Quarantine opens door for Capiz guv’s hosting task

By Alex Lumaque

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – A digital media program platform is being sustained by the Capiz provincial government to regularly inform Capiceños about COVID-19 bulletins, advisories and updates.

The program dubbed “The Governor’s Update,” hosted by Gov. Esteban Evan Contreras himself, also served as source of information by local tri-media practitioners, particularly those assigned for the Capitol beat, amid the quarantine ways of news sourcing and gathering.

“He is also spontaneous and the way he delivers his line carries with it a certain passion that you can sense he loves what he is doing,” said radio reporter Tara Tania Dairo, who observed Contreras’ hosting skills since the program’s maiden episode on April 2.

The online show completed its first season or 22 episodes by end of April.

“He can actually pass for a regular television   anchor which is quite a surprise presuming   this is his first time to be handling a program   which is almost similar to a TV talk show,” Dairo said.

The program format includes Contreras’   addressing the province about COVID-19 and   followed by his interview of the episode’s   guest who is usually members of the Inter-   Agency Task Force (IATF) at the provincial   level, provincial government department   heads, private doctors, some regional heads of   national government agencies and League of   Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP)-Capiz chapter, among others.

The governor then caters pre-recorded questions in video format for guests to answer or discuss further which he handled it naturally and spontaneously.

“Gov is very good in leading and guiding his guest. He is a born host,” said Department of Trade and Industry provincial director Ken Queenie Cuñada, who was invited as program guest last April.

The show is produced by the Capiz Kabalaka Information Center, the provincial government’s information arm.

It is also being watched by online users from abroad as well as various parts of the country, who use the comment section of the show to convey their concerns to the provincial government. (PIA)