Dagupan City Council lauds GMA Network campaign vs fake news

The Dagupan City Council has taken a stand against the pervasive issue of misinformation and disinformation as it lauded GMA Network's campaign, "Panata Kontra Fake News."

“Sinasabi nga nila, pagka maling impormasyon ang paulit-ulit na nababasa, nakikita at inuulit. They gained the legitimacy of truth,” City Council Secretary Ryan Ravanzo told GMA Regional TV, One North Central Luzon.

The campaign, a partnership GMA initiated with almost 60 groups, including academic institutions and other media organizations, aims to combat fake news, including deep fake, across different media platforms.

During its regular session on August 27, 2024, the Dagupan Council adopted a resolution unanimously "To express this body's appreciation and support to the management of the GMA television network... to combat or at least minimize the increasing and wide proliferation of fake news including the so-called deep fake news in all media platforms.”

The Council recognizes that fake news continues to be is a serious problem in the Philippines, significantly influenced by social media, which affects public opinion on important topics such as politics, health, and current events.

"With the increased influence of the internet and social media, the problem 'fake news' has also grown," it said.

The session was presided over by Vice Mayor Dean Bryan Kua.

Councilor Redford Christian Erfe-Mejia moved for the passage of the resolution, which was seconded duly by Councilors Alvin Coquia, Marilou Maria Lourdes Fernandez, and Celia Lim-Acosta.

Other members present included Councilors Alipio Serafin Fernandez and Michael Fernandez.

The Council has furnished GMA Network a copy of the resolution.

The resolution also mentioned a 2018 study by Dr. Jason Cabafies and Dr. Jonathan Corpus Ong that looked into how different groups create and spread fake news in the Philippines, especially using social media.

According to a September 2022 survey, 67 percent of people view fake news online as a serious problem due to how quickly it spreads on social media.

“Malalabanan [ang misinformation] kung tayo mismo ay mamumuhay ng totoo,” Ravanza said.

At Dagupan City National High School, teachers guide campus journalists to avoid misinformation in their publications.

“We do make sure that they understand the concept of fake news... We engage them to verify information before they post it,” Raul Almonte, adviser of The Dagupeñan Sparks, said.

“Vini-verify namin by checking sa mga credible sources... to ensure po na may truth, integrity sa pina-publish namin,” Daffnie Siapno, the Editor-in-Chief of The Dagupeñan Sparks, said. —with reports from Vincent John Abordo and CJ Torida, GMA Regional TV, One North Central Luzon/GMA Regional TV