of Vigan – As a fine example of a Spanish colonial town, the well known heritage city continues to entice tourists to stroll in the past as it is one of the most picture-friendly sites in the province.

• Cabangtalan Beach - Not to be overshadowed by the beaches from its northern counterpart, this beach of the province of Ilocos Sur serves as a refreshing beach getaway for tourists.

• Santiago Cove –Ilocos Sur’s famous stretch of golden sands.

How to get there:

Major bus companies have daily schedules going to the city of Vigan which is a 12-14 hours' land travel from Manila. Flying to the province is also possible via Laoag’s International Airport which is around two to three hours away from Ilocos Sur.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/288592/traveling-a-z-ilocos-sur

dancethingy

November 21st, 2010, 03:11 AM

If Aquino's admin can screw up on tourism, and man did they screw up, imagine how much wrong they could do with more complicated projects pertaining infrastructure and trade...

plmetzen

November 21st, 2010, 03:24 AM

the slogan looks a bit campy
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt84/plmetzen/bading.jpg

the yellow sun looks like a...
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt84/plmetzen/condom.jpg

hmm now where did they get inspiration???
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt84/plmetzen/polska.jpg

jimPUNKZ

November 21st, 2010, 04:45 AM

kalbongdad

November 21st, 2010, 05:24 AM

tama nga ata ang kasabihan that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.....:lol: sounds family?:lol:....katakot to dahil sa tuwid na daan pa nman daw tayo dadaan.....meaning straight to hell talaga tayo.....:lol: :lol: :lol:

jimPUNKZ

November 21st, 2010, 05:35 AM

^^^^tama,according to the bible, ang daan tungo sa impyerno ay napaka sarap,mahalimuyak at walang kahirap2X,pero in the end,ang lahat ay kunwari lamang dahil sa huli,dadanasin mo ang walang katapusang hirap....im afraid ito ang mangyayari sa atin...huwag naman sana,,and scrapping the new slogan, ay pa-consuelo de BOBO lang...:ohno::ohno:

Linguine

November 21st, 2010, 05:56 AM

washing hands.....

Ad firm says it warned DoT: ‘Don’t take shortcuts’
By Dennis Atienza Maliwanag
INQUIRER.net First Posted 12:56:00 11/20/2010 Filed Under: Internet, Advertising, Tourism

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Tourism (DoT) was “repeatedly warned” against a premature launch of its rebrand, the ad agency behind the repackaging of the Philippines to woo tourists said amid controversies over copied logo, mediocre tagline and link to porn site.

At the same time, Campaigns & Grey always reminded the over-enthusiastic department the need for a market research on the study before its launch, said the agency’s managing director Boboy Consunji.

“We repeatedly warned the client [DoT] that it was premature to launch, or even preview the study, but apparently, preparations for the tour operator event were already underway,” he said in a statement posted in his Facebook account.

The new brand, replacing the “WOW Philippines” slogan, was unveiled early this week before members of the tourism industry and guests.

But the “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” tagline drew more flak than praise from the public.

“We ourselves were shocked at the grand scale of what was supposed to be a mere glimpse to draw out a constructive exchange among industry partners. It was not surprising that media and the public took it as a done deal,” said Consunji.

“Again, we warned the client that we were taking too many shortcuts,” he said.

Consunji stressed “it was agreed that there will be a proper market research where multiple concepts will be thoroughly tested among the target market, i.e. North America, Korea, Japan, China, etc.”

On Wednesday, the DoT campaign website (http://www.beautifulpilipinas.com) was taken down after net citizens frantically pointed out its close link to a porn site (http://www.beautifulfilipinas.com).

The following day, the cyberspace was again abuzz over the striking similarities between DoT’s "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" design and Poland's tourism logo.

The Philippine tourism department swiftly denied it imitated the Polska official travel website badge, only to admit Friday it actually did, and countered: “First of all, Poland doesn’t have a copyright on the font.”

Consunji said it was the DoT’s idea to use the Polska logo for “inspiration.”

“From many different logo studies that we recommended, we were directed to use the Polska logo for inspiration. Again, this went through several revisions until the client approved a logo similar to the fonts of Polska,” he said.

