Public must understand gov’t efforts- PIA chief

 Usec Mon Cualoping (left) with Edge Davao EIC Tony Ajero (right)

DAVAO CITY, Sept. 16 (PIA) – The people must understand the efforts of the government and not just merely be informed, said Undersecretary Ramon L. Cualoping III, director-general of  the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

 

Cualoping admitted in a media interview in Davao City the need to  go beyond  merely informing the public but making them understand “because merely informing the people, will not give them the right variables to be critical thinkers”.

 

“It may just open them to believe other wrong Interpretations, and so as  information officers of the republic of the Philippines, the role of the PIA is ,number 1 is to Inform but second is to explain, explain explain because we have to make people understand,” he explained in an interview with Davao media on September  11.

 

However, he cited as “unfortunate” that some quarters in the society still prefers to spread fake news to mislead people.

 

“Unfortunately, there are still certain people who would rather focus on spreading lies, on destabilizing the government and sad to say, are really focused on misleading the people thru disinformation,” Cualoping said. 

 

He also thinks that these people or organizations behind the fake news are up to discredit and destabilize the government for their political motives amidst the pandemic. 

 

“It is very unfortunate because I think this is not the time for politics,” he cited. 

 

Cualoping was also wary about people tending to misinterpret information in the absence of government effort to make them understand through further explanation.

 

“If  people do not understand, they will, and they might believe fake news, and the lies being talked upon to us by certain quarters, sector of society, which may affect  the trust and confidence of an individual towards the government,” he said. 

 

Citing these threats of fake news and disinformation, Cualoping said “PIA we will not  stop providing proper, vetted, accurate and correct information,” to make people understand.

 

He admitted such thrust as “difficult in the age of social media, but we will do this, because if not then who else?,” he posed the query. (PIA Davao del Norte/Ezri M. Coda, Jr with reports from Jeanevive Abangan.)