MUCH has been said about communications in this administration. In fact, governance communication has undergone three changes since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed office. These were Executive Orders 2, 11 and 16 and we are still wondering why communications remain a problem to this very day, almost a year in office. The message house is vague, it is not amplified well and properly cascaded by the huge communications arm of government from national to local. What is telling is that vloggers associated with this administration can go on their own, at their choosing, highlighting only propaganda lines and nothing on governance. If there is, it is presented in the superlative, a scheme known as manipulative propaganda.
Communication has a distinct role in government covering capability, accountability, transparency and responsiveness. As plain as it is, the purpose of government communication "is to provide citizens with information about government actions, policies and objectives as well as reasoning them." It is not just about the President but the whole government. Explaining policies, plans, programs and even the level of activities becomes necessary so the priorities are explained and updated. As has been said, the five priorities of any government should cover the following: health (from birth), education, employment, housing and pension.
Plainly, when communication is effective, it leaves all parties involved satisfied and accomplished. "By delivering messages clearly, there is no room for misunderstanding or alteration of messages, which decreases the potential for conflict." And it is here again that vloggers of this administration are wanting. They defend BBM blindly as if the critics want him out when what the critics are doing is getting him back to the path of responding and solving issues such as prices of basic commodities, supporting a living wage and ensuring food supply. Basics, none of the heavy lifting. Solving these three issues could give him time to focus on other problems.
The vloggers fall into the trap of alienating people who want this government to succeed for the simple reason that we are all in one ship together. The problem with the vloggers is that they have been very familiar with the way information is cascaded by the opposition and they are now doing the same approach: if you criticize the king, you are an enemy without any context or perspective. Their script is gutter and personal hence people who want this government to succeed are turned off.
But now here comes a communication problem on country branding since apparently the Department of Tourism (DoT) and a presidential adviser on creative communications (PACC) are not on the same page on nation branding. But then again, why would a presidential adviser have a say on nation branding? Clearly, one is a department tasked by law to promote the country as a tourist destination and another is a person, a presidential adviser whose role seems to be growing day by day. In fact, there is now an Office of the Presidential Adviser on Creative Communications (Opacc) exercising powers far beyond what was defined (if there is a legal basis for that office), encroaching into mandated tasks of certain departments.
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An adviser is an adviser. It has no line functions unless otherwise provided. He reports directly to the appointing authority, in the case of PACC Paul Soriano, the President. Is the position of presidential adviser on creative communications a Cabinet rank? That has not been made clear since day one because he has been called secretary and he claims to be of Cabinet rank. That is a problem from the outset because almost a year from appointment (during the first SONA), Soriano has been moving across the bureaucracy claiming he will do this and that. When he was appointed, it was stated that Soriano was "to advise the chief executive and assist departments and agencies, including government-owned and -controlled corporations, on matters that will enhance their information dissemination programs and initiatives." Assisting does not mean using his production company to do a creative rendering of what needs to be communicated. It does not mean tapping into an agency budget on what Opacc wants. There lies the problem for a peso-a-year consultant given a position, creating an office and the legal basis for his functions are not made clear leading to various conflicts of interest.
So, when the wraparound ad was spotted on a bus in London, and launched, it seems, in the United Kingdom during the visit of the BBM, it was revealed as the new country branding of the Philippines. The ad featured Filipino nurse, May Parsons, who was the first person to administer the first Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech last Dec. 8, 2020. The ad had a text: "The nurse who gave the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. A Filipina. We give the world our best. The Philippines."
Soriano said Opacc rolled out the country branding campaign with the goal of "making us proud to be a Filipino, here at home and anywhere, everywhere all over the world." Are we not proud of being Filipinos? He further stated:
"At its core, the project intends to let the whole world know how good, compassionate and competent Filipinos are. Filipinos bring their 'best' through daily actions that touch lives all over the world." Soriano added that the campaign spearheads a long-term country branding initiative, in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s bid to uplift the Filipino name and reputation in and around the world.
Who funded the production? What production house was used? Who placed and paid for the ads? The ad came out in time for King Charles 3rd's May 6 grand coronation given the anticipated large international crowd to attend the historic global event, and was just "among the first communication outputs" of the Opacc's nation-branding project. "Video (advertisements) featuring true stories of successful Filipinos in different countries were also released within the same period, aired overseas. The first two ads tell the story of Charm, a Filipino caregiver in the UK, and DJ, a barista in Italy."
