EDITORIAL - Infomercials

Before they have become a favorite tool for those who aspire for an elective post, no one raised a howl of protest against the so-called infomercials. Cabinet secretaries have mastered the art of using television to promote programs their departments are undertaking.

Chief among Cabinet secretaries who found the usefulness of television to advertise programs of his department was Juan Flavier. More than a decade ago, the then secretary of the Department of Health had used the boob tube to promote his call for doctors to invade the countryside to help the department's "Doctors to the Barrio" program.

As the infomercial proved to be a success, Flavier ran more campaigns on TV such as those to promote family planning and to encourage people to stay away from using deadly firecrackers during the Christmas and New Year revelries.

Since Flavier would star in those infomercials, the DOH would not need to shell out millions of pesos from its coffers hiring talents from the showbiz.

The huge impact that those DOH infomercials brought to the public had gained the diminutive doctor a rock-star status. He was certainly the most well loved Cabinet secretary in the '90s.

And when the urge to run for public office was irresistible, Flavier threw his hat into the political arena. He won a seat for the Senate twice, placing fifth and second in the elections in 1995 and 2001.

Undeniably, Flavier's good handling of the DOH had catapulted him to the Senate. However, what made him the most celebrated health secretary ever was his use of infomercials that captivated Filipinos from all walks of life, gaining him one of the highest satisfaction ratings ever among Cabinet secretaries.

Now, infomercials from different departments and government agencies have been competing with television's prime time soap operas. Of course they star secretaries and commissioners running for various electives positions in next year's national elections. 

Senator Miriam Santiago has reason to be piqued by this what she calls an early form of campaigning. During a Senate hearing on the issue last Friday, she called on those concerned Cabinet secretaries and agency chiefs with political ambitions to stop airing their infomercials.

There's really no problem with those infomercials bombarding our televisions. They inform the public about what's going on in a certain department. But if they are used for political purposes, it's a different story.