Information and

Communication
Vital Role in Philippine Nation-Building
Prepared by: John Ryan C. Aguirre, Eden T. Tusoy, Jesselle Ann Ledesma,
Nessie Baclig,
 OUTLINE

I. Delineation of Key Concepts

1.1 State
1.2 Vital Role
1.3 Communication
1.4 Information
1.5 Nation-building
1.6 Mass Media

II. Purpose of Communication and Information

2.1 According to De Leon and De Leon Jr (2014)1
2.1.1 Dissemination of news information to the public
2.1.2 Formation of an enlightened citizenry
2.1.3 Promotion of efficiency and economy in government and business
2.1.4 Development of Society

2.2 Impact to Society According to Konsbruck Robert Lee

III. Government Agencies in Communication and Information: Function and Legal

Basis for their establishment

IV. Communication and Information, Their Existing Laws and Statues in the
Philippines

1
De Leon and De Leon Jr. (2014 Ed.). Textbook on the Philippine Constitution. pp.117-118

1
I. Delineation of Key Concepts
Philippines, in its idealism of being a Republican-Democratic2 government, sees
to it that it delivers welfare and wellbeing throughout its citizenry. As technology continues
to grow, the information and communication system3 of our country is also pacing in,
though not that on pace. In this time of electronic age, where communication and
information is not just limited to papers and pens but also embodies the multi-faceted
advantage of technologies, Philippines sought to include provision in the 1987 Philippine
Constitution about communication and information. In Article II, Section 24 of the 1987
Philippine Constitution, the provision is stated as such:
“The State recognizes the vital role of
communication and information in nation-building.”4

1.1 State
A community of persons, more or less numerous, permanently occupying a definite
portion of territory, independent of external control, and possessing a government to
which a great body of inhabitants render habitual obedience. See: Collector of Internal
Revenue v. Campos Rueda, 42 SCRA

1.2 Vital Role

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines vital as circumstance or phenomenon
that has fundamental concern or effects on the life of the individuals or, in case of the
political sense, the citizens.5
Roles6 are the general terms, and the responsibilities are the specifics. (Martin,
2016)

2
Republicanism [Sec. 1. Art. II: “The Philippines is a democratic and republican State. Sovereignty resides in the
people and all government authority emanates from them”].
3
https://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2012/ra_10173_2012.html. RA 10173, Section 3(f) Information and
Communications System refers to a system for generating, sending, receiving, storing or otherwise processing
electronic data messages or electronic documents and includes the computer system or other similar device by or
which data is recorded, transmitted or stored and any procedure related to the recording, transmission or storage
of electronic data, electronic message, or electronic document.
4
De Leon and De Leon Jr. (2014 Ed.). Textbook on the Philippine Constitution. pp.117-118 2
5
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vital
6
https://www.cleverism.com/how-to-define-roles-responsibilities-handovers/
 In general sense, vital role is the ultimate importance of a circumstance or a
phenomena that contributes to a productive effect.

1.3 Communication
“Communication is the act of conveying information for the purpose of creating a
shared understanding. It's something that humans do every day. In other words,
Communication is the activity of conveying information through the exchange of thoughts,
messages, or information, as by speech, visuals, signals, writing, or behaviour.
Pragmatics defines communication as any sign-mediated interaction that follows
combinatorial, context-specific and content-coherent rules.”7 (Velentzas and Broni, n.d)

1.4 Information
According to Feynman, as cited by Szpankowski (2006), “Information is not simply
a physical property of a message: it is a property of the message and your knowledge
about it.”8
A piece of data carries information if it can impact a recipient’s ability to achieve
the objective of some activity within a given context.9

1.5 Nation-building
Nation-building is the most common form of a process of collective identity
formation with a view to legitimizing public power within a given territory. This is an
essentially indigenous process which often not only projects a meaningful future but also
draws on existing traditions, institutions, and customs, redefining them as national
characteristics in order to support the nation’s claim to sovereignty and uniqueness. A
successful nation-building process produces a cultural projection of the nation containing
a certain set of assumptions, values and beliefs which can function as the legitimizing
foundation of a state structure.10 (Bogdandy, Häußler, Hanschmann, and Utz, 2005)

7
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/da4e/69265653057d6f03fdc4ce3692b4e6923a0f.pdf
8
https://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/spa/talks/info06.pdf
9
ibid
10
https://www.mpil.de/files/pdf2/mpunyb_bogdandyua_9_579_613.pdf
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1.6 Mass Media
Mass media, thus, can be distinguished from individual media, such as the book,
the letter, the telephone and the internet. The meanings of individual media are produced
by persons individually; they are received according to personal needs and have a small,
socially restricted audience, such as friends, the family, and professional or intellectual
peers which often can be named. Mass media are anchored in a national society;
individual media are anchored in – as the internet jargon has it – “communities” which
rest on personal, although not face-to-face, relations. 11 (Meulemann and Hagenah, 2009)