In the eyes of Soriano, the "we give the world our best" should not be misconstrued as part of the country's tourism promotion campaign. He further explained that Opacc is planning to release similar advertisements in parts of the world like in the United States and the Middle East, featuring overseas Filipino workers making a name for themselves.
Soriano added that his "office had already informed and briefed various government agencies that will play key roles to make the long-term country branding campaign successful." Looking more like he is calling the shots on nation branding. He named the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, the Department of Migrant Workers, the Department of Tourism, and the Department of Trade and Industry. And that several government agencies, including DoT, will launch their "own versions of the 'best' branding." While Soriano wants to "uplift the spirit of our overseas Filipinos and honor them."
Tourism branding and nation-branding are now two different things per Soriano's delineation when nation-branding per Pauline Kerr is defined as "the application of corporate marketing concepts and techniques to countries, in the interests of enhancing their reputation in international relations." With the Soriano strategy, there will be his, DoT's on tourism promotion, DTI's investment push and others and when we were doing that decades ago, it was just one branding based on several tools (quantitative and qualitative research) and multi-stakeholder consultations.
How do you sell the Philippines? Start with the people and their radiant smiles, facilities that are of world standard (look at the airports, the doors to our country, transportation, public safety, peace and order) then to three age-old elements of nation-building: policies that are certain, stable and predictable. Then there are the internal and external linkages.
Should we be proud of being Filipinos? Is that a question that has not been settled a long time ago? And as has been said a long time ago too: "I like to see a woman/man proud of the place in which s/he lives. I like to see a woman/man live so that her/his place will be proud of her/him."
FAQs
What makes you proud as a Filipino justify your answer? ›
Above all, Filipinos are one in spirit, thanking God for the all blessings they receive. The positive outlook, love for elders, persevering character, and recognizing God in the center of our lives make me say I am proud to be a Filipino.
How will you show that you are proud to be a Filipino? ›Seeing every Filipino ready to help each other is inspiring and enough to feel proud to be a Filipino. Beyond resilience, adaptability and having courage to face very difficult times, us Filipinos have shown that we are also most compassionate, selflessly eager and always ready to help anybody in need.
What do you think makes us a Filipino? ›The Following are the Citizens of the Philippines: (1.) Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this Constitution. (2.) Those whose fathers and mothers are citizens of the Philippines.
What is an example of Filipino pride? ›One of the more common manifestations of Pinoy pride is when Filipinos consider the success or victory of Philippine citizens or foreigners of Philippine descent—such as boxer Manny Pacquiao, chess prodigy Wesley So, singer, actress, and columnist Lea Salonga, singer Jake Zyrus, and American Idol season 11 runner-up ...
What are the positive things that you can say about the Philippines? ›The Philippines is a land rich in natural resources, scenic locales, and friendly smiles. Here, everybody is welcome to be part of the fun from the captivating coastlines, to the creative native crafts, to the unique gastronomic experience, you will find the kind of fun that is uniquely yours.
How do you describe Filipino people? ›Filipinos are usually very warm and friendly people who enjoy conversing with those around them. It is common to find strangers engaging in conversation or sharing stories to family, friends or foreigners about their hometown, family or country.
What makes you proud of your country? ›Our country has given us the freedom to stand up and fight for ourselves, also the people here are united and have respect for each other.
Which Filipino values are most important? ›- Family oriented.
- Humor and positivity.
- Flexibility, adaptability, discipline, and creativity.
- Education and multilingualism.
- Religious adherence.
- Ability to survive and thrive.
- Hard work and industriousness.
- Hospitality.
Filipinos are known for having strong and close family ties. They place high regard and put importance on their family before anything else. They work all day and do all they can to feed and provide for their family. In other countries, when a person turned 18, he/she can live away from his/her family.
What are the strengths of Filipino character? ›Filipinos have a cheerful and fun-loving approach to life and its ups and downs … pleasant disposition, a sense of humor and a propensity for happiness that contribute not only to the Filipino charm but also to the indomitability of the Filipino spirit.
