In a vast changing world where we are surrounded by information that comes from various platform,

media and information become a vital part of human interaction. People are now required to have multiple
competencies to succeed in this constantly changing environment. It is no longer sufficient for people only to
learn reading, writing, and arithmetic (Tuazon, 2015). The emergence of digital technologies enabled the
convergence between different media devices and forms, which led to a democratized production and
circulation of information. As a result, the necessity of media and information literacy (MIL) has been
emphasized in order to provide individuals with knowledge of the operations of media and information
systems, allowing them to be more responsible media and information consumers and producers.
Media and Information Literacy constitutes a composite set of knowledge, skills, attitudes, competencies
and practices that allow effectively to access, analyze, critically evaluate, interpret, use, create and disseminate
information and media products with the existing means and tools on a creative, legal and ethical basis
(UNESCO). The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 2013) emphasizes that
being literate means having the ability to interpret and make informed judgments as skillful prosumers of media
texts. It is shaped by social, economic, political, and technological developments, as well as societal institutions
such as the family, community, workplace, religious establishments, policy makers and decision makers, industry,
civil society and the state. Literacy is not uniform, but is, instead, culturally, linguistically and even temporally
diverse. It’s not only dynamic, but also linked to performance. Learning how to deal with information and
misinformation can help us become more literate and can provide a safe place in the digital era. Especially
youths who utilize internet sites, namely Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as live streaming and video
sites like YouTube and Netflix (Koeze E. & Popper N., 2020).
The pre-pandemic survey conducted by Philippine Statistic Authority (PSA) in 2019 registered a
high functional literacy rate that range from 92.6% to 97.1%. The respondents were Filipino 10 to 64 years old
that exposed to different media platforms. Despite the high rating, misuse in media and information are still
prevalent in the Philippine settings. In the latest survey of Social Weather Stations (SWS) held in December,
2021, it showed that 51% of Filipinos find it difficult to spot fake news on media. According to Statista, the
number of internet users in the country grew to approximately 79.7 million people, accounting for more than
half of the total population in 2020. Also, Filipino internet users had the highest average online consumption in
the Asia Pacific region which was over 10 hours per day on the third quarter of 2021. Another survey found that
approximately 86 percent of the Filipino respondents aged between 18 to 24 years old were internet users. The
growing numbers of internet users is a concern in this time where disinformation and misinformation are
dominating the society.
In Western countries media education were advanced (Fedorov, 2003), particularly in English-speaking
countries (Kellner & Share, 2005; Cheung, 2009; Polakeviová & Lincényi, 2016). According to Polakeviová &
Lincényi (2016), Canada implemented media education in 1987, while Australia made media literacy a required
component of their English course in the twentieth century. Critical thinking and media text analysis are taught as
part of the English curriculum in the United Kingdom (Brestovancy, 2010 as referenced in Polakeviová & Lincényi,
2016). Media Literacy Policy Report released in 2020 revealed that Ohio and Florida have the strongest media
literacy education among K-12 schools.
While most Western countries have well-developed media education programs, Asian civilizations are
still maturing. Republic Act 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act was passed in 2013 which provide an
additional two years of senior high school in the Philippines. In line with this new curriculum, media and
information literacy was included as a core subject in senior high school. That introduces the learners to basic
understanding of media and information as channels of communication and tools for the development of
individuals and societies (MIL Curriculum Guide, n. d). In addition, the program aims to help young learners be
creative and responsible users and producers of media platforms. In the curriculum guide (CG) released by the
DepEd, 17 topics on MIL are the following: Introduction to Media and Information Literacy, The Evolution of
Traditional to New Media, Information Literacy, Types of Media, Media and information Sources, Media, and
information Language, Legal, Ethical, and Societal Issues in Media and Information, Opportunities, Challenges,
and Power of Media, and Information, Current and Future Trends of Media and Information, Media and
Information Literate individual, People Media, Text Information and Media, Visual Information and Media,
Audio Information and Media, Motion Information and Media, Manipulative Information and Media, and
Multimedia Information and Media. This implementation in the Philippines, on the other hand, is difficult. Since
MIL is a relatively new subject, it remains to be seen if it can be effectively taught in the Philippines’ SHS.
Federov, Levitskaya, and Camarero (2016) polled 65 media literacy specialists from 20 countries about their
sources of media literacy resources (curriculum, learning outcomes, and assessment methodologies). Their
study revealed the challenges of implementation such as resistance from the administration, overloaded
curriculum, lack of teacher training, and development of research and curriculum proposals. That’s why
UNESCO believes that teachers should become media and information literate to enhance MIL among students
(Wilson, 2011) Since teachers are primary agents of change (UNESCO 2011, 2013) and play a key role in this 21st
century learning environment (Gretter & Yadav, 2016), they need to ensure that their curriculum develops the
much-needed MIL competencies, so their students can take full advantage of knowledge societies thereby
becoming empowered global citizens (UNESCO, 2013).
Morano (2014) stressed the glaring lack of research to guide teachers in the training of students equipped
with 21st century competencies. Inan and Temur’s survey (2012) of prospective teachers, surfaced that they had
a low level of reaction to media texts. Capacitating prospective teachers with MIL competencies is critical for
them to transmit these to tomorrow’s workers (Felini, 2014). Empowering them can only be possible through MIL
integration in the language majors of the Bachelor of Secondary Education, because although they have courses
in Technology for Teaching and Learning in the new K-12 curriculum (CMO No. 75 s. 2017), there is an obvious
lack of a cohesive and holistic MIL coverage in the said courses. In the Philippines, only in Grade 11 or 12, there is
an overwhelming need that MIL be also implemented as stand-alone course or through integration in Higher
Education Institutions (HEIs), specifically the Language and Communication programs. This is because the origins
of media education lie in English teaching (Buckingham et al., 2005) which heavily utilizes media texts that is very
much central to media education (Buckingham et al., 2005; Cheung & Chau, 2017).
With the rapidly changing ICT and media landscapes, acquiring the critical global competency, MIL, is non-
negotiable. Though there are challenges in the implementation of an effective media education program, the
greater concern, especially in the Philippines where MIL has just been implemented, is the notable need to
ensure that it is integrated in the Language education programs of HEIs, specifically the level of MIL competencies
of graduating Language students in the Bicol University- College of Education, as measured in the adapted
UNESCO MIL Competency Matrix (Tier 2). It specifically aims to answer: What are the competency levels of
graduating language education students along UNESCO’s (2013) MIL Components: a. access; b. evaluate; and c.
create. For this reason the study aims to discover the competency level in Media and Information Literacy of
graduating language education students of Bicol University-College of Education.
Bautista Jr., A. (2021). Teaching Media and Information Literacy in Philippine Senior High Schools: Strategies
Used and Challenges Faced by Selected Teachers. Asian Journal on Perspectives in Education, 1(2), 1-15.
Blue Chips Research and Consultancy Co.https://www.feu.edu.ph/index.php/institutes/institute-of-
education/asian-journal-on-perspectives-in-education/ajpe-volume-2-issue-1/teaching-media-and-
information-literacy-in-philippine-senior-high-schools-strategies-used-and-challenges-faced-by-selected-
teachers/

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