PAGADIAN CITY – In keeping with its mandate of providing a free flow of timely, accurate,
relevant information to the public, the regional office of Philippine
Information Agency (PIA)-IX has been holding a weekly media forum featuring
government programs, projects, services, policies, pronouncements, and
accomplishments.
As an avenue for the the national
government agencies (NGAs), government-owned and controlled corporations
(GOCCs), state universities and colleges, local government units (LGUs), and other
government entities to disseminate their respective programs and services, the
media forum facilitates no-holds-barred discussions of government programs
between government agencies and local media practitioners.
Brainchild of lady PIA-IX director
The forum, which is a one and a half
hour-activity held every Tuesday at Daniel Hall, New Roxan Hotel, Pagadian
City, has been the brainchild of PIA-IX Regional Director Noemi B. Edaga. It is
regularly attended by broadcast, print and online media practitioners who are
all members of the Zamboanga del Sur-Pagadian City Press Club, Inc.
Edaga finds it wise to organize a weekly
media forum, as “the government has various development programs that need to
be disseminated to the public especially the poor sectors of the society by the
private media as partners in advocacy to have these programs trickle down to
the grassroots.”
Operating without budget
At first, the lady director was hesitant
to proceed with the activity since the agency has no budget to fund the same
more especially the payment for the venue and snacks for the guests and
participants. But, PIA-IX’s healthy relations with the private media and
the line agencies enabled the agency to spearhead the program at no cost. The media forum, which was officially
launched on July 16, 2010, is now on its third year.
NGAs, LGU participation
Since its launch in 2010, a number of
NGAs, LGUs and even non-government organizations (NGOs) had already
participated in the media forum. To name some, they are the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP), Commission on Filipinos Overseas, Department of Agrarian
Reform (DAR), Department of Education (DepED), Department of Health (DOH),
Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), National
Commission for the Culture and Arts (NCCA),
National Housing Authority (NHA), National Statistics Office (NSO),
Pag-IBIG Fund, Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Health Skills and Development Authority (PHSDA),
Pagadian City government, Office Civil Defense (OCD), Zamboanga del Sur
Electric Cooperative-I, and others.
A great help
OCD-IX Regional Director Adriano Fuego
said the media forum greatly help in disseminating the programs and activities
of his agency especially the implementation of Republic Act No. 10121 otherwise
known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.
Fuego further said through the forum “the
implementing rules and regulations of the said law have been well disseminated
to the public with the help of the print, broadcast, TV and online media.” He
also expressed his thanks for having been invited to the program.
“As far as I can remember, I’ve been in
the forum for three times already, giving and discussing the salient features
of RA 10121 with the media,” he added.
The OCD chief recalled that a media
forum was held by PIA-IX in 2012 at Marian College in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay
where the OCD was conducting an earthquake drill to the teaching staff and
students.
“Every time we have major activities and
important announcement especially on disaster preparedness, we usually tap PIA
for a possible guesting in its media forum to promptly disseminate the information
to the public,” Fuego stressed.
Strengthening government-media relations
Zamboanga del Sur-Pagadian City Press
Club, Inc. (ZPPI) president and “Hardline” news editor Vic Del Pilar lauded the
efforts of PIA-IX, saying “the forum helps strengthen the relationship between
the NGAs, NGOs and media practitioners in disseminating vital information to
the public.
The ZPPI president regularly attends the
forum and writes news articles about the topics discussed in said activity.
Lualhati “Waway” Belen, broadcaster of
RMN-dxPR and a regular panelist in the forum said she was happy that PIA-IX had
launched the project for she has been able to gather more pieces of information
about the government services/projects from the program.
“Nalipay ko
nga ang media forum gihimo sa PIA9 tungod kay daghan nga mga kasayuran nga
among makuha gikan sa mga nagkadaiyang ahensya sa kagamhanan. Nahatagan usab kami
ug kahigayonan nga makahimamat ang mga kadagkoan opisyal sa kagamhanan, ug
akong makahimamat usab kanunay ang akong mga kauban sa inidustiyra sa media (I am elated that the media forum was
launched by PIA9 because we can gather various information from the different
national government agencies. We are
also given an opportunity to meet government officials and my colleagues in
media industry),” Belen said.