Sorry. This is going to be another article that breaches the let’s-not-go-there-please barrier. Fasten your seatbelts.
I find it a bit distasteful that we’d be celebrating what a supposedly “fun” place the Philippines is. So I heard today; It’s more fun in the Philippines. That’s the new tourism slogan recently unveiled by the Philippines’ Department of Tourism.
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At best, it is an unfortunate combination of both the nature of the message itself and the timing of its release into the “social media” ecosystem. Two Twitter hashtags, #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines and #1ForFUn, are reportedly “trending” worldwide as a result of the frenzy stirred up by the campaign which had “social media” promotion as one of its key tactical pillars.
And just like that, the public consciousness shifts from disaster-shock to having “fun”.
Perhaps it is easy for Filipinos to do just that on account of our being famously disensitised to our consistent track record of seeing preventable disasters blighting our contemporary history . But considering that a tourism campaign would necessarily be targetting potential foreign visitors who live in countries where “the Philippines” comes up as a blip in the media radar only when appalling tragedy strikes, well, you do the math.
Relevant today, in that context, is the big elephant in our little room of revelry — the recent flooding disaster that hit Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities in northern Mindanao which claimed thousands of lives. Perhaps this latest demonstration of our inch-wide national attention span takes its cue from the words of “wisdom†issued just a couple of weeks ago by a presidential sister on the show of the country’s most famous celebrity — the other presidential sister Kris Aquino. Bad things that make people sad do happen but “life should go on,†said Ballsy Aquino-Cruz on Kris TV. Life, she said in Tagalog, cannot just stop and sulking will not help at all.
Perhaps. But there is dignity in moving on in a muted and sober manner in consideration for those who lost everything (and then some) in what remains to be an appalling tragedy by any standard.
What I find particularly disturbing is how we seem to gloss over the reality that this tragedy is an outcome partly of the way we had, for generations, disrespected the natural bounty of our islands nation. The other day, my colleague Ben Kritz exhibited a specific instance of how this sort of sloganeering rings hollow in a country that places very little premium on substance, when he compared the “official” photo of our “world-renowned” Banaue Rice Terraces to a photo of what is currently real.
Further back, I wrote about how the tourism industry has been put forth as the industry of last resort (no pun intended) in light of the rather dismal economic prospects that the year 2012 presents us. Back then in early 2009 when I wrote that article, it was precisely this physical “beauty” that was being extolled as evident in the words of the Inquirer.net editor himself…
The Philippines has many tourist attractions like Boracay, one of the best beaches in the world; Palawan, “the last frontier,†which has exotic wildlife, white sand beaches and natural wonders like an underground river; Bohol, which has the world-famous Chocolate Hills and superb diving spots like Panglao and Balicasag; the Banaue rice terraces, called the Eighth Wonder of the Modern World; and Tubbataha Reefs, an excellent diving spot.
That was then, this is now. And the slogan has since changed.
If we are now highlighting the Philippines as a “fun” place, perhaps it is because the Philippines no longer stands out for its physical beauty. If it weren’t for the Sendong tragedy, it would’ve been a funny thing to note that the slogan I proposed back then had an uncanny ring to it…
Nice Pacific islands to visit. Just avoid all evidence of Filipino habitation.
It’s called “the Philippines”.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
the ‘ fun’ euphemism will resonate with the sex tourists.
I didn’t really enjoy writing this article, but there were things begging to be said.
it took someone 10 minutes on internet to find the 1951 campaign
“its more fun in switzerland”
i know bbdo are jiminez buddies but not even basic research.
lazy or stupid.
certainly not creative
copycat culture strikes again
and the web site is just a 1 page skeleton.
getrealbbdo
The Philippines isn’t always “fun,” but this is tourism. Selling, marketing, and all the jazz that comes with compelling people to buy a good is the name of the game.
But let’s say that foreigners are convinced that it really is “fun” in the Philippines and decide to visit, then the country earns money, which should serve as an incentive for the Ifugaos stay and care for the Rice Terraces.
Ideally, that is.
