Open Forum with Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar
Ateneo de Davao University
18 August 2016
 

MODERATOR: 
If you have any question, please just stand and proceed to the microphones in front. State your name and your affiliation, then your question.

SEC. ANDANAR:
I’m sure you’ll enjoy my portion. (Laughter)
I would like to congratulate the men and women behind the documentary. Sila ni Mon Cualoping, Asec. Mon whose an Atenean, diri ka nag-eskuwela, ‘di ba? High school tapos Ateneo de Manila. Ako nag-eskuwela ako sa Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro – Ateneo de Cagayan. You know how it is. They say that kung Atenean ka, well you might just make it to this post. You might become a secretary one day. (Applause)
Pero, you know, I’m really impressed by your theater. You know, I’m an audiophile, and I was telling Father Tabora na gwapo kayo ang inyong speakers; your microphone, it’s really world class. And I’m sure the Chief of Staff of the Vice President, Boyet Dy, would agree that this is comparable to the Kennedy School at Harvard University. Way binua. It’s real. Kuan gud sya… high tech gid sya. As we say in Cagayan de Oro, siarna kaayo.
Do you have any questions? Yes, please.

Q:
I have just observed that there is no Secretary for Department of Education. I want—what are or what is her plan about the K to 12 or any program? Or what have she done for the first 50 days? Thank you.

SEC. ANDANAR:
Secretary Briones was there earlier. Maybe you didn’t notice lang pero… But the K to 12 program, na-explain man nya saamon ni Secretary Briones that there is so much work to be done – strengthening the infrastructures, mga classrooms, even the curriculum mismatch.

Q: 
I’m just wondering why did you choose Davao to be the venue of the first screening of the First 50 Days of Duterte? Why Davao? Why Ateneo specifically?

SEC. ANDANAR:
My answer to that is: Why not?
Ito, it’s a simple as this: Our beautiful island, the island of Mindanao has been long a little bit forgotten and it’s been really our complaint ‘no, na we feel like we’ve been forsaken for the longest time. And now that we have a President from Mindanao, from Davao, and then you have more than half of the Cabinet from Mindanao, Mindanao usa (dialect 5:16) because nauna ‘di ba? it’s about time that we glorify our island and we start where the President is from, which is Davao.

MODERATOR:
Okay another question.

SEC. ANDANAR:
Ay, ‘pag katapos si Father.

MODERATOR:
Si Father Joel muna, okay.

Q:
Thank you very much for the presentation, it was very informative. I just like to ask you about the cooperation between Secretaries, whether there is teamwork that is developing among the Secretaries when Gina Lopez came here. Second part, one of the very encouraging things I witnessed was that Secretary Piñol, Secretary Ubial and Gina Lopez were working together to be able to address the problems relative to the environment. You cannot solve the problems in the environment unless proving to people that it has something to do with their health and with their food supply. So, maybe… would you have more to say about this cooperation, I think it would be essential also in the fight against drugs — to complement the fight against drugs — with measures for sustainable development, measures for uplifting the people it serves.

SEC. ANDANAR:
Thank you, Father it’s a great question.

I will speak first from our end at the Presidential Communications Office and a testament of our continuous cooperation with the other Cabinet portfolios is the documentary right now that we just showed you and as the Communications team in the Cabinet, we are in a very unique position to attend all cluster Cabinet meetings, because all government policies will not be imbibed by the grassroots, if it is delivered also through the communication.

So kami po, Father, sa PCO we have made it a point that if all of the activities of our fellow portfolios or Cabinet secretaries we’re always there support them. As a matter of fact, one of the executive orders that we recommended to the President is the National Communications Policy. The National Communications Policy is a policy that institutionalizes the flow of information from one Cabinet department to the next, until it goes round to the President and to the public. Because noong mga nakaraang taon po ay medyo napabayaan ang communication ng ating gobyerno. Marami pong mga ahensiya din sa ilalim po ng PCO, whose job it is to communicate not only to the people, but also to the different agencies of government at ito po iyong mga ahensiya tulad ng Philippine Information Agency, na medyo nawalan po ng kakaunting impluwensya, saysay ‘no, sa ating gobyerno dahil nga hindi po ito naging prayoridad nang mga nakaraang administrasyon.

