Encouraging Teachers for Media and Information Literacy in the Philippines

  

In the second installment of the four-part series of Media and Information Literacy Education in the Philippine Classrooms. This article delves into how the Philippines is preparing teachers for Media and Information Literacy (MIL). This also tackles about current challenges, innovative training programs, and strategies to empower educators.

For nations to succeed in the global digital revolution, media and information literacy (MIL) is the educational bedrock that we need right now. The Philippines recognizes this opportunity. They integrated MIL education into its K-12 curriculum. However, in the previous article, we know for a fact that there is a digital divide and infrastructure issues to make MIL accessible.

In this article, we’ll dive into the human resource part of the equation – the teachers. The success of this initiative rests in their hands. Sadly, the government is not making enough effort to ensure that every teacher is well-equipped and well-prepared in the digital golden age.

In the following section, we will discuss the importance of teacher empowerment, and the solutions to make our teachers proficient in MIL.

The Need for Teacher Empowerment

It is the first step that the Philippines integrated MIL into its curriculum. Nonetheless, there are still significant gaps in teacher readiness. Many teachers feel ill-equipped to teach MIL effectively primarily due to insufficient training and resources.

We have to understand that MIL is a new subject that has been introduced to meet the demands of the digital world. Hence, the information is relatively new and not yet effectively democratized. This explains why teachers are ill-prepared. Aside from the content component problem, they also need to be trained on the execution component.

What exacerbates this problem is that they also lack the resources to avail technologies that will train them to be MIL proficient. It is not reasonable for them to shoulder all the burden of this initiative where in fact they are not being paid enough in their current role. It is clear that our educators need more support.

A Two-Pronged Approach to Teacher Training

To empower our teachers, we need a robust approach to their training. This means comprehensive initial preparation. This covers teaching them the basics of MIL and effective strategies. Furthermore, we must also provide ongoing professional development, keeping them up-to-date with the latest teaching methods and technology trends.

Continuous Learning for Educators

Think of it like a continuous learning journey for our teachers. Workshops, seminars, and peer learning groups can all help them hone their skills and stay ahead of the curve. This constant engagement ensures that oureducators remain confident and capable in this ever-changing digital landscape.

Understand that the digital landscape is also continuously evolving. Hence, there are new trends that teachers must learn in order to keep up. So, failure to finance their ongoing training for MIL will make Filipino students further left behind compared to their international counterparts who are investing in MIL.

In addition, teachers are the main actors in making the whole system effective. Contents of the MIL instruction could be obsolete down the line but the pattern recognition and the skills that these teachers will develop over time will not. So, we must invest in teacher education in MIL instruction.

Engaging Pedagogy for MIL

Effective MIL training isn't just about lectures. It's about fostering critical thinking and real-world problem-solving. We need to use a variety of teaching methods like inquiry-based learning, case studies, and even simulations. This makes MIL more engaging and relatable for students.

Now, this is a challenge for the whole educational system in the Philippines where rote memorization is the key component of instruction and assessment. For years, students have demanded to memorize rather than scrutinize the facts that they dealt with. For example, history lessons make you memorize dates and the persons involved. What they should be teaching is why the event took place, whether should it have taken place and what are wegoing to do to prevent it from happening again.

This should be the norm in teaching MIL. Students must be taught how to scrutinize the credibility and accuracy of the medium they are going to consume. Then, they must use critical thinking skills like inference and drawing conclusions based on their context and other perspective.

What we’re saying is the pedagogy for MIL should not be rote memorization but analytical thinking.

Investing in Teachers, Investing in the Future

The key message here is if we invest in our teachers, we invest in our students. They should be given support through comprehensive training and ongoing development. The end result is that the next generation has the critical thinking skills to withstand our complex media environment. The future of MIL education in the Philippines is bright, and it all starts with empowering our teachers.

BAN Toxics Calls On Shopee To Remove Mercury-Laced “Feique” Whitening Products From Its Platform, Uphold Ban

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Toxic and pollution watchdog BAN Toxics today called on online shopping site Shopee to address the sale of Feique whitening products, which have been banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to toxic mercury ingredients.

“We are dismayed that online shopping platforms, such as Shopee, allow sellers to advertise prohibited or banned skin-lightening products, exposing the public to health-damaging mercury,” said BAN Toxics Campaigner Thony Dizon. “This is a direct violation of the platforms’ policies and guidelines on prohibited and restricted products.”

