PCOO PR
DAVAO CITY – Nearly three years since its construction, the Mindanao Media Hub (MMH) is finally ready to serve Mindanaoans, expanding further the reach of government media in regions across the island.
During the ceremonial opening here on Saturday, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said that the “state-of-the-art” facility will provide an opportunity to develop the countryside.
Part of the official opening of the MMH was the airing of its first TV broadcast which featured the regular 11 a.m. Laging Handa Public Briefing with Secretary Andanar as host here while PCOO Undersecretary Rocky Ignacio as co-host from the People’s Television (PTV) headquarters in Quezon City.
Secretary Andanar was joined live in the studio by Senator Christopher “Bong” Go and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Wendel Avisado.
“The Mindanao Media Hub will now serve as the government’s main broadcast hub for regions 10 to 13 and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), to expand our areas of coverage and help deliver truthful news and information tailored for the region and its people,” he said in his message.
“Not only that, this facility will also help contribute to regional development, as well as serve as the training ground for the wave of next-generation media practitioners and professionals for our country,” he added.
The P700-million facility houses the PCOO’s satellite office in Davao, and its attached agencies such as PTV, Radyo Pilipinas, Philippine News Agency (PNA), and Philippine Information Agency (PIA).
Secretary Andanar also reiterated plans to expand government media this time to reach out Filipinos in the Visayas, through the construction of a Visayas Media Hub by 2022.
“May the success of the Mindanao Media Hub contribute and serve as a pilot initiative for us to establish the Visayas Media Hub, so that we can work towards our goal of having all three major islands covered by the government’s news, information, and communications agencies,” he said.
“The realization of this goal will go a long way to promote civic engagement and awareness among all Filipinos on relevant national issues and inform them of the government’s services and programs,” he added.
Meanwhile, Senator Go expressed support for the said project, and assured the public that Filipinos in the Visayas will not be left behind on this bid for development.
“Marami pong mga munisipyo…probinsya na hindi po naabot ng signal, lalung-lalo na ho sa panahong ito na hindi po nakakalabas ng bahay ang ating mga kababayan. Malaking tulong po ito [There are many municipalities and provinces where the signal can’t reach, especially now that the people are not able to go out of their house. This Mindanao Media Hub is a big help],” Senator Go said.
Aside from the media hubs, PCOO is also eyeing to build the Government Strategic Communications Academy in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. Although its construction was already set for this year, its fund was reprogrammed to augment the COVID-19 response budget of the country.
The said training facility will help address the lack of communications paradigm among government offices by providing an avenue for information officers to be trained and be introduced to more communications technologies that will help them deliver information more efficiently and effectively.
