CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Abdul Hafiz Malawani, a campus journalist at Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi, is on the frontline of a different kind of battle. Marawi, a city still recovering from the devastating conflict between the extremist Maute Group and government forces in 2017, now faces a more insidious threat: the spread of disinformation.
False information, much of it disseminated through social media, has become more pronounced in Marawi since the violent siege that left many areas of the city in ruins seven years ago.
Malawani and several others from Marawi and the Lanao provinces have observed that the misleading narratives often have political undertones, and the pieces of disinformation are crafted to serve the interests of politicians who want to cling to power.
Yet, the problem is not confined to the predominantly Muslim city in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). In the five other Mindanao regions, social media has become a weapon in political arsenals.
Groups with ties to local political dynasties use these platforms to undermine their opponents, perpetuating their hold on power. In turn, their adversaries also resort to similar tactics in attempts to topple the incumbents.
The disinformation campaigns vary in their content and delivery but share a common goal: manipulating public perception. Such efforts undermine trust in legitimate sources of information and contribute to a polarized and misinformed society.
Malawani said it’s a cycle of deceit that ultimately harms communities.
His experience as opinion editor of MSU’s Mindanao Varsitarian has helped shape his understanding of the complexities of disinformation. In Marawi, he and his peers have taken baby steps to combat false narratives by promoting factual reporting and critical thinking within their campus and the broader community.
The fight against disinformation in Marawi and across Mindanao is ongoing, but it requires the collective effort of journalists, educators, and citizens to foster a culture of truth and accountability.
For Malawani and others like him, the mission is clear: to help in efforts to rebuild not just the physical structures of Marawi but also the integrity of information within their community.
Getting trained
Malawani joined a diverse group of 15 young people from various cities and provinces in Mindanao for an intensive four-day training on media and information literacy. The training, held from July 28 to July 31, was part of a collaborative project of Rappler, anti-disinformation initiative FactsFirstPH, and DW Akademie, with backing from the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.
The training program, Movers for Facts, aimed to equip them with the skills needed to navigate the complexities in the media. After the training, the youth leaders will share their learnings with their communities by leading their own workshops and producing multimedia executions aimed to promote media and information literacy.
The participants engaged in comprehensive discussions about their media habits, the sources they rely on for news, and the critical role of professional media organizations in reaching audiences.
During the workshops, the young media literacy advocates delved into various aspects of the Philippine media landscape. They learned how to identify and combat disinformation, strategies for maintaining digital hygiene, and effective ways to disseminate their knowledge as media literacy trainers or social media content creators.
The training also involved direct interactions with seasoned journalists who provided the trainees with insights into the mainstream media industry and fostered a deeper understanding of journalistic standards and ethics. They also took part in the community dialogue with the participants to take note of relevant issues raised during the discussion.
Thorsten Karg, DW Akademie digital resilience and dialogue project manager, said: “I hope they’ll keep the enthusiasm that they have and the drive that they have.… I hope they can take some of that energy back to their communities and spread the word, do those trainings, do those social media content pieces so that others would learn about media and information literacy as well.”
Karg said the project is about the use of “social media for social good.”
He said similar trainings have been scheduled in Naga City and in Malaysia and Indonesia, with the goal of fostering a network of informed and vigilant citizens committed to countering disinformation and promoting reliable information.
The next leg of Rappler’s Movers for Facts program will be in Naga, from August 4 to 8. – Rappler.com