The pictures below once again prove what Abraham Lincoln said that ““You may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time.”
The Department of Tourism unveiled last Monday the Pilipinas Kay Ganda logo that would now be the Philippines’ symbol replacing Dick Gordon’s “Wow Philippines.”
Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said in his speech during the launch that when they presented to President Aquino the logo,”He even gave his own inputs in terms of colors and other visual elements, which are now part of the brand..”
It turned out that what was bandied as a product of a four-month study and testing, which we imagine cost taxpayers a hefty sum, was a copy of Poland’s tourism logo.
(Thanks to Dennis Garcia for the above images.)
We are relieved to hear from Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim and his Undersecretary Vicente Romano that they are open to changes about their much-ridiculed “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” promotions thrust.
We also understand that they have to give all kinds of justifications for their plagiarized (again???) logo and an online address (www.beautifulpilipinas.com) that leads visitors to a porn site. But we wish Lim, like President Aquino, would stop blaming media for the inability of the Philippines to compete with its neighbors Malaysia, Thailand, even Vietnam in attracting more tourists.
Aquino, in his talk with members of the Filipino community in Yokohama, Japan once again slammed media for what he thinks is the emphasis on bad news over good news about the Philippines. “It’s possible that you don’t get all the news about what’s happening in the country. What is happening is that in order to get more attention, they tend to scrape tiny scratches,” newspaper reports quoted him,” he said.
He was also quoted to have said, “It’s natural for anyone to lose the drive to work if what one gets is all bad news.”
A Business Mirror article by Stella Arnaldo also reported about Lim sniping at local media for not publishing human-interest stories more often. “Advertising is expensive and we are not competitive, budget-support wise. I believe we need to allocate more of our marketing budget for public relations, i.e.,human-interest stories on the ordinary but heroic Filipinos or unusual but not violent events in the Philippines, of which there are many. But why will the foreign press publish such stories if our own press does not?”
Aquino and Lim need to be educated about the role of media in society. Media merely report what is happening as accurately as possible.
We don’t classify what we report as “good news” or “bad news”. There is only news.
We report what Aquino and his cabinet officials are doing as they fulfill the mandate given to them by the Filipino people. That’s the message. Whether it’s good or not is the least of our concern. What we are more conscious about is the accuracy of the information that we give to the public.
***
Last Monday’s piece, “Not so beautiful ‘Pilipinas kay Ganda’ elicited several comments from readers. One of them came from Ernie del Rosario of Cainta, Rizal who is asking where to get Dennis Garcia’s “I give a damn, it’s my country” T- shirts. I suggest you try checking Dennis’ Facebook page. In between writing songs and preparing for Ella del Rosario’s concert on Dec. 14, 16 and 17, he might be able to find time to make more of those T-shirts.
Ernie said, “I give a damn too, it’s my country ! In the rush (teka muna, why the rush ? was there a very tight deadline?) to project “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” what seems to be bandied around in the process is a “Pilipinas Kay Bobo” image. “
He further said, “ Mediocrity cannot, must not be absolved for reasons of lack of time, etc. I saw the name Vicente Romano as one of those responsible for this dreadful thing. If he is the same Vicente Romano who was a very visible Black and White Movement convenor not too long ago, the more the mediocrity cannot be forgiven. Mr. Romano (Enteng) is supposedly a project management guru for he teaches and runs a project management school before he became a Usec. Quality management is one of the critical disciplines in good project management. It seems it was thrown out because of the rush. “
Yes, Undersecretary Romano is the same Enteng Romano of Black and White Movement.
Junix Gaspar, meanwhile took issue with my criticism about the portion on Cebu that mentioned Ayala Mall as the place to go if one wants to enjoy Cebu’s nightlife. I said “Doesn’t the writer know that malls close at the latest at 9 p.m.?”
Junix said, ‘’Night life in malls do extend way pass midnight.Have you eaten and watched a live band in Trinoma, SM North Edsa, Ayala Town Center and etc.Get your facts straight by actually asking people who go out at night.”
Click here for Secretary Lim’s speech
Since Secretary Lim said PNoy made inputs to the logo, guess what are those. Boo Chanco said his Malacañang source said it was the tarsier.
My guess is the yellow sun.
