Camille Naredo

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) headquarters in Mandaluyong City on July 31, 2019. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) headquarters in Mandaluyong City on July 31, 2019. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

PCSO

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

MANILA – The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Wednesday said the joint venture contract with state-run Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) and Digital 8 TV (D8) is something announced to the public, amid issues surrounding its representative. A report earlier stated that the media company allegedly co-founded by Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Jay Ruiz had bagged over P200 million worth of contracts from the PCSO. This was for the production and television transmission of PCSO’s lotto draws and other games in IBC-13 and D8, as well as the production and placement of digital promotional videos of the PCSO. <div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/4/ruiz-tinawag-na-fake-news-ang-kaugnayan-umano-sa-media-company-2121">Ruiz tinawag na &#x27;fake news&#x27; ang kaugnayan umano sa media company</a></div>Ruiz already denied being the co-owner of Digital 8 Inc. Speaking to reporters, PCSO General Manager Mel Robles said the P200 million contract is “a public document” and noted that it was for a joint venture. “Alam mo naman ang joint venture, you actually share what the other doesn’t have,” Robles told reporters in a chance interview. A document from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) showed Digi8 had a paid-up capital of P130,000. Pressed by ABS-CBN News regarding this matter when the firm bagged the P200 million contract, Robles said, “In the joint venture, you share each other’s resources, manpower, capability. Yun ang essence ng joint venture.” “This was publicly bidded out. This was brought out because when we had to renew our contract for the coverage, yung prize na binili ng PTV-4 is very high, it was 300 percent more.” the PCSO general manager said. <div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/4/-sumusobra-na-sec-jay-ruiz-blasts-fake-news-on-p200-m-pcso-contracts-0935">&#x27;Sumusobra na&#x27;: PCO chief blasts &#x27;fake news&#x27; on P200-million gov&#x27;t contracts</a></div>“We were left with no other option but to source other contractors and we opened this up for public bidding, it was announced to the world that we are going to have a public bidding for those who would cover this,” he said. Ruiz, he emphasized, was an authorized representative for Digi8 at the time the contract was signed late 2024. “It was a very good deal that we had kasi it had the same price as it was before we started with PTV-4. More than 10 years na yun,” he said. “Imagine getting that price – for a price that was more than 10 years ago. PTV gave us P600 million a year compared to what we had now… Si Jay Ruiz, at the time, was not yet PCO head,” he said. Ruiz, a former journalist, said he was only tapped by Digi 8 as authorized representative “to act as their face and spokesperson”, being the head of marketing and sales, in October 2024. The PCO also said that Ruiz “resigned from the company on January 15, 2025 and was replaced as the company&#x27;s representative to the JV through a board resolution on January 17, 2025, more than a month before he was appointed PCO secretary.”

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Wednesday said the joint venture contract with state-run Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) and Digital 8 TV (D8) is something announced to the public, amid issues surrounding its representative.

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Wednesday said the joint venture contract with state-run Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) and Digital 8 TV (D8) is something announced to the public, amid issues surrounding its representative.

PCSO on streaming deal with Digital 8, IBC-13: This was publicly bid out

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PCSO on streaming deal with Digital 8, IBC-13: This was publicly bid out

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 05, 2025 05:57 PM PHT

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Updated March 05, 2025 07:39 PM PHT

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