A tourism agency has apologised after a video advertising the Philippines as a holiday destination showed footage from other countries.
On Sunday, the DDB Philippines agency released a statement and said it “profusely” apologised to the country’s Tourism Secretary and The Department of Tourism (DOT), as well as the people of the Philippines.
The company used “non-original” stock footage in a video shown to launch one of its campaigns called Love The Philippines.
The video featured many different shots including aerial footage of sand dunes in Brazil as well as footage of a man riding a buggy in the desert in the United Arab Emirates.
Explaining the mishap, the agency said in a post: “While the use of stock footage in mood videos is standard practice in the industry, the use of foreign stock footage was an unfortunate oversight on our agency’s part.
“Proper screening and approval processes should have been strictly followed. The use of foreign stock footage in a campaign promoting the Philippines is highly inappropriate, and contradictory to the DOT’s objectives.”
The agency said it was also “cooperating” with the DOT during its investigation on the matter.
The DOT released a statement on Monday and said it stands in “solidarity” with “fellow Filipinos” in their outrage over the matter.
The statement was also posted by the country’s Tourism Secretary, Christina Garcia Frasco, on Facebook and Instagram
The DOT added it “reserves the right” to terminate a contract if the agency is “incapable of the project”.
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The department said it will remain “fully committed” to developing and promoting the country as a “powerhouse of natural wonders, culture and heritage, and a fount of warmth and hospitality which is a source of great love and pride for all Filipinos”.
Blogger Sass Rogando Sasot, who also uncovered the use of other countries in the video, called out the agency and said “at least four scenes” were stock footage – which included shots from Thailand, Indonesia and Dubai.
“When the people in the government and mainstream media didn’t realise that the rice terraces and airport in the #LoveThePhilippines aren’t in the PH, it means one thing: they themselves do not know our country… and you cannot truly love what you don’t know,” Ms Rogando Sasot said in a Facebook post.