Speech of Secretary Bertie Lim on launching night:
“The brand you are about to see is relevant, distinctive and believable. It extols our innermost beauty, and not just of our destinations, but also of our people and everything else that we do. It is something that we can distinctively claim, andevery foreigner who has visited our shores will attest to it. It is also relevant and appealing to a market constantly searching for a more beautiful place and
experience.”
Click here for Secretary Lim’s speech
He was also quoted to have said, “It’s natural for anyone to lose the drive to work if what one gets is all bad news.”
People are criticizing because they want you to do things right. Kung ang reaksyon mo sa mga kritisismo ay hindi na lang magtrabaho, bakit ka pa tumakbong presidente?
He has a high approval rating pero bakit siya pikon?
Totoo ba na ang hinihintay ni Noynoy na makalipas na ang isang taon para maging opisyal ang appointment ni Mar Roxas para si Mar and magpatakbo ng gobyerno at si Noynoy ay maging Fiscalizer — reviewing proposals at papirma-pirma — na lang?
Pepito, I don’t think that is true. Far from the truth. PNoy is enjoying the presidency. He thinks he is doing well. He thinks all the bumblings of his government are the creation of media.
I have to think hard about that — that PNoy believes that he is doing well. Maybe it is because, so far, none of his inner-circle folks have been subpoenaed to appear before Congress or before a court. So far.
The logo looks disgustingly similar to the Polish one. If the president had a hand on the design, is he liable to plagiarism?
Or maybe it is the calendar — PNoy administration young enough so he also blames many bad things on GMA administration (e.g. not enough schools, clinics??? — that’s GMA’s fault… and GMA to blame why SWAT, police, other teams were poorly prepared for Quirino Grandstand).
I believe it is the smile…or, aptly, the smirk.
What better way to etch his “legacy” in the logo than to depict a caricature of himself in it…
Another plagiarism case?
Nakakahiya na tayo. These people never learn.
I have the same guess as Baycas. It is the smiling coconut tree.
how about this one instead… “Philippines, i LIKE!”
or pwede ring “Pilipinas, i LIKE!” simple 3 words that says it all… 😉
if DOT just cared to asked us Filipinos and taxpayers who toiled and sacrificed for the money they are enjoying… eh di sana wala silang criticisms na natanggap… ilang milyong pilipino ang naghihirap at nagtitiis dito at sa ibang bansa, tapos sasayangin lang nila yung taxes na ibinabayad para sa isang walang kwentang “pwede-na” logo… naman… naman… tama na ang pansariling interes…
PolskaY GANDA!
Gaya-gaya. Hindi orihinal. Logo lang hindi nila kayang gumawa.
The common practice of new administration is to remove all the previous administration’s projects whether good or bad. This was quite evident during the time of the late Cory Aquino. She removed and stopped all the projects of Marcos even if some were beneficial to the people. One controversial project was the Bataan Nuclear Plant which is being still being debated right now. Cory’s vindictiveness carried her throughout her term. Instead of good governance, she spent so much time running after the Marcoses. Pero anong nangyari? Wala. Yumaman ang mga tauhan niya lalo na ang PCGG.
I’m no fan of this Dick Gordon but he did good as Tourism Secretary. His “Wow Pilipinas” has become popular. Why changed it? What if Manny Villar is our President now. Since among his big star endorsers was Willie Revillame, baka ang ipangalan ay “Wowowie Pilipinas”.
Twins!!!
WOW Philippines.
Walang original work Philippines.
Kundi ba naman talagang mga napakabobo, four months nilang kinopya yong style ng logo ng Poland and at the expense of 100 million.
Sabi ni Noynoy, wawalisin niya ang corruption. Wala kayang nangurakot sa 100 million?
Ang input ni Noynoy, my guess is the same as Ellen. Noynoy will never let their signature yellow color to be set aside and forgotten. It will always be a symbol and part of all his government projects and operation.
Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said in his speech during the launch that when they presented to President Aquino the logo,”He even gave his own inputs in terms of colors and other visual elements, which are now part of the brand..”
..Did you mention to Pnoy that the logo was copied from Poland tourism logo??? teka, pano ba nagastos yung 100 million??? o malisya lang ito?
