“Gomez must keep in mind that too much is ‘hazardous to health. And that is what he should be careful of”
FOR the nth time, we now have a new communications secretary. Print journalist-turned-ad executive-turned-tobacco publicist Dave Gomez now works to sell the president’s agenda through his newfound stint as PCO secretary. He follows into the tenures of communicators — three journalists and one spin doctor — whose jobs are, to me, marred with inconsistency.
Crisis is how Marcos had to roll the dice in selecting his new communications chief during the last three years of his term, the longest of which was under Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil.
The first on the list, whom I reserve the right not to name, planned to invite vloggers to cover Malacañang’s press briefings — hers was the shortest. The third one, Mr. Cesar Chavez, held the post for five months. Jay Ruiz, the man whom Gomez had replaced, made his consequential appointee in the face and figure of Atty. Claire Castro as the palace press briefer.
Mr. Marcos’ administration is, by far, experiencing a crisis in how his presidency is being sold (or communicated) to the public. People, especially in bailiwicks held by Duterte and their loyalists, seemed to be discontent with how his term has pushed for its own version of reform. In turn, this gap has allowed propagandists in the line of Digong to spew out fabrications towards his perceived downsides.
Personally, I have never seen this form of sudden change. Upon the establishment of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, managers from print and/or broadcast networks held that post. I give credit to Martin Andanar for effectively selling Digong’s policies through enhancing the capabilities of state-run media firms. He was, after all, a creative guy in the news industry.
Yet, for this case, reasons for this endless shift are different. And god knows what these are. All I know is that if the president doesn’t see them fit, he must have them quit.
As for Secretary Gomez, he laid out his formula in his task to, well, sell the president to the greater Filipino public — programs + policies – politics. He, in his own words, wanted to keep the people informed of what his boss has to offer, now that he had regained approval numbers from survey firms. The sum total of this equation will only be seen in the projection of Marcos’ administration’s goals.
But okay, let us not forget to state the obvious from his list of qualifications — that he was once a PR executive for Philip Morris International. For more than 20 years, he was responsible for propagating the company’s brands that promote ill health and death. That is already a stain in his expertise as a communicator.
So let me try to put these next few things in the words of some cigarette slogans of the past that I know.
Mr. Gomez has “come a long way” to where he is in at this particular moment. The Presidential Communications Office, a post tailored to his experience. Richer than his predecessors. So yes, may his blend be tougher and persuasive enough for the public’s interest.
“You can’t take the country,” or in this case, the communicator’s heart out of Mr. Gomez. After his stint in journalism, he decided to venture into image-making through Leo Burnett and, later, PMI. Communicators are crucial to build the space for the public’s interest. To know what their products and/or services are all about.
But he may need to “walk a mile” to reach the status of the late strongman’s press secretaries. Tatad was the face of Marcos’ Martial Law. He and his associates had to make sure that “Bagong Lipunan” was sold to the public.
Nevertheless, he can be a “champion” in his own right. By producing competence and integrity, the audience could “savor the winning moment” of whatever Marcos could accomplish.
That being said, he must keep in mind that too much is “hazardous to health.” And that is what he should be careful of.
(Rolando Ng III is a 20-something year-old who floats around between writing and keeping himself company inside his room. For comments, you may send them at ngrolando2003@yahoo.com.)
