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As one of the priority programs of Governor Vilma Santos Recto, the Provincial
Government envisions Batangas tourism as a significant contributor to the provinces
economic, social and environmental development which creates and promotes worldclass destinations, service-oriented culture and sustainable tourism haven.
The researchers are motivated to conduct this study to assess the effectiveness
of All Here, So Near in the tourism campaign in the Province of Batangas. The result of
the study will be used as a strategy for the improvement of the tourist attractions in the
province. The researchers conduct this study because they believed that the innovation
will bring benefits to the locals as well as to the whole province. As tourism students,
they decided to conduct this research because they noticed that the slogan All Here, So
Near is just an ordinary phrase that is not given recognition by the Batangueos. As
tourism students, the researchers are not aware that there is a slogan existing in the
province that is why they want other locals as well as their fellow students to be aware of
the slogan and help the province to be more famous by promoting this slogan through
this research.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:
This research aims to assess the level of effectiveness of All Here, So Near
slogan.
Specifically, 1) to determine the demographic profile of the respondents; 2) to
assess the level of effectiveness of All Here, So Near slogan in terms of: tourist arrival,
branding the province, Socio - economic impact and marketing/ Promotional Strategies;
3) to identify the problems encountered by the respondents; 4) to determine if there is
significant difference on the effectiveness of All Here, So Near slogan campaign when

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grouped according to profile variables; 5) to propose an action plan to improve the
marketing strategies using the slogan.
RELATED LITERATURE

Originally
composed

of

Occidental
Mindoro,

Oriental

Mindoro,

Marinduque
parts

of

and

Laguna

Camarines

and

and
also

Ambosknown

as

COUMINTAN

or

KUMINTANG.
In 1534, Batangas became the first practically organized province in
Luzon and was officially founded in the year 1581. Balayan was the capital of the
province for 135 years from 1597 1732. In 1732 it was moved to Taal then the
most progressive and flourishing town of the province. After several calamitous
eruptions of Taal Volcano that buried then old Taal town site, the capital was
transferred to Batangas (now a city) in 1754 where it remained to the present,
(Batangas

Tourism 2015)

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The province of Batangas is bounded on the north by the provinces of

Cavite and Laguna, on the south by the Verde Island Passage, on the east by the
provinces of Quezon and Laguna, and on the west by the South China Sea. The
terrain is generally rolling. 50% of the total land area has grade of less than 15
degrees. The rest are mountainous and hilly. The Province has a rolling terrain
that accounts for 50% of the land area. The rest are mountainous and hilly. At the
center of the province is Mt. Makulot which is 957 meters above sea level,
(BATANGAS CITY: Best of the Islands Philippines, 2013).
With the expansion of the South Luzon Expressway, Batangas is better
accessible by land from Metro Manila with less traveling time. Complementary to
this, it has a province-wide road network. Due to the natural deep harbors of
Batangas Bay, it has 14 private seaports and 3 government seaports. These are
the Batangas International Ports in Batangas City, the Port of Bauan, and the
Port of Mainaga in Mabini. An International Airport is also scheduled to be
established inside Fernando Air Base, soon-to-be home of the Philippine Air
Force.
The province of Batangas is a favorable place for any business with a very
low crime rate and table labor condition. The strategically located military
detachments, police stations and outpost make the province as one of the most
advantageous spots to do business in the Philippines, (Batangas Business
Condition 2012).

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Batangas is also home to giant power plants, such as the two power
plants

of National

Power

Corporation in

Calaca,

and

Batangas

Power

Corporation plant in Batangas City, both of which supply a greater portion of

Luzon. Thus, power generation and supply are more than sufficient to meet
commercial, industrial and residential demands. Other power consortiums are
also in the process of putting up more.
Communication facilities such as telephone, fax, telegraph, electronic
mail, Internet, cable and postage mails, mobile phones and signal radios, and
broadcast facilities are also readily available. Cable television system has existed
for quite a long time.
Transportation facilities are readily available on land and sea, while air
transportation will soon become a reality. Already several private airstrips are
located in the province. Several military camps are also located in the province
including the Fernando Airbase in Lipa City. The opening of the South Luzon
Expressway by 1998 significantly reduced travel time to Metro Manila.
Industrial estates, hotels and quality housing projects are sprouting all
over the province providing bases for business and homes for migrant workers
and expatriates. Resort facilities and golf courses have been available for rest
and recreation for some time now. On the eastern side of Batangas, where La
Leona is located, aint even among the priority areas of the provinces tourism
program. According to Bangon, Batangas is known for its beautiful places, areas
far enough from the noisy and stressful urban life.

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The common attractions in Batangas are Beaches, Hiking, Churches,

Festivals, Shrines, Historical places and even the products and delicacies.
Batangas Beach Resorts are full of natural landscape that vacationers will love
and have a good time. The continuous marketing of existing world-class tourist
destinations are sustained, especially the renowned beach resorts of Mabini, San
Juan, Calatagan, Lian and Nasugbu.
One of the natural attractions that can be found in Batangas Province is
the Anilao diving spots (Mabini). Batangas is where diving in the Philippines was
born. Diving spots in Anilao became world famous because of the magnificent
underwater photo opportunities and the natural high it offers for scuba divers. In
Anilao, there are a lots of resorts that can be found. Some well-known resorts are
Anilao Beach Club, Eagle Point, Dive Solana, Aguila Beach Resort, Vivere Azure
and theres still lot more, (Batangas Tourism 2015).
Calatagan Mangrove Forest Conservation Park (Calatagan) is locally
known as Ang Pulo, the park is home to about 20 species of mangroves 15 of
which have been identified, a wide variety of shellfish and crustaceans and other
marine life. It also plays host to abundant species of birds, many of which nest
and stay in the area to feed in the vicinity, (Calatagan Mangrove Forest
Conservation Park 2015).
Lake Taal is the third largest in the country (240 sq km) and it cradles a 23
sq km island with a 1.2 sq km crater lake within. It has 37 tributaries flowing into it
and only one outlet to the sea, the 8.2 km Pansipit River which flows out to

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Balayan Bay. It is home to 15 species of migratory fish and 4 species of endemic

fish (e.g. tawilis and maliputo), as well as reptiles like the fresh sea snake known
as duhol. The basin is composed of 9 watersheds. Taal Volcano is a unique
geological masterpiece and a major landmark considered to be the heart of the
province of Batangas. It is a sought after destination accessible through the
municipalities of Talisay, San Nicolas, and Balete, (Batangas Tourism 2015).
Batangas is not only a place for beaches and mountains but manmade
attractions are also tourists favorites. One of the man-made attractions is the
Cape Santiago Lighthouse found also in Calatagan, Batangas. It is a century
old, also known as Punta de Santiago or Faro de Punta Santiago or simply
Calatagan Lighthouse. Cape Santiago is an imposing 51 ft tall white and red
brick lighthouse that was built in the 1800s to guide the seafarers passing the
Verde Island Passage, San Bernardino Strait and Manila Bay, (Cape Santiago
Lighthouse 2015).
The Basilica of St. Martin of Tours, designed by the famed Spanish
architect Don Luciano Oliver, stands 95 meters long and 45 meters wide on a
plateau in the heart of Taal. Originally built in an area that is now San Nicolas
town in 1575, the basilica was destroyed in the 1754 eruption of Taal volcano. It
was built in its present location in 1755 by the Augustinian missionaries and was
damaged anew in an 1849 earthquake. Rebuilt from 1856 to 1865 during the
time of the parish priest Fray Marcos Anton, (Taal Heritage Town 2011).
Marian Orchard is a haven of artistry that provides either the casual
adventurer or devout pilgrim with tranquility and peace of mind amidst the natural
beauty of the province of Batangas.

