President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday swore in newly appointed officials of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), three days after he ordered the office’s reorganization.
In a Facebook post, state-run Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) released the names of new officials as well as photos of the oath-taking ceremony held at Malacañan Palace.
Based on the list, Honey Rose Mercado was named Undersecretary for Traditional Media and External Affairs.
Franz Gerard Imperial and Gerald Baria were appointed Undersecretary for Broadcast Production and Undersecretary for Content Production, respectively.
Patricia Anne Magistrado was named Assistant Secretary for External Affairs.
Ma. Rhona Ysabel Daoang, Marvin Antonio, and Lois Erika Mendoza were appointed as PCO directors for Traditional Media and External Affairs, Digital Media Services, and Content Production, respectively.
On Feb. 13, Marcos issued Executive Order (EO) 16 reorganizing the PCO to rationalize and consolidate the functions of the communications arm of the executive branch, including the Office of the President (OP), effective immediately.
The PCO, headed by a Secretary, will serve as the “primary office of the Executive branch in engaging and involving the citizenry and the mass media in enriching the quality of public discourse on all matters of governance.”
“For this purpose, the PCO shall be responsible in crafting, formulating, developing, enhancing, and coordinating the messaging system of the Executive branch and the OP,” EO 16 stated.
EO 16 supplements EO No. 11, signed on Dec. 29, 2022, to further streamline the administrative structure of the OP and rename the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) to PCO.
Under EO 16, the PCO Secretary will be assisted by five Undersecretaries and 14 Assistant Secretaries, with one Assistant Secretary directly reporting to the PCO Secretary.
The five Undersecretaries will lead the five functional areas in the restructured PCO, which include Traditional Media and External Affairs; Digital Media Services; Content Production; Broadcast Production; and Operations, Administration, and Finance.
Assisted by five Assistant Secretaries, the PCO Undersecretary for Traditional Media and External Affairs will oversee the formulation and implementation of the messaging directives, ensuring the efficient delivery of essential communication and messaging services of the Executive branch and the OP through various industry assets.
The PCO Undersecretary for Digital Media Services, supported by two Assistant Secretaries, will be tasked to formulate and implement programs and policies on the responsible and efficient use of digital media assets and tools.
Likewise, the PCO Undersecretary for Content Production will be in charge of providing close-in coverage of the official activities of the President, while the PCO Undersecretary for Broadcast Production will be designated to manage and organize live productions for broadcast.
EO 16 also authorizes the PCO to regain control and supervision over several offices, including the Presidential Broadcast Staff-Radio Television Malacañang (PBS-RTVM), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Bureau of Communications Services (BCS), and Freedom of Information-Program Management Office (FOI-PMO).
To recall, EO 2 signed in June 2022 placed the RTVM and the PIA under the direct control and supervision of the Presidential Management Staff and the OP, respectively.
The BCS and the FOI-PMO, on the other hand, were previously put under the PIA by virtue of EO 2.
The PCO still has direct control and supervision over the PBS-Bureau of Broadcast Services and the News and Information Bureau, according to EO 16.
Government-owned or -controlled corporations such as the People’s Television Network, Inc., APO Production Unit, Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, and the National Printing Office will now be reattached to the PCO and will be supervised by an Assistant Secretary.
