Today, Monday, you will start to notice changes in the government TV network’s quality of broadcasting.
And you will see it in the coverage of the third State of the Nation Address, more popularly known as SONA, in the afternoon.
As the lead network in the coverage, PTV 4, or People’s Television 4, will be able to showcase the upgrade it has done since the new dispensation took over in July 2016.
The network has purchased and put in place high-definition and digital broadcast equipment to be at par with the commercial and private broadcast companies.
That alone is what I am looking forward to see when I watch today’s SONA on the network. This year’s coverage will be under the helm of Joyce Bernal (I hope it doesn’t turn into a romcom or a comedy).
According to Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar, PTV, shall increase its transmission power to 120,000 watts by first quarter of 2019 from the current 55,000 watts.
“The more power (watts), the more people can watch you. That way, we can keep pace with other TV networks in the Philippines,” he said in Filipino during the launch at Marquis in BGC recently.
The launch was attended by top PTV officers and advertisers looking forward to enagaging with the government broadcast station.
Secretary Andanar also said PTV’s social media engagements have grown from 20,000 followers to 1.4 million around the world.
Foremost in the retooled programming of the network is what constitutes its main menu: news.
News programs will be airing from dawn till past dusk.
“We’ll have morning shows, newscast from morning, noontime, prime time (6 o’clock) till late night. We also have the newscast from Philippine News Agency (PNA) and programs that our President Rodrigo Duterte promised,” Andanar reiterated. These are Salaam Television for the Muslims and Lumad TV for the Lumads.
PTV-4 President and General Manager Dino Antonio Apolonio said, “Most of the news and public affair and public service shows are in-house production of PTV. It is our strong suit, although we’ll still be conceptualizing more in the future.”
Apart from those programs, the secretary said there will be block timers to enhance the variety of content.
Viewers will also be able to watch foreign shows from Japan, China and the re-airing of certain Koreanovelas from South Korea.
“We work with the entire Southeast Asian nations, also with other bigger countries,” Andanar said. PCOO’s Memorandum of Understanding includes Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, and Cambodia, then Thailand and Myanmar soon.
“These programs (from other countries) are free. The Philippines will not spend a single penny for it.”
He said these programs will help Filipinos learn about the culture of those countries, and get a glimpse of how they produce shows.
What programs from PTV-4 will be sent to foreign countries, we asked.
Apolonio said, “News. But mainly those locally produced documentaries here in the Philippines because it’s part of the cultural exchange. We are aiming for our neighboring countries to know more about our culture.”
Since the network is taking a step forward, will they get prominent personalities to attract more audience?
“People always prefer the content (of a program). And I also believe in the current personalities that we have like Jojo (Alejar), Dianne (Medina) and Aljo Bendijo,” Andanar added
“President Duterte is always here to support PTV. He’s the biggest star,” Andanar explained.
PTV is partly subsidized by the government.
So, guys, PTV 4 is no longer just a government propaganda station, it is evolving into a broadcast entity perhaps in the mold of public broadcast systems in Japan and the United Kingdom.
Araneta Center’s exciting promos
From the holiday season of 2017 until the summer of this year, Quezon City’s premier lifestyle and leisure hub, the Araneta Center, has given out only the grandest treats to its luckiest customers.
Last May, Araneta Center awarded a brand new BMW 118i M sport car to Catherine Chung of Quezon City. This was the grand prize of the seasonal promo that was drawn in February this year. The coveted sports car, which boasts premium finish and fuel efficiency, was awarded by Carlo Cabrejas, area sales manager, Asian Carmakers Corporation BMW, at the Autohaus BMW in Libis.
Quezon City residents Wadi Fesalbon, Kate Jacklyn Abella, Judith Ang Codilla, Cherry Flores, Ma. Cristina Nolasco , Remedios Tolete, and Blesilda Servande, as well as Froilan Sancio of Pasig City, Ma. Judy Carlos of Marikina City, and Eric Ferrenco of Tondo, Manila each won P10,000 in cash.
There was no drought of awesome prizes with the Center’s “Into the Wild” summer promo that will send Maria Cecilia Carlos of San Juan to a 10-day trip to South Africa for two; and Charmynne Rimando of Marikina City to a seven-day trip to Dubai for two. Leny Langit of Quezon City, Mariel Niña Pua of Las Piñas City and Majelene Torres of Quezon City each won a three-day group trip to Singapore in the same promo, which had its grand draw on July 1.
Richard Estomaguio (QC), Rosemarie Leyba (QC), Alvin Finez (Rizal), and Kenneth Castillo ( Marikina) were the lucky recipients of GoPro Hero 6. Ma. Guia Valeroso (QC) and John Draicor Gonzalez (Antipolo) each got FujiFilm XT20 mirrorless camera. Dina Valenzuela and Lolita Jaule, both from QC, won Yuneec drone cameras.
Madalicious meals on Kapuso network
If you’re a home cook and is running out of ideas on what to serve your family, there’s an easy way to get an inspiration. Watch San Miguel Purefoods Home Foodie Season 4 on the Kapuso network (GMA7), Monday to Friday, after Unang Hirit, just in time when you’re thinking of your menu for lunch.
The show is hosted by foodie couple Iya Villamina and her husband Drew Arellano. They get a little help from SMC chefs – Lllena Tan Arcenas, Martin Narisma, and John Valley.
Apart from the recipes they dish out, the show also features a way array of San Miguel Purefoods products that they use in the Madalicious Meals they create.
You can learn how to whip up restaurant quality dishes, too. And if you miss the recipes, you could log on to www.homefoodie.com or check out their accounts @HomeFoodiePH on Twitter or Facebook.
Enjoy cooking and happy eating!
