THE Department of Tourism (DOT) on Friday rejected allegations of self-promotional branding, saying it had no participation in the production, funding or editorial direction of a private tourism magazine that recently drew online criticism. In an official statement, the DOT said Philippine Topics is “a private publication and not an official magazine of the Department,” stressing that it did not commission, pay for or approve any cover or feature story involving Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco. “The content, including the selection of images and text, was produced entirely at the magazine’s editorial discretion and no DOT photographs, guidance or public funds were used,” it said. Addressing claims linked to coverage, the DOT said the magazine independently covered activities related to the World Expo Osaka 2025 using its own materials, and any suggestion of official endorsement was “false and misleading.” The agency also dismissed assertions by a photographer who claimed official involvement, stating that “at no time did the Department instruct, select, approve or endorse any photograph for the magazine.” Assertions that it favored an image of Frasco over destination-focused materials are “entirely false and without factual basis,” countering narratives that fueled accusations of so-called epal branding, it said. The department warned that misrepresenting official actions and implying improper use of public resources “undermines public trust and misleads the public,” especially in an era of heightened sensitivity to government communications. Tourism officials reiterated that the DOT’s campaigns remain anchored on destination-first storytelling and ethical promotion, underscoring its institutional commitment rather than individual visibility. “The Department remains steadfast in its commitment to transparency, accountability and the ethical promotion of Philippine tourism,” it said. The DOT urged commentators and the public to distinguish between private editorial decisions and official government action, noting that accuracy is essential to preserving trust in public institutions. Reacting to the controversy, marketing experts called for stronger brand governance and professional oversight in government campaigns. Branding specialist Dindo Danao described the episode as a failure of communications discipline that could have been prevented with proper oversight. “The DOT needs a communications strategist or senior branding consultant empowered to intervene when executions stray from brand fundamentals,” Danao said in a statement issued on New Year’s Day. He said the campaign ran counter to a core principle of tourism marketing: placing the destination, not personalities, at the center of storytelling. “Branding is not about visibility; it is about discipline. When a government tourism material places the secretary’s image at the center, it outshines the product it is meant to sell,” he said. Despite DOT’s clarification, analysts said the incident reignited broader discussions about government communications, public trust and the visual hierarchy of official messaging. Observers noted that audiences quickly notice when promotional materials shift attention from destinations to personalities, particularly in tourism campaigns meant to market the country. Marketing professionals said the backlash echoed earlier controversies faced by the DOT, including criticism over the use of foreign stock footage in a previous tourism television commercial. Taken together, they said, the incidents point to recurring weaknesses in brand governance. According to Danao, such missteps often stem from structural gaps, including the absence of an independent creative review, the lack of a senior strategist with veto power and insufficient consideration of audience perception. “In the private sector, campaigns like this would not pass a brand review. Government communications should be held to the same — if not higher — standards because public trust is at stake,” he said. Experts recommended a clearer separation between governance and promotion, strict adherence to destination-first storytelling and the engagement of professional strategists with the authority to challenge questionable creative decisions. “Branding is not about who is seen; it is about what is remembered. Right now, what the public remembers is the distraction, not the destination,” said Danao, a veteran strategic communications adviser with more than four decades of experience in advertising, public relations and mainstream media.