Charles Teves
Filipinos have expressed concerns about the newly-released newspaper “The Philippine Gazette.”
The Marcos administration has introduced a new newspaper called “The Philippine Gazette.” It’s a printed publication that aims to spread awareness among the public about the administration’s policies and programs.
The publication will be distributed to the public for free. On Wednesday, the Bureau of Communications Services (BCS), which is an attached agency to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), was responsible for distributing the newspaper to the public.
“Inilunsad ng Presidential Communications Office – Bureau of Communications Services kahapon, May 24, 2023 ang The Philippine Gazette, isang libreng pahayagan na magsisilbing tulay upang maiparating sa mga Pilipino ang mga impormasyon ukol sa mga programa at proyekto ng administrasyon ng Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.,” the PCO said.
It was announced that the public can receive a complimentary copy of the newspaper at several transportation hubs including LRT Line 2’s Recto, Cubao, and Santolan stations, as well as the Tutuban station of the Philippine National Railway, the Manila North Harbor Terminal, and Victory Liner Terminal in Pasay City.
Executive Order 16, signed by Marcos on February 13th, appoints the PCO, led by Secretary Cheloy Garafil, as the primary office of the Executive branch responsible for engaging and involving citizens and the media in discussions about governance.
The PCO is in charge of developing and coordinating the messaging system for the Executive branch and the Office of the President, as well as crafting and enhancing public discourse on governance matters.
Meanwhile, the PCO-BCS specializes in providing communication services related to policy formulation, planning, and project development, research and evaluation, and information coordination within the national development plan.
However, netizens have called the newspaper a propaganda tool aimed at spreading misinformation.
PROPAGANDA!
PROYEKTO BA ITO NI PAUL?
HUSAY MAGWALDAS NG PERA https://t.co/JDV9C8VA7w
— Pilosopo Tasyo (@djakasss) May 25, 2023
Galing ng propaganda may budget. Tapos sorry na lang sa basic necessities.
— Elle not W (@Legally_K) May 25, 2023
PROPAGANDA mala FEM time.
sus! LUMANG TUGTUGIN!
— BaklangManicurista2.0 (@GManicurist) May 25, 2023
Ass-licking, self-righteous PROPAGANDA newspaper. Fantasy-ridden. https://t.co/etDo5yYoYM
— Lucifer (@Lucifer666966) May 26, 2023
https://twitter.com/gabhldw/status/1661923328293232641?s=20
The front of the newspaper also said that the Philippines has a bright economic forecast which has proven false.
https://twitter.com/FactCheckPhils/status/1661686370899828736?s=20
The Climate Change Commission (CCC) and Kapisanan ng Social Media Broadcasters ng Pilipinas, Inc. (KSMBPI) have joined forces to launch a multimedia content project called “Tara… Green Na!” in June.
The project aims to help the commission develop climate policies in line with the Marcos administration’s climate action program.
The memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed by CCC Commissioner Albert dela Cruz and KSMBPI founding chairperson Michael Raymond Aragon.
The project will air on PTV4 and other media outlets to educate the public about the government’s national climate change action plan. “Tara… Green Na!” will be shown every Saturday from mid-June.
The commission stated that KSMBPI will aid them in implementing various initiatives to ensure the country can respond to the global call for climate action. These initiatives align with the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
According to Dela Cruz, the partnership with KSMBPI is a crucial step towards successful implementation of climate action plans in the country through public-private collaboration.
“We are thankful that we are gaining traction in our call for partnerships to aptly respond to climate change because we cannot singularly do this but must act collectively in order for us to save our environment, our planet, and humankind from the threat of extinction,” he said.
