MARAWI CITY (PIA) — Barangay information officers in Lanao del Sur shared their insights on the valuable knowledge gained during the 1st Lanao del Sur Information and Communication Summit, emphasizing its importance in today’s media landscape.
Fairuds Montaner Camid from Brgy. Manggahan in the municipality of Malabang expressed surprise at the scale of the event, saying, “Akala ko na simpleng summit lang, marami palang audience! Inexpect ko na simple training on communication kasi communication is very imporatnt, lalo na ngayong panahon na marami nang fake news, hindi natin alam kung ano ang totoong balita. Malapit na rin yung election kaya maraming lumalabas na issue na hindi ko alam kung totoo o hindi.”
(I thought it was just a simple summit, but there were a lot of participants! I expected basic communication training, which is essential, especially now with so much fake news. It’s hard to know what the real news is. The upcoming elections raise many issues. I’m unsure about whether they are true.)
Camid said the summit gave her significant insights into assuring the relevance of the information she collects. She is grateful for the opportunity to participate, as it has expanded her understanding of communication.
Rohanisah Taratingan from Brgy. Minanga in Tamparan town mirrored Camid’s perspective, stating that she learned to provide accurate information about real occurrences and identify bogus news. She also underlined the necessity of not believing everything at once and trusting barangay authorities over random Facebook posts.
“Maraming salamat sa provincial government sa programang ganito na marami ang natututunan,” she further said.
(Thank you to the provincial government for this program; it has been very educational for many of us.)
The Provincial Information Office organized the summit to provide the necessary skills for effective information dissemination. It covered topics such as the role of communication in governance and nation-building, effective communication, and gender-sensitive reporting.
Vice Governor Mohammad Khalid Raki-in Adiong, who attended the conference, advised participants to put their newfound knowledge to use. He urged them to focus on factual information about government programs and activities rather than spreading false information.
“We should focus on communicating the programs offered by our government, the local government units, and non-government organizations that benefit the residents,” he stated. (APB/PIA-10 Lanao del Sur)
