GOCC told to stop spending for radio ads

MANILA, Philippines - The Employees Compensation Commission (ECC) spent more than P1.715 million for 30-seconder radio commercials last year which is almost double of what the agency used in 2011.

State auditors said the government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) should scrap the idea since such advertisements have not been effective and is wasting government funds.

The Commission on Audit (COA), in a report released yesterday, said the payment for 30-seconder radio spots totaling P1.715 million may be dispensed with in favor of other modes of information dissemination that will promote beneficiary and stakeholder awareness at costs more beneficial to the ECC.

Records scrutinized by the audit team show that in 2011, the agency spent a total of P879,000 for the same advertising expenses.

But based on a survey done by the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics between January and March 2011, only five percent from the National Capital Region got their awareness about the ECC’s Employees’ Compensation Program (ECP) from radio. 

On the other hand, 39 percent got the information from seminars and lectures conducted by the agency and 35 percent from flyers, posters, comics, streamers. 

The COA report said the seminars cost ECC only P870,000 while the flyers, posters, comics and streamers cost only P41,282.73.

“It can be gleaned from the result of the survey that the radio spots did not achieve its intended purpose. Yet despite the result of the survey which was made available on the second half of 2011, expenditures for radio spots in 2012 almost doubled,” state auditors said.

The audit team told ECC to suspend the radio spots advertising and consider other alternatives that will bring the ECC programs awareness to the intended stakeholders at lower costs.