MANILA — The proposed national brand to promote the Philippines in the global market is expected to make its debut on June 12, which marks the country’s Independence Day, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) said Thursday.
PCOO Assistant Secretary Ramon Cualoping made this announcement during the agency’s first technical working group (TWG) meeting held at the Kalayaan Hall in Malacañang where he presented the proposed national brand’s timeline.
Previously, PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar said the proposed national brand, his brainchild, got the approval of President Rodrigo R. Duterte during the 23rd Cabinet meeting last March 5.
Quoting Andanar, Cualoping said that the national brand will be “all-encompassing” that covers not only the promotion of the Philippines as a tourist destination, but also as an education, culture and investment hub.
Cualoping stressed that national branding should not be confused for destination branding.
Currently, the Department of Tourism (DOT) uses the slogan “It’s More Fun in the Philippines.”
“A national brand is all encompassing. It involves investments, foreign affairs, political affairs. Destination marketing is only focused in drawing tourists to come here, it’s focused on the beauty of the Philippines,” Cualoping said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency.
“The strategy is for the brand to tell the world of the many good stories of the Philippines today, of the strong and compassionate Filipinos,” he added.
Cualoping said the Philippines has never had a national brand but the closest to having one was the Philippine centennial logo “Kalayaan: Kalayaan: Kayamanan ng Bayan” in 1998.
In making a national brand, he said that the PCOO needs to find “common ground” between the government and the people.
“The Philippine brand will be all inclusive that involves all sectors of the Philippine society,” Cualoping said.
Although the PCOO has yet to finalize the national brand campaign he said that the agency has decided to use “The Philippines: Rising” while the logo will feature the Philippine sun with eight rays.
“There are so many good news happening in the country today and we need a cohesive point, an anchor to move forward. Hence the idea of rising, the sun,” Cualoping said.
“The Philippine sun is symbol of Filipinos’ resilience. Along as the sun rises in the east, it will rise with renewed strength,” he added.
During the meeting, representatives from the Departments of Finance, Tourism, Budget and Management, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industry, National Economic and Development Authority, among others were present.
The PCOO also invited representatives from the National Commission on Muslim Filipino and the National Commission on Indigenous People.
Andanar earlier said that all Cabinet members and departments in the government would participate in this project. (PNA)
