PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has reorganized the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) anew, streamlining its administrative structure and consolidating its communications activities to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of information and its other core services to the public.
Last Monday, the President signed Executive Order (EO) No. 16 which also re-attached some Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) back to the PCO. A copy of the EO was uploaded yesterday at the Official Gazette.
EO 16 also supplements EO No. 11 (s 2022) that Marcos signed last December 29, 2022 which streamlined the administrative structure of the Office of the President (OP) and renamed the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) to PCO.
Last June, the President issued EO 2 that reorganized the then Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and renamed it as the OPS.
Under the latest issuance, the revamped PCO will be headed by a secretary and supported by five undersecretaries, 14 assistant secretaries, including one assistant secretary who will directly report to the PCO Secretary. Under the OPS, there were eight undersecretaries.
The PCO is currently headed by Secretary Cheloy Garafil.
The five undersecretaries will each head a “functional area” in the PCO and oversee Traditional Media and External Affairs; Digital Media Services; Content Production; Broadcast Production and Operations, Administration and Finance.
EO No. 16 also amends or modifies the relevant provisions of EO No. 2 (s 2022) which resulted in the transfer or return of GOCCs under PCO such as the People’s Television Network, Inc., APO Production Unit, Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, and the National Printing Office which shall be supervised by an assistant secretary.
