Senator Nancy Binay on Wednesday expressed her concern about the newest campaign advertisement rolled out by the Department of Tourism (DOT), noting that it seemed to imply that the country is selling Filipino nurses to the world.
The campaign ad, featuring Filipina-British nurse May Parsons who administered the first COVID-19 vaccine in the world, was displayed in the iconic double-deck buses in the United Kingdom (UK).
The bus ad stated that "The nurse who gave the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine. A Filipina. We give the world our best. The Philippines.”
Binay, who chairs the Senate Committee on Tourism, said she was bothered by the intent of the advertisement.
"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," she said in a statement.
"We don't want to commodify our people, and we don't want to be tagged as a labor-exporting country," Binay added.
The Senator also pointed out that the message of the advertisement seemed to be disconnected from Philippine tourism's goal of encouraging tourists in the country.
"Sa unang tingin pa lang, ano ang konek ng nars, heringgilya at bakuna sa pino-promote nating mga tour destination?" she said.
Binay then urged the tourism department to defer its plan of re-branding the country's tourism campaign slogan.
"Instead, ipagpatuloy na lang natin ang 'It's More Fun...' campaign, and come up with fresh permutations of 'Fun' in the Philippines," she added.
The campaign ad went viral on social media after Parsons herself posted it on Twitter.
"I hope that by seeing this, my brothers & sisters, Filipino nurses, feel seen, not just in the UK but in the world. Let's get heard," she captioned, tagging President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr., former DFA Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin, the Philippine Embassy in the United Kingdom, and other organizations in the UK.
