New Tourism chief ready to hit the ground running
By Jill Beltran
September 2, 2011
NEWLY appointed Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said Thursday that he will use his extensive experience in advertising and marketing communications in his new job.
In a press briefing in Malacanang, Jimenez said the only way he would be able to succeed in his job is to start rallying his team, the government, and the entire Filipino people around the idea that “tourism is the people’s business.”
“It is with great humility that I accept the role of Tourism secretary to President Benigno Aquino III. In accepting this role, I am keenly aware that I will succeed only if I begin rallying the DOT staff, tourism practitioners, the government bureaucracy, and the general public around one very simple idea –‘Tourism is the people’s business.’ ‘Ang turismo ay negosyo ng taong bayan,’” he said as he read his prepared speech.
“As such, its ultimate goal is not merely to improve statistics on tourist arrivals. Its real goal is to generate fulfilling and profitable income and employment for our people,” he added.
Jimenez replaced former Tourism secretary Alberto Lim whose resignation took effect on August 31. Lim resigned last August 12 after President Aquino was reportedly dissatisfied with his performance.
Lim and Jimenez shook hands for a photo opportunity before the formal press briefing.
Since Jimenez is new to his job, he appealed to media to give him more time to familiarize himself with the ins and outs of his department.
He noted that the only marching order to him by the President is to study his job and focus on how the country could generate income and employment through tourism.
He, meanwhile, said that one of the things he will immediately address is the country’s tourism slogan.
Lim found himself in the middle of controversy and criticism over the tourism logo “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” that was said to be copied from Poland.
Jimenez, who is known in the marketing communications field for 35 years, said he has much to contribute to the tourism industry in terms of “bringing strategic discipline to the challenge of promoting and developing the Philippines as one of the world’s most exciting destination brands.”
He believes that the country has so much to offer to tourists.
“What we need is real insight into the market place and the solution… I have engaged in solution finding in marketing communications for very many years. My job is to galvanize the DOT staff into an honest to goodness selling unit. That is our job, we are merchants,” he stressed.
Jimenez thanked Lim for what he achieved in the DOT. He said he is willing to continue some of the programs of Lim that he finds useful to the department.
For its part, the Tourism Congress said Jimenez should use his decades-old experience in marketing and advertising to attract more tourists in the country.
“We in the private sector offer our cooperation to DOT Secretary Jimenez to improve the competitiveness and long-term growth of the country’s tourism,” the group said without elaborating.
Formed by Republic Act 9593, the Tourism Congress is a private sector-led group tasked to give recommendations in revitalizing the industry.
During Lim’s period of service as tourism chief, international visitors reached 3.7 million arrivals from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011.
This was an increase of over half a million visitors over the previous 12-month period. Domestic travelers increased from 25 to 28 million. An estimated 400,000 jobs were created as a result.
The country eyes to attract 6.6 million foreign tourists by the end of President Benigno Aquino III’s term in 2016.
Representatives from leading carriers Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific, meanwhile, declined to comment on Jimenez’s appointment.
But in a previous interview with Sun.Star, PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista hopes that Malacañang will make changes to the pocket open skies policy endorsed by Lim.
Bautista said the Executive Order 29 should be revised to give foreign and domestic carriers an equal playing field.
Under the EO, foreign airlines would be able to fly freely into and out of the country while Philippine carriers are limited to flights specified in existing air agreements with other countries.
Jimenez, who will officially start his job as DOT chief on Monday, said that his family is also supportive of his new career and he is ready for a lot of traveling that his job entails.
Presidential Communications and Strategic Planning Secretary Ramon Carandang said Jimenez already took his oath before Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Wednesday morning.
Jimenez helped in President Aquino’s election campaign in 2010. He is believed to have close ties with both “Samar” and “Balay” factions in the Aquino administration.
Jimenez is considered one of the pillars of Philippine advertising.
He has spent most of his professional career as writer, creative director, or executive for the country’s top advertising agencies.
He is one of the founders of ad agencies Jimenez & Partners, Jimenez D’Arcy and Publicis Jimenez Basic.
Prior to his appointment, Jimenez served as senior consultant and joint chief executive officer of the company he established, the WOO (Winning over Obstacles) Consultants.
He previously handled a roster of top Philippine brands such as Cebu Pacific, Ivory, Jollibee, Selecta Ice Cream, Safeguard and San Miguel, among others.
A graduate of the University of the Philippines, Jimenez majored in Visual Communication at the UP College of Fine Arts. He also served as vice president and executive creative director at Ace Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising. (With Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)
Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2011/09/01/new-tourism-chief-ready-hit-ground-running-176747
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