Ellen,
Have you seen Reyna Elena’s new FB profile logo? Hilarious!
I bet it didn’t cost Reyna Elena 100 million centavos…
PeNOy is always blaming the media for his palpakation. PeNoy believes he is doing well in his job as president. Aba, nasa Enchanted kingdom din nakatira itong si PeNoy, ah.
For those who missed this link, it may prove to be interesting reading. Sabi ng ilan black propaganda. Maski na yung gumawa ng article, sabi niya, black proganda ang turing ng iba, but you decide:
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=569244&publicationSubCategoryId=64
ENOUGH of the yellow madness. It has served its purpose already.
PNoy, BE YOUR OWN MAN and all the rest will follow your lead. (I will!)
Be warned, FIXATION to yellow CAN cause JAUNDICE!!!
PeNOy is always blaming the media for his palpakation. PeNoy believes he is doing well in his job as president.
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Well, this is common in every administration…and Philippine media has not helped at all…but I believe the people’s concern about this tourism issue now is a good thing, at least some people care…of course, the same could not be said of those who use it again to snipe at the presidency…criticism can be good or bad depending on who does it, some criticize to improve while others to destroy…some do it for free and some get paid for being relentless in demolition work (and handsomely pa, you should see the nice cars as “katas”)…so we need to be circumspect with what we see, read and hear from media.
…I had this respect for media before, but when I actually met some who have been seduced by the dark side, it looks like another battle of good and evil over there too…the common word I hear is “tirahin” which I gather why these people are called “tiradors.”
Again we can do this constructively, politely, showing genuine concern for national well being or even teamwork or overplay it as another “national disaster.” It really depends on our own motives and hearts, mostly, how we respond will reflect what is in our hearts…
Then again, would we want another marcos kamay na bakal type? some quarters I believe are clamoring for it, as filipinos do not seem to have any iota of self-discipline that someone has to hammer it on their foreheads – heaven forbid! just don’t overdo it and we’ll be okay…its not the end of the world…
If DOT can tweak the Polish tourism logo and claim it as their original, why can’t Reyna Elena also do his thing.
Here it is, mas maganda pa! (Thanks Anna for calling our attention to this.)
Talaga… Reyna put the tree and the animal on one side… more expressive talaga and not cluttered. 🙂 🙂 🙂
AYY! ang ganda koooo!!! hahaha!!!
What’s the tarsier holding?
Guess wha, Ellen? This “tweaking” is becoming a phenomenon! 😀 Leslie Bocobo has now re-hashed his FB profile pic too and is competing with the DOT logo as well…
There’s going to be one ad agency(Campaigns and Grey) that’s gonna really feel very bad and feel very very mocked about… Hahahah! 😛
I was disappointed hearing that from him. What does he want? Sing praises and glory on the latest DOT blunder? Imagine if we all did not cry foul? This bloody DOT website would have been live – out there – and all of us suffers the ridicule of the world.
Ano ba talaga Noynoy?!
Hahaha! just don’t let the naturalists see it because they’ll raise another issue, tarsiers have a different habitat (not coconuts) and are too small to grasp a coconut trunk that way…and they are nocturnal so you won’t see them with the sun up… 🙂
This bloody DOT website would have been live – out there – and all of us suffers the ridicule of the world.
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nobody is ridiculing us except ourselves really…nobody would even care to notice the logos…unfortunately…
the ads and grey people should watch more discovery channel – as they say in their ad “ignorance is boring”
Another Facebooker has just tweaked the DOT logo too… hahahah! Poor Lim and Ong 🙁 😛
…and why of all animals the diminutive tarsier, small, very slow, shy, and only comes out at night? why not the Philippine eagle? majestic, proud, a symbol of far reaching vision, mobility, dominance, etc., etc.
a long time ago in our company website the tarsier picture was used for the Philippine office section I asked to have it changed, personally I do not want to be associated with the animal…
Jug, Boo Chanco said that was PNoy’s input. Boo talked with Campaigns and Grey people.
Yeah! Why not indeed? Good point that, Jug!
Hahahahahah! Ayayayay… a nocturnal and lazy Tarsier and Aquino? How very interesting! 🙂 -) -)
This is getting to be more and more hilarious…
No wonder, Aquino wakes up late… hehehehe!
