Tourism's 'It's more fun in the Philippines'
campaign gets warm welcome in London
LONDON: President Benigno S. Aquino III will
promote the Philippines as a top tourist destination through the Department of
Tourism’s “It’s more fun in the Philippines” campaign during his official visit
here in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
President Aquino, who is set to arrive here in
UK at around 9 p.m. Monday (London time), will have a photoshoot with
London-based DOT/DFA officials handling the “It‘s More Fun in the Philippines”
program as part of his busy schedule here. His visit to London is his first to
the UK and Europe since he assumed office in 2010.
The President will be accompanied by eight
Cabinet officials and several Filipino businessmen who will look into enhancing
reciprocal investment, trade and tourism opportunities between the Philippines
and UK.
According to DOT, the country’s tourism campaign
has been warmly welcomed in the UK. It said London has thrown its full support
for the Philippines’ tourism build up by donning its iconic double-decker
buses, taxi cabs and underground stations with the different faces of the
Philippines.
“Now, 25 double-decker buses and 50 black cabs
sporting a uniform design of the slogan, logo, and different faces of the
Philippines are now spotted around the bustling streets of London (while)
images of the world-famous Ifugao Rice Terraces and the Puerto Princesa
Underground River, both proclaimed as World Heritage Sites, are also found at
the subway stations,” the DOT said.
The Philippine DOT is the very first national
tourism organization to advertise through the digital platform of taxis owned
by Verifone Media. The London cabs come with a 30-minute digital ad which
features the 30-seconder “It’s more fun in the Philippines” TVC (television
commercial) and the 15-seconder tarsier TVC recently launched worldwide via
CNN.
Media hype through the London cabs will continue
to run until early next year, with the opportunity to capture the millions of
visitors and household viewers of the Queen’s Jubilee, the London 2012
Olympics, and the season 2012-2013 of the Fulham Football Club of the English
Premier League.
“The world will now start to see that ‘It’s More
Fun in the Philippines’ is not just a bunch of words on a streamer. It is a
competitive argument for choosing the Philippines as one of the world’s top
tourist destinations. Philippine tourism is poised to surge forward as we
launch more aggressive initiatives to reinvigorate the industry and work
towards achieving our 10M target by 2016,” Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez said.
During his official visit here, President Aquino
will have a series of business meetings with top British investors such as
Rolls Royce and Cebu Pacific, Aboitiz Equity Ventures Gas Project, Shell and
Nestle, among others.
President Aquino will have an opportunity to
meet with His Royal Highness the Duke of York Prince Andrew at the Buckingham
Palace. He will also have a separate meeting Prime Minister David Cameron at 10
Downing Street.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s government will
also offer a lunch for the President to be presided by the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office Minister Jeremy Browne and the Lord Mayor of London
Alderman David Wootton at the Lancaster House. (PCOO)
.
Gov't budgets P87.1 million for PNoy's visits to
London, Washington D.C.
The government is spending P87.1 million for
President Benigno S. Aquino III’s official trips to the United Kingdom and the
United States, where he will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of the two
superpowers, Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said on Monday.
President Aquino left Monday afternoon for
London via a chartered Philippine Airlines flight along with an 89-member
delegation as official guest of the UK from June 4 to 6.
After his trip to the UK, the Chief Executive’s
first to Britain since he became President in 2010, he will proceed to the US
for a working visit from June 6 to 8 on the invitation of President Barack
Obama.
President Aquino leads the Philippine delegation
that also includes Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario, Transportation and
Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima,
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Toursim
Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Energy Secretary Rene Almendras and PCDSPO Secretary
Ramon Carandang.
Philippine Ambassador to Washington D.C. Jose
Cuisia Jr., Philippine Ambassador to London Enrique Manalo and Presidential
Protocol Chief and Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs Miguel Perez-Rubio
are also included in the presidential entourage.
The expenses cover accommodation,
telecommunications, transportation, food and equipment, among others, for the
President and his official party.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said
President Aquino will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister David
Cameron to discuss the Philippines-UK political and economic cooperation,
Britain’s participation in the International Contact Group (ICG) for the peace
process, anti-corruption and good governance practices of both countries, and
other regional and international concerns.
The DFA also said the President will likewise
meet with several major British investors, take part in the Philippine fun
tourism campaign and dialog with the Filipino community in the UK, which is the
largest in Europe.
From the UK, President Aquino will fly to
Washington D.C. for a one-on-one meeting with President Obama at the Oval
Office, their fourth since 2010.
