What #cablegate has so far leaked...

I've only recently begun going to Wikileak and by God, I gotta get a hang of it.

In anycase, so far, The Guardian has posted something on it and I've taken the liberty of reposting part of their report that reveals what is in #cablegate:

At the start of a series of daily extracts from the US embassy cables – many designated "secret" – the Guardian can disclose that Arab leaders are privately urging an air strike on Iran and that US officials have been instructed to spy on the UN leadership. These two revelations alone would be likely to reverberate around the world. But the secret dispatches which were obtained by WikiLeaks, the whistleblowers' website, also reveal Washington's evaluation of many other highly sensitive international issues.

These include a shift in relations between China and North Korea, high level concerns over Pakistan's growing instability and details of clandestine US efforts to combat al-Qaida in Yemen.

Among scores of disclosures that are likely to cause uproar, the cables detail:

• Grave fears in Washington and London over the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme, with officials warning that as the country faces economic collapse, government employees could smuggle out enough nuclear material for terrorists to build a bomb.

• Suspicions of corruption in the Afghan government, with one cable alleging that vice president Zia Massoud was carrying $52m in cash when he was stopped during a visit to the United Arab Emirates. Massoud denies taking money out of Afghanistan.

• How the hacker attacks which forced Google to quit China in January were orchestrated by a senior member of the Politburo who typed his own name into the global version of the search engine and found articles criticising him personally.

• The extraordinarily close relationship between Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime minister, and Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, which is causing intense US suspicion. Cables detail allegations of "lavish gifts", lucrative energy contracts and the use by Berlusconi of a "shadowy" Russian-speaking Italian go-between.

• Allegations that Russia and its intelligence agencies are using mafia bosses to carry out criminal operations, with one cable reporting that the relationship is so close that the country has become a "virtual mafia state".

• Devastating criticism of the UK's military operations in Afghanistan by US commanders, the Afghan president and local officials in Helmand. The dispatches reveal particular contempt for the failure to impose security around Sangin – the town which has claimed more British lives than any other in the country.

• Inappropriate remarks by a member of the British royal family about a UK law enforcement agency and a foreign country.

Secret messages from US Embassies leaked, 1,700 from US Embassy in Manila

Dubbed as #cablegate on twitter, Wikileaks began releasing into the public domain 251,287 leaked United States embassy cables.

The cable communications contain confidential communications between 274 embassies in countries throughout the world and the State Department in Washington DC.

The cables cover a period from 1966 up until the end of February this year.

Around 1,700 of the leaked cable messages come from the US Embassy in Manila.

According to the article on Wikileaks:

The cables show the extent of US spying on its allies and the UN; turning a blind eye to corruption and human rights abuse in "client states"; backroom deals with supposedly neutral countries; lobbying for US corporations; and the measures US diplomats take to advance those who have access to them.

This document release reveals the contradictions between the US’s public persona and what it says behind closed doors – and shows that if citizens in a democracy want their governments to reflect their wishes, they should ask to see what’s going on behind the scenes.

Every American schoolchild is taught that George Washington – the country’s first President – could not tell a lie. If the administrations of his successors lived up to the same principle, today’s document flood would be a mere embarrassment. Instead, the US Government has been warning governments -- even the most corrupt -- around the world about the coming leaks and is bracing itself for the exposures.

Pinay in Canada writes about explaining what the Philippines is to non-Filipinos

I just discovered the delights of reading blogs that are not within my normal range of topics and just recently, I've come across Pinky Amador Bartolome's Pinay in Canada.

Pinky, whom I've met only through Facebook, writes here musings about life in Canada; its politics and simple day to day stuff that entertains and shows her quirky side. Her blog also features articles that she has submitted to the Philippine Asian News Today, a Fil-Canadian Newspaper based in BC, Canada.

You'll find her on my blog list on the sidebar.

Anyway, in the recent brouhaha over the failed Pilipinas Kay Ganda tourism slogan, I asked her about how she explains what the Philippines is to someone who hasn't heard of it before.

Sure, people in the Philippines who haven't traveled outside of their country won't even think about how they'd explain what the Philippines is.

Then again, if you consider that more and more Filipinos are working or migrating to other countries, you'd perhaps figure that apart from the news that comes from the Philippines, it is our own people that will either give other people in other lands their first impression of what the Philippines is.

Anyway, here's a reposting of Pinky Bartlome's piece on "Explaining the Philippines to Non-Filipinos"

EXPLAINING THE PHILIPPINES TO A NON-PINOY

Pinky Amador Bartolome

The other day, a Caucasian friend asked me to recommend a country in Asia that her family can visit. I of course,  told her to go to the Philippines. "What is there to see in your Country?" she asked me. I told her,  we have beautiful beaches, Resorts that are World class, gastronomical  perfect Restaurants to sample filipino cuisine. Shopping ala filipinas, is an experience that one has to sample. The people are warm and accomodating and always ready to do service with a smile.

 "But  I want something exotic" she said.  "What is exotic to you?", I asked. " Oh, you know, old buildings, landscape that is not like here in Canada.." "Well, the Philippines is exotic, in the sense that one can see the influence of Spain, in some architectural   buildings they build, they left a heavy influence in our culture as they colonized us for 300 years. There is also a place in Luzon which is called Baguio where one can see rice paddies or terraces curved by hand that extend up to the Mountains. There are still some indigenous people natives of  my country, who do lived in certain packets all over, that you can visit as part of a tour group.

"I heard that there is a travel advisory to the Philippines that Canada just issued, is it really a dangerous place where all foreigners are being killed?", she asked. "There is always danger whenever you travel to other countries, one should just be extra vigilant. Am sure you know this, so I won't elaborate, but if you do go to my country, I promise you, you won't be disappointed". I said.  " It is truly a wondrous place to visit,  almost all filipinos speak English which is a plus factor, right?" " Well, now that you mention it,  that is an advantage, you don't know how difficult it is to do hand gestures just to be understood, very hard, I find in the other places we've been", she further said. "So if  you do decide to have your vacation there, lets talk further so I can point to you all  the choices place to enjoy", I said. " Nice, let me get back to you on this matter, sweets!", she said.

Most Canadians have travelled all over the World. They usually  are looking for new places to explore. One  that have great amenities, good tourist packages, an accommodation that is luxurious but not too pricey, a place where one can just walk to one focal destination to another. The conversation above, just illustrated to me the importance of the Philippines, in having a strong tourism thrust that will attract foreign tourists to visit over and over again. Right now, we have more Asian travellers going to our Country, less of  Europeans, Canadians and the Americans.

That's why I was,  among many, who was quite vocal about that new tourism slogan that DOT under USec. Romano concocted. It was seriously wrong! We are already lagging in tourists visits because of the bad reputation  we've gotten from the travel advisories issued by the US, Canada and other Countries. By changing the logo to look like an unsophisticated copy of the Polish one,  was a terrible move. Plus the fact that they (tourism officials) thought that foreigners will be happy saying a filipino word.  In a television interview Sec.Lim of DOT  said that the visitors will have a great time trying to learn  tagalog. Duh, doesn't he know the first thing about service? You cater to your visitors, make them welcome and comfortable, they are the King and Queens. Not for us, the hosts to make these visitors look like fools saying or pronouncing a word when they don't really care learning about it, in the first place.

Filipinos all over the World are respected for our work ethics. One word you will hear  repeatedly being said  by Foreign employers are we (filipinos) are industrious. Now, if we can only fix our country to look more attractive to foreigners,  enough for them to visit and even stay indefinitely.Then we will be known,  not just a supplier of top notch workers, but one that possesses a unique blend of western and asian cultures merge into a distinct classy Country worthy of  visiting.

