I am home

By Marifi Jara

I got teary-eyed Thursday night watching the early evening news.

No, it was not because of the rash of local news, mostly sad and bad. It was because of the new ad of the Department of Tourism.

For one, they as used as theme tune one (of my three) all-time favorite songs: Land of the Loving played by David Benoit (lyrics written by Mark Winkler and vocals by a woman I don’t know and couldn’t find on the internet. Though I was pleasantly surprised to find that our own Lea Salonga also has a version in one of her albums). It is really a love song but it was skillfully re-mixed to deliver the video’s message.

The ad would probably have been even more effective if they used an original song in Filipino, for nothing moves the soul better than one’s own language. Nonetheless, it is definitely enchanting as it is because the texture is quite elegant, the images lovely and apt, and the editing is good. The ad’s punchline, well-delivered by Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano, was very simple but truly touching:  “Come home this Christmas.”

This DOT campaign is fitting, way more realistic than the WOW Philippines campaign (that also had a not-so-bad television ad aired over the American network CNN and the United Kingdom’s BBC) and the Visit Philippines Year promo in 2003, as it directly targets a market that is huge and promising: the Filipino community around the world, both migrants and contractual workers.

With the two recent bombings in the capital, foreign tourists would undoubtedly have second, third and fourth thoughts about traveling to the Philippines. But our own know their land, understand the intricacies of the socio-political culture and would very more likely risk a Christmas holiday to be home with family.

Dagupan officials, especially Mayor Al Fernandez and Councilor Joey Tamayo, the Hermano Mayor for the city’s December fiesta this year, must be very happy with the national ad (which I  understand is also set for showing through the national networks’ overseas channels) as it perfectly runs parallel to their Pawil Dagupan program.

I just hope that we can make it truly worthwhile for our balikbayans to come home.

Lots of things around here need long-term repairing — physically, culturally, economically and politically. But we can always start with the small things.

*****

News of a ferry service between Dagupan, Alaminos and San Fernando in La Union really got me excited.

I am a believer in maximizing the potentials of our sea routes.  Our country, after all, is an archipelago.

More on that next week.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/roots/
Readers may reach columnist at marifijara@gmail.com . For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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