Self-promotion? Frasco denies using tourism campaign for 2028 elections

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Frasco denies the accusation of self-promotion, asserting that she’s not running for a national office in the 2028 elections 

There’s no shortage of beautiful places in the Philippines.

But lately, it’s Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco’s face — not the beaches, mountains, or islands — that seems to dominate tourism materials, as alleged by Senator Raffy Tulfo during a Senate tourism committee hearing on Tuesday, February 3.

Tulfo called out what he sees as excessive self-promotion, reminding officials that it’s destinations — not personalities — that should be in the spotlight.

“Parang lumilitaw ikaw (referring to Frasco) nagiging vlogger na. It will not sell kung sa marketing materials natin puro mukha mo nakalagay doon,” Tulfo said on Tuesday, February 3. (It appears like you’re becoming a vlogger. It will not sell if the marketing materials are dominated by your face.)

“Dapat ang pinopromote yung lugar, hindi yung tao. Iwas tayo doon sa personality,” he added. (We should be promoting places, not the person. We should avoid featuring a personality.)

Tulfo also said that Frasco’s actions do not sit well with the Filipino public. 

One example? A magazine called Philippine Topics, published in Japan and distributed for free, featured Frasco’s face prominently on its cover.

Frasco, however, pushed back.

She said the magazine did not seek her consent and claimed that neither she nor the Department of Tourism (DOT) funded or influenced its content.

She said a demand letter was even sent to the publication for the magazine to clarify that no government funds were used, and that DOT had no hand in the magazine’s editorial decisions.

Frasco maintained that it wasn’t a photoshoot — just a photo taken while she was doing her job.

Frasco denied the accusation of self-promotion, asserting that she’s not running for a national office in the 2028 elections. Tulfo was quick to clarify that he’s not insinuating that Frasco will seek an elective position.

Frasco is part of a political clan in Cebu. She is the daughter of former Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia and granddaughter of the late former governor Pablo Garcia. Christina’s husband is Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco, the current representative of the 5th District of Cebu.

But the magazine cover isn’t the only image raising eyebrows.

A striking, high-quality photo of Frasco in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato has also circulated online. In it, she sits on a boat in indigenous attire, framed by lily pads and flowers — flashing a heart-hand sign at the camera.

Online, some social media users joked that the tourism secretary had become the “main attraction,” while others asked where the “eject button” on the boat was.

Frasco again maintained that it wasn’t a photoshoot but just a photo taken while she was doing her job.

She also clarified that the DOT runs two social media accounts: one to document the agency’s activities, and another to promote Philippine tourism.

So, why does her face appear so often on the department’s pages?

According to Frasco, it’s simply because she’s been working nonstop — traveling across the country and visiting almost every province over the past three years.

“I have tried to be as present as possible in our destinations and for our stakeholders – that is the extent of duty I have exercised and nothing more. I have no national ambition. I’m not running for any national position,” Frasco said.

Still, Frasco’s case is hardly unique.

Across the country, politicians’ faces, names, or initials, appear on posters, relief goods, t-shirts, waiting sheds, and even government buildings — despite rules meant to prevent exactly that.

– Rappler.com