“With the addition of several other Philippine elements like the tarsier, smiling coconuts and the sun, there was enough distinction to send the logo into market research,” Consunji added. “If findings showed negative reactions towards the logo or if respondents felt it was reminiscent of the Polska logo, it would be easier to dissuade the client from using it.”

Campaigns & Grey said it learned a lesson or two from the experience.

“We shall take this experience as a cautionary tale against giving in to the client and allowing their over-enthusiasm to override our better judgment. It was a reminder that the road to perdition is paved with good intentions,” Consunji said.

At a gathering of world leaders in Tokyo last week, President Benigno Aquino III castigated Western allies for issuing terror warnings amid Manila’s efforts to revitalize the low-spirited tourism industry.

:ohno::ohno:

kiretoce

November 21st, 2010, 05:56 AM

wOq5mD0XonI

bledzoe

November 21st, 2010, 08:05 AM

it would be to our best interest if Aquino will succeed...

mwg12a

November 21st, 2010, 08:20 AM

If Aquino's admin can screw up on tourism, and man did they screw up, imagine how much wrong they could do with more complicated projects pertaining infrastructure and trade...

The country's economy is still heading up right? They can't be 100% perfect, look at Arroyo? She was marred with criticism and accusations. Which one is more serious? Corruption or this damn slogan they used or copied? Even without these slogan if the Philippines is attractive to foreigners, they will keep on coming back.... this is nothing compared to insurgencies and attacks on foreigners when they kidnapped or killed these foreigners..... I am not sure why there is so much fuss against this stupid logo when Poland is using it to lure tourists to come to their country...... It must not be all too bad if it is being used by atleast one other country...

habagatcentral1

November 21st, 2010, 08:31 AM

Someone on Twitter/Plurk suggested this as a new slogan for DOT:

Rest In Philippines

:nocrook:

manileño

November 21st, 2010, 08:33 AM

le Reine

November 21st, 2010, 08:42 AM

The country's economy is still heading up right? They can't be 100% perfect, look at Arroyo? She was marred with criticism and accusations. Which one is more serious? Corruption or this damn slogan they used or copied? Even without these slogan if the Philippines is attractive to foreigners, they will keep on coming back.... this is nothing compared to insurgencies and attacks on foreigners when they kidnapped or killed these foreigners..... I am not sure why there is so much fuss against this stupid logo when Poland is using it to lure tourists to come to their country...... It must not be all too bad if it is being used by atleast one other country...Why do we always have to compare from the previous admin? If that would always be the excuse, then what would be the difference between them? Kala ko ba he's way different and better than the previous admin? So why only show the bad side of the latter. I say the corruption issue is different from this issue. If we would always bring that up, eh wala na tayong mararating. Worse, wala pa ngang naisasampang kaso. In the end baka matulad lang din sa mga Marcos.

The issue about this slogan is that it was obviously done without consultation. Worse, the ad agency is now blaming DOT for being over-enthusiastic. And worst of all, the DOT is applying what most people hate about the previous admin: deny, admit then give excuses.

Here's a perfect example:
The Philippine tourism department swiftly denied it imitated the Polska official travel website badge, only to admit Friday it actually did, and countered: “First of all, Poland doesn’t have a copyright on the font.”

Mas maayos daw sila sa previous admin. Fine. Actions are still louder than words. So far, we haven't seen any, only blame game and excuses (ironically, the same actions of the previous admin). Also, as what Manileño has said, what has been done to prop up our image after the stupid Manila hostage crisis? WALA, zero, nadda, zilch.

The issue here is what they are planning to do and how they would do it. I'm not interested on what the previous admin has done, everyone knows that already.

xxxriainxxx

November 21st, 2010, 08:43 AM

peejay202

November 21st, 2010, 09:02 AM

Hahay.. Here we go again. Comparing P-noy with pgma. Basta si P-noy "all good". Kung si Pgma naman "all evil". Kaya kahit anong mabuting gawin ni pgma eh masama parin. Puro nalang excuses. Kung may kapalpakan eh ibablame kay arroyo. If the issue is about tourism at plagiarism, i-compare at i-blame ba naman si arroyo on the issue of corruption? Ibang issue na yan.

