(SPOT.ph) While reeling from mixed reactions on its slogan Love the Philippines, here comes another battle for the Department of Tourism (DOT): a video for the campaign appeared to have footage from Thailand.
DOT said it was probing the accusations, and it "will not hesitate to exact accountability and take the necessary action to protect the interest of the country."
The DOT is currently conducting an exhaustive investigation to determine the veracity of, and to gather the full faculty of facts on, these allegations," the department said in a statement issued on Saturday night.
Also read: Do You Remember These Department of Tourism Slogans?
DOT Love the Philippines campaign accused of using stock videos
Based on posts circulating online, the audio-visual presentation (AVP) allegedly showed a farmer in Thailand, apparently obtained from stock footage website Storyblocks. Other shots supposedly included places in Indonesia and Dubai. DOT said the AVP material was created by its contracted agency, DDB Philippines.
"During the various meetings and consultations held relative to the tourism brand enhancement, the DOT, for its part, repeatedly sought confirmation from DDB on the originality and ownership of all materials contained in the AVPs and key visuals presented to the Department. In ALL these occasions, DDB repeatedly assured the DOT that the originality and ownership of all materials are in order," DOT said.
DDB Philippines has yet to issue a statement as of posting.
DOT also assured that while "no public funds have been paid for the AVP in question, as this particular component of the launch was released on the account of DDB," the agency "holds the responsibility of promoting the country to the highest standard."
This comes just days after DOT launched its new campaign, Love the Philippines, which was criticized for being non-original, among other things. The campaign cost P49 million.
Also read: 3 Times the Department of Tourism Was Failed by the Internet
Tourism Secretary Cristina Garcia Frasco said compared to the "It's More Fun" slogan, Love the Philippines better encapsulates what the country is about.
There is so much more to the Philippines than the fun and adventure that we have so far articulated to the world, for the Philippines is a powerhouse of mega biodiversity, being only one of 18 mega biodiverse countries in the world, a deep well of culture and history, a profound burst and taste of flavor and gastronomy, a tapestry of indigenous peoples and creative communities by whose work of their hands have safeguarded the dignity and integrity of the Filipino identity," Frasco said in an earlier statement.
"This is who we are. These complexities and nuances of the Philippines have yet to be fully articulated to the world for indeed the story of the Filipino has yet to be fully told, and we shall tell the story by telling them the story of love," she added.
Check out the video below: