Tourism ARMM

Seminar on Advertising Tourism Promotion in ARMM and Telling ARMM Stories

The Department of Tourism – ARMM conducted its  first ever Seminar on Advertising Tourism Promotion in ARMM and Telling ARMM Stories at the RPDO-ARMM Conference Hall yesterday, February 10, 2013 from 3:00 pm to 5:30 in the evening.  The workshop was spearheaded by the newly appointed energetic Secretary of Tourism, Hon. Jehanne U. Mutin-Mapupuno.  The successful seminar was participated by Tourism-ARMM employees, MSU representative and information officers from different media in the ARMM.

To help realized said seminar, Creative Producer Lilit Reyes of Halaw (Ways of the Sea) and its Director Sheron Dayoc, a Mindanaoan and visual artist who directed the Philippines most traveled film in 2010 shared their craft and experience in making creative advertisement and documentary film-making.  Short films thrillers from Sundance Festival were shown and symbol of an egg in advertizing for interpretation is presented to the group.  These two high profile and award-winning artists in their respective fields both agreed that creating a brand for Mindanao and ARMM in particular is a tall order but YES, it can be done, that is if the people involve is really sincere and put their hearts in DOING IT.  Negative images according to them could be turn into an advantage, like making a brand that would appeal to human instinct and feelings.  Like promoting Marines in Patikul, Sulu who made a beach resort in their midst with a package tour and inviting domestic and foreign tourists to visit the province.  Who would have thought that government soldiers who were always pictured by outsiders fighting with the rebels and lawless elements in Sulu actually doing the peace-building initiative of promoting Sulu to tourist and proving to people that the area have amazing tourist sites and only isolated parts actually have problems. It actually falls to a brand that is simple, doable and big according to the keynote lecturers.

Secretary Jehanne Mutin-Mapupuno also shared her frameworks in promoting ARMM Tourism.  She said that nothing is impossible if everybody works to a certain goal.  She emphasized to the group that problems will always be present in the Autonomous Region or even to the whole nation in general, but we have to meet it head-on instead of avoiding these obstacle to realize our objectives.  She appealed to the group to work with her team especially the media to help the Department in mainstreaming the idea/plan that Tourism is a measure of Peace and we need to communicate tourism to our audience to make it successful.  The “SURPRISING MINDANAO” tagline right now that DOT-ARMM is promoting and other advertising plan is on the works to be implemented comes Summer time.  It is something to be watch for, for everyone.