The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) has released a “brand manual” that will serve as a guide for the next 500 days to the quincentennial commemoration of the world circumnavigation in 2021.
Assistant Secretary Ramon Cualoping III, PCOO chief brand integrator, said the brand manual is a guidebook for local government units and agencies in coming up with the Filipino-centric activities related to the quincentennial celebration starting on Saturday opening salvo up to 500th anniversary of the victory of the Battle of Mactan.
“We created the brand manual. This is quite important because normally when we do projects in the government it is (done in) piecemeal. But there is no consistency in the look and feel,” he said during a press briefing in Lapu-Lapu City.
The manual, he said, integrates the same imagery where everyone can use “the same color and likeness with the same image and same words consistent across everything that we will do in the next 500 days” leading toward Apr. 27, 2021, the day for the country to commemorate the heroism of Lapu-Lapu.
The manual enumerates the mandates of the National Quincentennial Committee (NQC) organized by President Rodrigo Duterte through Executive Order No. 55.
It also contains the highlights of the official logo of the Philippine Quincentennial Commemorations the NQC adopted last August 14 and the explanation on the adoption of the theme “Victory and Humanity” which is incorporated in the logo.
The brand attribute of the Philippine-centered celebration of the Magellan-Elcano expedition anniversary on 2021 which is influenced by the Boxer Codex is also found in the manual.
The Boxer Codex, named after maritime scholar Charles R. Boxer who purchased in 1947 the manuscript from Lord Ilchester’s library at Holland House, contained 15 illustrations about the Filipino ancestors — two well-tattooed warriors performing ancient war dance, three Visayan noble couples sporting gold ornaments and cotton clothes, among others.
Aside from the guidelines on the logo as well as the primary and secondary color palette, the manual also presented proposed logo variations, color renditions, logo renditions, sample letterhead, and the prohibited distortions and changes in the logo.
In line with Duterte’s directive to center the celebration on the heroism of Lapu-Lapu, the manual highlights the ancient chieftain of Mactan as “icon of early Philippines and symbol of Filipino freedom,” anchored on the four key works — unity, magnanimity, sovereignty and identity.
The manual also contains a two-page guideline on the utilization of social media in engaging netizens for the Philippine quincentennial.
Cualoping said the PCOO goes out of the stereotyped-traditional presidential communications role from just a mouthpiece of the President to “expanded role” as a partner of line agencies in crafting brand engagement and communications plan to make sure that the people understand what the government is doing.
“In relation to NQC, the PCOO is in-charge of crafting the communications and branding engagement for the entire duration of the commemoration, part of which is to create the brand color, the logo and making sure that we got to convey the correct message,” he said.
Dr. Rene Escalante, vice-chair and executive director of NQC, said the PCOO is tasked that “hopefully by 2021, when we hear the word Lapu-Lapu, what will come in our mind is not the fish but it should be the person who fought for our sovereignty in 1521.” (PNA)
