Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on Wednesday defended the country's refreshed tourism campaign after its new font and logo generated a few negative reactions from social media users.
‘‘The logo is inspired by woven textiles, the green is the rice terraces, the blue is the water of the Philippines, even the yellow is the mango so it represents what is good with the Filipino culture,’’ Romulo-Puyat said in a television interview.
‘‘We want it to be more minimalist, the first campaign was seven years ago,’’ she added, pointing out that the materials went through a series of studies.
On Monday, the Department of Tourism unveiled a custom-made font called “Barabara”—for public use—drawing from the Filipino style of hand-painted lettering, which is often seen on jeepney signages.
The new logo, on the other hand, is inspired by local woven textiles in colors that best identify the Philippines.
"What we want now is just for people to support our country," Romulo-Puyat said. "A lot of people actually liked it, there are pros and cons, it's just that you cannot please everybody."
"We continued the campaign 'It's More Fun in the Philippines' and everybody agreed that it should be continued," she said.
The new logo, meanwhile, drew support from Luntiang Pilipinas Party-list (Luntian), which lauded the improved version of the (DoT’s signature tourism campaign.
Luntian first nominee Michael Ubac said the DoT's focus on sustainable tourism "is relevant given the need to ensure that the country's top tourist destinations do not suffer the same fate as Boracay, which the government was forced to shut down for six months because of rampant violations of basic environmental laws."
Ubac said the closure of Boracay "was an eye-opener for those unaware of the gravity of the problems that accompany unfettered development that is pursued at the expense of the environment."
"The country's potential as a tourist destination is undeniable. We have some of the most beautiful islands in the world, and we truly have the capacity to attract millions of tourists and generate
billions of dollars in revenue and thousands of jobs," said Ubac.
"But if we do not enforce the laws put in place to protect our country's natural beauty, we will not be able to sustain the tourist arrivals and we can kiss those profits goodbye. It will be akin to killing the goose that lays the golden eggs," Ubac, a former journalist, said.
In 2018, 7.1 million tourists arrived in the Philippines, an all-time high record despite the six-month closure of Boracay. The figure is 7.65 percent higher than 2017's 6.62 million arrivals.
Ubac said that Luntian, which started as a movement established by Senator Loren Legarda, would encourage the public to participate in the campaign, while emphasizing the need to care for the environment.
"Yes, it is more fun in the Philippines. And it will be more fun in the Philippines for decades to come if we remain vigilant, safeguard the environment, and ensure that tourists—local and foreign alike—respect our environmental laws," Ubac said. With PNA