Various stakeholders from public and private media organizations and government information offices collaborate to promote peace-building initiatives at a local level. (Photo by: Juan Carlo Ruff/PIA-CPSD)
QUEZON CITY (PIA) – Recognizing the crucial role of communication in promoting lasting peace in Metro Manila, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) and the Presidential Communications Office through the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) led today the NCR leg of the orientation and workshop on peace communication with representatives from the media and government communicators.
The activity, attended by sixty-four (64) media practitioners and information officers from local government units and national government agencies, aims to equip partner communicators with knowledge of the government’s peacebuilding efforts, which may aid them in producing accurate and balanced content on localized peace engagement initiatives to the grassroots level.
“The reason why we are conducting this media orientation is to localize peace engagement. The milestones we have achieved through these initiatives need to be effectively communicated to our peace partners and the general public for their increased awareness and support,” said OPAPRU Presidential Assistant for Local Conflict Transformation Atty. Wilben M. Mayor in his opening message.
For his part, PIA Director-General Jose A. Torres, Jr. highlighted the vital role of the media in shaping a transparent understanding of the different peace-building efforts, enabling Filipinos to make informed decisions and contribute to public welfare as a whole.
“Bilang mga mamamahayag at tagapag-ulat, hawak natin ang isang natatanging kapangyarihan–ang kakayahan na hubugin ang mga naratibo na makaapekto sa mga opinyon, perspektiba, at sa huli, baguhin ang mga buhay ng ating mga kababayan,” said Torres in a message that was delivered on his behalf by PIA Deputy Director-General for Knowledge Management and Strategic Communications Elmer Jude F. Mesina.
(As journalists and reporters, we hold a special power—the ability to shape the narrative that will affect the opinions, perspectives, and lastly, the lives of our fellow citizens.)
OPAPRU Localized Peace Engagement Section Deputy Head Ma. Celin Mendoza and Regional Adviser on Peace and Security Major General Edgardo Y. De Leon (Ret.) led the discussion of the Localized Peace Engagements (LPE) and its transformation program alongside the multi-dimensional nature of the local communist armed conflict.
This critical discourse particularly provided the participants with a broader insight into the mainstreaming and implementation of the LPE, which consists of program interventions that cater to the security, confidence-building, healing, and socioeconomic needs of former rebels, their families, and communities in conflict-affected and conflict-vulnerable areas.
“By equipping our media partners with a deeper understanding of the situation, we can work together to counter the spread of misinformation and cultivate a more conducive environment for lasting peace,” PIA-NCR Regional Director Emver P. Cortez stated, anchoring the importance of delivering accurate and conflict-sensitive reporting of information that covers stories of transformation and resilience.
The OPAPRU Media Orientation is part of a broader strategy to engage various stakeholders, including national government agencies and local government units that are part of the lead clusters in the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) mechanisms.
The collective event is also geared towards strengthening the network of media organizations committed to producing targeted communication in support of the localized peace engagement initiatives.
The OPAPRU Media Orientation is the first in a series of capacity-building activities planned for media organizations across the country, as the government continues to prioritize the advancement of local peace engagement and conflict transformation in Metro Manila and shall be rolled out in different communities around the region. (PIA-NCR)
