Ched Rick Gatchalian

Article (news)

'Puro mukha mong nakalagay doon': Tulfo, Frasco clash over DOT chief's images in tourism promo materials

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177010692160720251205-dot-resto-run-morning-sun-eatery-MT9.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco leads the RestoRUN–MICHELIN Guide Plaque Distribution Restaurant Caravan at Morning Sun Eatery in Project 4, Quezon City on Friday, December 5, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco leads the RestoRUN–MICHELIN Guide Plaque Distribution Restaurant Caravan at Morning Sun Eatery in Project 4, Quezon City on Friday, December 5, 2025. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Sen. Raffy Tulfo on Tuesday called out Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco over the proliferation of her pictures in the country&#x27;s tourism promotional materials during the Senate Committee on Tourism&#x27;s hearing.</p><p>Tulfo mentioned some criticisms saying Frasco is supposedly promoting herself more than the provinces.</p><p>&quot;Kasi ang nangyari ma&#x27;am ang dating daw sa kanila parang pinopromote mo yung sarili mo, versus dapat yung Pilipinas ang pino-promote mo o yung mga probinsya ang pinopromote mo, versus you promoting yourself... So ang dating po sa mga tao na you&#x27;re trying to promote yourself. Maybe we have to refrain from doing that. We can use model siguro. Like I said yan, sabi ko sa Cotabato ba? South Cotabato. Then let&#x27;s use Miss Cotabato as the model. Or a native South Cotabato,&quot; Tulfo explained.</p><p>Tulfo noted that none of Frasco&#x27;s counterparts in other countries do the same.</p><p>&quot;Compared to other countries like India, Malaysia, Japan, hindi mo makikita yung mukha ng mga secretaries ng Department of Tourism nila doon.&quot;</p><p>Frasco denied promoting herself, as she maintained she has no plans to run for national elective position in the next elections. She added that she has merely been visible in her job.</p><p>&quot;I would just like to reiterate my position that I have tried to be as present as possible in our destinations and for our stakeholders. That is the extent of the duty that I have exercised and nothing more. I have no national ambition. I&#x27;m not running for any national position and therefore any accusation of self-promotion would fall flat because I am not running for any national position in 2028 and therefore there would be no reason for me to promote myself,&quot; she said.</p><p>The Tourism chief pushed back, but Tulfo stood his ground.</p><p>&quot;Perhaps if it is the pleasure of the senator that I no longer visit our destinations or that there be no coverage of the same, we can take that into serious consideration,&quot; Frasco said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/1/29/cheaper-in-other-countries-dot-says-in-talks-with-dotr-airline-partners-on-airfare-prices-0101">Cheaper in other countries? DOT says in talks with DOTr, airline partners on airfare prices</a></div><p>&quot;People would appreciate you going there so that makikita mo on the ground kung ano yung mga kulang, mga kailangang gawin,&quot; Tulfo said. &quot;But what we&#x27;re saying is, wag mo i-promote yung sarili mo. Pag pumunta ka sa isang lugar, kung ano yung mga kulang doon, punahin mo, and then punuan mo yun po ang point ng mga netizens na lumapit po sa akin. It has nothing to do about you.&quot;</p><p>Frasco maintained the DOT has other materials without her face.</p><p>&quot;Senator, we would be also very happy to provide your office with all of the promotional efforts that we have made sans my face in the destinations covered in order to indicate that the Department of Tourism has not ever ceased from promoting our destinations, notwithstanding our very, very limited budget,&quot; Frasco said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>FRASCO IN JAPAN MAGAZINE</strong></div><p>Earlier in the discussion, Frasco addressed the presence of her face in some promotional materials. One was a magazine in Japan which featured her, but Frasco said that was lifted from the coverage of an event.</p><p>Tulfo said Frasco is seemingly looking like a vlogger, since her faces are placed on most promotional materials.</p><p>&quot;Isa pa, sa nakikita ko, I&#x27;m very sorry, Secretary Frasco. Parang lumilitaw na ikaw ay nagiging vlogger na it will not sell pag doon sa mga marketing materials natin, puro mukha mong nakalagay doon. It shouldn&#x27;t happen,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Halimbawa meron tayong, meron &#x27;tong sa Japan, Japan ba ito na magazine. I think it&#x27;s a free magazine. Pagkakataon na sana natin na para sumikat tayo sa Japan. Sa halip, ang nakalagay dito, ikaw, ikaw ng ikaw, and then, yung mga groundbreaking, pinapakita natin sa halip na dapat, &#x27;yung underground river, 8 wonders of the world, Tabon cav... ang pinakita doon, kayo po at saka yung mga groundbreakingh ceremony, which will not sell,&quot; he added.</p><p>Tulfo said the DOT instead has to show more of what tourists could see if they visit the country.</p><p>Frasco explained they investigated that incident.</p><p>&quot;An immediate investigation was conducted upon my directive, and this is how we were able to find out that Philippine Topics magazine had sought permission to cover the Philippine Expo Pavilion in Japan. This was during the launch of the Philippine National Day of the country in Osaka Expo. And so they were given access to cover the Philippine National Day in Osaka. And my understanding is that the photo that was used as cover for the magazine was lifted from the coverage of that particular event. And the contents of the magazine are all lifted content. These are not the product of interviews that were conducted by them towards me as there was never any,&quot; she said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/1/21/more-expensive-to-travel-in-ph-than-abroad-ptaa-vows-to-offer-reduced-rates-2346">More expensive to travel in PH than abroad? PTAA vows to offer reduced rates</a></div><p>Tulfo wanted Frasco to ask the same magazine to feature Philippine destinations instead.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>FRASCO ON ONLINE PROMO MATERIALS</strong></div><p>Frasco also explained her prominence in the social media accounts of the agency, stressing the DOT has two social media pages.</p><p>&quot;One is the corporate site which reports on the activities of the agency as well as the head of its agency as far as the programs and projects of the Department of Tourism is concerned. And inevitably, as I have sought as best I can to be as present as possible in all the destinations in the country that have been visited by us in the past three years, perhaps that is the reason why my face prominently appears in the Department of Tourism&#x27;s website as that reports on our activities,&quot; Frasco said.</p><p>&quot;On the other hand, there is a marketing platform of the DOT that reports on all of the destinations and markets all of the destinations in conjunction as well with the sites of the Tourism Promotions Board. So we wish to assure this committee that the Department of Tourism has worked as hard as it could as far as promotions is concerned and has advocated as fiercely as possible as far as matters that can help or harm Philippine tourism but are simply not entirely within the mandate of the government.&quot;</p><p>Frasco said the &quot;attacks&quot; against her have become too much, but she won&#x27;t respond or retaliate. </p>

<p>Sen. Raffy Tulfo on Tuesday called out Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco over the proliferation of her pictures in the country's tourism promotional materials during the Senate Committee on Tourism's hearing.</p>

Sen. Raffy Tulfo on Tuesday called out Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco over the proliferation of her pictures in the country's tourism promotional materials during the Senate Committee on Tourism's hearing.