OPAPP conducts capacity-building seminar for info officers

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jan 25): OPAPP conducts capacity-building seminar for info officers

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) will conduct a capacity-building seminar for all government information officers in the country in an effort to disseminate the success stories of the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan or Pamana (Peaceful and Progressive Communities).

According to OPAPP Sec. Teresita Q. Deles, the project entitled “Communicating Pamana results: Capacity-Building for Government Information Officers,” will serve as venue for information officers to learn how to communicate the progress and results of the program through the strategic use of different media communication channels or distribution networks.

Deles also said that as an output of the three-day training, the participants will craft a communication plan together with the trainers and undergo three-months of supervised implementation or coaching after.

The participant or trained staff, who will eventually serve as Pamana focal people in their respective communications unit, will also function as point persons who will handle communications requirements in relation to the peace process.

The Pamana is the national government’s program and framework for peace and development that aims to reduce poverty, improve governance, and empower communities in conflict-affected areas.

OPAPP, with funding assistance from the World Bank, has undertaken a project to build the capacity of information officers of Pamana agencies such as DAR, DILG, and DSWD, as well as government information agencies such as the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), and Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO).

Pamana seeks to close the gap between what happens on the peace table and the existing realities on the ground as it focuses on ensuring that the communities dominated and/or afflicted by the said armed groups will feel the government’s presence in their lives through improved delivery of basic services and responsive, transparent, and accountable governance combined with economic development interventions truly reflective of the needs of the people.

It also serves as the umbrella program working in accordance with the specific context of a beneficiary area in an effort to streamline all development programs of the government.

In communities occupied by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the program will act as a confidence-building measure to the peace process with the Moro group, while in areas covered by closure pacts with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), among others, PAMANA functions as part of the implementation of the agreements.

On the other hand, in communities directly affected by armed conflict with the CPP-NPA-NDF (CNN), the program will serve as a parallel track demonstrating the government’s unilateral commitment to pursue peace and reform.

http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1711359076522