3-7-2023 (MANILA) The Department of Tourism (DOT) in the Philippines is currently conducting an investigation into its recently released “Love the Philippines” tourism campaign video. Allegations have surfaced that the video utilized foreign stock footage sourced from the internet, including footage from other countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, and Sri Lanka.
In response to the allegations, the DOT issued a statement yesterday, stating that it is carrying out a comprehensive investigation to verify the accuracy of the claims and gather all relevant facts. Social media users discovered that several shots featured in the campaign video were not of Philippine locations.
Doyle, Dane and Bernbach Philippines, the advertising agency responsible for the campaign, issued an apology, describing the inclusion of the foreign stock footage as “highly inappropriate.” They acknowledged that proper screening and approval processes should have been strictly followed and referred to it as an unfortunate oversight on the agency’s part. They also noted that the use of foreign stock footage contradicts the objectives of the DOT.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, in an interview with CNN Philippines, revealed that the “Love the Philippines” campaign cost P49 million. The DOT conducted a global survey and found that in the post-pandemic era, tourists desired authentic interactions with communities. This new campaign slogan replaces the previous slogan, “It’s More Fun in the Philippines.”
The DOT assured the public that no public funds were utilized for the questioned audiovisual presentation (AVP). The AVP, as well as the entire “Love the Philippines” campaign, was produced by DDB Philippines. The DOT emphasized that it repeatedly sought confirmation from DDB regarding the originality and ownership of all materials used in the AVPs and key visuals, and DDB consistently assured them that everything was in order.
Following the controversy, the promotional video was removed from the DOT’s official Facebook and YouTube accounts. DDB Philippines won the bidding process for the new tourism campaign, which involves producing a maximum of five AVPs with a duration of up to 120 seconds per video and three 60-second television commercials.
Several critics, including Philippine blogger Sass Rogando Sasot, pointed out that some of the footage in the campaign video originated from other countries. Fact-checking by AFP confirmed that the video featured locations in Brazil, Indonesia, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates. Some of the stock footage used in the promotional video could be traced back to stock footage providers’ websites.
The controversy surrounding the video comes at a time when the Philippines’ tourism industry is striving to recover from the impact of the pandemic. The country is known for its beautiful dive spots and white sand beaches, but it has struggled to attract tourists due to issues such as inadequate infrastructure and high costs. In 2020, the Philippines received 2.7 million inbound tourists, representing a 68 percent decline compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization.
In a separate development, the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged the DOT’s marketing arm, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), for its procurement of P9.868 million worth of tokens or giveaways in 2022. The COA noted that the TPB failed to submit supporting documents, such as acceptance reports and a list of recipients, for the distributed promotional items. The COA also highlighted the absence of a policy or control governing the distribution of promotional items by the TPB, which increases the risk of losses. The COA recommended that the TPB establish a policy/guideline for the distribution of promotional materials and provide proof of distribution to intended recipients.
Additionally, the COA reminded the TPB to remit idle funds amounting to P196.853 million to the Bureau of Treasury (BTr). These funds had remained unused for more than three to six years, and the COA stressed the need for their return to the BTr. The TPB’s Accounting Division informed the COA that a disbursement voucher for the remittance of funds to the BTr had been transmitted in 2022, but its whereabouts could not be located due to the change in administration.
The DOT and TPB are now under scrutiny, facing both the challenge of addressing the “Love the Philippines” video campaign controversy and ensuring proper financial management and controls within the organization.
