(Photos by Jumalynne Doctolero/PIA-NCR)
MANILA, (PIA) — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday, Aug. 14, witnessed the launch of his administration’s Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Campaign Project to combat misinformation and disinformation online at the Hilton Manila in Pasay City.
“We must allow everyone to discern for themselves what is real and what is not, what is propaganda, what is facts, what is data, what is speculation, these are all the things that we want people to learn,” President Marcos said following his overseeing of the ceremonial signing of Memorandum of Understanding and launching of the Media and Information Literacy Campaign of the Presidential Communications Office.
“We have to find a way that whatever inputs that the people are getting they have the ability to discern fake news,” he added.
President Marcos is first to sign his personal support for the Media Information and Literacy Campaign. (Photo by Jumalynne Doctolero/PIA-NCR)
For her part, PCO Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the MIL would focus on arming the youth with the right skills to discern various information they see online.
Other agencies joining the initiative are the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The MIL initiative also serves as the government’s reaction to the proliferation of false information and misleading content present in the nation’s online environment. Its primary aim is to empower young individuals, enabling them to develop a heightened ability to critically evaluate and navigate various forms of media.
These agencies will cooperate with the PCO to create a thorough implementation strategy designed to tackle the fundamental sources of the problem.
Incorporation of MIL is planned across tertiary educational syllabi, local community training, and initiatives focused on families.
“It is immediate, it is urgent, I think if we put our minds to it there is a way to allow our people to be able to discern the truth and everything else,” President Marcos said.
Meanwhile, social media enterprises and their respective platforms are anticipated to engage in partnership with the government, offering resources and instruction to combat the spread of misleading information and false data.
Some of these social media giants include Google (recognized for YouTube), Meta (overseeing Facebook, Instagram, and Threads), TikTok, and X (previously known as Twitter). (PIA-NCR)