Located in Brgy. Malabanan, Balete,

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Batangas, the orchard is run by the Cristopolis Foundation Inc. One of the
highlights in this orchard is the Sacred Heart Tower, which is a replica of Brazils
Christ the Redeemer, (Guia 2012).
Some other attractions in Batangas are Mabini Shrine Contained in the
shrine are some of the writings and individual stuff of the late revolutionary hero
and "Brains of the Katipunan" Apolinario Mabini. He is also known as the
"Sublime Paralytic". A reproduction of his natal house and tomb can be viewed at
the site. Ilijan Falls also found in Batangas City, and can be spotted at Barrio
Daang Ibaan. The falls is so captivating, that the stream arises from a huge
spring at the top of a peak. And the water, drops from one rock to another.
Calicon Falls can be viewed at the town of Malvar, in Barrio Calijon. The falls has
two main falls, which is roughly 10 feet high. And Bulalacao Falls in Barrio
Bulaklakan, Lipa City. It has three diminutive falls and approximately ten feet
high, with streams coming out from a small cave.
Batangas a rated first class province has a lot of investment opportunities in
stored. The province strategic location makes it one of the most attractive destinations
for foreign and local tourists. And tourism related business has a great potential in the
province of Batangas. Beach resort development in Batangas has an extensive of
tranquil seaside and freshwater areas where different thematic beach resort
accommodation can be set up.
Ecotourism assures the sound investment opportunity in the ecological areas of
Batangas. It ensures that the very resources used for leisure are well conserved, with a
minimal impact on the environment. The various resources likewise suggest diverse
activities that can be proposed to different market sectors. Activities like snorkeling; bird
watching, dolphin watching, island hopping, and scuba diving are activities with good

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opportunities in Batangas. Coupled with a relaxing accommodation with modern resort
facilities.
In Batangas City the capital of the province. Batangas Bay is an idyllic place for
the development of first-class marina, projected to provide facilities and service to leisure
boats. Developing the existing Irene Port which service boats to Verde Island would
surely attract more tourists. Developing it to a world-class port could trigger new
business opportunities like restaurant or maybe a shopping center.
Verde Island and Tingloy has a large part perfect for resort development and
ideal locations for scuba diving activities. Although scuba diving is quite establish in both
island, much can be done to fully enhance its travel capability. This can be achieved with
the creation of more resort in both islands.
The town of Mabini, which is known for scuba diving, has opportunities in
trekking services, birdwatching services, restaurants and fast crafts for island hopping.
An additional investment opportunity in Mabini, are resort facilities that can
accommodate non-divers. Ideal places are the coastal barrios from Anilao to San
Teodoro in the west, and Sto. Nio to Mainit in the east. Another good example is the
Cumba Falls in Mabini, Batangas. Cumba Falls is a native of Bgy Malimatoc II, Mabini. It
was discovered by the local inhabitants but people started to go there just recently. It
was 2012 when it became an attraction through Facebook. As they interviewed a local
from Malimatoc, he told us that when he was young, it was hard for them to go to the
falls because of the narrow, savage path and its not safe to go there. During typhoon,
the falls changes its physical setting because of the flood that flows from the upper
barangays which are connected to the stream. The source of the water comes from the
spring in the mountain. (Magsaysay, Del Mundo, 2014). Lastly, Mt. Gulugod Baboy is a

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popular hiking destination for first timers. It is the perfect mountain for those who are
starting and wondering what does this activity really is. The mountain is situated in
Malimatoc I Mabini, Batangas. Aside from that, the trail is fairly easy so this adventure is
considered to e a minor climb. Pinoy Mountaineer rate the difficulty of this adventure to 2
out of 9. Still, a majestic view waits to those who will traverse Mt. Gulugod Baboy. This
attraction is popular among tourists during Holy Week.
The town of San Juan in Barrio Laiya has big opportunities in setting up medium
density resort facilities. But environmental concerns must be looked at before any
creation is made. Another untapped potential in Laiya is dolphin watching, which has the
presence of sufficient dolphins. Likewise, bird watching and trekking services have
commercial potentials in the town of San Juan.
In the calm town of Calatagan, there are considerable areas perfect for resort
development. Other potential investment opportunities are bird watching services, with
abundant mangrove areas. Scuba Diving services are likewise a potential having a good
number of dive sites and shipwreck, (Tourism Investment Opportunities in Batangas,
2012).
While some moneyed Filipinos are trying out Boracays shoreline, Vigans
heritage houses, or Mt. Mayons majestic sight in Albay, provincial officials say Batangas
has its own showcases: the beaches in San Juan, Calatagan and Nasugbu
municipalities; the heritage houses in Taal municipality; and the worlds smallest volcano,
Taal Volcano. The province is also banking on natures wonders to pull tourists into it.

For those tourists going to Batangas, the major attraction is the resort, the
dive spot or the beach, says an international journal article by Angelie Vizconde
and Sevilla Felicen of Lyceum of the Philippines. But these hospitality academics,

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citing DOT data, had also noticed less substantial spikes in tourist arrivals to
Batangas. That is even if the Southern Luzon Expressway (SLEX), the Southern
Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) Tollway, and the Alabang Calamba - Sto. Tomas
Expressway (ACTEX) has made the Batangas road trips of tourists like the
Bangon clan a breeze.
For resort owner Villafranca, even if there are nearer destinations like
Laguna and Cavite, the quality of tourist spots of Batangas is better than the
nearer tourist getaways. While many rural areas in the Philippines have their own
tourist showcases, the new national tourism development plan will implement
what it calls the inclusive destination concept. DOT will implement a threepronged approach to bolster tourism: improving market access and connectivity
especially through improving ports and roads leading to the destinations;
developing and marketing competitive destinations and local products; and
improving local governance efforts related to tourism.

The Metro Manila-

Calabarzon is one of those seven tourism clusters for Luzon, the priority
municipalities will be Taal and Balayan (as heritage towns), San Nicolas (for its
sunken ruins), Cuenca (for the development of Mt. Makulot), and Nasugbu (for its
first-class resorts, including Hamilo Coast owned by tycoon Henry Sy).
Western and central Batangas municipalities also stand to get some funds
for constructing roads that are found near tourist destinations Mabini, San
Juan, Lobo, and San Nicolas. Lipa City is the only eastern Batangas area, if the
DOTs national plan document is to be believed, with infrastructure funds to

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improve roads from gravel to asphalt concrete leading to that areas tourism
showcase, The Farm at San Benito (a medical wellness resort).
As for the provinces tourism development plan that Katigbak is in charge
of, the clustering of the destinations is by type of destination: nature, historical,
sports, festivals, religious, culinary, arts and crafts, medical and wellness,
industrial and outdoor categories. The said plan will also feature the municipality
of Lobo and Taal Lake and Volcano as the provinces premier eco-tourism sites.
Yet DOT, the Batangas Provincial Tourism office, and probably the tourism offices
in the 3 cities and 31 municipalities of Batangas dont have abundant resources.
Katigbak says the budget this year to do the provincial plans projects
such as setting up tourism information and pasalubong centers, public
awareness campaigns, institutionalizing tourism-related festivals, and even
training of security personnel is P10 million. As per Katigbak also, the provincial
government will tap the private sector in implementing the tourism plan.
Especially since tourism is more than just the destination and the services
given to tourists. Paved roads and natures wonders matter, says the national
plan. Well, says Villafranca, the crime rates in the province will affect the level
of tourist arrivals here -and Katigbak said identified tourist destinations will be
beefed up with visible numbers of police personnel. So whether a Philippine or
a Batangueno area is to be supported more or less in terms of tourism
development, that place must make tourists feel relaxed. That is why Batangas

