Aquino utters new tourism slogan for first time

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Philippines—For the first time President Benigno Aquino enunciated on Tuesday the new slogan meant to attract foreign tourists to the country.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new civil aviation training school put up here by Cebu Pacific Air, Inc.  and its Canadian partner, the President said three times how “much fun it was in the Philippines” in describing the country and the aviation environment.

Greeting the Canadian company CAE, which will provide the training, Aquino expressed hope its visiting officials would “not to be busy with work to experience for yourself just how much fun it is indeed the Philippines,” drawing applause from the audience, which included JG Summit chair emeritus John Gokongwei Jr., and his son, Cebu Pacific Air president Lance Gokongwei.

“That seems to be repeated too often these days,” he said.

Aquino next mentioned the slogan again when he expressed confidence in the prospect of training pilots and personnel in the country through the establishment of the Philippine Academy for Aviation Training.

“In the spirit of the campaign launched by the Department of Tourism, soon we will be able to say that even aviation training is more fun in the Philippines,” he said.

The President made the same pitch again in speaking about the country being a magnet for investments.

“It is as we say again truly more fun in the Philippines,” he said as he noted in jest that he hoped he “earned my pay” from Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, who was in the audience too.

For his part, Jimenez said he was ecstatic that Aquino was “enjoying using the slogan.”

“I think it shows the leadership is 100 percent behind the new program and the campaign,” he told reporters.