TABUK CITY, Kalinga – With the theme ‘Embracing ASEAN integration: Campus Journalist’s Role in Advancing Inclusive Education,’ the recently held 2017 Regional Press Conference is giving focus on the opportunities and role of the youth as recipients.
In his keynote message, Philippine Information Agency Regional Office Media Liaison Officer Joseph Zambrano said that the Association of South East Asian Nations or ASEAN Summit recognizes the youth as the future of the integrated community and the direct beneficiaries of its impact.
Those under 30 based on data, he said, comprises more than half of the 629 million population of the ASEAN regional organization.
With the recent ASEAN Summit, Zambrano said that exciting new prospects for education and employment were opened such as the educational exchanges among countries where the young could broaden their knowledge and horizons by studying overseas.
The youth, he said, also play a critical role as active partners in nation building and as partners for positive change. As young journalists, they are provided with the avenue to express their views and promote their advocacies. “This is capacity building,” he said since their participation in the press conference provided them the chance to learn and experience strengthening their character.
He then challenged them to promote programs for nation-building, to communicate their advocacies with a heart and to tell stories that matters to help bridge development gaps such as comprehensive education for all.
He said that as budding journalists, they should be informed, to be inquisitive, innovative, and involved citing that the pen is a powerful communication tool to make a difference from the school to the communities so they could be a catalyst of change in the future as he reminded them to always be guided by the principle of responsible journalism.
Zambrano represented Assistant Secretary Anna Marie Banaag of the Presidential Communications Operations Office or (PCOO) during the event.
Acting Kalinga Governor James Edduba on the other hand emphasized the importance of press freedom to go hand in hand with responsible journalism. Press freedom and free expression which is a constitutional right, he said, are the hallmark of democracy and the purpose of journalism in carrying this out, is to ‘inform the people so they could make the best possible decisions about their lives and communities.’
“The manner of informing must be fair and accurate and it must present a good story that is important and interesting, relevant and most of all empowers,” Edduba said.
He told the participants that they are free to express their views through various means of publications however they have the duty to behave responsibly and to respect other people’s rights. Government authorities, he said, could restrict press freedom to protect national security and public safety, prevent disorder or crime, protect health and moral, and to protect the rights of other people.
With social media greatly influencing the generation, same responsibility of giving fair and accurate information also applies in the social media to promote the common good and better understanding among the people. The use of social media he said must not be abused relating how he used the medium to communicate what is happening in the province while promoting its potentials that is contributing to the sustainable development, social and economic growth, as well as encourage development, encourage accountability and transparency in governance.
The Schools Division of Tabuk City hosted said regional press conference which is focused on promoting responsible journalism especially on the fair and ethical use of the social media. It also aimed to enhance the journalistic competence of both pupils and students through healthy and friendly competitions.**By Geraldine G. Dumallig/City Information Office
