MANILA, Philippines (Updated 10:59 a.m.) — In his second executive order, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has reorganized the Presidential Communications Operations Office and renamed into the Office of the Press Secretary.
In the same order, Marcos also scrapped the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson and transferred its duties to the newly-created Office of the Press Secretary (OPS).
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The EO, signed on June 30 and uploaded on The Official Gazette on July 7, cited the "need to rationalize and consolidate the communications arm of the administration for a more efficient delivery of public policy to the general public."
"The Office of the Presidential Spokesperson is hereby abolished and all its permanent personnel, equipment and functions are transferred to the OPS," it read.
The OPS, led by Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, gains the mandate to pronounce the President's actions, policies and official activities; and maintain rapport with private media and similar entities, among others.
Below are the agencies to be attached to the OPS:
- APO Production Unit
- Bureau of Broadcast Services
- Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp.
- National Printing Office
- News and Information Bureau; and
- People's Television Network, Inc.
Cruz-Angeles, a vlogger herself, said in an interview last month that her office is pushing for the accreditation of vloggers to be invited to some of the briefings, especially those conducted by Marcos Jr. She said this is among the priorities of the then-PCOO, under her helm.
In 2017, Marcos Jr.'s predecessor Rodrigo Duterte introduced a policy that allows bloggers and social media practitioners to cover events attended by the chief executive so long as they are at least 18 years old and have at least 5,000 followers.
PCOO reorganization
Meanwhile, the PCOO, created in 2010, will be placed under the OPS, with redundant posts and divisions being abolished.
The Philippine Information Agency (PIA), which has been directly under the wing of the PCOO, will now be under the Office of the President.
The PIA will absorb the following offices which were under PCOO's control
- Bureau of Communications Services
- Freedom of Information-Program Management Office
- Good Governance Office.
Meanwhile, Radio Television Malacanang (RTVM) will be placed under the supervision of the Presidential Management Staff.
The executive order immediately took effect after it was signed by Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez on behalf of the President. — Angelica Y. Yang