Look outward, Philippines!

There's one thing I notice about Philippine news programs -- and it may seem that I am playing Captain Obvious here -- but it rarely features important developments in other parts of the world that may have a long ranging impact on the Philippines.

Sure, most people in the Philippines followed news on the Desert War in the early 90's, then perhaps 9-11, and the US Presidential elections where Obama won.

I'd even bet news on oil shortages and violence in some troubled middle eastern country gets some air time.

Now and again, we'll hear of some Filipino OFW getting into some kind of trouble and that is when Filipino ears start tuning in.

My impression is that the Philippines is like some insecure teenager, forever staring at its face in the mirror and forever obsessed with its own petty dramas.

Sure, I could be wrong and exceptions can be pointed out.

But isn't it true that most of the times, we are looking at what is wrong with the Philippines and forever blaming everything on something or someone else other than ourselves. We're engrossed in fatalism.

As a country, it seems we are fighting amongst ourselves rather than fighting for ourselves as a country.

We are a people looking inward, staring at its own navel as other countries march forward to compete with each other.

In the coming days, I'll be blogging here at Pinoy Buzz and try to articulate my point.

For now, this is me, Pancho Villacorta, saying "Hello world!"

Warrior Lawyer reacts to Yolly Ong's Pilipinas kay pangit column

The outrage against Pilipinas kay ganda was widespread over the internet.  Hundreds or thousands of people using twitter, facebook, and blogs registered their dislike for the proposed tourism slogan and logo.

If Yolly Ong has any proof at all that the online disparagement of the Pilipinas kay ganda slogan was COORDINATED (which I think is her euphemism for paying so-called columnists to write favorably or negatively about companies, services, or politicians), she better come out with it.

I mean, Good God, I've always thought it was impossible and if Ms. Ong has proof that it can be done, I'd like to see it and find out how much it costs.

Here's a blog from The Warrior Lawyer that discusses how improbable it is to 'coordinate' a massive online display for outrage for the Pilipinas Kay Ganda slogan.


I am reposting the part which speaks directly about Ms. Ong's error in conjuring a coordinated online vilification campaign.

Pilipinas kay praning 

(pruh-ning, colloquial for paranoid)

And Ms. Villanueva-Ong, with her Harvard degree (as she takes pains to point out in her article), is dead wrong about there being an orchestrated, unified effort to stick it to the vanguard of the new, popular government (as personified by DOT Usec Vicente “Enteng” Romano, the brains behind the slogan/logo fiasco). By this, she presumably means an attack utilizing social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook and other online communities. Ms. Villanueva-Ong misses the point of what social networking is all about, which is simply to foster social interaction. It’s not primarily to bring about social or political change, although that may well happen. But at its core, social-networking is simply people wanting to connect with other like-minded people. There is no sinister, hidden agenda.

Malcolm Gladwell explains this lucidly in his article in the New Yorker (October 2010) “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted” in which he explains why Tweeter and other new tools of social media will not necessarily be an effective tool for social activism. Gladwell makes a distinction between “strong-tie” groups, for example the nascent Al Qaeda, characterized by a tight, hierarchical organization and pre-existing interpersonal ties between members and what he calls “weak-ties” groups, like Twitter or Facebook, which are loose, democratic and decentralized.

“The platforms of social media are built around weak ties. Twitter is a way of following (or being followed) by people you may never have met. Facebook is a tool for efficiently managing your acquaintances, for keeping up with the people you would not otherwise be able to stay in touch with. That’s why you can have a thousand “friends” on Facebook, as you never could in real life.

The evangelists of social media don’t understand this distinction: they seem to believe that a Facebook friend is the same as a real friend xxx.

Because networks don’t have a centralized leadership structure and clear lines of authority, they have real difficulty reaching consensus and setting goals. They can’t think strategically; they are chronically prone to conflict and error. How do you make difficult choices about tactics or strategy or philosophical direction when everyone has an equal say?”

No one can manage, must less control, the denizens of cyberspace and point them one direction. It’s like herding cats, as I’ve heard it said more than once. At best, social networks can disseminate information and ideas. But concepts, abstractions and theories, once thrown unto the online free market of ideas, live or die on their on merits.

A reaction to Yolly Ong's "Pilipinas, kay pangit." column or how not to defuse negative online buzz

Ms. Yolly Ong meets the online mob.
(Image source: http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2008/09/throwing_execut.html)

A lot of people are saying that Ms. Yolly Ong shouldn't have come out with a column which basically blasts everyone who reacted negatively to the proposed "Pilipinas kay ganda" PH tourism branding.

And you know what?  I think that's very easy to say and very hard to do.

Campaigns and Grey, having been identified as the agency tapped by the Department of Tourism to come up with re-branding concepts for the country, has been flayed in online media and traditional media.

Being the owner of Campaigns and Grey, most of the opinions and comments directed against the ad agency can hurt a lot.  Especially considering that Ms. Ong built up the company and led it to win acclaim in the 80's and 90's.

Not many can claim to know what it is like to see something you've worked so hard on get "massacred" in public.

Perhaps, given the same situation as Ms. Ong's, I think many would resort to the same tact that she used.  She'd go after her perceived attackers and try give them a dose of their own medicine.

Now, this is perhaps easier done with members of the traditional media or politicians, but quite difficult to do with a mob that publishes their views online.  

It is not uncommon for executives of advertising agencies to call up the editors and producers of traditional news media to let them know that they didn't like one news item or a commentary.  Normally what happens afterwards is that the traditional news media tones down its content or pulls follow-up stories completely.

Sure, you can probably target ones with the biggest followings or the ones with some level of credibility.  It can probably work if you do it right, but if you do it wrong, it'll be a whole another can of whoop-ass and the whole cycle begins again.

The thing is, she has had a run-in with one blogger in particular during the 2010 campaign.  

Professional Heckler apparently received a note from Ms. Ong and the note was delivered to him through columnist Billy Esposo -- a known Aquino die-hard and beneficiary. 

Here's that post from Professional Heckler:

In the interest of fairness, i am posting a letter sent by the head of Sen. Noynoy Aquino’s advertising campaign, Ms Yolly Ong of ad agency Campaigns and Grey re: my recent post titled “EVEN NOW.” It was sent through Philippine Star columnist William “Billy” Esposo, an online friend of The Professional Heckler.

————–

Hi Billy,

Thanks for telling me about The Professional Heckler. I have followed some of his humorous columns but the recent one entitled “Even Now” which talks about Noy’s dip in survey ratings attributed a statement supposedly coming from me! To wit,

“The head of Noynoy Aquino’s advertising campaign, Yolanda Ong of ad agency Campaigns and Grey says because of the decline in Noynoy’s ratings, there will be major changes in his campaign strategy. It will start with the exclusion of Kris and Boy in brainstorming sessions.”

I know that his column is meant to be funny, but in this case it can really be misconstrued as a true quote from me to him specially since it followed from Erin’s comments to Media. And I take serious exception to this.

I would appreciate it very much if you could forward my email to the author with the request that he clarify that 1)I have never spoken to him or to anyone from media for that matter and 2) this is a joke ( hopefully, not something more sinister.)

Thanks a lot.

