Where are our tourism and PR officers?

Posted on September 22nd, 2008

Author: Johnny Novera, Rural Update, ◙ Panay News

WE wrote about Sibunag of Guimaras province last week. We visited the town for a business survey but from what we saw of the town proper and its environs, we believe that the municipality’s wealth at present is more on the beautiful islands or islets under its jurisdiction.

If the town and the provincial authorities of Guimaras know how to promote this aspect, it can bring in business and more income to the municipality as well as to the province itself.

Now, there was a relevant reaction to our column from one with this e-mail address: sanmig_strong_iced@yahoo.com. We quote hereunder his remarks, edited for clarity:

“Regarding Sibunag’s promotion, why don’t you take pictures or make documentary videos and upload these on YouTube so the whole world will know about Sibunag and the whole province of Guimaras? YouTube is free and informative:
http//www.youtube.com

“Amo lang na ang akon idea ma-share sa imo.”

And he added: “Kulang kita sa promotional ads or documentation sang aton tourist places sa Guimaras kag Iloilo.”

We think that our reader is absolutely right. But we thought all along that we have provincial tourism and PR officers, both for Guimaras as well as for Iloilo. Have they not heard about YouTube? Why do they not take advantage of the free service?

The idea is to undertake a campaign to put out good news to counter the bad and negative news that usually land us both in the local and national media. We had the Guimaras Oil Spill and recently, Typhoon “Frank” that brought a big flood, plus the robberies, killings, shootouts, traffic jams, hunger, corruption, drugs, etc. — just say it, we have it. These fill the pages of the newspapers daily, as well the radio and TV!

If local provincial tourism officers as well as the PR people of the Governors or the Mayors know their business, there are so many ways of getting free publicity in the print and other media outlets today. They are also on the lookout for good news to balance the bad news that flood them everyday, but most of the time they get none of the former!

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