Public information officers in Negros Oriental recently completed a training on Conflict and Peace Development Reporting conducted by the Strategic Communications cluster of the Negros Oriental Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NOTF ELCAC).
The training was attended by members of the Association of Negros Oriental Public Information Officers.
It aimed to capacitate the public information officers in communicating the gains of the government’s ELCAC programs by improving their messaging, enhancing their writing skills, and inspiring them with ideas for social media content.
Former regional director of the Philippine Information Agency Minerva Chanco-Newman, one of the resource persons, emphasized the importance of government communicators countering the negative propaganda pushed by left-leaning groups.
“In strategic communications, we are developing ways to cascade to the public the peace and development initiatives of our agencies to counter the negative propaganda pushed by left-leaning groups. We strategize how we convey our key message to highlight the actions taken by your agencies to address issues that are related to insurgency, peace, and development,” said Newman, who was also Visayas bureau chief for the Manila Bulletin.
The Philippine Information Agency, as lead agency of the Strategic Communications cluster of the NOTF ELCAC, assisted in the conduct of the training, which was implemented in partnership with the Provincial Peace and Order Council.
PIA-Negros Oriental Information Center Manager Jennifer Catan-Tilos advised the PIOs that one-story outputs related to ELCAC can be disseminated on multiple platforms, including social media.
She said these can be in the form of social media cards, infographics, broadcast releases, photo releases, reels, and short videos.
For Manjuyod PIO Consuelo Tuble, the training helped provide a new perspective in her writing as she emphasized the need for PIOs like her to exercise sensitivity in the content they produce.
“Kinahanglan gud ta og strategic communication dili lamang tungod kay digital na ta pero needed kay siya. Usahay insensitive na kaayo ta mosulat. Dili na ta kaayo mo-mind sa perspective sa uban tao. Daghan kaayo salamat for giving us the opportunity to learn (We really need strategic communications not only because it is a must in this digital era. Sometimes, we have become insensitive when it comes to writing. We don’t think about the perspective of other people. Thank you for this opportunity to learn),” said Tuble.
Manjuyod is one of the municipalities in the Province identified as ELCAC priority area.
In the same activity, Provincial Public Information Officer Juvilin Calago also spoke on the important role of PIOs in generating public awareness about the government’s efforts to end insurgency.
“With our local terrorist groups, most of them are aggressive thinkers. I hope we are the key to soften their hearts, to deliver to them [news about] the good projects of our Province and our government,” she said, speaking on behalf of Gov. Chaco Sagarbarria.
Calago cited the various initiatives of the Provincial ELCAC Task Force involving peace initiatives, such as the opening of a halfway house for former rebels at the Philippine Army’s 302nd Infantry Brigade headquarters in Tanjay City, the P20 million housing project for former rebels in the southernmost town of Basay, and the MLS caravan (Medical, Legal & Social Services) implemented in the hinterlands to bring essential government services to residents there.
Gherelene Mae Rafols, ANOPIO vice-president for the South, thanked the Strategic Communication cluster for coming up with the training that will help improve their communication skills.
“We greatly appreciate the opportunity to enhance our skills, to enrich us, to refresh us in this field,” Rafols said. (RAL/PIA7 NegOr)