___________

To the readers of this blog, nope, there was nothing sinister about that post. Kilala n’yo ako. I write about Villar and someone accuses me of being pro-Noynoy. I write something about Noynoy and some people accuse me of being pro-Villar. I write about Gibo’s “stolen” jingle and someone would tell me to just shut up if I couldn’t raise legitimate issues against their candidate. Before Chiz dropped his bid for the presidency last year, he was never in the news: WALANG ISYU tungkol sa kanya. A member of another presidential aspirant’s staff called and asked, “Bakit ‘di mo tinitira si Chiz? Siguro, maka-Chiz ka.” And then, Chiz abandoned his plans and I devoted several articles on that hot topic. [Despite that, he still greeted me on Christmas and New Year's Day.]

In short, lahat sila, nagiging paksa ng blog na ito. Pana-panahon nga lang.

Masarap magsulat kapag ‘di ka binabayaran ng isang tao o grupo ng mga tao. At lalong masarap magsulat kapag hindi ka nadidiktahan ng isang tao o grupo ng tao na may pansariling interes na isinusulong.

Ms Yolly Ong was correct. She didn’t talk to me. But I do believe that readers of this blog understood that the ‘Kris/Boy’ punchline was part of a joke.

By the way, I based that ‘Kris/Boy’ item on a recent Newsbreak report that said:

“The head of Aquino’s advertising campaign, Yolanda Ong of ad agency Campaigns and Grey, said the results were a wake-up call for changes in strategy.”

I just added a punchline.

Now, here’s the funny thing: the same day I posted that article, news reports said there would be “less of Kris and Boy” in Noynoy’s upcoming ads.

Thank you Ms Ong for “following some” of my “humorous columns.” I appreciate it. Btw, the campaign period is about to kick off. Good luck! 

Now, a lot of things can be implied from the way the message was delivered:

1. Ms. Ong shows that she KNOWS people like Billy Esposo.

2. Talking directly with Professional Heckler is BENEATH HER.

3. Ms. Ong is prepared to take legal action.

The result of Ms. Ong's letter to Mr. Esposo which was relayed to Mr. Heckler was about 116 comments and a shitload of traffic.  It sparked a whole new series of blogging frenzy and earned Ms. Ong the reputation of being 'pikon' and 'mayabang'.  It also got Mr. Heckler a certain amount of acclaim -- imagine getting a rise out of an icon in the advertising world and one of the heads of Noynoy's campaign to boot.

Now, this was a small thing in comparison to her column in the Philippine Star. where she basically published her low regard for the online community --- which includes just about everyone with a facebook account, twitter, and blog in the Philippings.

Instead of Ms. Ong just allowing her company to take the flak, as corporations are designed to do, Ms. Ong has painted a bulls eye on her forehead and made herself a target for every one online.

Right now, if you Google Yolly Ong, this is what you'll see:

This isn't at all that bad. Not yet anyway.

Yolly Ong, former Usec. Vicente Romano III, and "Pilipinas kay ganda"

(This is a guest post from Pancho Villacorta, who says he is a Taho vendor who used to know people in advertising.  He justifies his attempts at opinion writing by saying, "If anybody can be President and have a crack at running the country to the ground, then I can most certainly inflict my opinions on others without guilt.")

It's a HOT dog!

-- Multi-awarded advertising hotshot Nelson Moss (Keanu Reeves) delivering a pitch

that was later rejected by the client for being too risqué. 

Nelson: What did ya ask us for? Edge! This is edge!

Client: We're going with Baker and Bohan.

Nelson: I've seen your sales. You're in trouble.

Client: We are America's favorite hotdog son.

Nelson: Were! Were! You're a dinosaur! You're flatlining.  You're dead meat!

Client: And you just went too far!  And let me tell you what I really think of your campaign, this is cheap and tasteless crap.

Nelson: Well, that's funny! So is your product!

I've seen advertising pitches before and most of them are as boring as hell. Of course, there are times when the advertising pitch actually becomes anywhere from mildly interesting to exciting and these are the times when it doesn't involve being shown presentations.

They become mildly interesting and in some cases exciting when the advertising agency takes you out for a night on the town, in the hopes of softening you up and getting you to sign up for the campaign.

That's when the food and booze flows.  There may be a couple of pretty girls or boys or what-have-you during the presentation and during the night on the town. 

Oh well!  The thing is, that's how some advertising agencies do business and nothing, ever, is free.  Especially with advertising firms, at least, here in the PH.

Like, come on! I wasn't born yesterday and while I don't know a lot, I do know that there's no such thing as pro bono.  Sure, it may not involve money, but it doesn't mean that pro bono projects are pursued completely without any regard for any gain later.

So, here I am, tapping away at my keyboard after reading Yolly Ong's column in the Philippine Star (known for its Gucci Gang influencers and plagiarism -- how many times has a blogger's freework been copy pasted by writers of this broadsheet?).

"Light me up!"

And I am wondering just how mind numbing the pro bono mind numbing pitch must have been.  

I can imagine whoever it was that was pitching for Campaigns and Grey together with former Undersecretary Vicente Romano III showing the slides to Tourism Secretary Bertie Lim and President Noynoy Aquino.

Did that Campaigns and Grey employee shout, "It's PILIPINAS KAY GANDA Mr. President. It's PILIPINAS! KAY! GAN! DAAAAAHHH! "

Did President Aquino say, "Wow! Light me up maaaan! And, while you're at it, lagyan mo ng tarsier at coconut tree iyong slogan."

In any case, let us go through Yolly Ong's column bit by bit:

First and sentence, third paragraph:

Never has such coordinated online outrage been more violently expressed, eclipsing the anger over the Maguindanao massacre, Morong 43 or the unresolved murders of journalists combined!  One friend accurately described it as mass hysteria over a test logo! 

This is a bit overstated.  No one held candle light vigils, there weren't people massing in the streets, there were no gory photographs all over the net or on TV, no one shaved their heads or burned effigies.  People weren't running around the middle of Ayala screaming.

So really, how could Ms. Ong's "friend" say it was "mass hysteria"?  Maybe there is or was hysteria, but, perhaps, not at all massive.  Just plain old hysteria.

Here is an interesting and commonly known definition of hysteria from the Wikipedia:

In the Western world, until the seventeenth century, hysteria referred to a medical condition thought to be particular to women and caused by disturbances of the uterus (from the Greek ὑστέρα "hystera" = uterus).

Third, fourth, and fifth sentence, third paragraph:

People screamed, why was it in Pilipino when we’re talking to tourists? Actually, the logo included an English translation and pronunciation guide. Blinded by rage or possibly other motives, they didn’t see it. Or didn’t want to.

Perhaps, Ms. Ong should probably remember that when the executions of concepts are unveiled for testing, ALL REACTIONS ARE VALID.  (Unless of course, the reactions are directed at the pretty girls or pretty boys doing the presentation.) 

So, in the test or preview of Pilipinas kay ganda, the REACTIONS to it make it clear that NOT A HECK OF A LOT OF PEOPLE SAW THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION.  Heck! The DoT shouldn't have spent P4.7 Million for a preview when the logo could have been tested before a smaller group not really for ATTRACTIVENESS BUT FOR READABILITY.

I'm no expert in analyzing ads or logos, but perhaps I can guess rightly that an ad or logo must be recognized or understood in two or three seconds if it is to do anything more than look like some colorful blotch.

Now I know that I will be repeating what has already been said about the logo, but here it goes anyway.

The first thing I noticed about the logo was that the fonts that were used are hard to read.  It didn't help, of course, that in the word "Pilipinas" one "i" has a tarsier, the "l" has a smiling whatever, and another "i" seems hidden.  I could barely make out "Kay Ganda" and it's actually a reach to read the translation.

