Vibrant Communication For Development Is What Is Lacking In PH Govt Departments

Above, looking at the Internet of Things (IoT), I see both Information and Communication, the give & take and the response, towards Development.

(“Internet of Things, IoT” image[1] from Alamy.com)

That thought has arisen from my repeated reading on Facebook the “DA-CAR Press Release No 21-135” dated 27 August 2021 written by ANN (Author Not Named) with this opening paragraph:

To keep government information offices and media updated on the priority programs of the government in (the) Cordillera region, more than 150 information/communication officers and media partners attended the meeting focusing on “strengthening government communication towards resilience and recovery” at the Conference Hall, Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office-Cordillera (DA-RFO-CAR) on 25 August 2021.
(bottom image)

CAR is the Cordillera Administrative Region. Actually, only 25 joined the meeting in person while more than 130 attended virtually. The assembly was facilitated by the Philippine Information Agency CAR headed by Regional Director Helen Tibaldo and hosted by the DA-RFO-CAR Regional Agriculture & Fisheries Information Section.

ANN says:

Agriculture Secretary William Dar was overwhelmed by the large number of participants… (He) urged the promotion of accurate information in his message. In addition, Sec Dar expressed his appreciation to the information officers, (saying) they are the important partners in bringing across truthful and relevant information in the region.

Mr Dar emphasizes “the promotion of accurate information” – the delivery of information that is factual and not slanted. While I am a private person, I appreciate much that Mr Dar says that public information officers are “the important partners in bringing across fruitful and relevant information to the region.”

I appreciate what ANN additionally says:

In the welcome address of Ms Tibaldo, she emphasized the critical role of government communicators especially during the pandemic such as being always on the loop from the very start: planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of government programs, projects and activities.

That is tantamount to Ms Tibaldo saying – and I agree – that communicators should be aware & knowledgeable of, so that they can communicate: government planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programs, projects and activities.

If so, without realizing it, Ms Tibaldo is as if saying that communicators should be communicators for development!

Towards that welcome mission, the problem I see right now is that there is not enough communication that is being explained as directly or indirectly related to development, at the very least, at the village level. Village growth must be used as the source and measure of national development.

I believe that all that is because the communicators do not connect their communication efforts to what Mr Dar, as head of the Department of Agriculture, values: association, cooperation, partnership among & between government and non-government concerns. Public communicators and private media people would have their hands full if they valued those values.

Additionally, I believe an Internet of Thoughts Agriculture (IoTA) should be pursued by Philippine communicators public & private. With IoTA pulsating in the digital universe, we will be witness to nationwide development that is as vibrant as development can be!@517

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[1]https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/ict-information-and-communication-technology.html