Tourism, like any other product to be sold one can only advertise it so much. If the product sucks, you will soon find that nobody is going to buy it no matter how you shove it down people’s throats. Most fellow Filipinos think that we got it going great in the Philippines! All I can say is, they’ve never been anywhere or they are just not honest with themselves. We need to suck it up and admit that there’s nothing going on in our country (there used to be), and start making good products (improving tourism infrastructure, doing something about the crime situation…) before even thinking about advertising it.
Having lived in the U.S. for almost half of my life, I’m sad to say even fellow Filipinos I’ve known came back from the Philippines calling it “dirty” and “disorganized”. Having lived here for the past 4 years now I truly know what they mean. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen somebody throw trash in the sewer, or just dump their garbage in the so called “beautiful” beaches. It is our own people destroying our own land in which we try to sell so hard to foreigners. Maybe we should take a step back and try to be more eco-friendly ourselves instead of trying to shove a fallacy down foreigners throats about beauty and fun, and when they come here the first thing they see from the taxi windows are the slums and red light districts along pasay.
I think this is a brilliant slogan. Because Philippines is really FUNNY.
yep roi, funny with all these clowns in the executive and legislative branches of government who are ganging up on the only sane branch, the judiciary.
Good move fitting another timely issue here! But YES, it is indeed FUNNY!
I SECOND THE MOTION! 🙂
i luv philippines,,,we have a lot of fun and enjoyments in this country..
The issue over the old Swiss slogan is now taking over the conversation in the intertubes. To me it is unbelievably foolish for no one to have learned the lesson from “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” and exercised care to make sure the message wouldn’t be derailed — especially since the previous fail would have reminded the ‘social media’ to look for just that sort of “copycat” problem.
the Philippines is really funny, isn’t it?…
really very funny 🙂
Its should have been
“its more fun to DIE in the philippines…just ask the survivors of the 2010 hostage massacre!”
I was beginning to shake my head saying to myself here we go again, another Pinas-bashing tirade.
Until I read this:
“I didn’t really enjoy writing this article,…”
What a gem. Priceless!
@phil manila
I guess you would rather like to read about how the Philippines is such a successful country, with no rampant crime and corruption, no idiot leaders, no squatters, no dreadful traffic etc. An absolute paradise.
Well we all do. Fact is IT’S NOT TRUE. So open your eyes and wake up princess this country is the basket case of Asia and the sooner we as a people come to terms with that the sooner we could start getting our shit together.
Btw the slogan should have been “You can get away with anything in the Philippines as long as you have the money”
Yes. Indeed there are several issues that our gov’t needs to address… before flaunting how “it is more fun in the Philippines”… mass killings, economic downturn, inflation… just to name a few.
No one is denying that all of what you’ve mentioned is true; nonetheless it will not remain in our history.
But, c’mon we should not all remain focused on the negative issues. We Filipinos are known for sustaining optimism amidst great chaos and crisis.
So why do we need to criticize every effort that DOT makes to flaunt or brag about the real beauty of our country?????
No country is perfect, and neither is Philippines.
Why don’t we just be ourselves and be happy about how our country is being admired for it’s beauty and astounding sceneries?
We won a spot on the 7 wonders of NATURE! And being a Filipino who resides in Middle East, I can say that I am more than proud of what we have accomplished.
I work in the travel industry; and none of my passengers (non-Filipino) had mentioned something about how corrupt our government is.
People around the world travel to our country to experience its nature and beauty; No tourist will travel to Philippines and sit at the congress listening to incessant whining of each member about how they’re under budget etc.
We should all be proud, and help DOT share the news of how it is fun in Philippines!!!!!
The slogan makes Filipinos appear too boastful. Whatever happened to humility? It’s false advertising. We all know that it’s hard to get around the country when you don’t have a car. I don’t know why they are making it look like it is so fun to commute in the Philippines.
I’ll just paste some excerpts from my article here in response to your comment:
“You don’t invite guests to your house without cleaning your house first. Unless you didn’t like that guest in the first place and your intention was to ensure they did not to come back after their visit, you wouldn’t likely bother to clean up. But if your idea is for your guest to like you and to make him come back and visit you again, you’d do everything to make your house more inviting and welcoming.
