The Marcos administration has launched a "One Messaging Policy" in a bid to prevent disinformation, misinformation and mal-information concerning government policies.
Speaking for the 2022 National Public Relations Congress, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz Angeles said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is optimistic that communications professionals would use their voices to "leverage positive communication in stirring the nation towards full recovery and lasting unity."
"The President likewise urges you to join the government in fighting against the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation through inclusive, compassionate, and responsible communication," she said during the event held on Thursday.
Angeles said the policy aims to have close collaboration among government agencies under the Executive branch.
The government, she noted, wanted a "single messaging" because it is "serious" about fostering a "renewed sense of unity" in the country.
She said boosting the campaign to stop the propagation of fake news would make the Philippines a "stronger" nation.
"By doing so, our country will emerge stronger as we pass this tipping point, a nation where our words may not only be expressed freely but may also be used as an instrument to shape our country's future," she said.
The National PR Congress is an annual event hosted by the non-profit organization Public Relations Society of the Philippines.
It was attended by local and international delegates who are public relations and communication professionals.
The first day of the 2022 National PR Congress focused on the role of positive communication in nation-building, training "tomorrow's truth champions", harnessing data innovation for truth and good, communicating wellness through the pandemic, and the five-year roadmap that reenvisions the new normal.
In August, Angeles said her office is forming a "more comprehensive" feedback mechanism to enable the Marcos administration to be "more responsive" to the needs of Filipinos as she acknowledged the importance of public feedback on the performance of the government.
Almost weekly, the Office of the Press Secretary invites heads of various government agencies and offices to conduct press conferences with the Malacañang Press Corps.
Angeles believes these briefings would reach a wider audience due to the simultaneous airing of public and private media entities.
