Infotech accords Mindanao new leverage on governance communication – Antonino

MINDANAO Development Authority chair Luwalhati R. Antonino said the rise of information technology has accorded Mindanao new leverage in governance communication.
Antonino recognized the advent of technological breakthroughs citing the new media that could set right the negative image of Mindanao.
She said “communicating Mindanao has always been a challenge, especially in light of the way the island is perennially portrayed across national and international media platforms.”
Based on previous study by MinDA, University of the Philippines-Mindanao and MindaNews Service, Antonino said “six out of ten stories on Mindanao by leading national dailies carry heavy undertones of conflict and violence.”
“Every picture and every word used to describe the island reinforces a great deal of misconception,” Antonino said when she addressed more than 150 government information officers during the 9th Mindanao Communicators’ Network Congress on Wednesday.
She said that with not much channels to counter “the deluge of distorted stories and dispatch of information without context, Mindanao has succumbed to serious image problem.”
However, she said that the “new media is slowly changing how the game is played across platforms.”
With the emerging trend of social media in the country, Antonino urged the information officers to bring the stories of Mindanao to “as vast expanse of audience as possible and dwarf those that rather paint a picture of discord.”
Mindanao has 26 provinces, 33 cities, more than 400 municipalities and over 10,000 barangays.
Anchoring on the greater context of governance communication, she told the communicators that their individual roles “extend beyond mere beacons of information.”
She said that the new media allows public communicators to be the catalysts of social change, development and public welfare.
Antonino lauded Mindacomnet for “taking on the challenge of serving as the mechanism for collectively pursuing means to effect governance communication in Mindanao.”
She called on the new set of officers of Mindacomnet “to make this network as dynamic as possible, by actively pursuing initiatives.”
The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) leads the Mindacomnet, a network of communication officers from the government, non-government organizations, private sectors and the academe in Mindanao regions.
The 9th Mindacomnet Congress held on November 28-30 in General Santos City carried the theme: “Strengthening Governance Communication through the New Media.” [CARINA L. CAYON/PIA 11]