The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced Wednesday it is collaborating with online non-profit news organization VERA Files to enhance fact-checking efforts within state-run media outlets through a series of workshops aimed at fighting misinformation and improving media literacy.
PCO will roll out the program titled “Siguraduhing Totoo: A VERA Files Fact-Checking and Online Verification Training” to its attached agencies across Luzon on February 13-14, Visayas on February 20-21, and Mindanao on February 27-28.
Participants will include fact-check officers from regional units of state-run media companies such as People’s Television Network, Inc. (PTV), Radyo Pilipinas, Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), and Philippine News Agency (PNA).
VERA Files, an independent non-profit media organization and a signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, will conduct the workshops at no cost to the PCO, emphasizing its commitment to countering misinformation across all platforms.
The initiative aligns with the government’s ‘Maging Mapanuri’ campaign, which promotes critical thinking and responsible information consumption.
The training will focus on equipping fact-checkers with essential skills to assess online content, detect false information, and strengthen public trust in verified news.
Through this collaboration, the PCO reaffirms its commitment to advancing digital literacy and ensuring the public has access to credible and accurate information.