What began as simple public information platforms for local government units (LGUs) have evolved into spaces for political self-promotion and image-building.
- A report by the Sigla Research Center has revealed that Public Information Offices (PIOs) in Laoag City and Cebu Province functioned as government-run news outlets during the 2025 Philippine midterm elections, blurring the line between public service and political campaigning.
Laoag sets up own newsroom, then silence: Before the change in leadership from former mayor Michael Marcos Keon to incumbent mayor Bryan Alcid, the Laoag City PIO produced full-scale newscasts under the banner “Damag Laoag,” aired through the LGU’s official Facebook page.
- With its own anchors, reporters, cameramen, and production team, Damag Laoag resembled a local television newsroom.
- Its last known broadcast was on June 29, after which the page went inactive under the new administration.
Cebu Province shuts down SUGBO News: The Cebu Provincial Government’s official Facebook page, Capitol PIO, cross-posted reports from “SUGBO News,” an in-house news outlet.
- However, following the leadership transition from former governor Gwendolyn Garcia to current governor Pamela Baricuatro, SUGBO News abruptly shut down on July 2.
- New PIO chief Ruben Licera clarified that his office was not responsible for the closure, adding that the new administration intended to continue the PIO’s mandate despite “discontinuation” rumors.
Tug-of-war over Manila PIO’s Facebook page: A similar power struggle surfaced in Manila’s PIO during the transition from Honey Lacuna to Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso.
- When individuals from the previous administration refused to surrender control of the official PIO Facebook page, the new mayor sought assistance from Meta (Facebook).
- The page was eventually recovered and went back online on August 8.
Why this matters: PIO pages are meant to disseminate public service information—such as class suspensions, community updates, and government schedules.
- However, the Sigla study found that these accounts increasingly feature personality-driven content focused on local leaders’ activities, often crowding out community-oriented stories.
- Some pages even mimic legitimate news outlets, creating confusion about their journalistic integrity and purpose.
- While the scenarios differ across LGUs, they all expose a shared vulnerability: the risk of political instrumentalization of official government communication channels.
The takeaway: Instead of simply informing the public, many PIOs now appear to market their officials, producing state-funded “news” that glorifies incumbents and sidelines critical or independent voices.
- Because these platforms carry an official seal of government, they enjoy a built-in sense of credibility—making them powerful tools for political framing and propaganda.
- If these reorientations continue unchecked, PIO-run news outlets could serve as vehicles for partisan messaging in the lead-up to the 2028 Philippine elections, eroding the boundary between public information and political promotion. Dhayshel Tinoy
