tourism’s epic FAIL :(

heard about the new (now dropped?) tourism campaign through carlos celdran who was at the launch and was tweeting his dismay over the new slogan ‘pilipinas kay ganda’.   talaga naman.   in what world do these “creatives” live.

napaka-basic: ‘philippines’ for instant recognition, hindi yung mag-iisiip pa ang mga dayuhang turista, ano daw yon?   lalo pa ngayon na matunog na matunog ang ‘philippines’ salamat kay pacquiao, it’s crazy, it’s stupid, to even be thinking ‘pilipinas’.   until these “creatives” can come up with something better, let’s stay with ‘wow philippines’, whose logo can be tweaked, upgraded every which way.

i didn’t catch the website that was quickly brought down in the wake of boos and jeers from everywhere.   but the “new” logo is posted in several sites and, susmaryosep, it’s just a recycled version of the nineties logo.   i wrote scripts for the asean tourism forum festivities that dot philippines hosted back in ‘93 and yun na yon, without lang the tarsier and the smile.   pa-tropical effect for the slogan ‘island philippines’ na ewan kung bumenta.   all i remember is joy soler de castro on her soapbox vs. the traditional & “barriotic” and pitching the philippines’ east-west culture that’s unique in asia, which still sounds good.

but the logo, please, it’s so last century.   new millennium na, after all, and the world’s travellers would want a sense of more than beaches and coconut trees, certainly more than that displaced tarsier and corny smiley, ano ba.

“their neurons aren’t working,” kasasabi ni senator miriam sa dzmm teleradyo.

nakakatawa, pero nakakaiyak din.   puro sablay na lang.   hayyy.   we get what we deserve?   this is all we deserve?

read more:

resty odon’s Looking back: Gordon coined “WOW Philippines” on the spot on TV
PiNaysaAmerika’s Tourism Slogans
ellen tordesillas Not so beautiful ‘Pilipinas kay ganda’
gmanews.tv’s Critics: DOT’s ‘Pilipinas Kay Ganda’ not so pretty
noemi lardizabal-dado’s Country branding the Philippines
james cordova’s Sun or sex? Philippines’ botched tourism campaign

the president’s lovelife

if the president seriously wants questions re his lovelife to stop, he should simply learn to respond with a no-comment — ang hirap ba, parang si kris ba –and his communications groups could help by warning the press not to waste their time, there are a host of more important public concerns — like what’s the trade-off with japan ba– and don’t treat the president naman like a showbiz figure.

instead the president has started to cater to the media’s penchant for love and romance among the rich and famous, announcing that he is dating celebrity stylist liz uy, what a beautiful person pala she is, and how impressed he is by her conversation.   and he wants them to stop asking?   c’mon.

makes me think it’s all spin.  if they could do it with shalani soledad, why not with liz uy?  because i heard it through the grapevine that the break-up with shalani happened before the campaign pa, pero napakiusapan si shalani to play along muna, it was good for the campaign, pa-macho effect i suppose.   which would explain why she was never seen with the sisters, never sat with the sisters, either at the proclamation or at the inaugural rites and festivities.   a real girlfriend, a real loved one, would have been right there celebrating with the new president and his family and not lost somewhere among lesser guests, when she was there at all.

so why the liz uy spin?   maybe to distract us from other more pressing matters.   also i suppose it has to do with shalani’s high-profile debut on television via no less than the wily willie’s new primetime show on tv 5.   biglang everyone’s talking about shalani — kahit pa she lost me at “hello” — i hear nag-i-improve naman.   but kris must hate it, lalo na’t she’s nowhere these days, and what about that paparazzi interview with shalani’s mom that raised questions like, bakit sinisiraan si shalani at sinong naninira?   and what better way to kill all talk than by having the president move on, romance another woman, kilig kris to the bones.

so why liz uy?   she’s one of kris’ many best friends, di ba, like boy abunda and vice ganda, so why not.   at least tunay siyang babae.   and since she spends a lot of time na with the president, making sure he looks good, perfect choice na rin.

which is NOT to denigrate ms. uy, who comes from a relationship with sexy kanto boy and topnotch actor john lloyd cruz, who’s a commercial AND critical success.   so is dating, maybe romancing, the president, if true, a level-up for liz?   i’m not sure.   possibly.   i guess.

okay okay maybe i’m wrong, maybe it’s all true, maybe it’s love, and maybe it’s even for keeps, but i’m suspending disbelief only if, and when, liz uy herself, with stars in her eyes, and in the president’s arms, confirms it all.

meanwhile, please naman, mr. president, FREE THE MORONG 43!  it’s long overdue.

fil-am relations: harsh truths, reality check

at last, one who tells it like it is.   in The golden rule in foreign relations business world‘s greg b. macabenta doesn’t mince words re travel advisories, the vfa, philippine tourism, and our “special” relations with the u.s. of a.

