ANGARA PROPOSES P100M FOR PTV4, CALLS FOR
MORE EDUC PROGRAMS

Sen. Edgardo Angara last week pushed for a P100 M 2010 budget for PTV4 and called for more educational and cultural programs on government-run television networks.

At Friday's ratification of the 2010 national budget, Angara emphasized that the economics of TV advertising overshadows the creation of intellectually stimulating shows. "Our children are keeping up with the fast-paced evolution of digital multi-media learning; let us then maximize our capacity to reach children both in the urban and rural areas and provide high-quality educational and cultural programs, rather than simply generating revenues from airtime selling."

Referring to the limited allocation for less advertising-intensive educational programs in private and profit-oriented networks Angara also raised the need for government channels to increase airtime for children's educational shows, adding that "instead of simply showing cartoon characters and animation shows to entertain our children, we must keep in mind that their values are honed from what they see onscreen. We must provide materials with more educational value on air," said Angara, former President of the University of the Philippines and staunch advocate of child development and education.

Angara was among the pioneers of educational TV shows in the 1990s and has repeatedly called for improving the country's education system. Aside from his legislative work that gives emphasis, among others, on education, research and development, Angara is a renowned patron of the arts and culture.

Currently Filipino children only are exposed to programs like Knowledge Channel but network operators are unable to maximize such programs due to limited advertising revenues.