By PMT Desk

ILIGAN CITY — Some 20 government communicators and media practitioners in the Bangsamoro region attended on July 6-9 a workshop held here to equip them with the necessary skills to effectively report on conflict and traumatic situations.

In a statement, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), a government owned and controlled communication arm, said this activity was conducted by the Bangsamoro Information Office (BIO) in line with the National Disaster Resilience Month.

Workshop participants included information officers, photographers, and videographers from the BIO, communicators from various Bangsamoro frontline offices, including the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD), Ministry of Public Order and Safety (MPOS), Bangsamoro Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence (READi), and the Marawi Rehabilitation Program (MRP).

Media practitioners, mostly from politicians’ media entities as well as a few coming from the radio frequency groups in Lanao del Sur also joined the workshop.

The training provided the participants with a comprehensive understanding of trauma and its effects.

It also offered a framework for self-care when covering conflict and traumatic events, with practical techniques for approaching and interviewing survivors.

Along with basic life support training, the workshop included practical exercises, discussions, and an immersion at the scene (ground zero) of the 2017 Marawi siege. (With report from PIA-10)

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Photo Release: Rowena Paraan, former Research Director of the Philippines Center for Investigative Journalism, is the resource person for the Conflict and Trauma Journalism Workshop conducted by the Bangsamoro Information Office on July 6-9, 2024. She taught training participants ethical considerations to minimize harm in reporting and information gathering during crises, among other topics. (APB/PIA-10 Lanao del Sur)