By Marlo Joshua Brua, Intern
DAVAO CITY, Philippines ─ The Philippine information Agency in Davao region will be installing three ASEAN information kiosks in public areas both Davao International Airport and two in Tagum City.
“The Philippine Information Agency is tasked to provide communication support by conducting series of public advocacy campaign on the ASEAN, [as] one of our activities here in region XI, we are going to set up ASEAN information kiosk,” Efren Elbanbuena, regional director of PIA XI said Monday at the weekly Kapehan sa Dabaw, SM Annex Ecoland.
On Wednesday, PIA 11 will be the installing their first ASEAN information kiosk at the Davao International Airport at 10 a.m, to be followed in Tagum City’s Big 8 Corporate hotel and Robinsons mall.
The ASEAN information kiosks is planned to be made available in all other international airports in the country to accommodate queries on the current chairmanship of the Philippines in the on-going ASEAN Summit 2017.
“Nationwide, we have planned to put it up in the different international airports,” Elbanbuena said adding that PIA 11 will also install the info kiosks in different strategic areas such as malls and universities in this city.
“This is my plan, aside from the malls and hotels, were going to the schools … what I have in mind already is the University of Southeastern Philippines that is a state university so it has a big population … hopefully I can negotiate with other schools also, private universities and colleges,” he said.
He further clarified that the kiosks will only be set up on three main locations in the region and other kiosks will be installed across the city.
Elbanbuena also added that a P25,000 budget was allotted for each kiosk which includes the production materials for the information campaign.
“PIA was able to get a certain budget from the Department of Budget and Management for the public advocacy on ASEAN, [where] each region is given a share to conduct activities as far as ASEAN is concern, so the budget for the information kiosk will include the information materials, and we are going to buy also the different features at the information kiosk,” he said.
The information kiosks will provide five types of information materials written in English─The History of ASEAN, ASEAN’s different themes, its priorities, relevance to Mindanao and other information from government agencies related to ASEAN.
However, plans to translate the ASEAN information materials to Cebuano are also being considered since the materials will also include other information from the member countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.
“We are going to expand our activities, so we are going to translate that into Cebuano,” he said
Apart from the kiosks, the information agency also plans to conduct a series of symposia about the ASEAN.
“As far as grass roots communication is concern, we are also conducting series of symposia up to the municipal level, that is why, we have also lined up a multi-stake holders forum sometime in March and in fact the provincial government of Davao Del Norte and the provincial government of Compostela Valley soon to be Davao de Oro, have already committed to organize a multi-stake holders forum to be attended by civic leaders and the local chief executives,” Elbanbuena said.
PIA XI will also be conducting a media briefing on March to further educate the members of the press about the ASEAN Summit 2017. (davaotoday.com)
