RAMON R. Jimenez, Jr., the Tourism chief behind the “‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines” global campaign, has died. He was 64.

The death of Mr. Jimenez, an advertising expert whom then President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III appointed in 2012 as his Tourism secretary, was not related to COVID-19, ABS-CBN News reported on Monday, citing a statement released by his family.

“Mon J was a beloved husband, father, brother, friend and public servant. He will be greatly missed,” according to the statement.

The Tourism department in a separate statement paid tribute to Mr. Jimenez, “who laid down the foundation for the country’s most famous tourism campaign.”

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat retained the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” slogan unlike her predecessors, who started their terms with fresh catchlines.

Ms. Puyat said Mr. Jimenez had helped shape the government’s National Tourism Development Program for 2016 to 2022.

“Today, we mourn the loss of Mon Jimenez but we will be forever grateful to him for the growth of the tourism sector, and for promoting the Philippines as a place that is wonderful, joyous and fun,” she said.

Jimenez began his career at Saatchi & Saatchi in the creative department, and then formed a start-up boutique agency in the late 1990s called Jimenez & Partners. After several mergers, the firm became known in 2011 as Publicis JimenezBasic.

He was the senior consultant and joint chief executive officer of WOO (Winning Over Obstacles) Consultants, and helped build JimenezBasic Advertising into one of the biggest creative advertising agencies in the country.

Mr. Jimenez helped Mr. Aquino’s election campaign in 2010 and was a marketing consultant for the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation.

He studied at the University of the Philippines, majoring in visual communications at the College of Fine Arts. — Norman P. Aquino

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