Who should we send abroad to promote the Philippines?

I remember them well – all very well. And over the last quarter of a century they have not changed – not a bit.

They are perpetually on the go, initiating, implementing and overseeing various plans, projects and programs. Yet, as far as I can remember, they have sat, seemingly nailed to their seats, with full attention and complete concentration, unmindful of the world around them.

They have often wandered the continents and marveled at their unique wonders. They have been, well, almost everywhere – been there, done that – and experienced it all – well, almost all.

Yet these well-traveled people are ever captivated by highly-spirited dance troupes. They do not allow themselves to miss a dance step as they are spellbound by the multi-talented entertainers who sing with their hearts while donned in mesmerizing gowns of gifted Filipino fashion designers.

As expected, whether it be at an elegant hotel ballroom or a school gymnasium painstakingly transformed for the barrio fiesta, the end of every show featuring the very best of our islands ears elicits nothing but applause, thunderous applause, accompanied by enthusiastic shouts of "bravo" and appreciative declarations of "mabuhay." Almost simultaneously, the performance is feted a standing ovation.

These selected guests are the big boys of the global travel and tourism industry – the much-sought-after ladies and gentlemen who create travel trends and dictate whatever is in or not, suavemente influencing the traveling public which cities and towns are to be visited and in the processs making them the now-favorite-and-very-soon-to-be-the-most-popular destinations on earth.

Why is it that after such a performance, show, production, extravaganza, spectacle – call it what you wish – these titans seem to smile more generously and be more friendly than when you dropped by their corporate headquarters on a sales call? Then they might invite you – almost out of character – to call on them next week to discuss your proposals in detail.

You find yourself looking up to the ceiling in a manner reminiscent of your last tour of the Sistine Chapel and hear yourself whisper, "Dear God, please let the airlines have more flights, let the cruise ships have more regular ports of call, let more tour wholesalers feature more provincial destinations. Convince the tourists to stay longer, spend more and have a grand time. And better still, return once more as investors. Thank you for the opportunity made available, which together with the homework done and the other important substantial portions accomplished, we did it again. Thank God."

The day after the State of the Nation Address by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, I talked to some friends who were or are still involved in promoting our islands. Yes, they were all there as members of the selling missions through the years, when I was assigned both in Los Angeles and London, and asked them a seemingly simple question. Who would you tap or which group would you take along to do the song-and-dance and more magical job of entertaining the movers and shakers of the travel industry and share a slice of life in our islands Philippines?

Lydia D. Castillo, former marketing services manager of Cathay Pacific Airways, author of best-selling cookbook In My Basket: Who will I send abroad to promote the Philippines? I would send Martin Nievera and make him sing at the huge Moscone Center in San Francisco, amid the awesome Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, in the sprawling Central Park in New York, in the historical Trafalgar Square in London and in the august halls of the Sydney Opera House, where his rich baritone voice – with the range of a tenor – will reverberate with the musical culture of the Philippines, no doubt igniting the curiosity of the world and capturing those who love music forever.

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Miguel Q. Cerqueda, former general manager of The Manila Hotel, current president of Genesis Hotels and Resorts: Certainly, the Bayanihan Dance Company is the only name that comes to my mind. It embodies everything that is Filipino to be showcased overseas.

The word bayanihan, as you know, has a beautiful meaning – helping each other in whatever form – material, physical or spiritual – without hoping or waiting for reward or compensation.

Naturally speaking, however, the Bayanihan dancers and musicians reflect all that is truly Filipino, in terms of dance, song, music, costumes and lots more. On a personal note, the dance troupe is very dear to me. I have seen its progress, having performed nightly at the Maynilad Restaurant of the Manila Hotel from 1980 to 1996 during my almost 20 years association with the property. Seeing their performances will give you more than just a glimpse of Philippine history, arts, culture and traditions. And what about the famed Bayanihan smile? Isn’t that truly Filipino?

I wish that the Bayanihan Dance Company will always find the inspiration or whatever it takes to continue to perform all over the world – as we have seen in the past – to bring out the very best the Philippines has to share.

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Carmita B. Francisco, former Undersecretary of the Department of Tourism and now chairman of Travel Connections: My top choice – if we can afford her – would be world-class talent Lea Salonga to draw a good crowd. Once the target audience hears her sing, they’ll instantly forget the negatives, hopefully soon dwell on the positive qualities of the country. The performance should, of course, with an updated, upbeat, exciting and inviting presentation on video.