That's the problem with our government. There is no continuity of good practices. We always have to start from scratch kasi mas concerned ang sinumang bagong presidente about his/her popularity and legacy.

xxxriainxxx

November 21st, 2010, 09:10 AM

Amazing Thailand was maintained even when Thailand changed leaderships so many times in a few years.

dessertfox

November 21st, 2010, 09:24 AM

Someone on Twitter/Plurk suggested this as a new slogan for DOT:

Rest In Philippines

:nocrook:

Seriously, they should focus first on most urgent issues like the new Tourism Act. This may really work, since this was taken as a concensous by majority stakes holder in tourism industry.

As par as branding it will takes time, no shortcuts on these please. For me I would rather stick from where we are known like;

1. Philippines, Pearl Of The Orient Seas ( by Dr. Rizal )
2. Mabuhay! Philippines
3. WoW! Philippines

mwg12a

November 21st, 2010, 09:26 AM

Why do we always have to compare from the previous admin? If that would always be the excuse, then what would be the difference between them? Kala ko ba he's way different and better than the previous admin? So why only show the bad side of the latter. I say the corruption issue is different from this issue. If we would always bring that up, eh wala na tayong mararating. Worse, wala pa ngang naisasampang kaso. In the end baka matulad lang din sa mga Marcos.

The issue about this slogan is that it was obviously done without consultation. Worse, the ad agency is now blaming DOT for being over-enthusiastic. And worst of all, the DOT is applying what most people hate about the previous admin: deny, admit then give excuses.

It's not really to compare the past and present administration, the whole point there is that no matter how good the president is, there is always these down side, they can't be all perfect all the time. I mentioned Arroyo because she would of been the best and perfect president, she did achieved something, there is always the word "but" connected to her, just like Aquino. There is definitely no need to compare.

Sleepwalker

November 21st, 2010, 09:30 AM

Kintoy

November 21st, 2010, 09:30 AM

If I'm a company who want to launch a media campaign, I would now hesitate to hire Campaigns & grey. It's one thing to come up with mediocre ads, but to blame the client? Publicly?

mwg12a

November 21st, 2010, 09:39 AM

Hmmmm...Four months in office...The palpaks still outweigh.

True, but most of it were commited not directly by Aquino but the people he thinks he can trust.... But who is really there to trust? He rely on his instinct based on his mother's trusted allies...

Remember the hostage taking? There were so much noise from all pinoys, saying that it will turn off tourist yet inspite of those, tourist still keeps on coming to the Philippines... they see it as an isolated incident while for pinoys, it's all fire and hell already... this is why I mentioned about the "so much fuss" comment....

Oh wow, I dint expect you to say this at all.

Well, the supposed "new log" has no appeal even to myself, the error of DOT is blamed on Aquino Again, he did request to have it changed hoping DOT would come up with something better than "WoWPhilippines", in in an attempt to impress the people and the president by copying Poland's logo which perhaps attractive to them at the time because they saw it as something effective in Poland's tourism, the only thing is that it backfired on them...... I mentioned "so much fuss" because it seems that only the filipinos are all complaining about it and has no feedback yet from non filipinos. Although, I agree that the target market for tourism isn't strictly the foreign nationals but the local/filipino travelers as well.

kalbongdad

November 21st, 2010, 09:45 AM

lest we forget....or just don't know about it.....secretaries are alter egos of the prez.....kaya ang palpak ng secretary ay palpak ng prez.....ganyan talaga ang buhay.....the thing...is it seem the guy in the middle is perceived wimpy and limp......o sige na diretsahin na natin....weak na.......and it's being further validated by the incompetence of his subalterns and his inaction to the phrase "HEADS WILL ROLL".....

mwg12a

November 21st, 2010, 09:55 AM

May feeling ako magiging balimbing itong si Kalbongdad bandang huli :lol:

le Reine

November 21st, 2010, 09:57 AM

It's not really to compare the past and present administration, the whole point there is that no matter how good the president is, there is always these down side, they can't be all perfect all the time. I mentioned Arroyo because she would of been the best and perfect president, she did achieved something, there is always the word "but" connected to her, just like Aquino. There is definitely no need to compare.Yeah no need to compare, but that's exactly what you did and I merely quoted it.

lest we forget....or just don't know about it.....secretaries are alter egos of the prez.That's what I would also like to point out. The cabinet secretaries are also the alter ego of the President, so they have to be extra careful when doing something. The President is not always there to shield them (which is weird because it should be the other way around).

mwg12a

November 21st, 2010, 10:00 AM

Yeah no need to compare, but that's exactly what you did and I merely quoted it.

