Gordon slams administration's expenses on tourism slogan

CEBU, Philippines - Former Tourism secretary Richard Gordon criticized the current administration for spending too much on advertising its current slogan, “It’s more fun in the Philippines”, when this is just an imitation of another country’s slogan instead of being creative.

“Maraming patayan sa Maynila, many tourists are robbed, ‘yan ang its more fun in the Philippines. We are so afraid of being creative, pati na slogan natin, kinukopya pa sa ibang bansa, (There are so many killings in Manila, many tourists are robbed. That’s more fun in the Philippines. We are so afraid of being creative that we had to copy the slogan from another country.” said Gordon during the first Cebu Federation of Beat Journalists forum sponsored by businessman-industrialist Norberto Quisumbing, Jr. yesterday.

Gordon, however, is all praises for Cebu and the Cebuanos’ creativity for making things happen instead of just waiting for things to happen.

“Cebu is a legend on its own. This is a great island of progress and development. Cebu is creating economic activity. We should be like this as a nation,” he said.

Gordon has been an advocate for the development of Cebu’s tourism industry, aided by his strong admiration for Lapulapu as the first Filipino hero and the first Asian to repel the Spanish colonial occupation.

During his stint as tourism secretary, Gordon fought for the construction of the 40-foot Lapu-Lapu statue at the Rizal Park of Bagumbayan to honor the Visayan hero. He also filed the bill seeking to have April 7 declared a national holiday as Lapu-Lapu Day.

Gordon also launched WOW Cebu, which was aimed at showcasing the products, culture, customs, traditions and festivals to further boost Cebu’s tourism.

He also opined that the sprouting of malls and high-rise buildings is good but very dangerous in the long-run because such industry drives away the manufacturing (of products) capability of the country as well the ability to save especially for the low income earners.

“We have become a consumption economy not a creative economy. Bili na lang tayo ng bili, nawawala na ang creativity natin on how to improve our own products, (We just keep buying and lose our creativity to improve our own products.)” he added. (FREEMAN)