MANILA -- Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar urged barangay village officials to engage in spreading the news about the multifarious programs, policies, and activities of the government against illegal drugs, crime and other societal ills.
With this, Andanar asked them to join the Information Officer You (IOU) campaign and help spread the action being taken by the Duterte administration against such irregularities.
“A call to action for the information officers, which I am now repeating for all of you to join. This is the IOU -- the acronym for Informational Officer You. It is a direct, immediate and urgent command to you, as a Barangay officer and communicator, to participate actively involved in spreading the news about the multifarious programs, policies, and activities, of this government which target the war against illegal drugs, corruption, crime, terrorism and the ultimate enhancement of a better quality of life for every Filipino,” Andanar said in his message at the 2018 Liga ng mga Barangay National Congress held in Manila on Wednesday.
“Kindly receive and accept the challenge of this call to action: IOU, Information Officer You, Barangay Officer, and be, not just the agent for change, but the change itself, transforms and transforming the community of your public office,” added the government’s Communications chief.
Andanar also called on the village officials to continue inspiring constituents to work for the betterment of their communities and to trust the government in its efforts for the country to be united and peaceful.
“Continue then, to inspire the people to wrestle with complacency and indifference. Stand on the side of the President’s desire for unity, harmony and peace. Keep alive the sacred values of honest, discipline, compassion and exemplary public service,” he said.
With this, the government official has reminded the barangay officials about their responsibilities, to fight for the truth and stand against fake and false information.
“This cannot be said often enough. We all have monumental responsibilities -- as barangay officials and as Communicators -- it all begins with the one single word called Truth. You fight everything fake and false with the truth; You give justice to the oppressed with the truth; You re-crate better communities by spreading the use of the truth; and the truth as the source of our loyalty to God, country and people and people and for all that is good in our world,” Andanar added.
He also noted that barangay is included in the priorities of the national government.
“The reality of the political base line begins with the position of a barangay official. Your position, therefore, is fundamental to what government does, together with the manner by which it subjects you to its intentions,” the PCOO head said.
“As barangay official, you would best understand the repeated platitude: nobody gets left behind, and in the mandate of our mission: everyone has the right to be informed. We journey into the heartland, into the minds and sentiments of distant territories and tribes, to touch them with the stories of how, for instance, a Mayor-President captures their dreams, and transforms these, step by step, into the realities of the best life his administration can offer with their help. We entrust this message to be your voice when you likewise address you constituents,” he added. (PNA)