Well that was not my intention and it was not in my mind.

What I really don't understand with all the Aquino haters is what they wanted to happen? People's power again???? I know Arroyo deserve some credit but hell, each time we talk about corruptions... I can just shake my head.

le Reine

November 21st, 2010, 10:05 AM

Well that was not my intention and it was not in my mind.

What I really don't understand with all the Aquino haters is what they wanted to happen? People's power again????IT may not be your intention, but it looks different to me. I don't know about the others but as far as I am concerned, I don't see anything done in the DOT at all. Kahit man lang plan or roadmap wala. Kala ko pa naman dahil galing na ang DOT sec sa private firm na may connection sa tourism eh may idea na siya, mukhang wala ata. That's what I'm worried about.

I didn't see anyone mentioning people power or removing the President from office. They just hate the new slogan and what the DOT has been doing (or hasn't done) for the past few months despite the hostage crisis and the travel advisories. It's just disappointing. Worse, I wouldn't be surprised if the tourist arrivals would be dragged down to 1M-2M mark again and the tourist receipts below $4B. :ohno:

xxxriainxxx

November 21st, 2010, 10:11 AM

Well, the supposed "new log" has no appeal even to myself, the error of DOT is blamed on Aquino Again, he did request to have it changed hoping DOT would come up with something better than "WoWPhilippines", in in an attempt to impress the people and the president by copying Poland's logo which perhaps attractive to them at the time because they saw it as something effective in Poland's tourism, the only thing is that it backfired on them...... I mentioned "so much fuss" because it seems that only the filipinos are all complaining about it and has no feedback yet from non filipinos. Although, I agree that the target market for tourism isn't strictly the foreign nationals but the local/filipino travelers as well.

From my source, the logo/slogan was meant to be launched or 'previewed' (whatever) in London during a meeting arranged by DTI UK for DOT Sec. Lim with potential investors but it was stopped by Malacanang because it needs tweaking. Fast forward 2 weeks later, the logo/slogan was 'previewed' publicly . In one of the interviews inamin ng DOT na even the tarsier and the smiley face on the coconut tree was Noy's idea.

This makes sense, that Noy already saw the logo/slogan way before it was 'previewed'. As for the obvious copying of the Polish tourism logo, I find it very disrespectful. If there is one thing we as a people were never lacking, that would be creativity. Yes, we should go beyond than mere slogans/logos and improve our infrastructure (airports, roads, safety) but national branding is very important as well. It basically summarises what the country is about. The product is the country and we should sell it well.

As for Non-Filipinos not commenting on it, actually they do. I know many tourism stakeholders who are foreigners complaining about this new logo/slogan. Sabi ni Sec. Lim, wala naman daw reklamo ang mga foreigners during the 'preview' but hey, how are you going to politely say that the logo suck during that event?

Sec. Lim may be a nice guy (as my sources in the Philippines and overseas told me), but all of them don't think he knows what he is doing. 100M for online media is way too much, this makes me question whether their transactions were all above board.

After the 8/23 bruising, we were expecting that the DOT do something positively mind-blowing to counter all the negative publicity that we had. Noy is also indirectly responsible because he put his trust in these people with questionable competence and thus by nature of command responsibility, he shares part of the culpability (yes and that is also shared by Campaigns and Grey) with the latest mishap.

People esp stakeholders will be watching what the DOT's next move. And I hope they do something that will put Philippine tourism back on the international map.

mwg12a

November 21st, 2010, 10:18 AM

xxxriainxxx

November 21st, 2010, 10:42 AM

@ Le reine, Yes I agree things are all disappointing here. I guess I have enough of those complaints that does not only resonates in this thread alone but in the other thread as well.

And I understand what you are saying @xxxrainxxx.

There is that crowdsourcing site that was put up to solicit opinions from the public. I swear maraming tutulong. A good leader must be able to harness all these offers of help. I got tweets re: graphic artists, photographers, writers.. hindi tayo mauubusan nyan. We need DOT to exhibit some leadership.. but in order one must be humble.. they should accept the fact that hindi sila lang ang may alam. If they crowdsource, we may not even need that 100M for online media.

