The Presidential Communications Group, or simply the Communications Group, is the collective name for the offices within the Office of the President of the Philippines[lower-alpha 1] and refers to the position of the Secretary of Presidential Communications Office formerly known as Office of the Press Secretary and the Secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO). The office of the presidential spokesperson was previously under the Communications Group.
The Communications Group is primarily responsible for planning, programming, and coordinating the activities that will most effectively collect information about what is happening in the Executive branch of the government, and getting this information to the media. The Group's other role is to help Filipinos understand government policies and programs, and to shore up support for them.
The Presidential Spokesperson spoke on behalf of the President about matters of public interest. Considering the restricted level of access that the media has to the Chief Executive, the Spokesperson was expected to be the primary source of presidential directives in the absence of the President of the Philippines.
The Presidential Spokesperson was not subject to confirmation by the Commission on Appointments, and did not have any specific item or template in government.
The position was last occupied by the Secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office Martin Andanar in an acting capacity due to the resignation of Harry Roque, while the Assistant to the Presidential Spokesperson was Atty. Kris Roman of the Duterte administration. During the administration of President Bongbong Marcos, the office was abolished and all its personnel, equipment and functions were transferred to the office of the Press Secretary then headed by Trixie Cruz-Angeles.[4]
In December 2022, Daphne Oseña-Paez was appointed as the Presidential Communications Office Press Briefer, a position created only for briefings for the Malacañang Press Corps in the New Executive Building.[5] All press conferences that includes President Bongbong Marcos is personally moderated by the PCO Secretary.
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO), is in charge of disseminating the government's message to private media entities. It exercises supervision and control over state-owned media entities to disseminate the official messages properly and effectively in accordance with the communications plan. It is responsible for the accreditation and authentication of the credentials of foreign media correspondents in line with its primary task to cultivate relations and assist private media entities. It is formerly known as the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) from April 28, 1986, to August 9, 2010, and June 30 to December 29, 2022, from the presidencies of Corazon Aquino to the first two months of her son Benigno Aquino III and the first six months of Bongbong Marcos, and Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) from August 9, 2010, to June 30, 2022, during the rest of the administration of Benigno Aquino III and whole of Rodrigo Duterte's presidency.[1]
The PCO Secretary holds a cabinet rank. He/she is assisted by an undersecretary for administration, finance and procurement; an undersecretary for operations, plans, and policies; an undersecretary for legal affairs; an undersecretary for media accreditation and relations; one undersecretary each for digital media, print media, and broadcast media services; an undersecretary for special concerns; an assistant secretary; and an electronic data processing division chief.[4][6]
The PCO is composed of the following units and agencies:
Presidential Broadcast Staff - Radio Television Malacañang
Powers and Functions
Pursuant to Section 3 of the Executive Order No. 2, s. 2022, the Office of the Press Secretary shall perform the following functions:
Pronounce on behalf of the President the matters pertaining to his/her actions, policies, programs, official activities, and accomplishments.
Develop and implement necessary guidelines and mechanisms pertaining to the delivery and dissemination of information on policies, programs, official activities, and achievements of the President and the Executive Branch.
Coordinate the crafting, formulation, development, and enhancement of the messaging system under the Office of the President and the Executive Branch.
Supervise and Coordinate with the agencies and Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCC)'s attached to the Office of the Press Secretary for purposes of further strengthening the system of information delivery to the public.
Established and Maintain rapport with private media and other similar entities and stakeholders; and
Perform such other functions as the Office of the President may assign from time to time.[7]
Organization
The Office of the Press Secretary shall be organized as follows pursuant to Section 2 of the Executive Order No. 2, s. 2022:
(a) Office of the Secretary. The Office of the Secretary shall have an Assistant Secretary with support staff not more than twenty (20) personnel to be designated by the Press Secretary and approved by the Executive Secretary in the exigency of the service and in accordance with the civil service law and rules.
