That’s a good indication that the president listens to the people. After all, he wouldn’t want his administration be tarnished with a lousy tourism campaign after a botched hostage crisis. Maybe the next brand positioning should be about a secure corrupt-free Philippines. But if that sounds like shooting for the stars, let’s highlight the country’s beauty instead – beautiful places to visit and settle in, hospitable people, health tourism (every corner has a spa or a beauty salon offering collagen implants, slimming body wraps, glutathione injections, facial care, massage therapy, pedicure, manicure, etc.), world-class malls, and forex (almost everything here is relatively cheap if you are a dollar-earner). Instead of Ricky Reyes, let’s have Venus Raj. Have Lea Salonga or Charice sing the jingle.

Let’s have a serious campaign this time. The country has been the butt of most international jokes.

Therefore, Pilipinas Kay Ganda. Or “Philippines So Beautiful” if you are to translate it to a a foreigner. Hmmm. Who the heck among them white or black folks living in the north or south poles could translate it? Are we going to put subtitles to its TVC? Why bother? Why not go straight to the point?

The campaign failed to answer the most basic marketing question: Who is DOT marketing to?

“Uniquely Singapore”, “Amazing Thailand”, “Incredible India”or “Malaysia Truly Asia” have been airing over BBC and CNN channels on frequent doses to capture holidaymakers who usually prefer warm tropical climate over blizzards and below zero temperatures. So far so good. These countries have been successfully attracting tourists. They understood what these messages meant. There’s a guarantee right way that it won’t be a trip to hell. But “Pilipinas Kay Ganda”?

Since a 15 or 30-minute TVC on these channels would cost a fortune, it is but wise to speak a universal language and get the message across minus all unnecessary blunders, like slogans only Tagalog-speaking Pinoys can understand. “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” sounded like the morning show “Umagang Kay Ganda”, “Pilipinas Game KNB?”, a porn site, websites selling a variety of goods from real estate to discount cigars sale. Someone said beauty salon because Ricky Reyes was in it. That I have to check.

Why fix the old slogan “Wow Philippines” if ain’t broke? Infusing more budget to tourism advertising and getting one of the top advertising agencies to do the job would work rather than spend so much on soft launching a brand which would ultimately rot in the end.

They can now pack and have their Branson vacations, and leave family planning in the hands of the couple and the state. Oops, here’s the funny thing. What makes these celibate bishops credible speakers of family planning? Unless Father Damaso is alive and still kicks ass.

We’ve been like hostages of the church for centuries, dictating how to run our lives based on the rules set by the Pope who they deemed infallible. They have invaded our minds, then our bedrooms. Not that everything they said was bad, but there are matters that also require common sense. Example, we can no longer allow couples to procreate irresponsibly like it was in the post-Holocaust era. This country today is already overpopulated and majority of us live below poverty line. Our resources and opportunities are diminishing as a direct result.

Fathers, we have lost most of our agricultural lands to house 90 million people. Is it any wonder why we import rice these days?

Support the Reproductive Health Bill.

But a red van came in to save the night. Just in time for a ten o’ clock dinner. And I was the last person to board the van, taking the front seat.

While we’re on our way to Libis crossing the Ortigas flyover, the wiper broke down and we’re left with sheets of torrential rains blocking our sights. It was already zero visibility and the driver was on an emergency tail light signal just in case someone wants to cut us from behind and risk getting his head lopped off from his neck. The driver relied on the small convex mirror on his side while everyone inside was on a red alert for a possible vehicular accident. Two ways – either we collide with a truck or jump off the slopes of White Plains.

Apparently I just had my second life.

None of us planned to move out of Rizal, until late last year when Typhoon Ondoy flooded almost all of Rizal and sent everyone to their rooftops. There was widespread devastation everywhere and no way we can relieve the nightmare. That was what prompted us to go and live in the south. For our own peace of mind.

This is going to be our first family-owned house in a decent neighborhood in Cavite. The best thing about it is we can have our own mini-garden where we can set up outdoor electric grill for small barbecue parties, plant camote tops, and put up a resting place where I can do computer work.

And what I badly need right now is a bike that I can use to reach the village gate. I hope someone would give me a car to address my commuting worries from home to office.

That very familiar spot along SM Megamall’s bridgeway is now home to a 250-seater hawker center whose often busy open kitchen draws in curious passersby. The thrill of flames and clanking woks of this place called Orchard Road are distinct reminders of Singapore’s hawker centers, along with a variety of authentic regional Asian dishes prepared right before your very eyes. The only difference is that Orchard Road is an improved version of a typical hawker center in Singapore – it’s comfortable and relaxing, clean, well-staffed and air-conditioned. There’s none like it around Metro Manila that makes dining experience unique and a bit more exciting at a price one can easily afford.

