BukSU hosts PCO’s “CommUnity Campus Caravan”

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) held its “CommUNITY Campus Caravan” at Bukidnon State University (BukSU) as its first stop of the Mindanao leg on March 18-19, 2024.

The caravan showcased different interactive exhibits on media production from PCO’s attached agencies, including RTVM, Philippine Information Agency, Philippine News Agency, Radyo Pilipinas, and People’s Television Network.

PCO also conducted a lecture series on media literacy and the Freedom of Information (FOI) for BukSU’s Development Communication, Community Development, and English Language students

“We want to show everyone, especially the youth, what the PCO does and what we do for the country so they will also be inspired to pursue careers in broadcasting and journalism. Not just that, we are also bringing the Bagong Pilipinas campaign to the youth and also our main program, which is the media information literacy campaign,” said PCO Assistant Secretary Patricia Kayle Martin.

On the first day of the caravan, PCO-Lead Compliance Officer Trish Maranan oriented students on an overview of the government’s FOI program.

“Every Filipino shall have the access to information, official records, public records and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions or decisions, as well as to government research data uses as basis for policy development,” Maranan said, highlighting a provision from Executive Order No. 2, s. 2016 or the Order in the Executive Branch the People’s Constitutional Right to Information and the State Policies to Full Public Disclosure and Transparency in the Public Service.

“During the event I learn about how to look for the relevant information and seek, receive and impart information to any media platform. As an Individual, I can apply it to my everyday needs, because this is the gateway to be informed and aware of the surrounding. Also, through FOI, we can overcome that misinformation,” Mariel Villamor, BukSU Community Development student said.

“During the PCO community caravan, I experience something new and I enjoyed it so much. I explored different booths such as the quiz bowl, quiz on misinformation and camera handling, the way you handle the camera and angles that you want to take just to capture the best scene of the production,” Stepanie Bracero, senior Philosophy student said.

Other topic for the lectures includes broadcast equipment, Presidential coverage, and responsible use of social media.

“I learned that we just need to be advocates of credible sources. If we are going to just post anything without verifying the information needed, especially if you are an influential person and you tend to overreact to certain information, you will definitely gain a lot of people who will follow what you are posting online. In the application of media information and literacy, we just need to be opened to relying on the correct sources and thinking before we click,” sophomore Development Communication student Sofronio Lawas, Jr. said.

BukSU is the fifth leg of the “CommUnity Campus Caravan,” with previous stops at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Lyceum of the Philippine University, Leyte Normal University, and Eastern Visayas State University.

(With information from Stepanne M. Bracero)