Frasco grilled in Senate on ‘self-promo’ DOT ads
The face that launched a thousand tourism brochures. That’s the charge Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco had to answer when a senator confronted her over the repeated use of her image in the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) promotional materials.
At the Senate committee on tourism hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Raffy Tulfo called out Frasco over what he said was the rampant use of her photos in DOT materials, verging on self-promotion, instead of the agency highlighting the country’s tourist spots and destinations.
Tulfo said his inquiry was based on complaints he received about the issue from ordinary citizens. He presented a number of photos — an airport in Boracay, one taken in South Cotabato, and another in Taguig — all showing Frasco’s face instead of a Philippine destination.
‘Turning into a vlogger’
He also pointed to a magazine image of Frasco on a boat, decked in colorful Filipino finery.
“You’re on a boat and promoting the Philippines. You’re dressed in florals in — is this Lake Sebu — and are inviting tourists to come. Did you authorize the use of your face to be used this way and placed in a magazine?,” asked Tulfo.
Why, pressed the senator, did Frasco’s department not opt to get a professional model for the job instead?
“I’m very sorry, Secretary Frasco. It seems like you’re turning into a vlogger. It will not sell if the marketing materials are filled with your face. It shouldn’t happen,” Tulfo said.
Tulfo also cited Philippine Topics, a magazine circulated in Japan, which he said was a “missed opportunity” to promote Philippine tourism to other countries.
“For example, there’s this magazine in Japan. I think it’s a free publication. It was supposed to be an opportunity to showcase our tourism industry in Japan. But instead, it’s you who appears — just you, even during the groundbreaking ceremonies,” Tulfo added.
‘Work photos’
Frasco responded by saying she did not give consent for the use of her image in the magazine and stressed that no government funds were used for the material’s publication.
Frasco said the circulating photos of her are “work photos.”
“The interpretation or misinterpretation of that, of course, is for public consumption, but we have all the documentation to prove that my presence there was a legitimate one and it was to help the destination as far as crafting tourism packages and building up attention for the destination in conjunction with our tourism stakeholders,” said Frasco.
Tulfo said he was not insinuating that Frasco’s presence in DOT events was “not legit,” but that what comes off to the public is that “you’re trying to promote yourself, so maybe we have to refrain from doing that.”
Frasco denied that she was engaging in self-promotion. “I have no national ambition. I am not running for any national position in 2028 and therefore any accusation of self promotion would fall flat… There would be no reason for me to promote myself,” she said.
Limited budget
Frasco also said that she did not order the installation of materials and tarpaulins bearing her photos in some tourism areas.
Tulfo then pointed out that in other countries, the faces of tourism secretaries do not usually appear in promotional materials.
Frasco replied, “Perhaps if it’s the pleasure of the senator that I no longer visit our destinations or that there be no coverage of the same, we can take that into serious consideration”— an answer that appeared to irk Tulfo.
“Of course, you can visit. Why not? People would appreciate you going there, so you can see on the ground what needs to be done. But what we are saying here is, don’t promote yourself,” he shot back.
In the end, Frasco said the DOT would provide Tulfo’s office all of the department’s promotional materials without Frasco’s face in them, stressing that they were working very hard to promote Philippine destinations despite a “very limited budget.”
In a statement defending her handling of the Tourism portfolio, Frasco said she chose to show up “where help is needed, where policies are implemented, and where Filipinos depend on government action. This is not self-promotion; it is the essence of the job entrusted to me.”
Wanda Teo Tulfo controversy
Tulfo’s sister, Wanda Tulfo Teo, headed the DOT from 2016 to 2018, appointed to the position by then president Rodrigo Duterte.
She was also involved in controversy when the Commission on Audit flagged her placement of P60 million in tourism ads in a TV show in the government station PTV4 that was produced and hosted by her and and Sen. Raffy Tulfo’s brothers, Ben Tulfo and Erwin Tulfo.
Teo said she “did not know” that her own brothers were running the program that received the DOT funds, and eventually resigned her post.
Ben and Erwin Tulfo initially said they would return the money to the government, but backtracked on their statement and refused to return the funds.
Bernadette Romulo-Puyat succeeded Teo as DOT chief, and served until the end of Duterte’s term in June 2022.
******
Get real-time news updates: inqnews.net/inqviber