Now, for those of you who might want to go into advertising in the future, here's something I nabbed from another website and it briefly describes a thing or two about readability according to Ogilvy:

The most important objective for your board is to effectively communicate the facts about your project. You can only achieve that objective if it's easy to read. Over the years, expert newspaper editors, as well as advertisers (Ogilvy 1983, 90) have formulated many rules of thumb for readability that we have translated for use on science project display boards.

• Use a font size of at least 16 points for your main body text. Anything smaller is too hard to read. (See tables below for more information on text size.)

• Stick with traditional fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, or similar typefaces.

• Use italics or bold for emphasis, not for all your text.

• Don't place your text on top of a picture; that makes it difficult to read.

• Don't use ALL CAPS; THEY ARE MUCH HARDER TO READ.

• Don't use reverse type (white text on a dark background).

  It is hard to read. Use black characters on a white (or pastel) background.

• They are much harder to read.

• Don't use more than two or three different fonts on your board. Times New Roman for body copy and Arial for headings makes for a nice combination.

First sentence, fourth paragraph:

In a democracy everyone is free to express his opinion. But not all opinions carry equal weight, not all reactions are intended to help.

Of course this is true and there are so many ways of reading this sentence.

Taken in a bad way, it could be Ms. Ong betraying her hubris.  

I just hope that Ms. Ong remembers that while she and her agency was instrumental in helping President Aquino win his victory in 2010, it is still US the people who are just FREE to express their opinion that carry the BURDEN of paying for GOVERNMENT.

It could lead to people thinking that while others are just FREE to express their opinions, her opinion carries WEIGHT.  And perhaps, that could be true.  

Perhaps not solely because her agency's "Pilipinas kay ganda" slogan and logo carried any merit of its own.  If it did have merit and it everybody lapped it up, no one would have to defend it, certainly not the owner of the agency herself.

By saying that "not all reactions are intended to help" really depends on how one takes those reactions and what she means becomes clearer in the succeeding paragraphs.

Third sentence, fourth paragraph and fifth paragraph:

Not all objectives were about national branding, but aimed to achieve more sinister results.

Right after the DOT event, a dyed-in-the-wool ex-cabinet member of the past regime called to “console” and probe me about the controversy. I immediately knew that the Gruesome Malicious Army will seize this golden opportunity to wreak havoc on the new, popular government. I was needled: Do I still support this “incompetent, weak and indecisive leader”? You mean will I always be on the side of an honest and incorruptible President? Absolutely YES! But my antenna was up. I knew a tidal wave of malevolence was about to hit.

This is where Ms. Ong gets into a frenzy with a bout of Gloria-phobia, probably a reflex trained during the pre-campaign and campaign-proper days when all that was evil in the Philippines was because of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.  Just as when everything that was Marcos was vilified during the early days of the first Aquino Administration -- those were the days when Campaigns and Grey was still new and still much talked about.

Perhaps the gaffe could have given the perceived enemies of the Second Aquino Administration an opportunity to attack and perhaps they did use this opportunity to attack.

But, certainly, that opportunity would not have been made available to them had the Tourism Department and Campaigns and Grey done their job right.

After essentially saying that the negative criticism lobbed at Pilipinas Kay Ganda was the work of Gloria the Evil, in the succeeding paragraphs of her column, Ms. Ong now then points her fingers at competitors in the industry, people in government, and even an air transport operator.

Really, if we are believe Ms. Ong, it seems the entire world is against her.

Paragraphs 7, 8,  9, :

In the advertising business, rejection is par for the course. Recommendations get turned down everyday. It’s a client’s prerogative to follow the execution he deems best suited for a product that he knows best. It’s also a cutthroat industry. A thick hide and Pacman resilience are necessary survival tools.

But the bile that gorged out of faded advertising luminaries was too toxic even by industry standards. One accused us of being irresponsible for allowing the client to make us party to supposed plagiarism. That could have passed as a high-minded comment if his own brother wasn’t sued by a leading ad agency and ordered by the Adboard to cease and desist from airing a TV ad that was judged copied from Coke!

Then there was a former Creative Director for an airline account who mocked my Harvard degree as ironic under the circumstances. How quickly he forgot that he was fired by his Agency for allegedly receiving kickbacks from production suppliers!

Much of the indignation was spurred by lack of consultation with stakeholders. In May 2009 now Cong. Gloria Arroyo signed the Tourism Act that replaced PCVC with the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB). After three attempts, Cynthia Carrion, GMA’s aerobics buddy, was voted COO in March 2010. But Secretary Lim wanted a fresh start and terminated her, creating enmity between DOT and TPB. As one senator confided, the fight is not about who should lead the marketing effort, but who will disburse the marketing monies.

Then there are the opponents of the Open-Skies policy that Secretary Lim has been advocating since he was with the Civil Aeronautics Board. Even then, those with threatened business interests immediately mounted a well-funded vilification campaign complete with trumped-up charges of corruption that didn’t stick.

It’s easier to detach and be amused at the degree of passionate global engagement that ensued. Imagine, a leading publication violated its own masthead just to thrash a logo study! Bad news must really sell more newspapers! But what finally made me decide to write is this last item of iniquity.

It was a flop launched in a grand way, what did Ms. Ong expect in what she describes as a "cutthroat industry"?

Well, moving on... Ms. Ong then goes to briefly canonize Mr. Vicente Romano III who recently admitted himself that he had hired his own daughter for the launch of the Pilipinas Kay Ganda.

When Undersecretary Vicente “Enteng” Romano exited with grace, he demonstrated a miracle of public office never witnessed in this country: a government official taking full ownership of a tempest-in-a-teacup-blown-up-into-a-Category-5-hurricane. Although his heroic gesture was praised by many, a malicious text immediately circulated: “Enteng Romano commissioned a company for P5M for the grand launch of the new DOT slogan. The company has reported ties to Enteng’s son. This is accdg to some sources in media.” I got this SMS three times.

What makes this so nauseating? First, the information is fundamentally wrong. Enteng has no son. Second, all the Media who attended the event said it was too lavish to be considered a “preview”. Therefore if P4.7M was really spent, every centavo must have gone to food, drinks, fireworks, talents, staging, etc. It didn’t line anyone’s pockets, much less an imagined son’s. Would a thinking man risk criminal jail-time to steal a paltry $105K? Were these braying critics just as indignant when “BurjerBen”, FG and cohorts were allegedly skimming $130M from NBN-ZTE?

Oh well...

(More later, if I feel like it...)

Hoy! Galit na si Yolly Ong! Tahimik na tayo ha!

Pilipinas, kay pangit!
CITIZEN Y
By Yoly Villanueva-Ong (The Philippine Star) Updated November 27, 2010 12:00 AM


My protective family and friends have advised me to steer clear of the contentious subject at least until the furor blows over. They warned that since my company was involved in the controversy, it would be safer to sit this one out. That whatever I say may be considered defensive or worse, prolong and intensify the attacks.

With deep gratitude to those who expressed genuine concern, I would rather be stoned, flayed, crucified and burned at the stake, than be cowed into condoning travesty. I would rather stake whatever reputation, credibility and success I may have, than shy away from laying bare the aggressive metastasis of a cancerous psyche afflicting some Filipinos. In spineless silence, we abet ignorance and envy, the lynch mob mentality and orchestrated demolition.

Never has such coordinated online outrage been more violently expressed, eclipsing the anger over the Maguindanao massacre, Morong 43 or the unresolved murders of journalists combined! One friend accurately described it as mass hysteria over a test logo! People screamed, why was it in Pilipino when we’re talking to tourists? Actually, the logo included an English translation and pronunciation guide. Blinded by rage or possibly other motives, they didn’t see it. Or didn’t want to.

