SONA 2020

TV frequencies reverted to gov't to be used for 'uninterrupted, quality education' —Duterte

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said TV frequencies that will be returned to the government will be used for the "uninterrupted, quality education" of students amid the new normal environment brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Duterte made the remark during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) and following the denial of the franchise application of ABS-CBN Corporation.

"TV frequencies reverted back to government for whatever cause or reason shall not be used exclusively to the exclusion of other persons or other dummies to cope up with the demand of the next normal," he said.

"This will be used to provide uninterrupted quality education to our children in the shift to e-learning."

Duterte directed Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña, and Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan to coordinate with Education Secretary Leonor Briones, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III to "come up with an integrated program and implementation, making sure that these TV frequencies are fully utilized by government."

"The DepEd and the DICT are building up the Public Education Network or PEN that will connect all public schools and DepEd offices nationwideWe will prioritize the connection of all last-mile schools and those with no electricity supply and have it via satellite and energized by solar panels," he said.

"In 2022, before I step down, the PEN shall be realized. I will do it," Duterte added.

Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte earlier proposed that the government temporarily use the former radio and TV frequencies of ABS-CBN for alternative and distance modes of learning.

Asked about Duterte's order, Guevarra said he was "also a bit surprised" and that he will seek clarification with the Office of the President.

"I got that impression that the government will utilize available broadcast frequencies, presumably including those previously held by ABS-CBN, for distance learning purposes," he said in a message to reporters.

"So I was probably being asked, together with DICT and other officials, to study how this could be done," he said, adding that he may have been brought onboard to handle possible legal issues.—KBK/LDF, GMA News