In a recent online monitoring, BAN Toxics purchased and documented eight variants of Feique cosmetic products, namely Feique Cucumber Whitening & Freckle-Eliminating Cream, Feique Ginseng Whitening Freckle Day Cream and Night Cream, Feique Green Tea Whitening Nourishing Anti-Freckle Set, Feique Herbal Extract Whitening Freckle Removing Cream, Feique Lemon Whitening Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream Set, Feique Papaya Whitening & Freckle-Eliminating Set, Feique Rose Whitening Anti-Freckle Cream, and Feique Snail Liquid Whitening Anti-Freckle Set.

Using a portable Olympus Vanta C Series X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, the samples were screened and tested positive for mercury concentrations ranging from 20 parts per million (ppm) to as high as 7,500 ppm—far exceeding the 1 ppm limit set by the country's regulatory agencies, the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, and the Minamata Convention on Mercury, to which the Philippines is a party.

The FDA has warned the public against using “unauthorized” and “unnotified” cosmetic products containing toxic mercury, advising consumers not to purchase these violative items.

“Potential hazards may come from ingredients that are not allowed to be part of a cosmetic product or from the contamination of heavy metals. The use of substandard and possibly adulterated cosmetic products may result in adverse reactions including, but not limited to, skin irritation, itchiness, anaphylactic shock, and organ failure,” the FDA advisory states.

The China-made “Feique” skin whitening products were banned by the FDA in 2013, and an additional five products of the same brand, in June 2024.

“We are calling the attention of online shopping platforms to take preventive action and exercise ‘due diligence’ in removing or banning sellers that violate regulations on prohibited cosmetic products. Such measures are crucial for promoting a mercury-free shopping platform for consumers' health and safety,” Dizon said.

“Online businesses must adhere to the country’s laws and regulations, including safeguarding online consumers against health and safety risks, as outlined in Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No. 22-01 Series of 2022.”

BAN Toxics regularly conducts monitoring of both online and on-site markets to identify and warn the public about the sale of mercury-containing skin whitening products.

"To protect the public from the negative effects of hazardous chemicals in cosmetic products, it is high time for the government to implement robust compliance and enforcement strategies. This includes identifying importers, manufacturers, and other supply chains, particularly within e-commerce sites. Health agencies should also conduct nationwide awareness campaigns to inform consumers about the health and environmental effects of mercury," the group said.

“The government should put an end to the illegal trade of mercury-added skin-lightening cosmetics in both online and on-site markets. We urge our regulatory agencies: FDA, DTI, and the Bureau of Customs to crack down on smugglers of these prohibited and contraband products.”

BAN Toxics likewise asked the public to take caution when buying skin-lightening products, advising them to check for proper certifications and avoid products from unverified sources to protect their health and safety.




Mercury is cited by the World Health Organization as one of the top ten chemicals of major concern due to its adverse impacts on human health and the environment. The chemical is known to negatively affect the nervous, digestive, and immune systems.

Japan State Minister TSUGE Yoshifumi visits PHLPost Facility

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Japan State Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Tsuge Yoshifumi, and former Postmaster at Nagoya Moritaka Post Office met with Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) Chairman Stephen Cruz and Postmaster General/CEO Luis Carlos to discuss how Japan can help PHLPost improve its postal services through Digitalization and maintain its Universal Postal Obligation of delivering mails nationwide especially in far-flung areas.

Japan is keen on collaborating with PHLPost on projects that would comprehensively carry out a broad range of partnerships on modernization initiatives at the mail exchange centers and possible cooperation on banking services.

State Minister Tsuge and his party visited the postal operations particularly at the Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC) in Pasay City.

State Minister Tsuge noted the importance of collaboration and building of diplomatic ties between Japan and the Philippines, and stated that the trust between the two countries postal agency’s has been fostered with the two-day mission of Japan Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) and Japan Post together with the Embassy of Japan at the postal facilities of PHLPost last March 2024.

He expressed his confidence that cooperation in various areas will contribute to the further development of the postal services in terms of Digitalization and the growing friendship between Japan and the Philippines. This will enable PHLPost to improve and optimize its mail delivery to meet the growing demand especially in e-commerce.

Japan has one of the best postal services and infrastructure in the world. Japan Post is the only Asian country that is level 10 in the Integrated Index for Postal Development (2IPD) 2022 of the Universal Postal Union. Japan Post Co., Ltd., a member of the Japan Post Group and operates approximately 24,000 post offices nationwide, provides universal postal, banking and insurance service.

According to Postmaster General Carlos, “We are very much honored to be visited by the State Minister of Japan for Foreign Affairs. The collaboration being offered is a welcome initiative to PHLPost. Through strengthened partnership and good governance, PHLPost will embark on a journey towards transformation and growth, together with its dedicated postal employees, as the postal service will remain committed to delivering reliable and affordable postal services, embracing innovation, and fostering closer ties with its stakeholders”.