Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 348)
The primary purpose of Executive Order No. 348 is to create the Office of the Communications Director (OCD) to coordinate the dissemination of policies, programs, achievements, reports, and activities of the President and the administration through mass media.
The Communications Director shall have the rank of Secretary.
The offices and agencies include the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Correspondence Office, Speech Writers Group, Communications Research Group, and the Government-owned Media Group.
Key functions include systematizing the functions of different information offices to ensure message consistency, rationalizing public relations structures, improving teamwork, maintaining a Communications Research Group, maintaining a Crisis Communication Team, and formulating guidelines for information coordination.
The Communications Director is assisted by a Deputy Communications Director and a Chief of Staff, both holding the rank of Undersecretary.
The Presidential Spokesperson assumes the functions of the Press Secretary and exercises control and supervision over the Radio-TV Malacañang (RTVM) and the News and Information Bureau (NIB).
The Journal Group, RPN-Channel 9, NBN-Channel 4, and IBC-Channel 13 are grouped under the Group Head for Government Mass Media.
The National Printing Office and the APO Production Unit were transferred and attached to the Philippine Information Agency.
The funding for the OCD is sourced from the Office of the Press Secretary, and its succeeding years' appropriations will be prepared under the regular government budget procedures.
Executive Order No. 348 took effect immediately on August 11, 2004.