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has a lot to offer to tourists things that tourists want to experience, The Filipino
Connection, 2015).
Two lines capture the attention, All Here. So Near is the recent slogan of the
province of Batangas. It was launched at Batangas Capitol in the year 2008 and the
phrase was an idea of Sen. Ralph Recto. According to the Batangas Tourism Office, the
original phrase was, Its All Here, Its So Near but when they changed the Tourism
Head to Ms. Emilie Katigbak, the phrase was also changed into All Here, So Near.
According to Senator Recto, everything is in Batangas whether attractions and products.
It seems like tourists will never be happy if they stay in Batangas for 3 days and less. It
will always have they will look forward to seeing what is best in a particular town.
Batangas province maybe being compared to other provinces but it is most easily
reached when talking about destination.
All Here. So Near., so near that passing through Startoll way, it is an easier
connection between the tourists and Batangas. Every year as Ala Eh is celebrated,
Startoll management has never failed to give their full support and when tourists or
Batangas locals pass through it, they can see a long streamer installed promoting all
what are interesting in the Batangas province. Startoll way connects tourist to a
particular destination to present and justify Batangas that it is So Near. It is
transportation and road accessibility that from Manila, it will take 2 hours going Batangas
compare to when there was no Star Toll Way yet.

BATANGAS CITYFour years ago, the governor of this southern Luzon

province summed up Batangas tourism here in five words: Batangas is being left
behind. Batangueos may not find those words by Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto in

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2008 encouraging, especially since those were said before attendees of the first
province-wide tourism spectacle called the Ala-Eh Festival.
In Batangan Tagalog, ala means well while eh serves as a particle that is
pronounced with emphasis. So to call Batangas annual festival as ala eh, in the
typical way Batangueos stress their words, has an explicit message: well, come
here! So for the fifth time running, Batangas presents to its province mates and to
Filipino and foreign tourists the Ala-Eh Festival, banking on such festivity to bring
back Batangas into Filipinos recall of the province as a proximate tourist hotspot.
There are actually numbers to back up Santos-Rectos 2008 observation:
three rounds of domestic tourism surveys by the National Statistics Office (NSO)
show steep declines in the number of tourists heading to Batangas. The biggest
gainer in these surveys was poverty-stricken Camarines Sur, what with its
CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC) in Pili and the pristine beaches of
Caramoan municipality.
And while the provinces tourism slogan says All Here, So Near, tourist
destinations that needed plane rides from Metro Manila Cebu, Negros Oriental,
and even Lanao del Norte have outranked Batangas in terms of tourist
volumes.
The numbers from those surveys just confirmed what the two-term
governor had heard from Filipino tourists prior to the first Ala Eh festival:

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Whenever they mention those provinces with beautiful tourist spots the first
things that come to their mind were Palawan and Bohol.
This Calabarzon province thats now 431 years old has tourism as part of the
Santos-Recto provincial governments socio-economic platform, whose acronym is
called HEARTS (health, education, agriculture, roads, tourism, and security). But even
as the provincial government has yet to produce empirical impact assessments of the
number of tourists the annual festival has hauled, the show must go on, so is inviting
or begging people to come, (Luistro, 2015).

The slogan has a connection with the Ala Eh Festival which is celebrated every
year during December 1st in different municipalities. Why Ala Eh Festival is important to
the slogan? For about 35 municipalities participate in the celebration

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of the festival which features the products and all the things that can be found in each
municipality. Ala Eh festival plays an important role in the slogan because it highlights
the beautiful traditions and cultural identity of Batangas. They are all contained in one
big celebration.
Batangas province is not only popular as a summer destination in the country but
its also a home to variety of products which are the provinces pride. All here connotes
all what just can be enjoyed all over Batangas. There is this word called, OTOP which
means One Town, One Product. This is a project of Department of Trade and Industry
used some years ago specifically the Batangas Province as headed by Director Ruel
Gonzales. This project is to be able to identify and give distinctive recognition for each
town and what makes the town very popular. In the figure shown above, it is the logo of
the Ala Eh festival and each letters it showcases different products of Batangas from
different municipalities. One of the products is the maliputo. According to Bureau of
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Director Malcolm Sarmiento Jr, the maliputo
fish belongs to the Caringidae family, with a scientific name Caranx Ignobilis. Talakitok a
marine water fish breeds and spawn in brackish water, normally found in river mouths
and mangroves. When the small talakitok fish, which is normally referred around Lemery
and Taal as muslo fish, finds its way to the Pansipit River is normally referred as
maliputong labas which means that it was caught not inside the lake, but instead
captivated at the river. But the real maliputo, as stated by the old folks of Taal, Lemery
and San Nicholas is the one caught inside Taal Lake. Often referred as the maliputong
loob. these are the muslo fish that made it all the way inside Taal Lake through Pansipit
River, (Maliputo Fish, 2012).
Other products that Batangas should be proud of are the sweet delicacies like
Pakaskas, originated in Verde Island and Panutsa of Taal. Pakaskas is a snack made in

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the island and its made from Buri palm sugar molds, (Josiah 2010) and Panutsa, Taals
sweet deli is the counterpart of Baguios infamous peanut brittle. Made of caramelized
brown sugar and whole peanuts, this delicacy is one good choice for a sweet fixation,
(Panutsa: Sweet and Simple Taal Deli 2015).
Theres no way this product will be left behind, the Kapeng Barako which is
originally from Batangas province either Mataas na Kahoy or Lipa. If you were to trace
history, Cavite claims that they were the origin of the Kape but they just followed in
producing Kapeng Barako because they took advantage of it when epidemic hit Lipa.
Originally from Lipa History, there was once time that Lipa patronized the Kapeng
Barako because we were the only best and qualified exporter of coffee all over the
world. And for that matter, Lipa became so rich that even their shoes are adorned with
crystals. Barako is a rare and exotic coffee grown primarily in the Philippines. "Barako"
(also spelled "Baraco") has become a generic name for all coffee from the province of
Batangas, but real Barako is actually Philippine Liberica and is known for its particularly
strong taste, powerful body, and a distinctly pungent aroma. (Kapeng Barako, 2009).
One of the products of Batangas is the world-renowned Balisong fan knife, also
known as Batangas knife, is expertly hand-crafted and use wood, bone or animal horn
as gilt. Other bladed materials such as bolos and knives of various shapes and sizes
are produced by blacksmiths from Barangays Balisong and Pandayan, (Taal Batangas
Heritage Town, 2015). Mr. Montenegro (2015) said that the Balisong was supposed to be
removed in the Ala Eh slogan because of its negative connotation of being a deadly
weapon but he insisted that it should remain because its one of the prides of the
province.

