PCG, PIA lead literacy forum on West PHL Sea
By Connie Calipay
LEGAZPI CITY --- The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), and the National Youth Commission (NYC) on Tuesday led a symposium here to educate the youth against fake news, especially on topics of national importance like the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
PIA Director General Undersecretary Katherine de Castro emphasized the Filipino youth's strong influence in social media to combat misinformation during the symposium attended by students of the University of Santo Tomas Legazpi.
“On the issue of the West Philippine Sea, fake news is being used to confuse the public and weaken our sovereignty. That is why we should not easily believe everything we read and see, especially on social media. I believe that the Filipino youth have the strongest voice on social media, which is why we need your help in fighting fake news and misinformation,” De Castro said.
She said the PIA goes around the country for its media and information literacy campaign in villages, focusing on grassroots engagement.
"The PIA has numerous platforms to combat fake news, but we find face-to-face interactions to be more effective. This allows us to gather your opinions and insights. Young people are the loudest voices on social media. When you come across news that you know is false, you can easily label it as fake news. Additionally, be cautious about sharing information that seems dubious. It's important to identify it as fake news as well," she said in Filipino.
During the press conference, PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the WPS, said that awareness on the real situation and what is happening in the WPS is important to the public.
"It is important that every one of us, regardless of wherever you are from, from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, should understand what we are coming for. You know what ordinary fishermen are going through, why we have to stand up for this, and why we have to fight for it,” Tarriela said.
He said the government's awareness campaign aims to provide a long-term impact on the Filipino people, particularly on the youth.
"We have to make sure that the next generation of Filipinos are educated and understand what we are fighting for," Tarriela said.
He added that information literacy is crucial to create patriotism among Filipinos.
"The only way to awaken the sense of patriotism in the Filipino people is to provide them with the right information. You cannot unite the Filipino nation on the issue of the West Philippine Sea if, first, they do not see it, do not feel it and do not understand it," he said.
Tarriela emphasized the role of the youth in combating fake news online.
“We have to make sure that the next generations of Filipinos are well educated and understand what we are fighting for,” Tarriela said.
Meanwhile, NYC Assistant Secretary Karl Josef Legazpi said they are collaborating with the Sangguniang Kabataan and local youth organizations to enhance awareness campaigns regarding WPS.
"Our goal is to increase the youth's understanding of the WPS issue. We believe this advocacy should be at the forefront of young people's minds today. It is important for the youth to know our right to own WPS," he said.
Legazpi explained that their objective is to tackle this issue by implementing information and education campaigns, along with training programs for the youth.
"We will continue engaging with them. We hold a national youth convention twice a year, with the last two events taking place in La Union, one in November of last year and another in February of this year, attended by around 5,000 participants from various youth groups," he added.
The forum was also conducted at the Sorsogon State University in Sorsogon province on Monday. (With reports from Lily Nocomora and Valerie Olaño, OJTs/PNA)
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