AMONG the Dabawenyos that hold chief positions in a government agency is Rizal Giovanni “Bong” Aportadera Jr.
An accomplished radio journalist with 35 years of experience, Aportadera is currently the director of the Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS), the radio arm of the President under the Bureau of Broadcast Services, which is an attached agency under the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).
The agency has been among those barely prioritized by the previous administration, but with Aportadera at the helm and with the current administration's support, he turned it 360 degrees.
"Prior to this administration, most of the stations barely reached 50 percent of its coverage. A stronger signal meant a bigger listening crowd. In terms of daily operations, due to lack of a proper staff complement, a lot of employees worked on extended hours. The Duterte Administration came at the right time to help institute needed reforms," he said.
The former Davao City Tourism Operations Office head and former city information officer under then city mayor Rodrigo Duterte and City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, respectively, said the initiatives he implemented were based on their assessment during the holdover period last June 2016.
"It was quite a task for me, especially during budget defense, to rationalize the need for additional fund support not just for equipment or infrastructure, but also for job generation. (But) We saw the urgency to upgrade the technical infrastructure and revitalize the workforce of the agency," he said.
This being said, the PBS under his watch procured new broadcast equipment for the central studios and the 27 stations across the country. The agency also secured more positions for career opportunities.
"Several workers who waited decades to be promoted were given the opportunity. New hires also reinforced the ranks and help address the need to augment the daily operations workload," he said of the initiatives being implemented in the agency.
Aportadera is also the official representative of the Philippines for the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcast Development, which the country sits as vice president for its General Conference. He also represents the country as a member of the Asia Broadcasting Union, which the Philippines sits as a permanent member.
He said these initiatives are needed to fulfill the PBS' mandate, as it needed a stronger and better signal to reach the target audience.
He recalled that during Typhoon Yolanda, PBS radio stations were among those which were able to set up and air in Tacloban.
"This greatly helped the government disseminate information to the locals. There are still areas in the country that only radio can penetrate," he said, emphasizing the reason for its existence.
Although apprehensions are understandable whether these successes and reforms sustain under the soon new administration, Aportadera said he is confident to present these to the incoming leadership for their appreciation and guidance, emphasizing that indicators of these initiatives are backed up by survey results and statistics.
However, he added that it will still depend on the "direction the next administration will take."
Aportadera also shares his hopes that the next person who will replace him will study the reports and craft directives that will take the agency one step higher.
"With the rapid growth and development of both the infrastructure and workforce, the succeeding director will inherit a stronger bureau. Listen to your leaders, their wisdom will help you craft better decisions that will benefit the many," he said while emphasizing his expectation that whoever will sit as the new director will faithfully continue to fulfill the mandate of the PBS.
Aside from that, he also wishes that they be able to sustain the momentum the current admin has built such that the Radyo Pilipinas as a brand under the PBS placed strong on the top 10 radio stations based on survey results in the last six years while its audience engagement increased significantly, especially in the advent of social media.
"Ninety percent of the stations under PBS are now operational, and the remaining 10 percent will be completed this year. Maximize public radio," the twice-sitting chairman of KBP-Davao Chapter said.
Meanwhile, as a leader who successfully "steered the ship" into the right direction, this is his advice for the young leaders: "Always keep your head low. Focus on the challenges and take action. Understand why you are there, and what needs to be accomplished."