MANILA, Philippines — Approval for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. logo that has been parodied online is a management prerogative that the public should respect, the state firm's chairman told reporters Monday as he defended the more than P3 million spent for the design.
In a video posted by ABS-CBN News, PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro Tengco said contractor Printplus Graphic Services has "so many other deliverables" beyond designing the blue and red logo that was launched to mark its 40th anniversary earlier this month. He said the designer would have to come up with a manual and the logo will also be used in all PAGCOR properties and on its stationery.
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"We made a good decision and we will stand by that," he said in a mix of Filipino and English. "That's a management prerogative and we are asking the public to respect it."
Apart from parodies online and debunked claims of plagiarism, PAGCOR faces a call for an investigation at the House of Representatives after members of the Makabayan bloc flagged the award of the contract to a "new and small" printing company in Las Piñas, saying it "raises concerns about possible corruption and misuse of public funds."
Actual hearings on the issue are unlikely at the House, which is controlled by a supermajority supportive of the Marcos Jr. administration and its policies and projects.
PAGCOR: We do so many good things
"I think majority of employees are in favor of it, so I don't think it will affect the morale of the employees," Tengco also said on the sidelines of the site inspection for the planned Clark Multi-Specialty Medical Center in Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga. PAGCOR is among the government bodies involved in the project, which also has private sector partners like Bloomberry Cultural Foundation Inc.
"We also have done so many good things," Tengco said in defense of PAGCOR, adding that the government corporation is "focused on more important things than the so-called issue on the logo."
The launch of the new PAGCOR logo—which it said incorporates the elements of fire because it is associated with "energy, inspiration, passion, and transformation"—came on the heels of the launch of a new campaign for the Department of Tourism, which also courted controversy because of the use of stock videos from abroad for the "mood video" that shared on the department's Facebook and Youtube accounts.
The DOT has since canceled its contract with agency DDB Philippines over the flap.
The Marcos Jr. administration last week also launched its new "Bagong Pilipinas" brand and logo that will be used by government agencies and programs.
"Bagong Pilipinas is the overarching theme of the administration’s brand of governance and leadership, which calls for deep and fundamental transformations in all sectors of society and government, and fosters the State’s commitment towards the attainment of comprehensive policy reforms and full economic recovery," a Palace circular on the new branding reads. — Jonathan de Santos