VISAYAS MEDIA HUB. Photo shows the perspective drawing of the proposed Visayas Media Hub which is set to be established in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City, Cebu. The PHP300-million building will ensure delivery of the right information to the communities, Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go said on Thursday (Jan. 20, 2022). (Photo courtesy of PCOO)
CEBU CITY – Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Thursday underscored the crucial role of the government in the quest for continuous improvement of access to information across the country, especially in localities outside Metro Manila.
In a statement, Go said access to timely and relevant information must be improved, as he commended the initiatives of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCCO) to create a Visayas Media Hub (VMH) in Mandaue City, Cebu.
Go highlighted the importance of empowering communities by enabling public access to vital information as a tool for nation building.
Initiated by PCOO and its attached government-owned and controlled corporation media entity, People’s Television Network Inc. (PTV), the VMH is set to be established in Barangay Subangdaku.
“Congratulations to PCOO as it starts the construction of the Visayas Media Hub. Once built, the provision of timely information needed by the public, especially our fellow Visayans, will be expedited,” Go said in Filipino.
He said through TV, print, radio and online, the government will ensure to deliver the right information and meaningful news to the communities needed to make the lives of Filipinos safer and more comfortable as promised by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Go was instrumental in pushing for the allocation of PHP300 million in the 2022 national budget for the construction of the state-of-the-art media facility that will boost the capacity of government media in Visayas.
Another PHP300 million was included in the PCOO's 2022 budget for the various equipment needed for the operations of the VMH.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology and the PCOO will enter into a usufruct agreement for the use of the former's Subangdaku lot in Mandaue City.
Both agencies are also working closely for the detailed architectural and engineering design of the VMH.
Similar to the success of the Mindanao Media Hub (MMH) in Davao City, the VMH will be a world-class communications facility of the government in Cebu.
The hub will serve as the main broadcast hub of Regions 6 (Western Visayas), 7 (Central Visayas) and 8 (Eastern Visayas).
The VMH will be the second media hub of the PCOO outside Metro Manila after the MMH conducted its pilot live broadcast in December 2020.
PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar thanked legislators for their support and Go’s instrumental role in the provision of the budget for the VMH.
He also assured the public transparency and accountability in the construction of the world-class facility.
Go mentioned the public's increased demand for more access to information during the calamities, as he expressed optimism that, like the MMH, the VMH will significantly improve the quality of government communication and information services in the Visayas and the rest of the country.
Go also shared President Duterte’s hopes that the PTV shall grow into the size and standard similar to the British Broadcasting Corporation with a transformational impact on the media sector towards building a more informed citizenry. (PNA)
