The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) said that it will be implementing programs to combat the spread of fake news in the country after recognizing that the circulation of erroneous content is a problem that must be resolved.
OPS officer-in-charge Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil said this after a new Pulse Asia survey showed that 9 of 10 Filipino adults think the proliferation of fake news in the country is a problem.
In a press briefing, Garafil agreed that spreading fake news is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.
She said the OPS would come out with programs to combat fake news.
"Ito po ay isang seryosong bagay na tututukan ng OPS. Kaya nga ngayon, Sir, meron kaming mga programa na ile-lay-down in the coming days (This is a serious issue that the OPS is looking into. That's why we will be laying down programs in the coming days)," she said.
"We will let you know kasi gusto rin talaga natin na ma-address itong mga problema ng fake news (because we also want to address this problem about fake news)," she added.
Last month, former Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said the OPS was willing to work with Congress to push for legislation to address the spread of disinformation and fake news.
She said this after she admitted that there was no budget yet for efforts to fight misinformation in her office's proposed budget for 2023.
"Nagbigay rin tayo ng suporta sa Kongreso para sa panukalang batas sa paglaban sa fake news at disinformation (We showed our support to Congress for a proposed law against fake news and disinformation)," Angeles said on September 2.
"Handang magbigay at magsumite ang ating opisina ng suhestiyon at impormasyon na kinakailangan para makamtan natin ang 'whole-of-government' approach kontra fake news (Our office is prepared to give suggestions and information necessary to achieve a 'whole-of-government' approach against fake news)," she added.