DoT Rebrands 'Love the Philippines' Campaign to Spur Tourism Growth

The Department of Tourism (DoT) is shifting its branding direction for the "Love the Philippines" campaign, aiming to boost the country's tourism growth. This change involves revamping the campaign's approach rather than replacing it entirely. "Upon entry into the office, the first mandate that I had carried out was to change the tone of voice of the Department of Tourism with regard to how it communicates to the public," said DoT Assistant Secretary for Branding and Marketing Communications Armand Lorenze "Ren" Sapitan during a House Committee on Appropriations budget hearing. He clarified that the branding and marketing team members were not changed, but rather "a change in direction" was adopted. Mr. Sapitan noted that given the administration has "only two years left," the campaign itself will not be changed. Instead, the DoT will alter "how we approach the campaign," including "the way we relate to the people, the way we promote, the way we market our tourism destinations." The "Discover More to Love" program is designed to highlight local destinations by partnering with companies and offering travel bundles and discounted offers. Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay emphasized the importance of private sector partnerships, citing the agency's relationship with companies like The Sun Group, which "not only invests in marketing, but they also invest in the entire ecosystem." She described this as a complete investment, "almost like a subsidy," covering tourist attractions, hotels, accommodations, and entire villages. Filipino talents BINI and SB19 have been named as the country's tourism ambassadors to support the push for domestic travel. The DoT has earmarked a P4.03 billion budget under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), a 4.6% or P196 million decrease from the P4.23 billion approved budget for 2026. Of this proposed budget, P1 billion will fund branding campaigns, with 60% allocated for overseas marketing and 40% for domestic efforts. "You could see that the aesthetic that we are showing in our social platforms has improved drastically," said Mr. Sapitan. "We’re not showing our faces anymore; we are showing the beautiful places across the Philippines." This shift comes after former Tourism Secretary Ma. Esperanza Christina G. Frasco faced criticism during her tenure over alleged overexposure in the agency’s promotional materials.