By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga 

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson reacted negatively amid the controversy surrounding the country’s new promotional tourism campaign. 

Lacson said DDB Philippines, the advertising agency behind the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) “Love the Philippines” slogan, was “taking it easy.” 

The agency, hired by the DOT to produce new tourism promotional material, was criticized for using stock footage of travel destinations from other countries.

“They were paid P49 million for that promotional material, and then nag-gamit lang sila videos of other countries,” Lacson said.

“How can you love the Philippines if you are showing videos of other countries?” he asked.

Among the footage in the controversial video were a fisherman from Thailand, sand dunes in the United Arab Emirates, and the rice terraces in Indonesia.

Lacson said the DOT should block list the advertising agency and they should never be hired by the government again, when it comes to tourism.

Critics also slammed the new catchphrase, with analysts saying it has failed to capture the country’s best qualities in tourism and does not give tourists compelling reasons to visit the country.

They added the new promotional slogan lacks creativity.

Lacson added he would prefer the previous tourism slogan, “It’s More Fun in the Philippines,” the country’s marketing campaign from 2012 to 2022.

DDB issued an apology over the promotional video on Sunday, July 2, and took responsibility over the matter.

The DOT said yesterday they are now in the process of terminating the advertising agency’s contract after their “abject failure to comply with their obligations.”

Meanwhile, chief presidential legal counsel and former senator Juan Ponce Enrile said the DOT should use the term “enjoy” in the new slogan, as tourists visit the country because they want to enjoy and to see what is in here.

“They are not here to love the Philippines, but to enjoy it,” Enrile said.

Two politicians have also slammed the DOT for excluding their hometowns in the promotional material./DGB, WDJ