It’s not that tourists from all over the world wouldn’t have fun in the Philippines. But realistically speaking, the words “more†and what kind of “fun†are what make people ask a lot of questions. The inclusion of the word “more†can be interpreted as a bit trying hard. Why couldn’t they settle for “It’s fun in the Philippines†for example? And “more†fun as compared to which country? I’m sure there are a lot of countries that can offer the same and even more for the money without experiencing the difficulties in traveling in and around the country.
Fixing the country’s infrastructure should also be a priority for the government. They can start with the international airport. The airport is where visitors get their first and last impression of the country and its people. Like I said in my previous article, “as of this writing, the construction of the new international airport NAIA-3, which is mired in controversy hasn’t been completed due to the lawsuits filed by its private investors against the Philippine government regarding their compensationâ€.
My experience travelling has taught me that riding the local public transport is one of the best ways to immerse myself in the local culture. Riding the bus and the trains is better compared to being driven around by a relative or friend because you actually feel like one of the locals when you are using their facilities.
It’s actually the little things that matter most to tourists anywhere in the world. Sometimes we don’t even have to try too hard to entertain them. The best way to entertain a visitor is to keep the house clean and make them feel at home. If we can work on the basic necessities an individual would need during his travels, we won’t even need a fancy tourism slogan to attract tourists.”
To read more: Why we don’t need to emphasize that it’s more fun in the Philippines
well said.
Yawn @ Phil Manila.
What’s wrong with this bashing? They’re just stating the facts. Isn’t it that, like a house, everything should be ensured clean and working and comfortable before we invite our visitors to come visit us and stay in our house? That’s what we should be doing, not sugarcoating through false advertisement a country that is truly not inviting and tourist-friendly at all.
Yawn @ Phil Manila. Truly a blind person basking in the make-believe world that the current state of the Philippines is majorly clean, absolutely safe, generally organized, and really colorful culture (and thinking way better) when compared to our neighbor countries. Rolling my eyes now…duh.
@phil manila
To criticize and to insult are two different things, but for the upfront narcissist and deep down insecure the line seems to be always a blur.
No one cares about slogans as long as they aren’t offensive.
If the country can deliver respectable services, people who came will come back, and more importantly, tell their friends, and these friends will tell other friends.
If we fail to deliver, then don’t expect anyone come back nor new tourists to come at all.
K3,
I have been twice to Cebu on 2 different occassions but I will never suggest a friend or family relative to visit the Philippines. What I dont know is if Cebu is synonimous (similar) for all other inhabited islands. But what I have seen there I expect to see everywhere else in Phili. FYI: I used jeepneys, tricycles, Ceres buses, Sun Rays buses & taxis. I even walked in Cebu City, one time 45 minutes the other time 90 minutes (without getting lost). So seen it, done it.
Try diving. There’s a reason foreign divers who go to the philippines average 10 visits according to DOT stats and Cebu is the gateway to the best diving in the visayas.
If you haven’t dove here, then you haven’t seen it and if you haven’t seen it then you haven’t done it.
Grabe nabasa ko ung mga tweet dun s twitter kung bakit its more fun in the philippines, ngyun masasabi ko na talaga na ang babaw talaga ng mga filipino.
I just wish they bring WOW Philippines back. It was a good slogan/campaign and it was simple. Nothing fancy. We already had the materials anyway. Why fix something that isn’t broken? Focus on more pressing matters that are directly connected to tourism or that affects it, like supporting the tourist spots and the means to get there (be it land, sea or air). But please, don’t do something like “clad” the shanty areas with the same concept of Metro Gwapo, that is just sad. “Quick, international visitors will pass through this thoroughfare, board up the faces of the shanties. The dignitaries won’t even know.”
It’s more fun in the Philippines:
1. Power plays and dictatorship games.
2. Pork barrel and vote buying in the lower house.
3. Trial by publicity and hate propaganda games.
4. Crime wave adventures.
5. Corruption games of the new order.
6. Blame games during disasters and crisis.
7. Secessionist and terrorist games and adventures.
8. Economy guessing games and puzzle building.
9. Manipulated popularity survey games.
10.Red cell terrorist adventures.
