IF the recent Asean Summit in the Philippines was a smash hit, credit should go to President Rodrigo R. Duterte as chair of the event.
But those who worked behind the scenes to make the event a highly successful one were the officials and staff of Presidential Communications Office (PCO) headed by Presidential Communications Secretary Martin M. Andanar. They worked hard to ensure that information regarding Asean 2017 would be properly disseminated to both mainstream and social media.
As lead agency of the Asean 2017 Committee on Media Affairs and Strategic Communications (CMASC) the PCO spared no effort to make Filipinos and the international community gain better awareness and understanding of what Asean 2017 was all about.
The CMASC took charge of setting up the International Media Center at the Conrad Hotel for the summit. The Media Center accommodated over a thousand local and international media personnel, with state-of-the-art equipment, high-speed Internet, news rooms, comfortable lounges and free food.
The CMASC also provided media support, registration and accreditation for the meetings and various communication activities to promote better appreciation of the goals and programs of Asean.
The committee created a web site and opened several social media accounts as channels of information to promote strategic messaging direction and content for Asean 2017. These included over a hundred news and feature articles used in both mainstream and social media, as well as photo services. Media coverage reached a broader audience via livestreaming of the events handled by Radio-TV Malacañang.
The CMASC worked closely with the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) to launch the official music video on Asean 2017. They also conducted school tours to promote awareness of Asean and the significance of Philippine chairmanship of the regional bloc, that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Apart from these, they produced a digital show entitled, “#ASEAN2017 in Focus”, to highlight the importance of our chairmanship of this year’s event.
PCO also conducted roadshows around the country to explain to the public Asean’s current thrusts and activities 50 years after its founding, how it is relevant to the people and how it can impact their daily lives especially in uplifting their economic situation.
What is even more remarkable is that the PCO worked practically round the clock as it had only six months to make the necessary preparations for Asean 2017.
Harbor Link project
Malacañang recently unveiled “DuterteNomics,” the inclusive growth and development strategy of the administration anchored on an ambitious infrastructure buildup. At about the same time, government officials and executives of the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) conducted an inspection of the soon-to-be-finished Segment 10 of MPIC’s North Luzon Expressway (Nlex) Harbor Link Project.
The Harbor Link road underscores the pivotal role that MPIC, under the leadership of its chairman, Manny V. Pangilinan, now plays in the Duterte administration’s much-touted “Golden Age of Infrastructure.”
The 5.7-kilometer Segment 10 is the second and last portion of the Nlex Harbor Link and forms part of the government’s “Build, Build, Build” agenda.
The project is significant for several reasons.
First, it serves as the opening salvo of this year’s infra buildup.
Second, it directly addresses the worsening traffic situation along Edsa and C-5.
Third, it is expected to drive trade and commerce between the Manila harbor area and Central and North Luzon, creating new jobs and business opportunities, while finally solving the congestion in Manila ports.
Fourth, it has been heralded by its builders as an “engineering marvel”, given the construction innovations used to speed up the completion of this all-elevated expressway.
To be continued
E-mail: ernhil@yahoo.com.