DAVAO CITY (PIA) — Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Leo Tereso Magno assured assistance of his office to strengthen the Strategic Communications (StratCom) Cluster of the Regional Task Force on Executive Order No. 70 to end local communist armed conflict (ELCAC).
In the full council meeting of the Joint RTF ELCAC on Dec. 27, Secretary Magno acknowledged the appeal of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) XI for resource and technical assistance in “reactivating” the StratCom Cluster.
Beyond the request of PIA XI to reactivate the RTF ELCAC StratCom, Magno wanted the cluster to get “strengthened.”
PIA XI focal to JRTF ELCAC Jeanevive D. Abangan pointed out the need to bring together all regional information officers of the national line agencies to come up with a united and cohesive approach of reporting the significant efforts of the government to address the issues capitalized by the communist terrorist group (CTG).
Abangan also brought to the attention of the JRTF officials, some issues published online putting the government and the armed forces at a disadvantage position. One particular article was entitled, “In the Philippines, persecuted Lumads push for Indigenous schools to be reopened.”
Instead of giving strength on the alleged demand of IPs for the Salugpungan schools to be re-opened, the story hauled attacks against the military and national government officials responsible for the weakening of the CTG forces.
Abangan noted that the tasks of the Strategic Communications Cluster cut across some other line of efforts of Task Force ELCAC, and that PIA should not be a sole agency to report the relevant interventions of the government, and to address disinformation against the government.
“We want the Stratcom to become a cohesive communication cluster of government information officers, not just PIA,” Abangan pointed out during the JRTF last full council meeting.
In response, Secretary revealed plans of MinDA to bring together the information officers of various agencies of the government for updating.
“One of the thrust is really to come up with honest to goodness reporting of things that the government has been doing positively for the region and for the whole of Mindanao,” he said. “If PIA within the context of NTF ELCAC, would like to join forces with us , and spearhead and reactivate the communications cluster, bakit hindi (why not). Tutulong at tutulong po ang Mindanao Development Authority kung ano’ng kailangan Ninyo (MinDA will help whatever you need),” he made the assurance during the meeting.
On top of reporting government programs, activities and projects (PAPs), Secretary Magno wanted the StratCom Cluster to counter disinformation, and the orchestrated move to feed the public with incorrect information.
“It is up to us in government to correct, to make corrective measures para malaman ng iba na hindi naman Ito ang katotohanan (so that others will know that this is not the truth),” he said.
He directed the secretariat to take note of the suggestion of PIA XI among the ways forward in 2025 (JMDA, PIA XI)
