The Presidential Communication Office (PCO) said the government will finalize a proposed loan to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the digitalization program of the Philippine Television Network, Inc. during the first quarter of 2025.

In a statement, PCO Secretary Cesar Chavez said JICA presented its draft final report of the “Digital Terrestrial Television Network” to concerned government agencies, which they will endorse to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

"The target date for signing the official development assistance (ODA) loan is set for March 2025," Chavez said.

Under the initiative, 60 transmitting stations of the Philippine Television Network, Inc. will be built by 2029 to allow the country to move from analog to digital broadcasting.

Among the salient features of the program is implementing the Emergency Warning Broadcast System, which will provide critical information to the public.

"The project aims to enhance government disaster response, especially in vulnerable areas, with a first-phase target to reach 55.7 million Filipinos, or 55.2 percent of the population," Chavez said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. underscored the importance of the system in minimizing disaster casualties during his meeting with JICA President Tanaka Akihiko last Wednesday.

The system was first tested by the People's Television Network (PTV), Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and the Japanese multinational information technology firm, NEC, in 2018. DMS