Duterte: TV frequencies reverted to government to be used for distance learning
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte said that television frequencies returned to the government will be used for distance learning, the “new normal” picture for students amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his fifth State of the Nation Address, Duterte said that television frequencies “reverted back to government” will be used for the provision of “uninterrupted quality education” to learners.
“TV frequencies reverted back to the government for whatever cause or reason [shall be used] exclusively to the exclusion of [private] persons or [their] dummies, to cope with the demand of the next normal,” he said.
Duterte’s order comes after ABS-CBN, at the committee level of the House of Representatives, lost its bid to go back on air after its franchise expired and it was ordered shut down by the National Telecommunications Commission.
In May, ABS-CBN asked the regulatory body to suspend proceedings on the recall of its frequencies, pending their Supreme Court petition.
Frequencies are assigned to franchise holders but are government property.
Duterte also directed Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, Science and Techology Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña and Information and Communications Secretary Gregorio Honasan “to come up with an integrated program and implementation mechanism to ensure that these TV frequencies are fully utilized by government through the facilities of PTV4 for the utmost benefit of the Filipino people.”
They will also be joined by Education Secretary Leonor Briones, Budget Secretary Wendell Avisado and Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez.
ABS-CBN frequencies?
Guevarra told reporters that the latest order came as a surprise and said he would still have to clarify it with the Office of the President.
“I got the impression that the government will utilize available broadcast frequencies, presumably including those previously held by ABS-CBN, for distance learning purposes,” the DOJ chief said.
In the same speech, the president railed against the Lopezes, owners of ABS-CBN that was recently shutdown by Duterte-allied lawmakers. While his spokesman, Harry Roque, previously claimed that the chief executive is “neutral” on the issue involving the network, Duterte said he is a “casualty” of the Lopezes in the 2016 elections and even dragged Sen. Franklin Drilon to the issue.
Guevarra said he surmises that he was among Cabinet members tapped to look into this “to handle any possible legal issues.”
ABS-CBN offers transmission services for education
A month into the scheduled opening of the school year, Duterte stressed that the government “must implement online learning, modular learning, and TV- and radio-based broadcast, which students coming from different backgrounds can avail.”
Printed modules will also be provided for those who cannot afford online learing,t the chief executive said.
Embattled network ABS-CBN meanwhile offered their transmission network for the airing of educational programs across the country.
“We hope to help the government continuously educate students nationwide despite the limitations brought about by the pandemic,” ABS-CBN said.
It added: “One top of our transmission network, we are also offering the use of all educational programs we have produced over the past 20 years.”
In the 1990s, ABS-CBN produced "Sineswekla" to teach Science to kids, "Bayani" to introduce Philippine history and our country’s heroes, "Math Tinik" for math, "Pahina" for Philippine literature and "Hiraya Manawari" for teaching kids life lessons. — Kristine Joy Patag
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