By Honor Blanco Cabie, PNA and U.S. News Agency / Asian

Secretary Herminio Coloma B. Jr. of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) has challenged communication graduates to be “mentors and artists of encouragement” for Philippine society.

Coloma issued the challenge to communication management and journalism graduating students of the Asian Institute of Journalism at Club Filipino in San Juan City on Monday.

In his commencement message to the graduating students, Coloma asked the graduating students what they see as their responsibilities as citizens and scholars after earning their respective master’s in communication management and journalism.

Speaking in Filipino and English, he urged the graduating students to become bearers of what he described as news that gives hope to the Filipino people.

“You should focus your attention and energy on these three imperatives where we can have a meaningful dialogue,” he told the students dubbed by the graduate school its “pearl graduates.”

The description is a euphemism for the graduates who have finished their respective courses after the Institute was founded in 1980 by pillars of the academe and the communication sector.

Coloma noted that much of the reportage today was “on the politics of confrontation.”

He suggested that perhaps it might be better to report on things that affect Juan de la Cruz, in obvious reference to the Filipino masses.

He strongly encouraged the graduating students “first, to serve as channels for communication and development, where you can have a meaningful dialogue with communities where the people can express their concerns.”

He added: “Second, you should work together and help raise the quality of public discourse.

“And, third, you should serve as teachers, as mentors, as artists of encouragement for the Filipino people and be instruments for changing themselves and the world around them.”

Therese Patricia San Diego, graduating With High Distinction in communication management, delivered the response on behalf of her fellow graduates.

Dr. Florangel Rosario-Braid, AIJC president emeritus, and Ramon R. Tuazon, incumbent AIJC president, conferred the degrees after Dean Madeline B. Quiamco presented the graduates.

The graduates were immediately inducted to the AIJC Alumni Association by its president, Prof. Honor Blanco Cabie.