So, there are certain policies, institutions that Marcos built that were built in a way that we can call it a master stroke — like the Philippine Information Agency during the time of Secretary Cendaña, it was a very relevant agency here in the Philippines. So, binubuhay po natin ito to connect that to the cooperation that we need to communicate — I will give you an example, I was in Sulu two weekends ago with the President at ang sinabi po sa akin ng manager ng Sulu Radyo Bayan, “Mr. Secretary, this is the first time that we have ever had a Press Secretary in Sulu.” Ganoon din po ang sinabi sa akin doon sa Bukidnon at sa Cagayan De Oro, na hindi po dinadalaw ng Press Secretary iyong Philippine News Agency or Philippine Information Agency or Channel 4, Radyo ng Bayan, nasa ilalim po poder natin.

At sabi ko po sa kanila, just like the island of Mindanao has long been forsaken, now I know that pati po pala yung ahensiya, mga regional offices, Father, ay napabayaan po. So, how can you communicate and how can you solve the problems of Maria if you don’t go to Maria and ask her the problem. So, padating po naman sa loob ng Cabinet, Father, ito po… ang nasaksihan ko po ay lahat nag uusap-usap kung papano makatulong iyong isang department doon po naman sa polisiya ng ibang departmento.

Q:
Magandang umaga sa inyo Secretary Andanar. My name is Rey Agonzagay, a fourth year Mass Communication student and also a member of Atenews, the official student publication of Ateneo de Davao University.

Considering that our country is on ring of fire, which is affected by typhoons, earthquakes and tsunamis, etc. Ano po yung plano ng mga government agencies, such as the Department of Science and Technology and NDRRMC, in order for our country to become disaster prepared and also mas madali tayong maka-adapt ng effects ng climate change in the years to come. Thank you.

SEC. ANDANAR:
Magandang tanong yan at masasagot ko po iyan. I can only speak on behalf of the department na pinapatakbo po natin. Nagkaroon po tayo ng panukala, binasa po ito ng ating Pangulo noong nakaraang State of the Nation Address. At yung binasa po ng Pangulo ay iyong ating isinumiting panukala na magtatag po tayo ng isang broadcast hub. At the same time, this broadcast hub is an emergency broadcast protocol of the nation. At itatayo po ito sa lugar – itong broadcast hub – sa lugar na hindi po tinatamaan ng bagyo. At ang tawag po natin dito ay Mindanao Broadcast Hub which will be in Davao.

So kahit po binabagyo yung mga kapatid natin sa Visayas, at binabagyo po doon sa Maynila, kahit binaha po sila ay maari po tayong mag-broadcast at maari po tayong magki-communicate ating mga kababayan sa pamamagitan ng Mindanao Broadcast Hub, which will become a state-of-the-art media hub in Mindanao and for people like you who are taking up Mass Communication, you no longer have to go to Manila to become one of the crème de la crème newscasters. You can stay here.

And to add for that, iyong broadcast hub po dito sa Davao ay magkakaroon po ng apat na studio. Iyong isang studio po doon ay magiging Salaam Television, the first Muslim channel in the country. At binanggit din po ng Pangulo natin na magkakaroon din po tayo ng isang national TV network na tatawagin po natin ay “Lumad Television.” Para po sa mga kapatid na lumad po. Nagkausap po kami ni Father Tabora kani-kanina lang na binanggit po sa atin na meron pong isang Islamic Center dito po sa Davao, Ateneo de Davao, at ang sabi ko po sa kanya ay bakit ako lilingon doon sa malayo, sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas sa Diliman, kapag kumuha ako ng isang ng isang konsultasyon sa mga kaibigan nating Muslim doon, kung meron palang Islamic Center dito sa Ateneo De Davao. Kaya dito na lang po tayo.

So broadcast hub, emergency broadcast protocol, kahit na anung lindol man ang tatama sa atin or bagyo, you will be the last man standing, broadcasting. (claps) Okay, okay naman siguro.

Q:
Secretary Andanar, follow up. Meron ba kayong time table like kailan ma-launch iyong Mindanao Broadcast Hub?