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Bobby C. Carpio, general manager of Century Park Hotel: The Singing Cooks and Waiters of the Ihaw, Ihaw, Kalde Kaldero Restaurant. Have you ever seen them in action? This group of hard-to-find talents with contagiously smiling faces and excellently blending voices presents a wide repertoire. They are full of surprises and loads of fun – perfect ingredients for good times and wonderful memories.

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Millie A. Reyes, vice president and general manager of The Plaza: Budgets are tight these days. Gone are the times when we could afford to bring the entire Bayanihan Dance Troupe, the Madrigal Singers, Pangkat Kawayan and Tita Conching Sunico’s fabulous productions.

I believe the single best local talent who can surely capture the hearts of foreign visitors is none other than Martin Nievera. I am not an avid fan of Martin but I have watched him perform through the years – live, on TV, solo, with his dad Bert, with Pops Fernandez with Zsazsa Padilla and other Filipino artists. He always manages to bring the house down with his voice, his humor and candid wit. He is a perfect and articulate TV host, who never runs out of intelligent things to say. He is capable of turning a messy situation into something more positive and constructive and I admire him for that. I am sure he can master a strategy to bring valuable tourists to our beloved Philippines.

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Joy Soler De Castro served as director of planning service, regional director for Asean and manager for advertising and promotions during her 20-year stint with the Department of Tourism. Today, she is the managing director of Events Plus: My shows or the presentations I was involved in were always thematically designed and conceptually coordinated to position the Philippines as a destination of good food and fun entertainment featuring Filipino cuisine against a backdrop of Filipino musicality. Almost always, traditional Philippines with cosmopolitan Pinoy as my primary promotional message.

The most in-demand local performers are not necessarily the wisest choices for a traveling show overseas, considering that foreign audiences in the travel industry are not swayed by our local pop charts. So I chose talents on the basis of musical versatility, suitability to the artistic concept at hand and professional discipline.

Of all the talents I have toured – they have been many from singers to dancers to musicians to chefs – the one I valued the most is Dulce. She has a wide repertoire, be it in terms of live areglos or minus-one arrangements, whether in English or Tagalog, be it fast or slow, soft or belting, such that it is so easy to develop a varied repertoire to bring anywhere. She has stunning stage presence that has never failed to rouse a standing ovation in any shows. Most of all , she is a no-airs, no-fuss performer who listens to her director, respects her scriptwriters and never gives her producer hypertension.

Of the current crop of young artists, I would always welcome Ana Fegi. Like Dulce, she has a wide voice range, good stage presence and a positive work attitude.

I would look forward to putting together Dulce, Ana Fegi and Ivy Violan – another talented and disciplined singer – as a trio onstage. Just thinking of it excites me already. A producer’s dream!

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Bob Zozobrado, former general manager of Northwest Airlines-ITT, now president and general manager of IdeaZ plus, a PR events management company: I don’t have to think – I’ll take along Martin Nievera.

Tourists visit a country not only to see its attractions but also to know its people. I want all those tour wholesalers, convention organizers and incentive planners from all over the world to come face-to-face with a worthy representative of our people – someone who projects with elan, some of the good qualities of a Filipino – exceptional talent, classy confidence, can never be intimidated by any other nationality – with good-looks to boot!

This is not only because he’s a good friend. I sincerely believe Martin can easily make the global market forget about the unsavory things it might have heard about our country. Several times in the past, I have actually brought Martin abroad to perform in front of foreign audiences who didn’t know him at all. They usually greet him with polite applause as he comes on stage, then he works his way into the crowd with his soul-stirring renditions and his zany spiels. By the end of his performance, everybody is up on their feet in practically hysterical adulation, begging for more!

For me, it’s Martin or bust!

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Grace Horii, administrative officer of Tokyo Department of Tourism: Through all my years in Japan, several performers and entertainers, dance troupes and cultural groups came to town. But no individual or group, in my opinion, left a more lasting impression than the Ramon Obusan Cultural Group. What more can you possibly say of a number of dedicated Filipinos dancing their way straight to the hearts of all types of audiences through their well-researched authentic choreography in beautiful richly embroidered costumes like you have never seen before? The dances are accompanied by antique musical instruments – all tracing our history for over 300 years. The Ramon Obusan cultural presentation is truly an experience. After every performance is a guaranteed standing ovation.

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Peter H. Stevens, former general manager of The Century Park Sheraton, now tourism hospitality consultant: The world-acclaimed Freddie Aguilar. His songs tell stories and they definitely grasp the heart. The Fil-Americans in attendance closely identify with past struggles. And today with the EDSA 2 experience, it even makes it all relevant once again. Some of the other members of the audience may not understand the lyrics and yet they do understand the plight of the song, the very sentiments of the singer. It’s pure magic to listen to Freddie Aguilar.