MANILA, Philippines June 21 (PIA) — Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Director-General Harold Clavite on Thursday discussed pressing topics on social media and responsible sharing of information with law enforcement personnel at Bulwagang Reyes, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Civil-Military Operations School invited Clavite to speak before their Social Media Product Development and Management Training Class, with participants from the Armed Forces, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
Clavite’s discussion focused on the importance of managing information, recognizing that more and more new media platforms are now accessible to the public. He spoke in particular about the Internet and social media, as the Philippines place second globally in time spent online. He addressed the troubling rise of fake news and misperception of information, noting tips on how to spot such content. He noted that through social media and new digital technologies, the public has now become content creators themselves rather than merely receivers of information through traditional media. He urged law enforcers to take a step higher to make sure they are not left behind in these new technologies.
Clavite also cited, among other dangers of social media, the role of Facebook during the Marawi crisis. He said that local and international terrorist groups have used it as a platform to indoctrinate and enjoin people, especially the youth, in their cause. Clavite currently heads the information management and strategic communications support group of Task Force Bangon Marawi.
True to its mandate as the official public information communication arm of the government, PIA has made strides in response to the spread of misinformation and disinformation. It also supports its mother agency, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) in its campaign to dismiss disinformation, which is spearheaded by Secretary Martin Andanar himself.
As part of PIA’s plan to establish the Philippine Information Highway, PIA will engage communities across the country to aid in the effective dissemination of accurate and relevant information through programs such as the Government Information Centers (GICs) and the Information Volunteers Network (IVN).
PIA will also work with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to equip barangay information officers with the means to communicate government efforts better to their constituents, as well as develop media and information literacy materials and campaigns for the youth sector, including campus journalists, across southeast Asia. The latter is one of the many initiatives of the agency in battling misinformation and countering violent extremism on various platforms. PIA has been tapped by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) to take the lead alongside the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore in the development of a massive media and information literacy campaign that will be launched in all ASEAN member states this year.
“Dealing with information is like dealing with a dangerous weapon,” Clavite said. “When wielded right, it reaps good results, but when put in the wrong hands, it becomes a destructive tool.” He added that one important way to combat the proliferation of wrong information is to educate the public on how to become responsible users of social media and commit to become responsible sharers of information. (MRF/PIACentral)
