PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday urged the public to be more discerning and “fight for the truth” in today’s era of “fake” news, disinformation, and misinformation.
During the launch of the inter-agency Media Information Literacy (MIL) program at the Hilton Manila in Pasay City, the President said that while the advent of the internet has helped government reach the public more easily to become more informed, it has also opened the doors to the spread of personal opinions and commentaries that sometimes lack facts and supporting evidence to verify their accuracy.
“What we are fighting for is the truth, (which is) the very first casualty of all of these sometimes sinister, sometimes just mistaken misguided activities. The first victim, the first casualty is the truth,” he stressed.
“The people have to learn to be able to discern for themselves what is real and what is not, what is propaganda, what is fact, what is data, and what is speculation. These are all the things that we would like for people to learn. And it is something that we have to learn,” he added.
Marcos said the government is intent on capacitating the public, especially the younger generation who are more active online, to determine which are the truth and what is false.
“It’s time that we give our kids, not only our kids, but our citizenry, the tools to be able for them to tell what is important, what is not and what is relevant, where the sources of this information come from,” he also said.
The President recalled that in the past, people would say that one should not believe everything that is written in the newspaper or what is released through the traditional media.
Marcos said while some news or opinion articles have been written after undergoing research, people still need to research on their own to determine if the sources of such articles are credible and factual.
He said this is especially true for posts and information that people get from the internet which has become an “equalizer” in terms of opinion, and which has made the world smaller.
“Everyone is entitled of course to their own opinion, but everyone also has the prerogative of being wrong,” he said citing how a teenager, with the click of a button, could comment on issues that happen not just in the country but also in other parts of the world without knowing the complete facts about specific issues.
The President said the recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has shown the world how dangerous misinformation, disinformation, and unverified information could be, pointing out how some people have accepted hook, line, and sinker several outrageous ideas as facts.
He added that what is even more disconcerting is how some people have started dispensing getting information or clarifying issues with humans because of the advancement of technology and the availability of artificial intelligence (AI).
To arm the youth and the public with the right skills to distinguish facts from lies, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) launched the MIL, which Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said is “the administration’s response to the disinformation and misinformation plaguing the country’s digital landscape.”
A memorandum of understanding on MIL was signed by the President together with Garafil, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairman Prospero de Vera III, and Social Welfare Undersecretary Ed Punay.
Others who signed the MOU were representatives from the Department of Education (DepEd), the META Philippines, Google (YouTube), Tiktok, and X (formerly Twitter).
Garafil said the signatory agencies and private social media platforms have agreed to collaborate with the PCO on a comprehensive execution plan crafted to address the root causes of the issue, and subsequently integrate this into the higher education curriculum, community-based training, and family-oriented programs.
Social media companies and their platforms are likewise expected to provide the government with the tools and training to fight disinformation and misinformation.
“Our formidable alliance is committed to ensuring the truth and accuracy prevail in a society where every voice contributes to the chorus of truth. We will enable them (youth) to navigate the digital world with discernment and responsibility. In doing so, we hope to raise a society of synthesizers, those who are able to use the right information at the right time for the right purpose to make the right choices,” Garafil said.