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There are lots of products that make Batangas province more famous like the
Sampaloc wine of Lobo. Lobo is known for its Anihan Festival because of its bountiful
produce. One of which is the tamarind fruit. When wines from various fruits were
produced in other parts of the country, Lobo thought of creating its own variety of wine
and that is the Tamarind Wine, (Hernandez 2011). Balayan is famous for its Lechon and
Bagoong which is a fermented anchovy sauce used as dip or a saline ingredient for
Pinoy dishes. And Balayan is where the bagoong production industry boomed. Barong
Tagalog of Taal, the cattle which is the livestock industry and one of the biggest livestock
markets all over the country, Lomi of Ibaan, tinapay of Cuenca, suman yakap for San
Juan, Ibaan and Tanauan are some too. Atchara or atsara is an appetizer famously
produced in the town of Calaca. Achara or pickled green papaya mixed with carrots,
onions, red bell pepper, and raisins. Being the large producer of achara, Calaca
celebrates their popular produce through their CALACATCHARA Festival. These are not
the only products because each town has something to present. Given all these
products, it also has reached to a point that every Batangas town is aware and
conducting festivals that directly present a true meaning of what can be their product.
Some examples will be the Achara of Calaca or the Calacatchara, Sinuam Festival, San
Jose, Sinukmani Festival, Rosario, Tinapayan Festival, Cuenca, Taal El Pasubat,
Lechon Parade of Balayan and some others.
Recently, part of what can be the All Here, So Near objective, they are
promoting full discovery of what can be hidden gems or hidden treasures of the
province. In the last Ala Eh Festival, there was this photo exhibit and competition
wherein they presented all Tagong Yaman ng Lalawigan. The Tagong Yaman to date that
only in this year, they finally presented it as better or alternative destination. Batangas
Province has had enough of the Churches, beaches, ancestral houses and this time, it

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will go to places wherein we never thought that these particular things and structures
exist.
The All hear, So Near slogan of the tourism of Batangas tells that, whatever
your interest may be in visiting a place, youll find your way leading to Batangas. May it
be for a religious trip, a cultural, historical, or educational tour, a gastronomic adventure,
or a beach vacation, you would get a place to see in this progressive province. The
greatest advantage of this is its proximity to the countrys capital, Manila. Local and
foreign tourists alike can traverse the province from various entry points. Our province
uses this slogan as one marketing strategy to catch up tourists. It can be compared to
the slogan of the Philippines, Its More Fun in the Philippines. This slogan gives a lot of
tourist arrival here in the country as to the provinces slogan which helps to attract tourist
and visit Batangas.
Based on the graph above, it shows the tourist arrivals of the chosen
municipalities, particularly the most visited municipalities in Batangas Province since the
slogan was launched on the year 2008 up to 2014. The data were gathered from the

Provincial Tourism Office and were interpreted by the researchers. It can be noticed that

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some municipalities have zero (0) tourist arrival from 2008 2011. According to PTCAO,
some tourist attractions or municipalities do not submit the number of tourist arrivals to
them for some reasons. One can be because of the amusement tax and another will be,
the establishment is too small to submit the number of tourism influx.
Based on the chart, Taal and Batangas City increased the number of tourist
arrivals from the year 2008 2014. Batangas City reached the highest number of tourist
arrivals among the 31 municipalities and 3 cities of the province. Batangas City just
gained 558, 133 number of tourists last 2014. Based on a research that the researchers
conducted, Batangas City ranked 36th among the overall ranking for cities, while Lipa
ranked 57th and Tanauan 81st respectively. Based on the CMCI, Batangas Citys
performance is perflexing,
(Opiniano, 2014).
The municipalities of Lian, Tanauan, Cuenca, Lipa and San Juan has indefinite
numbers of tourist arrivals each year that it increases and decreases, while Calatagan,
Nasugbu also went down from the number of tourist arrival.
Tourism is more fun in the Philippines. On the 41st anniversary of the
Department of Tourism (DOT), Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. has one appeal to every
Filipino: make tourism your business. Jimenezs enthusiasm in spreading the gospel of
tourism to his countrymen is understandable. The industry has become one of the
biggest moneymakers for the Philippines (Manto-Beltran, 2014).
In 2013, the total revenue from inbound visitors increased by 15.1 percent, to a
hefty $4.40 billion (P186.15 billion). The increase surprised tourism officials, who were
expecting fewer visitors after a series of calamities struck the country. According to
Jimenez, 4,681,307 foreigners visited the country last year, a 9.56 percent jump from

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2012 figure of 4,272,811. The figure was below the Philippine target of five million
arrivals for the year, but Jimenez still considers 2013 to be a milestone for the tourism
industry, since visitor arrivals increased despite the devastating earthquake in Cebu and
Bohol and Super Typhoon Yolanda in November. Jimenez said the key source markets
generally performed well during the month of December, proof of the tourism sectors
resilience.
Jimenez believes that one of the reasons that attracted foreign tourists to the
country is the DOTs aggressive promotion campaign, bannered by slogan, Its more fun
in the Philippines.
According to Jimenez, Tourism is not about the number of foreigners visiting our
country, but rather the jobs and businesses we create for the Filipino people. This was
the guiding principle and vision shared by President Benigno S. Aquino III.
Hogaza (2014), explains that the countrys tourism slogan Its more fun in the
Philippines landed third among the 100 smartest marketing campaigns in the world.
Marketing intelligence service Warc released its annual Warc 100 list of the worlds top
marketing campaigns based on performance in effectiveness and strategy competitions.
During the search, Warc took note of the Philippine tourism marketing campaigns
remarkable success despite minimal budget allocation.
Its more fun in the Philippines campaign was launched in 2012 to attract
visitors to the country. The campaign hopes to enjoin the whole country in creating
positive buzz around this tagline. Remo (2012) wrote in her article, The Inquirer, the new
tourism slogan is gaining more positive reactions from Filipinos since January when the
slogan was released.

22
All here, so near..
Visitor arrivals to the Philippines stroked the target of an all-time high of 1, 148,
072 during the first three months of the year, posting an increase of 16.03 percent
compared to last years arrivals of 989, 501 for the same period. Deputy Presidential
spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Department of Tourism (DOT) under Secretary
Ramon Jimenez Jr. has announced the good news that 2.14 million foreign travelers
visited the country from January to June year 2012. The figure was 11.68 percent higher
compared to the same period in 2011. The local tourism industry targets 4.6 million by
the end of the year, (Jaymalin, M., 2014).
METHODS
Research Design
The researcher will use the descriptive method of research in conducting the
study. In human research, descriptive study can provide a naturally occurring health
status, behavior, attitudes or other characteristics of a particular group. Descriptive
studies are also conducted to demonstrate associations or relationships between things
in the world around you, (Toury, 2012).
Participants
The participants of this study are the PTCAO or Provincial Tourism Cultural and
Affairs Office (15), Tourism Officers (34) and Government Officials (34) of all the
municipalities in the Batangas Province with the total of 83 respondents.
Instrument
In obtaining the necessary data, the researchers used the questionnaire as their
main instrument and answer conveniently by the respondents. To acquire the data, the
questionnaire is divided into three parts. Part I of the questionnaire is about the

23
All here, so near..
Demographic Profile of the respondent. The second part is about the Assessment of the
Effectiveness of All Here, So Near Slogan under this part, it is divided into four
categories. The first one will be the in the tourism industry of the Batangas Province in
terms of Tourist Arrival, Province Branding, Socio Economic Aspect and
Marketing/Promotional Strategies. Part III of the questionnaire is about the Problems
Encountered by the Respondents.
Procedures
The researchers went to the library exposing themselves to the different sets of
questionnaires found in the appendices of the unpublished thesis materials. Interviews
were conducted to add insight of information for conclusions. The questionnaires
conducted after the appropriate contents were determined. After construction, the selfmade questionnaire was presented to the professor for revisions, corrections and
approval.

Data Analysis
Upon the accumulation of the questionnaire, all data gathered will be tallied,
tabulated and interpreted. Different statistical tools will be used like ranking, weighted
mean, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).
Ranking will be used to determine the positional ranking of the items laid in the
questionnaire.
Weighted mean is used to assess the effectiveness of the Alll Here, So Near
Slogan in the Tourism Industry of the Batangas Province.

