THE House Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, on Monday ended the budget briefing of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), including its attached agencies and corporations, urging officials to consider the shift to digital broadcasting to ensure sustainable operations.
The PCO has a proposed budget of P713.316 budget in the 2205 National Expenditure Program (NEP), which newly appointed PCO Secretary Cesar Chavez said shall be used to communicate to the public Bagong Pilipinas-related activities, media coverage of presidential engagements and communication campaigns for the executive branch.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong noted the 30% reduction in the proposed budget for the operation of People’s Television Network or PTV-4. He suggested that PTV-4 be converted into a public broadcast station to better combat fake news and provide quality information, highlighting the network’s current operational difficulties as a Government-Owned and Controlled Corporation (GOCC).
PTV-4 Acting General Manager Antonio Nebrida Jr. explained that as a GOCC, the network generates its own revenue, and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) only partially supports them.
He nonetheless admitted to Adiong the challenge of generating revenue for the station.
“There is some difficulty insofar as generating revenues to fully sustain the operations of the network. That is the reason why we submit a request for supplemental budget,” Nebrida said.
Chavez emphasized that for PTV-4 to become commercially viable, it must shift from an old-state media mindset to a competitive, multimedia platform.
He stressed the importance of earning revenue independently, leveraging government communication components, and focusing on digital platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
Chavez outlined his vision for PTV-4 and IBC-13 to behave like competitive broadcasters, emphasizing digital transformation and access to state information as key to this paradigm shift.
Lawmakers expressed support to proposals seeking to augment the 2025 budget of the government’s lead communication arm.
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