THE incoming administration will accredit bloggers, especially for briefings of President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr., incoming press secretary and vlogger Rose Beatrix “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles said yesterday.
The Malacañang Press Corps (MPC), which is composed of representatives of mainstream media covering activities and events attended by the President, said it is deferring comment on the matter “until the details of the proposed policy are threshed out by the incoming PCOO (Presidential Communications Operations Office) leadership.”
Cruz-Angeles, who will head the PCOO, said at the “Laging Handa” briefing, “We are pushing for the accreditation of bloggers to be invited to some of the briefings especially those conducted by the President-elect… We’re also looking at things like opening up discourse and looking at issues of disinformation that seem to be a hot-button topic nowadays,” she said.
The PCOO under the current Duterte administration has issued an accreditation guideline for bloggers/vloggers and social media personalities who want to cover presidential events and briefings but officials said it had not accredited anyone so far. In August 2016, however, bloggers were among those accredited to cover the ministerial meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which was hosted by the Philippines.
PCOO undersecretary and acting deputy spokesman Kris Ablan said the accreditation policy for social media remains active.
Under the PCOO guidelines, bloggers and social media practitioners allowed to cover events attended by the President should be Filipino citizens, at least 18 years old, and must have not less than 5,000 followers on their social media platforms. The accreditation is per event basis.
Marcos, who won over 31 million votes in the elections, had been active in social media during the campaign and even had his weekly Facebook vlog which included his activities and campaign promises, among others.
Asked if in-person coverage of briefings and presidential events by journalists will be allowed, Cruz-Angeles said the existing policy will be reviewed to “determine, make a decision later on as to how appropriate they are for the current terms.”
Cruz-Angeles said as PCOO head, she will also review pending projects and “decide later on whether to prioritize them or to put them possibly on the back burner.”
“Wala pa po kaming decisions on which stay and which ones go (We have no decision yet on which stay and which ones go),” she added.
PMA’S CHOICE
The Philippine Medical Association yesterday urged Marcos to appoint Dr Ted Herbosa, special adviser of the National Task Force against COVID-19, as health secretary.
In a three-page letter, the PMA noted Herbosa’s extensive experience as a public servant in the health sector.
“Allow us to endorse Dr. Teodoro Javier Herbosa, a life member of the PMA, with vast experience and extensive expertise in health care systems, public health, hospital administration, trauma surgery, emergency and disaster medicine… thus, would be an ideal leader for the implementation of the health reforms of your administration,” said the PMA.
The PMA said Herbosa, as health undersecretary from 2010 to 2015, was involved in the modernization of hospitals nationwide and the start the Universal Health Care Program.
Herbosa also served as executive vice president of the University of the Philippines from 2017-2021. He is currently professor and chairman of Emergency Medicine and Trauma Surgery at the UP College of Medicine and the Philippine General Hospital.
The PMA is the internationally recognized National Medical Association of the Philippines and the Accredited Professional Organization of Physicians by the Professional Regulation Commission.
It is composed of 119 component medical societies, 75 specialty and subspecialty societies, and 45 affiliate societies.
The medical group is estimated to have 80,000 members nationwide.
Earlier, reports came out that infectious disease specialist Dr. Edsel Salvana is among those
being considered as the next health secretary
Sen. Imee Marcos yesterday said their family is not discounting the possibility that her brother will be working together with Vice President Leni Robredo.
“Everything is possible… yun ang sinasabi ng nanay ko – walang masamang tinapay, baka maging kaalyado mo pa. (that’s what our mother [former First Lady Imelda Marcos] has been saying — there is no bad blood and maybe [political opponents] can be your allies). I think this is what we need to do,” Marcos said.
Robredo has been Marcos’ rival of Marcos since 2016 when they ran for vice president.
Sen. Marcos earlier suggested to her brother to form a “team of rivals” where Marcos Jr. may tap individuals from rival political parties to form part of his Cabinet.
She said that’s what she has been telling her brother.
“We discussed that it should be ‘UniTeam’ and I coined that UniTeam moniker for the campaign… But it’s not a mere slogan, it’s a real platform of government. It’s a real management and action program. So, it’s important that we carry through with the team of rivals in the classic and revered manner of the late great president Abraham Lincoln, inviting all his rivals to the Cabinet,” she said.
