Palace slams Malaysian firm’s promotional video

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang yesterday slammed the promotional video released by business process outsourcing (BPO) firm Aegis Malaysia that placed the Philippines in a bad light.

“It’s below the belt advertisement. It should not be done. Those who did that ad should be admonished and reprimanded,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing.

He said the government is continuously creating an environment where BPOs and other industries will flourish.

“Some people will try to bring the Philippines down to grab the businesses away from us. But we have proven ourselves. The BPO industry remains solid and strong,” he said.

Lacierda thanked those who expressed outrage over the video, which went viral.

The almost three-minute video claimed that it is better to invest in Malaysia than in the Philippines. It said the country is prone to disasters because it lies in the so-called ring of fire, adding that investors had to deal with security concerns, lack of government support and inadequate infrastructure.

The Philippine embassy in Malaysia had sought an explanation from Aegis Malaysia.

Aegis Malaysia has apologized for the video, saying it was erroneously uploaded by a Malaysian agency.