By Rene V. Carbayas
LAMITAN CITY ,
Basilan – The Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-ZAMBASULTA
Information Center and the Basilan Communicators Network, Inc. (BASCOMNET) conducted
over the weekend the first campus journalism seminar-workshop for high schools
in this city.
With the support from the Embassy of the
United States of America in Manila and the Department of Education-ARMM, some
one hundred students from seven high schools in Lamitan converged at the Claret
School of Lamitan last Nov. 23 - 24.
Kurt J. Hoyer, US Embassy Attache in Manila,
stressed in his video message to the participants that Journalism plays an
important role in all free societies, saying that “Freedom of the press is one
of the basic rights enshrined in the American Constitution and also an
important part of the free society here in the Philippines.”
“Only if people had accurate and thorough
information can one make a free choice in a free society,” he added.
Hoyer further told participants that
journalists have to be smart, tough, and independent. “These are core features
of what we hope to inspire in students who wants to be a journalist,” he said.
In her message, Mayor Rosita U. Furigay said
that the city is lucky that the PIA had initiated a two-day seminar, which she
said is a rare opportunity for students in Lamitan. She hoped that all high
schools were represented as this seminar-workshop would harness the talents and
skills of young journalists.
“What and how we communicate are very
important issues nowadays because others had become careless and irresponsible
in conveying their messages,” the mayor noted as she cited that young people
today have the modern technology, like the internet and the cellular phones, to
communicate.
Meanwhile, DOST-ARMM Regional Secretary and
current BASCOMNET President Myra M. Alih encouraged the students to engage in
journalistic activities as she stressed that information is vital to society.
For two days, the participants underwent an
intensive training with lectures on the following: Basic Newswriting with Dave
Malcampo, Writing Feature Story with Imee Gay Molve, Basic Photography and
Photo Journalism with Rene Carbayas, Editorial Writing with Angela Lazaro,
Journalsim Ethics and Peace Journalism with Dave Malcampo, and Citizens
Journalism and Social Media with Rene Carbayas.
Moreover, the students also had an
opportunity to interact with US Embassy Charge d Affairs Brian L. Goldbeck
during a phone-patched interview on the first day. Goldbeck encouraged students
to harness their skills to contribute to the transformation of the society.
Participants were also engaged in competition
for newswriting, feature writing with photos, editorial writing, and writing
reports through SMS (short messaging system).
The seminar was also made possible with the
support of the city government of Lamitan. Participating schools include Colony
National High School, Look National High School, Claret School of Lamitan, Lamitan
National high School, Ubit National High School, Parangbasak National High
School, and the Basilan State College Laboratory High School. (PIA9)