KALIBO, Aklan—The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) urged members of the media, including television, print and even social media, to put more emphasis on issues pertaining to women and development.
Cristita Triunfante, PCW commissioner on education, said there are many potential stories involving women that are newsworthy.
Triunfante was here recently as guest speaker for the one-day training on gender-sensitive media for members of the Aklan press.
“We are regularly monitoring news sites in all media platforms, including the film, lifestyle section of newspapers and even magazines, and we have found out that men are still the most prevalent sources of news. Women in politics, corporate or even households still need their voices to be carried out in the media,” she said.
“I, however, wanted to put emphasis that we have many Filipino women journalists who are gender sensitive. There are still many [men and women], however, that needed to be trained, especially in the countryside,” she added.
Also, Triunfante said that the PCW is currently coordinating with the Department of Education to ensure that school textbooks are gender sensitive.
For his part, Engr. Roger Esto, provincial planning and development office chief, said that the media training on gender-sensitive reporting is part of the province’s culmination of the 18th day campaign against Violence Against Women and Children.
Members of the Aklan media, mass communication students from the Northwestern Visayan College and Aklan Public Information Officers Association, among others, participated in the training held at the PGO Conference Hall at the Provincial Capitol.