DEPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian has urged the agency’s information officers coming from its various offices nationwide to act as storytellers to showcase how its programs uplift the lives of Filipinos.
Speaking at the National Information Officers’ Conference held earlier this month and which was attended by more than 150 IOs from the central office, field offices and program management offices, Gatchalian underscored the power of communication in shaping public understanding of the DSWD’s mission.
“We know that our department is only as good as its storytelling or its communication. And I always use the word storytelling because DSWD is one of those departments that is rich in content.”
“I always say: Don’t just communicate but we have to do story telling” he added.
The DSWD chief noted that the agency has more narratives to share beyond its widely known welfare programs and services, and “it is time to focus on how beneficiaries truly benefit and achieve development from the administration’s programs.”
He then encouraged the IOs to draw inspiration from the real-life stories of beneficiaries—-the poor and vulnerable sectors.
“When you go back home, you go back home inspired by a story to tell. You tell the story about how beneficiaries are benefiting from the administration’s programs and how these programs uplift their lives,” Gatchalian pointed out.
Apart from urging IOs to focus on storytelling, he likewise challenged them to adopt new and creative ways of communication using both mainstream and digital platforms.
“I want you to be creative in the storytelling. Look at it, present it from a point of view of beneficiary. Present it from the point of view of end users. So, we want you to be as creative as possible in the storytelling and pick the medium, that is the new medium, so to speak,” the DSWD chief said, noting the agency’s recent entry in TikTok to reach wider audiences.
He then emphasized their continuing role in countering fake news and misinformation.
“Your role is to combat fake news. The goal there is to explain to people that with the right information, they are empowered to get the right services.”
The top DSWD official also stressed that storytelling should come from different perspectives—including beneficiaries, frontline workers, and service providers—to better reflect the impact of programs.
