Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco on Wednesday pushed back against allegations of self-promotion, saying the photographs flagged during a recent Senate hearing reflected legitimate, on-the-ground work tied to the country’s tourism recovery—not personal publicity.
In a statement released after the Senate committee on tourism hearing, Frasco said her frequent appearance in images cited during the proceedings stemmed from official engagements across the country over the past three years. She noted that she has visited all Philippine regions and 56 of the nation’s 82 provinces to oversee tourism revival programs, infrastructure coordination, workforce upskilling, and destination promotion.
“My visibility as Secretary of Tourism has not been about personal exposure, but about being present where the work is—on the ground, in communities, and alongside tourism stakeholders,” Frasco said, stressing that these efforts were undertaken as the sector rebuilt from what she described as “unprecedented disruption.”
The issue was raised during the hearing by Senator Raffy Tulfo, who questioned the repeated appearance of Frasco’s image in tourism-related materials, citing complaints he said were aired by members of the public. During the session, Tulfo presented photos allegedly showing the tourism chief in various locations, including an airport and Lake Sebu.
Frasco countered that the images being circulated were “work photos” taken during official activities, some of which were later repurposed online as memes without the department’s control.
“We have all the documentation to prove that my presence there was a legitimate one and it was to help the destination—whether in crafting tourism packages, tourism circuits, or building attention for the destination in conjunction with our tourism stakeholders,” she said.
Addressing the Lake Sebu photo in particular, Frasco explained that it was taken during the Philippine Experience Program, a flagship initiative of the Department of Tourism that brings ambassadors, partners, and industry stakeholders to local destinations. She said the activity aimed to showcase South Cotabato’s culture and tourism potential, not to promote any individual.
She also clarified that Philippine Topics magazine, which was mentioned during the hearing, was neither funded nor commissioned by the DOT and was produced independently without the use of government resources.
Frasco rejected suggestions that her visibility was politically motivated, saying she harbors no plans to seek national office.
“I am not running for any national position in 2028, and therefore there would be no reason for me to promote myself,” she said.
She added that the DOT is prepared to submit documentation to Tulfo’s office showing promotional materials and campaigns that do not feature her image, underscoring that destination marketing has continued despite budget constraints.
Frasco thanked Tulfo for raising the issue, saying it provided an opportunity to clarify the facts “in the interest of an informed public discourse,” while reiterating that the department’s focus remains on restoring livelihoods and strengthening the tourism sector.
Under her tenure, the Philippines ranked first in ASEAN in terms of tourism GDP, valued at USD 91.8 billion, according to the 2025 Economic Impact Report of the World Travel and Tourism Council. The WTTC said tourism accounted for 19.9 percent of the Philippine economy, placing the country among Southeast Asia’s most tourism-dependent economies in both scale and impact.
Tourism has also emerged as a major employment driver, supporting an estimated 11.22 million jobs nationwide, or about 23 percent of total employment. This makes the Philippines the second-largest tourism employer in ASEAN, after Indonesia, highlighting the sector’s central role in sustaining Filipino livelihoods.