‘Fun,’ ‘Love’ and the cost of spite

Even on the low-hanging fruit of boosting Philippine tourism, the Marcos administration is proving incapable.

Consider the tale of two campaigns: “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” and “Love the Philippines.” One built a sharp national proposition and carried it around the world. The other discarded a proven asset, muddled the message and left Philippine tourism struggling to recover its former standing.

“It’s More Fun” was developed using scientific methodologies. It was developed under the leadership of secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr., an advertising genius who understood that a country brand must begin with a truthful, defensible promise. The Philippines may lack Thailand’s infrastructure, Singapore’s efficiency or Malaysia’s connectivity. But it can always deliver fun – through its people, humor, warmth, food, islands and happy chaos.

That was the brand promise. It resonated because it was simple, apt and true. Even better, Filipinos could participate by attaching the line to photographs and experiences. The public became the campaign’s creative department and distribution network.

Jimenez never treated the slogan as decoration. From the beginning, the Department of Tourism built an integrated program around it to generate quantum leaps in arrivals.

The numbers tell the whole story. Tourist arrivals rose from 4.27 million in 2012 to 5.97 million in 2016. The momentum continued even after Jimenez left. Arrivals reached a record 8.26 million in 2019. The campaign continued to succeed long after its creator and the Aquino administration were gone.

Love the Philippines

“Love the Philippines,” launched in June 2023, replaced a campaign that was working beautifully. There was no marketing reason to abandon “It’s More Fun.” The motive was political – erase an Aquino-era success and replace it with something Marcos could call his own. It was rebranding driven by political spite and hubris.

As of 2023, tourist arrivals was at 5.45 million following Covid. Under “Love the Philippines,” growth slowed to nine percent in 2024, with 5.95 million arrivals – far below the government’s 7.7 million target. The wider count (including Filipino balikbayans) reached 6.48 million in 2025, but remained 1.78 million below the 2019 record.

Meanwhile, growth of our neighbors was far faster. Thailand welcomed 35.5 million visitors in 2024; Malaysia, 25 million; Vietnam, 17.6 million.

The budget contrast compounds the Marcos catastrophe. “It’s More Fun” debuted with an international advertising budget at only P435 million – minuscule beside the tens of millions spent by regional competitors. Yet it secured visibility from Tokyo and Sydney to Seoul, from New York and London to Berlin. Through disciplined media, digital participation and one unmistakable proposition, the Philippines entered the global tourism conversation. It achieved such spectacular impact with low budgets because there was no corruption. Every peso was spent wisely.

In comparison, Marcos’ DOT had P1.2 billion for branding and promotions in 2023, while an exorbitant P50 million was spent developing the new campaign. Yet, “Love the Philippines” never achieved the same global reach or public recall. Worse, its launch video used footage from other countries – a humiliating mistake given the enormous budget at its disposal. It was an amateur show which the world laughed at.

Although DOT budgets were cut in 2024 and 2025, money alone does not explain the weakness of Marcos-era tourism. A powerful idea travels farther per peso. A vague idea becomes background noise.

The damage extends beyond anemic tourism arrivals. “It’s More Fun” contributed to the overall country brand. It portrayed Filipinos as joyful, welcoming and ingenious. It strengthened soft power because the message worked for beaches, cuisine, festivals and Filipinos themselves.

“Love the Philippines” is an instruction, not a brand promise. Every country wants love. Why should a traveler love ours? By replacing a competitive proposition with a generic sentiment, government confused the market and weakened brand recall.

Beyond advertising

Jimenez understood that the Philippines, as a tourism product, needed to be strengthened. His DOT introduced the national accommodation star-rating system, professionalized accreditation and trained frontliners. It partnered with Public Works under the tourism-road convergence program, linking gateways to destinations. It elevated Filipino cuisine through Madrid Fusión Manila, strengthened aviation and cruise promotion, pursued major international events and leveraged UNESCO sites and the Puerto Princesa Underground River’s recognition as a New7Wonder of Nature. He marketed tourism while improving what tourists actually encountered.

Secretary Christina Frasco has not been idle. Her DOT launched tourist rest areas, promoted lesser-known destinations, expanded cruise and dive tourism, emphasized Filipino cuisine, digitalization and domestic travel and helped bring the Michelin Guide to the Philippines. Tourism employment recovered strongly. These are accomplishments that should be acknowledged.

I do not blame Frasco. She tried her best. But she is a lawyer and former mayor, not a career advertising executive. I blame President Marcos for giving her a job she was not trained for. That is basic management failure. A competent chief executive would never put an unqualified person in a key position.

Marcos made the same error in education by appointing Sara Duterte. The chaos at the DepEd speaks for itself. Philippine tourism’s relative failure is ultimately Marcos’s fault. Similar mismatches and weak direction haunt trade and industry, labor and other aspects of the economy. Marcos prioritizes politics over good governance. This is why he always fails.

What lessons emerge from this botched rebranding? First, never discard a valuable national asset merely because a predecessor created it. Second, research must prevail over political vanity. Third, appoint specialists in specialized positions. Fourth, pair promotion with infrastructure, standards and skills. Fifth, judge campaigns by arrivals, market share, recall and returns – not launch-day applause. Finally, continuity is not weakness. Sometimes the smartest act of leadership is to preserve what already works.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @aj_masigan