PB backs call of Compostela council for use of correct grammar in TV ads

The Provincial Board is adopting the move of the Sangguniang Bayan of Compostela town requesting the National Telecommunications Commission to ban the airing of Sun Cellular IDD top10 in televisions and moviehouses.

The PB is set to approve the resolution this Monday after PB Member Juan Bolo filed the resolution supporting the move of the Compostela town council.

In its July 17 session, the SP of Compostela passed a resolution stating that there is presently an advertisement of the Sun Cellular that states "It's raining outside, aren't they? Where in fact the correct statement should be "It's raining outside, isn't it."

Reuben Pangan, vice president for Sun Digitel Telecom said in a statement, "it is not the intention of SUN to promote bad grammar but merely a tongue-in-cheek approach in promoting humor in the ads. It was merely using a slice-of-life type of situation to dramatize the savings that the customers will get from using SUN's IDD Top 10."

He added that they are also no longer airing the ads even before this became an issue to the Compostela town council.

Compostela officials believe that the continued airing of this advertisement would result to the picking up of this wrong statement by our schoolchildren. They added that television, being an effective media tool that can influence the youth, could further ruin the deteriorating English of our graduates.

The Compostela officials said that a copy of the approved resolution will be sent to the NTC regional director to ban the airing of the said advertisement.

Copies of the resolution shall also be furnished to DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza, DepEd regional director Carolino Mordeno, and DepEd provincial director Recaredo Borgonia. - Flor Z. Perolina