Effectiveness of Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Roles and Functions: An External Communication Audit

Abstract

This study described and analyzed the effectiveness of the roles and functions of Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Region X as part of its external communication audit. Specifically, this study endeavored to determine its effectiveness in terms of its accuracy, relevance, timeliness and satisfaction of need for information regarding the following: (1) information education communication production and dissemination; (2) communication research; (3) institutional development and capability building; and (4) effectiveness of IEC production and dissemination, communication research and institutional development and capability building when grouped according to province, city, and municipality. To interpret the results, descriptive research design was used. The study was conducted in the local government units (LGUs) in Region X, involving personnel whose appointment was doing the actual task as Information Officer (IO) in the cities, provinces and municipalities. It used non-random sampling procedure specifically the purposive sampling. Moreover, a total number of 80 percent or 78 of the respondents from the 96 LGUs in the region were able to participate in the survey conducted. It made use of a researcher-made questionnaire with a reliability index result of 0.94. The data were analyzed by using the following descriptive statistical tools such as frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation to describe the effectiveness of the roles and functions of PIA in Region X according to the variables presented. With regard to the results for the level of clients’ evaluation in the provinces, cities and municipalities, it showed that it was mildly effective in its roles and functions of PIA in Region X as part of its external communication audit. Moreover, it also showed that a good number of IOs rated the delivery of information as highly effective especially in the provinces. On the other hand, in the provinces and municipalities, a quarter of them rated the effectiveness of delivery IEC production and dissemination, communication research and institutional development and capability building in the borderline. With this, there is a need to strengthen the presence of the PIA for proper information dissemination of government development programs in the concerned communities.