The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) was established in 1986 by an executive order of then-President Corazon Aquino. The agency was established as a communication platform for the President to engage with the public. PIA has a network of 16 regional offices and 78 provincial information centers.
Media assets
News agency: PIA
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
The PIA is led by a Director-General who holds a government position at the Undersecretary level and reports directly to the Secretary of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
Source of funding and budget
PIA is fully funded from the government budget and operates as a government entity in accordance with its financial reports. In 2021, PIA had a budget of over PHP 430m (US$ 8.6m), the majority of which was sourced from the state budget. In 2022, PIA had a total budget of PHP 343m (US$ 6m), as outlined in a company report. In the following fiscal year, the Philippine government allocated PHP 340m (equivalent to US$ 6m) to the PIA.
Media reports indicate that the PIA is to receive a state budget allocation of PHP 440m (US$ 8.8m) in 2025.
Editorial independence
PIA’s stated objective is to disseminate information about government programs, projects, and services to the Filipino public, as outlined on the agency’s website. Local journalists interviewed for this report in March-April 2023 indicated that the agency lacks editorial freedom and operates as a state department with the primary objective of disseminating information about the government’s activities.
The Presidential Administration has the authority to make decisions regarding all aspects of PIA’s operations, including its editorial agenda.
There is no independent assessment of the PIA’s editorial performance available, but the agency’s information output is clearly designed to promote the government and its interests.
September 2024