24
All here, so near..
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is used to determine if there exists significant
difference on the effectiveness of All Here, So Near slogan in the Tourism Industry of
Batangas Province when grouped according to profile variables. All data treated using
the SPSS software.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1
Distribution of Respondents According to Profile
N = 83

Gender

Frequency

Percentage(%)

Rank

Male

43

52

Female

40

48

18 25

11

13

26 35

14

17

36 45

28

34

46 Above

30

36

DOT Officer

49

59

Government Officials

34

41

Age

Respondent

The Distribution of Respondents According to Profile was presented in table 1.

Majority of the respondents are male with 43 frequency or 52 percent while there 40
Female with a percentage of 48. The male respondents are the dominant in ranking

25
All here, so near..
because most of the government officials/officers are male. In general, men can be
characterised as more confident than women (Bengtsson, Persson, & Willenhag, 2005),
especially regarding financial decisions (Barber & Odean, 2001; Correll, 2001). Before
man have more rights than women in leading the government. And Philippine
government needed a masculinity to lead our country.
Most of the respondents belong to age 46 and above with 30 or 36 percent.
Others belong to 36 40 with 28 or 34 percent, 14 are belong to 26 35 with a
percentage of 17 and the lowest in ranking belongs to 18 25 years old with a frequency
of 11 equal to 13 percent. 46 and above was the first in ranking because on this age, the
respondents are more knowledgeable about the slogan. Most of the respondents belong
to this group of age because they work in the government for so many years already
than those who belong to 18 25 group of age who are the fresh graduates and work in
the DOT as trainees.
The respondents, majority are DOT Officials followed by the government
Officials. According to the number of participants involved in this study, there will be only
one government official in each municipality to answer the questionnaire and the rest will
be the DOT Officers.

Table 2.1
Level of Effectiveness of All Here, So Near Slogan in terms of Tourist Arrival

26
All here, so near..
Weighted
Mean

Verbal
Interpretation

Rank

1. attracts many local and foreign tourists to the

province.

3.42

Agree

2. maintains the position as one of the favorite

destinations or it even made the province more
popular because of its cultural treasures.

3.40

Agree

3. gives curiosity to the travellers.

3.37

Agree

4. gives an idea that the place is just a few

distance away from Manila. Also, the place is
complete with different types of attractions.
(Natural, Man Made and Cultural/Heritage)

3.64

Strongly Agree

5. being compared to Its more fun in the

Philippines made the tourists visit the Batangas
province more often as to the foreign tourists
visit our country.

3.17

Agree

3.40

Agree

Indicators
The slogan All Here, So Near......

Composite Mean

Legend: 3.50 4.00 Strongly Agree (SA); 2.50 3.49 Agree (A); 1.50 2.49
Disagree (D); 1.00 1.49 Strongly Disagree (SD)

The Level of Effectiveness of All Here, So Near slogan in terms of Tourist arrival
is presented in table 2.1. It is noticed that it has a composite mean of 3.38 with the
verbal interpretation as Agree. All items yield with values of weighted mean ranging from
3.29 3.49. Gives an idea that the place is just a few distance away from Manila. Also,
the place is complete with different types of attractions. (Natural, Man Made and
Cultural/Heritage) ranked first with the weighted mean of 3.64 and verbal interpretation
as Strongly Agree. The item All Here, So Near attracts many tourists, got the second
ranking with the weighted mean of 3.42 and verbally interpreted as Agree. Followed by
the third item maintaining the position as one of the favorite destinations or it even made

27
All here, so near..
the province more popular because of its cultural treasures with the weighted mean of
3.40 and verbally interpreted as Agree.
The respondents strongly agree that Batangas is just a few distance away from
Manila because of the lesser time a tourist can travel from the city to the province. It will
only take an hour and a half to two hours to get from Manila to Batangas. The time travel
got lessen because of the expansion and additional lanes of Star Toll way than travelling
before using the Turbina By pass road.
According to Mr. Montenegro, he restated what Sen. Ralph Recto said that
everything is in Batangas whether attractions and products. It will always have they will
look forward to seeing what is best in a particular town. Batangas province maybe being
compared to other provinces but it is most easily reached when talking about
destination. All Here. So Near., so near that passing through Startoll way, it is an easier
connection between the tourists and Batangas. Startoll management has never failed to
give their full support and when tourists or Batangas locals pass through it, they can see
a long streamer installed promoting all what are interesting in the Batangas province.
The curiosity of the travellers ranked fourth with the weighted mean of 3.37 and
verbally interpreted as Agree by the respondents. The item that ranked the lowest was
the All Here, So Near is being compared to Its more fun in the Philippines made the
tourists visit the Batangas province more often as to the foreign tourists visit our country
weighted 3.17 and verbally interpreted as Agree. According to some of the respondents,
especially the government officials, they are not fully aware of what All Here, So Near
slogan is but more familiar with Its More Fun in the Philippines slogan. This means that
it is through Its More fun in the Philippines slogan that foreign tourists visit the Batangas
Province and not by All Here, So Near.

28
All here, so near..
The Batangas Provincial Tourism office, and probably the tourism offices in the
31 cities and municipalities of Batangas dont have abundant resources. DOT in Manila
also admits that promoting Its More Fun in the Philippines has budgetary constraints,
and ordinary Filipinos using social media had been asked to make the promotion effort,
including those who promote tourist areas jokingly, (The Filipino Connection, 2015).
Table 2.2
Level of Effectiveness of All Here, So Near Slogan in terms of Branding
the Province

Weighted
Mean

Verbal
Interpretation

Rank

1. through the project OTOP, One Town, One

Product, helped to promote the Batangas
province

3.49

Agree

2. is strong enough to brand the province.

3.46

Agree

3. made the province as top of the mind/top

choice of many traveller or travel agencies.

3.34

Agree

4. through its official website, branded the

provinces well rounded magnificent attractions.

3.30

Agree

5. tells that whatever a tourists interests are,

they will find their way leading to Batangas
Province.

3.29

Agree

3.38

Agree

Indicators
All Here, So Near Campaign.....

Composite Mean

Legend: 3.50 4.00 Strongly Agree (SA); 2.50 3.49 Agree (A); 1.50 2.49
Disagree (D); 1.00 1.49 Strongly Disagree (SD)

Table 2.1 shows the Level of Effectiveness of All Here, So Near slogan in terms
of Tourist Arrival rated to be Agree with a composite mean of 3.40. All items yield with
values of weighted ranging from 3.29 - 3.49. Through the project OTOP, One Town, One
Product, helped to promote the Batangas province ranked first with the weighted mean

29
All here, so near..
of 3.49 and verbal interpretation as Agree. The second in the ranking is the slogan is
strong enough to brand the province with the weighted mean of 3.46 and has a verbal
interpretation as Agree. The third item is made the province as top of the mind/top
choice of many traveller or travel agencies with 3.34 as its weighted mean and Agree as
its verbal interpretation.
The Project OTOP or One Town, One Product helps a lot to brand the province of
Batangas. According to Mr. Montenegro, each town in Batangas province has its own
product that will represent their municipality. Through these products, it will help to brand
the Batangas province as they will serve as the trademark of each known and will make
them more popular.
The OTOP is a priority program of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to promote
entrepreneurship and create jobs, OTOP-Philippines encourages the countrys MSMEs
to produce and market distinct products or services using indigenous raw materials and
manpower. The One Town, One Product (OTOP-Philippines) is a priority program of the
government to promote entrepreneurship and create jobs. Through OTOP, local chief
executives of each city and municipality take the lead in identifying, developing, and
promoting a specific product which has a competitive advantage, Department of Trade
and Industry. 2015).
Through its official website, branded the provinces well-rounded magnificent
attractions with a weighted mean 3.30 and verbally interpreted as Agree ranked forth.
The item that got the lowest ranking tells that whatever a tourists interests are, they will
find their way leading to Batangas Province with 3.29 weighted mean and verbally
interpreted as Agree. Today, tourists might find their interests not only in Batangas
anymore but they can visit other destinations here in the country. There are lot of

