MANILA — Two lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Friday pushed for a bigger budget for the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) to ensure effective communication of the administration’s policies, programs, activities, and achievements toward an enlightened citizenry.
During the plenary deliberation on PCOO’s PHP1.351-billion budget for 2018, Deputy Minority Leader and Buhay Partylist Rep. Lito Atienza said effective communication is a necessary ingredient in effective governance.
“Without effective communications delivered, no administration can really be effective in governing and expecting the people to appreciate what they’re doing. So there is really a need for effective communication,” Atienza said.
Atienza, however, pointed out that the communications arm of the government does not get the necessary funding to efficiently perform its functions in the delivery and dissemination of information relating to the administration’s key thrusts.
“I will not scrutinize the budget of the PCOO simply because I believe they need to be given sufficient budget. At the outset, you’re telling me that all they have is PHP1.3 billion? That will not be enough to really herald and explain the different programs of this government,” Atienza said.
Atienza recalled President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement to transform state-run People’s Television 4 (PTV 4) into a public service broadcaster to make it at par with international networks.
Duterte also vowed to upgrade government radio stations to improve their delivery of services.
The partylist lawmaker lamented that PTV-4, which gets a PHP76-million allocation for next year, remains to be among the stations with the poorest television reception.
Atienza proposed to double or even triple the PCOO budget for 2018, noting that the agency needs sufficient funding to improve the facilities of government stations.
“Ibigay naman natin yung siguro PHP10 billion sa ating communications (perhaps we should give them PHP10 billion) … without which the government will find it difficult to communicate its programs, visions, and its intention,” Atienza said.
“He (PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar) needs the money to improve facilities of government stations. He needs the money to run the communication efforts of the administration and he needs all the support,” Atienza added.
For his part, Bukidnon Rep. Manuel Zubiri expressed support to the PCOO’s 2018 budget, adding that the agency requested an additional allocation of PHP1.051 billion.
The initial proposal of PCOO was PHP2.4 billion but the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) only approved PHP1.351 billion.
“I believe it (additional budget request) should be granted on the mere fact that their equipment is very obsolete and their work force needs the proper tools and training to keep the standards high,” Zubiri said.
Zubiri cited as an example the outdated computers — running at Pentium 4 — still being used in the PCOO’s main office.
“It’s about time that we change this. It’s about time to give them the budget for them to advance with technology and with the services that they should be giving to our country,” Zubiri said.
“In closing, I implore this body to review carefully and grant what is needed to keep the PCOO standards high and credible,” he added.
In an ambush interview, PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar expressed gratitude to Congress for recognizing the agency’s need for higher funding to improve its delivery of services.
“Tayo’y nagpapasalamat sa Kongreso. The next battle would be in the Senate. Sana po ay itong mga kasamahan, kaibigan sa Senado ay suportahan din po ang ating budget para mas lalong maging epektibo ang komunikasyon,” Andanar said.
(We’re really grateful to Congress. The next battle would be in the Senate. I hope our friends in the Senate would also support our budget and would increase it for a more effective communication.)
Andanar noted that the additional capital outlay will be allotted to the government’s integrated media arm — People’s Television 4 (PTV 4), Radyo Pilipinas, Philippine News Agency (PNA), and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).
The PCOO and its attached agencies are seeking a PHP1.351-billion budget for next year, 1.63 percent lower, or a decrease of PHP22.337 million, compared to this year’s budget of PHP1.373 billion. (PNA)