Name your own wonderful fun adventures…
1. While having fun discovering the tourism spots, bandits will take u in exchange for ransom money or u’ll find out ur bag has been snatched.
2. People will take advantage of you at NAIA 1. Even “beggars” will say ur full name by reading ur package labels with ur name on it as if they’ve known you for years.
3. Upon riding a taxi, a group of street kids will take hold of ur package and will free it unless u give them cash
4. Taxicabs will drive u to seemingly endless routes and charge u too much
5. The Nation’s flag carrier, PAL, has a history of canceled flights…6 foreigners i met at the airport in Cebu last Oct were stranded for 2 days coz of the PAL problems…seeing them in desperate situaion, it was no fun at all for them
Yep, it’s more fun in the Philippines, when you’re a politician, family corporation owner, or a big time crook.
RECOMMENDED ITINERARY for “FUN”-loving TOURISTS:
– Wild West total immersion adventure experience— in Basilan.
– Shooting the rapids experience during flash floods.
– Obstacle course hair-raising experience—Metro-Manila traffic, sudden landslides in the provinces.
– Wild Ride Passion Fruit experience (perfect for pedos, maniacs, DOMs, etc. Just be ready to flash your foreign passport, dollars, euros, or dinars—your white skin or “foreign looks” might also help—there surely will be a pinay/bakla who will accomodate you)—Better than Vegas: Whatever happens in the Philippines, stays in the Philippines!
– Tug O’ War games in crowded streets—hold on to your valuables while a snatcher tries to grab it from you.
– Sudden Death bus tours covering Quirino and other areas.
– and for the truly adventurous, the game of ultimate death if you are a career politician—Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil/Ark of the Covenant type experience—The Hacienda Luisita aquisition game, career show-stopper for politicians—YOU TOUCH IT, YOU DIE!
– better than Jeopardy, Fact or Fiction, etc, Philippine Mass Media guessing game challenge!—You get to figure out which ones are true & which ones are half-truths or outright lies! ABS-CBN gives you the most thrill!
– Stand-Up Comedy Shows (not referring to gay comedy clubs) You get to listen to AbNoy, Lacierda, or Abad lie with a straight face—truly hilarios! Today’s Philippine government is filled with political circuses, clowns, and everything in between. A truly entertaining and even maddening experience.
Brochures, maps, and survival gear (maybe) will be provided.
Plagiarism sucks! Why can’t the new dictatorial order come up with an original slogan?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQeULtGmpow
i suppose it really is more fun in the philippines. pnoy was enjoying chinese food with good company at emerald on roxas. donald tsang was missing out on all the fun because pnoy wouldn’t take his calls.
The Luneta Hostage Crissis, in which Noynoy Aquino cannot be contacted at that time. Is a very hard issue, that the Philippine Tourism Dept. can overcome. People, foreign tourists included, have good memories. The rampant kidnapping of foreign toursits is another. At this moment, another Australian Tourist is kinapped, and pleading for his life , again…It’s not Fun to become a Hostage Victim, and plead for your life at the same time.
It’s Noynoy Aquino’s fault, that the tourist industry is suffering. Consequently, I have the Right to Blame Noynoy Aquino…
Beats “Korea, Sparkling” any day.
bbdo and their links with jiminez always meant that they would get the job anyway without any work, as they have shown in copying not just the strapline but the concept from switzerland.
the ‘ island dreams, asian adventures’ which alliowed for the flexibility of regional campaigns and recreation specific focus adapted to different markets made a lot more sense.
this is simply jobs for the boys – and whilst bbdo is international the philippines franchise is a man and his dog acting independently and without creativity.
shameful and shameless
News shortie from the Philippine Star January 7, 2012
If General Palparan is a butcher, what about Joma? By Bobit S. Avila.
“I guess the reason why Gen. Palparan disappeared was a news report that the Armed Forces of the Philippines(AFP), the National Bureau of Investigation(NBI) and the New People’s Army(NPA)are looking for him. That news report was enough to scare you, as it is concrete proof that the Aquino regime is literally ‘sleeping with the enemy.’ No doubt the communist propagandists with their supporters well entrenched in mainstream media painted a gruesome picture of Palparan as a ‘Butcher.’ But if there is anything that Gen. Palparan was … he was an efficient soldier.”
