A three-day workshop on disaster response reporting concluded on Thursday, with United States experts on strategic communications sharing their expertise with provincial spokespersons and headquarters personnel of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

Held at the Marco Polo Hotel in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, the Strategic Communications in Disasters Workshop for OCD provincial spokespersons and headquarters staff was attended by communication teams from various OCD offices nationwide.

In an interview on the sidelines of the workshop, Steve Castonguay, director of the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM), told the Daily Tribune that the training aimed to enhance the communication strategies of OCD spokespersons during humanitarian and disaster response operations.

According to Castonguay, the workshop provided academic research, civil-military coordination training, and operational insights to support decision-making before, during, and after crises.

He said the program was designed to bridge understanding among humanitarian workers, civilian agencies, and military responders.

Castonguay added that participants were trained on the fundamentals of disaster communication, crisis communications management, and best practices in countering misinformation and disinformation during disaster response operations.

Maria Christina Mayor, head of the 24/7 Operations Unit of OCD-Soccsksargen, said the workshop equipped participants with skills to combat disinformation.

Mayor cited the spread of fake announcements regarding class suspensions whenever weather disturbances occur.

“We have to counter with facts and be alert in debunking disinformation,” she said.

Meanwhile, Carlo Alexie Puerto, information officer of OCD Region 11, said social media has become the new battleground for information.

“There is a new battlefield in communications — social media. Everyone now is a content creator, and we need to fight disinformation,” he said.

CFE-DM is an organization under the U.S. Department of Defense composed of nearly 30 subject matter experts specializing in disaster management, humanitarian assistance, and strategic communications.