THE Department of Tourism (DOT) issued a statement expressing their outrage and extreme disappointment with the use of non-original/stock footage purporting to be scenes from the Philippines in the audio-visual presentation of the campaign ‘Love the Philippines’.
“The Department of Tourism (DOT) is in solidarity with our fellow Filipinos in expressing our outrage and extreme disappointment at the use of non-original/stock footage purporting to be scenes from the Philippines in the audiovisual presentation (AVP) prepared, produced, and published by DDB Philippines as a component of the launch of the enhanced tourism branding campaign for the country,” said DOT.
According to the DOT, under the terms governing the government agency’s tourism branding campaign contract with DDB Philippines, materials produced by the winning bidder should be original and aligned with the dot’s advocacies.
“Under the terms governing the DOT’s tourism branding campaign contract with DDB Philippines, material/s produced by the winning bidder should be original and aligned with the dot’s advocacies,” DOT added.
The DOT added that they reserve the right to change, suspend, or discontinue temporarily or permanently the contract at any time should the DOT deem the agency incapable of the project.
“Further, the DOT reserves the right to change, suspend, or discontinue temporarily or permanently the contract at any time should the DOT deem the agency incapable of the project, ” according to DOT.
And because DDB failed to comply with its obligations under the contract and had a direct contravention with the DOT’s objectives for the enhanced tourism branding, the DOT hereby exercises its right to proceed with termination proceedings against its contract with DDB.
“As DDB Philippines has publicly apologized, taken full responsibility, and admitted in no uncertain terms, that non-original materials were used in their AVP, reflecting an abject failure to comply with their obligations under the contract and a direct contravention with the DOT’s objectives for the enhanced tourism branding, the DOT hereby exercises its right to proceed with termination proceedings against its contract with DDB,” DOT said.
The DOT added that no payments have been made by the department to DDB under the tourism branding campaign contract.
It can be remembered that the “Love the Philippines” campaign video drew flak after netizens discovered that some of the video clips used were foreign stock footage.
Some of the video clips that were taken outside the Philippines were the rice terraces in Bali, Indonesia; fisherman in Thailand; the airport in Zurich, Switzerland, dolphins, car on sand dunes in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and an aerial shot of sand dunes in Brazil.