It’s not going to be fun in the Philippines… soon. Watch Der Fuhrer BadNoy as he tries to complete his destruction games on personalities, institutions, the improved society, culture and mindset.
“It is better to fail in originality than to
succeed in imitation. -Herman
Melvilleâ€
“Originality is the one thing which
unoriginal minds cannot feel the use
of. -John Stuart Millâ€
I saw the mat design on GMA news. The Philippine islands all painted in yellow. Perhaps a subliminal message that the entire archipelago is under yellow rule. BadNoy helped in its design.
Carlos Cedran from his Facebook profile: I don’t agree with the get real article. Once again, someone mouthing off without thinking. DOT has to promote the Phils. Disaster management, economy, safety, infrastructure are OTHER agencies. The DOT is just doing it’s job and that is to promote a positive image for this country. Without that, the haters will just control the airwaves and where the fuck will we all be?
I totally agree with you.
Carlos Celdran assumes, as most people do, that having a DOT is a necessary given. It’s not.
title of GMA’s news item flew over the heads of some defensive pinoys http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/243775/news/nation/us-reminds-citizens-it-s-not-always-more-fun-in-the-phl?ref=latest?ref=subsection_banner
I read about it also on the Tribune’s website. Oh well, it was “fun” while it lasted.
Actually, if Celdran hasn’t noticed yet, we are in the minority here. The “airwaves” are, in fact, flooded with bloggers and tweeters parroting the tagline.
that’s why cabinet meetings are very important. to synchronize government’s programs. para nde kanya kanya. at walang nasasayang na programa.
but i dont think cabinet meetings are so important with the president. ika nga, “not a priority”.
This administration is hell bent on impeaching one of the Supreme Court justices for plagiarism yet its very own tourism department has been caught, not just once but twice, plagiarizing other countries’ slogan. I hope there isn’t a double standard in dealing with erring officials with regard to this. Do they get a slap on the wrist or what?
give us back our slogan.
you steal everything.
copycat culture
too lazy to think for self.
jiminez ‘easy as chickenjoy’
when you copy mcdonalds – very easy
is he chinese
the call has now gone out from malacanan.
defend the new campaign.
they cannot afford a new disaster.
so pressure is being put on the usual suspects abs-cbn, star, rappler to say how well accepted it is and a pulse asia survey will be released next week – 80% approve of it.
truth and discussion no longer exist
the map is coloured yellow signifying the dictatorship has taken over.
the truth is that internationally the philippines has become a copycat culture devoid of creativity or originality and stealing is easier than working – as evidenced by the levels of corruption in p-noy’s kkk.
all the other agencies who were just there to make the process look honest have been bound by confidentiality. so much for transparency.
the campaign stinks but not as much as jiminez
DOT probably thinks all tourists in this planet live in caves. NO question, the Philippines is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Fun? yes as well.
What is the real reason why tourists will not flock the Philippines? If they haven’t figured it out, they are a bunch of dumbass.
why not try solving the inherent problem of the Philippines and work hard to fix that first? Sooner or later you won’t need any stinking slogan. Everyone will come.
“why not try solving the inherent problem of the Philippines and work hard to fix that first? Sooner or later you won’t need any stinking slogan. Everyone will come.”
Indeed. Quality sells itself.
And here I thought that we couldn’t sink any lower. It’s bad enough that our “lord and master” lacks any solid thought now his lackeys lacks imagination. It really say much for this administration.
Of course we’ve been hit by disasters since time immemorial, some of them damaging not only our fields and forests, but also our national psyche. Yes, we do seem to forget our mistakes too fast, and many of our academic and political luminaries have bewailed this “cultural amnesia”.
But it’s the people indeed that have always made our place more bearable and more livable than it would otherwise have been. The DOT, in highlighting this as our unique selling proposition, not only serves our countrymen what they are due,it also highlights the incredible fact that it’s the people–us–who have always set us apart from our Asian neighbors.
And of course, you wouldn’t have used bad pictures for a tourism campaign, wouldn’t you? And about that forgetting about typhoon Sendong victims, did the relief operations actually stop when this was launched? No, it still is ongoing. But we’ve just got to move on. After all, resilience is what we’ve always prided ourselves in.
