DAVAO CITY(February 3) — In an age where a single click can spread both truth and lies, student journalists competing in this year’s Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC) in the Davao Region were challenged to sharpen their media literacy skills and use journalism as a tool against misinformation.
At the opening ceremony, Mati City Mayor Joel Mayo Almario, host of the regional campus journalism competition, reminded young writers that speed should never come at the expense of accuracy.
“Information travels very fast—so fast that not all of it is correct,” Almario said. “You do not only inform; you must also inspire and make an impact.”
His message resonated with a generation raised on social media feeds, where trending content often outpaces verification. Almario urged student journalists to go beyond opinion and impulse, and instead ground their stories in facts, context, and responsibility.
The call for media literacy was reinforced by Davao Oriental Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang, through Provincial Information Officer Atty. Lovella Fe Tacder, who warned that digital convenience has made misinformation easier to spread.
“Iba na ang mundo ninyo ngayon—one click can inform, but it can also mislead,” Tacder said. “That is the challenge of your generation.”
To help students navigate today’s information overload, Tacder shared the CLICK framework as a guide for responsible journalism: Critical thinking, Listening, Integrity, Connection, and Knowledge.
She reminded students that not everything that trends is true, urging them to fact-check, listen to all sides, uphold principles even without online validation, and ensure every story remains connected to people and truth.
As the competitions in writing, broadcasting, and online publishing got underway, Department of Education (DepEd) XI Regional Director Allan G. Farnazo emphasized that RSPC is less about trophies and more about personal growth and discipline.
“The real competition is with ourselves,” Farnazo said. “The goal is to overcome mediocrity and prepare for the challenges we will face in life.”
Farnazo also expressed confidence that this year’s delegates would once again carry the region’s tradition of excellence to the National Schools Press Conference, citing past championship performances.
But beyond medals and rankings, organizers stressed that the real impact of RSPC lies in preparing young journalists to become discerning consumers and producers of information—skills increasingly critical not only in newsrooms, but in everyday civic life.
With hundreds of student journalists gathered from across the region, this year’s RSPC underscores a growing recognition: in the fight against misinformation, media literacy is no longer optional—and young people are on the front lines.
