'Keep calm': Cong Frasco says there's more to new DOT campaign amid Mayon-gate
Cebu 5th district Rep. Vincent Franco "Duke" Frasco (left), and Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda (Facebook)
The Department of Tourism's (DOT) new-fangled "Love the Philippines" campaign is not just about one promotional video. House Deputy Speaker Cebu 5th district Rep. Vincent Franco "Duke" Frasco made this assurance on Thursday morning, June 29 in what appears to be an attempt to cool heads regarding the DOT campaign. "The intiial video promoting the PH gives the world a glimpse of the many reasons to Love the Philippines. Just like in any campaign, this ad campaign is not just for one day [or] does it consist of just one singular video," he wrote. "More to come! Keep calm and LOVE the Philippines," he added. Rep. Frasco is the husband of DOT Secretary Christina Frasco. The House leader also said in Bisaya: "Opening salvo pa ni, Bai. Dili pa ni ang miting de avance." This rather tongue-in-cheek comment means in English: "This is just the opening salvo. This isn't the miting de avance yet)." On Wednesday, June 28, Rep. Frasco's House colleague, Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda, assailed DOT's promotional video for not featuring the famous Mayon Volcano--the province's top draw for tourists. "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," Salceda said. Rep. Frasco responded by saying that the over notable 50 mountains and volcanos of the Philippines, Mayon included, were "represented in the DOT LOVE logo". To this, Salceda said: "Mayon 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)."