OFFICIALS from the Office of the President, Senate and the House of Representatives (HRep) met Tuesday to firm up preparations for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Aside from the regular preparations, HRep Secretary General Reginald Velasco called on the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) to also prepare against fake news that may be posted in various social media platforms in the days leading to the SONA and immediately after.
PCO Secretary Jaybee Ruiz emphasized the need for integration, alignment and unified messaging among government agencies in the lead-up to the SONA.
“What we did with the Presidential Communications Office, we aligned everything, all the attached agencies,” Ruiz said.
These include PTV-4, IBC-13, Radyo Pilipinas and the Philippine Information Agency, according to him.
“What we did was integrate and align everyone so the focus is SONA, especially this coming SONA” he added.
Ruiz explained that messaging from the government must be consistent and easily understood by the public. He also underscored the importance of managing online disinformation to maintain accurate public information during the SONA.
“The purpose is to strengthen government communication so that every Filipino would know what the government is doing for them. Plus, every Filipino should know what benefits they can get from the government,” he said.
Senate Office of International Relations and Protocol Director General Antonio De Guzman Jr. likewise affirmed their readiness in all steps of the preparation for the annual event.
Meanwhile, House Inter-Parliamentary and Public Affairs Department Deputy Secretary General Atty. Grace Andres presented the SONA invitation, expounded on the SONA calendar and collaterals and reiterated the June 23 deadline for partner agencies to submit their guest lists.
Other areas discussed in the meeting include the program sequence, plenary and room assignments, security and protocol arrangements, and medical updates — most of which followed a draft similar to last year’s preparations to ensure continuity and efficiency in execution.
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