DAVAO DEL NORTE (PIA) --  Government information officers and local media of Davao del Norte recently gathered for the 1st Information Officers and Media Summit (IOMS) in the province.

Held at the Robinsons Place Tagum, the event was initiated by the Information Officers Network Association, Inc. (ION) of Davao Del Norte in partnership with the Provincial Government of Davao Del Norte through its Provincial Information, Communication, and Knowledge Management Office (PICKMO).

ION president and Panabo City Information Officer Michael Angelo A. Resueño said the IOMS was the brainchild of the association to develop the alliance of the information officers and media to attain transparency and nation-building.

"MinDA has a tripartite partnership for a weekly media forum which is actually a brilliant idea of the late (Carmelito) 'CQ' Fransisco. And up to today, this legacy lives on, and through the guidance of Secretary Mabel, it has undergone significant improvements right now,” she added.

“Ang ating ginagawa ngayon (What we are doing right now) is to strengthen it, so that Mindanao-wide, and in BIMP-EAGA (Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asian Growth Area), information and news updates reach to the level of the barangays, and that's the invitation we would like to bring forth to our ION members and media practitioners who are here right now,"  she said.

Lim further cited the IOMS as crucial to  building public trust  which, according to her, “is the foundation of any strong community.”

“By maintaining transparency and providing accurate information, information officers and media practitioners can help build and maintain trust between citizens and their government, fostering a sense of unity and purpose,” she added.

The participants were also given ideas for improving their information services during the afternoon session's Best Practices topics. Tagum City Information Officer and ION Vice President Joan Lanciola shared some of her office's best practices entitled, "Tagum CIO: Breaking Walls, Building Bridges in Communication", while Agricultural Training Institute XI Information Services Chief Lucille Camarines, shared her ideas in the plenary with her topic: "Forging Connections: ATI XI's Journey in Public Relations."

Other highlights of the event included a motorcade and an exhibit of information services from local government agencies, national line agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCC), and Davao Del Norte State College.

The “Got Talent” contest  was sponsored by the Panabo City Government and ION, Inc Davao del Norte.  Information officers and media practitioners received various gifts and rewards.

Gifts were given away during series of raffle draws sponsored by the provincial government of Davao del Norte.

Key persons in attendance were Governor Edwin I. Jubahib, who was represented by his Executive Assistant Architect 

Leonel Puerto; Board Member Hon. Fransisco C. Remitar, chairperson of the Committee on Information and Media Affairs; Municipal Mayor Hon. Leah "Tata" Moral-Romano of the Municipality of Braulio E. Dujali; Dr. Mervin Jay Suaybaguio, the Provincial Government Department Head of PICKMO; and Philippine Information Agency XI Davao del Norte Information Center manager Jeanevive Abangan.

The event  was  conducted in support to Proclamation No. 308 of 2023 or Declaring the Month of October of Every Year as Communication Month, and in line with  Provincial Ordinance No. 2008-02 that declares the month of October as Press Freedom Month in the Province of Davao Del Norte.

ION was also sponsored by Robinsons Mall Tagum, Davao Light and Power Co., Agriya, City Mayor Jose E. Relampagos of Panabo, Mayor Maria Theresa Timbol of Kapalong town, Sto Tomas mayor Roland Dejesica, AQC Performing Arts Studio by Anne Quitoriano-Casteel, International Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IPI), Zion Accuprint Publishing, Inc., XYZ General Merchandise, and St. Joseph Cupertino Driving School.   (jmda/from Panabo City Information Office/ Photos from CIO)