Marcos thanks visiting Fil-Ams for spreading Philippines goodwill

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos yesterday called on Filipinos abroad to continue giving the Philippines a good name as he assured them that the government is working to achieve positive transformation in the country’s economy.

In a speech before participants of the Very Important Pinoy (VIP) Tour in Malacañang, Marcos said he is filled with pride whenever people from other countries talk about Filipinos they have worked with.

“When I meet with leaders, when I meet with other heads of states, the minute they know I am from the Philippines, every single one of them has a story of Filipinos they have worked with, Filipinos they have been around, Filipinos that are practically parts of their families,” the President said.

“We thank our Filipino brothers and sisters who live abroad and continue to make the name of the Philippines shiny and (for the) good reputation that you have gained over so many years you have worked abroad. And now we’d like you... to come and see that there is also good work being done here back home,” he added.

Marcos encouraged the tour participants to bring their children to the Philippines so they can see for themselves the changes happening in the country.

“And there are a great many opportunities for you and for the country as we try to transform the economy. We try to transform our society into one that is more agile, one that is more prepared and forward looking in terms of the new environment that we have to live and work in,” he said.

“It is important, I think, for all Filipinos, no matter where you are, no matter where you live, to remember what the history is, what the tradition is... what happened, what our forefathers have been able to give to us as a product of their sacrifices over the many years,” he added.

The VIP Tour used to be known as the Ambassadors, Consuls General and Tourism Directors Tour to the Philippines.

The 15th iteration of the tour started last July 16 and will end on July 24. Participants will be given the opportunity to explore parts of Metro Manila, Iloilo and Boracay.

Nearly 300 participants of the tour joined the courtesy call on Marcos.

Anthony Schlander, an events planner with a Filipina mother and a following of over 26,200 on Instagram and around 3,900 on Facebook, was among those who joined this year’s version of the program.

Born in the United States but spent his childhood in Makati, he recalled his recent visits to tourist destinations like Manila, Cebu and El Nido in Palawan, as well as Tondo where he participated in an outreach activity.

“I have seen the glamor of the Manila Hotel as well as the families that need help. Such an experience humbles me,” he told The STAR during the VIP Tour launch at the hotel yesterday.

Schlander hopes he could promote the Philippines as a “safe destination” after the tour.

“I want them to know it is safe to come here, it is already a misconception. I wanna show to the people in the Bay Area (in San Francisco) it is OK to come to the Philippines, there are so many things to come for here,” he said.

Also joining the San Francisco contingent for the VIP Tour are 13-year-old Teddy Shih and Susan Kuo and Becky Leao who are both in their 40s – all Americans with Chinese ancestry.

Kuo’s impression of the Philippines, she said, was a “really nice place but hot and humid, and with very friendly people.”

She also recalled being taught to move to the traditional Filipino dance tinikling by her Filipino roommates back in college.

Shih also shared he was looking forward to seeing the country’s beaches.

They were all brought in by the family of another San Francisco resident and nursing home owner Tina Desuasido, who has joined four earlier editions of the VIP tour.

She and her friend Myrna Canizares, a research administrator at Stanford University, told The STAR they hoped they could avail themselves of more investment opportunities in the country, particularly in properties.

Also joining this year’s VIP Tour is computer studies professor Antonio Villegas, son and namesake of former Manila mayor Antonio Villegas who is returning to the Philippines after 28 years.

Aside from the 98 San Francisco residents, 120 more from Hawaii, 25 from Los Angeles, 19 from New York, 12 from Guam, nine from Chicago, four from Texas, four from Washington and two from the DFA’s Office of American Affairs will visit tourist attractions like the world-famous Boracay Island, as well as the provinces of Iloilo, Antique and Aklan in this year’s tour.

Neil Frank Ferrer, Philippine consul general in San Francisco, said the VIP tour aims to capture the younger generation of Filipino-Americans who probably have “very little connection to the Philippines.”