“As we navigate with the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), let’s remind that journalism speaks for truth. A campus journalist should not spread fake news but no other than the truth, facts,” Dr. Joseph Irwin Lagura, Schools Division Superintendent, told campus journalists on Friday, November 21, during the opening ceremony of the Division Schools Press Conference (DSCP) 2025 at the Toledo City Sports Center (TCSC).

This year’s DSPC of the Department of Education (DepEd) Toledo City Division is participated by 1,451 campus journalists from both public and private schools in the elementary and secondary levels. The contest proper will commence on November 22-23.

With the theme, “Empowering Filipino Youth: Unleashing Potentials in Journalism and Creative Industries in Era of Artificial Intelligence,” Lagura reminded the participants of the media’s role in exposing the truth and fighting disinformation.

“The different media of journalism – newspaper, TV, radio – should expose (the) truth, reality. That is why with the application of AI, let’s remain to present, to show, what is true, as an old precept says, ‘The truth will set you free,’” he said.

Toledo’s education chief also told all budding journalists to weigh the facts, saying, “We should think whether the facts are beneficial to the whole community. You should be truth bearer… let’s remain truthful, let’s present facts to the community we are serving.”

He challenged the participants to become “responsible journalists as you grow,” citing the likes of “great statesman Carlos P. Romulo, the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago,” who “are alumni of the national press conference.”

The DSCP is an annual gathering of student-journalists from various schools within the division. The participants will compete in the following categories: news writing, feature writing, editorial writing, editorial writing, editorial cartooning, column writing, sports writing, radio broadcasting, among others. The winners in the DSPC will compete in the Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC) in March 2026 in Danao City.

Niel Fujil B. Eguna

Teacher III, Talavera Elementary School

SWP

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