SEC. ANDANAR:
Okay. Ito po iyong ginagawa natin, kahapon lang po. Ito sariwang-sariwa, kausap ko po si DBM Director Gary Galipe at tinanong ko po siya kung bakit po iyong aming budget ay ganito lang po iyong in-approve ninyo. How can we make the dream of our President possible kung bibigyan n’yo lang po kami ng kapiranggot na budget na P200 million. Kaya ang sabi ko—pero ang sabi niya po sa akin ay, “ito ang dapat ninyong gawin, Mr. Andanar. Ito, ito, ito iyong mga dapat mong gawin at ibibigay namin sa inyo iyong P1.5 billion na hinihingi mo ngayong taon na ito.” Wag nating hintayin nag 2017 para masimulan na at para maihabol po natin kahit papano, kung hindi man ang TV station kung hindi kahit iyong programming man lang na Salaam Television na maihabol po natin bago po mag-ikalawang SONA ang ating Pangulo sa Hulyo sa susunod na taon.

Q:
Magandang umaga po. Ako po si Dan Pantoja ng Peace Builders Community, peace building field worker po ako doon sa mga conflict areas. Natutuwa po ako noong nagkaroon ng unilateral ceasefire declaration ang ating Pangulo, kaya lang naudlot. Sa ginagawa po ngayon GPH at NDF na usapan, iniisip na po ba ng administrayon ngayon, lalo na komunikasyon kayo, iyong ceasefire mechanism sa ground? Napakahalaga po noon. Kasi kahit anong declaration natin sa taas, kapag walang mekanismo sa baba, siguro hindi rin mangyayari.

Pangalawa pong kaabikat noong tanong ko na iyon ay ano ang role ng CSO, Civil Society Organizations, sa ceasefire – kung mayroon silang role? At ano ang emphasis, ano ang pananaw ng Pangulo, ng administrasyon tungkol sa IP dahil sila talaga ang naaapektuhan nitong armed conflict na ito?

SEC. ANDANAR:
Salamat po sa katanungan. Noong unang idenaklara ng ating Pangulo ang unilateral ceasefire, sa pagkakaalam ko po, sir, ay nagkaroon agad ng panuntunan ang Armed Forces of the Philippines kung ano po iyong mekanismo na gagamitin sa ceasefire, hindi lang po sa Mindanao, pati po sa Visayas at sa Luzon, kung mayroon pong ating mga kapatid na miyembro ng CPP-NPA-NDF. Pero unfortunately ay nabulabog ito, nabulilyaso, kaya hindi po na—you know wi-nidraw po ito ng Presidente. Pero you know, that’s already water under the bridge. Ang maganda pong balita dito, sir, ay tuloy-tuloy po ang pakikipag-usap ng ating pamahalaan sa CPP-NPA-NDF. As a matter of fact, naglabas ng isang statement si Ka Joma Sison two days ago, at sinasabi niya na siya ay natutuwa dahil ang ating Pangulo ay tuloy-tuloy ang kanyang pakikipag-dayalogo sa ating mga kapatid sa Kaliwa. At patunay po diyan, ang peace talks na mangyayari ngayong August 22 sa Oslo, Norway, at papunta no po doon ang ating Kalihim na si Bebot Bello at si Sec. Jess Dureza ay patungo na rin po doon sa susunod na araw.

At pagdating po naman sa ikalawang tanong ninyo, ito po ay may kinalaman sa civil society, or civic organizations na—ang gobyerno po natin ay bukas. Bukas po ang pintuan natin sa mga civil society organizations, civic groups para tumulong sa napakatagal nang problema ng ating bansa patungkol sa kapayapaan. Patunay po diyan ay iyong social agenda po ng ating Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco, na very inclusive at sinasama po ang lahat ng miyembro ng civil society. Pagdating po naman sa problema ng ating mga katutubo, mga IPs, ganoon din po, ang Pangulo ay… bukas po ang pintuan ng ating Presidente, at bukas ang pintuan ng Office of the Cabinet Secretary para tulungan ang ating mga katutubo sa kanilang mga problema dito po sa ating bansa. So Sir, kung mayroon kayong mga requests, kailangan huwag kayo mag-atubili, lapitan ninyo po ako para kung anong concerns ninyo, ilalapit ko po kay Sec. Jun Evasco.

