Mabilog puts up lounge for reporters
For the first time, reporters covering the affairs of the city government and the Sangguniang Panlungsod will experience comfort as Vice Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog initiated a face lift of the media center.
The media room which is adjacent to the session hall of the city council was repainted and one computer unit will be installed thereat for the use of reporters. A couch will be added for reporters who want to relax during free hours.
Mabilog said the media center will soon be made a Wi-Fi zone for the reporters to avail free internet access. With the Wi-Fi connection reporters who have laptops could make their reports at the media center and have it emailed to their respective news rooms.
The physical change at the media center is only one of the perks given to the media center. Each media outlet is also given a flash drive to get a copy of the agenda from the SP. The use of the USB is one of the council's ways to eliminate the use of paper.
Reporters leave their USB in their designated pigeon hole every Tuesday and one of the vice mayor's staff will get it to load the agenda.
Vice Mayor Mabilog now prefers to call the once small room full of reporters every session as "media lounge." He said a secretary will be assigned to take charge of the media center. The secretary will also act as keeper of the things left inside the media center.
The media center will be exclusively for the members of the press. Previously, though it is designated as media center, people other than the reporters enter the place during the session.