FORMER Albay 2nd District Representative and Salceda Research Chair Joey Sarte Salceda thanked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for signing into law Republic Act No. 12311, granting a new franchise to the Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC-13).
Salceda, the principal author and main advocate of the measure, highlighted three key points behind the passage of the law, which he described as a “victory for responsible public service broadcasting.”
According to Salceda, there were earlier proposals to privatize and sell IBC-13 outright—an idea he firmly opposed.
“Without a franchise, any privatization would have amounted to a corporate raid, where a buyer could acquire valuable public broadcasting assets for cheap,” he explained.
He added that the new franchise gives the network its real value, estimating that it creates ₱10 billion to ₱20 billion in public value that would have been lost if the network had been sold without it.
Salceda also shared that his team collaborated with the Ateneo de Manila University John Gokongwei School of Management to craft a comprehensive corporate revitalization plan for IBC-13. This plan, he said, was presented to the House Committee on Legislative Franchises to prove that the network’s challenges can be addressed through sound management, modernization, and strategic planning.
Beyond commercial potential, Salceda underscored IBC-13’s public service mission, saying the network should serve as a national platform for disaster risk reduction, distance education, and remote training—especially for far-flung communities beyond the reach of mainstream media.
“With this law, I expect IBC-13 to be empowered to play its missionary role as a public broadcaster—strong in service, resilient in crisis, and faithful to its public mandate,” Salceda said.
The newly signed franchise law ensures IBC-13’s continued operation and provides the framework for its modernization as a reliable, service-oriented public broadcasting network.
About the Author
