PASAY CITY, Philippines — The Senate of the Philippines officially launched Senate TV on Tuesday, October 27, introducing a new high-definition broadcasting channel dedicated to airing the chamber’s legislative proceedings on IBC Digital TV Channel 13.3.
The launch event was spearheaded by Senate President Win Gatchalian and Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. The project is a collaborative effort with the Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC-13), utilizing a leased frequency to bring the channel to viewers.
Senate TV follows the October 2024 launch of Congress TV on Channel 13.2, mirroring the public-access model of the American C-SPAN network. During its initial phase, Senate TV will air unfiltered floor proceedings, committee hearings, and chamber activities.
Future plans include coverage of senators’ community engagements, a daily legislative newscast, and specialized programming.
IBC-13 President and CEO Jimmie Policarpio Jr. emphasized the network’s dedication to unbiased reporting, stating:
“Although IBC-13 is part of the Integrated State Media, we remain wholly committed to non-partisan coverage of events, for the welfare of the Nation. We welcome Senate TV in fulfilling this mandate.”
Gatchalian also underscored the timeliness of the channel given the public demand for reliable news:
“The launch of Senate TV is a timely development in light of current events in Philippine society needing clarity and critical judgment based on complete and accurate information.”
IBC-13 operates under guidelines emphasizing minimal editorial filtering, backed by Republic Act No. 12311—signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on October 3, 2025—which renewed the network’s franchise for 25 years and protects against prior broadcast censorship.
This milestone comes on the heels of a two-year modernization initiative by IBC-13, which settled employee benefit obligations and advanced its transition into digital broadcasting.