President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday announced the appointment of Social Security System President and chief executive officer Robert Joseph de Claro as the new Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), replacing Henry Aguda.
“I have already signed the ad interim appointment of the new DICT secretary. He is Robert Joseph de Claro, he is the current SSS President and CEO. Besides that, he also has a very strong background in terms of the digital economy and the digital world,” Marcos said in an interview following the oath-taking of newly elected officers of Malacañang media groups.
De Claro, along with Acting Communications Secretary Lino Cayetano, took their oath before the President on Tuesday.
De Claro, who joined the SSS in January 2023, chairs the state run pension fund’s Information and Technology Collection Committee. He formerly served on the board of Union Bank, where he chaired the board of Union Digital Bank.
In an interview in Malacañang, De Claro said he will conduct a thorough review of all projects, budgets, and procurement under the DICT.
“I assure the public that over the next three months, there should be a clear cut plan on how we take DICT to where it should be,” De Claro added.
Asked how he intends to address the ghost internet controversy affecting the department, De Claro said the agency remains determined to reach its target of establishing 20,000 actual internet sites by the end of the year, noting that 12,000 actual sites have already been installed.
De Claro also recognized the accomplishments of the department under Aguda, noting that he did his best to try to find ways and means on how to help provide better technology to the Filipino nation.
Meanwhile, De Claro said he has been reviewing nihilistic violent extremism (NVE) activities and their impact on the country.
“And it’s what I call a clear and present danger. As a nation, we have to be more vigilant and at the same time try to work with organizations that can help our children be better protected,” De Claro said.
Addressing the sixth leadership change in the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Marcos explained that the job keeps changing in terms of what the administration is trying to put forward.
Marcos said that when he assumed the presidency in 2022, the initial focus of the PCO was policy, followed by implementation, and the office is now shifting toward the political aspects of the communications role.
“So, it keeps changing and that’s why we have to keep restructuring it and to be able to satisfy what… especially the demands that you make upon our Presidential Communications group. So yes, that’s what’s behind that,” Marcos also said.
Marcos named Cayetano as his sixth Communications Secretary, following previous PCO heads Trixie Angeles, Cheloy Garafil, Cesar Chavez, Jay Ruiz, and Dave Gomez.
Cayetano said he intends to focus on and strengthen the analog aspect of communications, or face-to-face communication, to assist Filipinos in understanding government services and programs.
He noted that while digital platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube have expanded the reach of media organizations, face-to-face communication remains essential to effective public engagement.
Cayetano added that the President instructed him to sustain engagement with the media and establish effective ways to communicate administration programs to Filipinos domestically and abroad.
“We want to make sure it reaches the Filipino people,” Cayetano said.
Cayetano said the PCO plans to meet with media practitioners and stakeholders to hear their concerns, identify communication gaps, and explore ways to improve information delivery.
Asked if he had recently spoken with his siblings, Senators Pia and Alan Peter Cayetano who belong to the opposition bloc in the Senate, the younger Cayetano responded with no comment, while calling on critics and supporters to work together and support the Marcos administration.