In an official statement released by ABS-CBN Network, the company will offer the use of its transmission network to broadcast the government’s educational programs as the Department Of Education (DepEd) opted for distance learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is in response to the call of President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest State Of the Nation Address (SONA) that requires television frequencies reverted back to the government to be used to provide “uninterrupted quality education” to children as the country shifts to distance learning.
“In response to the educational thrust of the government in this time of the pandemic, we are offering the use of our transmission network to broadcast educational programs all over the country.
“We hope to help the government continuously educate students nationwide despite the limitations brought about by the pandemic. On top of our transmission network, we are also offering the use of all the educational programs we have produced over the past 20 years,” stated ABS CBN thru their social media account.
Malacanan Palace, through Presidential spokesperson, Harry Roque said it will still be decided on who gets the right to use the frequencies previously assigned to ABS-CBN, whose application for a fresh 25-year broadcast franchise was junked by Congress via 70-11 votes.
“Kung gobyerno po ang gagamit salamat po at baka naman pupuwede gamitin ‘yung transmission at ‘yung materyales ng ABS-CBN,” Roque said in a televised briefing.
The President has directed some Cabinet secretaries to come up with an integrated program and implementation mechanism to ensure that these TV frequencies are “fully utilized by the government through the facilities of PTV4 for the utmost benefit of the Filipino people.”
House Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte earlier proposed that the government temporarily use ABS-CBN’s television and radio frequencies as a platform for distance learning.
