DOT urged: Turn over ad probe report to Congress

MANILA — It would be best for Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco to turn over to Congress the results of the Department of Tourism (DOT)’s internal investigation on its campaign slogan that embarrassed the Philippines for using stock video footage of other countries.

This was the unsolicited advice Rep. Joey Salceda gave to Fras­co amid calls for her immediate resignation, which he blamed on the advertising firm that lifted the videos and pictures of foreign tourism
 agencies.

“She should submit to Congress the results of their internal investigation. That’s the way it should be. That’s the necessary, logical and next step forward,” Salceda told journalists at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday.

“We need this so we will know if there was indeed the signing of checks, and if indeed there was a payment of P49 million because…” Salceda said smiling and in jest, insinuating something could have been fishy in the contract, on which he refused to comment further.

Despite the non-inclusion of the majestic Mayon Volcano in the new “Love the Philippines” slogan, Salceda still vowed to help Frasco.

“I will not join calls for her to resign. Certainly not when a lot of it is premised on speculation,” Salceda said. “I will criticize openly, as needed. That’s my job as a legislator and a representative of my people. But after heated discussions, we must remain focused on solving problems.”

Salceda said that for a tourism slogan to be successful, it has to be realistic.

“Once the controversy about this passes, we will still need to fix our airports, our accommodations, our accessibility,” he said. “As a slogan, it is demanding enough on a foreign tourist’s first date with this country. Let’s at least give them reasons to do so.”

“You need to set the agenda before you set the brand. Branding is a fool’s exercise without a good product to sell. A promising slogan without real improvements in the fundamentals is a false pretense,” he said.

‘Not a single peso paid’

Despite saying earlier that it started “procuring” the brand worth P49 million, the DOT maintained that it did not pay the advertising agency that created and produced the “Love the Philippines” campaign and its promotional video.

“I would like to emphasize that not a single peso worth of government funds has been paid under the tourism branding campaign with the said agency,” Frasco told journalists yesterday, referring to advertising firm Doyle, Dane and Bernbach Philippines.

In an interview with CNN Philippines on June 29, Frasco said the agency has “procured” the brand crafted by the firm with a budget of P49 million.

“The process of procurement was done and initiated, and the total cost of the entire study, coming up with the logo and everything, the components of this branding campaign totaled to P49 million,” she said at the time.

A few days after, DDB Philippines admitted it used stock footage shot in other countries for the promotional video of “Love the Philippines.”

The video was shown during the launch on June 27 and uploaded on social media. President Marcos attended the launch.

The DOT later declared it ended the contract with the firm, saying no payments have been made.

It remains unclear if the “Love the Philippines” campaign will be retained.

However, the logo and slogan associated with the brand were still visible during the launch of the Philippines Hop-on/Hop-off Bus Tours program in Manila yesterday.

The campaign’s signs and symbols were printed on three buses as well as tokens like fans.

The bus tours, a first in the country initially launched in Makati City, will “provide tourists, both domestic and foreign, the opportunity to go around cultural treasures of Manila with the convenience of using a mobile app that allows them to curate their own experiences and have various stops to allow them to get to know heart and soul of Manila.”

During the launch, DOT and Manila officials led by Frasco and Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan, respectively, as well as private tourism stakeholders and journalists toured Manila’s landmarks and tourist attractions such as Malacañang, Rizal Park, National Museum of Fine Arts, Binondo and Intramuros.

However, the bus developed engine trouble and the heat made some of the attendees complain.

Sources told The STAR that the DOT plans to keep the “Love the Philippines” campaign even if the contract with the advertising firm has been voided.

They expressed frustration that a firm such as DDB – said to be the “best of the best among advertising firms in the country” – would publicize a video that contained stock footage from other countries.

The DOT earlier said the firm “repeatedly assured” the agency that all their videos were original.

The firm admitted the use of stock footage, saying it was “standard practice” and that the video was initially made to “excite” tourism stakeholders.

Despite the fiasco the DOT workforce remains behind Frasco, according to Shalene Batin, DOT’s Metro Manila director.

Batin said the DOT would come out stronger from the controversy.

Good in-house team

Meanwhile, former tourism secretary Mina Gabor took pride in having a team within the agency that came up with its own tourism campaign, especially the graphics during her time.

In an interview with One New’s “The Chiefs” aired over Cignal TV/TV5 on Tuesday, Gabor – who served during the administration of the late president Fidel Ramos from 1996 to 1998 – said her “Islands Philippines” campaign was done “in-house.”

“I had it done because I had a good team.”

Under the campaign, Gabor said the agency produced mostly graphics and did not make lots of videos because “our main concern was to do an image of identifying what the Philippines is all about.”

Gabor said she had golf superstar Tiger Woods “brought in” to play with Ramos as part of promoting the Philippines as a golf destination,

“to get the impact right away of the media.”

‘Unite Pinoys’

As this developed, senators urged the public and government agencies to support efforts promoting the Philippines as the best tourist destination.

With the DOT rolling out a new tourism campaign – also with a brand-new slogan, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Filipinos should come together in support of the country and its tourist destinations.

“The DOT was criticized for the misleading inclusion of stock footage in the ‘Love the Philippines’ campaign video, but let us also allow the department to correct this misstep, reflect on what happened, and improve its campaign going forward,” Zubiri added.

Sen. Lito Lapid said Filipinos must join hands and pursue a better tourism campaign to attract more foreign and local tourists.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian also commended the DOT’s move to end the deal with the advertising firm following the fiasco.

Zubiri said the firm has owned up to its negligence and the DOT immediately took responsibility for the controversy and terminated the contract. (philstar)