The Department of Tourism has launched an investigation into allegations that a video promoting the country used stock footage not shot in the Philippines.

Some people took to social media to point out that parts of the video showing footage of the rice terraces, dolphins jumping out of the water, a fisherman, sand dunes, and a plane approaching the runway were allegedly sourced from Storyblocks, which offers stock video clips for a fee.

The questioned video was part of the ”Love the Philippines” campaign, the country’s new tourism slogan, that was launched on June 27.

”As one of the many other forthcoming components of the launch of the enhanced tourism campaign, the DOT’s contracted agency, DDB Philippines, prepared and published an audio visual presentation [that] has recently been the subject of scrutiny on the alleged use of non-original shots in certain parts of the AVP,” the DOT said in a statement issued late Saturday evening.

”The DOT is currently conducting an exhaustive investigation to determine the veracity of, and to gather the full faculty of facts on, these allegations,” it added.

The DOT said that during the various meetings and consultations held relative to the tourism brand enhancement, it had repeatedly sought confirmation from DDB on the originality and ownership of all materials contained in the AVPs and key visuals presented to them.

”[O]n all these occasions, DDB repeatedly assured the DOT that the originality and ownership of all materials [were] in order,” the department said.

The DOT said no public funds were used for the video, although it ”will not hesitate to exact accountability and take the necessary action to protect the interest of the country even as it continues to exhaust all efforts to develop and promote the Philippine tourism industry.”

‘Unfortunate oversight’

Acknowledging its error, DDB Philippines apologized to Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, the DOT, and the Filipino people.

It said the AVP was ”intended to be a mood video to excite internal stakeholders about the campaign.”

“While the use of stock footage in mood videos is standard practice in the industry, the use of foreign stock footage was an unfortunate oversight on our agency’s part. Proper screening and approval processes should have been strictly followed,” DDB said in a statement on Sunday.

“The use of foreign stock footage in a campaign promoting the Philippines is highly inappropriate and contradictory to the DOT’s objectives,” it added.

Still, DDB said it was an ”isolated incident” and that the AVP had already been removed from social media platforms.

”As DOT’s agency on record for the launch of the campaign, we take full responsibility over this matter,” it said.