The Asean News: 2012-05-13

Friday, May 18, 2012

What's the real meaning of FUN?

Find out here the real meaning of FUN!... http://www.morefunmaker.com/gallery/1/

With Filipino-American pop star apl.d.ap belting out the background tune, images of several top Philippine tourist attractions entice travelers.

The “more fun” tourism campaign had its global launch with advertising spots appearing on Cable News Network (CNN) starting last Monday.

The Ifugao Rice Terraces, the Underground River in Palawan and the Chocolate Hills of Bohol shared pride of place with the endangered tarsier and fiestas.

It’s more fun in the Philippines, and the government refuses to dwell on the cost of selling this message to the world, saying the country needs to be innovative given its limited budget.

The Aquino administration was reported to have spent about P63 million for its initial tourism advertising campaign on CNN.

“I don’t know the exact amount, but I’ll tell you this: we are trying to attract tourists from around the world. Tourism is going to be a big part of our economic growth and our inclusiveness – of our equitable growth strategy,” Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang said.

He said the Philippines remained at a disadvantage because other countries were allocating much funds for their advertising campaigns.

“But we’re trying to find ways to maximize our less substantial resources. And I want to note that I have not heard – maybe we’re all biased because we’re all Filipinos – but I have not heard any negative comments about the ad. We have friends from around the region who think the ad is very catchy, who find the ad exciting,” Carandang said.

“And the good thing is, what they are saying is you know, it’s very authentic because whatever you say about the Philippines, a lot of people overseas will agree that it’s really more fun here. So it’s a catchy ad and very effective. And I think, we’re getting more bang for our buck than our neighbors are,” he said.

The first ad, a 30-seconder, uses photos and ideas created by the public, which was invited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to produce their own take on the “It’s more fun in the Philippines” slogan it launched in January. The ad is set to the popular dance vibe “Barbra Streisand” by Duck Sauce, a collaboration of DJs Armand van Helden and A-Trak, which riffs on another artist, Boney M’s “Gotta go home” song.

The ad also features apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas, rapping “It’s more fun in the Philippines” within the tune.

Apl.de.ap, or Allan Pineda Lindo Jr., hails from the Philippines, and has been creating songs for the Black Eyed Peas that incorporate Filipino lyrics.

A shorter version of the TV commercial, just 15 seconds, features a tarsier – known for its huge eyes – clinging to a branch and looking at the camera, with jungle sounds playing in the background.

The video ends with the caption: “Staring contests. More fun in the Philippines.”

Both TVCs have gone viral on the Internet and social networking sites, a tack adopted by the DOT to enable the citizens to “own” the campaign.

The ads were produced by advertising giant BBDO Guerrero/Proximity Philippines, which bested seven other agencies last year in a bid to the P5.6-million brand awareness campaign for the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the DOT is also embarking on an underground campaign to introduce and promote the country’s destinations to the world.

Tourism Assistant Secretary Domingo Ramon Enerio said that after putting out the “It’s more fun in the Philippines” advertisement over CNN, the government is also mounting an “underground campaign” abroad. “Right now we are already starting underground advertising in the United Kingdom by putting our more fun slogan on double-decker buses and taxis. This would be part of our aggressive marketing campaign,” Enerio told The STAR. Enerio said the DOT is also putting out the more fun slogan in various international publications, starting off with Reader’s Digest.

Enerio said the DOT initially had no plans of placing an ad with a cable network until CNN decided to come out with the “Eye on the Philippines” series on its website.

“We thought of just coming out with an advertisement along with the Eye on the Philippine features,” Enerio noted.

He also stressed that DOT only spent a minimal amount of P19,000 per spot for the CNN ad.

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez said the DOT placed the more fun advertisement over the cable network, but the Philippine government has no editorial role in the “Eye on the Philippines” features on its website. Enerio said the CNN campaign, which came out in time with the holding of the ADB conference in Manila, has created a great impact and would greatly help the Philippines lure at least 4.6 million foreign tourists this year.

“The CNN ad created a big impact so we came out with a similar campaign,” he said.

However, Enerio said since the DOT does not have the necessary budget to spend on advertising, it ruled out a grand launch of the new country brand and introduced it to the international market through the DOT’s participation in travel trades.

Enerio said the DOT is also working with various local government units (LGUs) and private tourism establishments to promote the country’s different destinations.

