KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) — The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) emphasized the pivotal role of the Mindanao Communicators Network (MindaComNet) in sharing the stories of the people at the grassroots level with the nation.
PIA Director General Jose A. Torres Jr. emphasized this during the opening of the MindaComNet Congress SOCCSKSARGEN Leg in Koronadal City, South Cotabato, on Thursday, Aug. 29.
“Napakaganda po ng vision, mission ng Communication Network, ito po talaga ‘yong ating isasabuhay. Dadalhin po natin kung ano ‘yong kwento ng buhay ng mamamayan doon sa taas,” said Torres.
(The vision and mission of the Communication Network are truly beautiful; this is what we will really embody. We will tell the story of the people’s lives up there.)
He also urged the participants to promote good stories and provide people with hope for stories that have a negative impact.
“Tayong mga taga-Mindanao ay sanay sa kwento. Sana po ay ipagpatuloy natin ‘yong kwento ng kabutihan at kwento ng pag-unlad dito sa bahaging ito ng Pilipinas,” he stated.
(People in Mindanao are accustomed to hearing stories. I hope we can continue to tell positive stories about people and progress in this part of the Philippines.)
The director general also highlighted the importance of community immersion in fueling effective communication.
He said that as a communicator, one should strive to deliver information on government programs to the masses.
“Hindi tayo pwedeng maging effective communicator kung hindi tayo nakababad doon sa mga taong ating pinagsisilbihan,” Torres added.
(If we are not deeply involved in the people we serve, we cannot be effective communicators.)
The two-day congress brings together almost 200 information officers from government agencies and local government units in the region who engage in meaningful deliberations and discussions on SOCCSKSARGEN issues.
Sponsored by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), the event also tackled the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) and the Mindanao Peace and Development Framework 2023-2028, or the Mindanao Agenda.
Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary Romeo M. Montenegro, deputy executive director of MinDA and representative of MinDA Chairperson Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, expressed their office’s intention to regularly convene government communicators in Mindanao.
“Hopefully next year, we can again slate the Mindanao Communicators Network Congress, of course in partnership with the Philippine Information Agency,” he said, explaining the importance of presenting a contextualized real picture of development in Mindanao through the MindaComNet Congress. (SJDM – PIA Region 12)