Some of the virtually free online campaigns-

1. The DOT can harness the HelpDOT campaign and launch an ambitious blog ring that is dedicated to Philippine travel - say encourage each person to have 1 travel blog about the Philippines and register it. Imagine what 1,000 Philippine travel blogs will do? Multiply that to 10.. even more. You get the drift. That would totally swamp whatever negative tags on the Philippines online.

2. Hold an online contest for the best slogan/logo.

3. Hold a tweetup on Philippine travel.

3. Do a viral video on Youtube about Philippine destinations.

Marami pang iba....

Yre

November 21st, 2010, 11:03 AM

True, but most of it were commited not directly by Aquino but the people he thinks he can trust.... But who is really there to trust? He rely on his instinct based on his mother's trusted allies...

Remember the hostage taking? There were so much noise from all pinoys, saying that it will turn off tourist yet inspite of those, tourist still keeps on coming to the Philippines... they see it as an isolated incident while for pinoys, it's all fire and hell already... this is why I mentioned about the "so much fuss" comment....

Well, the supposed "new log" has no appeal even to myself, the error of DOT is blamed on Aquino Again, he did request to have it changed hoping DOT would come up with something better than "WoWPhilippines", in in an attempt to impress the people and the president by copying Poland's logo which perhaps attractive to them at the time because they saw it as something effective in Poland's tourism, the only thing is that it backfired on them...... I mentioned "so much fuss" because it seems that only the filipinos are all complaining about it and has no feedback yet from non filipinos. Although, I agree that the target market for tourism isn't strictly the foreign nationals but the local/filipino travelers as well.

Unfortunately, lots of non-filipinos are laughing at the incompetency of the people behind all these. Damn too embarassing...i hope that friend of ours who frequent the ofw thread is not connected with the DOT.

I can give you a link by PM if you want where western expats are discussing this booboo and what's worst is that the domain name is almost the same name on a porn site. fck!

Pnoy should fire all these people in the DOT! And again i'm sure, he won't... :ohno:

Linguine

November 21st, 2010, 11:05 AM

Aquino summons Tourism chief over botched brand

TOURISM Secretary Alberto Lim said Friday his department will likely drop the “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” (Philippines How Beautiful) brand altogether, but took a dig at critics who savaged the slogan, saying they acted as if they knew better than the market researchers who worked on the re-branding program.

“If people reject it because they think they know more than the researchers do, we will back off,” Lim said in Pilipino, adding the slogan was “a product of research.”

He said he was meeting later in the day with President Benigno Aquino III, who had ordered him to look into the barrage of criticism that greeted the new slogan and the Web site that the department had created to promote it.

“We are going to talk about it,” Lim told dwIZ radio, acknowledging that, with all the negative feedback, it was likely the department would scrub the tag line altogether.

The Web site designed to use the new logo was so poorly received that the department yanked it out of the Internet one day after it went up, while the reactions to the slogan were overwhelmingly critical.

Most of the critics said the slogan was boring and complained that it would be unintelligible to foreigners, the main targets of the tourism promotion campaign.

But Lim said Friday they planned to make the Pilipino word ganda (beauty) a household word like the Japanese sayonara and the Hawaiian aloha.

He said the department would be ready to go back to “Wow Philippines” if the new brand failed to pass muster.

The problem, he said, was that “Wow Philippines” was no longer new and was hardly being used, while other countries were spending much more on their branding campaigns.

Lim admitted that his group failed to do research on the choice of the new Web site’s Internet addresses, which could redirect visitors to a pornographic site if one letter was changed.

“We made a wrong choice of Internet addresses. We never thought it was close to a porn site,” Lim said.

But he disagreed with the charges that his department lifted its new logo design and typeface from Poland’s tourism logo despite the striking similarities between the two.

“If we plagiarized it we would have copied it all the way,” he said.

Lim’s dig at his critics drew fire almost immediately.

“Typical Yellow Army arrogance,” one visitor to a popular blog said.

“How arrogant of that Mr. Lim!” another said.

“The slogan is dull, boring and utterly useless to those who do have the full grasp of the Filipino language.”

Another said he was sure the new logo was “well researched,” referring to how similar it looked to the Polish tourism logo.

In a post on a social networking site, Tourism Undersecretary Vicente Romano III took responsibility for choosing the domain name for the new Web site, and said he never thought to check if mistyping one letter would lead visitors to a porn site.

