Binay grills DOT chief on rebranding, promo campaign

Senator Nancy Binay has questioned the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) allocation for market study and research for their rebranding campaign, as she underscored that these should have been done before the launch of its controversial “Love the Philippines” video.

The DOT had requested P30 million for Strategy, Research and Overall Direction for the Integrated Marketing Communication Campaign, as part of its P500 million budget proposal for its Branding Campaign Program for 2024.

However, Binay noted that the agency also has an unutilized item of the same amount for this year.

She expressed amusement at the need for continued P30 million allocation, as she stressed that a market study should have been done before the launch of the campaign.

She inquired from the DOT why they are spending P30 million for a study that was supposed to be was already done before the launch.

“I would assume this is the ‘Love the Philippines’, ‘di ba?” she said.

“So, what is the basis for doing a rebranding when you’re still gonna do a strategy research worth P30 million?,” Binay asked.

“You’re shifting to a new campaign, so talagang, overhaul ‘yan. So how can it be that you started a new campaign already?”

According to the DOT, the firm it initially contracted for the “Love the Philippines” campaign had already conducted a comprehensive study on customer behavior, trends in travel and tourism post-pandemic, as well as attitudes to travel, including tourism spending.

Binay said that considering a study had already been conducted, the P30 million requested was already redundant.

“And if that’s the case, so dapat alisin na natin ang P30 million,” said Binay.

Frasco said she will consult the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the President on what possible actions they can take over the false statement of an Indonesian counterpart who claimed that the Philippines used footage of their tourist attraction in a presentation during the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in June 2023 in Cambodia.

During the hearing in the proposed P2.9 billion budget of the DOT for fiscal year 2024, Frasco told Senator Nancy Binay, who chairs the Senate Committee on Tourism, that she