MANILA – Even the United States President has struggled with the word “Philippines,” which he misspelled just two days after embarrassed Filipino officials had to take down a welcome banner that got their country’s name wrong.
Hours before his expected arrival to the country, Trump tweeted about his press conference in Vietnam before heading to the “Phillipines” for the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Summit (ASEAN).
“Wil be doing a joint press conference in Hanoi, vietnam then heading for final destination of trip, the Phillipines,” Trump tweeted on Sunday.
Last Friday, netizens couldn’t help but shake their heads at a photo of a tarpaulin welcoming ASEAN delegates to the “PHILPPINES,” which Bayan Metro Manila Secretary General Katrina Yamzon spotted on a footbridge along Mendiola in Manila on Friday.
“This is where our P15.5B go,” read her caption on the photo. “Wrong spelling wrong.”
The erroneous tarp was taken down on the same day, she told InterAksyon in a Facebook interview.
The Philippine Star reported back in August that the government was spending P15.5 billion “for activities related to the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations”.
Opposition congressman added that the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is “spending a far bigger amount for ASEAN events than what the Aquino government spent for the larger Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit” back in 2015, the report added.
“We paid for this, didn’t we?” commented Twitter user @GerardLJesusRue.
“Dami na nga fake news, pati wrong spelling laganap na din… Nabobobo na talaga (Fake news isn’t the only thing that’s widespread; even wrong spelling is pervasive now… People are becoming stupid)!” exclaimed @xpat_xtian.
“Saan kaya napunta ‘yung nawawalang ‘I’ (Where could the missing ‘I’ have gone)?” @AljoDolores asked, sharing the viral photo side-by-side with another photo of tarp which read, “STOP SHAIMING DUTERTE.” The second image was apparently taken at an event for Duterte supporters.
