Presidential Communications Group-Cedar Herald Index

The Presidential Communications Group, or simply the Communications Group, is the collective name for the offices within the Office of the President of the Philippines and refers to the position of the Secretary of Presidential Communications Office formerly known as Office of the Press Secretary and the Secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO). The office of the presidential spokesperson was previously under the Communications Group.

The Communications Group is primarily responsible for planning, programming, and coordinating the activities that will most effectively collect information about what is happening in the Executive branch of the government, and getting this information to the media. The Group's other role is to help Filipinos understand government policies and programs, and to shore up support for them.

Presidential Communications Group

Presidential Spokesperson

The Presidential Spokesperson spoke on behalf of the President about matters of public interest. Considering the restricted level of access that the media has to the Chief Executive, the Spokesperson was expected to be the primary source of presidential directives in the absence of the President of the Philippines.

Presidential Communications Group

The Presidential Spokesperson was not subject to confirmation by the Commission on Appointments, and did not have any specific item or template in government.

Presidential Communications Group

The position was last occupied by the Secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office Martin Andanar in an acting capacity due to the resignation of Harry Roque, while the Assistant to the Presidential Spokesperson was Atty. Kris Roman of the Duterte administration. During the administration of President Bongbong Marcos, the office was abolished and all its personnel, equipment and functions were transferred to the office of the Press Secretary then headed by Trixie Cruz-Angeles.

On December 2022, Daphne Oseña-Paez was appointed as the Presidential Communications Office Press Briefer, a position created only for briefings for the Malacañang Press Corps in the New Executive Building. All press conferences that includes President Bongbong Marcos is personally moderated by the PCO Secretary.

Presidential Communications Office

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO), is in charge of disseminating the government’s message to private media entities. It exercises supervision and control over state-owned media entities to disseminate the official messages properly and effectively in accordance with the communications plan. It is responsible for the accreditation and authentication of the credentials of foreign media correspondents in line with its primary task to cultivate relations and assist private media entities. It is formerly known as the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) from April 28, 1986 to August 9, 2010 and June 30 to December 29, 2022 from the presidencies of Corazon Aquino to the first two months of her son Benigno Aquino III and the first six months of Bongbong Marcos, and Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) from August 9, 2010 to June 30, 2022 during the rest of the administration of Benigno Aquino III and whole of Rodrigo Duterte's presidency.

The PCO Secretary holds a cabinet rank. He/she is assisted by an undersecretary for administration, finance and procurement; an undersecretary for operations, plans, and policies; an undersecretary for legal affairs; an undersecretary for media accreditation and relations; one undersecretary each for digital media, print media, and broadcast media services; an undersecretary for special concerns; an assistant secretary; and an electronic data processing division chief.

The PCO is composed of the following units and agencies: