Davao Region students boost writing skills in Environmental Reporting Workshop

DAVAO DEL NORTE, October 22 (PIA) - - High school campus writers in the region upgraded recently their writing skills through the Environmental Reporting Seminar Workshop held at Big8 Corporate Hotel.

Conducted by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), 52 high school students from 26 schools in the region participated in the seminar workshop conducted from October 16 to 18.

The seminar-workshop featured topics on climate change, the new weather condition, El Niño phenomenon, news and feature writing, radio broadcasting and photography.

Jose Mari Oquiñena, PIA director general, challenged the students to improve their skills by writing not only from the brain but also from the heart.

“When you write from your brain, you write just to inform people but when you write from your heart, you will also inspire people,” Director Oquiñena said.

Oquiñena also stressed that the students should not only write about change but also be an example of that change.

“The medium is the message. You cannot expect your readers to act on change unless you are doing it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Efren Elbanbuena, regional director of the Philippine Information Agency, encouraged the students to write more about environmental issues and concerns.

“We assembled you so that you can help us spread the information about climate change. The more that we are writing about it, the more that people that will be informed and eventually, inspired to change,” Director Elbanbuena said. (PIA 11, Michael Uy)