Pnoy is really funny like his people. How can you expect tourists to visit our country with all the dirt and filth. Even the president’s sister admitted to have contracted an std. OMG. Would you expect foreigners to even respect their brown flat-nossed brothers.
Resilience, really?
it’s more fun in the Philippines because I live here. Of course other countries are better than the Philippines,but I can’t live there.
Lol! Makes sense to me. 😀
So what do you suggest the slogan to be? “Its more dirty in the Philippines”? LOlz. Aint that a really stupid way to sell tourism. “Nice Pacific islands to visit” Boooorrriiiing, dont you think? Thanks for the good laugh though. More power!
hahaha! ang nenega at ang wiwitty wala akong masabe 😛
Obviously some people havent been around his own country yet. Piece of advice, get off your computer chair, take a break off trash talking your own country & book a ticket to Cagayan or Palawan. Send us an e-postcard.
alam ko nagpapaka realistic lang kayo pero REALLY?
ang daming alam ng mga tao dito masyado sometimes not for their own good…tatanda kayo ng maaga. lighten up jeezzzz!!!
On the contrary, we lead happier and stress free lives because we are free from the bondage of conventional wisdom. We are more aware of reality and take the necessary steps to deal with it.
dito nako reply dyokey ha, di makarepky sa baba eh. i think there’s a reason for conventional wisdom to be conventional, because it has some truth to it. Just because your living a conventional life doesnt mean your less happier, more often pa nga it is the more stress free way of living. Magkakaiba kasi yung aware ka lang, aware ka pero hindi mo minumundo, aware ka & take action when given an opportunity, aware ka & you go out of your way to do something about it tsaka yung aware ka at nagwwhine ka lang & expect people to sympathize with your cause just because its unconventional, now..isnt that conventional? LOlz.. And nwei i dont think that’s even dyokey’s point. And we know reality alright, we know about terrorism, famine, corruption, injustice so why dont you share with us some steps you’ve taken to deal with it para naman mainspire kami to follow.
Yes, at lot of Filipinos are aware of the problems but they are unwilling to do anything about it. They try to put the blame on other people for their misery. For example, they blame corrupt public officials but keep voting for the same type during election anyway and they are not even vigilant in monitoring the way their public officials behave.
Like what I said in my recent article here:
Yes. Indeed there are several issues that our govt needs to address… before flaunting how “it is more fun in the Philippines”… mass killings, economic downturn, inflation, just to name a few.
No one is denying that all of what you’ve mentioned is true, nonetheless it will not remain in our history.
But, c’mon we should not all remain focused on the negative issues. We Filipinos are known for sustaining optimism amidst great chaos and crisis.
So why do we need to criticize every effort that DOT makes to flaunt or brag about the real beauty of our country?????
No country is perfect, and neither is Philippines.
Why don’t we just be ourselves and be happy about how our country is being admired for it’s beauty and astounding sceneries?
We won a spot on the 7 wonders of NATURE!!, and being an OFW who lives in Middle east, I can say that I am proud of that.
I work in the travel industry; and none of my passengers (non-Filipino) had mentioned something about how corrupt our governement is.
People around the world travel to our country to experience it’s nature and beauty. No tourist will travel to Philippines and sit at the congress listening to incessant whining of each members about how they’re under budget etc.
We should all be proud, and help DOT share the news of how it is fun in Philippines!!!!!
“But, c’mon we should not all remain focused on the negative issues. We Filipinos are known for sustaining optimism amidst great chaos and crisis.”
True; but the problem with most Filipinos is that they confuse escapism with optimism. It’s good to be optimistic but it shouldn’t be used as an excuse to not face the problem.
“We won a spot on the 7 wonders of NATURE!!”
…Because of popular vote; not to mention that the contest is mired in controversy.
Tomoh! Down with the cynics! Everything starts with a belief. And i believe “Its more fun in the Philippines!”
Either you’re being sarcastic or you failed to understand my post.
Real validity can come from tourists saying “it’s more fun Philippines” and NOT from Filipinos saying that it is more fun in their own country. What’s “fun” for you may not be “fun” for other travellers.
