On November 8, 2013, the country was struck by a devastating typhoon. Images of it dominated the world’s news cycle. And generous aid poured in. But for lasting recovery, it was vital for tourism to continue.

And as only isolated areas of the peninsula were affected, we needed to signal to the global public that it was ok to come back.

So, on the typhoon’s 3-month anniversary – at the exact time it struck – we decided to do what came most naturally: say thank you.

We tapped influencers and opinion leaders, many of whom had led typhoon relief operations, to help encourage people. And soon enough, every one was posting personal messages of thanks using the hashtag #PHthankyou. Together with a simultaneous unveiling of billboards all around the globe, we made our message loud and clear.

We were repaid with renewed attention and continued rise in arrivals. CNN even featured the country’s best tourism spots on their website as a direct response to our gesture.

We planned our worldwide launch for February 8, Haiyan’s 3-month anniversary. Key personalities had already marked February 8 to commemorate the nation’s resilience, so we decided to use this opportunity as leverage.

Then, we tapped influencers, many of whom had led typhoon relief operations, to help create awareness for the campaign. In their own social pages, they started thanking those who helped using the hashtag #PHthankyou.

And being the social networking capital of the world, it wasn’t long before Filipinos joined in. Soon enough, every one was posting personal messages of thanks. This effort effectively shifted the world’s conversation about the country toward something more positive.

A simultaneous global billboard launch and an online film helped spur even more people to spread the sentiment of thankfulness all around.

We were repaid with renewed attention and continued rise in arrivals.

We got over 20,000 pick-ups online and in traditional print and broadcast media, including reputable global publications and media networks like The BBC, Yahoo News, Boston Globe, The Daily Telegraph, MSN, Financial Post, and Campaign Asia Pacific.

As a direct response, CNN wrote about our best tourism spots, saying: “Given how gracious the nation is being, it's a fine time to revisit one of the Philippines best assets -- its 7,000 islands…”