Tabuk City, Kalinga - "This war that we are waging against this communist terrorist is really an information war," stated National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Spokesperson and Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy while giving a talk before government agencies and the media.
Badoy’s statement came during “The Strategic Communicator Workshop” virtually held on February 16, 2022, conducted by the Chairman and CEO of NPI Communication Consulting Inc. Archie Inlong - an activity set up by Strategic Communications (StratCom) Cluster of the NTF-ELCAC.
StratComm aims to formulate a unified communication strategy by teaching and further equipping communicators with the necessary skills and knowledge on information dissemination.
Usec. Badoy underlines importance of effective communication
In her talk, Badoy said that even if the country has already won the war against terrorism, it is imperative that good communication skills shall be maintained, especially among the members of the government to be able to share the authenticity of the government’s role to the people.
“I can really see - maybe all of you will agree with me na panalo na tayo, pero mas maganda pa rin na we can hone our skills, and that be able to tell the very compelling stories of our people kung ano yung ginawa sa kanila,” she said, noting the importance of good communication skill.
Badoy added the need to remind the people of the crimes terrorists have done to their helpless victims.
“(This is) a responsibility for those of us who know, kasi people, they die a second time when you forget what has happened to them,” she expressed.
She said that by good communication to tell the people the truth, the country shall rebuild itself again, as it is able to counter misinformation delivered by communists.
She said that the government may have not triumphed on this before, but “finally we get it, finally, we understand that we were the ones who caused these problems by not doing our jobs well… - this is our president has taught us. We have it in our hands as government workers. We’re the ones that come between these terrorists and our people, and that we’re the ones that can rebuild our country talaga.”
“’Yung ang dami-dami nang binibigay ng gobyerno, pero natatalo pa rin tayo dito sa mga komunistang teroristang ito, kasi, napakagaling nila na mag-sinungaling, ‘diba? Magaling talagang mambola at manloko… kasi we were not telling our own stories well,” she cited.
She explained that the lack of communication with the people is a lesson and a reminder that people should be told about men and women in the government, who are there for them, and that “we are here, we’re not leaving you, kasama ninyo kami dito.”
“We’re really exposed to the most vulnerable in society where napakahalaga sa kanila na alam nila na hindi natin sila iniwanan,” she said, expressing hope that the care, love, and the protection of the government shall be communicated to them.
“So, the one thing that I saw was talagang ang mali sa atin is that communication is always an afterthought. (While) with the communist terrorist, itong mga kaaway natin, yan yun front and center nila so dun tayo natatalo. But now it’s changing, now we can understand, now we get it that communications should really be in the forefront,” she reiterated.
Strategic Communication Cluster
StratCom Cluster is part of the institutionalized “Whole of Nation Approach in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace” that created the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) through Executive Order 70 (EO 70) issued by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on December 2018.
It synchronizes the government's instrumentalities of power with the capabilities of private sector stakeholders to end 50 years of deceit, lies and atrocities committed by communist terrorists against the Filipino people.
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