BRINGING the right information from national to local government is a way to combat the massive spread of fake news and unverified information today which, according to Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin M. Andanar, is attainable by forming a group of people who will bring the right message to the public even in areas beyond reach.
While it seems a far-fetched reality at present, he cited the Muntinlupa Barangay Information Officers (MBIO) as the first and only active communicators’ group in the community level in the country.
The MBIO was piloted by the city’s Public Information Officer Tez Navarro last year, with more than 50 members.
Andanar led the oath-taking ceremony of the information group at Muntinlupa City Hall in Putatan on Tuesday.
The PCOO chief lauded the creation of information officers’ network in the city, pioneering the relay of relevant information to constituents of local government units (LGUs).
He said they serve as an inspiration to the agency to further enhance the flow of information from the national level down to the LGUs and grassroots.
Andanar hoped that they would serve as a benchmark practice in the country that other cities and municipalities will emulate.
Face-to-face interactions, he pointed out, is pivotal in bringing information to every Filipino.
Mayor Jaime Fresnedi vowed to support the thrust of the PCOO to build bridges with everyone through effective communication strategies.
Similar to the MBIO, the PCOO recently launched the Provincial Communication Officers Network.
It aims to bring news from Malacañang to the LGUs and communities to ensure that the policies and plans of President Duterte are communicated to every Filipino.