For responsible journalism, 

City funds media workshop 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, August 11 (PIA)—Giving a premium on culture and its budding writers, Tagbilaran City, through its local leaders led by Mayor John Geesnell Yap II offer a free two day Seminar Workshop on Media Ethics, News Reporting, Photo journalism, editorial writing and feature writing at the JJs Seafoods Village August 10-11. 

Joining as participants for the two-day event were members of the Lubas sa Dagaang Binisaya (LUDABI), Association of Writers and Radio Announcers Foundation Incorporated (AWRAFI), Bohol Literary Arts Cultural Circle (BLACC), National Visayas Cultural Association Inc (NAVISCAI) and student writers from Dr. Cecilio Putong National High School, Holy Name University High School and College Departments, as well as members of the media. 

Himself belonging to the generation of the young, Mayor Yap shared his elation upon seeing the young writers who stayed for the two day activity, which included a weekend which is supposedly a free day. 

The City Culture, Arts and Heritage Office which exists under the office of the Mayor programmed the cultural and personal writing skills enhancement, helped fund the two day activity which is also expected to increase the jejemon generation’s love and appreciation of the local culture and language. 

Also included in the workshop is Bol-anon Binisaya under Dr. Jess Tirol, a known regional authority in the language. 

NAVISCAI President Atty. Danilo Bantugan said the training is a good start and is a step in the right direction, for the City government. 

Bantugan, a lawyer, who also publishes a newspaper, sent in his papers’ interns and on the job trainees to upgrade their leaning in secondary and college journalism training. 

For a long time, Tagbilaran City did not openly involve its residents in determining the sectoral development plans until a few years back. 

The open welcoming attitude of the city has worked considerably well for the local cultural workers and the creative writers that younger people are now visible in the culture and literary arts scenes. 

Meanwhile, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Bohol joined the pool of resource persons for the city’s event. 

Information Center Manager Rey Anthony Chiu, who tackled the critical Editorial Writing told participants of the need for people to learn how to interpret events in the news, especially in the proliferation of mis-information and dis-information that has divided communities. 

We feel this need for the people to be empowered to weigh on things and assess the value of things that have been irresponsibly fed and shared and which are affecting the lives of the people. 

Editorial writers have this responsibility to interpret events and present conclusions based on the scientific and logical method of generating truths, a skill that has become fewer and fewer recently. (rahc/PIA7/Bohol) 

For the City Government and its local officials led by Mayor John Geesnell Yap, the PIA in Bohol helped train young campus writers as well as members of the Bohol Association of Writers and Radio Announcers Foundation Inc., Bohol Literary Arts Cultural Circle, Lubas sa Dagaang Binisaya and the National Visayas Cultural Association Inc., for an Editorial Writing training in another attempt at empowering young writers to think critically. (PIA7-Bohol)