MikeLigalig.com

By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The way the Arroyo administration is spending taxpayer money on advertising could give heavy ad spenders such as the multinational companies Unilever and Nestle a run for their money.

Arroyo's former socioeconomic planning secretary, Ralph Recto, claimed that the government spent P2 billion in the last two years for state ads, mostly infomercials of Cabinet men running in this year's elections.

Recto said that based on a Commission on Audit report, the national government forked out P912 million for advertising in print, radio and TV in 2008 or nearly double the previous year's level.

While the COA has yet to complete its 2009 report, Rectosaid, "one preliminary appraisal I have read showed that government may have spent P1.14 billion for ads last year, which could bring the two-year total (2008 and 2009) to P2 billion.”

Malacañang has budgeted P818 million in ad spending for this year which Recto said it would surpass considering the approaching elections and the massive ads rolled out at the start of this year as President Arroyo joined in the act with numerous ads extolling her accomplishments.

Recto pointed out that the national government's ad spending does not include the expenses incurred by state companies like Pagcor and PCSO and local governments.

“Ad expenses surged in the year when government was supposed to observe austerity,” Recto said.

As early as 2004, President Arroyo, through Administrative Order 102, ordered the suspension of “paid media advertisements, except those required in the issuance of agency guidelines, rules and regulations, the conduct of public bidding, and the dissemination of important public announcements.”

Curiously, Recto said that the bidding invitations made by the the Department of Public Works and Highways, the biggest media buyer for state notices, added up to only P11 million in 2008.

Recto said ads were important tools for government especially in investment and tourism promotion and health and travel advisories but there should be limits on frivolous ads such as infomercials of their agencies.

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