Biliran Province State University makes another move to advocate media and literary and communication in the province after formally entering into a partnership agreement with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Biliran Information Officers Network (BIONET), Provincial  Government of Biliran and the Local Government Unit of Naval (LGU-Naval).

The ceremonial signing of the quinquepartite Memorandum of Agreement, at the BiPSU held at the Hyflex Audio and Visual Center on March 17, was formalized with the presence of the Provincial Governor of Biliran Hon. Gerard Roger Espina, BiPSU President Dr. Victor C. Cañezo, Jr., Manager of PIA  Rodrigo Victoria, Chairperson of BIONET Aileen Jornales, Provincial Information Officer Atty. Edgar Igano, BiPSU Extension Director Dr. Alvin Amping and the Chairperson of the Department of Communication Dr. John Cavin Sabonsolin.

Under the banner name “OPLAN INFORMED,” which stands for Integrated Network for Fostering Optimized Resources in Media Education, the memorandum aims to empower information officers in the province of Biliran by providing vital training in digital literacy, ethics, and responsible journalism that will be spearheaded by the Department of Communication of BiPSU.

Hon. Gerard Roger Espina, in his message of support, highlighted the urgent need for this kind of program especially in the digital age where people can get news anywhere, which is more prone to misinformation and disinformation.

“As servants of the public, it is important that our information officers learn how to adapt with the changes,” the governor said. “Now with the AI age especially here in the Philippines, we really need responsible journalists and credible information officers.”

“I think with this training we can also provide the context, the quality of information that will be handed down by the respective information officers,” Hon. Espina added.

Moreover, in his message, Dr. Cañezo affirmed the university’s commitment and support in the pursuit of empowering local information officers, highlighting the pivotal role of the collaboration in fighting against misinformation and disinformation.

“BiPSU, guided by our mission of quality education, research, and service, stands ready to deliver expert training and technical guidance,” Dr. Cañezo stated. “Through this collaboration, let us remain unified in our pursuit of accurate, ethical communication, and stronger, well-informed communities.”

OPLAN INFORMED is a program comprising seven projects designed to empower local information officers such as Basic Journalism and Practical training, Teaching Media Skills, Social Media Ethics in AI World, Social Media Concept in Holistic Education Advocacies, Social Media Management, Information Design Training, and Knowledge Management training.

BIONet Chair Jornales underscored that the collaboration will advance effective communication in the province and challenged the citizens to partake in this movement to fight misinformation and disinformation.

“Let this be a reminder that our work extends beyond disseminating information— We are the key contributors to local progress,“ Journals said. “I encourage everyone to take  an active role in this initiative, learn from the experts at BiPSU, and use our platforms to amplify the impact of OPLAN INFORMED.”

Students and university officials also witnessed the signing event.

[This article aligns with the SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.]