Negative publicity

Much noise has been generated by the Dan Brown novel “Inferno” in which Manila was described by one of its characters, an ex-nun, as “the gates of hell.”

While the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and even the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) criticized the novel and its author, who also courted controversy with another of his novels “The Da Vinci Code,” the others who did manage to read all of it weren’t so convinced.

Chief among the fears of the critics was that the novel would set back whatever gains was generated by the country with its renewed tourism campaign, the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” pitch to be exact.

But the furor generated by the novel is all noise and doesn’t reflect majority of the sentiments of foreign visitors who have stayed in the country long enough to know its many virtues and attributes.

Evidence of that can only be seen in social media. Vin Diesel and the cast of the “Fast and Furious 6” stopped over in Manila for their Asia tour and Diesel was kind enough to post photos of him traipsing around Manila in a passenger jeepney and riding a push cart filled with coconuts on his Facebook account which generated thousands of “Likes.”

And there’s also actress Emily Von Camp, star of the hit TV series “Brothers and Sisters,” “Revenge” and the upcoming “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” gushing about her visit to Palawan with her sister for a vacation in her Facebook and Twitter account as recounted by ABS-CBN.

But it’s not just foreign stars who’ve put in more than a good word or two about the country. President Benigno Aquino III’s sister, TV host Kris Aquino was even quoted by Cebu media as saying that she may even devote a segment on Bantayan Island and Oslob town in her program.

She even invited Cebu Gov.-elect Hilario Davide III to join her whale shark jaunting and that may happen following his recent impressive victory. So while Manila government officials may be worried over the negative depiction of their beloved city by Mr. Brown, the same cannot be said of other places in the country where both foreign and domestic visitors are making frequent stopovers and vacations.

Which is why activities like the Cebu Business Month’s “Great Cebu Sale” that showcases the best in both commercial and local products in Cebu should be supported not just by the local governments but the public at large.

There will always be negative publicity either through a snide comment or a video in online social media or in international novels about the country—an American visitor’s comment of Cebu included—but these should serve more as a challenge rather than a personal affront to Cebuanos in particular and the Filipinos in general. Rather than mope about and assail these critics, let us prove them wrong.