Andanar defends planned airing of Chinese shows in PTV-4

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
COMMUNICATIONS Secretary Martin M. Andanar on Wednesday said the People’s Television Network (PTV-4), which he also heads, is ready to defend before the Senate its plan to air Filipino-dubbed Chinese shows and movies on the state-run channel.
Last Monday, the Senate minority bloc, composed of Senators Leila M. de Lima, Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV, Risa N. Hontiveros-Baraquel, Francis N.Pangilinan, Antonio F. Trillanes IV, and Franklin M. Drilon, filed Senate Resolution No. 780 urging “the appropriate committees in the Senate to look into the government’s plan of airing Chinese shows” on PTV-4.
The resolution said, “Airing Chinese shows on our state-run (media) network poses a danger of spreading Chinese propaganda sanctioned by our government through our official media stations.”
At the forum on the Dismiss Disinformation Campaign at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela (PLV) in Valenzuela City on Wednesday, July 11, Mr. Andanar said: “Ang PTV po ay nag-eere din ng mga (ibang) programa. For example, last year, ang PTV nag-air ng programs ng Korea. Meron silang pinadala sa atin na mga Koreanovela at ngayong taon na to meron din tayong 50 more titles of Japanese content. So we don’t see anything wrong about this as long as yung pinapadala sa atin na programa ay entertainment. May entertainment value at meron din syang information value. So siguro pagnapatawag na po yung PTV sa Senado, mas maipapaliwanag nila ang issue na ito ng mas maayos at mas detalyado.”
(The PTV-4 is also airing [other] programs. For example, last year it aired programs from South Korea. They sent Koreanovelas, and this year, we also have 50 more titles of Japanese content. So we don’t see anything wrong about this as long as the programs they are sending are entertainment, have entertainment and information value. So, perhaps, once the Senate summons PTV, they can explain it better and in a more detailed manner.)
He also said PTV-4 “can air anything as long there are bilateral exchanges.”
“May (There are) memoranda of understanding (MoUs). meron tayong (We have) MoU with China, may MoU with Korea, may MoU with Japan, Cambodia. Magkakaroon tayo ng (we will have an) MoU with Thailand. Meron din tayong (we also have an) MoU with Russia,” Mr. Andanar said.
The objective, according to Mr. Andanar, is to improve the communication between the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) of the Philippines and its counterparts in other countries. “Kasi alam po natin na tayo ay humahabol pa lang sa teknolohiya at content ng ibang bansa (Because we know that we lag behind other countries in terms of technology and content). We have so much to learn from them as much as they have also so much to learn from us.”
The PCOO on Wednesday held the Dismiss Disinformation Campaign forum along with the establishment of the Provincial Communications Officers Network (PCO Net) at the PLV as part of the government’s campaign against disinformation.
“Itong (This) PCO Net is a national campaign against disinformation. Itong mga problema po natin ng mga fake news or disinformation ay napakalaking problema po ng ating lipunan. (This problem of fake news or disinformation is a very big problem of our society.) So, today we will give you a briefer para masawata o maiwasan po natin ang (to combat and avoid) disinformation lalo na sa (especially in the) internet,” Mr. Andanar said.