Senators decry 'rotting' condition of PTV

State-owned People’s Television Network (PTV) drew the disappointment of senators on Tuesday because of its deteriorating condition — from its building to its broadcast equipment — which they said was far behind the standards of foreign government television networks.

During the deliberations on the 2026 budget of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), including PTV4 and Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp. (IBC), Senator Raffy Tulfo lamented the state of PTV’s facilities, including its off-broadcast (OB) vans and aging studio equipment.

“You only have 2 OB vans, sira pa ang isa? Ang gawin natin, ibenta na lang sa junkshop at ang kikitain eh ipagpagawa na lang ng mga facilities nyo. Or ipa-auction na lang natin. If the foreign media covering the ASEAN Summit next year would stay there, nakakahiya tayo,” he said during his interpellation.

Senator Loren Legarda, who sponsored the PCO budget, admitted that the proposal to refurbish the PTV building — pegged at more than P150 million — was overpriced.

Senator Miguel Zubiri added that a P30-million budget could already build a two-story school building, questioning why the amount needed to rehabilitate PTV amounted to more than P150 million.

Senator Tulfo even suggested that senators contribute funds to augment the budget to improve the network’s facilities.

Slashed by P6B

Senator Erwin Tulfo, for his part, questioned why the Department of Budget and Management slashed the proposed P7.2-billion budget of the PCO by more than 90 percent, leaving only P972 million under the National Expenditure Program.

“Any reason given by the Department of Budget and Management? Because, considering that PCO and its communication arms like PTV, PBS, PIA, PNA— these agencies are the frontlines supposedly to combat fake news, to protect the government and its institutions from fake news. But with a limited budget, how do we expect our government communications office be able to combat fake news these days? Pati yung pang-MOOE nila ginagamit sa pasweldo. Hindi nga mapaayos yung kanilang mga offices,” Senator Tulfo said.

Responding to the query, Senator Legarda said the bulk of the budget cut — P5.5 billion — was not deleted but transferred to the Office of the President.

“It was transferred to the Office of the President because this is for ASEAN for next year. And part of it, P1B, and P900 million plus, plus P5.5 million, P6.5 M, and the remaining would be MOOE activities like media literacy campaign and capital outlay for some equipment. That was not approved. But the bulk was for ASEAN, which was granted but transferred to the Office of the President,” she explained.

Asked about the longstanding problem of contractualization in PTV4, Legarda said it is an issue that needs to be resolved.

“First, we need a fund for retirement, the rehabilitation of the main building, the facilities, modernization, and digital upgrading. Because it's a government, they rely solely on government subsidy, in addition to their own very limited income,” Legarda said.

“Many in our industry are not plantilla officers and workers, but rather talents. I'm not trying to justify it, but I would assume it's due to limited resources and the nature of the industry,” she added.

Integration proposal

Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo Lacson suggested reviving an earlier plan to integrate the government's two television networks to reduce subsidies while improving public service.

"During the time of then Sec. Sonny Coloma, under the presidency of the late President Benigno Aquino III, there was a plan to integrate the (then) three government TV stations and convert into a public service broadcaster in the mold of the British Broadcasting Co. This is also budget-related (because) it could save the government from providing subsidy to the stations," Lacson said. "I think it’s worth studying and considering."

He said that while the plan appeared abandoned, the BBC model is worth emulating because it earns advertising revenue while maintaining its public service mandate.

Lacson added that the proceeds of selling real estate and assets of the other network may be used to upgrade the one that government keeps.

"I think it was a novel idea that should be pursued," he said.

Legarda recalled that the proposal involved privatizing IBC, with the proceeds redounding to the benefit of PTV.