The Department of Tourism鈥檚 new campaign slogan and logo
Albay Rep. Joey Salceda was none too pleased with the government鈥檚 new P250-million tourism campaign slogan and logo because he said they did not feature his province鈥檚 beloved Mayon Volcano, one of the country鈥檚 iconic and top tourist attractions.
He hinted that such an affront could meet funding problems in Congress.
In online tirades on Wednesday and Thursday, Salceda pressed Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco of the Department of Tourism (DOT) to explain the omission of an image of the volcano in the 106-second 鈥淟OVE the Philippines鈥� campaign video.
He said he was disappointed with his 鈥渇riend,鈥� Frasco, for excluding Mayon from the campaign video and for representing it as a tiny 鈥減ixel鈥� in the logo.
鈥淚 am more disappointed in the response that I should not bring this issue up because, anyway, Mayon is included in the 50 major volcanoes and mountains represented (by a pixel!) in the official tourism logo and slogan,鈥� Salceda said.
鈥淢ayon deserves better than a pixel in the logo where you need strained eyes to see it. Mayon has been a national symbol and a national treasure (one of only three Unesco-declared biosphere reserves in the country). No, Sec. Frasco, ask all your predecessors in DOT鈥擬ayon deserved better treatment. You failed Albay,鈥� he said in another post.
鈥楳ayon scorned鈥�
He indicated that the new tourism campaign could face funding problems when it comes up in budget deliberations in Congress.
鈥淕iven the dismissive attitude of DOT to a most legitimate concern we articulated, then the forthcoming budget season will be the proper venue for reckoning. Hell hath no fury than a Mayon scorned,鈥� Salceda said on Thursday in a Facebook post that has been deleted.
Frasco sought to appease the Albay representative, saying that the campaign video released was 鈥渙nly the beginning.鈥�
鈥淚 assure Congressman Salceda that efforts are ongoing to promote equally our destinations in the country,鈥� she said in an interview with GMA TV on Thursday night.
She said that a heritage, culture, and arts caravan was slated to be held in the Bicol region in September.
Salceda is a 鈥減ersonal friend of our family for many years,鈥� she added.
But Salceda was not mollified.
鈥淪ay sorry or drop your consultant. Nothing will appease Albay,鈥� he said.
He said he was expressing his 鈥渇rustration鈥� because of tourism鈥檚 crucial role in his province and Bicol at large.
鈥淭his is how thousands of Albayano families make a living. It would not have cost much to include just a scene of Mayon, but it would have meant the world to Albay families relying on tourism for their bread and butter,鈥� he said on Facebook.
鈥楥hanging trends鈥�
In her television interview, Frasco said the 鈥渃hanging trends鈥� in tourism and travel in the wake of lockdowns and mobility restrictions due to the pandemic prompted the DOT to rebrand the government鈥檚 tourism campaign.
Hong Kong launched in February this year its 鈥淗ello Hong Kong鈥� global tourism campaign to attract more visitors and to tell the world that it was 鈥渂ack鈥� from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Frasco said 鈥渢he world has been changed by the pandemic 鈥� and therefore, we must make efforts for the country to evolve, innovate, [and] to pivot.鈥�
鈥淸This] would be an opportunity for the country to add new attractions that may entice tourists to visit the Philippines beyond fun and adventure,鈥� she said.
The tourism chief said she wanted to 鈥渕arket our country鈥� not just as a venue for fun, but also for so many other things鈥� such as its culture and history and its diverse ethnic and indigenous communities that could offer 鈥渃ultural immersions鈥� for visitors.
The DOT said the marketing and communication conglomerate, DDB Group Philippines, won the contract for the tourism promotion campaign against other bidders.
It is composed of multiple creative and media agencies and was behind the award-winning ad campaigns of big brands such as Jollibee, Mang Inasal, Smart Communications, and Meralco.
The DOT hopes to attract 4.8 million international visitors this year, almost double the 2.65 million foreign tourists in 2022.
From Jan. 1 to June this year, the country already recorded 2.62 million international visitors.
The country generated P1.74 trillion in tourism revenues in 2022 and 5.2 million jobs.
鈥擶ITH A REPORT FROM MA. APRIL MIER-MANJARES
READ: 鈥楲ove the Philippines鈥� is country鈥檚 new tourism slogan 鈥� DOT