Sunday, January 21, 2007 Arroyo wants aggressive info drive on accomplishments
MALACANANG has ordered government information officers to trumpet the Arroyo administration’s achievements so that it could get at least eight of the 12 slots in the May senatorial elections and a sweep of the local elections.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita gave the directive during the one-day communication planning workshop at the Bahay Pangarap at the PSG compound which was attended by the public information officers (PIOs) of all government agencies. Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye and Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo also gave their respective presentations.
He said the fate of the 12 administration senatorial bets and other local candidates who will be identified with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would depend on how the voters would perceive the President and government.
“Nakataya ang image ng Pangulo ditto (The President’s image is at stake here). While the President is not seeking election or re-election, because this is a mid-term election, siguro naman hindi mahirap intindihin na ang resulta ng eleksyon ay nakatutok sa performance ng Pangulo, ng gobyerno (it is not difficult to understand that the results of the elections would reflect on the performance of the President and on the government),” he said.
“Can you imagine if we get less than what we expected in the senatorial slate? We expect at least 8-4,” Ermita added.
Ermita told the government PIOs not to be fazed by the opposition’s propaganda that their candidates are strong.
“Ano ang kanilang ipinagmamalaki? Wala, puro laway. At ano ang ipinagmamalaki ng (What do they have to brag about? Nothing, just saliva. And what does the) Arroyo administration (have to show)? Concrete achievements,” he said.
He said government propagandists should continuously hammer on the positive economic indicators, the success of the recent Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit, President Arroyo as the head of the Asean, and the counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism programs.
Ermita’s speech on the communications plan to project “The Pulling Power of the President” was aired live over government-owned Radyo ng Bayan. But the copy of his speech that was released to Malacañang reporters did not contain the abovementioned “ad lib.”
He said “government has a treasure chest of good news that it has been desperately trying to tell our people” in order to make them feel good about society and themselves, but it only manages to get “a few applause here and there.”
Ermita also said what the media reports – because of its penchant for politicking, political personalities and controversies – are survey results about dissatisfaction towards government, distrust on the President, and public perceptions on complacency and corruption which are “more often, ill-contrived by critics, detractors and doomsayers.”
He said instead of progress reports on infrastructure projects, the media reports on the delays which result in charges of corruption and ineptitude. “While this situation is getting to be too annoying for comfort, it is still far from being unmanageable,” he said.
Ermita said government needs to “turn the tables around” by “drown(ing) the political noises with the louder, but more plaintive music of government milestones and achievements; they should be loud yet soothing enough that people's ears will be kept attuned to them no matter how distracting the outside noises are.”
“On the President's instructions, we will take matters into our own hands now,” he said.
Ermita said Cabinet members and their respective agencies will step up the dissemination of effective socio-economic reforms, enhanced pro-poor programs and evident economic gains, specifically those under the Medium-Term Development Plan and the 10-Point Legacy Agenda.
He said government officials will hold press conferences to ensure the proper dissemination of the government's programs, efforts and achievements.
Ermita said Cabinet members will also visit state universities and colleges to “inform the students, faculty, and staff of the economic gains primarily brought about by the socio-economic reforms initiated by the government, and to encourage their active participation in meeting the socio-economic targets.”
He said the communications plan should project good governance, gains of institutions that properly used authority and power for the good of the people, and actions done in the spirit of “public servant-hood, not an action to extend the political survival or interests of an individual or a collective.”
Ermita said efforts must be doubled to overcome negative political propaganda and negative perceptions.
He said government projects must be highlighted with the same focus as the Asean summits, the Southeast Asian Games, Manny Pacquiao’s bouts, the Pinoy Big Brother reality show, and the Philippine Idol singing competition.
“We need to be more aggressive and more proactive. We need to manage media, and not the other way around. And we need to dig deep into our creative spirits and be resourceful enough to get the right message through and across,” he also said.
Saludo said communications projects should be done in partnership with “credible local government units and civil society entities” which will “negative attacks on government and improve our own credibility and communications efforts.”
He said government propagandists could consider projecting the Philippines as “Asia’s next success story.” “This is something very very doable and real. Standard and Poor says that the Philippines is going to do better than the rest of Asia,” he said.
Arroyo, in her speech during the Luzon Urban Beltway Anti-Poverty Summit at the Clark Special Economic Zone, also present government’s anti-hunger master plan as part of its anti-poverty program.
On the supply side, she said the programs include mangrove and coastal fishery projects, backyard vegetable growing, irrigation, and opening up of two million hectares for agribusiness.
To ensure affordable prices, Arroyo said government is constructing barangay food terminals and the Tindahan Natin stores which sell rice and noodles to urban poor hotspots.
She said she still insists on the food-for-school program over supplemental milk feeding because students can take a kilo of rice to their homes and share it with their families. She recalled an incident when the milk from the pork barrel of a senator became rancid and many students got sick.
Arroyo also said it is all right if the students sell their rice rations in order to buy other food items.
On the demand side, she said people will have money to buy food because government will implement more microfinance projects, labor-intensive programs, and train people for higher-paying jobs such as seafaring, call center operations, care-giving, welding and butchery.
She said people will also be taught by the health department and the National Nutrition Council on how to use their money to buy good food. (JMR/Sunnex)
