‘Tweetaholic’ Aquino admin bares plan to maximize online media

Even as they await President Benigno Aquino III’s executive order making their existence official, two Cabinet-rank secretaries who will head his Communications Group said Wednesday they plan to maximize Internet-based media in strengthening Malacanang's public information efforts. Ricky Carandang, who will be Cabinet Secretary for Messaging, and Herminio Coloma who will be Cabinet Secretary for Information Dissemination, said they are already working on several ways for the government to communicate better with the public. "Real communication involves two-way flow of information, hindi yung usual lang na (not just the usual approach of) from the top down," said Coloma, after presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda introduced him and Carandang. Aquino has not yet signed the executive order restructuring the Office of the Press Secretary into the Communications Group as he is prioritizing the signing of the executive order creating the Truth Commission, which will likely be released this week. (See: CommGroup members Carandang, Coloma to get Cabinet rank) Online media Even though Coloma, Carandang, and Carandang's deputy Manuel L. Quezon III are currently working on a "voluntary basis"—pending Aquino’s issuance of the long-awaited executive order—they have already created some means for the public to directly communicate with the government, Lacierda said. The digital version of the Official Gazette of the Philippines was launched a few days ago, carrying the full text of Aquino's State of the Nation Address. (See: Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines goes online) Lacierda, who said the Aquino administration has been described as "Tweetaholic" because some officials like him and Carandang are active on Twitter, said the administration wants Twitter use to be "institutional." The Official Gazette already has an official Twitter account. Malacanang will also set up soon its official Facebook account. Twitter and Facebook are just two of the fast-growing websites that allow Internet users to exchange or broadcast information with hundreds, thousands, or even millions of other users worldwide, more conveniently and rapidly than email and e-groups. These richly-multimedia platforms have thus been called “social media" or “social networking" sites. Coloma said the Communications Group will also link up all the departments in the executive branch so they will all be housed in one website. "Once it's set up it will really be a robust site that will welcome all kinds of input and feedback," he said. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration had maintained such a common “Internet portal," at URL www.gov.ph, which provided an overview of the Republic of the Philippines and point-and-click links to the websites of the various branches and agencies of the government. Cellphones and traditional outlets Coloma said that since not all Filipinos can access the Internet, they are also thinking of ways on how to get public feedback through other means such as mobile phones. The public can also air their concerns to the government by snail mail, he said. Lacierda said Aquino has also asked Cabinet secretaries to assign their spokespersons who will speak on their behalf if issues directly concerning their departments need to be explained. The spokespersons will work in coordination with the Communications Group, he said. For his part, Carandang said the government's intensified efforts to improve its communication arm does not include trying to "spin" a “pro-masses" image of Aquino, who came from a landed clan but is know for his non-ostentatious lifestyle. "There's no deliberate effort to spin the president in a certain way; ganyan talaga siya (he’s really like that). I've know him since he was a congressman, he's always been like that," said Carandang. Strengthen PNoy’s trust rating Coloma said that the use of modern technology to reach Filipinos is one of their ways to make sure that Aquino maintains a high trust rating. “Trust rating needs to be earned and strengthened. Good public relations is truth well told," he said. He likewise expressed confidence that Aquino will keep the people’s trust due to his “genuine and without any pretense" image. Pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) reported early this month that roughly 88 percent of adult Filipinos believe that Aquino can fulfill the promises he made during the campaigns. (See: 88 percent of Pinoys trust PNoy - SWS survey) Carandang meanwhile said that there will be no deliberate effort to change the image of the President. “No spin, no manufacture and no fabrication… This is the way he [Aquino] wants it," he said. SONA advanced copy Meanwhile, Carandang said the Communications Group is looking into how the ABS-CBN News Channel, which he worked for before Aquino recruited him into the presidential media team, got an advance copy of the President’s State of the Nation Address. The ANC was able to disseminate the full text of the SONA right after Aquino delivered his speech, but Carandang denied leaking the copy to his former employer. "We're still looking into that. I'm trying to find out what happened there," he said. Carandang had told reporters Tuesday that they distributed advance copies of the speech to select congressmen and Cabinet members so the ANC must have sourced it from any of these officials.—With Andreo C. Calonzo/JV, GMANews.TV