PIA-DAR writing workshop to bring about improved storytelling on ARCs

Veteran wordsmith and public relations expert Jess S. Matubis Jr. (Upper Left photo) speak to Information officers of the Department of Agrarian Reform during the opening of the News and Feature Writing Workshop in Palawan on Tuesday. The workshop updates participants on recent techniques and practices of effective communication and news writing.  On the right upper photo, Ms. Rosamarie Lomibao of the City Agrarian Reform Program Office addresses colleagues from the Visayas and Mindanao. On the lower right and bottom photos, workshoppers talk about the elements and approaches to their stories during the initial writing sessions. (Photo courtesy of Vanessa Rodriguez, Orlan C. Jabagat and Jess S. Matubis Jr.) See more photos at http://bit.ly/1OhATy6 and http://bit.ly/1osNVnS.


Visayas and Mindanao are treasure chests of stories that  move kababayans to aspire and work for better lives. 

These motivational stories included those coming from agrarian reform communities (ARCs) that our kababayans in Luzon and the rest of the country deserve to know.

An ARC, as defined by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR),  is a barangay or cluster of contiguous barangays within a municipality where majority of the CARP (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program)-covered lands have been awarded to a critical mass of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs).

CARP  is a government initiative that aims to grant landless farmers and farmworkers ownership of agricultural lands.

Since then, DAR encouraged its storytellers to embrace fresh approaches in communicating developments.

That desire for improvements in reportage led to the collaboration between PIA and DAR.

And one of the best demonstration of this collaboration is the holding of a news and feature writing workshop under  news and public relations expert Jess S. Matubis Jr. for DAR's information officers in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Started last Tuesday in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, the workshop crossed over current journalism and communication practices and techniques.

No less than PIA-Mimaropa Officer-in-Charge Vicky Mendoza opened the writing workshop that is expected to sharpen the skills of DAR information officers and harvest beautiful stories of empowerment and productivity from the ARCs. #

18 February 2016