By Edmar Delos Santos

𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦’𝘴 𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬, 𝘐𝘯𝘤. (𝘗𝘛𝘝) 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘐𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘴 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦.

Local viewers now have clearer access to a government-owned television network as PTV inaugurated its Ilocos Norte Transmitter Station at MMSU on January 30 in Brgy. Quiling Sur, City of Batac.

Located on a 500-square-meter lot within the university, the 250-foot tower primarily serves audiences in Ilocos Norte and neighboring provinces in Region 1. 

MMSU OIC President Prima Fe Franco expressed gratitude to PTV for establishing a relay station in Ilocos Norte, calling it a testament to the collaboration between the education and media sectors for a well-informed society.

The transmitter station will serve as a training ground for students in communication, development communication, and electronics and communications engineering at MMSU. PTV will also allot a 30-minute program per week for the university, to be produced by the Office for Strategic Communication, in collaboration with students and faculty.

“Through this partnership, we are laying the foundation for a brighter future, one story at a time,” Dr. Franco remarked.
In May 2021, the university, led by its former President and current Commission on Higher Education Commissioner Shirley C. Agrupis, signed a memorandum of agreement with PTV to establish the provincial station. Dr. Agrupis commended PTV for officially launching the relay station after four years and hopes it will help distribute relevant content to communities.

PTV Network General Manager Antonio “Toby” Nebrida expressed excitement over the collaboration, emphasizing that the channel's clearer reception in the province will serve as a platform for local governments to inform their constituents, especially during calamities.
“With the activation of PTV Ilocos Norte, you get a clear signal, [and] you get a solid transmission. Kapag malinaw ang signal, walang duda ang paghahatid ng mensahe,” he remarked. (When the signal is clear, there is no doubt in delivering information.)
Mr. Nebrida added that PTV Ilocos Norte will also create opportunities for local content creators to produce stories tailored to the specific needs of the Ilocos Region. 

PTV representatives, including Chief of the Digital and Innovation Office Gil Orense, Cordillera Regional Center Overseer Richard Valdez, and DWFB Radyo Pilipinas Laoag Station Manager Celestina Paz, attended the inauguration.

Local officials also graced the event, with Batac City Mayor Albert Chua and Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc—represented by Senior Board Member Rafael Chua Medina—delivering messages.

Also present at the inauguration were university officials, faculty members, and students from the communication, development communication, and electronics and communications engineering programs.

The event was broadcast live via PTV’s analog and digital television channels, including social media live-streaming platforms. It was also cross-posted on MMSU’s official Facebook page.

Ahead of the inauguration, MMSU OIC President Franco appeared on PTV’s morning show, Rise and Shine Pilipinas, where she thanked the network for selecting the university as the home of its transmitter station.