Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar (right) and Assistant Secretary Kristian Ablan (left). (PCOO photo)
MANILA – The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), through the Freedom of Information Project Management Office (FOI-PMO), and the Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC), on Thursday signed a new agreement on media collaboration and brand integration to effectively promote Filipino citizens’ right to access information via a public affairs television program.
PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar and IBC Officer-in-Charge Corazon Reboso signed the co-production agreement at the New Executive Building’s Press Briefing Room.
Witnesses to the signing were PCOO Assistant Secretary Kristian Ablan, IBC production manager Gina Borinaga, and People’s Television Network Inc. general manager Katherine Chloe de Castro.
Under the co-production agreement, PCOO-FOI and IBC will produce a one-hour informative public affairs TV program titled “F.Y.I.”.
The show aims to inform the public of the existing and new government programs and services, as well as the transparency and FOI initiatives of various agencies.
The PCOO, the lead communications arm of the government, recognizes the role and power of the media in disseminating relevant and true information to a large our citizens and influencing their public opinion and behavior.
“The type of information that are regularly provided to the people determines the direction of the nation… dissemination of accurate information empowers the people, connects them to the government through the rebuilding of trust, which in turn, inspires progress,” Andanar said.
Meanwhile, Ablan hopes that through the program, Filipinos will be more cognizant of their right to access government information and be able to know more of the government’s projects, initiatives, and policies aimed at their welfare.
“Our path is to empower citizens, to make them smart. We want to arm our citizens to be smart, to make better decisions, that’s why there is FOI,” said Ablan.
“F.Y.I.” will be hosted by Ablan, and will be aired on IBC-13 every first Saturday of the month, starting this August. (PR)