30
All here, so near..
common attractions that tourists can find here in Region 4-A and as well to other
provinces.
There are tourists leading to Batangas for their interests but many travellers find
Batangas as top of their choice although there are still some who visit the province.
These travellers are likely from the city who wants to find relaxation for a short period of
time, otherwise, if they have their full time on leisure, they will likely go to Palawan or
Boracay for the beaches because of its night life and other activities that cannot be
found in the province, Vigan for the Historical attractions and many others.
As far as a tourist destination goes Cavite is not one that rolls off the tongue. It
does not have spectacular beaches or natural surrounds, but for those in between flights
from Manila, it can make for a pleasant day trip. Cavite is famous for the island of
Corregidor, from World War II, which is proudly part of the province. Laguna has an
enormous number of hot springs, combined with the rugged terrain, rivers, gorges and
volcanoes it literally abounds in natural wonders while Rizal It has fantastic views of the
Sierra Madre Mountain ranges and Laguna de Bay. The province is not particularly
popular for tourists, but it has some nice places to stop whilst travelling further south.
And lastly, Quezon province is extremely popular during Lent as thousands of people
flock to the province. Numerous different religions and sects celebrate with annual
ceremonies, (CALABARZON 2015).
Table 2.3
Level of Effectiveness of All Here, So Near Slogan in terms of Socio Economic
Impact

Indicators

Weighted
Mean

Verbal
Interpretation

Rank

31
All here, so near..
The All Here, So Near.....
1. has an effect on the improvement of standard
of living of local community.

3.18

Agree

2. has an effect on the employment opportunities

and generates continuous income for the local
stakes.

3.23

Agree

3. attracts investors in the province.

3.34

Agree

4. promotes the local produced products.

3.42

Agree

5. has a great impact on the business side of the

tourism industry (Hotel, Restaurants, Resorts and
Amusement Parks)

3.41

Agree

Composite Mean

3.32

Agree

Legend: 3.50 4.00 Strongly Agree (SA); 2.50 3.49 Agree (A); 1.50 2.49
Disagree (D); 1.00 1.49 Strongly Disagree (SD)

The Level of Effectiveness of All Here, So Near slogan in terms of SocioEconomic Impact is presented in table 2.3. It is noticed that it has a composite mean of
3.32 with the verbal interpretation of Agree. All items yield with values of weighted mean
ranging from 3.18 3.42. The item that the slogan promotes the local produced products
ranked first with a weighted mean of 3.42 and verbally interpreted as Agree. The rank
two is the item which tells that the slogan has a great impact on the business side of the
tourism industry (Hotel, Restaurants, Resorts and Amusement Parks) with the weighted
mean 3.41 and verbally interpreted as Agree. Followed by third item which is to attract
investors in the province with the weighted mean 3.34 and verbally interpreted as Agree.

Based on the interview conducted by the researchers, The All Here, So Near
slogan does not only promote the attractions that can be found in Batangas province but

32
All here, so near..
as well as its products. Each town has its own product that gives a recognition and
identification to make them more popular.
Batangas is not only a popular summer destination in the Philippines, it is also
home to various products which are among the provinces pride. Some popular products
include Kapeng Barako, Balisong, Panutsa andTapa of Taal. Lambanog of San Juan,
Bagoong of Balayan, Tamarind Wine of Lobo and Achara of Calaca (Hernandez, 2011).
Has an effect on the employment opportunities and generates continuous income
for the local stakes ranked fourth with the weighted mean 3.23 and verbally interpreted
as Agree.
The item that ranked the lowest is that the slogan All Here, So Near has an
effect on the improvement of standard of living of local community. The item has a
weighted mean of 3.18 with a verbal interpretation as Agree. The slogan has an impact
in the standard of living in the locals of the province. The item was the lowest because
only some municipalities and locals are given a job or employment that uplifts their
standard of living.
Batangas Vice Governor Mark Leviste who dissected Batangas Tourism: All
Here, So Near! Vice Gov. Leviste shared that one way of enriching the lives of
Batangueos is by attracting both foreign and local tourists to come and experience
Batangas. Like Mencias and Tabora, Leviste also put emphasis on environmental
protection. We give utmost importance in protecting our environment, he told. Leviste
also showed how well-rounded the tourism of the province is by giving examples which
can be found and/or experienced in Batangas for each of the tourism approaches
traditional, cultural, sports, fiesta, religious, culinary, arts and crafts, wellness, outdoor,

33
All here, so near..
and cultural tourism. At the end of his talk, Leviste remarked that the main assets of
Batangas tourism are accessibility and its beautiful people, (Hernandez 2014).

Table 2.4
Level of Effectiveness of All Here, So Near Slogan in terms of
Marketing/Promotional Strategies

Weighted
Mean

Verbal
Interpretation

Rank

1. is supported by setting up of tourist

information center in every town.

3.10

Agree

2. is promoted through all forms of media and

more specifically, best advantages are the social
media.

3.37

Agree

3. is included in pamphlets, brochures, tarpaulin

and streamers to help attract foreign and local
tourists.

3.45

Agree

4. is used by tour operators (Manila or Provincial

based) while promoting/selling tour packages
during lull months.

3.16

Agree

5. is promoted by tourism related establishments

and government tourism offices by posting
tarpaulins and streamers.

3.18

Agree

Composite Mean

3.25

Agree

Indicators
All Here, So Near......

Legend: 3.50 4.00 Strongly Agree (SA); 2.50 3.49 Agree (A); 1.50 2.49
Disagree (D); 1.00 1.49 Strongly Disagree (SD)

34
All here, so near..
Table 2.4 shows the Level of effectiveness of All Here, So Near Slogan in terms
of Marketing/Promotional Strategies. The composite mean of the respondents was 3.25
with the verbal interpretation as Agree.
The item that got the highest ranking was the included in pamphlets, brochures,
tarpaulin and streamers to help attract foreign and local tourists with a weighted mean of
3.45 and verbally interpreted as Agree. Promoted through all forms of media and more
specifically, best advantages are the social media, result of the weighted mean was 3.37
with the verbal interpretation of agree and ranked 2 by the respondents. The weighted
mean of promoted by tourism related establishments and government tourism office by
posting tarpaulins and streamers was 3.18 with a verbal interpretation of agree and
ranked 3 in the result given by the respondents. The All Here, So Near slogan is often
found in brochures of some municipalities promoting their products and tourist
attractions. Also, the slogan can be found in streamers and tarpaulins along the Star Toll
way and Balagtas Rotonda which somehow helps to catch the attention of the travellers.
One of the most famous festivals in Batangas is Ala Eh! Festival uses a tarpaulin
to promote All Here So Near and to celebrate their founding anniversary. The tarpaulin
showcases all the products that you can see in Batangas Province. The festival also
helps to attract tourist to go to the province.

