Husband-wife teamwork: Taguig helps DFA with PR

In an unusual arrangement, official statements of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) are lately simultaneously issued by the Taguig city government.

Since last week, press releases of the DFA were released to the media by Taguig’s public information office (PIO).

The press releases mostly have Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano expressing sympathy toward victims of recent terror attacks abroad, and quote reports from Philippine embassies and consulates saying no Filipino nationals were hurt in disasters reported in the news.

Last Thursday, the Taguig PIO released a DFA press release about online passport application appointments.

DFA spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar said the Taguig PIO was “helping disseminate” their official press releases.

“Taguig City PIO was kind enough to help us disseminate them to a wider audience since they have media contacts which may be different from the DFA’s,” Bolivar said when asked whether DFA has authorized the Taguig PIO to release its statements.

Cayetano’s wife, Lani, is mayor of Taguig City.

Other than Taguig City, no other local governments are helping disseminate DFA official statements.