What’s the bottom line here?

Will the US retract its advisory? Will tourist traffic be any worse than it now is? Will the VFA be negotiated with more equitable terms, like respecting Philippine jurisdiction over crimes committed by US military personnel?

The harsh truth? None of the above.

Between the noises made in media and the actual discussions backstage, there is always a world of difference. The protests are for the benefit of the masses. But what eventually carries the day is based on the Golden Rule.

He who has the gold, makes the rule. In this case, America. It has the gold. It makes the rules.

Be assured that the VFA will be discussed, but the terms will be no more equitable than the balance of power between the Philippines and America. US interests will come first, and the Philippines will agree.

With a war on its hands in the Middle East, an economic and military juggernaut looming from China, sabre rattling in North Korea, and terrorist threats everywhere it turns, America has to be assured that it is in a position to protect its interests.

No matter what the treaties say, America’s interests come first and foremost. Anything that gets in the way of these interests is either shot down, bought out or given an offer that can’t be refused.

That’s how the VFA “renegotiation” will eventually turn out.

Of course, loud noises will be made by the publicity hounds, but P-Noy and the foreign office will find a way to justify the agreement with appropriate euphemisms about the interests of the Philippines being upheld.

Meanwhile, the travel advisory will not be recalled. There will simply be no follow-up advisory — at least, until there is another need to crack the whip on naughty, uncooperative Philippines.

But, will there be a negative effect on Philippine tourism? I doubt it. In the first place, few people in the Western world think about the Philippines as a tourist destination. There are no promotional activities, no efforts to generate awareness, no campaigns to persuade.

When the US State Department issues a travel advisory on the Philippines, that hardly creates a ripple in US media. Americans don’t hear about it. If they’ve heard about the Philippines, it’s most likely the fact that it is the country of this super boxer named Manny Pacquiao.

Will the travel advisory affect US Pinoys and discourage us from visiting the homeland? Not at all. What else is new, anyway?

In other words, the travel advisory is just a feeble bark with no bite.

But the president of the Philippines would be remiss if he did not protest. So, he dutifully protests.

If there’s anything worth discussing about this continuing drama on US-Philippine relations, it is the fact that this needs a reality check.

Do we really believe that America will protect Philippine interests over its own interests?

Do we really believe that America will give foreign aid without demanding something in return?

Do we really think that cuddling up to China will worry America enough to make it want to give us special concessions?

Do we really think that the US will easily give up its strategic position in our part of the world in the face of international threats, both economic and military?

Do we really think China will treat us better than the US?

Do we really think that the Philippines, at this point in its national life, is in a position to chart its own independent course, whether its Western patrons like it or not?

Do we really believe that our ASEAN allies will come to our aid if either China or America decides to bully us?

Finally, do we, the Filipino people, really think that the Department of Foreign Affairs and President Benigno Aquino III know how to deal with the harsh realities of the Golden Rule?

We all know the answer to that.

Reminds me of what the late former Secretary of Foreign Affairs Raul Manglapus was supposed to have suggested about what to do in case of rape.

“Lie back and enjoy it.”

g-20, apec, aquino, and the peso

MANILA, Philippines—Six Filipino activists who had planned to take part in alternative meetings that are set to run parallel to the G20 summit in South Korea have been deported from Seoul, their colleagues said on Sunday.

… The activists were put on a flight back to Manila late Saturday after being told by South Korean authorities that they were blacklisted and could not enter the country, the activists said…. One of those deported, Maria Lorena Macabuag of the group Migrant Forum Asia, said they were only attending a peaceful parallel forum and had not broken any law.

Her companions were identified as Josua Mata of the Alliance of Progressive Labor, Joseph Purugganan of Focus on the Global South, musician-poet and Asian Public Intellectual fellow Jess Santiago, Rogelio Soluta of the Kilusang Mayo Uno and Paul Quinto of Ibon Philippines.

… “We were granted visas and it was clear that we were invited by KCTU. It was all disclosed and it was clear that we are not a threat to them,” Purugganan said.

make that 7 activists, the 7th being Bernice Coronacion of the Alliance of Progressive Labor.   hmm.   heard ibon’s sonny africa saying on ANC that only filipino activists have been denied entry.   and so there is wondering whether this is with the collusion of the philippine government, which would explain why the aquino admin is not offended?   but if true, why so?   why would we not want filipino activists represented, having been invited to participate, in the parallel forum organized by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions?   baka kasi mag-ingay masyado this “noisy minority” that the aquinos think very little of?

and then, again, isn’t it just as possible that this is a kind of backlash vis a vis the aug 23 bloodbath and the vietnam tweets, a kind of curveball from a good friend of hong kong and vietnam?   okay okay it may be a stretch but after reading this…

What is the Philippine interest in this event? At first glance, there is not much to indicate that the Philippines is represented, much less invited. The president of neighboring Indonesia regularly sits at the summit. Korea as the host country exercised its privilege of inviting Singapore, as well as Vietnam which is this year’s head of the ASEAN. With these three ASEAN countries sitting in G20, could it be safely said that Philippine interests are well represented? The presence of at least three ASEAN leaders both have advantages and risks, due to the diverse characteristics of small, free market leader Singapore, socialist Vietnam, and big Indonesia.

