Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles hopes that ABS-CBN’s flagship AM radio station DZMM will return on-air soon as he recognized the vital role of the media in delivering updates to the public amid the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Nograles, who is also the spokesman for the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, said the media was important in keeping the public updated about the government’s efforts to contain the deadly disease.
“Malaki po ang tulong ng media (The media is a big help) in our efforts to inform our countrymen about the latest developments in government efforts to address the current public health crisis, so we hope that you will be back on the air soon,” he said in his Friday virtual presser.
On Wednesday, ABS-CBN announced the temporary suspension of DZMM’s operations because some of its employees had to undergo a 14-day quarantine after being exposed to two persons under investigation (PUIs) for COVID-19.
“Pinauwi na ang lahat ng tao sa studio at mga pasilidad ng DZMM para sa gagawing disinfection. Ang mga kawaning hindi nalantad ay magtatrabaho mula sa kanilang bahay (Everyone in the studio and other facilities of DZMM were already sent home for the disinfection. Those who were not exposed to the PUIs will work from their homes),” ABS-CBN wrote in its statement.
Meanwhile, ABS-CBN assured the public that it will still receive the latest information through ANC and DZMM TeleRadyo’s official social media accounts.
“Patuloy na isa-simulcast ng DZMM ang mga programa ng ANC hanggang manumbalik ang operasyon nito (DZMM will continue to air the programs of ANC until DZMM resumes its operations),” it said.
“Hinihingi namin ang pang-unawa ng lahat sa aming mga gagawing hakbang upang masiguro ang kaligtasan at kalusugan ng aming mga Kapamilya (We ask for understanding for the measures that we have to undertake to ensure the safety and health of our Kapamilyas),” it added.
DZMM was not the first media outfit to temporarily go off-air due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 18, CNN Philippines announced that it would temporarily stop broadcasting after another tenant of the building where it is located confirmed a COVID-19 patient was at its premises.
The management of the Worldwide Corporate Center along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City— where CNN Philippines is housed — will be disinfecting the building occupied by a number of other companies. As a result, CNN Philippines will be off the air for at least 24 hours.
CNN Philippines, however, continued to provide news through its websites, social media accounts, and its Viber communities. Its anchors likewise held their programs from their homes and aired over its social media channels.
“We have prepared for this emergency. For more than two weeks, many of our colleagues have been isolated and working from home already,” CNN Philippines said in a statement.
“We took that step in anticipation of something like this to happen. CNN Philippines still has a team working to gather stories that matter and to bring them to you as they happen,” it added.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/04/03/iatf-hopes-dzmm-could-resume-operations-soon/
No comments:
Post a Comment