After being stalled, the construction of Visayas Media Hub will finally push through this year, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) said.
This developed after the project was included in the 2022 national budget under the Duterte administration's "Build, Build’, Build" program five months before President Duterte steps down in June.
In a statement, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar expressed his appreciation to Congress and Duterte's long-time aide Senator Christopher Lawrence 'Bong" Go for the inclusion of a P300-million budget for the construction of the Visayas Media Hub in the 2022 National Budget.
He said this was a vital move for the continuation of the PCOO’s goal of modernizing government media operations nationwide.
Andanar also ensured transparency and accountability during the construction of the said infrastructure.
The government allotted P300-million for the construction of the Visayas Media Hub in Barangay Subangdaku in Mandaue City, Cebu Province which is sourced from the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2022.
The PCOO proper will take the lead in managing and maintaining the first-ever media hub in the Visayas that will serve as the main broadcast for Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Western Visayas. Government-run media People's Television Network (PTV-4) will also serve as one of the locators of the project.
The hub will likewise house other PCOO-attached agencies such as the Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Philippine News Agency (PNA), and Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM).
"As we have undertaken measures and actions in bringing tailored news and information and establishing direct connectivity with the people, the world-class Visayas Media Hub will be constructed in Mandaue, Cebu," Andanar said.
"It will be equipped with state-of-the-art broadcasting apparatus, similar to the Mindanao Media Hub, to further advance this endeavor," he added.
Aside from the P300-million budget for the construction of the hub, another P300-million will be allotted for state-of-the-art broadcast equipment and facilities including a four-story building with a roof deck, broadcast complex, and two TV studios
It will also have optional radio booths, an automated master control system, transmitter and satellite uplink system, a TV broadcast IT system, news graphics system, and digital transmitters, among others.
The PCOO management will work closely with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the detailed architectural and engineering design, and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for use of the Subangdaku Wireless DICT lot - Innovation Hub Zone in Mandaue City.