In the past days, news of the Department of Tourism's (DOT) new slogan for attracting tourists into the country quickly spread. Apparently, the DOT's replacement for Dick Gordon's WOW Philippines is Pilipinas, Kay Ganda. What was that again? Ehh...
Personally, I prefer the old slogan, WOW Philippines. It's catchy, it's easy to understand not just by Filipinos but by other nationalities as well since it's in (very basic) English. But the new DOT Secretary's pet slogan is Pilipinas, Kay Ganda. Not only it is in the vernacular, and thus limited in its scope, but it also sounds so, so...Ricky Reyes' Hair Salon: Gandang Ricky Reyes. It has no bite, and even if the slogan provides a pronunciation guide and a definition of what kay ganda means, tourists are more likely to be confused than be curious with the slogan. They'll be like, what was that again?
Well, a slogan in the vernacular is great if it's geared for attracting local tourists since we could all understand it. Foreigners, on the other hand, will likely have a difficult time remembering and saying our slogan. And I guess that's the common sentiment in the country considering that the DOT is now saying that Pilipinas Kay Ganda is not yet set in stone; it's just a preview. Say what? The DOT releases an unfinished and incomplete idea to the public? Why is that? Unless they're ashamed of their own idea. But who are they kidding? They already launched the slogan. Well, at least the DOT is willing to (appear to) listen to the people: the new slogan's really, meh. But really, they even pulled out their new website if only to placate the tirades hurled against the DOT.
Well, a slogan in the vernacular is great if it's geared for attracting local tourists since we could all understand it. Foreigners, on the other hand, will likely have a difficult time remembering and saying our slogan. And I guess that's the common sentiment in the country considering that the DOT is now saying that Pilipinas Kay Ganda is not yet set in stone; it's just a preview. Say what? The DOT releases an unfinished and incomplete idea to the public? Why is that? Unless they're ashamed of their own idea. But who are they kidding? They already launched the slogan. Well, at least the DOT is willing to (appear to) listen to the people: the new slogan's really, meh. But really, they even pulled out their new website if only to placate the tirades hurled against the DOT. See, Malaysia has "Malaysia, Truly Asia" and I love their slogan. It rhymes perfectly when spoken, and the idea that Malaysia is really and truly representative of Asia is well-thought of. It's like, "What can be more Asia than Malaysia? Malaysia, Truly Asia." See. Very Nice. Makes me want to go to Malaysia. Then Taiwan, our close neighbor, has "Taiwan, Touch Your Heart." And you know what, when I went to Taiwan, I really felt the warmth of its people; it really touched my heart. Thailand has "Amazing Thailand." Short, simple, easy to understand, and very easy to remember. Vietnam has "Vietnam: The Hidden Charm." It makes me want to there and explore Vietnam's hidden charm.
Indeed, the Philippines is a beautiful country, but the slogan's better off said in English so that more people from other nations could easily understand it. And the goal of the tourism department is to entice not only local tourists but likewise foreign tourists.
