The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) enjoined the College of Development Communication (CDC) to train its provincial and regional information officers on various media skills in a two-day capacity building activity held on June 14 and 16 at University Hotel of University of the Philippines Diliman.
Serving as resource speakers were two of CDC’s Research, Extension, and Professional Staff (REPS) and affiliate faculty members, Mr. Miguel Victor T. Durian (University Extension Associate II) handling the Region 1 to 5 offices on June 14, and Ms. Charlene Mae B. Arkaina (University Extension Specialist I), handling the Region 6 to 13 offices on June 16. They facilitated seminars on social media strategy, visual design, content writing, and smartphone photography. DAR’s communications specialist, Mr. Aris Callejo, Jr., also facilitated the workshops on these subject areas aligned with Project Split so that the participants could immediately apply the lessons they learned.
The training was part of the strategic communication plan of DAR’s Project Split (Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling). The Office of the Undersecretary for Special Concerns and External Affairs and Communication Operations (SC-EACO), headed by Atty. Marilyn B. Barua-Yap, in cooperation with the Office of the Undersecretary for Foreign Assisted and Special Projects (FASPO), headed by Jesry T. Palmares, who also leads Project SPLIT’s National Project Office for Project SPLIT, spearheaded the training. DAR Assistant Secretary Rene E. Colocar also facilitated an orientation of Project Split. After the training, DAR distributed laptops to the information officers so they could better fulfill their mandate.
Media production and management and strategic communication planning are some of the most frequently requested training topics from CDC by various agencies. (Miguel Victor T. Durian)
