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Palace: Govt agencies required to disclose 'good news' weekly


After Malacanang's communications team was told to "shape up," the Palace is requiring government agencies and departments to disclose "good news" on a weekly basis, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Wednesday. "We are already receiving good news... But they [government agencies] should be presenting them on a weekly basis," Lacierda told Palace reporters. He said good news are "ways and means" on how the government serves the countrymen. "It is incumbent upon us to share good news," he added. Earlier on Wednesday, Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero said President Benigno Aquino III is not getting enough support from his communications group to "highlight" his administration's accomplishments. Escudero, a known ally of the President, said government employees should disseminate good news about the country and people. This job, he added, should be the ultimate function of his communications group. "Bawat administrasyon naman ay gustong ilahad ang kanilang programa," Lacierda said. This was not the first time the administration's communications team had been blamed for the sudden drop of Aquino's ratings in surveys. Previously, ineffective branding strategies hounded the office, causing harm to the image of the President to the public. Last Tuesday, pollster Social Weather Stations said the Aquino administration's overall satisfaction ratings went down to +46 during the first three months of the year, from a record high of +64 in November last year. It has been noted that the miscommunication between communications team members stemmed during the Aug. 23 hostage crisis. Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang was surprised by an announcement made last year by Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma that the Palace and media groups had agreed on coverage guidelines during crises. Carandang pointed out that Coloma's statement was premature and baseless because the communications team members had yet to consult with the major stakeholders in the media industry. Coloma is said to be a part of the "Samar" group in Malacanang. Carandang, meanwhile, reportedly forms pary of the "Balay" faction. The "Samar" group consists of close allies and loyalists of the Aquino and Cojuangco families, while the "Balay" faction is composed of Liberal Party and Hyatt 10 supporters. — RSJ, GMA News

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