Puyat pays tribute to late former DOT chief Mon Jimenez

MANILA, Philippines — Former tourism chief Ramon “Mon” Jimenez Jr. died on Monday. He was 64.

“It is with profound sorrow that we confirm the passing of Ramon Jimenez Jr., ‘Mon J’ to his closest friends and colleagues. He died early this morning at his home (due to reasons unrelated to COVID-19),” Jimenez’s daughters, Rina and Sassa, said in a statement.

His family said Jimenez was a “beloved husband, father, brother, friend and public servant.”

“He will be greatly missed. We wish to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support for the family during this difficult time,” they added.

In a statement, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat extended condolences to the family of Jimenez.

“Today, we mourn the loss of Mon Jimenez but we will be forever grateful to him for the growth of the tourism sector, and for promoting the Philippines as a place that is wonderful, joyous and fun,” she said.

Puyat paid tribute to the “immeasurable contributions” of Jimenez, who was behind the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” tourism slogan, which has been retained even after two administrations.

“Why change something that works?” she said.

Launched in 2012 during Jimenez’s time as DOT chief, the “More Fun” campaign brought the country on the map, relying heavily on the power of social media and eventually going viral.

Under his leadership, the country improved its ranking at the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index of the World Economic Forum from 94th in 2011, up 20 notches to 74th in 2015.