Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles led the oath-taking of new officials of the News and Information Bureau (NIB), an attached agency of the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS).

Photos in Cruz-Angeles’ official Facebook page show that she administered the oath of office to Raymond Robert Cruz Burgos as NIB Director and Lee Ann Littaua Pattugalan as NIB Assistant Director on Wednesday.

Burgos and Pattugalan will replace Virginia Arcilla-Agtay and Aldrine Fermin, respectively.

“Bago matapos ang busy na araw natin kahapon, pinangasiwaan ng inyong lingkod ang panunumpa ng mga bagong talagang opisyal ng News and Information Bureau (Before the end of our busy day yesterday, I administered the oath of office of the new officers of the News and Information Bureau),” she said in her caption.

“Mandato ng opisina na ito ang pagbibigay ng tama at napapanahong impormasyon, sa pamamagitan ng newswire service tulad ng Philippine News Agency, mula sa loob at labas ng bansa ukol sa mga programa at plano ng ating Pangulo at ng buong pamahalaan (The mandate of this office is to provide correct and timely information, through a newswire service such as the Philippine News Agency, from within and outside the country regarding the programs and plans of our President and the entire government),” she added.

Before his appointment at the NIB, Burgos was a member of the board of directors of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) under the Duterte administration from 2019 to 2021.

He was also MECO chief finance officer, member of the board of directors of the Philippine Journalists Inc. (PJI), and vice president and publisher of the Journal Group of Publications.

Burgos was also a columnist for Saksi, Abante and Abante Tonite and a senior reporter of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Manila Times.

He took up philosophy and journalism at the Manuel Luis Quezon University in Manila.

Burgos also teaches martial arts, specifically traditional aikido and modern arnis.

Meanwhile, Pattugalan was a former writer under the office of then-Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Pattugalan has been a correspondent for the Journal Group of Publications since 2002.

She was also a reporter for Manila Times and Manila Standard.

She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications majoring in journalism at the University of the Philippines. (PNA)