Nalzaro: Public or personal?

Sunday, January 22, 2012

THE Provincial Board has approved the proposal of the Office of the Governor to appropriate millions of pesos to the Public Information Office for public relations and media campaign purposes. According to the report, P24 million has been appropriated for Sugbo News, the official publication of the Capitol, and some P14 million for Sugbo TV, a Capitol-leased channel on cable TV.

I am not against a local government unit (LGU) coming up with its own public relations machinery, as long as this promotes the interest of the LGU and not the interest of the politician. But what is happening with some of the LGU-sponsored programs, especially radio blocktimers? Sometimes, program handlers focus their discussions on personalities, especially that person’s achievements or accomplishments instead of promoting the LGU’s programs and platforms. Worse, program handlers use the airtime to criticize and attack the critics of their benefactors. That should not be the case.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

These program handlers should be reminded that it is the LGU that is paying for the airtime and their “honorarium” and not the incumbent official.

Is the budget for Capitol or Gwen’s media bloated? I raised this question because of the figures involved. I am not good in mathematics, but here is my computation and simple analysis on the matter. Sugbo News comes out twice a month. That computes to 24 issues for the entire year. Simple arithmetic shows that Capitol is spending P1 million per publication. Right?

Do you think publication costs that much for a simple newsletter using not so expensive printing materials? How many copies are being printed? What materials are being used? And how many people are involved in the editorial work?

I doubt people behind it receive additional honorarium. Most of them are already in the payroll of the Capitol, except perhaps for some editorial consultants. I have some friends, mostly former media members, who work or used to work in the Capitol media.

I asked some magazine publishers here and they say that their publication cost does not reach that amount, even if they use high-end printing materials. Some of these publications are fashion magazines intended for high society clients. Not even newspaper publications, which are bigger in size with more pages and more printed copies, spend that amount per issue. I can’t imagine spending P1 million for 10,000.

Come on. I was able to obtain a few copies of Sugbo News and almost all the copies have the governor on the cover. Wala na ba gyud moy laing hulagway nga i-front page gawas sa dagway sa “Inahan sa Lalawigan?” Morag sum-ol naman.

I am a tri-media personality and I know the workings of radio, television and print.

Television is the most expensive medium in terms of production. But it depends on the kind of programs and productions being produced. That P14 million is not enough if Sugbo TV wants to come up with quality productions like those being produced by private stations, such as GMA 7 or ABS-CBN. I don’t know what kind of programming Sugbo TV offers its viewers because I seldom watch TV. But I was informed that it usually features the achievements and activities of the governor.

According to my sources, Sugbo TV is like the HBO channel. Magsige lang replay ang mga programs. Aw, kung mao nang kalakiha, wala’y gasto kung sige lang ug replay. Unsa man i-produce kung sige lang replay.

But I am just curious why Sugbo TV should be beamed nationwide, which is expensive.

Who will watch it in non-Cebuano speaking areas if the programs are in Bisaya? Who will understand it in Ilocos or in Muslim areas? So is the Capitol doing this so Gwen can get national exposure in preparation for her senatorial ambition?

Mao nay nakabati kay ang kuwarta sa mga magbubuhis gamiton para sa personal ug pulitikanhong interes sa usa ka tawo nga hakug sa gahum.

(bobby.nalzaro@yahoo.com)