To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Regional Directors
Schools Superintendents

1. In order for the Department to effectively convey its messages across the broad section of its constituents, a DECS Media Quick Response Center is hereby organized to give the media agents immediate and easy access to information from credible, competent and authoritative sources; monitor media and respond to flak immediately; respond to issues proactively and conduct teach-ins for media agents about the government, particularly the DECS program and projects.
2. The DECS-MQRC is a virtual office consisting of all public information officers in all DECS Central, Regional and Division Offices that will coordinate the monitoring of media, anticipate issue and respond to media flak as well as provide information of the public through media – both the print (broadsheets and tabloids) and non-print including the radio and television.
3. Taking advantage of modern communication facilities such as the cell phones, beepers, fax machines, e-mail the Office of the Technical Service in the Office of the Secretary and shall serve as the nerve center of the Department whose main job is to gather, process, respond, provide information to the proper channel/media as fast as possible on a 24 hour basis.
4. The DECS-MQRC shall submit a copy of the reports to the National Media Quick Response Center at the Office of the Executive Secretary and the Office of the Press Secretary Presidential Management Staff, who will do the macro coordination work of monitoring, responding and providing information to various government agencies, as needed.
5. Monitoring reports shall be submitted by the DECS-MQRC to the National MQRC on the following schedules:
   Radio Monitors – 7:00AM, 12:00 Noon and 5:00 PM
   Television – 1:00 PM, 7:00 PM and 11:00 PM
   Newspaper Reports – 8:00AM
   1. For Print Reports
      The monitoring reports shall be farmed-out by the DECS-MQRC to the media by 2:00 pm at the latest. This response must be provided also to the National MQRC.
   2. For Radio Reports
      The response must be immediate. Ideally the concerned agency/office must be able to respond through interviews with radio commentators to a particular news items minutes after such has been brought to its attention by the DECS-MQRC.
   3. For Television Reports
      It is advised that the response of the head of the agency, office must be made through press conference and not mere press release.
6. Each agency head shall submit to the DECS-MQRC the names of designated Public Information Officers of their agencies as provided for in DECS Order No. 79, s. 1994. They shall have the list of contact numbers/persons/agencies they can call to respond to monitored news or commentaries.
7. The DECS-MQRC shall organize a pool editorial writer who can quickly prepare official statements of position papers to be disseminated to media.
8. The DECS-MQRC members shall maintain a 24 hour watch following the attached schedules. They shall be provided by the communication facilities including radio television, cell-phones, fax machines, beepers and computers shall adopt the multi-shifting schedule attached and shall be entitled to meal allowance in their actual participation as members of DECS-MQRC.
9. The DECS-MQRC may be contacted through the following telephone numbers: 636-48-78, 633-93-41, 635-37-65, 633-72-54, 633-72-64, 636-16-20, 633-72-54, and e-mail cid@webquest.com.
10. Wide and immediate dissemination of the contents of this Order is desired.

Incl.: As stated
References: DECS Order (No. 79, s. 1994)
Allotment: 1—(D.O. 50-97)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
CENTERS
BUREAUS & OFFICES
OFFICIALS
REPORTS

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