MAASIN CITY (PIA) — More than three dozen individuals designated as information officers from the national government agencies and local government units in the province attended the Communicators Training Workshop jointly spearheaded by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and the provincial government of Southern Leyte.
The activity, which was held October 4-5 at the Maasin Country Lodge Hotel, was also participated in by some members of the local media.
In his welcome message during the opening ceremony on Wednesday, October 4, Gov. Damian Mercado said effective communication transcended mere skills, for it is the cornerstone of progress, enabling people to connect, to inform, and to empower.
“In our roles, be it in PIA or other esteemed organizations, we wield the power of words to shape perceptions and incite change,” Mercado said, in a message read by Antoniette Joy Galdo, a staff of Sanngguniang Panlalawigan Member Jonathan Lee Maraon.
“In unity, let us embark on this enlightening journey, striving for excellence in communication that resonates and endures. Together, we shall script a brighter future through our shared commitment to the art and science of communication,” Gov. Mercado said.
PIA Director-General Jose Torres lauded the provincial LGU for supporting the conduct of the two-day Communicators Training Workshop, saying that one of the core services of PIA is institutional development through alliance building and capability building.
“Allow me to express my sincerest appreciation to our provincial government for this initiative and for seeing the importance of holding capability development training to our pool of communicators,” Torres said in a message read on his behalf by Frances Mae Macapagat, chief of PIA’s Regional Operations Division.
Torres pointed out that the effort “is complementary to PIA’s mandate of providing accurate, timely, and relevant information to enable citizens to participate in and benefit from government programs that would uplift their quality of life.”
Topics taken up and the corresponding resource speakers included news writing and photo captioning by Leonilo Lopido, officer-in-charge of PIA Region VIII; feature writing by Janie Vee Gumban of PIA Eastern Samar; mobile photography by Christian Torres of PIA Regional Office; and spotting, suppressing fake news by the personnel of the Provincial Social Media Bureau.
In the closing ceremony, Provincial Administrator Jason Calva cited the conduct of the training workshop as a way to synchronize with the information dissemination needs of the province, adding that the province will strongly support the newly-formed communicators network.
The two-day event was also supported by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), and the lawmakers from the province’s first and second congressional districts, Rep. Luz Mercado and Rep Christopherson Yap, respectively. (LDL/MMP/PIA Southern Leyte)
