MANILA – The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), through its Office of the Global Media and Public Affairs (OGMPA), will hold the first Pre-SONA Virtual Presser on Wednesday, July 8.
Ahead of the 2020 SONA of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Cabinet members are set to deliver their respective accomplishments and insights on the Philippines’ performance in terms of fulfilling the key priorities of the administration through these three-part fora, and will be subsequently followed by the Virtual Presser.
The first leg will highlight the Economic Development and Infrastructure Cabinet Clusters (EDC-IC) of the Duterte administration with the forum titled “Regaining Momentum, Accelerating Recovery in a Post COVID-19 World.”
Since 2018, the PCOO has already committed to providing nationwide audience for the forum through live broadcast in all its digital platforms as well as utilizing government media outfits to convey discussions.
“Following our mandate as the government’s communications arm, the Virtual Presser is a product of utilizing existing technologies to constantly engage the general public and media on the Duterte administration’s policies, services, and programs for every Filipino while maintaining our efforts and endeavors in mitigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said.
“Through the Virtual Presser, the media and the Filipino people can expect our Cabinet secretaries to share accomplishments, recovery plans, executive directions and priorities, and future endeavors on multi-faceted aspects of governance, especially as we bounce back from the difficulties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.
The Virtual Presser, an interactive video online platform pioneered and launched by the OGMPA in March 2019 long before the emergence of the pandemic, was primarily used to engage with the international media and foreign audiences.
It was then repurposed in March 2020 to likewise promote nationwide initiatives to address concerns and provide public updates on the COVID-19.
“We maintain our commitment to promote and amplify the programs and projects of the Duterte administration throughout his leadership in all communication platforms. And at this time of a pandemic, we are much more devoted to providing the public the right information that the government is exhausting all efforts to respond to and bounce back from this crisis,” PCOO Assistant Secretary for Global Media and Public Affairs JV Arcena said.
Media are invited to join the virtual presser by submitting their interest through the email: [email protected].
Pre-SONA forum
Pre-SONA forums are held annually to discuss the achievements of the government in the previous year and the priorities of the Cabinet clusters.
Hosted by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and Office of the Cabinet Secretary (OCS), in coordination with the Cabinet clusters, the Pre-SONA forum will be streamed live on the Facebook pages of the PCOO, Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM), and other government agencies.
This will also be the first time to conduct the Pre-SONA virtually, essentially supporting the currently imposed mass gathering restrictions in all public spaces.
The interfacing sessions to address questions from the virtual audience will commence shortly after key speakers are already done presenting their reports.
On Wednesday, top economic and infrastructure executives are expected to present, including the Department of Finance (DOF), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and other cluster-member agencies.
The next fora and virtual pressers will be on July 15 (Participatory Governance, and Human Development and Poverty Reduction Clusters) and July 22 (Security, Justice and Peace Cluster, and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction Cluster), leading up to the anticipated SONA slated on July 27.
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