Toledo City Kicks Off Major School Press Conference
The Department of Education Toledo City Division launched its annual Division Schools Press Conference (DSPC) on Friday, November 21, 2025, bringing together a massive gathering of 1,451 campus journalists from both public and private elementary and secondary schools. The opening ceremony took place at the Toledo City Sports Center, setting the stage for two days of intense journalistic competition.
AI Era Calls for Truth in Journalism
Dr. Joseph Irwin Lagura, schools division superintendent, delivered a powerful message to the young journalists during the opening ceremony. He emphasized the critical role of journalism in speaking truth, particularly in the age of artificial intelligence. "Journalism speaks for truth," Dr. Lagura stated, reminding participants that campus journalists must avoid spreading fake news and instead focus on facts.
The event carries the theme "Empowering Filipino Youth: Unleashing Potentials in Journalism and Creative Industries in Era of Artificial Intelligence," highlighting the growing importance of navigating digital challenges while maintaining journalistic integrity.
Media's Role in Fighting Disinformation
Dr. Lagura further elaborated on the media's responsibility across different platforms, including newspapers, television, and radio. "The different media of journalism should expose truth, reality," he emphasized. He specifically addressed the application of AI in journalism, urging participants to remain committed to presenting what is true, quoting the biblical precept: "The truth will set you free."
The education chief challenged budding journalists to carefully evaluate facts and consider their impact on the community. "We should think whether the facts are beneficial to the whole community. You should be truth bearer," he advised, encouraging them to remain truthful in serving their communities.
Inspiring Future Journalistic Leaders
Dr. Lagura pointed to distinguished alumni of national press conferences as inspiration for the participants, mentioning great statesman Carlos P. Romulo and the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. He challenged the young journalists to become "responsible journalists as you grow," highlighting the potential for current participants to follow in these notable footsteps.
The DSPC competition proper ran from November 22-23, featuring various categories that test students' journalistic skills:
- News writing
- Feature writing
- Editorial writing
- Editorial cartooning
- Column writing
- Sports writing
- Radio broadcasting
- Newspaper production
Successful participants from the Toledo City division will advance to the Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC) scheduled for March 2026 in Danao City, where they will compete against winners from other divisions in the region.