In a democracy everyone is free to express his opinion. But not all opinions carry equal weight, not all reactions are intended to help. Not all objectives were about national branding, but aimed to achieve more sinister results.

Right after the DOT event, a dyed-in-the-wool ex-cabinet member of the past regime called to “console” and probe me about the controversy. I immediately knew that the Gruesome Malicious Army will seize this golden opportunity to wreak havoc on the new, popular government. I was needled: Do I still support this “incompetent, weak and indecisive leader”? You mean will I always be on the side of an honest and incorruptible President? Absolutely YES! But my antenna was up. I knew a tidal wave of malevolence was about to hit.

And so it did, all the way to New York. A certain Senen Antonio (email santoniotravel@yahoo.com) wrote the Grey Global CEO about the controversial logo, then requested anonymity. It created a brief stir but was eventually dismissed by our partners as a malicious attempt to smear us. Ironically, our partners became even more supportive. A big thanks to the coward who is too stupid to know that even a fictitious email address can be traced. Pray that karma doesn’t catch up with you.

In the advertising business, rejection is par for the course. Recommendations get turned down everyday. It’s a client’s prerogative to follow the execution he deems best suited for a product that he knows best. It’s also a cutthroat industry. A thick hide and Pacman resilience are necessary survival tools.

But the bile that gorged out of faded advertising luminaries was too toxic even by industry standards. One accused us of being irresponsible for allowing the client to make us party to supposed plagiarism. That could have passed as a high-minded comment if his own brother wasn’t sued by a leading ad agency and ordered by the Adboard to cease and desist from airing a TV ad that was judged copied from Coke!



Then there was a former Creative Director for an airline account who mocked my Harvard degree as ironic under the circumstances. How quickly he forgot that he was fired by his Agency for allegedly receiving kickbacks from production suppliers!

Much of the indignation was spurred by lack of consultation with stakeholders. In May 2009 now Cong. Gloria Arroyo signed the Tourism Act that replaced PCVC with the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB). After three attempts, Cynthia Carrion, GMA’s aerobics buddy, was voted COO in March 2010. But Secretary Lim wanted a fresh start and terminated her, creating enmity between DOT and TPB. As one senator confided, the fight is not about who should lead the marketing effort, but who will disburse the marketing monies.

Then there are the opponents of the Open-Skies policy that Secretary Lim has been advocating since he was with the Civil Aeronautics Board. Even then, those with threatened business interests immediately mounted a well-funded vilification campaign complete with trumped-up charges of corruption that didn’t stick.

It’s easier to detach and be amused at the degree of passionate global engagement that ensued. Imagine, a leading publication violated its own masthead just to thrash a logo study! Bad news must really sell more newspapers! But what finally made me decide to write is this last item of iniquity.

When Undersecretary Vicente “Enteng” Romano exited with grace, he demonstrated a miracle of public office never witnessed in this country: a government official taking full ownership of a tempest-in-a-teacup-blown-up-into-a-Category-5-hurricane. Although his heroic gesture was praised by many, a malicious text immediately circulated: “Enteng Romano commissioned a company for P5M for the grand launch of the new DOT slogan. The company has reported ties to Enteng’s son. This is accdg to some sources in media.” I got this SMS three times.

What makes this so nauseating? First, the information is fundamentally wrong. Enteng has no son. Second, all the Media who attended the event said it was too lavish to be considered a “preview”. Therefore if P4.7M was really spent, every centavo must have gone to food, drinks, fireworks, talents, staging, etc. It didn’t line anyone’s pockets, much less an imagined son’s. Would a thinking man risk criminal jail-time to steal a paltry $105K? Were these braying critics just as indignant when “BurjerBen”, FG and cohorts were allegedly skimming $130M from NBN-ZTE?

Enteng cut a few corners because he instinctively saw what must be accomplished quickly. Last year, there were 3M+ tourists. Twenty-six percent were North Americans (60 percent of whom are FilAms), followed by the Koreans (20 percent), Chinese (13 percent) and Japanese (9 percent). Forty-two percent don’t speak English and couldn’t care less if the themeline was written in Aramaic.

If God gave the themeline in tablets, it still wouldn’t be accepted by the likes of net-dicts who fancy themselves divas of righteousness, but neglect to issue receipts for a lucrative pasta sideline. A Damaso-morality and a pathological need for attention? True, it’s all about you.

Majority of 8000 tourists who were surveyed said they visited the Philippines for its beautiful scenery, good food, shopping and above all the hospitable people. Sometimes, it’s hard to see our innate kindness. Vileness overwhelms virtue. Tearing down is more fun than building up. Detractors impact more than supporters. Pilipinas, kay pangit!

Then we received many uplifting messages from beautiful people. I dedicate this particular one to Enteng Romano.

“The path to the right direction is always replete with challenges, mistakes and failures. We, who have cast our lot to the struggle for the good of our country and people, shall always be in that situation.

Let President Roosevelt be a source of inspiration for you whose heart is always for a greater cause:

‘It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust, sweat, and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly — so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.’

I choose to see beauty. Like Enteng, I believe in Pilipinas, kay Ganda!

Tourism Usec. Vicente Romano III admits hiring daughter for Pilipinas kay ganda launch

Former Usec. Romano with Tourism Sec. Bertie Lim
Photo Source http://annaoposa.ph/2010/07/

Delicadeza or iwas pusoy?  This was the question that I've been asking since Tourism Undersecretary Enteng Romano resigned and got lauded for the supposed act of delicadeza.

I actually lauded him right before I started thinking that Romano was actually acting with the approval of both President Noynoy Aquino and Tourism Secretary Bertie Lim.  The act of resigning for the bungled tourism re-branding project was therefore more to save face for the President and the Tourism Secretary, therefore making Romano a patsy.

And GOOD GOD did my blood boil when I heard former Vice President Noli De Castro read several documents saying that DENISE ROMANO, the daughter of Tourism Usec. Romano, actually benefited from several contracts awarded for the launching of the "Pilipinas kay ganda" slogan and logo.  De Castro it seems, was reading from a document that said that the company of a certain Winston Desiderio was used as a FRONT for DENISE ROMANO.  The two or three contracts were worth well over P1,000,000.

Now. here comes Usec. Romano admitting that he actually had his daughter hired for the relaunch of the Pilipinas kay ganda.  But the thing is, Usec. Romano says that his daughter did the job PRO-BONO -- which suggests that she was not paid for her services.

Really? Really! Well... The thing is THIS REVELATION FOLLOWS only after Tourism Undersecretary Bertie Lim was discovered lying about the cost of the event.  So after we discover one lie, are we now expected to believe this fluff?

A friend says, whether or not DENISE ROMANO was indeed paid for her services, it is still nepotism.

This comes from the blog of RG Cruz:

Resigned Tourism Undersecretary Vicente Romano confirmed to ABS-CBN News that his daughter Denise was involved in the launch of the Pilipinas Kay Ganda Project last November 15. Romano says he asked Denise, a director of corporate events and presentations for private companies, to handle the events direction since he wanted someone he could trust.

