LA TRINIDAD, Benguet province’s capital town, is eyeing to institutionalize the use of social media as communication tool.
Councilor Roderick Awingan on Tuesday introduced the proposed ordinance “Institutionalizing the Use of Social Media as a Communication Tool in the Municipality.”
The ordinance aims to provide a framework and technical guidelines in the management of the La Trinidad’s official social media accounts.
Although there are existing social media accounts of the municipality, Awingan said they are not yet official.
“There are existing, but they are not official, there is a need to institutionalize this social media accounts,” said Awingan, adding that once institutionalized, the existing accounts can possibly be part of the social media accounts of La Trinidad.
Moreover, social media as a communication channel can be recognized in informing and keeping the public updated of the town’s programs, projects and services.
“Social media has introduced new opportunities for the government to communicate, to interact with and engage the public in matters of public interest, including its policy making processes, create awareness of programs, projects and receives feedback from the general public,” Awingan added.
The alderman said it is imperative to formulate a policy that will guide the local government on the responsible use of social media and ensure such will redound to the best interest of the LGU and its constituents.
Within the proposed ordinance, the municipal information office (MIO) is authorized to open social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram linked to the official website of the LGU. Moreover, the MIO is appointed as the administrator of all social media accounts and to lead the conduct of information education campaign.
Guidelines are set in the maintenance of social media accounts such as content management, content development and posting, security and maintenance, comments and complaints handling, permissions, privacy and confidentiality.
A La Trinidad social media steering committee will be created and will be tasked to establish processes for the consistent production of social media content and exercise editorial judgment over content for posting on the official LGU’s social media accounts.