If it’s more fun in the Philippines, why can’t I breath any fresh air in Metro Manila?
Over population and corruption turned paradise into Smokey Mountain.
Face reality as it is…not as you wish it to be.
– Jack Welch ex-CEO general electric
Countries have to think and act much more like corporations as they compete for investments, tourists etc.
The vision and strategy must be clear from the top.
The culture must change at the bottom
And in between there must be people who are problem solvers and committed to results and change.
A vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is a nightmare.
The P- noy principle of employ your friends and buy your way out of trouble will only ensure that dramas and crises become the norm.
And by ignoring the economy for ‘schoolboy politicking’ the country and its people are paying a high price and no amount of propaganda will hide that from the masses.
“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is
necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in
the human body. It calls attention to an
unhealthy state of things.â€
Winston Churchill
the govt want yes men/women, and a subservient press to push out propoganda to the uneducated masses who prefer to be delusional rather than think or have independent thought.
the absence of discussion/debate on issues in the mainstream media is more akin to a repressive regime rather than a country wanting to make genuine progress for all.
and where are the people making fun of the strangest set of politicians on the plant. letterman/leno/stewart wouldnt even need scriptwriters here.
WHEN YOU’RE BEING ABUSED, OR WITNESSING ABUSE, IT’S ALWAYS EASIER TO CLOSE YOUR EYES AND PRETEND EVERYTHING IS OK. IT’S A SCIENTIFIC TRUTH–I HAVE TO BE REDUNDANT! JUST ASK BATTERED WIVES, AND THEY’LL GO BABBLING ABOUT THEIR FIRST DATE AND ALL THE ROMANCE, ETC. THE SAME CAN BE OBSERVED IN OUR GOVERNMENT. WHEN ONE AGENCY CAN’T DO ITS JOB, OTHERS COMES TO THEIR RESCUE. AND WHILE WE ARE WITNESSING ALL THESE BLUNDERS, IT WILL BE EASIER TO JUST TURN OUR ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE BIG PICTURE AND STARE AT THE NEWLY PLAGIARIZED LOGO. OR BETTER YET JOIN THE CRAZE.
ITS A MAGICAL MYSTICAL WORLD OF SUGARCOATING-KNIGHTS!
Totoo ngang kasalukuyang nagdurusa ang mga pinoy ngayon sa sakit na battered wife syndrome. Hinahagupit ng kung ano-anong parang sumpa hindi lang sa kalikasan kundi [lalo na] sa masamang gobyerno natin under Penot King at Penot Whisperer (Abad).
This is what I liked most:
FROM: Ilda on January 9, 2012 at 6:52 pm
Like what I said in my recent article here:
“If we can work on the basic necessities an individual would need during his travels, we won’t even need a fancy tourism slogan to attract tourists.”
I agree, who needs fancy slogans to attract tourists, let the country itself speaks of itself.
Totoo naman kung tatanungin mo ibang tao–“It’s more FUN in the Philippines”—kung mababaw kaligayahan mo.
for diving it’s probably a great place
for pheadophiles, sex tourists and drunkards also
if you don’t belong to the above category there is NO reason to visit PI because many nice beaches elsewhere with cheaper and better accomodation and WAY BETTER food !!
nice place to bola2 though……..
History and culture taught us that Filipinos are the most hospitable people on earth. I don’t think i can believe that anymore, when i grew up and learned from years of living in the Philippines, I’ve seen households that don’t give a damn to their visitors. A friend of mine who is currently living in Arizona, told me from what he experienced, that Americans are more hospitable than Filipinos, he’s only been there for 2 years just for work, so i can firmly say that he’s not a western culture convert. I’ve visited some of my Fil-Jap friends and all i can say that they are SUPER hospitable, i use to see that when i was young, but times have changed, now in the Philippines, more often than not, the most warm welcome greeting you can get is either be looked upon head to toe or be ignored, i can be wrong and most certainly be wronged, but that’s what i’ve observed in this time of age.
MAN UP PILIPINAS!
Don’t expect to be welcomed if you yourself don’t know how to treat or at least respect your visitors.