Romano indicated to ABS-CBN that he put a premium on the urgency of the project over the possible questions of impropriety and delicadeza in hiring Denise. “Yung daughter ko ang kinuha kong director malinaw yun na pro bono yun. Ang dahilan dun kaya ko siya kunuha we had 3-4 weeks of preparations I needed someone I can trust medyo technical ang production. Ako di ko kinoconsider na improperity yun I just want to deliver a good event para makumbinse na yung pupunta that brand is something they can introduce”

Denise is a broadcast communication graduate form the University of the Philippines-Diliman. She is currently head of an events company whose clients include big companies. “she heads events company called csi yun yung mga kliyente microsoft cisco, kaya siya kuha ko experienced siya sa corporate events”

Romano says his daughter directed the event pro-bono. Romano however clarified that neither  Denise nor anyone from his family was involved in the events supplier hired for the project, Ten Inch. “isa sa mga pinakalamalaki yan they had several projects before”

Romano says Ten Inch is a long time supplier of the DOT and won the contract for the project from an open bidding.

Romano says he is saddened Denise is being linked to the controversy “dun ako nalulungkot pinpilit na ilink siya…kumabaga nakadapa na nga…concern ko kasi roon was in production highly technical I just wanted to make sure hindi papalpak.I made it clear I introduced her to the team given time constraint I preferred to consider na successful dapat yung launch.”

Romano says the almost P5m he spent for the night of the launch alone was justified and even less expensive than similar events in the private sector.

“Just to put in perspective typical corporate event will be more expensive. Maski sa dot pakalkal mo lahat ng evants na stage nila This is very comparable considering you have 700”

Romano urged his critics to move on.

For his part, Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim told ABS-CBN by phone that he is investigating the involvement of Romano’s daughter, though he hastened to add that any administrative liabilities have been extinguished by his resignation. Lim say “ it’s a matter of delicadeza” on Romano’s part.

President Noynoy Aquino and the Freedom of Information Bill

Zambales Representative Ma. Milagros Magsaysay urged the President to "walk the talk" and certify the FOI bill urgent.

"I think he should walk his talk on FOI .He can't be loudly calling for its passage one moment and then give it the cold shoulder next," she said.

"If he won't certify FOI bill as urgent then it would appear that all his huffing-and-puffing for the said measure early this year was choreographed drama meant to reap publicity during the campaign period," Magsaysay said.

The latest on the much stalled and much talked about Freedom of Information bill is that President Aquino wants the bill to be thoroughly reviewed before he certifies it as urgent.

After reading House Bill 53, filed by Deputy Speaker and Quezon Representative Lorenzo Tanada III, I noticed that Section 15 of his bill does not include a provision where elected officials and heads of agencies aren't required to keep records of conversations whether in person or over the phone.

The Freedom of Information law, if we are to have one, will only be as strong as what elected officials and heads of agencies are required to record.

One of the biggest reasons that the Freedom of Information bill is interesting to me is the "Hello Garci" tapes which somewhat suggested that former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo talked with then Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano at the height of the 2004 elections.  Much of the material recorded and publicized was claimed to have suggested that Macapagal Arroyo rigged the results of the 2004 elections with the help of Garcillano and other officers of the Comelec.

Attempts to hold Macapagal Arroyo and Garcillano accountable for their actions were stopped dead in its tracks because the record of their conversations were gained through an illegal tapping of cellular phone lines.

Perhaps, if the President's conversations over the phone were then made subject to recording and made accessible through a Freedom of Information Act (at that time), perhaps this would have resulted in the ouster of Macapagal Arroyo.

In any case, today, perhaps President Aquino is mulling and dragging his feet over certifying the Freedom of Information bill as urgent legislation because his legal advisers haven't gotten around to putting enough loopholes in the proposed law which would allow him enough cover should his administration be compromised with some scandal or other.

Right now, the bill sponsored by Congressman Tanada already describes quite specifically what information may be obtained and what information can be withheld.

Under Section 7 of the Tanada Freedom of information Bill, it states exceptions under which information may be denied:

(a) The information is specifically authorized to be kept secret under guidelines established by an executive order, and in fact properly classified pursuant thereto: Provided, That:

1) The information directly relates to national defnese and its revelation will cause grave damage to the internal and external defnese of the State; or

2) The information requested pertains to the foreign affairs of the Republic of the Philippines when its revelation unduly weaken the negotiating position of the government in an ongoing bilateral or multilateral negotiation or seriously jeopardize the diplomatic relations of the Philippines with one or more states with which it intends to keep friendly relations;

Provided further, That the executive order shall specify the reasonable period by which the information shall be automatically declassified or subject to mandatory declassification review, and that any reasonable doubt as to classification and declassification shall be settled in favor of the right to information;

(b) The information requested pertains to internal and external defense and law enforcement, when the revelation thereof would render a legitimate military or law enforcement operation ineffective, unduly compromise the prevention, detection or suppression of a criminal activity, or endanger the life or physical safety of confidential or protected sources or witnesses, law enforcement and military personnel or their immediate families.  Information relating to the details of the administration, budget and expenditure, and management of the defnese and law enforcement agencies shall always be accessible to the public;

The thing is, there are a number of ways in which these provisions can be used to hide information at a crucial time.

(To be continued...)

Tourism Usec. Vicente Romano III's resignation, was it really delicadeza or iwas pusoy?

In his resignation letter, Tourism Undersecretary Vicente Romano III states his wishes:

I take full responsibility for the branding controversy, and for this reason I am tendering my irrevocable resignation effective immediately 

I hope this puts closure on the issue. I now appeal to the industry stakeholders, to media, and to the general public to put this behind us and rally behind Secretary Lim, whose only fault in this whole controversy is in trusting me completely.

Not so fast Mr. Undersecretary...

Just a few minutes ago, I heard Kabayan Noli de Castro on the radio going through some of the paperwork on the launch of the "Pilipinas, kay ganda" re-branding concept.  The thing is he mentioned at least two supply contracts that was awarded to a certain Winston Desiderio who allegedly was fronting for Denise Romanao -- the daughter of Mr. Undersecretary Romano.

WHAT THE FUCK?!!  Kung tutoo ito, anong pagbabago ang sinasabi mong UNGGOY ka?!!

Cronyism... DIYAN PO NAKILALAANG NAUNANG CORY AQUINO ADMINISTRATION... Don't tell me that it's back with a vengeance.

Tourism Usec. Vicente Romano III resigns after Pilipinas kay ganda snafu

Here is Usec. Vicente Romano III's Statement and Resignation letter following the Pilipinas kay ganda snafu.

No, I am not asking for Hara-Kiri.

PRESS STATEMENT  

Vincente R. Romano III – DOT

November 23, 2010

My name is Enteng Romano – Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions. And I’m responsible for the Pilipinas Kay Ganda Branding. 

In the last 7 days, there have been issues and criticisms raised against the branding. I have answered some of them in my Facebook page. But there are others left unanswered. Allow me to address them now 

First, the issue on plagiarism. I instructed Campaigns & Grey to take inspiration from the European logos – particularly that of Polska, Espana, Portugal, Italia, and Maldives in order to project a visual impact of fun and natural beauty. The final design had similarities with the Polska logo, but the design elements and the visual presentation are distinctive enough to be clearly differentiated. 

Getting inspiration from existing designs is not an uncommon practice. In fact, in one of the definitions of plagiarism, it is stated that, “While plagiarism is condemned in academia and journalism, in the arts it is often a major part of the creative process.”

I did not consider it plagiarism then. I’m sorry others don’t feel the same way.

Neither the Department nor Campaigns & Grey has done anything immoral, much less illegal. At worst, it might have offended the sensitivities of a people who take pride in its creative spirit. For that I’m truly sorry.

I hope this puts to rest the unfair criticisms being hurled against Campaigns & Grey. I am fully responsible for the final design. 