But he said no damage had been done, and thanks to the Filipino online community which spotted the mistake.

“As soon as they pointed out the anomaly, we pulled out the site and it had a total exposure of no more than 14 hours,” Romano said.

“I doubt very much if any foreigner actually had a chance to see the porn site. It may have caused the department embarrassment, but I don’t think it put our nation to shame.”

Romano also said the department’s budget for “new media” or the Internet was P100 million, which would be spent on a complete overhaul of the current Web site. He apologized for the poor grammar and factual errors on the new Web site.

“We just changed the look and feel, but literally cut-and-pasted from the different existing DOT websites,” he said.

“I guess because the site was new, every page and every word was under close scrutiny.”

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNews.htm?f=2010/november/20/news1.isx&d=2010/november/20

Kintoy

November 21st, 2010, 11:18 AM

lest we forget....or just don't know about it.....secretaries are alter egos of the prez.

just like Neri is the alter ego of GMA? :lol:

Kintoy

November 21st, 2010, 11:20 AM

amigo32

November 21st, 2010, 11:27 AM

logo/slogan, product of research?:D funny:D

putik na yan

mwg12a

November 21st, 2010, 11:56 AM

I can give you a link by PM if you want where western expats are discussing this booboo and what's worst is that the domain name is almost the same name on a porn site. fck!

Pnoy should fire all these people in the DOT! And again i'm sure, he won't... :ohno:

Blog from forums like these? heck we don't know if some of those are filipinos themselves under pseudonym. Unless it was videoed with actual voice from it.

I do agree that Ninoy should be firing people like Lim the Mayor and now this Lim in DOT, not sure if Lim the DOT do need to completely get fired. According to xxrain, he is a good person, he probably have good intention however, he did say that Lim doesn't have the skills for these and such a waste of money.

Yre

November 21st, 2010, 12:17 PM

Blog from forums like these? heck we don't know if some of those are filipinos themselves under pseudonym. Unless it was videoed with actual voice from it.

I do agree that Ninoy should be firing people like Lim the Mayor and now this Lim in DOT, not sure if Lim the DOT do need to completely get fired. According to xxrain, he is a good person, he probably have good intention however, he did say that Lim doesn't have the skills for these and such a waste of money.

Nope, i will PM you the link. These expats don't hide under pseudonym and the blog site owner is very well known in my hometown.

kalbongdad

November 21st, 2010, 12:45 PM

just like Neri is the alter ego of GMA? :lol:

man....move on already.......aquino prez na tayo.....why the urge to always refer back to Pangulong Gloria ex.....:lol::lol: get a life man.....pnoy presidency is now holding the reins of power and will determine wether we are going sa tuwid na daan straight to hell or not....:lol:

mao rong

November 21st, 2010, 12:46 PM

Why do we always have to compare from the previous admin? If that would always be the excuse, then what would be the difference between them? Kala ko ba he's way different and better than the previous admin? So why only show the bad side of the latter. I say the corruption issue is different from this issue. If we would always bring that up, eh wala na tayong mararating. Worse, wala pa ngang naisasampang kaso. In the end baka matulad lang din sa mga Marcos.

The issue about this slogan is that it was obviously done without consultation. Worse, the ad agency is now blaming DOT for being over-enthusiastic. And worst of all, the DOT is applying what most people hate about the previous admin: deny, admit then give excuses.

Here's a perfect example:
The Philippine tourism department swiftly denied it imitated the Polska official travel website badge, only to admit Friday it actually did, and countered: “First of all, Poland doesn’t have a copyright on the font.”

Mas maayos daw sila sa previous admin. Fine. Actions are still louder than words. So far, we haven't seen any, only blame game and excuses (ironically, the same actions of the previous admin). Also, as what Manileño has said, what has been done to prop up our image after the stupid Manila hostage crisis? WALA, zero, nadda, zilch.

The issue here is what they are planning to do and how they would do it. I'm not interested on what the previous admin has done, everyone knows that already.

^^ang galing mo le reine...nakakasawa na ang "blame arroyo" tactic pag may kapalpakan silang nagagawa.worse yung mga followers nya dito ganun din..

mwg12a

November 21st, 2010, 12:48 PM

Well they mostly talk about Mindanao and safety there vs US department who issued restriction on travels to Mindanao, it was not all about the 100% about the slogan. I only saw one or two pics you can claim as a foreigner, but hey, I can create a nickname that sounds western and posted some white guys photos....

for instance this one talks about the slogan....