(b) Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries. In addition of the foregoing, there shall be Undersecretaries for the following areas. Each of which shall have Assistant Secretaries and Support Staff:
(I) Operations, Plans and Policies
(II) Administration, Finance and Procurement
(III) Legal Affairs
(IV) Media Accreditation and Relations
(V) Digital Media Services
(VI) Print Media Services and related Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCC)'s and attached agencies
(VII) Broadcast Media Services and related Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCC)'s and attached agencies; and
Honey Rose V. Mercado - Undersecretary for Traditional Media and External Affairs
Cherbett Karen L. Maralit - Undersecretary for Administration, Operations and Finance
Emerald Anne R. Ridao - Undersecretary for Digital Media Services
Gerald R. Baria - Undersecretary for Content Production
Franz Gerard R. Imperial - Undersecretary for Broadcast Production
Atty. Eugene Henry C. Rodriguez - Assistant Secretary for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations
Patricia R. Magistrado - Assistant Secretary for External Affairs
Dale Q. Vera - Assistant Secretary for Television
Atty. Jefferson G. Ang - Assistant Secretary for Finance
Atty. Katrina Grace C. Ongoco - Assistant Secretary for Administration
Atty. Evangeline Q. De Leon - Assistant Secretary for Operations
Karen C. Alvarez - Assistant Secretary for Broadcast Production
Rowena H. Otida - Assistant Secretary for Media Accreditation and Relations
Patricia Kayle S. Martin - Assistant Secretary for Digital Media & Communications
Mardielyn D. Perez - Assistant Secretary for Digital Asset Management
Bureau and Service Directors:
Rowena S. Quiogue - Director III, Director for Administration
Sheryll Anne M. Lizarondo - Director III, Director for Print
Rufino Gerard G. Moreno III - Director III, Director for Finance
Maria Waywaya B. Macalma - Director III, Director for Television
Anna Cristina S. Villonco - Director III, Director for Broadcast Production
Jonathan Ian SJ Gonzales - Director III, Director for Content Production
Jonathan S. Jalbuna - Director II, Director for Content Production
Dianlyn A. Magallon - Director I, Director for Media Accreditation and Relations
Division Chiefs:
Ma. Alma A. Francisco - Budget Division
Ma. Teresa L. Ubas - Accounting Division
Gerald M. Bautista - General Services Division
Rochelle I. Rubenecia - Human Resource Development Division
Mary Willen DJ Renomeron - Procurement Division
Atty. Dictador V. Untayao - Legal Division
Krizia Casey P. Avejar - Communications and Capacity Development Division
Ma. Danica Andeo Orcullo - Policy, Planning, and Support Division
Eden Darlene A. Mendoza - Compliance Monitoring Division
Jose L. Ogrimen Jr. - Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Division
Attached Agency, Bureau and Office Heads:
Rizal Giovanni P. Aportadera Jr. - Director IV, Presidential Broadcast Service - Bureau of Broadcast Services (BBS)
Renato P. Acosta - Director IV, National Printing Office (NPO)
Luis A. Morente - Director IV, News and Information Bureau (NIB)
Analisa V. Puod - General Manager, People's Television Network, Inc. (PTV 4)
Jose C. Policarpio Jr. - President and CEO, Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC 13)
Jaime H. Aldaba - Executive Vice President and General Manager, APO Production Unit, Inc.
Jose A. Torres Jr. - Director General, Philippine Information Agency (PIA)
Francisco P. Rodriguez III - Officer in Charge, Bureau of Communications Services
Franz Gerard R. Imperial - Officer in Charge, Presidential Broadcast Staff-Radio Television Malacañang (PBS-RTVM)
Units under the Presidential Communications Office
With the reorganization of the PCOO under President Bongbong Marcos, most units previously under the agency were transferred to the Presidential Communications Office.[4]
Presidential News Desk
The Presidential News Desk (PND) functions as the newsroom of Malacañang Palace. It gathers and disseminates information, such as press and photograph releases, and official statements from the Palace, on a daily basis.
The PND operates from Sundays to Saturdays, 5:00AM to 7:00PM. It is headed by a chief editor and is composed of a managing editor, deskmen, and reporters. Other units, which support the PND are Electronic Data Processing, Transcription and Monitoring, and Photographs.
Francisco Tatad conceived the PND. He was the Press Secretary to PresidentFerdinand Marcos. It was then called the Central Desk and was located in the Mabini Building. During the administration of President Corazon C. Aquino, Press Secretary Benigno Teodoro relegated the Central Desk, which became the News and Reportorial Section, as a section of the Presidential Press Staff. Under the Ramos administration, Press Secretary Rodolfo Reyes strengthened presidential coverage and set up the PND.
Philippine Information Agency
The Philippine Information Agency (PIA), established by Executive Order No. 100,[8] is the main development communication arm of the government.
The PIA directly serves the Presidency and the executive branch of the national, regional and provincial levels through its 16 regional offices and 71 provincial information centers. Its core services include: information gathering/research, production and dissemination, and institutional development and capacity-building focusing on alliance-building, networking, communication-related training, consultancy and technical assistance. The PIA is also the advertising arm of the government.
It is headed by a director general with a rank of undersecretary and four deputy director generals, four assistant director generals, staff directors in the central office, regional directors in the regional offices, and more than 500 permanent and contractual employees. It works closely with other government agencies, in particular the National Printing Office in the production of information materials.