Second, there’s also a lot of criticism about using a Pilipino slogan in communicating to the foreign market. I am still convinced it is a matter of execution. 

I honesty think a Manny Pacquiao saying “Pilipinas kay Ganda” will make a world curious and try to find out what it means. 

Third, the Department is being criticized for the lack of consultation with the industry stakeholders before the introduction of the initial brand concept. 

We made it clear that the November 15 event was simply a preview, both in the invitation and in the Opening Speech of Sec. Bertie Lim. It was a “work in progress.” And we marked the event with fanfare in the hope that we can excite the audience enough to get their support for the brand.

I was, of course, wrong. I now realize a consultation process is long and arduous, and my attempt to fast-track the consultation process is one of the reasons why it failed. 

My friends ask me, why the rush?

Well, it’s because I’m in a hurry. Before I joined government, I was in the streets clamoring for change. And when I joined, I wanted to spend every waking hour effecting that change. 

I’m in a hurry to have an advertising campaign going on by the first quarter of 2011. Because I am fully convinced that every day we do not run a campaign is a lost opportunity to boost our tourism arrivals. It is a lost opportunity to generate jobs and alleviate poverty.

I now realize that an idea as big as a new country brand needs time to germinate and blossom. There are no shortcuts.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincerest apologies to President Aquino, Secretary Lim, and the Filipino people for the controversy that this branding exercise has generated.

When I presented the brand to the President, he had his own misgivings about the brand and specifically instructed me to do a comprehensive market research before launching it. I assured him it was just a preview event and that we will do research after. 

Secretary Lim also asked me to postpone the event given the President’s concern, but I persisted. 

I thank both of them for trusting me enough to let me go ahead with the event.

But in the end, it is the trust of the people that really matters. A public office is a public trust. That’s why the President always says, “Kayo ang boss ko.”

I take the rejection of the brand by the people as a vote of “no confidence” not just for the brand, but also for the person behind it. 

I take full responsibility for the branding controversy, and for this reason I am tendering my irrevocable resignation effective immediately. 

I hope this puts closure on the issue. I now appeal to the industry stakeholders, to media, and to the general public to put this behind us and rally behind Secretary Lim, whose only fault in this whole controversy is in trusting me completely. 

I have seen his reform agenda, and I am convinced it will help grow our tourism industry. He needs all our support to make this happen. In the end, what matters most is a vibrant economy that will uplift the conditions of our people. And tourism has the potential to fuel the much-needed economic growth.

To my newfound friends in the Department and the industry, thank you for sharing your lives with me, even if only for a short time.

To my friends and family, thank you for standing by me throughout all of this. And to my dad, mom, wife, children and grandchildren, rest assured that I have not done anything to put our family name to shame. I was just a in a hurry to see change happen in the motherland we all love.

And, to our God who promised that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him… I look forward with eager anticipation to the good that will come out of this. 

Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with a nation so beautiful. Pilipinas kay Ganda. 

DOT USEC Romano's Resignation Letter

Launch of "Pilipinas kay ganda" tourism slogan wastes P3.7 Million

Why hide the fact that P3.7 Million was wasted on the launching of the now scrapped embarrassment that was the "Pilipinas kay ganda" tourism slogan?  Is it because Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim and Usec. Vicente Romano III want to hide their accountability?

This is from Ira V. Panganiban's note on Facebook:

It all began as a very simple event. A launch invitation was sent, people went and the media did their job covering. But what began as a simple launch of a government project turned out to be another scratch in a the foible that seems to be the Aquino administration.

The Pilipinas Kay Ganda program is now officially on the backburner. What with all the criticism and foolishness attached to a project that seemed so innocent at first. Accusations have flown, apologies have been made, what can go further wrong one may ask?

Well this photo capture may say it all. After all, they did say they almost spent nothing on the foolish project. But here, we see a receipt that says P3.775,355 pesos and only for the launch itself. The other costs have not yet been computed by us or them.

So tell me Noy, is this you "Matuwid na Daan?" And where is the "daan" headed? Sa malalim na bangin?

What follows is my take:

The thing is, early on in the administration, the recently appointed NFA Chief Lito Banayo made a grand show of hundreds or thousands of sacks of rice wasting away in its warehouses and pinned the blame on former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.  Then he declared that there was a huge surplus in rice, only to back pedal months later and say that there was a shortage of rice, then calling traders to apply for importation permits.

Then, just recently, the Department of Tourism declares that the tourism slogan "Wow Philippines" is no longer effective, hence the need for a new one.  Then, even before it can be vetted or validated by the Tourism Congress (the private sector counterpart of the Tourism Department organized under the Tourism Act of 2009), the Tourism Department asks the advertising agency which supported Noynoy Aquino to come up with a new slogan.  The slogan, they claim, was a result of a four month study -- which must have started a couple of weeks before Noynoy Aquino took his oath of office and before he officially appointed Secretary Lim to his post.

Even more curious is the fact that the creation and launch of the slogan comes before the crafting of a 5 year  National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) which is mandated under the Tourism Act of 2009.  The NTDP will be the basis for all actions relating to the development of tourism for the next five years and because of this, the NTDP is the more substantial component of any tourism effort.

It is substantial because, for one, it will tell the entire tourism industry what the priorities are in terms of tourism.  Is it building up more air, sea, and land routes to various destinations?  Is it building more hotels? Is it building more man-made attractions? Is it training more tourist guides and tourism workers?  Is it developing a handful of new destinations?  Is it forging relationships that will benefit Philippine tourism?

The NTDP, more than a slogan, would be the better tool in defining the character of Philippine tourism in terms of actual, physical projects that will mold the foreign tourist's experience from the time they touchdown to the time they depart for home.

This is why promotions and advertising is SUBSUMED or MERELY A PART of the NTDP.  It is the NTDP that will dictate the parameters for any slogan or promotional effort.

At this point, the NTDP is still being bidded out and only after it has been awarded will the crafting of the NTDP begin.

In short, the creation of the new slogan was not only premature, IT WAS NOT EVEN MANDATED or REQUIRED at this point.

However, the creation of a slogan does not require any bidding at all -- apparently, if done pro-bono.  And by putting out the slogan first, it would then perhaps condition the field for whatever else is being bidded out to favor the bidder who NTDP bid fits the slogan -- AFTER THE BIDS HAD BEEN SUBMITTED.

Just imagine the DoT saying later that the winner of the NTDP won because their bid conformed most closely to their slogan, "Pilipinas, kay ganda".

Tourism Congress answers President Aquino's call for bright ideas

Here is an official announcement from the Tourism Congress, duly organized under the Tourism Act of 2009.

Private Sector Tourism hails PNoy junking of new DOT logo; Pledges Support to Call for “bright ideas”

Seventy five of the biggest national and regional tourism associations will gather on November 26, 2010 at the Traders Hotel in Pasay City to answer the call of President Noynoy Aquino for a substantive discussion to help generate “ bright ideas” on the controversial branding issue. It will also further concretize a 16-point Tourism Agenda that had earlier been submitted to the President by the private sector on July 15, 2010 through Secretary of Tourism Alberto A. Lim.

Reports indicate that Lim has not acted nor given any feedback to the proposed Tourism Agenda. Neither has he consulted at all with the Tourism Congress, an entity created by the Tourism Act of 2009 to act as the private sector consultative body to assist the government in the development of tourism policies and programs.

The Tourism Congress has hailed the quick and decisive action of President Benigno Aquino, who announced the junking of the new DOT logo. Tourism Congress President Alma Jimenez said that this proves that, in marked contrast to Secretary Lim, President Aquino listens to the voices of the stakeholders and gives concrete proof of his commitment to help boost tourism which he has identified as a critical sector for the creation of jobs and attraction of investments.

