Download the “It’s More Fun In the Philippines” Android App
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 15th, 2012
Developed by Lester Bambico, Android users can now create their own “It’s More Fun In the Philippines” meme with this easy to use Android app. It’s free!
[DOWNLOAD HERE] or do a search for “It’s more fun in the Philippines” on the Android marketplace.
More details and screenshots after the jump.
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How to make your own “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” Meme
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 7th, 2012
Hot Air Balloon Festival, Clark Pampanga (Every February of the year)
UPDATE VI: The DOT linked back to my tutorial from their official website!
UPDATE V: Lester Bambico has programmed and uploaded an “It’s More Fun” app into the Android Marketplace. More details here (with screenshots!)
UPDATE IV: Looks like some of my work is featured in SPOT.PH. Three of them. Including the tutorial.
UPDATE III: Someone made a DOT Philippines now has an official “More Fun” maker over the weekend. You can visit the site at http://www.morefunmaker.com/. It allows you to upload a photo, add a caption and choose whether to place it on top or at the bottom of the image. If you’re not comfortable using Photoshop or any other photo editing tool, this is the easiest way to get your “More Fun” meme out!
UPDATE II: The amazing Arnold Gamboa (@arnoldgamboa on Twitter) used his coding skills to build a living Twitter wall where you can view the crowd-made “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” photos. Nice one! The site is: http://www.itsmorefuninthephilippinespics.com/. To be included here, all you need to do is Tweet your photo + include the #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines hashtag. The site grabs photos every 5 minutes.
UPDATE: Added an extra step to focus on SEO for image search and added more examples below. Enjoy!
It’s More Fun in the Philippines. You know the new DOT online campaign works because it really gets netizens involved. Most are using the hashtag (#ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines) but others are getting their creative juices flowing and making their own DOT-inspired images based on their personal experiences around the 7,000++ islands.
Now I’m pretty sure BBDO Guerrero will provide an easy to use web tool where anyone can upload photos and add text from the new It’s More Fun in the Philippines site. But in the meantime, here’s one way you can create your own “Philipp-FUN” memes.
Are you ready? Let’s go!
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Kick Ass Department of Tourism Ad
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at June 23rd, 2011
[Click on image for bigger size]
Apparently this is not a fake campaign. It’s blooming with awesomeness and controversy, I wasn’t too sure if it was indeed material from the DOT. But it is. This is a part of a series launched by the DOT and SMART and will be all over the place soon. To fully appreciate this ad, you need to see the fine print at the bottom:
** This value driven campaign promotes the Philippines to its own people, many of whom opt to travel abroad unaware of their country’s beauty. “Tara na” means let’s go.
As to whether I only need to pay PHP 4,050.00 for a round trip ticket, that I am not sure. But I guess that’s not the point, is it?
I also highly doubt its meant to belittle Thailand. For generations, Thailand has fast become a major backpacking route for Europeans as it is part of the banana pancake trail. This trail is a rite of passage for Europeans. How can we possibly compete with a backpacking tradition?
Maybe it’s time to start new traditions.
What a brazen ad. What a HUGE improvement from the previous failed campaigns. This one doesn’t speak softly. And it may even carry a big stick.
Net of it all, it’s brilliant. It’s viral. It’s controversial. I love it.
The Mabuhay Guide Project
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 9th, 2009
Had dinner last night with one of my best friends from college. She had been pursuing dinner for the past few days so that she can announce something — I knew she was back in school, but it was an odd thing to do, since I knew she already had a masters degree.
I was floored (and extremely happy, excited, ecstatic) to find out that she got into the Mabuhay Guides program of the Department of Tourism, yet another project of the visionary Secretary Durano. Out of the 50 applicants who passed, she was one of the 23 who were accepted and training has begun.
Lightly put, the Mabuhay Guides program is a rigorous six week course that trains passionate individuals to become well … Carlos Celdrans. HAHA! But seriously, the chosen few will be brand ambassadors of the Philippine identity, touring dignitaries around the Philippines. From what she told me, they are always on call and the investment is serious business – if you pass the final exam you are given a year long contract to travel and tour dignitaries around the Philippines. My friend quit her job in advertising so pursue her dream 
Here’s a quote from one of the lucky individuals who got into the program (that blog isn’t my friend’s, but its great to find out that some of those who got accepted into the program are also blogging!):
The Department of Tourism with the able leadership of Sec. Ace Durano is trying out this new program called Mabuhay Guides. I was able to get in due to some twist of fate and now we are training to become the Department of Tourism’s official tour guides. We will be asked to guide tours of foreign dignitaries, journalists and official guests of the Department. They picked “the best of the best” to train with experts in many aspects of culture so that we have a lot of things to talk about in tours and with a professional tour guide trainer from London. The program is handled by Susan Calo Medina, host of Travel Time. [Oblectamentum]
What is the Filipino Identity?
I just had to ask her, “so I’ve been dying to ask, now that you’re in this program, what really is the Filipino identity? A lot of people say that we’ve lost it.” Her response excited me:
She told me that Filipinos think we’ve lost our identity to the Spaniards, Americans and the Japanese. Truth is, the Filipino identity is ever much alive in the way we take care of one another, in the way that we look after our families and think of others first rather than ourselves. This is why texting is big. This is why events are big. This is why peoples’ opinion of you matter, when in fact it shouldn’t. This is why Facebook is big, or any online activity having offline (face to face) fulfillment.
This is why there is cronyism. This is why we get hurt most when we are betrayed by a friend. This is why we still live with our parents after graduation, and it’s perfectly fine. This is why we think of our families first before pursuing our personal dreams.
…
If Secretary Durano ran for president one day, I’d muster the effort to vote. We live in exciting times. No, really we do.
