MANILA, Philippines – To save the government at least P12 million yearly, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has decided to close down its radio and television station.
MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino issued Office Order No. 125 dated August 13, which orders the immediate termination of the MMDA RTV at midnight of August 16.
“I have decided to cease the operations of MMDA RTV because we have been spending at least P1 million every month for it, and so far, it was not able to reach out effectively to the public in terms of information dissemination,” Tolentino said.
MMDA RTV airs over 1206 kilohertz on AM radio and on Channel 4 on Destiny Cable. It features round-the-clock traffic updates, important public announcements, and news on the seventeen local government units of Metro Manila.
The station was established in 2008 under the administration of former MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando to provide timely information and service to the public and bring the agency closer to the public by featuring its various projects and programs.
Tolentino said the move is in line with President Aquino’s call for austerity in government.
“This is in the best interest of the public and towards the economical pursuit of our mandate. There are more necessary projects that would yield invaluable results for which we could spend the money,” he said.
The MMDA chief said that alternatives are available through the Internet, which the agency could utilize for its information dissemination drive at no extra cost.
The agency is also planning a tie-up with government television network NBN-4. - By Dennis Carcam
