The first forum of the “Tatak ng Pagbabago” series, a presentation of the administration accomplishments in the past year and plans in 2019, will be conducted Friday at the Philippine International Convention Center.
The forum, titled “Tatak ng Pag-unlad,” will be led by the Economic Development and Infrastructure clusters of the Duterte administration led by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia.
In related developments:
• Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte would not be hobbled by reporting on the achievements of his administration.
Roque told a news briefing Thursday Duterte would rather deliver a message “straight from the heart” during his State of the Nation Address on July 28.
“I think they want it to be a message straight from the heart of the President not hindered by the need to report on the different achievements,” Roque said.
Roque explained that the pre-Sona briefings would be discussing the layout of the government’s achievements through the different clusters assigned, adding the president would be able to “say whatever he wants” during his address.
* Malacañang has tapped Joyce Bernal to direct the third Sona of Duterte, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said Thursday.
Bernal would be the second director to handle such event under the Duterte administration after award-winning Brillante Mendoza, who directed the previous two Sonas.
Andanar said it was actor Robin Padilla, a staunch Duterte supporter, who requested if Bernal could direct this year’s edition.
“And the President approved it,” the Palace official said.
But Roque said he could not confirm the report.
“I just requested if I could confirm and they said not yet, maybe because there’s no signed contract yet,” Roque said.
During the forum, Pernia is expected to deliver a socioeconomic report for the year 2017 followed by in-depth reports and presentations from Dominguez and Villar regarding their respective cluster’s accomplishments and plans of moving forward.
Roque, in a press briefing Wednesday, said the “Tatak ng Pagbabago” was a pre-Sona 2018 campaign which features Cabinet clusters “discussing their respective policies, programs and projects implemented during the Duterte administration’s second year and what they mean for the future of every Filipino.”
The forum, he said, would also give the public a glimpse of each cluster’s roadmap and their plans for the benefit of every Filipino.
The “Tatak ng Pagbabago” series will gear up to “Tatak ng Malasakit at Pagkakaisa” on July 11, featuring the Participatory Governance and Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster, and “Tatak ng Katatagan” with the Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Resiliency and the Security, Justice and Peace cluster on July 18.
The series is an initiative of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary and the Presidential Communications Operations Office.
All fora will be held at the PICC Forum 3 with event live streaming available on www.facebook.com/pcoogov.