MANILA – Some 70 information center managers (ICMs) of
the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) from all over the country have
converged at the Bayview Park Hotel Manila along Roxas Boulevard for the first “Provincial ICMs Conference”
starting March 10-14.
“Make sense of what is
happening in our country,” Presidential communications Operations Office (PCOO)
Secretary Sonny Coloma said, recognizing the crucial role of the ICMs in the
delivery of information to the public. He cited four guiding principles in
making a story: Observe, Report, Analyze and Synthesize (ORAS).
“I hope you will have a
sharing of experiences. I don’t believe in exclusivity of ideas. I believe in
the empowerment of everybody and recognize that everybody can contribute to the
work,” PIA Director-General Jose Mari M. Oquinena also said in his message to the participants.
“You are not implementers
of an order. I want you to be initiators of something you believe what is good
for your province,” DG Oquinena added.
He encouraged the ICMs to
refocus and to reaffirm their presence in the agency. “It is important to
develop an intelligent heart, not just an intelligent mind,” stressed Oquinena.
“Kasi marami namang
matatalino sa mundo, bakit ganito tayo
kagulo? Marami namang Ph. D. na agriculturist, bakit may gutom? Marami
ang may masteral on communication and information, bakit hindi tayo
nagkakaintindihan,” (We have a lot of brilliant people in the world, but why
are in trouble? A number of agriculturists with Ph.D., but why are we hungry?
Lots have masteral degrees on communication and information, but why are we not
in agreement?) Oquinena noted.
He said the ICMs should begin telling people to start
thinking of others before self. “If you really want change, you have to conquer
the culture na ako muna bago iba (me
first before others). Dapat, ang iba muna
bago ako,” (It should be others first, before me) emphasized Oquinena.
When DG Oquinena entered
the government, he had a simple point of consideration, saying: “Although we do
not have a perfect government, I said I will be serving a president who will
not ask me to steal, that’s good enough for me. I’m not looking for a perfect
president. I’m just looking for somebody that will not ask me to compromise my
values. That will be okay for me.”
“Because from there,
you can build a future for your country; from there you can start dreaming of what
is good for the country - because we have a President that encourages goodness in
everyone,” he concluded. (PIA9)