Zamboanga City, October 15 (PIA) – Newly-designated information officers from the city’s 98 barangays are set to become part of the “Tiene Cuidao” campaign to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the communities as well as fight misinformation and disinformation after a training held recently in the city.
This initiative is borne from directives from the Regional Development Council (RDC) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to “cascade information from the national level to the grassroots, for them to know criticial information regarding development, safety and security in their areas”.
“It is way for the barangay constituents to prevent disinformation and not to be misinformed,” said PIA-9 Regional Director Noemi B. Edaga.
Meanwhile, Mayor Beng Climaco is appreciative of the initiative as it will enable essential information especially on government advocacies and services to reach the grassroots, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am very thankful to the team, because we will now have force info multipliers to provide accurate information to the barangay and to its constituent that would have a mass effect on adhering COVID-19 safety measures and awareness to terrorism threats,” Mayor Climaco said.
Meanwhile, the ZC-PIO communications team shared challenges in having information reach the grassroots. “As of now, we are just using the influence of social media to inform but not all can access that’s why we are tapping the BLGUs thru BIO to help us in information dissemination not just during but also after the pandemic,” said City Hall Public Information Officer IV Sheila Covarrubias.
The newly-designated barangay officials accepted their roles as Barangay Information Officers (BIOs) of their community believing that it is part of their obligations to inform and keep the constituents in touched with the must-know information.
“There are so many fake news circulating in our community and in these instances, as public servants, we need to give them the proper information so that they will know what they must do and not to do,” expressed by Jann Dextex L. Calma, designated BIO of barangay. Zambowood.
Simultaneously, the Department of Health (DOH)-9 also designated the BIO as the Bida Bastunero/Bastunera, as part of the agency’s campaign to address COVID-19 in their community.
The City Health Office (CHO) was also in the 3-day series of orientation where 98 barangays have divided into 3 batches to secure minimum health standards are in adherence.
Furthermore, the PIA-9, ZC-PIO and partnered agencies are hopeful to have wider and extensive information dissemination that will take place in the barangay level for the next succeeding years.
This Barangay Information Officers Network (BION) initiative was jointly undertaken by the City Government of Zamboanga thru the Public Information Office, the City Health Office, Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA). (NBE/JRA/PIA-Zamboanga City)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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