Committed to promote enabling digital space for young learners in the country, the Department of Education (DepEd) organized a Media and Information Literacy in School Workshop for student-leaders on June 25.

Around 170 Regional Federation of Supreme Student Government (RFSSG) Officers and other participants attended the said webinar that bannered the theme ‘Maximizing Online Platforms for Effective Student Leadership’ to ensure that they will assist their co-learners the online platform efficiently.

“I am very pleased to see that our student-leaders are engaging in activities like this to ensure that the digital space will be free from any harm as we approach the digitalization of education in the next few years,” Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said.

During the program, various resource speakers tackled subject matter, including MIL and Thought Leadership, Law and Policies related to MIL, Creating and Sharing Stories that Matter, and Exploring Art, Activism, and Social Change.

The program, which was attended by Regional PSTP Governors, Regional Youth Formation Coordinators, and RFSSG Teacher-Advisers, also discussed the importance of the youth sector’s role in redefining the perception and landscape of communication and bridging the digital gap problem.

Patricia Lucena, the Executive Director of Youth Advocates Building Opportunities and Network in Governance (YABONG) Philippines, highlighted the importance of having digital knowledge to address various social issues among youth.

“Due to the increasing use of digital platforms, student-leaders are also challenged to develop the necessary skills to use in these social media platforms to address the social inequality that exists in our country today,” Lucena said.

The participants also engaged in the breakout sessions, whereas they created a digital campaign through YABONG Philippines and the Youth Formation Division of the Bureau of Learner Support Services (BLSS-YFD).

“We now live in an era where people realize the power of information propelled by an inevitable advancement of technology. We believe that the Filipino youth plays a vital role in using their galing,” said BLSS-YFD Chief Aguilar on the essence and power of information dissemination.

The program was spearheaded by the BLSS-YFD, under the Administration Strand of Undersecretary Alain Del B. Pascua and Assistant Secretary Salvador Malana III, and in partnership with YABONG Philippines.