Mike says:
November 19, 2010 at 6:58 am
As with Dan, I’ve wondered about the true target of Philippine tourism for years. While the previous ads put out under the WowPhilippines banner were acceptable – barely – in Canada they only appeared on the multicultural channel, during the Philippines hour, meaning that only Filipinos/as and, at best, their canadian-born children & non-filipino spouse saw the ads. What a waste of money!

But hey, I'm not giving justice on the slogan cuz they could of done better than what they copied.

kalbongdad

November 21st, 2010, 12:56 PM

May feeling ako magiging balimbing itong si Kalbongdad bandang huli :lol:

aw.....may kasamang feelings na yan ha.....distance ako dyan...... :lol:
well kidding aside...stick to the issues at hand tayo...kung meron naman nagagawa si pnoy na maganda may +points naman sya....pag pangit may puna....ganun lang tayo walang kasamang feelings ba...:lol::lol:

davaob4now

November 21st, 2010, 12:56 PM

Seriously, they should focus first on most urgent issues like the new Tourism Act. This may really work, since this was taken as a concensous by majority stakes holder in tourism industry.

As par as branding it will takes time, no shortcuts on these please. For me I would rather stick from where we are known like;

1. Philippines, Pearl Of The Orient Seas ( by Dr. Rizal )
2. Mabuhay! Philippines
3. WoW! Philippines

for so long now, im always wondering why this slogan "Philippines: Pearl of the Orient Seas" disappeared...

i would like this be used again...maganda pakinggan, nakaka uplift ng image ng pinas...

mwg12a

November 21st, 2010, 01:01 PM

^^ang galing mo le reine...nakakasawa na ang "blame arroyo" tactic pag may kapalpakan silang nagagawa.worse yung mga followers nya dito ganun din..

Nakakasawa din naman ang walang hintong complain dito kay Aquino. Kailan ba nanahimik ang bibig ng mga filipino, Panahon ni Arroyo ang daming gustong magpatalksik sa kanya at pintas ng pintas, ano naman ang depresiya ngayon. Sa akin, kahit may nagawang magaling si Arroyo, kung may pagkakasala siya, dapat siyang managot dahil kung tutoo ang mga accusation, niloko niya ang sangbayanang filipino at pagtalikod niyo tatawanan lang kayo dahil pinalusot ninyo siya. Prinsipyo and nakasalalay. Tama yuong mga stilo na, nasagasaan ng isang mayaman ang nanay mo, pero dahil pinaktaan ka ng pera at regalo, ibababa mo na ang demanda mo at pababayaan na lang makalaya kase may pera siya at mayaman, ganun din yan dito......

Ganyan din naman ang mangyayari sa promotional ads para sa tourism, trial and error sa ads ang importante, malinis muna ang talagang image ng filipinas na maging safe na lugar para sa mga dayuhan. kahit naman satisfactory ang ads na yan, sasalalay pa rin ng DOT sa reactions at critics para improve nila sa susunod..

aw.....may kasamang feelings na yan ha.....distance ako dyan...... :lol:
well kidding aside...stick to the issues at hand tayo...kung meron naman nagagawa si pnoy na maganda may +points naman sya....pag pangit may puna....ganun lang tayo walang kasamang feelings ba...:lol::lol:

kaso nga wala akong halos nakikitang praises kahit may magandang news, not necessarily galing sa iyo, sa iba din... Nabibingi ako nuon sa time ni arroyo na gustong mawala agad si arroyo, ngayon naman wala, parang si Aquino ganoon din ang ginagawa ng tao, kailan ba may katahimikan mangyayari?

amigo32

November 21st, 2010, 01:06 PM

Nakakasawa din naman ang walang hintong complain dito kay Aquino. Kailan ba nanahimik ang bibig ng mga filipino, Panahon ni Arroyo ang daming gustong magpatalksik sa kanya at pintas ng pintas, ano naman ang depresiya ngayon. Sa akin, kahit may nagawang magaling si Arroyo, kung may pagkakasala siya, dapat siyang managot dahil kung tutoo ang mga accusation, niloko niya ang sangbayanang filipino at pagtalikod niyo tatawanan lang kayo dahil pinalusot ninyo siya. Prinsipyo and nakasalalay. Tama yuong mga stilo na, nasagasaan ng isang mayaman ang nanay mo, pero dahil pinaktaan ka ng pera at regalo, ibababa mo na ang demanda mo at pababayaan na lang makalaya kase may pera siya at mayaman, ganun din yan dito......