She said inviting rivals to her brother’s Cabinet is a way of moving forward and setting aside “all recriminations and bitterness” by choosing the “best and the brightest” for the country’s sake.
“We start with an even playing field, accepting all those Filipinos who are willing to serve and are capable of giving their best to our country. So, it’s a second chance for the Philippines,” she added.
MORE NAMES
Cruz-Angeles confirmed names being floated as part of the Marcos Cabinet but said there is yet no decision.
They are Sagip party-tlist Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, former presidential spokesman and press secretary Rigoberto Tiglao, and lawyer Karen Jimeno.
“We can confirm that those names are being talked about, but there are no decisions on this yet as of now,” she said.
She said there will be announcements soon but she is not sure when and who are involved or what positions.
Among the latest appointees is outgoing Tourism chief Bernadette Romula-Puyat who was appointed one of the deputy governors of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The other deputies are Francisco Dakila Jr., for monetary and economics; Chuchi Fonacier, financial supervision; Mamerto Tangonan, payments and currency management; and Eduardo Bobier, corporate services.
Puyat, who has a BS degree in Economics (cum laude) from the University of the Philippines, will fill the seat to be vacated by Felipe Medalla who will serve the unexpired term of Benjamin Diokno who will serve as the next administration’s finance secretary.
Christina Garcia Frasco, Liloan Mayor, will replace Puyat at the Department of Tourism.
Marcos has yet to fill up the portfolios for agriculture, agrarian reform, energy, environment, foreign affairs, health, higher education, national defense, science and technology, and transportation, among others.
Reports said Marcoleta is being considered for the energy portfolio while Tiglao and Jimeno are being eyed for the post of presidential spokesperson.
During the campaign, Marcos said he is not keen on appointing a spokesman because he is accessible to the media. Marcos’ incoming executive secretary Vic Rodriguez and Cruz-Angeles in recent interviews said that the president-elect is still not keen on having a spokesman.
Cruz-Angeles the other day said Marcos will do some press briefings himself if he sees a need to clarify or address certain issues himself.
TOURISM BRAND
Frasco, in an interview with CNN Philippines yesterday, said she plans to boost the tourism potential of less-known tourist destinations, including those in the northern part of the country, through improved promotion of their products, culture, and heritage.
She said she is drawing inspiration from the “Suros-Suroy” tourism program of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, her mother, but will consult with Marcos about tourism branding and directions he wants to pursue.
Frasco said she will also push for the “social protection” of tourism frontliners like employees of hotels and resorts, and tour guides, among others, through financial and livelihood assistance once she assumes office.
“I’ve also come to realize from a local government perspective how important it is to be inclusive as far as tourism development is concerned. In Cebu, what we had was very close coordination between provincial and local governments, as far as setting the direction for tourism policies and programs,” she said.
DSWD
Incoming Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo, during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum yesterday, said he is planning to bring with him former journalists Sally Navarro as undersecretary for the Office of the Secretary, and Jerico Javier as undersecretary for operations.
He said he has been working with the two for more than two years now and they were with him during his public service and assistance distribution activities. They know the ins and outs of relief distribution, he added.
He also said that he is not keen on bringing many people to DSWD, preferring to tap and promote those who have long been with the agency.
Tulfo reiterated that he wants to be an official who is “on the ground,” especially during calamities and he wants his regional and provincial directors to be the same.
Tulfo said his marching orders include digitalizing records and the list of beneficiaries of social service and financial aid programs under the department to avoid delays in delivery.
Tulfo said he also wants to push for an increase in the P500 pension of persons with disability (PWDs) and welcomes the passage of a law raising the pension of senior citizens to P1,000 from P500.
BOGUS COLLECTORS
The office of Vice President-elect and incoming education secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio yesterday warned the public about people claiming to be her representatives and collecting advance payments for Department of Education (DepEd) projects.
“The incoming secretary of Education has not nor will never designate anyone to talk to or negotiate with contractors and suppliers to engage in corrupt activities – smearing her reputation and tarnishing the image of the entire DepEd and the thousands of people working hard under the organization,” said Frasco who is Duterte-Carpio’s spokeswoman.
She said contractors, suppliers, and the public are asked to exercise prudence when dealing with individuals or groups claiming to represent Duterte-Carpio and the public is asked to report any suspicious activities concerning the DepEd to authorities. — With Gerard Naval, Raymond Africa, and Jimmy Calapati
