NEWLY RENOVATED. Communications Secretary and acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar leads the opening of the newly renovated press briefing room and working area at the New Executive Building (NEB) in Malacanan Palace on Tuesday (June 21, 2022). He expressed hope that the PCOO's stronger relationship with media organizations would continue in the next administration. (Photo by Azer N. Parrocha) MANILA - The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) on Tuesday officially welcomed reporters and other media workers back into the newly renovated press briefing room and working area at the New Executive Building (NEB) at Malacanan Palace. The press briefing room and press working area were both closed during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 to help prevent the spread of infections. Instead, virtual Palace press briefings were regularly held to make announcements and take questions from reporters. The PCOO only started renovating the press briefing ro
Outgoing Communications Secretary and acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar (File photo) MANILA - The most difficult part about being head of the national government's lead communications arm was "reforming the entire bureaucracy," Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said on Tuesday. Andanar admitted that pushing for reforms to improve the government's communication and information services was no easy task because the agency has been neglected for so long. "Reforming the entire bureaucracy of PCOO, and the attached agencies. That was really tough but ano naman tayo, mga (we are) media men and women naman tayo at sanay tayo sa hirap ng trabaho (and we are used to difficult jobs)," he told reporters in an interview. On the other hand, he did not find his additional job as acting presidential spokesperson challenging since reporters and media workers prioritized the 2022 campaign and elections over the Palace
Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (File photo) MANILA - Malacanang on Tuesday reminded Filipinos to continue observing minimum public health standards after the Department of Health (DOH) announced that Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila are "starting to peak." DOH spokesperson and Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Philippines recorded a total of 3,051 new Covid-19 cases from June 13 to June 19, which is 82 percent higher than cases reported the previous week. She said Metro Manila recorded the most cases in the past two weeks with 2,194 infections followed by Calabarzon (659), Western Visayas (375), Central Luzon (324) and Central Visayas (183). "Wear your masks, social distancing, wash your hands," outgoing Communications Secretary and acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar told reporters in an ambush interview. Andanar acknowledged that it is difficult to avoid crowds nowadays since all establishments in areas under Alert Level 1 are now al
Acting presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said yesterday he would not be surprised if President Duterte agrees to become Sen. Bong Go’s legal adviser once his term ends on June 30.
Malacañang urged the public to stand behind outgoing Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte as she takes her oath as the country's 15th Vice President.
'War-painted' Sara Duterte appears before a UniTeam grand rally in April 2022. (Photo by Noel Pabalate/ MANILA BULLETIN) Communications Secretary Martin