Its tagline is "Empowering Communities". The PIA works with community stakeholders, including local government units, line agencies, private entities, schools, colleges and universities, civil society organizations, and other groups in ensuring proper dissemination of information at the grassroots level. The agency advocates responsible sharing of information and responsible use of social media. Its current management and personnel work with the mantra and belief that "a well-informed Filipino is an empowered Filipino".
The Bureau of Communications Services was an attached agency of the PCOO that is tasked to provide materials and services related to various functions of the Presidency, PCOO and the general public. It also owns Balita Central, a tabloid newspaper which is published bi-monthly through its official website and at selected LRT Line 2 stations. It also produces information materials for state events such as the anniversary of the People Power Revolution, Araw ng Kalayaan celebrations, and others.
It is currently absorbed by the Philippine Information Agency as ordered by Bongbong Marcos's Executive Order No. 2 s. 2022.[4]
Presidential Broadcast Staff - Radio Television Malacañang
Created by President Corazon C. Aquino under Executive Order No. 297 on July 25, 1987,[9] the Presidential Broadcast Staff - Radio Television Malacañang is tasked to provide the necessary media services, video and audio, to the incumbent president, to document all official engagements, and to make available to the public accurate and relevant information on the activities, programs and pronouncements of the national leadership.
The agency is involved in television coverage and documentation, news and public affairs syndication of all the activities of the President, either live or delayed telecast through government or private collaborating networks.
Since February 13, 2023, the agency is under the control and supervision of the PCO in accordance with Bongbong Marcos' Executive Order No. 16 s. 2023. The agency was under the Presidential Management Staff.[4]
The National Printing Office (NPO) was established by Executive Order No. 285 on July 25, 1987.[12] Executive Order No. 285 abolished the General Services Administration and transferred its functions to other agencies. Its Government Printing Offices were merged with the printing units of the PIA. The NPO is mandated by Executive Order No. 285 to print forms, official ballots, public documents, and public information materials.[13]
News and Information Bureau
The News and Information Bureau's main aim is to provide services relating to the development and formulation of a domestic and foreign information program for the Government in general, and the Presidency in particular, including the development of strategies for the dissemination of information on specific government programs. It is composed of the following divisions:
Finance and Administrative Division
Presidential Press Staff
Media Accreditation and Relations Division/International Press Center
The OP Web Development Office, commonly referred to as the President's New Media Team, is responsible for the establishment and management of the President's Official Website and Official Presence on social networking channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. It is also partly responsible for the feedback mechanism of the President wherein it receives the comments, concerns and suggestions through the Contact Us section of the President's website. It is also responsible for the President's Social Media engagement and in maximizing the use of new technologies to further the President's agenda, policies and programs.
Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office
The Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) ensures that all aspects of communications are covered, to ensure that the administration's message has been delivered successfully. This includes market research and polling. It devises the communications strategy to promote the President's agenda throughout all media, and among the many people with whom the administration interacts. This can include, but is not limited to, the State of the Nation address, televised press conferences, statements to the press, and radio addresses. This office also works closely with cabinet-level departments and other executive agencies, in order to create a coherent strategy through which the president's message can be disseminated.[1]
During the administration of former president Benigno Aquino III, the PCDSPO head held a cabinet rank. The head was supported by a deputy of undersecretary rank, a chief of staff, an assistant secretary for messaging, and an electronic data processing division chief.[6] After Rodrigo Duterte became the President in 2016, the PCDSPO was merged with the PCOO, thus effectively abolishing the PCDSPO. The PCOO was renamed as the Presidential Communications Office before it was reverted to Presidential Communications Operations Office.[14]
Prior to June 30, 2016, the PCDSPO was composed of the following units and agencies, all of which were under the PCOO:
Presidential Message Staff
The OP Correspondence Office (previously placed under the Office of the Communications Director from the Presidential Management Staff per E.O. No. 348, August 11, 2004[15]
Media Research and Development Staff created by E.O. No. 297, July 25, 1987,[9] from the Office of the Press Secretary
The Speech Writers Group (previously placed under the Office of the Communications Director from the Presidential Management Staff per E.O. No. 348, August 11, 2004[15]
Controversies
During the Duterte administration, the PCOO has been criticized for various errors and lapses committed by the office,[16] including what one lawmaker called a "revisionist attempt to whitewash the dark years of martial law".[17] The Secretary of the PCOO assured Congress that it will not repeat the office's mistakes.[17]
In March 2018, the News and Information Bureau released a transcript to reporters of an interview erroneously attributed to the President of the Philippines which was in fact an interview with an impersonator.[18]
In their 2020 annual report, the Commission on Audit flagged the PCOO for the mass hiring of employees under contract service worth PH₱70.6 million. Speculation cited that they're hiring them as "online trolls" to attack critics of the government, in which the state media agency denied the claim.[19]
People's Television Network is the flagship state broadcaster owned by the Government of the Philippines. Founded in 1974, PTV is the main brand of People's Television Network, Inc. (PTNI), one of the attached agencies under the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
The Department of Budget and Management is an executive body under the Office of the President of the Philippines. It is responsible for the sound and efficient use of government resources for national development and also as an instrument for the meeting of national socio-economic and political development goals.
