The agreement between the government's chief public information arm and NU also encompasses various programs, including community extension services, media and information literacy campaigns, and student internships.
Dr. San Miguel emphasized the alignment of PIA's mandate to empower communities with the university's core values of integrity and patriotism. She highlighted the benefits of the partnership for students pursuing communication and multimedia arts programs, emphasizing hands-on experience in the communications field through capacity-building sessions.
“As information gateway, anything that PIA releases whether it be a press release, a video or any news item, people know that it is true without a doubt, that is why it is good to partner with them. So, I see that it will be the start of our baby steps as with all our other partners. Eventually, the projects give birth to many other projects where we ourselves can live out our core values that we treasure – integrity and patriotism,” San Miguel said.
San Miguel expressed confidence that the collaboration would lead to mutual growth and development within the educational and professional sectors.
Alliana Ablan, NU Laguna's AB Communication program chair, emphasized the partnership's role in providing students with valuable skills and practical training in the media industry, preparing them for future careers.
“With the partnership, AB Comm and MMA students can immediately possess skills that will guide them into their life after graduation. Also, the partnership can serve as a training ground for them to apply their classroom learned knowledge, as well as develop skills that will answer some of NU's core values like patriotism and integrity,” Ablan said.
Arzadon welcomed the partnership as an opportunity for both institutions to empower the communities they serve through various information products capturing Laguna's beauty and cultural imprint.
“Utilizing PIA Calabarzon's various platforms, contents produced out of this partnership will guarantee that a wider audience will be able to tap into these materials,” Arzadon said.
The PIA Calabarzon chief is confident that the tie-up will pave the way for bigger opportunities for the communities that the two institutions serve across the Calabarzon region.
Both parties also pledged support for initiatives countering disinformation, reflecting their shared commitment to serving the public and contributing to nation-building through education and professional development. (AM/PIA-4A)