By Arianne Joy Tabangay and Love Grace Campano

 

To capacitate the knowledge management and techno-transfer representatives and interested partners in the region with the style and techniques in writing press releases for print media, the Ilocos Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium (ILAARRDEC) conducted a two-day webinar on news and feature writing on March 9-10, 2020, via zoom application.

 

With the consortium's effort to regularly come up with the issue of the newsletter, and to engage more Consortium Member Institutions (CMI) in contributing news and feature articles, there is a need to amplify the writing skills of the CMI representatives. Additionally, one of the core activities is to disseminate information, activities, and generated technologies along Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources (AANR) Research, Development and Extension (RDE) from and to different member institutions through press releases in print and broadcast media.

 

The webinar was participated by 70 participants comprised of researchers, information officers, and other staff from the different member institutions of the consortium.  Prof.  Rhea M. Agibuay, chair of the Committee on Publications and Community Affairs of the Urdaneta City University (UCU) in Pangasinan was invited to speak on the basic principles of news and feature writing. She also presented some tips on captioning photos. Prof. Love Grace D. Campano, the coordinator of the Regional Knowledge Management Group (RKMG) of the consortium also discussed the principles of clear and effective writing.

 

In her message during the opening program, Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis, chair of the Regional Research and Development Coordinating Council (RRDCC) of the consortium  stated that the webinar would jumpstart  the active role of the KM representatives, and the participants in general, to bring information and technologies closer to the people not only as an announcement of activity conducted but a pathway by which more of the community people could be reached and make the news as a means to engage other institutions and organizations towards inclusive and sustainable development.

 

As a collateral, the participants were required to come up with news and feature stories, highlighting the significant information from their respective institutions. It was emphasized that the outputs shall be featured in the first quarter issue of ILAARRDEC Reporter. Each CMI representative presented their outputs and were critiqued by the resource speakers.

 

"This training is very relevant because we need to be equipped with necessary skills and knowledge on how to produce articles that are worth sharing,” Mr. Aldrin Taoatao, a participant from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Region I (BFAR-R1) stressed before the webinar ended.

 

Dr. Epifania O. Agustin, Program leader of the consortium expressed her deep gratitude and appreciation for the magnanimity of the speakers in sharing their expertise, and the active participation of the participants, as well.