The Marcos administration’s highly anticipated tourism campaign to promote the Philippines has quickly become a topic of intense scrutiny and worldwide interest.

The slogan, “Love the Philippines,” might sound demanding, but recent revelations have unveiled a different story altogether.

Rather than showcasing the country’s stunning landscapes and cultural heritage, the Department of Tourism (DOT), in collaboration with the DDB Group Philippines, the ad agency which was paid tens of millions to do the campaign, opted for a questionable approach. They used stock footage from other countries like Dubai, Switzerland, Indonesia, and Thailand, raising eyebrows and leaving many to wonder about their true intentions.

The video campaign quickly went viral, capturing attention not only in the Philippines but also on a global scale. News outlets in Singapore, Kuwait, the UK, Switzerland, and the UAE exposed what they perceived as incompetence and potential corruption within the DOT.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, in an attempt to defend the campaign, initially announced that the DOT had allocated ₱49 million for the “Love the Philippines” campaign and slogan. However, as the department’s incompetence became exposed to the world, they are now claiming that no public funds were used for the controversial audio-visual presentation (AVP).

In what seems to be a damage control statement, the DOT stated, “While no public funds have been paid for the AVP in question, as this particular component of the launch was released on the account of DDB, the DOT holds the responsibility of promoting the country to the highest standard.” The department is currently conducting a thorough investigation to gather all the facts and determine the truth behind these allegations.

Furthermore, it has come to light that the department had allocated P250 million for consultancy services in the new tourism campaign. The DDB Group, one of the two shortlisted bidders, emerged as the winning bidder for the project, adding to the controversy surrounding the campaign.

Adding fuel to the fire, the controversial promotional video, which ironically aimed to encourage Filipinos to “Love the Philippines,” has been removed from YouTube just a few hours ago.

In a statement, the DDB Group apologized for the “highly inappropriate” images used, including rice terraces from Indonesia and sand dunes from Brazil. The agency was responsible for producing the video as part of the government’s US$900,000 “Love the Philippines” tourism campaign, launched on June 27.

Late on Saturday, the DOT announced that it was investigating allegations that the video contained “non-original shots.” Subsequently, the video was taken down from the agency’s Facebook page. DDB apologized on Sunday, acknowledging the use of “foreign stock footage” as an unfortunate oversight on their part.

In a statement, DDB emphasized that proper screening and approval processes should have been strictly followed, and using foreign stock footage in a campaign promoting the Philippines is highly inappropriate and contradictory to the DOT’s objectives. They clarified that the video was produced at their own expense.

Meanwhile, Sass Rogando Sasot, a prominent blogger and political activist, has been at the forefront of exposing the alleged incompetence of the DOT and DDB.

In a recent Facebook post, Sasot claims that the DOT simply plagiarized Cypry’s “Love Cyprus” tourism campaign, adding yet another layer to the controversy surrounding the slogan.

“DDB at Department of Tourism – Philippines paki-explain po sa mga Filipino kung bakit pareho and CURRENT tourism slogan ng Cyprus at Pilipinas? May public funds po ba na nagamit dito?” Sasot asked. She added: May this first INTERNATIONAL LEVEL disaster of the BBM Administration finally make the President realise this Golden Rule of ETHICAL LEADERSHIP: DO NOT SURROUND YOURSELF WITH YES MEN.”

In light of these developments, it’s worth recalling that during the deliberation of the 2023 National Budget, Congress allocated a staggering 1.2 billion pesos for the Philippine tourism branding campaign.

However, it is important to note that it was explicitly stated that this fund cannot be used to replace the popular #itsmorefuninthephilippines slogan. President Bongbong Marcos vetoed this limitation on December 16, 2022, allegedly influenced by Secretary Frasco’s persuasion, leaving many wondering about the motives behind this decision. Could it be a manifestation of Marcos’ own version of the Edifice Complex?

As the controversy continues to unfold, the tourism industry and the Filipino people eagerly await further investigations and clarification regarding these allegations, hoping for transparency and accountability within the Department of Tourism.