Youth solon questions P 100M allotment for tourism website overhaul
September 17, 2010
Kabataan Partylist Representative Raymond Palatino today questioned the Php 100M allotment of the Department of Tourism (DOT) for their new media campaign specifically for their website overhaul.
“It is intriguing to know they allotted too much to overhaul a website. This one portal to rule the world is costly, maintaining a website should not be that costly.”
During the budget deliberations yesterday, DOT said that it allotted Php 100M for the overhauling of the agency’s website. DOT officials said they aim to transform the Dot website to a new web portal that will include 360-degree photography, digital marketing, and linkages to partner agencies, up-to-date information on events, hotels, airlines, resorts and the likes.
The young lawmaker said that “DOT didn’t present specifics. Even if there is grand plan for new media, DOT must justify where the money will go. This will be the first time we will spend this big for new media and new media must be affordable and less costly.”
Palatino pointed out in the deliberation that putting up a website is not that costly. Once a site is established, anyone in the world can gain access. DOT reduced the budget for China and India to accommodate the news media campaign.
“We already know that we are always running under a very small budget. Being a department who is always thinking of inventive ways for tourism, such creativity should also be used in finding ways to show more of the country without spending vast sums of money,” said Palatino.
The young lawmaker suggested that instead of hiring website translators, the DOT could upload their brochures printed in different languages to their websites. “It will be less costly this way,” he said.
“We are not anti-technology, we are just saying that DOT should consider that the government is skimping on its meager budget.” ###
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