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Binay finds new PH tourism ad 'vague'; rejects labor-exporting country tag
Philippines
National
Binay finds new PH tourism ad 'vague'; rejects labor-exporting country tag
Binay finds new PH tourism ad 'vague'; rejects labor-exporting country tag
Published May 10, 2023 05:25 am
Senator Nancy Binay on Wednesday, May 10 thumbed down the latest tourism campaign rolled out by the Marcos administration noting how it centered on promoting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) instead of the beauty of the country’s popular destinations.
The new campaign brand was sighted on a London bus recently, and a photo of it has been making the rounds in various social media applications such as Twitter and Viber.
The bus advertisement features Filipina-British nurse May Parsons holding up a syringe accompanied by a text: “The nurse who gave the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine. A Filipina. We give the world our best. The Philippines.”
“We appreciate the initiative and the effort to give the Philippines the needed boost in the global market. Kaso, parang may disconnect ang messaging (But there seems to be a disconnect in the messaging). Is the ad intended to encourage tourists to visit the country? Is it aimed to encourage more foreign investments? Or, is it meant for hospitals abroad to hire our nurses? Napaka-vague lang talaga (It is really vague),” Binay said in a statement.
“Kasi (because), based on that one transit ad that recently saw the rounds in London, nakaka-bother lang (it really bothers us) when you see the ad. It seems that we are offering the world our nurses—which is a bit off kasi nauubusan na nga tayo rito ng mga (because we are now losing) health workers,” she said.
“We don't want to commodify our people, and we don't want to be tagged as a labor-exporting country,” the senator explained.
It is also not clear to whom the campaign ad is directed, Binay, who chairs the Senate Committee on Tourism, also noted.
“At para kanino ba ang inilabas na ad sa London—DOT, BOI or DMW (For whom was the ad in London directed to—the DOT, Bureau of Immigration or Department of Migrant Workers)?” she asked.
“Sa unang tingin pa lang, ano ang konek ng nars, heringgilya at bakuna sa pino-promote nating mga tour destination (At first glance, what is the connection of the nurse, the syringe, the vaccine in promoting our tourist destinations)?” she pointed out.
“We have yet to see other renders and permutations of their 'best' ads. But sad to say—from a tourism perspective—'di tugma ang 'Best' messaging sa gusto nating ma-achieve sa Philippine tourism (the Best messaging does not vibe with how we want to achieve for Philippine tourism),” she said.
Binay also said she is skeptical whether the DOT is bent on adopting the new slogan.
“Ang tanong ko rin: 'yan na ba talaga ang ia-adopt ng DOT na bagong slogan (My question also is, is the DOT ready to adopt this new slogan)?” she asked.
“I'm still hopeful that DOT would consider deferring its re-branding plan. Instead, ipagpatuloy na lang natin ang (let’s continue the) 'It's More Fun...' campaign, and come up with fresh permutations of 'Fun' in the Philippines,” the lawmaker suggested.