This Week in Media (July 11-15, 2022)

Health, economy still top public concerns

FORMER PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte left the job with a 78 percent satisfaction rating, according to the April 19 to 27 survey of Social Weather Stations. But he left behind him for the Marcos administration to address the pandemic and the economic crisis.

Marcos himself was reinfected with COVID last week, compelling him to go into isolation and meet with his Cabinet virtually. Two Cabinet members were also reported to have contracted the virus this week: Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople. 

On Wednesday, July 13, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles told Malacañang reporters that per the assessment of his attending physician Samuel Zacate, Marcos Jr. is already free of symptoms. Media did not say it, but Marcos Jr.’s identifying his doctor departs from former President Duterte’s refusal to identify his own, nor to allow any official bulletins on his physical health which at the time warranted constant watch. 

And yet, the vlog uploaded on Marcos’ Youtube page about his first week in office was strangely silent about his contracting COVID. CMFR cheered Dateline Philippines for questioning the communication strategy of the administration that seems to be an extension of that used in the campaign.

Citing data the from Department of Health (DOH), The Philippine Star reported that the January to June 2022 record of measles and chikungunya cases are up by 90 percent and 263 percent, respectively, compared to the recorded cases in the same period in 2021. The media also reported the Health department count of 2,371 new COVID cases on Thursday July 14, 955 of these in the National Capital Region. The rise in dengue cases was noted with 15 out of 17 regions reaching epidemic thresholds.

The alarming developments on the health front have raised concerns about the failure of Marcos to appoint Duque’s successor in the DOH. The selection should have been among the most, if not the most, urgent choices he had to make for obvious reasons.

He did designate on July 14 Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire as officer-in-charge (OIC). But the OIC is not expected to lead the agency to address current issues as she will be held to the status quo left by the last Health Secretary. 

The Department of Education, meanwhile, has decided to open the school year in August, with full face-to-face classes in November. Media reported the plan as announced along with the expressed concerns of teacher organizations that they have not gotten enough of a break. The teachers said they only ended classes June 24 and are still reporting to school for remedial classes, Brigada Eskwela and other activities. Private schools, meanwhile, appealed for blended learning as they have made the necessary preparations for it.

Coverage relied on the exchange between DepEd and the teachers, picking up as well various reactions from parents. News accounts also carried Education Secretary Sara Duterte’s statement that COVID vaccination won’t be made mandatory for children.

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Economic interventions

News on the economic front included the Pulse Asia survey which found inflation as the top concern that Filipinos want President Marcos to address immediately; 57 percent of 1,200 Filipinos surveyed answered inflation.

Meanwhile, the announced increase by 3.25 percent of interest rates by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas would affect those who will get loans for cars or homes. The Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) “rightsizing” plan to streamline the bureaucracy could save government money but would also displace some 2 million personnel. None of these developments make up the much awaited economic plan that people hope will provide some relief from price hikes. But the level of public impatience about not seeing a plan so far has not yet seeped into the news. 

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Cheers, Jeers

Media did take up other concerns and issues: 

CMFR cheered Bulatlat‘s series on the high number of women political prisoners during Duterte’s term; community and national media’s questioning of police narratives in the case of Amierkhan Mangacop, a student who was killed by a non-uniformed PNP personnel in Davao; and InterAksyon and Malaya’s pieces pointing out former Solicitor General Jose Calida’s questionable acts while in that post that were flagged by the Commission on Audit, which he now heads.

A bit of shame that is shared by the rest of the press: CMFR jeered puff pieces keeping Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go in the news in three news dailies, including the Manila Bulletin!