Capitol Launches Youth Reporters Corps

Close to 80 youths from different towns and cities in Cebu province participated in a seminar-workshop organized by the Provincial Government that aims to empower the youth to take part in nation-building by learning how to be bearers of good news.

Dubbed as the Capitol Youth Reporters Corps seminar-workshop, the 3-day event organized by the Provincial Information Office, in partnership with the Provincial Youth Commission, was jam-packed with different activities.

Among the activities were discussions from speakers from the media industry who shared their expertise in their respective fields.

The speakers included Ainjeliz de la Torre-Orong for News Writing; DYAB’s Angelica Saniel for Radio Broadcasting; Vic Kintanar for photojournalism; ABS-CBN’s Joworski Alipon for TV Broadcasting; Max Limpag for Writing for Social Media; and Jason Baguia for Media Ethics.

Social media star Dave “Dodong Dave” Quirante also shared to the youth participants his experience in social media.

Marie Leolie Ursal, 18, from Barili town, said she learned a lot from the workshop, particularly on how to effectively make use of the broadcast medium.

Another participant, 20-year-old Alvin Duazo, said they hope to apply their learnings in the workshop as they look for different kinds of stories in their respective municipalities.

“We wish to replicate this in our town to level up awareness in multi-media communication,” said Duazo, vice president of the Consolacion Youth Organization (CYO).

Floreza Alpuerto, PIO’s supervising officer who represented the information office’s OIC Mark Tolentino, said the aim to have a Capitol Youth Reporters Corps is to build the capacity of the youth from the grassroots to gather, prepare, and report news according to journalistic standards.

Youth reporters who will show “exemplary diligence and commitment to delivering news about development in their localities” will be recognized monthly and in an awarding ceremony by the end of year, said Alpuerto.

In his message to the youth, Bhobby Nacorda, head of the Provincial Human Resource Management Office, urged the youth to make use of their talents and skills in the best way.

Nacorda quoted writer Ivern Ball, saying “Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch,” and encouraged the youth to find their sense of purpose, which in this case he said is to be guardians of the truth.

Anthony Dacalos, the Planning and Operations head of the Provincial Youth Commission, said that the activity with PIO is just one of their many partnerships with different offices and agencies to ensure that they can provide as many activities to the youth as possible.

Dacalos, who represented PYC’s head James Canoy during the workshop, assured that they have more projects in the pipeline for the youth of Cebu.

Just a week before the Capitol Youth Reporters Corps training, the PYC also launched a campaign on responsible use of social media.

http://www.cebu.gov.ph