The national government has been very supportive of the DOT program, but Enerio said they are still seeking additional funding for tourism promotion.

“Under the law, DOT has a share from the earnings of the Duty Free Philippines, PAGCOR and several other government agencies and so we are now negotiating to get that share so we could have more funds for our campaign,” Enerio explained.

The country hopes to attract 10 million visitors by 2016, when President Aquino steps down from office.

With close to 4 million tourist arrivals in 2011, the country still ranks way behind its neighbors – Malaysia with 25 million, Thailand 19 million, Singapore 13.2 million, Indonesia 7.6 million, and Vietnam 6 million.-Philippine Star May 03, 2012

The Filipinos are worth Dying for!. We are not afraid to fight and die for our country!

Philippine Air Force (PAF) Modernization

By the year 2010 the Philippines were in the ridiculous position of contesting Chinese claims in the South China Sea, without a single fighter aircraft to defend Philippine claims in what it terms the West Philippine Sea. Bu that time, the Philippines military was undertaking a transition from a focus on internal security to a focus on territorial defense, and the situation was on the verge of rectification.

When the regime of Ferdinand Marcos fell the Philippines had one of the best equipped air forces in Southeast Asia. In the following years due to regular attrition and simple age of its equipment, various attempts were made to modernize the fleet. This was often part of a push to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines as a whole.

In addition, during the 1980's the Philippine Air Force (PAF) attempted to reduce its dependence upon American second-hand aircraft by starting its own indigenous aircraft programs. The first program was a single-engine trainer plane, called the "Defiant," that could also be armed and used in the counter-insurgency role. The second was a Philippine-made light utility helicopter named the "Hummingbird." The two aircraft programs were supported by members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, but were not allowed to proceed by the government until July 1997, when President Ramos authorized spending for the project. The Philippine Aerospace Defense Company (PADC) undertook the development effort.

Ramos was succeeded shortly thereafter by President Estrada, whose government immediately conducted a review of the Defiant and Hummingbird programs. The review concluded that the two projects, which were only a year old at that point, were likely to be unjustifiably lengthy and expensive. As a result both were immediately terminated. Another factor was that the Hummingbird was in fact essentially an unlicensed copy of the MBB/Eurocopter Bo-105C and Eurocopter had threatened to sue the Philippine government. PADC had been involed with the assembly and maintenance on the helicopters, first acquired during the 1970s. To avoid the impending legal battle the PAF destroyed the prototypes [as of 2012, no attempt had been made to revive the Defiant or develop another helicopter program].

In February 1995, the Philippine Congress passed Act No. 7898, which called for a massive, multi-year overhaul and upgrading of the nation's armed forces. The bill thus initiated the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program. Plans for the modernization of the Air Force had been in existence since 1996. The law obliged the government to fund and allocate a separate budget for a 15-year modernisation program. The PAF was to acquire two squadrons of multi-role fighter aircraft and surface-to-air missile and gun system. By 2003, P2.865 Billion had been programmed for the Air Force modernization program. This included allocation for the acquisition of various types of aircraft, for the upgrading of some others, and for training and administrative matters. As of 2003, however, only P127.391 Million has been released. The rest awaited completion of various requirements of the AFP procurement system.

The PAF should have capability both for external defense and for operations against internal threats. With its transport aircraft inventory severely depleted, and the number of its combat jets down to virtually nil, by 2003 the PAF was limited to a role of close air support for ground forces. Even in that regard, however, it was hampered by, among other problems, poor pilot to aircraft ratio. Some two hundred forty (240) combat pilots competed for around sixty (60) operational aircraft. Moreover, at any given time, there were forty to fifty (40-50) trainee pilots forced to queue for the use of three (3) trainer planes. With many cadets recruited among civilians, PMA graduates must wait in line although in their case Government has already spent much money to put them through cadet training.

As of 2003 aircraft inventory counted a total of two hundred twenty-five (225). Of these, one hundred nine (109) were in storage or are grounded, and one hundred sixteen (116) were supportable, i.e., budget is available for spare parts, etc. But of the supportable aircraft, only sixty-two (62) were operational while forty-nine (49) were down and parked for inspection or maintenance.

