PIA Caraga personnel deepen commitment to gender-fair communication
By Kelvin Kennt R. Generalo
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur (PIA) — A headline, caption, photograph, or social media post may seem a simple piece of communication. But the language behind it can influence people’s understanding of issues, perception of others, and even recognition of their own place in society.
This was the significant discussion during the gender and development (GAD) seminar on ‘Equality Starts with Language,’ attended by the personnel of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga on October 13 in Butuan City.
For PIA Caraga Regional Head Venus L. Garcia, language is among the agency’s most important tools in carrying out its mandate to inform the public. Her message set the stage for a discussion that went beyond choosing politically correct terms.
“In PIA, as the development communication arm of the government, we recognize that language is one of our most powerful tools in informing, educating, and connecting with the public. Through the words we choose, the stories we tell, and the messages we share, we have the opportunity to shape perspectives, influence attitudes, and promote a deeper understanding of the communities we serve,” she said.
“However, language can also unintentionally reinforce stereotypes, perpetuate discrimination, or exclude certain groups from public discourse. This is why gender-fair communication is important. It encourages us to be more mindful of how we communicate and to ensure that our words recognize the dignity, contributions, and equal worth of every individual, regardless of gender,” Garcia added.
For Resource Person Edson B. Alijo, information officer III of CHR Caraga and member of the National GAD Resource Pool, the way information is framed matters because audiences do not simply consume media—they process it, question it, and use it to make sense of the world around them.
“For the people who consume your media content, it is the beginning of the thinking process. It is the beginning of asking for accountability. And that’s exactly where gender-fair language comes in,” Alijo said.
An article, he explained, can shape how audiences understand the people and issues presented in it. When gender is poorly framed or inadequately reflected, the audience may also develop an incomplete or distorted understanding of the message.
This provides an added responsibility on government communicators, whose work is intended not only to report programs and activities but also to help people understand how these efforts affect their lives.
Alijo connected gender-fair communication with a broader idea on gender-fair language which begins with understanding development itself. “Public information dissemination, therefore, should not be viewed as separate from development work. It is part of the process.”
“Development is a point or state in a human being in which they achieve a full and satisfied life. It is hard to give meaning to a full and satisfied life because it is very subjective. Each of us has our own perception of a full and satisfied life. The full and satisfied life of a woman is different from the full and satisfied life of a man,” Alijo said.
“The statement shifts the conversation from language alone to the people behind the words. Development is experienced differently by different people. A policy, service, livelihood opportunity, education program, or health intervention may affect a woman differently from a man,” he added. “Their circumstances, responsibilities, opportunities, and barriers may not be the same. If communication fails to recognize these differences, the story may present only part of the reality.”
“This is where gender-fair communication becomes more than a writing technique. It becomes a way of making people visible,” he told the participants.
For information workers, every story is an opportunity to ask whose voice is being heard, whose experience is being represented, and whether the language used gives people the dignity they deserve.
He emphasized that a woman should not have to be described primarily through her appearance when her work and achievements tell a more meaningful story, while a man’s role should not automatically be framed as the standard for leadership. Families, workers, young people, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and other sectors should not be reduced to stereotypes when their experiences are more complex.
“The choices may seem small—a pronoun, a description, a headline, a photograph, or a phrase. But repeated across thousands of messages, these choices can influence how society sees people,” Alijo said.
For the PIA Caraga personnel, the seminar offered an opportunity to reconsider the everyday tools of their profession. They do not simply write words. They help shape the stories through which communities understand government, development, and one another.
It strengthened the importance of responsibility that starts with the language used to tell a story because when words recognize dignity, contributions, and the equal worth of every person, communication does more than inform – it helps create a space where everyone can see themselves as part of development, and as part of the story. (KKRG, PIA Agusan del Sur)