DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Sept. 28 (PIA)-- The Philippine Information Agency (PIA 7) continues to fortify its presence in the region particularly in Negros Oriental by engaging with local government leaders and key stakeholders in the information sector to scale up the delivery of timely, accurate, relevant, and useful information to the public.

PIA 7 Regional Head Fayette Riñen and Assistant Regional Head Rachelle Nessia visited the city on Sept. 26 and 27 and paid a courtesy call on Gov. Pryde Henry Teves and Dumaguete City Vice Mayor Maisa Sagarbarria together with the PIA Negros Oriental Infocen team led by Manager Jenny Tilos.

Vice Mayor Sagarbarria welcomed the PIA team in behalf of Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo who was out of town. 

The PIA 7 team also met with the officers and members of the Association of Negros Oriental Public Information Officers (ANOPIO), a network of Public Information Officers (PIOs) from Local Government Units, National Government Agencies, and selected private academic institutions and cooperatives in the province.

ANOPIO has been a partner of PIA in cascading development information to the public.

During these interactions, Riñen talked about PIA’s role in communicating Pres. Ferdinand “BongBong” R. Marcos Jr.’s key advocacies and directives on agriculture and food security, tourism development, and COVID-19 vaccination.

Riñen focused on these thrusts so the LGUs, NGAs , and even the private sector in the province can also align their local programs and policies with these core advocacies of the President and create unified messaging.

Relative to this, Riñen also presented some of PIA7’s flagship programs especially in the utilization of digital platforms to disseminate and promote government programs, services, and accomplishments.

These include the Maayong Balita Central Visayas (MBCV), a weekly online show that streams every Saturday at the official Facebook Page of PIA7 and the official Facebook pages of PIA Information Centers in Negros Oriental, Siquijor, and Bohol.

MBCV banners stories about the implementation of government programs, reaction from the beneficiaries, best practices carried out by the government or other sectors, development updates in every LGU, among others.

Riñen said the LGUs through their PIOs can contribute to MBCV by sharing footages and news items to the PIA Information Center in Negros Oriental.

The PIA7 official also extended her call for cooperation to local leaders in the province and to PIOs.

“We want to ensure that government information is really communicated on the ground. All these advocacies sa gobyernoshould have a whole-of-sector approach,” Riñen said.  (RAL/PIA7 Negros Oriental)