The Tourism Congress will create a Special Action Committee from among the captains of the industry and other subject experts on tourism marketing and promotions. The Committee will undertake an in-depth discussion on branding and recommendations on how to effectively market the country and attain, if not exceed, the target arrivals in the country.

“Our associations have more than 3,000 tourism enterprises among them. That is a lot of market intelligence that we can gather, not only from what they hear on the ground but from their collective experience in servicing their clients”, Jimenez said. The general assembly of the Tourism Congress on November 26, 2010 will be the country’s biggest gathering of industry stakeholders to discuss policy issues affecting the tourism industry. The body hopes the President can find time in his busy schedule attend this assembly.

“We cannot be at a standstill. We have waited long enough for plans to be articulated. We feel that if that will not be forthcoming anytime soon, we have to take the initiative and move the industry forward”, she added.

Philippine tourism was once again in the news because of the furor and outcry that the DOT’s recently-launched brand “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” created. This “new brand” has been bitterly criticized by tourism industry leaders, lawmakers and the general public. On the issue of re-branding, the Tourism Congress clarified that it was not the product of consultation with the stakeholders. Private tourism sectors have been at a loss to understand its rationale, given that no plans or programs have been discussed by the DOT leadership with the private sector that will at least illustrate the need to re-brand.

“The huge potential of a robust tourism program is not lost on the president”, Jimenez said, adding that the Tourism Congress membership includes the sectors of accommodation, travel and tours, land, sea and air transport services, meetings and incentive travels, tourism estates and other groups like health and wellness, tourism associations, tour guides, convention bureaus and the like.

“The expertise, the mechanisms, and the commitment of the private sector have always been there for the taking”, Jimenez said. “We are at a loss on why this has never been tapped by the current DOT leadership.” There is widespread perception among the private sector that Secretary Lim is unwilling to work with the Tourism Congress despite the clear mandate by the Tourism Act of 2009.

Jimenez recalled that the Tourism Congress submitted the Tourism Industry Paper for the new administration more than four months ago, but laments the fact that up to now, the body never got any response or action from the DOT leadership on the agenda it proposed. Specifically, they submitted a 16-point agenda for the first 100 days and enumerated several more for the period thereafter. The paper outlined recommendations for the improvement of infrastructure, fostering Philippine tourism competitiveness and boosting domestic tourism.

She also said that the Tourism Congress has proposed the convening of the Tourism Coordinating Council as a concrete step to manage the post-hostage taking aftermath but again, there is no word at all if this was even considered by DOT.

“We only want to help. This is our industry. These are our businesses and this is for the country. We must focus on the tourism agenda and set aside petty differences that impede its progress. Diversity of opinion can be irksome for the leadership but it is a necessary ingredient to a successful partnership between the public and private sectors towards the implementation of policies and programs”, Jimenez said. “Such consultation, if it took place, would have prevented the brouhaha called ‘Pilipinas Kay Ganda’.”

CONTACT DETAILS: 

TOURISM CONGRESS 

ALMA RITA R. JIMENEZ

President

Tel. 638-8549 

JAIME A. CURA

VP-Luzon

Chair, Communications and Media Relations

Tel. 824-0208

We have to earn the WOW in WOW Philippines!

The Philippine Daily Inquirer made a good point with its editorial today, Wow.

To get the wow, one has to earn the wow. In that sense, the DOT has a lot more to do than merely change its slogan or, for that matter, offering up a new website

A few days ago, Tourism Secretary Bertie Lim emphasized that the new tourism slogan ought to be believable and quite frankly, there are only a few bright stars in Philippine tourism that really deserves a Wow.

The thing is, rather than own up to the challenge of rallying the tourism industry to earn the Wow, it seems that it opted to scale down the national tourism slogan to "Pilipinas, kay ganda".

Really, it's a sign of the new Administration's lack of vision.

In any case, if the country ain't WOW at this point, perhaps, the current administration should work at making it so.

WOW is what the country could be and ought to be.  And in striving for a level of awesomeness, perhaps, this quest for WOW can turn our country around. 

Usec. Vicente Romano III asks for help in building the DoT website

Here's an idea for Usec. Romano: Instead of going Wiki after the snafu (which doesn't inspire a lot of confidence from the entire online Filipino community), why doesn't the DoT just bid out an affiliate marketing program ala Nuffnang -- instead of paying Google or Facebook to generate traffic for the website.

One advantage is that it'll galvanize the Filipino online community and encourage bloggers to promote Filipino tourism.

The underlying concept for this is to render the V-12 or Volunteer 12 program into the online sphere.  Originally, the V-12 program gave incentives and rewards for Filipino balikbayans and OFWs who brought home their foreign friends as tourists.  In its digital rendering, perhaps bloggers and other online netizens can join an affiliate marketing program where they'll get credits (monetary reward or incentives) for every foreign tourist that click throughs or signs up for a tour.  Under such a scheme, perhaps hotels, resorts, airlines, etcetera who sign up for the affiliate marketing program will be the one to pay for the incentive given to the affiliate marketer.  I don't think it should entail a substantial amount for the tourist business operator (Nuff Nang pays P20 to P80 per click, perhaps higher for sign ups).

HELP DOT BUILD THE WEBSITE

I am responsible for the choice of www.beautifulpilipinas.com. We were about to give a preview of “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” as the tourism country brand, and I was looking for an appropriate URL that would be associated with the new brand.

I searched and looked at all possible permutations of “beautiful”, “philippines”, “pilipinas”, “is beautiful”, and this was the best name that was still available.

Now, if you were the one tasked to do this and you finally chose beautifulpilipinas.com, will you automatically check what beautifulfilipinas.com was, especially since it was not even one of your candidate choices? Honestly? I didn't and am sorry for it.

But I think the bigger question is did it damage the reputation of our country? The categorical answer is NO, thanks to the vigilance of our twittering community. 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. 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.

Some time ago I mentioned that the budget of DOT for new media is from P60 to P100M. And some are asking, “is this all we get for P100M, with copies filled with typos and grammatical errors?”

Again, the answer is NO. The P60 to P100M new media budget is for 2011, and it will still be bidded out in 2011. To put it in perspective, Singapore spent the equivalent of P160 to P180M for the new media component of their new brand campaign.

We will spend it for the following:

Complete overhaul of current website, with language translation and full features

SEO /SEM (we want to make sure our destinations are on page 1 or 2 when googled for tourism-related keywords)

SNS campaigns (FB, twitter, and you-tube campaigns, stand-alone or in support of offline campaigns)

Interface platform to connect industry stakeholders (transport, resort  and hotel owners,  tour operators, etc.) with online booking capability

Online advertising in relevant web properties

Beautifulpilipinas.com was intended to be a facelift of the current site, in essence – an interim site. We just changed the look and feel, but literally cut-and-pasted from the different existing DOT websites.

I guess because the site was new, every page and every word was under close scrutiny.

So where do we go from here?

Since many of you in #helpDOT said you wanted to help… here’s the deal.

We will put up the website in a private URL. If you want to get involved,

Send an email to eamacayayong@tourism.gov.ph and express your desire to volunteer.

She can 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 or graphics design

We will put your name as the 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 useful for the interim website, but will also feed to whoever will win in the bidding to develop the full-featured website.

Think of it as the wiki-approach of building up our website.

BTW, put on the subject, “I WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER FOR PROJECT DOT WIKI-WEBSITE”

God bless,

enteng