With the May 2022 elections coming, Fact Check: Breaking through the Political Walls of Fake News and Misinformation served as a timely reminder to the Lasallian community last April 23, 2022. This event was in partnership with Boto Lasalyano Sulong Pilipino and media partner, The Lasallian. With over 600 registered participants, the one-day webinar was conducted via Zoom and Facebook Live, which served as an avenue for students to be vigilant against the spread of fake news and misinformation.
As the university-wide event started at 4:30 PM, the attendees were welcomed by the IMES president, Jose Maria Miguel Berberabe. Following this, Mr. Markus Ramon San Gabriel from YouthLed PH started the event as the first speaker.
With the theme, “Discerning Integrity: The Underlying Truth behind the Misconceptions in the Philippine Elections”, students were reminded of the dos and don’ts during the election period. Moreover, Mr. San Gabriel reiterated the purpose and role of the different branches in the government as well as their responsibilities and qualifications.
This was then followed by a question and answer session from the participants. Then, a recurring raffle draw was conducted in between the segments to get a set of lucky participants who will be taking home a special prize from the organizing body.
Afterward, the session resumed with Ms. Cheri Mae Miranda, a volunteer writer-researcher for FactCheck Philippines, with the theme, “Breaking Barriers: The Importance of Fact-Checking in a Bubble of Fake News.” Through her talk, students were reminded to check the credibility of their sources as this serves as an important process when disseminating information. She shared the importance of checking the credibility of the electoral candidates’ platforms and credentials in order to not be a victim of fake news. Through her talk, an interactive exchange of information and insights was established with the participants as it was a timely topic that everyone had experienced before.
To end the program, the project heads, Ms. Anicka Beatriz Teves and Ms. Huzziel Kem Reyes, gave their closing remarks and reminded everyone to vote wisely this upcoming May 2022 elections and select the most credible set of candidates who will determine the future of this nation.
