Saturday, October 31, 2009

Cavite Province Latest News: "Librarian Associations Hold Seminar on IFLA/FAIFE Internet Manifesto"

[taken from the Cavite Provincial Government Website]

The Cavite Librarians Association headed by Ms. Sonia Gementiza, in cooperation with the International Federation of Librarians Association (IFLA) Committee on Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) held an IFLA/FAIFE Internet Manifesto Trainers Workshop at the New Session Hall, Legislative Building in Trece Martires City last July 31, 2009 with a theme: "Revolutionizing Information: A Seminar Workshop on IFLA/FAIFE Internet Manifesto.

In general, manifesto’s described shared values, principles of performance and a vision of best practice. In the case of Internet Manifesto which was endorsed by IFLA in 2002, the values concerned relate to the preservation of the freedom of access to information on the internet.

Marcial Batiancila, President of the Philippine Librarians Association, Inc. -Southern Tagalog Librarian Council (PLAI-STRLC) who lectured on the topic IFLA-FAIFE AND INTERNET MANIFESTO, AN OVERVIEW explained that the said Manifesto was created out of a perceived need for a document that brought the traditional library values of freedom of expression and freedom of access to information into the age of the internet. "It is a document that reaffirms the library profession's commitment to these values and their importance in all of the services that libraries can provide", explained Batiancila.

According also to Batiancila, the IFLA Internet Manifesto was built on the foundation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , and that it stresses that library users have the right to expect the same degree of freedom of expression and freedom of access to information on the internet as they do with print materials. "This document concerned with updating the fundamental ideals of the library profession for the internet age" added Batiancila.

Other resource speakers namely Ms. Sonia M. Gementiza, Director of the De La Salle University -DasmariƱas (DLSU) who spoke on the topic "Implementing the Internet Manifesto & Current Role of the Internet in the Philippine Libraries Scenarios and Trends", Atty. Jordan Teano, Clerk of Court of the Regional Trial Court Branch in Cavite City who tackled the topic "Laws and Policies Regulating Information Technology in the Philippines” and Ms. Audrey Anday, University Librarian of the University of the Philippines Open University who lectured on the subject "How to Write an Internet Use Policies".

Ms. Milagros Pangilinan, Provincial Librarian and Ms. Connie Villanueva, vice-president of the Cavite Librarians Association, Inc. (CLASSI) led the awarding of Certificates of Appreciation to the resource speakers.

Ms. Jenny U. Cruz, secretary of CLASS, Inc. acted as master of ceremonies.