DavNor Guv spots on crucial role of media

DAVAO DEL NORTE, November 04 (PIA)---Provincial Governor Rodolfo P. del Rosario recently recognized the important role that private media practitioners play in disseminating balanced and fair information to the public.

In addressing  the program on October 31 that capped the observance of Press Freedom Month in October,  Del  Rosario acknowledged the media sector as the 4thstate telling the practitioners of their crucial role as  the critical eye to screen activities of government official

”You are the one who will say whether a government official is doing the right thing or  not,”  he said during the program cum dinner that Del Rosario hosted  through  the  Provincial Information Office  (PIO).

However, Del Rosario reminded media practitioners of the need  for them to maintain “independence” saying, “that is the role you are expected to perform”.

But he asked them to be “fair” in their reportage and to “come up with right news and information”  using the traditional media:  print, television and radio, and even the social media to inform the people.

The program cum dinner that Gov. del Rosario hosted  on the night of October  31 through the PIO, wrapped up the series of media activities  focusing on academe, tourism and climate change and local governance.

The month-long observance of press freedom opened on October 13 during which PIO hosted the Provincial Monday Convocation  featuring a talk show  bringing on the panel of guests Gov. Del Rosario, chair of the  Regional Development Council (RDC) with RDC Vice Chairperson Ma. Lourdes Lim, regional director of the National Economic Development  Authority (NEDA) XI.

PIO then pushed the press freedom observance on Oct. 16, dubbing  media partnership with  the academe  as Academedia. It conducted a  training on audio video production  and television  reporting inviting in as participants high school  and college students particularly the school-paper members.

On Oct. 17, PIO tied up media partnership with  thetourism sector and brought the private media practitioners and  the LGU information officers to Talikud Island being developed by the provincial government of Davao del Norte as a tourist destination.

On media and climate change, PIO featured the Oplan ANDAM (Awareness on Natural Disaster and Mitigation), the primary disaster risk reduction management program of the provincial government.

PIO brought  the media partners to Cuambogan in Tagum City where the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDDRMO) taught them some life-saving techniques and got them involved in a crisis communication management workshop.

In the later part of October,  PIO organized the  Press Congress  bringing in as guest speaker Ms.Celerita Amores,  the assistant vice president on Regional Public Affairs Program of GMA to discuss the topic, “The Role of the Media in Regional Development.”

At the finale of the month-long  Press Freedom observance,  PIO organized a fun day on Oct. 31 solely for the private media practitoiners, highlighted by familiarization on handling of firearms and shooting exercises supervised by Police Senior Supt. Samuel Gadingan of Davao del Norte Police Provincial Office.

The Media Fun Day also engaged the private media practitioners in a basketball tournament in tandem with participating municipal \and city information officers in Davao del Norte.   (PIA 11/ Jeanevive Duron-Abangan)