By: Reigh John Bench Almendras
National Communications Month seeks to boast the nation's various endeavors in the space according to President Marcos. Photo courtesy of Manila Bulletin.
Stipulated in the recently promulgated Proclamation 308, the National Communications Month will be celebrated every October, and the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) will celebrate its anniversary every 11th of October.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin signed the proclamation by the authority of President Marcos Jr. on August 2.
The proclamation aims to provide the general public an opportunity to partake with the government's endeavors.
“An effective communication mechanism is vital in the engagement and involvement of the citizenry and the media industry in enriching the quality of public discourse on all matters of governance,” the proclamation stated.
The proclamation was inspired from the Executive Order 5-W signed by then President Manuel Quezon creating the Office of Special Services (OSS), a section under the Office of the President (OP) mandated to collate, process, organize and disseminate information about the Philippines and the Commonwealth Government.
The OSS was then changed into Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) through presidential decrees, according to President Marcos Jr. In 2022, the incumbent president issued Executive Order Number 11, renaming the OPS to PCO.a