KBP Cebu head now City Hall info officer

CEBU, Philippines – Former radio station manager and the Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas-Cebu Chapter President Carlo Duga-duga is the new Public Information Officer of the Cebu City government.

Duga-duga's appointment was signed last September 24 and officially announced yesterday by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama who said he is confident that the latter will be able to meet his expectations.

"It was worth the wait because we all ended up with one person with readiness to handle the office," Rama said. The mayor was expected to appoint his PIO since June 30 when assumed office as the mayor.

He said he expects Duga-duga to make a difference at the Public Information Office by bringing what ought to be a PIO and maintaining coordination and professional relationship with the City Hall Association of Reporters in Media.

Duga-duga worked in the media industry for 22 years before he accepted this post in the government. He was the manager of dyXR Aksyon Radyo Cebu since 1999 until the station was replaced by dyRC Radyo Cebu which now has a new station manager.

Rama said that Duga-duga's media experience and managerial skills as well as his being elected as KBP president twice led to his decision to hire him as PIO.

Duga-duga said that since he is new to the job, he started by studying the organizational structure of the information office.

As he was told, he will revitalize and strengthen the organization in a way that it is more responsive to the needs of the public and the media.

He also promised to build a databank of all essential information of public interest not only for the media but also for the constituents of the city.

Duga-duga considers his appointment as an opportunity to serve the public in another way.

He was elected the KBP president on 2009 and 2010 but has been officer of the KBP since 2007.

He was also jailed twice, once in 1998 in Davao and just last year in Cebu both for libel cases. But Duga-duga believes that this will not affect his credibility since he has not been convicted yet.

Duga-duga's job is coterminous with that of the mayor. (FREEMAN)