Information officers (IOs) from Cebu’s cities and municipalities welcomed the Cebu Provincial Government’s efforts to provide more training and capacity-building opportunities for government communicators.

The initiative came after years of limited opportunities for information officers to enhance their skills and improve the way they communicate government programs and services to the public.

Alvin Duazo, information officer of Consolacion and president of the Cebu League of Information Officers (CLIO), said IOs had previously sought programs that could help them better perform their responsibilities, but similar initiatives did not materialize.

Under the administration of Gov. Pamela Baricuatro, the Capitol organized the “Communicate Cebu: Information Officers’ Congress” on August 12 and 13 at the Capitol Social Hall.

The two-day congress brought together information officers from 40 local government units across Cebu.

“Nalipay mi because gihatagan gyud ta og dako kaayo nga pagtagad ug importansya sa administrasyon ni Governor Pam by providing us opportunities for us to learn,” Duazo said.

Strengthening government communication

The congress focused on strengthening the ability of government communicators to provide accurate, timely and accessible public information, particularly as government communication increasingly moves to digital platforms.

Duazo said the growing use of social media has created new challenges for information officers because citizens can now directly interact with government agencies and officials online.

“While we use social media as a platform now, daghan pa man gyod ang wa kasabot on how to fully use and maximize the platforms available to us,” he said.

He said training and skills development could help information officers make better use of available digital platforms while ensuring that government information remains clear and reliable.

PIA-7 lauds Capitol initiative

Fayette Riñen, head of the Philippine Information Agency-Central Visayas (PIA-7), welcomed the initiative, noting that some local government units in Cebu still do not have designated information officers.

“I really laud the initiative of the Capitol because in all my 30 years in government service and in handling [CLIO], this is the first time that there is an information officers’ congress,” Riñen said.

She also emphasized the important role of LGU information officers in helping bridge the information gap between national government agencies and local communities.

According to Riñen, information officers help ensure that government programs, services and important announcements reach communities, including barangays and households that need the information.

Training covers digital communication skills

The Communicate Cebu congress featured various sessions designed to strengthen the practical skills of government communicators.

Topics included crisis management, mobile journalism, videography, basic social media poster design, photojournalism and visual storytelling.

The training provided participants with tools they can use in producing and distributing government information across traditional and digital platforms.

For Cebu’s information officers, the initiative also provided an opportunity to exchange experiences and discuss the communication challenges faced by different LGUs.

Duazo and Riñen expressed hope that the provincial government would continue supporting similar capacity-building programs for information officers from local government units and national government agencies.

The Capitol’s initiative highlights the growing importance of professional government communication in an increasingly digital environment, where timely and accurate information can help communities better understand and access public programs and services.