Today, it was announced that former tourism secretary Mon Jimenez passed away. He was 64 years old.
The news was confirmed by members of the Aquino Cabinet, whom Jimenez worked with when he developed the iconic It’s More Fun in the Philippines tourism campaign in 2012.
According to current tourism secretary Bernadette Puyat, “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.”
Details of his passing have not been confirmed yet.
Jimenez is known as the man behind the viral It’s More Fun in the Philippines tourism campaign, which relied on social media to bring the country’s attractions to a global stage. He is known for saying that promoting the Philippines should be as easy “as selling fried chicken.”
Watch the video below:
After the tourism campaign, the country recorded 4.68 million visitors in 2013, compared to 4.27 million the previous year. It continuously increased in the following years, marking 4.83 million in 2014 and 5.36 million in 2015.
One of the campaign’s biggest initiatives was the Station Domination project, which took over the Waterloo Station in London. Commuters got to know more about the Philippines through banners, floor stickers, and immersive experiences such as virtual reality. Lucky Londoners also won flights to the country.
Watch it below:
It’s More Fun in the Philippines won several awards, including the Readers’ Choice for the “Fun” category at the Yomiuri Advertising Award 2013. The campaign is still being used today.
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