By Claro A. Lanipa
PAGADIAN CITY – Eighty values and Araling
Panlipunan elementary and high school teachers have participated in a forum
held on Feb. 5 at the Teachers’ Center at San Jose district here by the
Movement for the Restoration of Discipline (MRDP) in partnership with the
Interfaith Forum Solidarity for Peace (IFSP) during the World Interfaith
Harmony Week celebration last week.
Republic Act No. 10525 signed by President Benigno S.
Aquino III on April 23, 2013 declared the first week of February of each year
as World Interfaith Harmony Week in the entire country, calling on the different
government agencies and instrumentalities including government-owned and
controlled corporations as well as local government units to carry out the
observance of activities designed to advance the message of interfaith harmony
and goodwill in accordance with religious traditions and practices.
Regional Director Noemi B. Edaga of the Philippine
Information Agency (PIA)-9 served as one of the resource speakers in the said
forum. She emphasized that “communication is a vital element in building a
strong republic, thus, the Philippine government operates an agency tasked with
responding to the information needs of the citizenry.”
Edaga said “PIA’s vision is to see to it that the
citizenry will be well-informed, able to understand, discuss and vote on vital
issues toward lasting peace and development.”
“PIA is primarily tasked to provide people with
adequate information to help them make better decisions and identify
opportunities that could improve their quality of life,” Director Edaga said.