PAGADIAN CITY (PIA) – Over 800 Barangay Information Officers (BIOs) witnessed Isabela City’s communication efforts during the Barangay Information Officers Network (BION) Assembly held here recently.
The City Information of Isabela City, headed by Mayor Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman, pioneered the implementation of the BION in August 2020. It envisions a sustainable, community-driven, and efficient governance framework across the city by producing and disseminating free, fair, and factual public information via grassroots communication.
Nilda Delos Reyes, government information center coordinator of Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-Basilan, represented the city in sharing its best practices.
She shared the role of BIOs as providers of real-time information during disasters, communication multipliers, and volunteers of various initiatives of the city, including the recently launched GO GO Isabela Caravan, which aims to disseminate accurate and transparent information about the city’s expenditures, among other things.
“We are happy and proud to say na Isabela City po ang trailblazer dito sa Region 9,” she said. (Isabela City is the trailblazer in Region 9)
The city’s dedication to effective communication has earned it numerous accolades, including three consecutive wins as the best BION implementer in the Zamboanga Peninsula region.
Meanwhile, the BIOs of Zamboanga del Sur shared that they were inspired by Isabela City’s efforts and hoped to replicate the practices in their respective municipalities.
Marlon Pañares, information officer of Zamboanga del Sur, shared how instrumental the practices were for the provinces’ information officers. He highlighted how Isabela City’s BIOs took their responsibilities to heart, which should be replicated by all BIOs in the province.
“We should continually learn and explore more of our responsibilities, duties, and whatever we have learned and absorbed from every activity and apply it in our respective communities. This will help us help more residents in our barangays,” he said.
Delos Reyes encouraged Zamboanga del Sur BIONs to continue communicating with their community and said they could replicate Isabela City’s practices.
“Kakayanin natin dahil kailangan, kailangan nating itaguyod ang pagpapalaganap ng tamang impormasyon sa ating komunidad, sa ating mga kababayan, lalong lalo na ang mga impormasyong may kaugnayan sa mga programa ng ating pamahalaan, mula sa national down to the local levels, at kayong mga BION ang magiging partners namin sa ating grassroots.” she said.
(We will persevere because it is necessary—we need to uphold the dissemination of accurate information in our communities and to our fellow citizens, especially information related to the programs of our government, from the national down to the local levels. You, the BIONs, will be our partners in reaching the grassroots.) (EDT/JFT/PIA9-ZAMSULTA)
