Malacañang has a new addition to its public information organization— a "press briefer."
Television host and former reporter Daphne Oseña-Paez was announced as the new "Malacañang press briefer" on Tuesday, Dec. 20.
Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) officer-in-charge Cheloy Garafil said Paez will be delivering news and information on the projects and programs of the administration to the media regularly.
"Siya ang magiging tagapaghatid ng baltia at impormasyon tungkol sa mga gawain at proyekto ni Pangulo Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. (She will be the one to deliver news and information about the agenda and projects of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.)," Garafil said in a press briefing, where Paez was introduced.
It is still not clear whether Paez was designated as an assistant secretary or undersecretary under the OPS. She only said that she was tapped by the President to "help the OPS."
Her designation is also not as a Presidential spokesperson, although her role includes amplifying the message of the President to the public.
"My role here is to amplify and communicate the message of President Marcos and the Cabinet and the government, and you are my partners in this," Paez said.
"I will be here to brief you every Tuesday regularly after Cabinet meetings to express and to represent whatever programs and news items that need to be amplified. i hope that helps," she added.
She also clarified that the pronouncement of Marcos to be his own spokesman remains.
"The President will speak for himself. I am just here to support the Office of the Press Secretary for now," she said.
As a former reporter, Paez briefly covered the Malacañang beat during the administration of the late former president Fidel V. Ramos.
"This is where I trained in Malacañang during FVR’s time but after that I focused on lifestyle but during my lifestyle hosting stint, my heart was in public service. For 12 years, I served the Philippines as a goodwill ambassador and special advocate for children focusing on maternal health, children’s nutrition and the last one was online sexual abuse of children. All these issues have been close to me and to have this opportunity to work at this time with the government and of course the likes of Secretary (Ivan John) Uy and the Cabinet is very exciting and it’s indeed an honor to, and both a challenge for me," Paez said.