MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) officially named P-pop phenomenon BINI as one of its newest tourism ambassadors on Friday, tapping the "Nation's Girl Group" to help promote Philippine destinations to local and international travelers through its "Discover More to Love" campaign.
Tourism Secretary Maria Bernardita "Dita" Angara-Mathay met with the eight-member girl group on Friday to formally launch the partnership.
Star Magic head Laurenti "Lauren" Dyogi welcomed the collaboration, saying the partnership could further strengthen efforts to promote the Philippines on the global stage.
"Thank you very much for having us. It is an honor to be here. As we have said from the beginning, we are here to help build a lasting partnership with the Department of Tourism that will benefit not only BINI and ABS-CBN, but also the country as a whole," Dyogi said.
He said discussions are still ongoing but expressed optimism about the collaboration's long-term potential.
"While nothing has been finalized yet, we see many possibilities and share the vision of a long-term partnership that will continue promoting Philippine tourism and Filipino pride. With the support of the government and the Department of Tourism, our initiatives can reach even more people. In these times, that kind of partnership is important, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work together," he added.
The appointment comes after the DOT earlier announced plans to designate one male and one female P-pop group as tourism ambassadors.
"Music is very important because when you watch something, you don't remember only the images, you remember the music behind it, and that's the feeling we want people to carry with them," Angara-Mathay said in an earlier interview.
The tourism chief had also previously expressed interest in partnering with BINI following the group's historic performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, where they became the first all-Filipino P-pop act to perform on one of the world's biggest music festival stages.
BINI — composed of Jhoanna, Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha and Sheena — has grown into one of the country's biggest music acts after the breakout success of hits such as "Pantropiko" and "Salamin, Salamin."
Their songs, particularly "Pantropiko," have become staples on social media, with users frequently pairing the track with videos highlighting the Philippines' beaches, mountains, islands and other tourist attractions.
BINI recently staged two sold-out "Signals World Tour” kickoff concerts at the Mall of Asia Arena on June 20 and 21 and is set to headline the first major live concert at the newly opened SM Seaside Cebu Arena on July 11.
After the Cebu stop, the octet will embark on an 11-city North American tour beginning in August, with performances scheduled across the United States and Canada.
The DOT has yet to announce the male P-pop group that will join BINI as the country's newest tourism ambassador under the campaign. WITH MOISES CRUZ