… it’s like we’re being snubbed?   and then, again, it could be simply that aquino’s presence would be of no consequence anyway, given the philippines’ reputation of being america’s lackey, no more no less, especially when it comes to the economy?

The G20 leaders will be expected to affirm agreements drafted less than a month ago by their finance chiefs. They promised to avoid a damaging round of competitive currency depreciations. China accuses the United States, however, of already violating the spirit of the pledge by printing excess dollars, which Beijing says contributes to Chinese inflation. Washington accuses Beijing of keeping its currency artificially weak.

[G-20 economies represent about 90 percent of the gross domestic product globally, nearly 80 percent of world trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population. G8 members — Great Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States — plus Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the European Union (EU).]

mabuti’t nag-iingay ang brazil:

… Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva blames both China and the US for keeping their currencies artificially low — causing the Brazilian real to rise and making his country’s exports less competitive — and could stir things up.

“We believe the United States and China are creating a currency war,” Silva told reporters Wednesday. “So, I am going to the G-20 to put up a fight.”

He didn’t specify what steps he intends to propose.

so the summit should be interesting, america vs. china, and everyone else vs. america and china?   even more interesting, our very own dr. bernardo m. villegas, who is usually so pro-america and pro-imf-worldbank, is predicting that the peso will depreciate post-G20.

In an economic forum sponsored by Security Bank for its clients last October 22, I had the temerity to make the fearless forecast that the peso-dollar exchange rate at the end of this year will be closer to P45 to 46 than to P40 to 41.

…The bleak outlook for the results of the G-20 in Seoul is in stark contrast with the upbeat mood in 2008 when the G-20 met for the first time to help stabilize the global financial system at the beginning of the Great Recession. Two years ago, there was an admirable cohesiveness among the leaders. Today, there is a “clash of interests and a clash of perceptions” that could result in a stalemate at the summit that would impede progress toward recovery. Mr. Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, is more specific in his warnings. He is afraid that tensions over exchange rates could degenerate into trade protectionism: “That could, as it did in the 1930s, lead to a disastrous collapse in activity around the world.”

… The Filipino overseas workers, the biggest source of foreign exchange for the country (estimated to reach $20 billion in 2010), are getting more sophisticated in their understanding of foreign exchange rate fluctuations, especially with the advice of our leading banks and remittance companies. It is very probable that a good number of them will postpone remitting their dollars to the Philippines in the hope of a peso depreciation late this year or early next year. For this reason, I do not expect the usual larger inflow of dollars for the Christmas holidays. The more important expenditures for the families of these OFWs have to do with education, which usually peak in June of each year. There is, therefore, reason for the OFWs to wait and see how the exchange war will work out and keep their dollars in the meantime.

Furthermore, there is reason to expect that portfolio investments in the Philippine capital market could slow down as many more countries follow the lead of China that raised interest rates for the first time in nearly three years because of concerns about increasing inflationary pressures in the economy. As more countries raise interest rates, they would attract more “hot money” into their respective economies. With inflation at low levels in the Philippines, I do not foresee our Central Bank raising interest rates in the near future. If this scenario of higher interest rates among our trading partners should be fulfilled, I am issuing a word of caution to those who are overly excited about our booming stock market today. Easy come, easy go.

These are my reasons for expecting the peso to depreciate closer to P45 to 46 by the end of this year. At the risk of immodesty, let me remind my readers that at the beginning of 2010, I was ridiculed by my fellow economists (including those working for the former administration) when I forecasted that the GDP would grow at 7 percent. The consensus forecast then was between 3 to 5 percent. As everyone knows, GDP grew by 7.9 percent in the first semester and is mostly likely to grow at 7 percent for the whole year. I rest my case.

samantala right after the G-20 summit in south korea on nov 11-12, there’s the APEC summit in japan nov 13-14 that aquino is attending (minus ms.lang of course) along with many of the G-20 leaders, including obama.

[APEC member economies are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. They account for 40.5 percent 1 of the world’s population, 54.2 percent of world GDP and 43.7 percent of world trade.]

aquino daw is set to propose that a framework be developed to deal with the volatile global financial markets.

“The idea lang, basically, is let us learn from the lessons of the Great Depression where each individual state decided to act on their own interests,” the President said.

sounds good.   if he can swing it.   if not, well, it’s also the same weekend that pacquiao will be fighting margarito in texas, let’s hope pacquiao wins.   consuelo de bobo.