What Filipino characteristic is proud? ›
Collective pride
Filipinos are mighty proud of their cultural heritage and are doubly proud when they hear of Filipinos making it big in other countries. For them, there is no “half-Filipino”. A person born with Filipino blood, no matter how small the percentage is, is regarded with respect and pride.
Maratabat is the Maranaos' deep sense of personal honor, dignity, self-esteem, and reputation.
What are the examples of giving respect to the Philippine flag? ›As a sign of respect, all persons shall stand at attention and face the Philippine flag, if there is one displayed, and if there is none, they shall face the band or the conductor.
What Filipino value are you most proud of? ›- The family. Filipinos are known to have strong family ties. ...
- Humor and positivity. Optimism, humor, and positivity are valued traits in the Philippines. ...
- Flexibility and adaptability. ...
- Faith and religion. ...
- Filipino hospitality. ...
- Respect for the elderly. ...
- Industrious attitude. ...
- Generosity.
The best thing about being a Filipino is we have our own identity and pride. Our forefathers fought against foreign invaders. Jose Fabello Jr., Cagayan de Oro City: Religious, respectful, resilient, hospitable, clannish, hardworking, cheerful – these are sterling qualities of the Filipino.
What does the Filipinos are known for? ›Filipinos are renowned for being joyful people who try to show warmth where they can. Compliment people's efforts and hospitality. For Filipinos, hospitality is an essential component of interaction and they will often go to extreme lengths to be hospitable to their company.
What are the 5 words to describe Philippine culture? ›- Respectful. We all have our unique ways of showing respect or pag-galang, especially with older people and strangers. ...
- Hospitable. ...
- Indebtedness. ...
- Nationalistic. ...
- Religious.
One word that would best describe Philippine culture, would be diversity.
What are Filipinos also known as? ›Pinoy is the shortened, colloquial version for Filipino to mean the people, but never the language. It becomes Pinay when referring to a female, although Pinoy is also used to refer to both male and female.
What are 5 things that I am proud of? ›- Who you are.
- Your best traits.
- Your smile and the way it lights up the world.
- The way you carry yourself with confidence.
- How much you care about your loved ones and the world.
- The challenges you've overcome.
- The lessons you've learned.
- Being able to forgive yourself.
What would make you proud? ›
Another way to be proud of yourself is to engage in activities that make you happy. Do things that make you feel good, both physically and mentally. When you're taking care of yourself and doing things you enjoy, it's hard not to feel a sense of pride. Lastly, don't compare yourself to others.
What makes one proud of their culture? ›Being proud of our culture means that we know we have a home when we feel alone. Being proud of our culture means that we know that we are not walking through this world alone. We have a community – a culture – behind us, supporting us, and pushing us forward.
How do Filipinos show respect? ›A distinct tradition in every Filipino family is to give respect to the elders. “Pagmamano” is a Filipino gesture often done by young people to the elders as a sign of respect. This is done by gently striking the elder's right hand to the young's forehead.
What are the characteristics of a cheerful Filipino person? ›They smile when they're happy, they smile when they're sad, they smile when they're angry and well, they just smile by default. Filipinos are typically sanguine by temperament and sunny in disposition. In times of need, you can count on them to be fellows of good cheer.
What is a Filipino culture? ›The culture of the Philippines comprises a blend of traditional Filipino and Spanish Catholic traditions, with influences from America and other parts of Asia. The Filipinos are family oriented and often religious with an appreciation for art, fashion, music and food.
What is an important Filipino value? ›Filipinos are known globally for their values; love of God, country, and family; diligence and hard work; regard for personal honor and dignity; compassion, generosity, adaptability, loyalty to a friend or benefactor, respect and care for the elderly....
What is self in Filipino culture? ›In Philippine culture, loob or kalooban refers to one's inner self, or, more specifically, to the internal dimension of a person's identity. Its external counterpart is labas - the physical, outward appearance.
What are the values of God fearing Filipino people? ›Filipinos are God-Fearing people . They don't forget to pray for they're sins,they don't forget to thank God when they received blessings,and also God helps us to solve our problems. We know that God gives us challenges that he knows we can do it . God don't gives us challenges that he knows we can't solve.
