THE Philippines has been drawing flak lately because of the controversial launch of its new tourism slogan, 'Love the Philippines.' Filipinos are upset and embarrassed, especially by the reporting by international media. But the mistakes made are not without remedy, and the authorities are doing what they can to fix things. Hopefully, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco will weather the political storm that has ensued. We believe that she is a capable Cabinet official, and her policies are more significant than any slogan.

Those policies, of course, can be traced to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who believes that tourism can be harnessed to create jobs, stimulate rural development and accelerate economic growth. During the last presidential campaign, Mr. Marcos said reviving tourism was one of the quickest ways to recover from the economic blow of the Covid-19 pandemic.