'Wasted opportunity': Bela Padilla offers suggestion over 'Love the Philippines' tourism campaign mess
MANILA, Philippines — Actress Bela Padilla is the latest high-profile individual to share her input about the recent fiasco involving the Department of Tourism (DOT).
The DOT’s launch of the "Love the Philippines" tourism campaign last month drew criticism over the perceived lackluster messaging of the new slogan.
Issues only grew bigger when the ad agency contracted to create the campaign, DDB Philippines, came under fire for using stock footage from other countries in a video that the DOT publicized to promote the country.
Bela posted her own opinion about the DOT mess last week after reading up on the issue and other recent events.
Her suggestion was invite Filipinos and content creators to share personal videos of or what they like about the Philippines.
My two cents. (That no one’s asking for, I know.) if someone had released a nationwide call for locals to shoot content of what they love about our country (all my free diving videos are taken by bangkeros with their personal GoPros that I rent for the day in the islands I go to…
— Bela “mapanakit” Padilla (@padillabela) July 5, 2023
"If someone had released a nationwide call for locals to shoot content of what they love about our country... and offered a reward of say 10,000 pesos to 100 winners, the campaign would have had a genuine, heartfelt, local perspective at a fraction of the amount spent," Bela said.
The actress even shared that all her free diving videos were taken by "bangkeros" (boatmen) which rents for the day their own GoPros, and Bella finds the footage quality superb.
"Wasted opportunity there," Bella added. "Dami pa sanang nabigyan ng validation... Sense of fulfilment at aminin na natin, tulong pangpinansyal."
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said it was "evident" that the Philippines would retain using the "Love the Philippines" slogan even after the recent issues. The DOT, however, remained mum on whether it would still pay DDB in partial as a result.
RELATED: DOT keeps ‘Love the Philippines’ slogan after dropping ad agency
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