35
All here, so near..

The result of the mean value used by tour operators (Manila or Provincial based)
while promoting/selling tour packages during lull months was 3.16 with the verbal
interpretation of agree and ranked 4 in the strategies given.
It was found out that the weighted mean of supported by setting up tourist
information center in every town was 3.10 with the verbal interpretation as Agree and it
was also found out that this item ranked the lowest in Marketing/Promotional Strategies.
This item got the lowest in ranking because there are still no tourism information centers
in some municipalities in the Batangas province. Some information centers are mostly
located in those municipalities which have a lot of tourist attractions.
DOT, the Batangas Provincial Tourism office, and probably the tourism offices in
the 31 cities and municipalities of Batangas dont have tourism information center as of
now but Katigbak says the budget this year to do the provincial plans projects such as
setting up tourism information and pasalubong centers, public awareness campaigns,

36
All here, so near..
institutionalizing tourism-related festivals, and even training of security personnel is P10
million. As per Katigbak also, the provincial government will tap the private sector in
implementing the tourism plan, (The Filipino Connection Reportorial Team 2012).
Table 2.5
Summary of the Level of Effectiveness of All Here, So Near Slogan of Batangas

Indicators

Weighted
Mean

Verbal
Interpretation

Rank

Tourist Arrival

3.40

Agree

Branding the Province

3.38

Agree

Socio Economic Impact

3.32

Agree

Marketing/Promotional Strategies

3.25

Agree

Composite Mean

3.34

Agree

Legend: 3.50 4.00 Strongly Agree (SA); 2.50 3.49 Agree (A); 1.50 2.49
Disagree (D); 1.00 1.49 Strongly Disagree (SD)

The Summary of the Level of Effectiveness of All Here, So Near Slogan of

Batangas shows in table 2.5 with a composite mean of 3.34 and a verbal interpretation
as Agree.
The tourist arrival shows the highest ranked with a mean value of 3.40 and verbal
interpretation as Agree. Branding the Province weighted mean is 3.38 with a verbal
interpretation as Agree and ranked 2 in the result. Another result for Socio Economic
Impact mean value is 3.32 with a verbal interpretation as Agree. The Tourist arrival
ranked first because the slogan All Here, So Near attracts tourists which help to boost
and increase the number of tourism influx in the province. It also ranked first because

37
All here, so near..
even though it is just a simple phrase, it is strong enough to catch the attention of the
travellers.
By promoting the province in different places helps to increase the influx of the
tourist in Batangas.

One of the plans of Gov. Vilma Santos is the Tourism in Batangas

that according to her would help to raise the economy in Batangas. She stated that
Tourism can fuel the growth of our country. You raise the tourist arrivals, you generate
more jobs and provide income opportunities. She also adds that she will continue to
make the program stronger like in production promotion, tourism promotion, and ecotourism at destinations development so that we can attract more tourist to visit our
province. With the implementation of the tourism development plans and programs, we
are very optimistic that we can now put Batangas higher in the tourism map of our
country she included, (Balita, 2012).
The lowest ranked was Marketing/Promotional Strategies which ranked 4 in the
result and the mean value was 3.25 with a verbal interpretation as Agree.
And the Marketing/Promotional Strategies got the lowest in ranking because the
government does not have enough budgets on how they can promote the province.
Also, the researchers interviewed the respondents and they found out that some
Government Officials have no idea about the slogan. One municipality cannot fully
promote the slogan if the government officials themselves do not know anything about
All Here, So Near. Marketing/Promotional Strategies ranked the lowest because the
slogan All Here, So Near is only promoted through minimum number of tarpaulins and
are often found only in Capitolio and Balagtas Rotonda. Although, there is a website
designed for the slogan, this will not help a lot because some tourists will not find time to
go to the Internet and search this website. The slogan All Here, So Near, even though

38
All here, so near..
can be found on some brochures of municipalities, particularly those municipalities who
have tourist attractions, Tour Operators and Travel Agencies do not advertise the slogan
when giving tour packages to the travellers.
One of the things that make Batangas noteworthy is how it can be at part with
other provinces in terms of tourism. With a booming tourism, jobs for the people are
provided, businesses climbs along the growth ladder, and pride among the locals is
ignited. Branding and marketing makes one destination or attraction more appealing. But
for natural attractions like what Batangas is abundant of, protecting these God-given
gems has equal importance as that of any promotions rendered.
According to Mr. Louie Mencias, tourism is an experience not a brochure, not
an attraction, not a destination or a place. The realms of experience include
entertainment, aesthetic, educational, and escapist, (Hernandez , 2011).

Table 3
Problems Encountered by the Respondents in the All Here, So Near Slogan
Campaign

39
All here, so near..

Indicators

Weighted
Mean

Verbal
Interpretation

Rank

1. The tourism of Batangas spend a lot of

marketing the slogan through billboards,
signages, etc., but still lack of peoples
awareness to the provinces slogan.

2.77

Agree

3.5

2 The local event organizer commonly use the

Ala Eh Festival promoting the province rather
than using the slogan All Here, So Near.

2.89

Agree

3. The local government allotted minimum

budget for the promotional using the slogan.

2.83

Agree

4. The slogan is not attractive to lure more

tourists.

2.35

Disagree

5. The tourism establishment do not use the

slogan while promoting their products/business.

2.77

Agree

3.5

6. Is not values oriented.

2.40

Disagree

7. The idea of the slogan does not satisfy the

travellers to visit the province.

2.27

Disagree

8. Does not showcase the attractions/products of

the province of Batangas

2.31

Disagree

9. Does not improve the standard of living of the

Batangueos.

2.28

Disagree

10. Does not uplift the tourism industry of the

province.

2.17

Disagree

10

Composite Mean

2.50

Agree

Legend: 3.50 4.00 Strongly Agree (SA); 2.50 3.49 Agree (A); 1.50 2.49
Disagree (D); 1.00 1.49 Strongly Disagree (SD)

The problems encountered by the respondents in the All Here, So Near slogan
are presented in table 3. Based on the table presented above, the respondents agreed
that there are several problems encountered on the slogan campaign. The results show
that the problems experienced as indicated by the composite mean of 2.50.

40
All here, so near..
The item that got the highest ranking is, The local event organizer commonly use
the Ala Eh Festival promoting the province rather than using the slogan All Here, So
Near with the weighted mean of 2.89 and verbal interpretation as Agree. The item that
got the 2nd in ranking is the local government allotted minimum budget for the promotional
using the slogan. It has a weighted mean of 2.83 and verbally interpreted as Agree. It
was followed by the two items ranked as tie, The tourism of Batangas spend a lot of
marketing the slogan through billboards, signages, etc., but still lack of peoples
awareness to the provinces slogan, with the weighted mean of 2.77 and verbally
interpreted as Agree and The tourism establishment do not use the slogan while
promoting their products/business and verbally interpreted as Disagree.
The government and the Provincial Tourism Office promote more the Ala Eh
Festival rather than the slogan, All Here, So Near. The Government is more focus on
promoting and celebrating the Ala Eh Festival while there is no enough strategies for the
tourist to recognize the slogan.
The Batangas lady governor declared the official opening of the Ala Eh! Festival
2011 which showcases the provinces cultural and historical legacies, world-class
tourism destinations and resorts, trade and jobs fairs, skills and talents presentations,
photo and painting competitions and exhibitions, dog show, cheer dance fest, shoot fest,
mountain bike challenge, car show, Mini Olympics, local government night, street
dancing and float parade.
Themed All Here, So Near, the festival aims to promote the high profile
province as a major powerhouse in cultural and political history, tourism, agriculture,
infrastructure and a vital transport link in the countrys western seaboard and gateway to

41
All here, so near..
the MIMAROPA (Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan),
Visayas and Mindanao, (Barriga (2015).
The government only promotes the slogan through tarpaulins and streamers
only. They do not further advocate the All Here, So Near slogan in order for the locals,
other government officials/employees and most especially the tourists to become more
aware about it.. The Provincial Tourism Office posts tarpaulins and streamers along the
StarToll Way, Balagtas Rotonda and Capitolio presenting different attractions and
products of the Batangas Province with All Here, So Near slogan on it. They might
spend in order to post these tarpaulins in the designated areas but still lack of the locals
awareness about the slogan. Many of the Batangueos have no idea of what the slogan
is and what is it all about. Most tourism establishments do not use the All Here, So
Near slogan in promoting their products/businesses like those of the restaurants, hotels,
and resorts. These establishments can run and attract tourists even with or without the
slogan.
The slogan is not values oriented, not attractive to lure more tourist, does not
showcase the attractions/products of the province of Batangas, and does not improve
the standard of living of the Batangueos, ranked fifth, sixth, seventh and eight with the
weighted mean value of 2.40, 2.35, 2.31 and 2.28; verbally interpreted as disagree
respectively.

