Photographer lambasts DOT after featuring Frasco in magazine cover

December 30, 2025 – 2:21 PM

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A photographer reportedly criticized the cover of a magazine released by the tourism department that prominently featured the secretary’s image.

Reports state that a certain “

” claimed the

Department of Tourism (DOT)

tasked them with photographing “almost 320 tourist spots” across all regions of the country, only for the agency to feature another image.

Reports

“You have a point and millions of peso on liquidation, pero ex deal pala karamihan kasi DOT daw… hehehe,” another user reportedly wrote.

“Her photo takes up more space than the tourist spot itself, you’d almost forget the magazine is about Philippine tourism, travel and economy. It’s hard to tell which part of the Philippines is being featured when the politician is clearly the main attraction,” a different

Pinoy

said.

The photographer was referring to a free magazine released by the DOT titled “Philippine Topics.”

It prominently featured Tourism Secretary

Christina Frasco

on the cover, set against a picturesque backdrop. However, it was her image that was the most noticeable.

A Threads user quipped that the agency appeared to be promoting Frasco instead of the country.

Duke Frasco

, is a representative of its Fifth District.

“Ay juskopo! This is not AI [artificial intelligence],” Lokalpedia photographer and researcher John Sherwin Felix wrote on Monday, December 29.

“Very trapo talaga. Na para bang sarili nilang pera ‘yung ginagamit nila. Welcome to the Garcia–Frasco verse,” a user wrote.

Meanwhile, Balita sought the DOT’s side on the issue concerning its free magazine.

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We understand the public’s interest and feedback on our publications,” the agency reportedly said in an email.

“We have raised this concern to our head for review regarding the cover page of the DOT’s free magazine to ensure that all content aligns with our standards and objectives. We value constructive feedback as it helps us improve our communications and better serve the public,” it added.

Public officials who prominently feature their images or names in projects and initiatives are often branded as “epal,” a term used to refer to a person who inappropriately presents himself in situations.