PTV-4 chief asks for P1.7-B budget hike, laments ‘measly’ P138 M

MANILA, Philippines — State-run People’s Television Network Inc. (PTV-4) chief Lino Cayetano on Thursday asked lawmakers to increase its allotted funds to P1.7 billion, calling the earmarked P138 million budget for the state-run network “measly.”

Cayetano made the request during the House committee on appropriations hearing on the proposed P2.6 billion budget for the Presidential Communications Office and its attached agencies for next year.

READ: PTV-4 general manager Lino Cayetano orders network-wide reforms

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“It’s a measly P138 million,” Cayetano said of the allotted PTV budget. “I think that is, by far, in no way competitive with Channel 2, Channel 7, [and] Channel 5.”

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“The P138 million would be very, very hard for us, and it will be a disservice to the Filipino people to allow that budget to pass through, with all due respect,” he also said.

To fully perform its mandate, Cayetano said the network needs  “between P5 to 7 billion.”

But for now, he said: “We are asking, I found out that my predecessor asked for P1.7 billion, so all we are asking for is for it to be restored.”

Due to broken equipment, PTV-4 only has a presence at around 30 percent of households nationwide, according to him.

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“If we fix our equipment, and that is the one in the 1.7 [billion] budget that we are requesting, we should hit 42 percent,” he said.

Cayetano, the brother of Sens. Alan Peter Cayetano and Pia Cayetano, was appointed PTV-4 general manager in early June.

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A film and television director and former mayor of Taguig, Lino Cayetano succeeded Malou Choa-Fagar, who had served as head of PTV-4 since August 2025. /das