PRESIDENTIAL Communications Operations Office (PCOO) secretary Martin Andanar relayed during a press conference on Saturday, August 12, that the agency is looking at how to financially help members of the media with their medical needs.
“Sinabi ko po sa mga staff ko, kay assistant secretary (Marie Rafael) Banaag, tinanong ko po sila kung ano yung maaring gawing paraan ng PCOO na makapagbigay ng medical assistance sa lahat po ng mga journalist or mga former journalist sa buong bansa (I asked my staff on what PCOO can do to give medical assistance to journalists nationwide),” Andanar said.
The secretary said he wants to have an institutionalized program that will support the medical needs of the media before his term ends in five years.
This is aside from Administrative Order 1 creating the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, to assure the safety and security of the messengers of information.
Andanar added he has talked with some businessmen to include Ramon Ang and Manuel Pangilinan, who have expressed willingness to set up a fund for the mediamen, especially those in the provinces, so that they can be extended help for their health needs.
He solicited from the media more ideas so he could work things out.
Andanar talked about a media practitioner in Manila who called for help to settle the P20,000 hospital bill of her mother who is confined in a hospital, undergoing dialysis and related he earlier had talks with the National Press Club (NPC) and media associations in Mindanao during his visits to the provinces.
Earlier, the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters' Club (BCBC), the umbrella organization of the Baguio media, initiated a signature campaign calling on the government to make dialysis sessions free of charge for newsmen.
Ramon Dacawi, a past president of the BCBC, who started the initiative, said, “I hope that your offices will consider this and this is in memory of our two of our media practitioners- two of the best- Cid Chamag and the late Peppot Ilagan who died because they had no money for dialysis.”
On the other hand, Banaag related Andanar has instructed them to meet with PhilHealth, Department of Health, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) and the NPC to discuss ways to help the ailing media members from the provinces.
She said they are looking at the implementation of programs to help the media in the provinces, aside from the medical aid coming from the PhilHealth.
“For Monday, if we can have the letter, the documents, we can start from here. Per region approach so it will be more localized and we would know how to handle the particularities in each area,” she added.
Banaag assured Andanar is willing to help.
“This is what Secretary really wanted, the problem is how. The BCBC and KBP here would know who their members are and we will start from there,” Banaag said. (PNA)