It can be noticed that the item got the lowest ranking is, The idea of the slogan
does not uplift the tourism industry of the province, with the weighted mean of 2.17 and
verbally interpreted as disagree. It was followed by, the slogan does not satisfy travellers
to visit the province with weighted mean of 2.27 and verbally interpreted as disagree.

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All here, so near..
These two items are not big problems encountered by the respondents that is why it
ranked the lowest because for the respondents, the slogan helps when it comes to the
tourism industry of the province and satisfaction of travellers when visiting Batangas
although it is not very common to them.
According to the DOT of Batangas, as one of the top tourist attractions in the
country, the provincial government contributes to the further growth of the tourism
industry by hosting various events in the province. It also promotes Batangas numerous
pristine beaches and magnificent dive spots, among other visitor-drawing sites. And with
the implementation of the Batangas slogan: All Hear So Near, they are very optimistic
that they can now put Batangas higher in the tourism map of our country.
Either local or foreign tourists were satisfied and enjoyed visiting Batangas. As
one of the travellers cited, Mary Anne Bangon (2012)., In the Filipino Connection report,
A Philiipines Newspaper in Batangas found out that their recent visit in the Province was
worth it and help them from escaping Metro Manilas sweltering heat and stressful life.
Bangon mentioned in her report that Batangas is known for its beautiful places, areas
far enough from the noisy and stressful urban life. While some moneyed Filipinos are
trying out Boracays shoreline, Vigans heritage houses, or Mt. Mayons majestic sight in
Albay, provincial officials say Batangas has its own showcases: the beaches in San
Juan, Calatagan and Nasugbu municipalities; the heritage houses in Taal municipality;
and the worlds smallest volcano, Taal Volcano. The province is also banking on natures
wonders to pull tourists into it, The Filipino Connection Reportorial Team 2012).
Table 4
Difference on the Effectiveness of All Here, So Near Slogan Campaign When
Grouped According to Profile Variables
= 0.05

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All here, so near..
Profile Variables

Fc

p-value

Interpretation

Gender

6.070

0.016

Significant

Age

1.864

0.143

Not Significant

Respondent

3.739

0.057

Not Significant

Legend: Significant at p-value < 0.05; HS Highly Significant; S Significant; NS Not

Significant

Based from the table, the computed F value of the profile variable gender was
greater than the critical value and the resulted p-value was less than 0.05 level of
significance, thus the null hypothesis of no significant difference on the effectiveness of
All Here, So Near slogan campaign when grouped according to profile variable gender
is rejected. This means that significant differences exist and that respondents have
assessed the effectiveness of such campaign in terms of the mentioned profile to be
different. This means that male respondents have different assessment on the
effectiveness of the campaign as compared to the female respondents.
Regardless of the age and type of respondent, it has no effects on the assessment
of the effectiveness of the slogan and just has the same perception about it. However,
the gender is significant in this study because of the different knowledge and
appreciation towards the slogan. Males have a different perception about the All Here,
So Near slogan and most of the time, males are more creative and have more ideas on
how they are going to promote the slogan than the females.
As cited by Mayen Jaymalin, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has formed a
committee to select a new catch phrase. In a statement, DOT said the committee would
include experts from the tourism sector. She mention that the past brand

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conceptualization efforts took many months to develop because a majority of the stakeholders and general public do not support this concept. The Tourism Congress said the
use of the slogan was not consulted with them. According to Sec. Jimenez, This is our
industry. Filipinos must focus on the tourism agenda and our strategy is simple: while
other countries invite the locals to observe, Filipinos can promise a more heartfelt and
interesting experience. Wherever Filipinos go, whatever they do in the country, its the
Filipinos that will complete their vacation and will make their holiday unforgettable. In
creating the slogan, the agency made sure that it was something that was easily
understood by everybody but competitive at the same time, he explained. Filipinos have
to challenge for attention, he added. So whether a Philippine or a Batangueno area
is to be supported more or less in terms of tourism development, that place must make
tourists feel relaxed. That is why Batangas has a lot to offer to tourists things that
tourists want to experience, (Philippine Department of Tourism, Office of Marketing
Communications 2015).

Table 5
Action Plan to Improve the Marketing Strategies
Objectives

Strategy

To use the slogan

All Here, So Near
as the primary
marketing tools

The organizers may include

the slogan in promoting and
during the celebration of
the Ala Eh! Festival

To allot budget in
promoting the
slogan

The
government
may
spend and allocate their
budgets for the All here, So
Near, by not only posting

Person Involved

Tourism Organizers

Government/PTCAO

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All here, so near..
tarpaulins but also by
placing billboards, signages
etc. in the strategic location
inside
and
outside
Batangas.
Up to date and informative
website

To require all the

government
offices/all
municipality to use
the slogan

Each municipal tourism

officers may discuss the All Municipal Tourism Officers
here, So Near Slogan to
the
government
official/employees to gain
their
awareness
and
knowledge about it

To use as
promotional tool by
different
establishments

Different
establishments
like restaurants, resorts and
hotels may include the All
here, So Near Slogan on
their tarpaulins/radio ads
while
promoting
their
products/businesses.

Establishment Owners

of All Here, So Near Slogan

CONCLUSIONS
1. Most of the participants are Male, DOT Officers, ages 46 above.
2. The slogan All Here, So Near had a great effect in the tourist arrival in the
Batangas Province.
3. Promotion of Ala Eh! Festival instead of All Here, So Near and budget allocation for
the promotion of the slogan were identified as the most common problems
encountered by the respondents.

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All here, so near..
4. The Male respondents have different assessment on the level of effectiveness as
compared to the female respondents.
5. An action plan was proposed to improve the marketing strategies of All Here, So
Near.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1

Batangas may increase the tourist arrivals by putting up new activities inspired to
some province/countries that cannot be found in the province. Resort
establishments may put up new strategies by adding more recreational activities
and night life as Batangas beaches being compared to Puerto Galera, Boracay

and Palawan.
PTCAO or the Government may coordinate with different establishments or

tourist destinations organizers to promote the slogan All Here, So Near.

The PTCAO may organize a meeting or gatherings with the Government officials
and explain further what the All Here, So Near is all about and how to use it. The
awareness should begin first with the local government and will be spread out to

the local community and travellers.

All Here, So Near slogan may be promoted by posting small tarpaulins in the
tricycles, jeepneys and other public transportations that it may attract tourists and

gain the awareness of the locals.

The Government may focus on how they will promote the slogan as it has a

strong potential to attract tourists.

The Government may use the idea of the slogan properly and should not be set

aside that only the DOT Officers know about the slogan.
CITHM Department may conduct an activity involving the students especially the
Tourism students to become aware of the slogan All Here, So Near. Activity like
having a fair promoting the tourist attractions and products of each municipality

with the theme of All Here, So Near may be done by the students.
Future study may be conducted with different set of

variables.

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