Duterte wants TV frequencies reverted to gov’t to be used for e-learning
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte said TV frequencies that would be reverted to the government should be used to aid the country’s shift to e-learning as the coronavirus pandemic restricts schools to go back to physical classes.
Duterte issued the statement during his fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday a couple of weeks after the House legislative franchises committee voted to reject ABS-CBN bid for a fresh 25-year franchise.
Earlier, a House lawmaker also suggested that the government temporarily make use of ABS-CBN’s radio and TV frequencies to advance distance learning in schools across the country.
“TV frequencies reverted back [sic] to the government for whatever cause or reason shall not be used exclusively to the exclusion of other persons or other dummies to cope up with the demand of the next normal,” the President said.
“This will be used to provide uninterrupted, quality education to our children in our shift to e-learning,” he added.
The chief executive then directed Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña, and Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan to coordinate with Education Secretary Leonor Briones, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III “to come up with program and implementation mechanism to ensure that these TV frequencies are fully utilized by the government to the facilities of the PTV4 for the utmost benefit of the Filipino people.”
