"The appointment is a very good one."
"The appointment is a very good one."
President Duterte’s appointment of Kat De Castro as General Manager of People’s Television 4 last February now appears like a stroke of genius.
The President knew De Castro, a veteran broadcast journalist, has what it takes to revitalize the flagship government television station which has been a laughingstock in the news media industry.
She proved to be a perfect fit who directed PTV4 to fulfill its mandate through the months of this devastating COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
PTV4 has effectively served as conduit between the government and the Filipino people. This is what public television is all about.
Since the President declared the State of Public Health Emergency, PTV4 has provided a credible and consistent medium to the Presidential Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) to convey its messages to the people.
In designating De Castro in-charge at PTV4, Digong knew she would not only do well in running the network but would also do great being a leader of its personnel who felt like neglected second-class citizens.
Just this weekend, network employees each went home with half a sack of rice and a basket of Christmas goodies. Though it was not much, it was meaningful as it is the first since the Marcos administration.
The PTV4 employees also finally received their long-overdue overtime pay since the lockdown.
The OT issue would have drifted into oblivion had it not been for De Castro’s efforts to address the workers’ welfare.
Change is for real now at the state network, thanks to GM Kat who takes after her parents, former Vice President Noli De Castro and Arlene, former SVP at ABS-CBN Public Affairs Department.
Unlike in previous years, PTV4 news teams can hold their heads up in competing with other networks’ crew with the support of De Castro, who gives a premium to news and public affairs operations.
Backed by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), PTV4 has acquired the services of seasoned news producers and writers from other networks. It has also upgraded their equipment.
She also pledged to push for additional funding for additional congressional funding to raise the workers’ salaries and benefits.
With GM Kat at the helm, we can count on innovative programs and intelligent treatment of news reports of national and international significance.