[ Manila Bulletin Online ] July 2, 2008
By JONAS REYES
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) won the top marketing award for promoting this premier Freeport as a major tourism destination at the 2nd Philippine International Tourism Fair (PITF) held last week at the Cebu International Convention Center.
Team Subic Bay, headed by the SBMA Tourism Department and the Corporate Communications Group and supported by 10 tourism companies here, received the award for "Best in Marketing Efforts" during the PITF Awards Night on June 28, besting more than 100 local and foreign exhibitors in the three-day tourism fair.
The award was presented by PITF 2008 chairman Angel Ramos-Bognot, who had earlier joined Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano and Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia in visiting Subic’s exhibit booth.
Durano was impressed by both the concept and style of Team Subic Bay’s exhibits and presentations, said Raul Marcelo, SBMA deputy administrator for tourism.
Marcelo and other members of Team Subic Bay presented the crystal PITF trophy to SBMA Chairman Feliciano Salonga and SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza last Monday, reporting that the event became a venue for tourism stakeholders in Subic to showcase Subic’s best.
Aside from the SBMA, Team Subic Bay was represented by operators of six hotels, three theme parks, and one golf course in the Subic Bay Freeport.
"The fair was all about marketing really," Marcelo said. "We came out on top because we’ve been doing serious marketing for Subic tourism for a long time. This only proves that hard work really pays off.’’
In addition to the exhibit booth, Team Subic Bay made audio-visual presentations and performancs by dancers and singers that depicted the culture of Subic's indigenous Ayta tribe, said SBMA tourism department OIC Portia Zabala.
"Weve come up with a lot of marketing gimmicks, raffle draws, giveaways, mascots, and the SBMA Day. Perhaps these gave us the critical mass to clinch the award," she said.
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