‘Congress TV’ seeks to bridge democracy and public engagement
IN a pioneering move towards greater transparency and citizen engagement, the People’s Television Network (PTV) has launched “Congress TV” on its free-to-air digital channel 14 in Metro Manila. This groundbreaking initiative aims to provide unfiltered access to the legislative process, broadcasting daily sessions and regular legislative work of the House of Representatives.
“Viewers will have the opportunity to witness the discussions, debates, and deliberations of Congress during its regular sessions,” remarked Martin Romualdez, Speaker of the House of Representatives, who invited the Entertainment Media to the House to seek help spreading the word about the continuing real-time telecast of sessions to the broader population.
“By way of Congress TV, we hope to promote greater transparency and accountability in our legislative process and encourage our people to actively interact with our lawmakers in the spirit of true democracy.”
The initiative, which began airing on January 23, not only brings the workings of Congress directly into people’s homes but also fosters a deeper understanding of legislative processes and the significance of public participation.
Ana Puod, PTV Network General Manager, who, despite only getting appointed in June 2023, has achieved a coup with the project, likewise expressed her enthusiasm and stated, “By airing the sessions of Congress, we aim to present democracy in action and show participative governance in the shaping of a new Philippines under our President’s vision of Bagong Pilipinas.”
Meanwhile, actor-politician Richard Gomez and Representative of Leyte’s 4th District highlighted the multifaceted nature of Congress TV, beyond mere hearings. “What’s important for the people to understand is that the entire country’s budget begins here, he emphasized. “This is where we scrutinize and check if all allocations were used properly by recipient departments.”
Cavite’s 2nd District Representative Lani Mercado--another proud export of showbiz to the realm of public service--likewise welcomed the development, saying despite the live streaming of sessions on the House’s official Facebook site, citizens without access to the internet can also find out what their congressmen are doing for them in government.
Congress TV airs live from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on PTV Digital Channel 14 in Metro Manila, 46 on GMA Affordabox and 2 on ABS-CBN TVPlus.