The government pushed through with the highly criticized logo of the 30th Southeast Asian Games as seen through the pictures of its construction in Pampanga that have surfaced on social media.
Facebook user Mark Surio shared a picture of the logo under construction and noted that it was taken in Angeles City. Other pictures taken in different angles were shared by some Facebook pages.
Most Filipinos were not amused by the result.
The 30th Southeast Asian Games will be held in different parts of the Philippines from November 30 to December 10, 2019. 11 countries are expected to participate with an estimated count of 8,750 athletes.
It is touted as the “biggest” Southeast Asian Games yet in the history of the biennial regional multi-sport event.
From proposal to construction
The 30th Southeast Asian Games logo was initially proposed by then-Foreign Affairs Secretary and Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee Chair Alan Peter Cayetano in the 37th Olympic Council of Asia General Assembly last August 2018.
“Our logo will be the 11 circles representing the 11 countries bound together in the shape of the Philippines to symbolize that wherever and whenever the games are played, we are one and we win as one,” he said.
The event’s motto for the 2019 edition is “Manalo tayo bilang isa” or “We win as one.”
Cayetano’s proposed logo was immediately criticized due to its overly simplistic design, which prompted graphic and non-graphic designers alike to conceptualized their own versions.
One Filipino even made a socio-political interpretation of the design that featured bullet holes instead of the multi-color circular shapes as a reference to the cases of extrajudicial killings in the country.
Cayetano defended the logo and remarked that it was not yet final after receiving criticisms.
“That’s the logo but of course it’s a work in progress in the same (way) na inaayos-ayos. But what I am saying is, tignan mo iyon ang hood ng car pero bibili ka ba ng kotse na hood lang titignan mo?” he said.
“We wanted something that shows that para sa atin lahat to but at the same time, alam mong Pilipinas. That’s why the eleven circles forming the country but you won’t see that ‘yun lang nakaganoon. You will see it applied with different colors, with different backgrounds, with different merchandising items,” Cayetano added.
He shared that it was just “the working logo” and assured the public that they are “working with professionals.”
Cayetano also surmised that the logo must be “good” because “an elementary school student can draw” it.
“One, if an elementary school student can draw the logo, that’s a good logo. Because we want it recognizable. We don’t want to be the same as others,” he said.
It was reported that the official logo would be revealed on November 30. However, its replica is already being constructed in Pampanga days before its supposed revelation.
