SAN PABLO CITY, Laguna (PIA) – The Barangay Information Officers (BIO) in San Pablo City, Laguna contributes to the effective dissemination of information and promotion of government programs at the grassroot level.
Enrico Galicia, Department Head of the San Pablo City Information Office (CIO) and the main proponent of the program, said that the initial objective of creating the BIO is to promote and introduce the best practices of each barangay.
“The main objective of this initiative is to promote the barangay because let’s face it, the scope of a barangay is very limited; it is limited to its own area. Only a few are catching and sharing their activities on social media. So, we decided to establish this, so they can promote their activities, and if other barangays find it beneficial, they can replicate it,” Galicia said.
However, over time, the BIOs have become an important channel for disseminating relevant information to the public and an effective tool in mobilizing the public through the timely and relevant local information.
For Ardion Louise Guia, Barangay Information Officer from San Roque in San Pablo, the creation of BIO has helped them streamline several transactions and processes commonly requested by residents, making barangay services faster and more efficient.
“Sometimes, even something as simple like requesting for a Barangay Clearance is now much easier, residents can send their requests via messenger, and we forward it to our Barangay Secretary. When they come to claim it, we only conduct a brief interview, and then they can pick it up,” Guia explained.
To ensure that selected BIOs from the 80 barangays of the city, the CIO conducts various seminars and trainings in cooperation with other government agencies to improve BIO’s work performance, and provide additional knowledge and skills.
Alvaro Herrera, Barangay Information Officer from Soledad, San Pablo City, adds that the seminars and trainings provided them with additional knowledge vital in equipping themselves to be an effective communicator.
“We have learned a lot from that, and in addition, we continue our Purok Kumustahan program. Our way of disseminating information to our constituents has evolved. Every resolution or ordinance we pass is shared not only by posting in public places but also through online platforms.”
The grassroots-level of communication and information dissemination strategy is one of the key focuses of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) for 2025.
While this initiative has been already operationalized in other barangays in Visayas, the PCO commits to further strengthen its implementation in collaboration with the local governments, other national government agencies, and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA). (CO/PIA-4A)
Sulong Calabarzon is a weekly public affairs program hosted by the Philippine Information Agency Calabarzon, streaming live every Thursday, 2:00 PM via the Philippine Information Agency Calabarzon Facebook page.