MODERATOR:
Sir, another question from a student.

Q:
Good morning, Mr. Secretary.
My question: Is the Philippines really capable of stabilizing or keeping the K to 12 curriculum, or are we not risking the generation for the curriculum experimentation? Kasi po sir, I came from a public school po, Davao City National High School. Unfortunately, sir, I visited the school after graduating from it, and unfortunately some of the juniors, they frequently tell me, “Ate, unsa man yung mga may uban ta sabi niya ang libro, dili mao, may time pud na dili daw… dali lang ma-correct ang libro sa mga estudyante, sir. So, are we really capable of the K to 12 curriculum, and stand by it… stand firmly with it? (21:50)

SEC. ANDANAR:
Palagay ko naman there’s no turning back. We’ve crossed the Rubicon, iyong mga ganoong statement. No, hindi, kasi ganito iyon eh, kung titingnan ninyo po iyong mga lugar, mga bansang nakapaligid po sa Pilipinas ‘no mayroon na sila K to 12. Ito iyong mga bansang mas maunlad po sa atin ‘no. At alam ko, dalawang bansa na lang po yata iyong hindi K to 12, o isang bansa na lang, kasi tayo ay K to 12 na.

Kung titingnan po natin, at lalo na we have to consider that our nation is a nation that is very dependent on the revenues, the remittances of the OFWs. So we need to get our act together to be at par with the educational system of the other countries. Ang masaklap ho kasi ay meron tayong walong milyong OFWs at padami ng padami po iyong ume-exit ng bansa natin at darating din po iyong panahon na makikita po ng ating mga counterpart sa ibang bansa na ang kanilang human capital… ang kanilang kapital ay human capital din, iyong manggagawa, ay meron silang K to 12. So doon pa lamang po, kung hindi po tayo mag K to 12 ay alkansi na(?).

So we have no choice but to get our act together and that is why institution like Ateneo De Davao and other private institutions are helping and should continue helping our public education system para sa ganoon ay maging handa at maging kumpleto na iyong K to 12 educational system natin. It’s going to be a long process, there is going to be a lot of bumps on the road ahead but we must and we have to do it for us to be competitive internationally.

Q:
Good morning Secretary. My name is David Abella, third year MassCom.
So ang question ko is, what was the process of the executive order regarding the FOI or Freedom of Information and how we really able it like… the executive, like secure it as fast as we can. Of course as a Mass Communications students it’s very important regarding that order of Freedom of Information because as the MassCom students we are watch dogs of the society. We have the job of informing the people. So of course I want to know how they goes the process regarding that executive order.

SEC. ANDANAR:
Well, it’s a good question. Coincidentally, I was meeting with my staff yesterday and we talked about the Freedom of Information manual. Because it says there in the Executive Order that every agency should be completing its own FOI manual. Now, when the President signed it, we already hit the ground running and we took it upon ourselves because we were of course appointed by the ES to implement this ‘no.

We already assembled an ad hoc committee to build the template for the Freedom of Information manual. So we worked with World Bank. World Bank they have experience already in constructing the manual of the Freedom of Information in the UK and in the United States. So as much as possible, we would make sure that we follow the best practices in the world, iyon parang walang learning curb ba ano. So the manual is finished already, tapos na. What we will do now is, we have a meeting with the other agencies at the DICT—bakit may DICT dito, bakit may Department of Information Communication Technology, because iyong DICT po iyong may hawak nung open data.gov. ph.

So that open data kasi, na ginawa ng nakaraang administrasyon, we will evolve that into the FOI. So may meeting po kami next week and then ang Office of the Solicitor General naman at iyong DOJ, they are tasked to write down all the exceptions doon sa Freedom of Information, Ito po iyong hindi natin puwedeng buksan na impormasyon dahil maaring maapektuhan… halimbawa na lamang seguridad… the national security.

So the deadline for the SolGen and the Department of Justice is August 28, if I am not mistaken. So ibibigay po nila sa akin iyong exceptions and then after that iyong Freedom of Information should have it implementing rules already by November. Sinusunod lang po natin iyong kalendaryo.

Thank you.

SOURCE:  NIB (News and Information Bureau)