Tarps displaying ‘Philppines’ taken down

The tarpaulins and banners with a misspelled Philippines were already taken down on the same day these were displayed in various places in Metro Manila.

A netizen on Friday morning posted a photo of a tarpaulin bearing the wrong spelling of the Philippines. It was placed at a footbridge in Mendiola.

“Welcome to the ‘Philppines!’ ASEAN Delegate” the tarpaulin flashed, drawing a sarcastic comment from the uploader who said, “This where our P15.5B go.”

The Committee on Media Affairs and Strategic Communications (CMASC) of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) denied it was responsible for the boo-boo.

“These were neither printed nor distributed by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), Philippine News Agency (PIA), Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), Metro manila Development Authority (MMDA), or the Department of Public Works and Highways,” CMASC said in a statement.

“We at the Asean 2017 committee on media affairs and strategic communications developed brand guidelines with an approved final outwork for rollout nationwide,” it added. “We have directed the immediate removal of the subject tarpaulins or billboards.”

In a press briefing, Communications Assistant Secretary Kris Ablan said the Department of the Interior and Local Government-National Capital Region (DILG-NCR) took responsibility for the error.

“The DILG-NCR already issued a statement [that] clarified that it was issued by them, it was posted by them and they already took them down and that they are replacing those posters with the correct spelling of the country, the Philippines,” Ablan said.