Sen. Binay questions PH tourism slogan on London bus

Senator Nancy Binay flagged a campaign slogan on a London bus featuring a Filipina-British nurse, saying it appeared like the Philippines is offering its nurses to the world when the country also needs them here.

According to a “24 Oras” report, the advertisement read as: "The nurse who gave the world's first COVID-19 vaccine. A Filipina. We give the world our best. The Philippines."

The bus ad carried a picture of May Parsons, the Filipina nurse who administered the world's first COVID-19 vaccine.

“Kasi, based on that one transit ad that recently saw the rounds in London. Nakaka-bother lang when you see the ad, it seems that we are offering the world our nurses – which is a bit off kasi nauubusan na nga tayo rito ng mga health worker,” Binay, chairperson of the Senate committee on tourism, said.

"We don't want to commodify our people, and we don't want to be tagged as labor-exporting country," she added, questioning the relation between the nurse, syringe and the vaccine in the promotion of tourism.

Parsons thanked the Philippine government for the advertisement, which was said to be the idea of the Presidential Adviser on Creative Communications Secretary Paul Soriano’s office.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Frasco clarified that the line "we give the world our best"  is not the new tourism slogan.  She added this is only a country brand that aims to “show the world the best of the Philippines and honor the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)."

“We do clarify that the advertisement that was released in London is not yet a tourism advertisement of the Department of Tourism (DOT) as we are releasing the branding campaign,” she said, adding that the advertisement campaign that honors the OFWs can also entice tourists.

“Come to think of it, who better to become our tourism ambassadors than our overseas Filipino workers? So I don’t see a disconnect. I see only an opportunity for alignment with the country branding,” Frasco added.

Asked if the 10-year-old tourism slogan “It's more fun in the Philippines” will soon be replaced, Frasco said they plan to enhance the existing slogan in consultation with stakeholders.

“We will make sure that it will be perfectly aligned with the country branding for the Philippines that is to give the world our best. In no way we are saying that the Philippines is no longer fun. It is. It continues to be. But so much has happened since the pandemic that requires us to evolve, to grow, and to honor those who have made so many sacrifices for our country,” she said.

The GMA Integrated News Team has sought the reaction of Soriano but he has not yet responded.—Sherylin Untalan/LDF, GMA Integrated News