Living true to its mandate of educating, inspiring and empowering the Filipino public through news and information programs, state-owned People’s Television Network (PTV) launched a battery of shows intended to lead its viewers to well-informed choices on May 9.
PTV General Manager Kat de Castro says: “We wish to make a difference in people’s lives by giving them all the informational inputs they need to make sound choices come election day. That’s the best form of public service that we can give at this point."
Top-billing PTV’s election-related offerings for the 2022 political race is “The Chatroom.” Now only on its third week, the program is fast gaining following from people who wish to do greater scrutiny of personalities seeking to land the highest political posts in the land.
Airing three times a week, immediately after the primetime newscasts Ulat Bayan and Ulat Bayan Weekend, every Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the show has presidential, vice presidential and senatorial candidates going head-to-head with its host, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary and Acting Presidential Spokesperson, Martin Andanar. The discussions are centered not just on the position seekers’ political activities, plans and agenda, which are already covered on the news but, more importantly, who the candidates are, up-close and personal.
“Yes! This is going to be good stuff,” de Castro exclaims. ”Viewers will love this as the candidates themselves will end up spilling a lot of tea, through the answers they give to Secretary Andanar’s probing questions!”
Early in its run, “The Chatroom” has given equitable exposures to those running for the presidency through the exclusive interviews granted to it by former Senator Bongbong Marcos, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Senator Manny Pacquiao. Even those personalities who are running more quiet candidacies like former Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella and Jose Montemayor, Jr. have made their appearances in the program.
“We have standing invitations for all candidates for the presidency down to the senatorial posts. It will be all up to them and their schedules whether or not they can actually accommodate us for the sit down interviews,” de Castro stresses.
Another show that will soon hit the viewers’ TV screens is “Know Your Candidates,” an hour-long program that extends voter education to the grassroots as it also aims at focusing on political candidates not just for national posts but even down to the local government level. Know Your Candidates will air from Mondays to Fridays, from 7-8pm over PTV. It will be hosted by Atty. Mike Templo who, more than being into the legal practice specifically for immigration and OFW concerns, is also a respected media practitioner.
Taking on a town hall format, “Paliwanag,” will zero-in on Presidential and Vice-Presidential Tandems, as they face a pre-identified crowd of people. Not only will the show highlight the collective plans of actions of the candidates, it will likewise show how the candidates teamed-up together will likewise actually articulate together their shared visions and plans. A collaboration between PTV and the Philippine Information Agency, “Paliwanag” will be moderated by PTV News Anchors Aljo Bendijo and Diane Querrer. It will air across all PCOO broadcast media channels.
General voter education will be the focal objective of the Comelec Hour, wherein all election-related topics and issues will be discussed straight from the members of the Commission on Elections. The program is intended to be the primary source of information regarding the poll body’s resolutions, discussions and other clarifications that will help the voting public as well as the candidates and the political parties to exercise fair, safe and peaceful elections. Seasoned journalist and PCOO Usec. Rocky Ignacio and broadcaster Joee Guilas will bridge the members of the en banc to the electorate.
“Of course, all of these will culminate in an extensive coverage that we will undertake leading to, on the day, and immediately after the elections,” reveals de Castro. “We will try to go on air, almost non-stop through Hatol ng Bayan, our national election coverage wherein all people involved in government television work will surely be on board to bring the public the most factual, timely and reliable goings on of the 2022 national and local elections.”
From the looks of it, some people will surely be very busy come election time.