BINI named as one of PHL tourism ambassadors

Pinoy pop (P-pop) group BINI was named as one of the official Philippine tourism ambassadors on Friday, following the country’s pop music boost in the international scene.

“A fresh takeaway from this first meeting is that each girl actually represents a province or a town, and they’re very, very knowledgeable about what is a charming feature of the town,” Tourism Secretary Maria Bernardita “Dita” Angara-Mathay told reporters on the sidelines of BINI’s courtesy visit at the Tourism office.

“I thought that input was very refreshing, and each girl member has that to bring to tourism,” she added.

The Tourism department noted that the proud representation of the country’s culture through music on the global stage has cemented the group’s role as a tourism ambassador.

“They’re ambassadors already, but it behooves the government [to recognize] what they’re doing,” Department of Tourism (DoT) Assistant Secretary Ren V. Sapitan told reporters in an interview.

“It would be remiss of the government if we don’t recognize the pride that they themselves are pushing for,” he added.

The decision comes after the girl group’s historic performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California earlier this year.

“The very first statement that the Secretary made on our platforms was to congratulate BINI. We saw the traction that it generated, and we read the comments as well,” Mr. Sapitan said.

“What we want the people to take away from that experience is that the Department of Tourism, the government, is listening,” he added. “And of course, only Filipinos can say what’s best for the Philippines, and that is BINI.”

As the new tourism ambassadors, the agency plans to engage the octet in regional and provincial events to boost the local tourism economy amid the ongoing oil crisis.

“We recognize the power of BINI, the influence that they have in bringing viewers, not just within the Philippines but also from abroad,” Mr. Sapitan said. “That’s the reason why we want them to be recognized as ambassadors.”

Other Filipino talents, including P-pop boyband SB19 and professional tennis player Alex Eala, are also eyed to promote the country’s local destinations.

“We want to highlight people who’ve made marks like BINI, SB19, Alex Eala, and others that are doing it,” Ms. Angara-Mathay said. “We don’t want to exclude anybody who’s making the country proud.”

BINI, known as the “Nation’s Girl Group,” is the hitmaker behind viral songs “Pantropiko,” “Salamin, Salamin,” “Cherry On Top,” “Blink Twice,” and “Karera”. Members of the group are Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha, Jhoanna, and Sheena. — Almira Louise S. Martinez