More gov’t communicators join PIA Caraga’s 2026 conference
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — At least 150 public information officers (IOs) were gathered in Butuan City for the Caraga Regional Information Officers Conference 2026 with the theme, ‘Strengthening Public Information Through Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity and Mobile Journalism.’
Spearheaded by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga under Regional Head Venus L. Garcia, more IOs attended this year’s convergence held on June 4, with complete representation from the region’s five provinces, including the highly urbanized city of Butuan, and from the regional line agencies.
In 2025, the activity was attended by nearly 50 IOs coming from the regional line agencies only.
Millard P. Tawakal, supervising administrative officer of the Dinagat Islands Provincial Information Office, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the activity.
“The knowledge that I gained in today’s conference – for instance, the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity awareness – is essential in my work as a public servant and a government communicator.”
“I hope that the rest of the personnel in my office and all IOs in the province will be given a chance to also learn from this relevant discussion and participate in the workshop,” he said.
In her message, Renelle L. Escuadro, assistant regional head of PIA Caraga, said, “Despite the State of National Energy Emergency, the government through the PIA has made it possible for us to come together in one setting,” she said.
“With full support from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., PIA will try its best to sustain this gathering annually, increase our engagement and ensure that no IO is left behind,” she added
Meanwhile, the Caraga Regional Information Officers Conference served as a learning avenue for the municipal, provincial, and regional information officers to adapt to innovative platforms for effective dissemination of government programs to wider communities.
Doctor Jaymer M. Jayoma, dean of the College of Computing and Information Sciences at Caraga State University, shared some AI applications that can assist in drafting news stories, fact-checking, translation, video editing, and meeting transcription, among other tasks. “These tools will make government communicators more productive and efficient in their jobs and in the workplace.”
He emphasized the responsible use of AI amid increasing concerns over deepfakes and disinformation. He also encouraged IOs to uphold the principles of responsible digital citizenship.
Reymar A. Estafia, planning officer II of DICT Caraga, on the other hand, emphasized the importance of protecting personal information in the digital world, reminding participants to be vigilant in handling sensitive data and to uphold privacy rights in all forms of communication and information management.
Further, they were informed about updates on PhilHealth’s YAKAP (Yaman ng Kalusugan Program) and No Balance Billing, including PAGASA-Butuan’s El Niňo.
The IOs were also allowed to sharpen and optimize their communication skills with an orientation and workshop on mobile journalism (MoJo), a novelty in curating information and advocacy materials. (RLE, PIA Dinagat Islands)