Orchard Road’s flavorful food offers are basically of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Western influences that represent the cultural diversity in Singapore. They have Singaporean chefs in the house that work with local cooks in making these dishes fit the Filipino tastebuds without compromising their authenticity. For starters, check out their appetizing deep-fried spring rolls or the White Carrot Cake made of diced and stir-fried radish with an egg mixture. Try their house specialties like the steamed Hainanese Chicken served with rice, chili sauce, dark soy sauce, and ginger paste, or their hot and spicy Laksa with shrimp, egg and chicken in coconut curry gravy. For dessert, order their Thai specialty called Iced Red Ruby. It is usually made by boiling pieces of water–chestnut covered in tapioca flour and red food coloring, served over shaved ice, rose syrup, and evaporated milk. The Kaya Toast (coconut jam-filled grilled toast) is perfectly paired with the classic “Teh Tarik” or “pulled tea”. These tempting offers could certainly make you forget about your calorie count, but let the most effective diet pill in the market take care of your dietary worries, or just simply jog the following day. That should solve your problem.

Ordering from their extensive tick-list of 60 plus food items can be quite a daunting task. But they have hosts that can assist you with your choices and take you to a self-serve counter where you place your orders, pay and get your number. While waiting for your food be delivered to your table, enjoy the sight of their classy Southeast Asian-inspired interiors and the fragrant smell of oriental flavors wafting through the air.

Orchard Road is the brainchild of Singaporean TV celebrity Vivien Tan-Vaca and her Filipino husband, Dudo Vaca. Together with local investors, they named this restaurant “Orchard Road” after the famous entertainment, retail and food hub of the country.

GMA 7′s SOP (Sobrang Okey, Pare) will have its final episode this Sunday, February 28, after 13 years of live Sunday noontime entertainment. SOP lost the ratings war to ABS-CBN’s ASAP over the past few months.

I used to be an SOP fan, until the program’s format slowly became boring and predictable. The program simply stopped evolving creatively from the stage set to their segments. There seemed to be a dearth of new good artists while pioneers Regine Velasquez, Jaya, Janno Gibbs and Ogie Alcasid started to lose their luster already as the years go by. You see them grow old doing those back-to-back segment and one can’t help but change channels. It sort of evolved into like a German Moreno 80′s show, or any program that carry home TV shopping segments selling diet supplements. Now, who wants a recycled show?

What SOP needs is a major makeover – from their creative team down to their hosts. Getting it off the air was a smart move. But the challenge remains – whatever the management replaces it with should be really really good.

Books on sale

While waiting for the 8pm AS1 concert at the adjacent event venue, we decided to drop by the Manila International Book Fair at SMX. I was torn between inspirational books, Maxwell’s series on leadership, Christian theology, Jane Austen titles and Wuthering Heights by Charlotte Bronte. But since I have no time to gush over English romance and doctrinal studies on religion require so much brain energy, I opted for a book on marriage. To prepare for it just in case. I can sense it coming my way real soon. By the way, I got the book called “Pillow Talk” for only P75. Not bad for a future investment.

Manila International Book Fair ends tonight. Entrance fee is P20 for adults, plus you’ll get a raffle ticket to win books or something more juicy if you’re that lucky.

I had a chance to see them again today in Alabang. I wasn’t expecting the entire family would take their lunch in the resto. Apparently, Kuya seemed to have gone addicted to CPK food. He will sure to miss the food when they go back to London next week, together with my other cousin who will soon attend classes in a medical assistant training school. I will miss the girls, but I am happy in knowing that I was able to spend time with them, no matter how short it was. It was something Bianca would remember. She’d probably tell everyone in her class how she spent her summer going to the beach, shopping in SM Mall of Asia and making her own pizza.

We were driving along post-flood Imelda Avenue in Cainta early this morning when we saw this “fluke” in Harry Potter cinema billboards of Sta. Lucia Mall. Below the structure are gravel and sand manufacturers and wholesale furniture shops at the far end. I took my camera phone, begged Kleng-Kleng to slow down and took this shot of the week. I still have the Harry Potter hangover since the other night.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opened in the middle of one stormy week. Renz and I had the chance to see it on a rainy Friday night minus the usual elbow fight for a splendid balcony view. Half of the mall crowd that time were in their jammies eating champorado at home…

Hey, Snapes has just killed Dumbledore.