The Long and Winding Road
To the Beijing Olympic Stamp Issue
by Dr. Ngo Tiong Tak
For the Beijing Olympics, we had an
unbelievable difficulty complying with the requirements of the
International Olympic Committee (IOC). First of all, they require us
to get approval of our designs from the Philippine Olympic Committee
(POC) before they will even entertain our request to use the
Olympics logo. However, contacting the Philippine Olympic Committee
proved to be as difficult. The beautiful designs showing a
cartoonized carabao (also known as water buffalo) with an Olympic
ring each were rejected by the POC, because, they said, the carabao
is already part of their logo.
The Original Designs
Illustration 1 - "No" to Carabao
The original designs we submitted each
show a cartoonized carabao in a sporting event, with one of the five
colored Olympic rings as background. The set consists of five stamps
(illustration 1), each with P7.00 denomination (local rate).
However, according to the rules of the IOC, the maximum number of
stamps allowed is four. We, therefore, changed the values to P7,
P20, P24, with the last two designs combined into one double-length
stamp with P26 denomination (airmail to USA and Europe).
Illustration 2 - "No " to the Olympic
Rings
More Rejected
Designs
The POC asked us to submit another set
of designs, which we did. They chose the stylized designs we
prepared (Illustration 2). The Olympic Rings are prominently
featured as background for various sports.
We had difficulty communicating with the
lady in-charge of the IOC stamp program. First, we were informed
that the IOC disapproves of using the Olympic rings as background on
stamp designs. She also told us that the Beijing Olympic Committee
(BOC) will not approve the use of their logo with dark background
colors!
Illustration 3 - One of several
designs that were rejected
Several more designs were submitted
(Illustration 3), with light colored background. They were all
rejected. The IOC finds the background color to be not "light"
enough.
Finally, The Approved Designs and the Deals
We finally complied with the use of white
background color behind the Beijing Olympic logo itself;
however, we decided to add different colors on the Upper
Right and Lower Left corners of the stamps.
The POC also wants its logo on each stamp! So, three
different logos were incorporated into the stamp
designs: the IOC, BOC, and POC (Illustration 4).
The
designs and denominations of each of the four stamps are: 7p
Archery, 20p Taekwando, 24p Equestrian, and, 26p Weight Lifting.
As part of the deal, we have to give the
following: to the IOC 1,500 mint sets-, to the BOC 200 mint sets',
and, to the POC 500 mint sets and 500 First Day Covers.
The cachet and text on the FDCs were also
approved by the IOC.
Illustration 4 - Uncut Miniature
Sheets
Why the Miniature Sheets
Because the IOC approval was for stamps only,
we were told, if we want to issue souvenir sheets also,
we have to enter into another negotiation. By
this time, we were already running out of time. We want to have the stamps issued while the Beijing Olympics is
still going on. I suggested to issue the stamps in miniature sheets
of 10 stamps per sheet. A total of 50,000 sets were issued, or 5,000
miniature sheets. However, since 888 sets of two uncut joined sheets
of 20 (P7 and P20 joined, and, P24 and P26 joined) were included in
the total (Illustration 4), there are actually only 4,112 sets of
the 4 miniature sheets of 10
delivered by the printer, the Amstar Company, Inc.
The Final Condition
The IOC has a final condition before we can
issue our Beijing Olympic stamps, and that is they have to receive
their allocation before we can issue the stamps! So instead of being
issued on August 8, 2008, Friday, the opening day of the Games, we
had to delay the release until August 11 (Monday) when we received
word that we can issue them already! However, the first day
cancel, which needed to be approved by the IOC, too, still carries
the scheduled first day of issue date of August 8, 2008
(Illustration 5).
Illustration 5 - FDC 08-08-08
