DAVAO CITY, June 20 (PIA) A top official of the Philippine Information Agency is mulling the deployment of volunteer officers for information and community empowerment (VOICE) in the barangays to reach out effectively to the people by providing information that will make them an empowered citizenry.
Speaking to the media practitioners at the Hermes Club Forum in the Waterfront Insular Hotel, Undersecretary Jose Mari Oquinena, director-general of the Philippine Information Agency cited the need for the agency to go beyond merely making people aware of the issues affecting them and the corresponding programs that the government puts in place to improves their lives.
He said the PIA must provide the right information to put the people in action and involved in nation-building.
“It is important that the people will have their stake and see their role in building our nation. We need to have an inclusive community and consequently, inclusive growth,” Oquinena said.
He said the VOICE, serving as multipliers for the limited number of information officers will bring the information to at least 20 to 30 residents in every barangay.
Oquinena said, with these approach will allow more people to act accordingly and participate on activities supported by government on health, environmental protection and the like.
“It will promote patriotism among residents, especially if they realize that they have important roles in addressing dengue, environment degradation and other issues affecting their community,” he said.
Oquinena said the VOICE is an approach of coping the lack of manpower besetting the PIA.
He said under the current situation, it is impossible to reach out to many communities given the limited manpower of the agency.
Oquinena said through the VOICE, young journalists will be mentored and will maximize the use of technology like the social media and the cellular phones, given that most of the citizenry is connected through the information highway and the cellular phone technology.
He also cited the need for the PIA to go back to its first mandate to provide information and not just news.
Oquinena said news is already provided for by the Philippine News Agency.
“People must be taught to engage vigorously with government. PIA should be initiating people to convey and facilitate their voices to decision makers, adhering to the democratic processes,” he said. (PIA XI-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)
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