What is a Filipino moral behavior? ›Hiya, pakikisama, utang na loob & respect to others make a Filipino an individual with unique moral obligation to treat one another resulting to community ties. These values make Filipinos friendly, hospitable, polite & loyal. In brief, the Filipino core values influence how they behave in any situation.
What are the two best strengths of the Philippines? ›- Large population that is young (50% is under 25), qualified and with good fluency in English.
- Diverse geographic and sectoral origins of expatriate workers' remittances (10% of GDP)
- Thriving Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector.
- Poverty reduction (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program)
What are the five strengths of Filipino moral character? ›
Results showed that all subscales of the Results also revealed that the top Character Strengths of Filipinos are kindness, fairness, hope, teamwork, and judgment.
What is hospitality in Filipino values? ›Filipino hospitality, or “magiliw na pagtanggap,” is a cultural practice passed down from generation to generation. Basically, it refers to the warm and welcoming nature of the Filipino people towards their guests. It is deeply ingrained in the Philippines' culture to treat visitors with utmost respect and generosity.
Why Filipinos are resilient? ›Filipinos have learned to appreciate what they have, make the most of it, and tolerate difficulties. Resilience is a deeply rooted characteristic that makes up the Filipino identity, and creates a sense of community and compassion.
How can becoming a better Filipino influence your duty to becoming a better version of yourself? ›1. Becoming a better Filipino means embracing and practicing the positive values and traits of Filipino culture, such as respect for elders, strong family ties, and a sense of community. 2. These values and traits can help shape one's character and behavior, leading to personal growth and self-improvement.
What do Filipinos value in respect? ›Filipinos place a strong cultural value on respect for age and for the elderly. Young people are expected to show respect to the elderly as well as older members of the family. Older adults should be addressed in polite language, preferably with appropriate titles of respect.
What is Filipino sense of gratitude? ›Utang na loob is a Filipino cultural trait that may mean debt of gratitude and reciprocity. We keep to heart the good deeds we receive from someone, especially when we need help. It is as if we say we are indebted to that person for life.
What is the other word for proud in Filipino? ›Best translation for the English word proud in Tagalog: palalo [adjective] proud; conceited; arrogant; haughty more...
What is the national motto of the Philippines? ›Maka-Diyos, Maka-Tao, Makakalikasan at Makabansa (Tagalog for "Godly, Humane, Nature Lover and Nationalistic"; translated as "For God, People, Nature, and Country" or "For the Love of God, People, Nature, and Country"), the national motto of the Philippines from 1998 to present.
What is the most important symbol of our country? ›The flag is the country's most cherished symbol. It is the nation's emblem for freedom.
How do you show respect for the flag? ›Out of respect for the U.S. flag, never: dip it for any person or thing, even though state flags, regimental colors and other flags may be dipped as a mark of honor. display it with the union down, except as a signal of distress. let the flag touch anything beneath it: ground, floor, water, merchandise.
What makes a Filipino a genuine Filipino essay? ›
Answer: Explanation: The thought of being “genuinely Filipino” is just a concept to unite various peoples under the nation of the Philippines. You are a Filipino if you are born in the country, most especially if your parents are of Filipino citizenship.
What is Filipino hospitality values? ›Filipino hospitality, or “magiliw na pagtanggap,” is a cultural practice passed down from generation to generation. Basically, it refers to the warm and welcoming nature of the Filipino people towards their guests. It is deeply ingrained in the Philippines' culture to treat visitors with utmost respect and generosity.
What is the proof of being a Filipino? ›Philippine birth certificate; Old or valid Philippine passport; Voter's affidavit or voter's identification card; Marriage contract indicating the Philippine citizenship of the applicant; or.
What it means to be a Filipino for you? ›Being Filipino Means Putting Family First
To me being Filipino means including your family in every celebration and milestone of your life because not only is your family there to support you, but they're there to cheer you on as well. After God, family is everything.
Its 7,107 islands
The Philippines is made up of more than 7,107 islands. And on every island there is a paradise to be found, unique food to eat, a singular culture to experience and new people to meet. The sheer amount of beaches to enjoy is almost uncountable.
Bayanihan-spirited Unity, also known as “bayanihan” in Filipino, is a trait we've been associated with for decades. More than the hospitality we show strangers, our spirit of generosity and bayanihan is something homegrown.