Aquino government to spend millions for CNN ads

MANILA, Philippines - Close to $1.5 million or P63 million will be spent by the Aquino administration to support the Department of Tourism's current advertising effort on CNN.

DOT assistant secretary for tourism planning and promotions Domingo Ramon Enerio III, said “many agencies participated in the funding requirement” for the TV ads currently running on CNN.

These agencies, he said, include the Departments of Budget and Management, Finance, Trade and Industry and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

He declined to reveal the total budget outlay for the TV commercials, but said the ads "will run [on CNN] all the way up to August in the USA, Asia Pacific, and Europe/Middle East. But the concentration will be for this week in time with the ADB meeting and up to next week."

Informed government sources told InterAksyon.com, however, that each agency has yet to be informed of the exact amount they will have cough up. But they were told the total budget is "around $1-1.5 million." 

Said advertising amount still pales in comparison with the budgets spent by the country's neighbors in Asia. Malaysia for instance, is spending $74.3 million on advertising alone, while Thailand’s total tourism budget for 2012 is over $270 million. Last November, Indonesia announced it was aiming to spend $1 billion this year to boost its arrivals. 

In previous interviews, DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr., has always politely declined to reveal the government’s total tourism promotions budget.“Nakakahiya sa sobrang liit,” he once intimated to InterAksyon. The agency’s annual budget alone is P2 billion.

source: http://www.interaksyon.com/article/30764/aquino-admininistration-to-spend-p63m-for-cnn-ads

On Monday, the DOT launched its first TV commercials on CNN, in time for the latter's special coverage of the Philippines, and the 45th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank of governors from May 2-5.

The 30-second ad uses the various takes by the public on the "It's more fun in the Philippines" slogan launched by the agency in January, and set to the popular disco song "Barbra Streisand" by Duck Sauce. The ad also features apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas, rapping "It's more fun in the Philippines".

According to a source in the DOT, "the agency secured the rights to the song for worldwide use." But he said actual payment to Sony Music Entertainment, who produced Duck Sauce's song, has yet to be made –“Nakikipagtawaran pa.”