II. Purpose of Communication and Information

2.1 According to De Leon and De Leon Jr (2014)12

2.1.1 Dissemination of news information to the public
Information can be disseminated in the public through mediums. It can be, but not
limited to, print media and broadcast media. Example print media are posters,
newspapers, magazines, books, etc. While examples of broadcast media are radio and
television broadcasting. Those means of communication designed to gather and convey
news and information to public are called mass media because they reach the mass of
the people, which was mentioned in Article XVI, Section 11, paragraph 1.
Media plays an important role in nation-building because information are
exchanged through communication process.
Modern, form of communications is in forms of cellular phone communications and
electronic communications.
The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) is now an integral
part of modern society. Information is regarded as a valuable asset for all individuals. The
ability to construct knowledge from the information gathered is by and large seen as a
vital survival skill. No one can deny that the immediate future of Hong Kong is also
dependent upon its transformation into an information-based or knowledge-based

11
https://www.ratswd.de/download/RatSWD_WP_2009/RatSWD_WP_111.pdf
12
De Leon and De Leon Jr. (2014 Ed.). Textbook on the Philippine Constitution. pp.117-118

4
society, where information processing, knowledge management and creation are
essential features.13

2.1.2 Formation of an enlightened citizenry

Mass media can influence the thoughts, beliefs, attitudes and values of a human
person. In the Philippines, where cultural diversity is very evident, mass media is a tool
to effectively promote national integration. As such, preservation of Filipino values and
traditions are given importance through media. Citizens where educated regarding public
issues, policies, and contemporaneous circumstances than is essential to enlightenment.
They promote progressive endeavor.

2.1.3 Promotion of efficiency and economy in government and business

Information and communication is useful in linking geographically depressed
population. It enables help and aid accessible to these communities such as faster
delivery of education, medical, and other public services necessary for the well-being and
welfare of the entire citizenry. In an organizational point of view, information and
communication maximizes internal efficiency.

2.1.4 Development of Society

Information and Communication Technology promote quality of life and effective
social progressive atmosphere. Information and communication technology (ICT)
provides national opportunities and social readiness.
The development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has
strong potential to transform economies and societies in several ways, such as reducing
information and transaction costs, creating new collaborative models to increase the
efficiency of workers, promoting innovation, and improving education and access to basic
services. Innovation seems to be everywhere in the lives of consumers, in industry and
service production processes, as well as in public sector tasks. 14 (Arellano and Cámara,
2017)

13
https://334.edb.hkedcity.net/doc/eng/framework1/info.pdf
14
https://www.bbvaresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/maslow_pyramid_en.pdf

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 The Philippines must keep updated of communication innovations in order to be
adaptive to global pacing. Utilization and wise management of communication are
efficient tool to many organelles of the state such as economics, social, cultural,
educational, and political.

2.2 Impact to Society According to Konsbruck Robert Lee

One of the most significant outcomes of the progress of information technology is
probably electronic commerce over the Internet, a new way of conducting business.
Though only a few years old, it may radically alter economic activities and the social
environment. Already, it affects such large sectors as communications, finance and retail
trade and might expand to areas such as education and health services. It implies the
seamless application of information and communication technology along the entire value
chain of a business that is conducted electronically. 15

III. Government Agencies in Communication and Information

3.1 Department of Information and Communication Technology
3.1.1 Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO)
3.1.2 National Computer Center (NCC)
3.1.3 National Computer Institute (NCI)
3.1.4 Telecommunications Office (TELOF)
3.1.5 National Telecommunications Training Institute (NTTI)

3.2 Commission on Information and Communications Technology

3.3 National Telecommunications Commission

3.4 Information Technology and Electronic Commerce Council

VI. Communication and Information, Their Existing Laws and Statues in the
Philippines

15
https://www.zurich.ibm.com/pdf/news/Konsbruck.pdf

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 4.1 Republic Act No. 10844 –an act creating the department of information and
communication technology

4.2 Republic Act No 10173 – and act protecting individual personal information
and communication system in the government and in the private sector or also known as
the “Data Privacy Act”

4.3 Republic Act No. 8792 – an act providing for the recognition and use of
electronic commercial and non-commercial transactions, penalties for unlawful use or the
“E-Commerce Act”

4.4 Republic Act No. 10175 – an act defining cybercrime, providing for the
prevention, investigating, suspension, and the imposition of penalties therefore and for
other purposes.

4.5 Republic Act No. 4200 – an act to prohibit and penalize wiretapping and other
related violations of the privacy of communication, and for other purposes.

4.6 Executive Order No. 454, signed on August 16, 2005, transferred the NTC
back to the DOTC