Iloilo City might get what it wants from DOT

By Alex P. Vidal

“Tourism, human circulation considered as consumption is fundamentally nothing more than the leisure of going to see what has become banal.”— Guy Debord

MASTER the art of timing.

This is “Law 35” in Robert Greene’s very popular book, The 48 Laws of Power.
Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas may not be aware of this, but his recent idea to ask the Department of Tourism (DoT) to include the Dinagyang Festival and the Molo Church in the rebranding of the “Love the Philippines” promotional video may be the perfect elucidation of what mastering the art of timing is all about.

Now that the DOT is being bedeviled by the copycat fiasco for using stock video that digressed from Philippine originality in the scandal-ridden promotional video, now is the perfect time for them to listen and accommodate the suggestions from insightful local chief executives like Treñas even if they weren’t part of the administration’s original political bandwagon.

Before the stock video bombshell exploded, DOT, under the Marcos Jr. administration, unilaterally and arrogantly composed and wrapped up the tourism promotional video on their own and without proper consultation and coordination with the local festivals, tourism councils, and cultural heritage associations, which are actually part and parcel of national tourism promotion in the truest since of the word.

Thus it resulted in a sloppy job and embarrassment for the country.

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Assuming that the DOT will retain the now tainted “Love the Philippines” slogan even after yanking out the author/contractor of the doomed video, it isn’t far-fetched that they will take and consider the suggestions of Treñas and other mayors and governors who might also want to include their local festivals, cultural heritage, and tourist spots in the relaunching of the new promotional video.

“Anticipate the ebb and flow of power. Recognize when the time is right, and align yourself with the right side. Be patient and wait for your moment when you know you’ll benefit in the long run. Master the art of timing. When it’s time to make your end move against an opponent, strike without hesitation,” says the Law 35 (Master The Art Of Timing).

Timing isn’t only a good thing; in fact, it’s everything especially if we want to take advantage of changing fortunes.

We need to recognize the moment to act and we must constantly read the signs and move to ally ourselves with the right side.

But we’ve have been also warned to be ready to switch again right before the pendulum swings.

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The principles in Law 35 of the 48 Laws of Power may also be applied to other circumstances, especially in the quest for power, to survive and thrive while others are swept away.

We are encouraged to recognize change in the air: Be alert to the undercurrent as well as what’s happening around the edges of society. Rather than aligning with a crumbling past, look for the new leaders and movements to join.

Anticipate the reaction: When a new movement gathers momentum or a new power takes the throne, anticipate a reactionary wave and be ready to ride it.

Be patient and keep your cool: When things get chaotic, keep a low profile and play for time so you can see the right moment when it comes again.

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Like many curious social media account users, I am also excited to open an account at Threads after Facebook parent company Meta officially launched the new app as a direct rival of Twitter on July 5.

CNN reported that the app appears to have many similarities to its competitor, from the layout to the product description.

Threads is reportedly intended to offer a space for real-time conversations online, a function that has long been Twitter’s core selling point.

The app joins a growing list of Twitter’s rivals, but could pose the biggest threat given Meta’s vast resources and its massive audience, CNN reported.

Threads received 10 million sign-ups within seven hours of its launch, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on his verified Threads account. The launch also comes amid heightened turmoil at Twitter, which experienced an outage over the weekend, followed by an announcement that the site had imposed temporary limits on how many tweets users can read per day.

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HEALTH ALERT. 1. Let’s practice abstinence or monogamy. The most absolute way to protect ourselves is to abstain from sex. Abstinence is difficult but as possible option for many people, especially the young. Let’s think about it seriously.

2. If we are unable to practice abstinence and monogamy, let’s practice safe sex. Let’s avoid contact with blood, semen and vaginal secretions of an infected person. Kissing, rubbing, stroking and hugging are all safer sex practices that won’t expose us to HIV infection.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)