Frasco says DOT will retain ‘Love the Philippines’ slogan

by ZacaRian SaRao Inquirer.net

MANILA — Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco on Wednesday, July 5 said that the country will continue to use the controversial tourism slogan “Love the Philippines,” despite backlash from the public.

But the secretary did not go into details regarding the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) further plans in its tourism drive, she did, however, repeatedly mention ”Love the

Philippines” in her speech during the 2022 Philippine Tourism Satellite Accounts and Tourism Statistics Dissemination Forum.

“I think that is evident,” Frasco told reporters in an ambush interview when asked

MANILA — Chinese coast guard ships maneuvered dangerously close to two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ships supporting a Philippine Navy resupply mission in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea last week, the latest of Beijing’s coercive actions in the hotly contested waterway.

“The Philippine Coast Guard is concerned about the behavior of the Chinese coast

by Ronnel W. Domingo Inquirer.net

MANILA — Inflation in the Philippines eased for the fifth consecutive month in June to 5.4 percent, the lowest in 13 months, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

This brought the average inflation rate in the first semester of the year to 7.2 percent.

The readout for June is better than the expectation of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), whose guess was 5.7 percent, and close to the low end of the BSP’s forecast range of 5.3 percent to 6.1 percent.

National Statistician Dennis Mapa said the downward pull on headline inflation was mainly from slower increases in prices

by Kathleen De Villa Inquirer.net

MANILA — Former Sen. Richard Gordon, who was also a tourism secretary, has pressed the Department of Tourism (DOT) to “recalibrate” the Philippines’ brand image following uproar over its use of stock footage from other countries in a promotional video intended to drum up interest for local travel spots.

In a statement on Monday, July 3 Gordon, who popularized the “Wow Philippines” campaign of the early 2000s, said the

Philippine Consulate General introduces e-payment for consular services

by momaR g. ViSaya AJPress

BEGINNING August 1, 2023, the Philippine Consulate General in New York will introduce an E-payment system, offering applicants the convenience of paying consular fees in advance online or on-site using credit or debit cards.

Consul General Senen Mangalile made this announcement as he addressed the local Fil-Am media during the Consul General’s Media Hour on Monday, July 3. The system aims to provide more options for payment in addition to accepting cash and postal money orders. Consul General Mangalile highlighted that the online payment portal would particularly benefit applicants for civil registration services, as well as those seeking remote notarization for passport and visa applications.