The Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) hosted a presentation of a study on digital information disorders of the crisis response efforts of the Bohol Provincial Government on August 18, 2023, at the Capitol.
The study was conducted by Socorro Anne Zaluaga, the Program Head of Bachelor of Arts (AB) Mass Communications at Holy Name University (HNU), and Allyssa Doncillo, the President of The Communicator’s Guild (TCG), a student organization of HNU.
The study aimed to assess the level of awareness, exposure, and engagement of the Boholanos to digital information disorders such as misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation during crisis situations such as natural disasters and pandemics.
The study also proposed recommendations to improve the credibility and reliability of the information disseminated by the Provincial Government and the media outlets in Bohol. Some of the recommendations are:
– Launching a fact-checking awareness campaign to educate the public on how to verify the sources and content of the information they receive online.
– Encouraging media practitioners to have a verification badge from reputable organizations such as the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) or the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) to increase their trustworthiness and accountability.
– Providing an official website and social media pages for the Provincial Government that are regularly updated and accessible to the public.
– Encouraging the public to report pages, accounts, and posts that contain false information to the authorities or to fact-checking platforms such as Rappler or Vera Files.
The presentation was attended by Governor Aris Aumentado, who expressed his appreciation and support for the study. He said that the study was timely and relevant as the Provincial Government strives to deliver truthful and practical information to the Boholanos, especially in crisis situations.
The presentation was also welcomed by Gil Bongato, the Officer-In-Charge of the Provincial Information and Media Office (PIMO), who said that he would present the study to the Management Executive Board (MEB) for further discussion and implementation.
Zaluaga thanked the Provincial Government for inviting them to present their study and for recognizing its importance. She said that she hopes that their study would contribute to enhancing the quality of information in Bohol and preventing digital information disorders from spreading.
Doncillo also expressed her gratitude and said that she was honored to be part of the study. She said that she hopes that their study would inspire other students and researchers to conduct similar studies in other provinces or regions.
The study was part of Zaluaga’s dissertation for her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Communication at Silliman University. It was also supported by a research grant from HNU.