The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) signed on Monday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on enhancing the delivery of accurate housing-related information to the public and to combat misinformation.

Human Settlements Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar on Tuesday said he and PIA Director General Kat de Castro signed the MoU with DHSUD Undersecretary Avelino Tolentino III and Assistant Director General Allan Lorenzo serving as witnesses.

“It is crucial that accurate and truthful information reach our people so they would know that the government is here to support their needs, including housing,” Acuzar said.

He added, “We also face the challenge of fake news which is widespread today. We must fight it to ensure that our citizens are not misled.”

In her remarks, De Castro assured that PIA would provide the DHSUD media and communications team access to various capacity-building programs. She expressed the agency’s readiness to collaborate with DHSUD regional offices to better inform the public about the latest developments in the human settlements and urban development sectors.

Undersecretary Tolentino highlighted the PIA’s presence in the grassroots and its expertise as key assets for DHSUD’s information and education campaign, particularly in promoting President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino program which is being rolled out nationwide.

Under the MoU, the PIA will also support other DHSUD communications and media initiatives through its Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Service headed by Director Mario J. Mallari.