On top of the agenda of the two leaders is
discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues that
reflect the multifaceted nature of the two countries’ strategic partnership.
The DFA said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
will host a luncheon in honor of President Aquino and his delegation at the
Benjamin Franklin State Dining Room of the State Department in the US capital.
The President is also scheduled to meet with
leaders of the US Senate at a reception organized by Senate President Pro
Tempore Daniel K. Inouye on Capitol Hill and will be guest honor at the launch
of the US-Philippines Society, a private sector initiative designed to boost
economic ties, promote trade and investment, support common strategic and
political goals, and strengthen cultural, technological, educational and
people-to-people linkages, the DFA said.
Before heading home to Manila, President Aquino will
stop by Los Angeles to meet with the Filipino-American community, which
represents about 3.1 percent of the city’s population. (PCOO)
.
Aquino leaves for seven-day visit to the UK, US
President Benigno S. Aquino III left for a
seven-day visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the United States of
America Monday afternoon hoping the trips could strengthen economic and
bilateral relations with those countries.
The President’s first stop will be the UK to
meet Prime Minister David Cameron, British investors and the Filipino community
in that country. The President noted the importance of the visit saying the UK
and the Philippines have been enjoying strong economic relations in the past
several years.
From London, the President will fly to the US to
meet President Barack Obama.
President Aquino said he will personally thanked
Prime Minister David Cameron when they meet in London for the UK’s
contributions to the growth of the Philippine economy.
The UK is also the country’s partner in
strengthening political cooperation as well as maintaining peace and security,
the President said.
“Sa katunayan, kabalikat natin ang United
Kingdom sa pagpapataas ng antas ng kakayahan ng ating kapulisan at pagbuwag sa
pandaigdigang pamamagitan ng Regional Counter Terrorism Investigations
Management Course,” he said in his departure speech at the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport Terminal 2.
“Aktibo rin silang nakikibahagi sa International
Contact Group upang higit pang mapatatag ang usapang pangkapayapaan sa Mindanao.
Tumulong din ang UK sa matagumpay na pagtataguyod at implementasyon ng
Citizen's Charter sa ilang LGU’s, na bahagi ng ating Anti-Red Tape Act na
naglalayong matiyak na malinaw at matapat ang mga transaksyong nangyayari sa
pamahalaan,” he added.
In the business front, the chief executive said
he will join business meetings with the leading British and European investors
while in London. He said he will also witness the signing of business deals
with Shell, Gaz Asia and Aboitiz, Rolls Royce and Cebu Pacific.
Those comapnies could contribute a lot to the
growth of the Philippine economy particularly in areas of information
technology and business process outsourcing, renewable energy, electronics, as
well as public-private partnership (PPP) projects.
From the UK, the President will go to the US to
meet President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and American
lawmakers. The President is also scheduled to meet Filipino community in Los
Angeles, California.
The US, being the country’s leading trading
partner and contributor to foreign direct investments, the President said he
expects his trip will be fruitful for the benefit of the Philippines.
Among his major agenda in his meeting with
Obama, Clinton and US congressional leaders will be economic cooperation, trade
and investment as well as closer partnership in the field of science and
technology.
“Magkatuwang po tayong hahanap ng mga makabagong
paraan upang maiangat ang antas ng buhay at kalusugan sa bansa, tulad ng ating
isinasagawa ngayon sa ilalim ng Partnership for Growth at Millennium Compact,”
the President said.
“Susuriin din natin ang kasalukuyang
pagtutulungang pang-seguridad upang makita kung paano higit pang mapapalakas
angkakayahan ng Pilipinas bilang kanilang kaalyado sa pagpapanatili ng kaayusan
sa rehiyong Asya-Pasipiko,” the President added.
President Aquino said he would persuade American
businessmen to come to the Philippines to invest noting the reforms he has
initiated have started to bear fruit making the country more conducive to
businesses.
The President also assured the people that his
trips to the UK and the US are for the benefit of Filipinos. His administration
has been sowing the seeds of better friendships with those allies so that the
Philippines could reap its benefits in the future, the President said.
“Manatili lamang po tayong nakatutok sa
kapakanan ng ating kapwa, at huwag tayong lumihis sa tapat na pamamahala, at
hindi po magtatagal: mapipitas natin ang bunga ng isang mas maunlad, at mas
mapayapang bansa,” he said. (PCOO)
