FOLLOWING the result of a recent survey revealing that most Filipinos struggle to spot fake news, the Cebu City Council has urged two educational agencies to conduct seminars on identifying inaccurate information and combating misinformation.
The council, through two separate resolutions passed on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, has asked the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) and the Department of Education (DepEd) to conduct seminars on identifying fake news on social media.
For its resolution addressed to Ched, the council asked the agency to conduct a seminar on fake news on the internet and social media to raise awareness and enhance the capacity of college students in identifying and combating misinformation.
The other resolution addressed to DepEd, the council requested the DepEd Cebu City Division to conduct a seminar on fake news to equip students and teachers with critical thinking skills, media literacy and the ability to verify information from credible sources.
Councilor Rey Gealon, who sponsored the resolution, said college students, being of legal age and on the verge of entering the professional world, need to be equipped with critical thinking skills and media literacy to responsibly navigate the digital landscape and avoid being misled by disinformation.
Gealon also included DepEd, considering the youth and students are active users of social media and the internet and may be particularly more vulnerable to the spread of disinformationand misinformation.
The Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey published on March 12 revealed that 65 percent of Filipinos find it difficult to determine if news or a piece of information they had watched, heard, or read on TV, radio or social media was fake.
It was reported earlier that inaccurate information flooded the social media following the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte on March 11.
The city secretary was tasked to furnish the Ched and DepEd a copy of the resolution for their information and guidance. / JJL