Former Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo Teo drew criticism for a Facebook post that appeared to reprimand her fellow Manay residents who were seeking assistance after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the town in Davao Oriental on Friday, October 10, 2025.
Teo, the sister of Senators Raffy and Erwin Tulfo, claimed that their family had long been helping the people of Manay even outside of disaster situations.
She cited medical aid funded from their own pockets, government programs such as SLP, AICs, and TUPAD facilitated by Senator Erwin, and a land donation where the town’s hospital now stands.
In her post, Teo wrote:
“Ang mga Tulfo siblings ay laging tumutulong sa inyo maski walang sakuna. Medical assistance from our own pocket… Nag-donate kami ng ilang hectares na lupa kung saan nakatayo ngayon ang hospital ninyo! Hindi pa ba ito sapat na tulong?”
She added that although they didn’t grow up in Manay, they have consistently prioritized Davao Oriental. Teo also mentioned that Senator Erwin was in Geneva for a conference but was already planning further assistance.
“I have been in contact with Gov Nelson. CAN WE NOT WAIT!!!” she concluded.
The post was later deleted following backlash and negative comments, but screenshots had already circulated online.
Many netizens criticized the tone of Teo’s message, calling it insensitive to the plight of earthquake victims.
Teo stepped down as Tourism Secretary in 2018 following a Commission on Audit report that flagged the allocation of ₱60 million worth of tourism advertisements to Kilos Pronto, a block-time program aired on PTV-4, despite the absence of a formal memorandum of agreement or contract.
At the time, Kilos Pronto was produced and hosted by Teo’s brothers, Ben and Erwin Tulfo.
In the 2025 midterm elections, the Turismo Partylist, where Teo served as the first nominee, failed to secure a seat in Congress. (ZIA LUNA)
