Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco on Wednesday said she has ordered the immediate removal of all Department of Tourism (DOT) promotional materials bearing her image and name, following accusations of alleged “self-promotion” raised during a Senate hearing.
The directive came a day after Senator Raffy Tulfo questioned the visibility of Frasco’s image in several DOT marketing materials during the February 3 hearing of the Senate Committee on Tourism. Tulfo presented photos of tourism promotions and streamers that prominently featured the tourism chief, as well as a magazine spread highlighting her.
During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, Frasco categorically denied the accusations and stressed that she had already instructed all DOT regional offices to take down such materials and refrain from producing new ones featuring her likeness.
She also appealed to local government units (LGUs) to stop putting up tarpaulins and streamers with her image or name in tourism-related promotional materials.
“I have already issued an order...as far as we are concerned to the DOT, to take down any material that may bear my image, and to not produce any material that may bear my image,” Frasco said.
She further addressed the allegations during the Senate hearing, saying, “The accusation is that I’m very visible because I wish to promote myself.. But, [could] there perhaps be room for the argument that I’m very visible because I’m simply working?”
The tourism secretary also clarified issues surrounding a Japanese magazine, Philippine Topics, which featured her prominently.
Frasco said the publication was “unauthorized” and claimed neither she nor the DOT consented to or funded the magazine feature.
“Neither I nor the Department of Tourism have given our consent or any funds to do the publication of Philippine Topics magazine, which elected on their own and by their own volition and editorial decision to use my image without my consent,” Frasco said.
She emphasized that she granted no interviews, that no government funds were spent on the publication, and that she immediately ordered an investigation upon learning about it. This led to the issuance of a demand letter seeking clarification from the magazine’s publishers, who, according to Frasco, have yet to respond.
Addressing speculations about political ambition, Frasco said she has no intention of running for any national position, making self-promotion unnecessary.
“I have absolutely nothing to do with this magazine…and I have done nothing but work as hard as I can and be as present as possible in our destinations and for our stakeholders,” she said. “That has somehow been vilified for some national political ambitions of which I do not have.”
“I have no international in running for any national position there for it makes absolutely no sense for me to promote myself,” she noted.
Frasco added that she gave up her third term as mayor of Liloan to serve as tourism secretary, often at the expense of time with her family.
“I abandoned my third term as mayor of Liloan to accept the job of being tourism secretary, and sad to say, for many days and nights I have abandoned even my young children—in service of the country,” she said.
She concluded by defending her hands-on approach, saying Filipinos deserve a tourism secretary who is present during both calamities and celebrations, and who ensures that the tourism industry continues to generate jobs and livelihoods across the country.
