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FROM THE EYES OF A SUPER FAN
Cosplayer Ian talks about what it was like to be part of the Manila leg of the ‘Superman’ tour CULTURE MEETS NATURE IN CEBU Tourists snorkel alongside whale sharks in the famed coastal town of Oslob, a symbol of the Philippines’ rich marine biodiversity and immersive travel experiences. As the country promotes “culture-led branding” to boost its Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) appeal, destinations like Cebu offer not only world-class beaches but also authentic encounters that reflect Filipino heritage and hospitality. TATIANA KORNYLYEVA | DREAMSTIME.COM
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By Ica Hontiveros-Cheng
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Photos Courtesy of Ian Panganiban
HEN I got the assignment to write about the Superman Press Tour in Manila I didn’t want to just write about the event, as many of my fellow writers would be doing just that.
Text & Photos by John Eiron R. Francisco
EBU CITY—The Philippines should capitalize on its “Asianness” and “unique Filipino culture” to strengthen its position in the global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) market, even as it has long leaned into its Western influences, a global tourism expert said.
FROM left: Anton Mari Perdices, CBM 2025 Overall Chairman; Christina Garcia Frasco, Department of Tourism Secretary; Jay Yuvallos, President of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCCI); and Cleofe Albiso, CBM 2025 Tourism Committee Chairperson.
FROM left: Dato Vincent Lim, AFECA President and Honorary President of the Malaysia Association of Convention and Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers (MACEOS); Cleofe Albiso, Chairperson of the CBM 2025 Tourism Committee; Liz Ortiguera, Global Travel and Tourism Leader; Marisa Nallana, Vice President of the Philippine Association of Convention and Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers (PACEOS) and Founding President of the Philippine MICE Academy; and Sumate Sudasna, First Vice President of AFECA and President of the Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA), also Managing Director of Convention and Destination Management (CDM), Thailand.
“When I come to the Philippines, we’re proud of our Westernness, perhaps, but actually now’s the time to promote your Asianness and your Filipino heritage. That’s super important,” global travel and tourism expert Liz Ortiguera said at the recent Tourism Forum and Experiential Tour event at Skyhall, SM Seaside City. Ortiguera—a Filipina born in the United States—emphasized that establishing a strong “sense of place” is now one of the key advantages for destinations vying for a share of the global business events market. With travelers and organizers seeking more authentic, immersive experiences, she said venues that reflect cultural identity through architecture, cuisine, service, and story-
telling are increasingly being favored over generic, modern spaces. “Sense of place. Bring your culture in. Great service. This is our expertise. We are the world experts in hospitality and service,” Ortiguera pointed out. Filipino hospitality, Ortiguera noted, is widely recognized across the globe, with consistent demand for Filipino professionals in countries such as Mexico, India, and Saudi Arabia due to their strong service-oriented reputation. “This is our intellectual property [unique assets],” she said. “And there’s no better place to showcase it than in the Philippines.”
‘Culture-led branding’
IN a side interview with report-
“Sense of place. Bring your culture in. Great service. This is our expertise. We are the world experts in hospitality and service,” Ortiguera pointed out. — Liz Ortiguera, Global Travel and Tourism Leader
ers, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco affirmed Ortiguera’s remarks, saying the Department of Tourism (DOT) is actively aligning its national strategies to highlight and promote Filipino identity as a core element of the country’s tourism branding. “I couldn’t agree more,” Frasco told the BusinessMirror. “The President’s directive at the start of the administration was to reintroduce the Philippines to the world not just through the lens of fun, but also through the strength of Filipino identity and culture.” Frasco noted that the Philippines is still in the early phase of realizing its full potential as an experiential destination. She emphasized the need for deeper integration of culture and community into the tourism offering—an approach already outlined in the DOT’s National Tourism Development Plan and flagship initiatives such as the
“Philippine Experience: Heritage, Culture, and Arts Caravans,” which seeks to deliver immersive cultural encounters for both local and foreign travelers. “Tourists from around the world are no longer just looking to visit a destination and enjoy worldclass beaches—of which Cebu has many—but are seeking deeper engagement with local culture and communities,” she said. Frasco added that the DOT’s culture-led strategy is also aligned with its broader ambition of positioning the Philippines among the world’s top 10 MICE destinations by 2030—a target projected to generate P25 billion in revenues. Cebu, she said, is expected to play a central role in achieving this goal. “Cebu has very promising prospects in terms of being a preferred MICE destination because of its very diversified tourism offerings, apart from world-class facilities, two of which are also forthcoming in the next year,” she said.
‘Cebu’s MICE moment’
IN 2024, Cebu was chosen to host two major United Nations tourism events: the Regional Gastronomy Forum for Asia and the Pacific, and the joint conference of East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia. Building on this momentum, the tourism chief announced that Cebu is set to host the Asean Tourism Forum in 2026. Continued on A2
I was looking for a little more oomph, something more personal. And then it hit me. There were so many amazing and incredible fans who braved the heat and the sun, stood in long lines for hours, for a chance to catch a glimpse of Superman writer and filmmaker James Gunn, and stars David Corenswet and Rachel Broshnahan. I thought, why not write about these super fans who made the whole Manila press tour even more memorable? There were a number of events which were open to the fans and to the public—a drone show, a human ‘S’ formation, a red carpet fan event, and a 30-minute screening of footage from the upcoming movie; the last event was by invitation. From all the video footage and photos from the many events, one cosplayer stood out. He was neither a celebrity cosplayer nor an influencer. Ian, like Clark Kent, has a day job as an Associate PR Man-
ager for a digital media company, but is also a big Jonathan Kent fan. It was a mutual friend of Ian and I who planted the seeds in my head to write this story. Pop culture writer and digital creator Jerald Uy posted how Ian’s Filipino features caught the eye of photographers and videographers. Ian was what a Filipino Superman would look like.
Putting on the cape
YOU might ask: Who? Jonathan Kent? Not Clark Kent? Not Superman? This is what Ian had to say: “Honestly, I didn’t start with SuContinued on A2
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 56.6270 n JAPAN 0.3924 n UK 77.7715 n HK 7.2144 n CHINA 7.9009 n SINGAPORE 44.4691 n AUSTRALIA 37.0624 n EU 66.2536 n KOREA 0.0418 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.0989 Source: BSP (June 27, 2025)