Sara Duterte cites importance of libraries in fight against misinformation

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Friday stressed the value of libraries in battling misinformation online.
 
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 32nd Library and Information Services Month in Manila, Duterte said that the “vast, endless ocean” of digital information is “not without dangers.” 

"Those waters are often perilous. Like the deep blue sea, the digital world has an ecosystem that, if not managed and utilized well, may confuse the public, steal quality and truthful information, contribute to miseducation, and lead them right down its darkest parts," Duterte said.
 
"We have seen how accessibility to online information has diluted depth and quality, or how convenience [has] watered down hard work, diligence, and thirst for knowledge," she added.
 
Duterte also mentioned the "over-reliance" on digital platforms, where people source their information from online search engines.
 
"And true enough, you only need to go to Google, and all the information you supposedly need would come streaming before you in seconds. You only need to click a link that you think is relevant, [that] you feel is relevant but [are] not sure if it is relevant. But that's not a problem. You can find another link if you are unsure, and then another," she said.
 
These pieces of information can be copied and pasted to finish a research project regardless if the data are reliable or not, she added.
 
"I find this part of technology worrisome as a mother of three young children with access to technology and online information, [and] I am aware of the possibility of them wandering around the dark side of the online world," she said.
 
But in libraries, Duterte said, the public must go through a process of research that is "as ancient as time."
 
Although she said she is not "demonizing technology and digital information," Duterte said online information can be skewed, incomplete, erroneous, curated, and produced to provoke a particular reaction, incite hate, peddle lies, and spread misinformation.
 
"This brings me back to the relevance of advocating for the importance of libraries, given that they are founded on the idea of a real community organizing a wealth of information and serving for the personal enrichment of the people," she said.
 
"This is our weapon against misinformation, against inciting hate, against peddling lies, because here in libraries, we are assured that information is real, accurate, and correct," she added.
 
Duterte also acknowledged the National Library of the Philippines for their work as literacy partners of the Department of Education and maintaining the integrity of libraries as a source of relevant, verified, reviewed, truthful, and reliable information. 

At a chance interview, Duterte said she was in favor of the regulation of online content to protect children.

"Of course, yes, dapat talaga mayroong (there should be) some sort of law or guide para mapangalagaan natin ang ating mga anak (so we can protect our children)," Duterte said in an chance interview with reporters when asked about regulating information posted on the internet for the protection of the children.

"Sabi ko doon sa ating speech na easily accessible ang information d'yan sa internet and hindi nave-verify ng reader, ng nagi-scan kung ito ba ay totoo o hindi," she added.

(Like what I have said in my speech, all the information on the internet is easily accessible and readers cannot verify if it is true or not.) —VBL/NB, GMA Integrated News