PCO: Gov’t campaign vs misinformation, disinformation to begin in schools

Several government agencies signed an agreement on Monday to implement the Marcos administration’s media and information literacy project aimed at combating misinformation and disinformation.

These agencies include the Presidential Communications Office, the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“The agencies will collaborate with the PCO on a comprehensive execution plan crafted to target the identified root causes of the issue. The MIL will be integrated into the higher education curriculum, community-based training, and family-oriented programs,” the PCO said. 

“Social media companies such as Google (YouTube), Meta (Facebook, Instagram, and Threads), TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) will collaborate with the government by lending the tools and training to fight disinformation and misinformation,” it added.

PCO Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the campaign would begin in schools.  

“Sisimulan po natin ito sa ating mga kabataan dahil sila ang pinaka exposed sa digital landscape at sa mga panganib nito. Sa pamamagitan ng Media and Information Literacy Campaign, bibigyan natin sila ng mga kasangkapan upang kritikal na makapagsuri at makapagvalidate ng mga pinagmulan ng mga impormasyon, at malaman ang pinagkaiba ng mga mapanlinlang na kasinungalingan mula sa katotohanan,” she said. 

She said there would also be dialogues with local leaders, civil servants, and ordinary citizens to enable them to navigate the digital world with discernment and responsibility.

Monrawee Ampolpittayanant of X said the company would continue to expand the availability of the Community Notes feature, “one of the world’s most innovative and inclusive ways to create a better-informed world by empowering people to collaboratively add context to potentially misleading posts in an open and transparent process.”

Google Philippines’ Yves Gonzalez said their initiatives include “taking down harmful and misleading content, raising authoritative information on Search and YouTube, providing grants, launching fact-checking tools, and partnering with other organizations.”

“Our flagship digital literacy program, Digital Tayo, has been helping Filipinos to think critically and share thoughtfully online. We will continue to collaborate with the government, civil society organizations, experts, and our community to help empower Filipinos with the necessary skills, resources, and information to help identify and combat misinformation,” added Clare Amador, Meta’s Country Head of Public Policy for the Philippines and Thailand.

TikTok also welcomed the collaboration to develop more informed and empowered netizens.