Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel (File photo from his Facebook account)
MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker maintains the rebranding of the logo of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) can be done with just less than one hundred dollars.
Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel expressed his dismay after Pagcor tried to justify the P3-million price tag of its new logo.
The head of the government-owned and controlled corporation earlier claimed the amount was reached due to the security features that were put on the insignia.
New PAGCOR logo. INQUIRER FILES
During the deliberations in the House of Representatives on the proposed 2024 national budget, Manuel told Pagcor there are many artists who can create new logos at a price that will not cost too much.
He said global brands have rebranded without exceeding US$100 or around P5,700 for similar campaigns.
“If we consider na lagi natin kine-claim yung mga private companies, hindi umaabot ng $100 para gumawa sila ng bagong logo all over the world – Coca Cola, Twitter, Nike,” he enumerated.
(If we consider that we always claim, those private companies, it did not reach $100 for them to make new logos all over the world – Coca Cola, Twitter, Nike.)
“Tayo pa sa government na dapat mas nagtitipid tayo, and we claim we don’t have fiscal space for other budget items, pero para sa ganito, merong ganun,” Manuel lamented.
(Especially for us in government, we should be thrifty, and we claim that we have no fiscal space for other budget items, but for this, we have this cost.)
“I think we have to be frank here,” Manuel said.
“We have many artists who can come up with logos na di aabot ng ganun kalaki yung kanilang gastos,” he pointed out.
(We have many artists who can come up with logos whose expenditures will not reach that amount.)
In response, Pagcor chairperson and chief executive officer Al Tengco said the corporation spent on certain security features of the logo so that the release of fake Pagcor licenses and releases will supposedly be avoided.
“We know that there are close to 1,000 fake licenses going around now and that is being used to be able to operate illegally all over the world,” Tengco claimed.
“So we decided (po) to change the logo immediately to be able to countersign,” he told the lawmaker.
Tengco even asserted Pagcor was able to grab a bargain with the P3 million price tag.
“Kasi papalitan po yung logo sa ating mga calling card, stationeries, envelops,” he said.
(Because the calling cards, stationeries, and envelopes will already be replaced.)
He further mentioned the assets of Pagcor where the logo will be displayed.
“Forty five properties ng PAGCOR all over the Philippines… And iba, ‘yong building ‘yon. May ground floor. May three-story building. May two-story building,” he said.
(Forty five properties of Pagcor all over the Philippines… And others, that’s a building. There’s a ground floor. There’s a three-story building. There’s a two-story building.)
“So, ‘yung size po na yun, pag aaralan din nung gagawa,” he noted.
(So, the sizes for these structures will also be studied.)
“Eh, napaka-mura na po yung P3 million na ‘yon,” Tengco asserted.
“Ang totoo po eh ‘yong designer na ‘yon, parang nagkawang-gawa ng P3 million,” he further claimed.
(The truth is, the designer is already doing charity work, at P3 million.)
“Kasi po, siya ay iikot sa Pilipinas. Siya po ay pupunta sa ibang ibang lugar, susukatin at titingnan, ano yung size no’n,” he added.
(Because he will travel across the Philippines. The designer will go to different areas, to measure and look at the sizes.)
Pagcor became the target of criticisms because of the logo.
Some people said it looked like the logo of oil company Petron.
Netizens had their own funny explanations as to the alleged origin of the monogram — with some creating parodies.
Over time, lawmakers got serious about the issue.
Manuel and the rest of the Makabayan bloc had filed a resolution asking for a congressional investigation on the reportedly overpriced new trademark.
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