Empowering government PIOs
The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) is bent on maximizing all government media resources to boost the dissemination of factual and reliable information down to the remotest barangays of the country.
To make this happen, the PCOO, together with the Philippine Information Agency, gathered and empowered more than 1,800 strong public information practitioners all over the country in the first ever 3-day National Information Convention (NIC) at the SMX Convention Center, Davao City.
The good news for the public information officers (PIOs), the PCOO vowed to ask President Rodrigo Duterte to create a permanent plantilla position for the PIOs all over the country through an executive order or the President would ask Congress to pass a bill into law for PIOs.
The PIOs serve an essential role in bringing the government and its programs closer to the people in the grassroots as they act as influencers and agent of change who can empower people to participate in good governance.
During the NIC event, Secretary Jose Ruperto Martin Andanar and PIA Director-General Harold E. Clavite, launched the Nationwide Provincial Communication Network (PCO Net), witnessed by the PIOs from different line agencies of the government, LGUs, State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).
The PCCO head assured that they will maximize all resources to get the best out of the government media so that they will become useful in information dissemination.
The PCOO and its attached agencies and offices have P1.3 billion budget for 2018. This budget will be used properly for projects that will boost the capabilities of government media ensuring that the money will be spent for the right project.
Under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, the People’s Television Network, Inc. has increased its transmission from 25,000 to 55,000 watts making its reach, much wider and its quality at par with international counterparts.
This year, PTV aims to further increase its transmission capability to 120,000 watts to bring the good news about government programs to the Filipino people in all regions of the country.
PTV has also increased its social media presence from 53,192 likes last June 2016 to 1.3 million by the end of 2017. There are more changes that will happen to our PTV.
Andanar also announced that PTV would have the ground breaking of its modern Mindanao media hub as part of its six-phase modernization pr ogr am.
He added that the rebranded Radyo Pilipinas is now No. 3 in terms of ratings.
Andanar highlighted also the muchimproved Philippine News Agency, a web-based newswire service which recently strengthened its social media presence aside from a 30-minute daily newscast that headlines the most relevant occurrences of the country.
Unlike before, PNA has Facebook page, mobile application. The agency now also has new website, social media presence and online newscast with new headquarters.
Andanar said for Radyo-Television Malacanang (RTVM), all live streaming of presidential activities and events could now be seen via Facebook.
The RTVM has also digitized all events and speeches of the previous presidents starting from former President Ferdinand Marcos.
Another change that they did was the presidential press briefing room that is now comparable to the press briefing of the White House.
Other PCOO attached offices that set up booths to show changes effected by Duterte administration include the National Printing Office, Apo Production Inc. and Office of the Secretary (OSec) Media.
OSec Media is responsible for multimedia development and digital mileage of the different campaigns for the executive branch of the government.
Andanar assured the PIOs that government media will continue to serve the Filipinos with renewed spirit and dedication.
What a great time to be part of the government media. Government media is dedicated to serve the Filipinos not with low quality stories and commentaries but a government media that is for all and can compete in terms of quality, something that we must be proud of.
Now, according to Andanar, we have a government media that we can rely on.
Andanar also led the official launching of DU30 application, a new media platform where everyone can access information about the government’s programs and activities.
The DU30 App is the PCOO’s gift to more than 62 million active mobile users in the country.
Let us support the government in its pursuit for real change through providing the common people with truthful, accurate, reliable and relevant information.
Information is power. It empowers people and communities to work for more developments and progress. (Editor’s note: The author, the provincial information officer of Pampanga, is a returning columnist for Sun.Star Pampanga)