Here’s the ABS-CBN’s report on the agency behind the Kay Ganda ad:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/11/18/10/pnoys-campaign-ad-agency-behind-pilipinas-kay-ganda
Jug, Boo Chanco said that was PNoy’s input. Boo talked with Campaigns and Grey people.
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yikes! mr. president, i will take a bullet for you anytime, but don’t shoot yourself too… 🙁
🙂 🙂 🙂
Jug, we should tell him that. This early. Lots of time to shape up. But he can’t postpone to next month or next year. It should be now. Dapat nga noon pa.
Ellen, I’m really tickled pink by all this… hikhikhik
Input pala ni PNoy ang tarsier, hahaha!!!
Wag ng palitan! Gastos lang yan! At least kilala na ang WOW PHILIPPINES sa ibang bansa at pinagkagastahan na ng milyon! If we change this, we’ll start from zero again and travelers will just be confused. Hmmmmm….a matter of ego I suppose. Sayang naman pera ng bayan, ‘di ba?
LOL Philippines na raw! 🙂
ridicule..tsk tsk The more pnoy’s people in government needs to shape up. See what happens when professionals are set aside dahil sa utang na loob. Utang na loob naman…hahaha
i must admit i like reyna ellena’s logo better than the DOT logo kahit KOPYA lang! I can say worth 100 million pesoses 😉
Was there public bidding for this 100 million contract?
Sideline daw ni Mariano del Castillo ang advertising. That is how Polska was copied.
These guys should be careful…
Remember the leadership seminars we used to attend when we were younger, there are TATs activities (thematic apperception, etc), you know, the “if i were an animal, i would like to be a _______” portion?
Our answers are supposed to reflect how we view ourselves, our confidence levels, even hidden inferiority complexes…
I remember someone would say eagle and extol its virtues, lion, etc, etc, someone even said “virus” so i can infect so many people…but never in my whole experience have i heard someone say tarsier… 🙂
Chi, LOL PHILIPPINES…Approve! sounds very very modern to me 🙂 🙂 🙂
Susmaryosep, yun na nga yung kabuuan ng branding campaign – logo and theme line. Pwede ba, ibang palusot naman?
Bertie Lim himself said it was Noynoy’s contribution (tarsier) on Umagang Kay Ganda interview with Anthony Taberna. I was watching it.
logo sucks
haven’t they heard of “focus groups?”
When afflicted with insomnia, bisitahin niyo ang website ng Campaigns and Grey Phil
grey.com/philippines/
and benefit from the soporific effect of Yolly Ong’s drivel.
jug, they have focus group….sa tomaan. 🙂
Patalsikin si Gloria, NOW NA! = Slogan noon
Papag-improbin/baguhin si Noynoy, NOW NA! = Slogan ngayon.
Wawa naman pinas.
they should change their name to “ads in gray area”
Nelson Constantino said in a Facebook discussion that Sec. Lim said “Wala silang (polska) puno, wala silang tarsier, wala silang araw, tsaka pwede namang gumamit ng parehas na font.”
Hahahaha…. what does he call the pine puno on the L in Polska.
Anyway, doesn’t he see the great similarity between the two logos (which Dennis describes in his FB page as separated by birth)? Is he hard of seeing or what? Complete nig-nog… :-)))
Despite Secretary Lim’s insistence that the Philippine tourism logo is different from that of Poland, Tet Gambito sent me this to underscore the similarities.
If promotional posters depicting these logos are put side by side abroad, potential tourists looking at them might get confused and think that Poland and the Philippines are found on the same continent :-)))(and because the Polska logo contains simpler information, less cluttered too, might opt to holiday in Cracow or Warsaw instead of in Palawan… ayayayayay!)
Poland might object to being immitated, after all, the message that they are unique is what they are trying to sell… only to be butchered by upstart immitators… hikhikhik… They might demand that DoT — and Pinas govt, pya royalty fees and tourism franchise payments. 😀 😀 😀
Polish tourism authorities must be scratching their heads … hikhikhik! And to think there are lots of Poles in the country today because they are desperately selling their military hardware to Pinas as we speak.
