Enhancement in the SOCCSKSARGEN Regional Development Update (RDU) publication is expected starting this 2nd Quarter of 2015 issue of the RDU. “This is a result of the training-Workshop on Photography, News and Feature Writing participated in by 15 NEDA XII staff,” Development Research Division (DRD) staff-in-charge of the workshop, Gwyneth Grace B. Collado said.

The training conducted last April 28-30, at Viajera Dine and Café is expected to boost the knowledge and skills on of photography and news writing of the NEDA XII staff. “Photos that tell a story are powerful media of change in the society,” said Mr. Louie Pacardo of the ALVLADA who served as the resource person on photography.

The conduct of the seminar-workshop on photography and news/feature writing is a response to the clamor raised by the NEDA XII staff during their Internal Planning Conference (IPC) held last December 2014. “Effective writing is important in the dissemination of the development information to the stakeholders,” they said.

The three-day training spearheaded by NEDA XII’s Development Research Division focused on the composition and structure of effective news and feature writing as well as Photography and its methodology.

Mr. Danilo Doguiles of PIA XII, the resource speaker on news and feature writing, stressed the importance of a well-organized government-released news and how it would be a great factor in connecting to the interest of the people.

“People want sensational news over the traditional development style. We need to refocus the slant of the stories on the significant and the more elements of the story”, he said.

With the expected improvement in news writing, NEDA XII is positive that more people would be eager to read and be reached through their publication in both print and through the web. (Judd Nichol Leonar, NEDA XII-DRD)