Ganyan din naman ang mangyayari sa promotional ads para sa tourism, trial and error sa ads ang importante, malinis muna ang talagang image ng filipinas na maging safe na lugar para sa mga dayuhan. kahit naman satisfactory ang ads na yan, sasalalay pa rin ng DOT sa reactions at critics para improve nila sa susunod..

kaso nga wala akong halos nakikitang praises kahit may magandang news, not necessarily galing sa iyo, sa iba din... Nabibingi ako nuon sa time ni arroyo na gustong mawala agad si arroyo, ngayon naman wala, parang si Aquino ganoon din ang ginagawa ng tao, kailan ba may katahimikan mangyayari?

tangek, hindi mo ba nababasa may buhok points sya mula sa akin pag may magandang nagagawa:D pagpangit namn bawas buhok:D

NTprime

November 21st, 2010, 01:08 PM

From my source, the logo/slogan was meant to be launched or 'previewed' (whatever) in London during a meeting arranged by DTI UK for DOT Sec. Lim with potential investors but it was stopped by Malacanang because it needs tweaking. Fast forward 2 weeks later, the logo/slogan was 'previewed' publicly . In one of the interviews inamin ng DOT na even the tarsier and the smiley face on the coconut tree was Noy's idea.

This makes sense, that Noy already saw the logo/slogan way before it was 'previewed'. As for the obvious copying of the Polish tourism logo, I find it very disrespectful. If there is one thing we as a people were never lacking, that would be creativity. Yes, we should go beyond than mere slogans/logos and improve our infrastructure (airports, roads, safety) but national branding is very important as well. It basically summarises what the country is about. The product is the country and we should sell it well.

As for Non-Filipinos not commenting on it, actually they do. I know many tourism stakeholders who are foreigners complaining about this new logo/slogan. Sabi ni Sec. Lim, wala naman daw reklamo ang mga foreigners during the 'preview' but hey, how are you going to politely say that the logo suck during that event?

Sec. Lim may be a nice guy (as my sources in the Philippines and overseas told me), but all of them don't think he knows what he is doing. 100M for online media is way too much, this makes me question whether their transactions were all above board.

After the 8/23 bruising, we were expecting that the DOT do something positively mind-blowing to counter all the negative publicity that we had. Noy is also indirectly responsible because he put his trust in these people with questionable competence and thus by nature of command responsibility, he shares part of the culpability (yes and that is also shared by Campaigns and Grey) with the latest mishap.

People esp stakeholders will be watching what the DOT's next move. And I hope they do something that will put Philippine tourism back on the international map.

While they didn't anticipate the strong sentiment against their new campaign and logo, in the end, I still believe foreigners will come to the Philippines as tourists. Why?

The logo and URL was yanked before it did a lot of damage (well, some damage has been done already). One thing that happened is that more awareness has been made about the Philippines, albeit in a negative light. But knowing the Filipino's penchant to easily forget, the DOT should make the right moves to mitigate the fallout and come up with a far better branding for Philippine tourism. No less than President Aquino wants this to be successful as he already has a personal stake in it (since he was responsible for the adding the tarsier and coconut tree:lol:)

The losers here are the DOT. But let's ask ourselves, what percentage of tourist arrivals are affected by the DOT? Isn't the best marketing tool for the Philippines happy tourists from the past, as well as friends and relatives here? Or even business contacts?

We can move on despite the limited budget by the DOT. For example, Smart or Globe can advertise on international cable channels (like the Indonesian telco company on AXN), or even San Miguel beer. They should have taken a lot of ad spots after Manny Pacquiao won over Margarito last week...

We can't always rely on government because 1) they don't have the money 2) they don't always have the brains and creativity and 3) many of them have not even been to the places they are marketing. And if they have, they just go on junkets and then nothing more.

We should attack this problem with a multi-pronged approach, just like the PPP, government and private business should work towards promoting the country to the rest of the world.