Talagang walang PUNO ang Poland! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Ellen,
An FB post by a Harvey Keh who apparently had worked with the ad agency says,
Good Lord! So, it’s true… they copied from an existing logo… Ayayayay… Is this another case of non-malicious intention to… plagiarise??? :-))))
On the basis of such public admission, the Poles might just ask an international for an injunction… :-))) or might ask RP govt to pay royalties, you know franchise fees, a % of Pinas tourism revenues… Naloko na! 🙁
This is becoming a tragicomedy.
Ellen,
Why did they have to copy anyone’s work at all???
Talent wise, this country is fast becoming the international capital of immitators, copycats and plagiarizers… :-(((
From “Security desk”
Our tourism industry has been left behind by other countries not solely because of poor advertisement of our tourism industry but rather more on security issues like kidnappings and holdup cases in which Philippines is most famous.
To overcome these issues, Philippines must offer some holiday packages to attract tourists to come to our country.
In Europe (Vienna)where we have been living with my family for 28 years now I can see the price of spending holiday in our country much more expensive compared to other countries.
Spain, for example spending a week holiday in island like Las Palmas or in Greece Island like Crete they offer a week holiday of 300 euro on a three star hotels, plane ticket and breakfast included.
In Thailand, they offer a week vacation of eight to ten days to some beach resort with less than a thousand euro with plane tickets plus breakfast and dinner included, Sri Lanka and India are now offering the same.
I wonder why Philippines can not offer similar cheaper holiday packages.
If we want to sell our tourism industry we should compete not just on advertisement but also on price. Remember tourists each spend at least 500 euro or even more on their shopping spree . .
(Beijing and Bangkok being the capital of immitation luxury goods!)
True but there are sooo many strings attached. In the 80s when the scheme first invaded Europe, many con artists plied the idea and lured innocent contest winners…
POLkaDoT … why don’t they just polka dot the logo… libre pa! 🙂
Ellen, someone on FB made me an Anne kay ganda logo on FB based on the DoT logo… heheheh!
really, I’ll check.
since you’re at it (on FB), please don’t forget the Maguindanao Massacre:
NUJPactivitiesinthe Philippines
http://www.ifex.org/philippines/2010/11/05/nujp_activities_in_the_philippines.pdf
FightForJustice Philippines!
#75, Anne,
sabi look up to the Polish for inspiration hahaha GAYAHIN ba! that’s not inspiration there?! worse, apprub naman nang lecheng ad agency! argh!
taz, worse of all the epic worse, mga pa-launch launch
and then, deny deny deny
hindi daw launch! TESTING LANG PALA!
i say, MGA ULOL! gaguhin nyo ang mga nag-gagandahang mga utak nyo! hmpt!
Is that how they do it in big advertising agencies? Look for something to copy from?
Yolly Ong is big name in advertising.
Mediocrity indeed is infectious.
Anne, it was Gay Benueza’s art work “inspired” by the DOT logo. Benueza did the present Reyna Elena logo.
Yes, she also did one for me. Kaya I said, maganda na tayong lahat.
I appreciate President Aquino’s humility to accept mistake and not push for something that has been exposed to be more of a liability than an asset:
MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III on Saturday ordered the Department of Tourism (DOT) to drop the new tourism brand for the country, “Pilipinas Kay Ganda.”…
“Yung nangyari nung isang araw, pwede natin masabi na kausap yung [tourism] stakeholders, at yung stakeholders, mukhang hindi kuntento. Siguro, automatic na kailangan hindi na siguro. I-fine tune pero i-hanap nga na mas-angkop,” he said.
He also said :”Mayroon lumang slogan na mas marami po ang natutuwa pero tinask ko po kahapon si Sec. Lim at ayusin, ipakita sa akin yung buong blueprint ng ating tourism program. Lahat po nung detalye, gusto ko nang i-review.”
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/11/20/10/aquino-orders-fine-tuning-pilipinas-kay-ganda
Hahaha!
O, gawa na rin kayo ng sarili ninyong “Kay Ganda” logo.
http://sandbox.0x00000000.me/kaygandah/
Sa mga may facebook, click dito.
Bilib talaga ako sa galing at sense of humor ng Pinoy.
Ipagsama natin ang Polska at Pilipinas, to reveal the DOT’s nature:
False ka Pilipinas.