MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – The Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) has finally retired its stale “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” promo and has unveiled a new international campaign to attract foreigners and Filipino expatriates to visit the country in 2015.

The Philippine Government has designated 2015 as “Visit the Philippines Year.” It was launched earlier this year with a new web site, visitph2015.com, and an impressive video showing all the great things tourists will find in this nation of 100 Million people: beach resorts, year-round cultural festivals, great cuisine, centuries-old churches, English-speaking people and smiley faces from the friendliest inhabitants on earth.

Mid-year into the 2015 tourism campaign, the DOT unveiled an updated promo, this time featuring images that can only be found in the Philippines.

One image is an aerial photo of one of Metro Manila’s populated cities — Pasig.  As can be seen in the DOT image, Pasig is a sea of houses and buildings, so cramped that the city is devoid of any plants or trees, while city streets have virtually disappeared.  Even the infamous Pasig River has been soaked up by housing structures. The only way to navigate the city is on foot which would be quite an experience for any tourist wanting to explore the scenic spots of Metro Manila and the Philippines.

A second image shows shanties lining either side of the Pasig River. What used to be clean and potable water flowing through this stretch of the river is now a colorful, quilt-like reservoir of stagnant waste and toxic materials. Tourists will have a once-in-a-lifetime experience of walking over water, much like the biblical tale of Jesus performing a  miracle.

So, If you haven’t made plans for your vacation this year, make it a point to visit the Philippines.  It is a must in 2015!