The Department of Energy is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for preparing, integrating, manipulating, organizing, coordinating, supervising, and controlling all plans, programs, projects and activities of the Government relative to energy exploration, development, utilization, distribution and conservation.
The Philippines' Department of Social Welfare and Development is the executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for the protection of the social welfare of rights of Filipinos and to promote the social development.
The Department of Public Works and Highways, abbreviated as DPWH, is the executive department of the Philippine government solely vested with the Mandate to “be the State's engineering and construction arm” and, as such, it is “tasked to carry out the policy” of the State to “maintain an engineering and construction arm and continuously develop its technology, for the purposes of ensuring the safety of all infrastructure facilities and securing for all public works and highways the highest efficiency and the most appropriate quality in construction” and shall be responsible for “(t)he planning, design, construction and maintenance of infrastructure facilities, especially national highways, flood control and water resources development systems, and other public works in accordance with national development objectives,” provided that, the exercise of which “shall be decentralized to the fullest extent feasible.”
The Department of the Interior and Local Government, abbreviated as DILG, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public safety and strengthening local government capability aimed towards the effective delivery of basic services to the citizenry.
The Department of Transportation is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the maintenance and expansion of viable, efficient, and dependable transportation systems as effective instruments for national recovery and economic progress. It is responsible for the country's land, air, and sea communications infrastructure.
The Department of Trade and Industry is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the advancement, promotion, governance, regulation, management and growth of industry and trade.
The Department of Tourism is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the regulation of the Philippine tourism industry and the promotion of the Philippines as a tourist destination.
The Department of Agriculture is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the promotion of agricultural and fisheries development and growth. It has its headquarters at Elliptical Road corner Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.
The Philippines' Presidential Management Staff is an agency attached to Malacañang that is tasked to manage the development and formulation of the projects and policies of the Office of the President. Though the PMS is headed by a Secretary, the Secretaries of the Cabinet, Chief of Staff, and Appointments, support the agency. The PMS, the Office of the Appointments Secretary and the newly created Events Management Cluster are under the supervision of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President.
The Presidential Broadcast Service - Bureau of Broadcast Services (PBS-BBS), is a state radio network owned by the Philippine government under the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
Philippine News Agency (PNA) is the official news agency of the Philippine government. PNA is under the supervision and control of the News and Information Bureau, an attached agency of the Presidential Communications Operations Office. It was established on March 1, 1973, by President Ferdinand Marcos, and currently has its headquarters in Quezon City.
Jose Ruperto Martin Marfori Andanar is a Filipino television news personality, former news anchor, radio commentator, podcaster, voice-over artist and a columnist. He served as the former secretary of the Presidential Communications Office of the Philippines under the Duterte administration and is now CGTN anchor.
The Office of the President of the Philippines, is an administrative, advisory, and consultative government agency that aids the president of the Philippines in performing their duty as head of state and chief of the executive branch of government.
The order of precedence in the Philippines is the protocol used in ranking government officials and other personages in the Philippines. Purely ceremonial in nature, it has no legal standing, and does not reflect the presidential line of succession nor the equal status of the three branches of government established in the 1987 Constitution.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the planning, development and promotion of the country's information and communications technology (ICT) agenda in support of national development.
Herminio "Sonny" B. Coloma Jr. is a Filipino businessman and educator. He was a member of the Philippine Cabinet and Secretary of Presidential Communications Office during the presidency of Benigno S. Aquino III. He is also a professor at the Asian Institute of Management.
The Presidential Museum and Library, formerly the Malacañang Museum, is a museum and library institution of the Philippine government. An agency under the Office of the President, it is tasked responsible for preserving, managing, and promoting the history and heritage of the Philippine Presidency as well as the Malacañang Palace.
The presidential spokesperson was a government official whose primary responsibility was to serve as the speaking representative of the president of the Philippines. The press secretary has historically assumed the role.
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