OCTOBER 3, 2010


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COFFEE WOMEN IN HAWAII BY CHIT JUAN


The Green RevolutionB8 Founded 1898


PACMAN, MARGARITO CONFIDENT OF WINNING


SportsA7


PRESIDENTIAL REPORT CARD


THE YOUTH’S www.manilatimes.net » Sunday Times MagazineB1


Special Report


COMMUNICATIONS GROUP


From left: Herminio “Sonny” Coloma, Edwin Lacierda and Ricky Carandang


‘Comm group’ doomed A


BY JOEL M. SY EGCO SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR


N experiment that has no record of success.


This, in a nutshell, was how former chiefs of the defunct Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) described the agency’s reorganization into what is now known as the three-headed Malacañang Communi- cations Group. Former Sen. Francisco “Kit” Tatad and former Press Secretary Rod Reyes, are both skeptical about the efficacy of the group that was created by virtue of Executive


Structures of communication groups vary


THE organization of offices handling a head of state’s communications varies around the world. Note the following examples.


United Kingdom Communication from Britain’s sitting prime minister is mainly facilitated by the Prime


➤CommunicationA2


Order 4, which effectively reorganized and renamed the Office of the Press Secretary, dividing it into two major depart- ments—the Presidential Communica- tions Operations Office (PCOO) and the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO).


“The basic rule is that it is better to have one bad boss than three good bosses. The signals should be very clear as to who should be obeyed,” said Tatad who, at age 29, became the youngest member of the Cabinet following his appointment as Information minister during the presidency of the late Ferdinand Marcos. Tatad was Marcos’ information chief for 10 years.


➤DoomedA2


HISTORIC AL PERSPECTIVE


BY FRANK LLOYD TIONGSON REPORTER


THE adage, “there is no such thing as bad publicity,” clearly does not apply to government. For the Executive Department, bad press translates to plunging ratings and widespread discon- tent. This is especially true for a government long hounded by structural issues, such as corrup- tion, skewed policy-making and the sheer inutility of some of its


Structure conforms to P-Noy’s promises


BY CRIS G. ODRONIA REPORTER


TRADITIONALLY, presidents appoint a press secretary who would act as the main mouthpiece of the executive branch of the government.


President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd, the 15th President of ■ Francisco “Kit” Tatad ■ Rod Reyes More not always better


officials. Indeed, for a country perpetually on the edge, the last thing the government needs is a PR nightmare. Given such predicament and the high expectations of the public, the country’s presidents have long dedi- cated resources in institutionalizing presidential communications. As seen in the long history of such prac- tice, various offices and agencies have come and gone according to the shifting demands and context of the government.


Presidential prerogative According to a primer prepared by


the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Plan- ning Office (PCDSPO), “In all ad- ministrations, the President of the Philippines is the ‘communicator in chief,’ as chief executive.”


As such, the institutionalization of presidential communications had been largely delegated to the pre- rogative of the sitting president. This means that the president can organ-


➤BetterA2


the Republic of the Philippines, however, broke with tradition and decided to do away of having just one. In past years, the Office of the Press Secretary, or OPS, was the tasked agency helping the state to make the Filipinos understand the government policies and programs. The office was headed by the Press Secretary. Besides being the official spokesman for the Palace, the Press Secretary was also responsible for conducting daily briefings to media and organizing press conferences. President Aquino, however, created the Presidential Commu- nications Group, which has two main functions—disseminate the President’s messages to the public and receive feedback from the people.


Created by Executive Order To formally establish the government’s communications group,


President Aquino issued Executive Order 4, which he signed on ➤ConformsA2


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