Boracay, arguably the crown jewel of Philippine tourism (Unsplash)



House Deputy Speaker and Batangas 6th district Rep. Ralph Recto gave a reality check Thursday, June 29 to the government on the subject of the Department of Tourism's (DOT) new slogan for Philippine tourism, "Love the Philippines". "I support the DOT’s new slogan," Recto said in a statement. "But the focus should be on the infrastructure and security which would lead tourists to rave and not rage about their time here -- matters which are outside DOT's jurisdiction," he pointed out. "The advantage of a catchy and clever tourism brand instantly evaporates in the heat of a congested airport, in road traffic which does not move, in restrooms which cannot be found. These are harsh realities no hot advertising copy can cure," Recto said. According to the former Senate President Pro Tempore, a slogan--whatever it says--is only as effective as it is actually selling. "A slogan by itself is not a powerful lure that will prompt a traveler to pack up and go, unless it fully captures our many splendored attractions. It is only as effective as what it is marketing," Recto said. "If the country is beautiful, no tourism slogan is needed. El Nido, for example, has beauty beyond words. If the country is bad, not even the best slogan would suffice," he stressed. But as a travel destination, the archipelago is simply beautiful, says Recto. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. As a travel destination, Philippines is a garden of roses," he said.