Escudero backs gov’t campaign vs fake news but cautious about MIL integration in schools
Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, during one of the interpellations in the Senate. Senate PRIB file photo / Joseph B. Vidal
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero expressed his support for the current administration’s implementation of the Media and Information Literacy (MIL) campaign but cautioned the government on immediately integrating the initiative into the education curricula of students at all levels.
On Saturday, the Presidential Communication Office (PCO) announced that it would launch the MIL campaign on August 14 in partnership with concerned government agencies and social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter).
The PCO added that the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Department of Social Welfare and Development are among the agencies that will coordinate to identify the root causes of the issue, as well as integrate the initiative into the higher education curriculum, community-based training, and family-oriented programs.
In response to this, Escudero stressed that introducing additional modules or subjects on MIL needs a “thorough study and consultation.”
“Para sa akin ay magandang suhestyon ito pero huwag naman sila agad-agad na maglagay ng karagdagang subjects sa curriculum. Hindi naman ganun kadali iyon at hindi naman lahat ay kailangan at intresado diyan,” Escudero said in a statement on Sunday.
(This is a good suggestion, but they should not immediately add additional subjects to the curriculum. It’s not that easy, and not everyone needs and is interested in that.)
“Huwag tayo padalus-dalos sa pagdagdag o pagbawas o pag-alis sa anumang bagay na nasa curriculum dahil mahabang proseso ang pinagdaanan bago iyan naisama o natanggal. Lalo na sa higher institution, nakabase din iyan sa pangangailangan ng workforce kapag sila ay nag-graduate at base rin iyan sa mga board exams na kailangan kunin para maging ganap na professional,” he added.
(Let’s not be hasty in adding, subtracting, or removing anything from the curriculum because it’s a long process to add or remove them. Especially in higher institutions, these subjects should be included based on their respective board exams needed to become professionals.)
Instead of including the DepEd and CHED in the MIL campaign, the senator suggested PCO to add the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) as a key partner.
“Kung pwede ko imungkahi, ang dapat nilang isama ay ang DICT dahil lumalaganap ang misinformation and disinformation sa iba’t ibang social media platforms at hindi naman doon sa traditional media na kinagisnan natin na print, radio at TV (television),” Escudero pointed out.
(They should include DICT because misinformation and disinformation are spreading on various social media platforms and not the traditional media that we use to print, radio, and TV.)
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