BONTOC, Mtn Prov.– The Department of Tourism through the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) chaired by actor Cesar Montano, conducted a three day “Tourism Marketing Seminar on Regional Branding last December 4-6, 2017 at General Santos City, South Cotabato.
“The location is to bring the participants from the Cordilleras, Regions 1, 2, and 3 to the south and the participants from Mindanao will be brought to the north”, said a staff from the TPB.
A tangible output of the seminar was the regional branding for the Cordilleras as proposed: “The Cordilleras; where Everything is a Story” and the provincial brand: “Mountain Province: Almost Heaven”.
After a lot of arguing and discussions, the regional brand resulted in a citation that “Behind the rice terraces is a story, behind the caves is a story, behind the mighty Chico River is a story of the struggles of Macliing Dulag and other local heroes. . . .”. Come to the Cordilleras, we will tell the stories.
The University of the Philippines Asian Institute of Tourism facilitated the seminar. Resource persons were Dean Edieser DL Dela Santa as project leader, Prof. Reil Cruz, Director for Tourism Research and Extension Services, and Assistant Professors Maricel Badilla and Victoria Villegas.
Among the topics covered were developing unique brand image, branding strategies: use of traditional; and digital media, and regional marketing and branding strategic plan.
It was emphasized that the use of media, traditional and digital, is the medium of “see what we want to see”. The region and province offers a lot of tourism attractions, manmade and natural.
The regional as well as the provincial brand is aligned with the national brand of “Its more Fun in the Philippines.**Roger Sacyaten
