[] Cebu City's Public Information Office is no longer led by Cerwin T. Eviota. Eviota was the P.I. officer when Mayor Mike Rama started his 2022-2025 term. But Cerwin left the P.I.O. in January 2023. Here's how it has been at the city's publicity office.
Cuando, tell us when
THE September 9, 2024 news story telling that Jose Daluz III "would step down" as MCWD board chairman doesn't say when he'd leave. Neither does his Facebook page specify a date for finally quitting.
It must be only when he has to or must resign because the law says so. That's when he files his certificate of candidacy: any day from this October 1 to 8, when he's deemed automatically resigned.
That won't be a totally free choice to leave the water district, from which Mayor Mike Rama had tried to evict Joy Daluz, several times, formally and informally.
Daluz leaving MCWD would be monumental since he had famously "latched on" to the post despite several Rama attempts and a LWUA intervention.
It will be by force of law: a result of, or consequence from, what's the totally free choice: to run for city mayor.
Don Sergio image, quote
Yes, Ka Bino Guerrero, Tomas Osmeña displayed the right photo for his Osmeña Day post on September 9.
Not like one or two that used the photo of Serging Osmeña (the junior) instead of Sergio Osmeña Sr. in their publicity material.
On his Tommy Osmeña Facebook wall, the former mayor, ex-congressman and VM-wannabe attributes a quote to Don Sergio, Cebu's "Grand Old Man." With some irony, because Tomas is not reputed for promoting unity, particularly when he held elective office. In many local big quarrels during his term, he contributed to the feud and discord. Ah but yes, this was his grandpa's statement, not his.
The quote, purportedly Don Sergio's, about peace-making and unity: Let us get together in one mighty effort. Let us set aside selfish considerations and forget petty differences. Only in unity can there be strength.
City P.I.O.? 'Not me'
Cerwin T. Eviota, Mayor Mike Rama's head of the Public Information Office since the start of the mayor's 2022-2025 term, said he left the P.I.O. since January 2023.
"I am not part of the P.I.O.," Cerwin told me last September 4.
But Cerwin admitted he is head of People's Progressive Radio Media Network (PPRMN or, as Eviota calls it for short, RMN). Mike Rama "created" RMN by an August 2023 executive order. Some people may confuse the LGU's RMN with private and commercial media Radio Mindanao Network, the original RMN.
Cerwin said Sugboanon Channel, a media (teleradyo platform) and the news website cebucity.news, which is "also a media (online publishing) platform.
What's Cerwin T. Eviota's title then? He is "head of (the local government's) Public Information Office news media units."
Figure out how each job description of the RMN manager and the P.I.O. manager reads. And is the RMN head accountable/answerable to the P.I.O chief? Does the P.I.O, being in charge of content, control tone and thrust of news stories? Whom will one aggrieved by news or feature sue?
Rhoda Uy is the P.I.O.
Rhoda Uy, a former news manager at ABS-CBN, is the sitting P.I.O. at City Hall.
Uy was among the names in a revamp announced last March 4, 2024 by Mayor Rama.
She replaced Estela Grace "Jinky" Rosit who took over from Cerwin Eviota. Jinky -- who had worked with private media for more two decades, from disc jockey to reporter in a succession of six news media outfits -- has slid to P.I.O. assistant chief.
They 'work together'
P.I.O. is a "separate parallel entity," Cerwin said. It handles all coverage of City Hall and release of public information materials. The P.I.O. supplies content in cebucity.news and some needed videos for Sugboanon Channel.
From Cerwin's explanation, it would appear to many of us in media that the P.I.O. gathers news and information and produces press releases for RMN's media platforms.
RMN is in effect the vehicle for the content from P.I.O.
To the public though, it's the Sugboanon Channel or the Cebu City News & Information they see and hear and behind each, only the shadow of the P.I.O and the city mayor.
Who're accountable for the product RMN delivers? To the public, both RMN and the P.I.O. and, by ownership and agency, the Cebu City Government and its chief executive.