This, as he was formally appointed to a higher post within the executive branch’s communications arm.
Following the announcement of his appointment over the weekend, former People’s Television Network (PTV) general manager Lino Cayetano took his oath as the acting secretary of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Tuesday, October 13.
In his interview, the Cayetano said that the station, also known colloquially as channel 4, will continue to play a key role in promoting transparency and accountability.
“I think over the last few weeks, tulad ng sabi ng Pangulo, I’ve been helping through my capacity as General Manager of PTV, paano mas epektibong maibaba yung mensahe ng ating gobyerno. And I think PTV will still play a very important role in this,” Cayetano noted his efforts before becoming the new PCO chief.
According to him, the President envisioned PTV as an instrument for “transparency and accountability,” helping ensure that the public could better understand the President’s messages and the administration’s programs.
As part of that, the President instructed him to sustain engagement with the media and find more effective ways to communicate the administration’s programs to Filipinos at home and abroad.
“We want to make sure it reaches the Filipino people,” Cayetano said, referring to the administration’s message.
CONSULTING WITH FORMER COMMS CHIEFS, REACHING MORE PEOPLE
Meanwhile, he also said that he plans to build on the work of his predecessors, noying that he will consult former PCO secretaries to draw on their experience.
“Para sa akin, ang pinakaimportante, I’m building on the strength of every PCO Secretary. Each one of them, I’m gonna, as much as I can, talk to, consult, seek their advice. And tama ‘yung ating Pangulo, it’s a continuous evolution nung communication landscape,” the PCO chief noted..
He also emphasized that the PCO’s primary responsibility is to ensure that Filipinos receive timely, accurate and effective information about government programs and initiatives.
“Pero ang hindi nagbabago, yung pinakamahalaga, pinakaimportanteng trabaho ng PCO, which is yung bawat kababayan natin maabot natin, mabigyan natin ng mabilis, tama at epektibong impormasyon tungkol sa ginagawa ng ating gobyerno,” he said.
Cayetano also underscored the importance of listening to the public and adjusting communication strategies to ensure government information reaches its intended audiences.
Thus, to expand the reach of government information, Cayetano said the PCO would strengthen engagement with local government units, barangays, churches, and other institutions.
“Ako, I want to make sure that we reach the Filipino people through LGUs, through our barangays, through the church, through the different instrumentations,” he said, adidng that face-to-face engagement remains important despite the growing use of digital platforms as this allows Filipinos to hear directly from leaders about government programs and initiatives.
He also emphasized the importance of listening to the public to help ensure that government initiatives respond to people’s needs.
COMBATING FAKE NEWS
Cayetano also touched upon the subject of fake news, stating that engaging the media would be a key part of the PCO’s approach, building on existing government efforts against disinformation.
He also cited that media workers and journalists are the biggest victims of falsehoods that circulate online.
Cayetano also said the PCO would explore ways to work with media organizations and government leaders to strengthen efforts against false information and help Filipinos access reliable news.
Moreover, the PCO plans to meet with media practitioners and stakeholders to hear their concerns, identify communication gaps and explore ways to improve the delivery of information about government programs.