The real workhorse of the PAF's fixed wing fleet was the OV-10 Bronco, a number of which had been acquired from the United States in 1991. Additional aircraft were later procured from Thailand. With the retirement of the F-5 fleet, maintaining the OV-10 fleet became even more of a priority. The planes were locally upgraded with cockpit GPS devices and night vision-compatible internal displays and power sources. Then, in 2006, the PAF contracted Marsh Aviation to do a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) for all of its OV-10 Broncos. For the SLEP the aircraft were overhauled to maximize remaining flying hours and also upgraded with newer equipment. The airframes were inspected and zero-timed, and problematic parts like the propellors and gear boxes were replaced with more advanced and durable units requiring less maintenance. New 4 bladed Hartzell propellers replaced the original 3 bladed versions. The electrical systems and generators were also upgraded, improving reliability and engine start times. Reportedly, the PAF was also considering upgrading the planes with Eductor Exhaust Systems to reduce their IR signatures and to improve engine reliability and maintainability.

A total of 19 C-130s had entered PAF service since 1973. As of early 2009, the AFP possessed only one operational C-130 aircraft, which was in full-time use supporting ongoing military operations and disaster relief activities. A second aircraft was subjected to Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM) at Clark Field by Lockheed Martin / Asian Aerospace, with the maintenance cycle completed in June 2009. A third remained in PDM, while the remainder were "simply rotting away exposed to the elements at the C-130 graveyard in Mactan, Cebu." The limited Philippine defense budget prevented the purchase of big ticket items necessary for the AFP to prosecute the war on terrorists and at the same time provide vital year-round support to disaster relief and humanitarian operations throughout the country.

In addition to its responsibilities for internal security, the AFP is the primary support agency for disaster relief operations. With more than two dozen typhoons a year and numerous other natural catastrophes in the form of earthquakes, floods, volcanic activity, and landslides, the AFP's limited logistical capacity is frequently tapped by the national government to provide humanitarian assistance. Despite a lack of adequate equipment and trained personnel, the Philippines has made a firm commitment to regional disaster assistance operations and global security initiatives. When Cyclone Nargis hit Burma in May 2008, the Philippines was one of the first countries to transport relief supplies and medical teams to the ravaged country, using its single C-130.

Helicopters
A part of the AFP Modernization Program was the purchase of used UH-1H helicopters from the United States, the Philippines' historic and principal military supplier. The Bell UH-1 series had formed the backbone of the PAF's helicopter transport capabilities since the late 1960's when the first examples were obtained.

The Philippines had acquired 28 MD-520MG light attack helicopters from the US between 1990 and 1993 to enhance its ground support capabilities. Regular attrition and other problems claimed a number of the aircraft. The MD-520MG attack helicopters were all sold to the Philippines unarmed, but were equipped with rocket and guns pods. Indigenous developments in both of these areas were reportedly also in service. A 2007 arrangement to buy refurbished, higher performance engines for each of the helicopters fell through.

Adding to earlier purchases, between 2004 and 2006 the PAF received 20 refurbished UH-1H's from Singapore Technologies Aerospace. The helicopters were ex-US but had been sufficiently overhauled to have their air frames zero-timed. They also featured cockpit lighting compatible with night vision goggles. During the same period, the PAF upgraded 2 of its UH-1H's to the Huey II standard, which involved the installation of more powerful and efficient engines and tail rotors, and the installation of the more aerodynamic nose originally found on twin engined Bell 212 types. With the inability financially to upgrade all the UH-1 types in service, the PAF added the Huey II standard aircraft to a fleet that also included standard UH-1Hs (Bell 205A), Bell 212, and Bell 412. In 2007, the US sold another 20 more refurbished UH-1's to the Philippines for $22 million.

In January 2008, the Philippine government cancelled a $29 million contract to buy 6 night-capable MD-530F helicopters due to corruption in the bidding process. The Department of National Defense decided to scrap the bidding to acquire six (6) night-capable attack helicopters form Php1.2 billion for the Philippine Air Force following the results of the investigation on complaints of alleged irregularities in the bidding. In a memorandum dated January 24, 2008, Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. declared the bidding process for the Night Capable Attack Helicopter (NCAH) Acquisition Project null and void. Asian Aerospace Corporation - representative of McDonnel Douglas in the Philippines - was the only bidder that pre-qualified in the bidding process. But it did not meet the technical specification of the minimum requirement of the 3,000 lbs. payload as required by the Philippine Air Force.
-Global Secuirty