Despite Criticism and International Flak, DOT Insists on Retaining 'Love the Philippines' Tourism Slogan

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco announced on Wednesday that the Department of Tourism (DOT) will continue using its new slogan “Love the Philippines,” despite the criticism received for a promotional video which used foreign stock footage.

This confirmation came during the 2022 Philippine Tourism Satellite Accounts and Tourism Statistics Dissemination Forum when Frasco was asked about the slogan that was unveiled just a week prior, on June 27th.

The promotional video, produced by DDB Philippines, faced backlash due to the inclusion of non-original footage portraying other countries. This “unfortunate oversight,” as admitted by DDB Philippines, has led to an investigation ordered by the DOT.

The footage, according to blogger Sass Sasot, included scenes from Bali, Indonesia; Thailand; Zurich, Switzerland; Dubai, UAE, and a few generic visuals of jumping dolphins and a driving vehicle.

The campaign’s viability was severely questioned by Senator Nancy Binay, who described it as “unsalvageable” and called on the DOT to abandon it. She highlighted the negative international attention it has already received and stated that it had lost its persuasive power due to its errors.

Binay noted, “We all can sense the discombobulating algorithms which carry promotion-limiting consequences. The campaign has lost its redeeming value and has become unsalvageable—I hope the DOT is level-headed enough to accept this.”

Emphasizing the sensitivity of the tourism market to political unrest, negative media, and public perceptions, she expressed disappointment over the campaign’s immediate setback.

Binay stressed the importance of moving forward from the failure and preventing the slogan from becoming a national embarrassment. In her closing remarks, Binay advised, “LOVE was not meant to be. Let us all move on and just bring back the FUN to the Philippines.”

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