DAPITAN CITY, Zamboanga del Norte (PIA) — The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF WPS) has commissioned the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) to take the lead in disseminating the government’s transparency efforts on the situation in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Standing true to its mandate as the developmental communications arm of the Philippine government, the PIA has accepted the challenge to deliver timely and accurate information about the government’s efforts to assert the nation’s rights in the West Philippine Sea as it gathered the agency’s Mindanao-based information officers in Dapitan City to strategize how this mission will be carried out.
PIA Director General Jose A. Torres Jr. explained the need for “creativity” in reaching out to the various sectors in the country.
“Itong gawain na ito ay ginagampanan ng Philippine Information Agency para abutin natin ang ating mga kababayan sa kasuluk-sulukan ng ating bansa para magkaisa tayo at sama-sama tayo na ipagtanggol ang ating teritoryo,” Torres Jr. emphasized during the workshop on March 6.
[The Philippine Information Agency is doing this so that we can reach out and unite our countrymen in all corners of our country to enjoin them to be with us in defending our sovereign rights and our territory.]
He said the communication plan resulting from the workshop will serve as a guide for the implementation of advocacy campaigns for various captured audiences at the regional level to unite Filipinos and protect the “sovereign rights” of the country in the WPS.
Torres Jr. also posted a challenge to all PIA regional offices to conduct communication activities that are effective enough to catch the interest of people and bolster the government’s transparency strategy.
Each of the region’s awareness campaign activities is poised to address identified communication gaps and carry out the battle cry message, “Sa West Philippine Sea, ang yaman nito ay para sa Pilipino [The wealth in the West Philippine Sea is for Filipinos].”
Earlier in February, the NTF WPS-PIA conducted the first leg of the WPS Strategic Communication Workshop for the PIA Luzon cluster.
The Philippine government, through the NTF WPS, has vowed to reinforce efforts to ensure that its initiatives to overcome false narratives on the West Philippine Sea are properly and accurately disseminated.
“The reason we are engaging PIA is because we believe that you can make our voice louder. Sa pamamagitan ng [through your] network ninyo sa mga [in your] radio stations in your respective areas, you can amplify the messaging of the NTF WPS,” said Commo. Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard for the West Philippine Sea.
According to him, the NTF WPS believes that, as an information arm of the government, the PIA can help amplify the voice of the Filipinos and magnify the truth, expressing high confidence in the PIA’s capability to carry out the message across and influence public perceptions more than any other agency.
Tarriela emphasized that intensifying the voice of the Filipinos against the unlawful actions of China against the fishermen eking out a living in the WPS not only generates more support from the international communities but also deepens the sense of unity and patriotism among Filipinos from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Retired Maj. Gen. Nestor Herico, deputy director general of the National Security Council, reiterated the importance of PIA’s active participation and support in the West Philippine Sea information campaign.
“Let’s prepare for WAR. WAR means West Philippine Sea Awareness Run. Ito ‘yung takbo natin sa [This is our course in the] West Philippine Sea. The country is waging a war not of armaments and ammunition but of countering fake news and false narratives,” he explained.
The official also emphasized that highlighting the truth and transparency efforts in the WPS is key to ensuring that the country’s sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea are secured and disseminated to every Filipino and the community of nations. (With reports from Lean Twinkle Bolongon, PIA Cotabato City)
