Last May 24, the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission on Social Communication (CACoSCo) organized the Archdiocesan Media and Social Communications Fair at the SM Seaside City Seaview Wing as part of the Archdiocesan Jubilee for Media and Social Communications.
With the participation of social communicators from across the archdiocese, the fair showcased the history of the ministry, including the milestones of different churches and mainstream media outlets.
In the morning, award-winning commercial live broadcast director and Sony Alpha Cameras, Hollyland Wireless Technology, and Nanlite Lighting country ambassador Nigel Ian Laxamana first delivered his talk on why social communicators do what they do.
“Bakit natin ito ginagawa? To create presence, not for ourselves, but to create the Church’s digital presence… We must communicate Christ sa lahat ng tao. We should create, we should inspire, and we influence goodness,” he shared.
During the afternoon session, Archdiocese of Cebu Media Liaison Msgr. Joseph Tan emphasized that broadcasting the truth equates to broadcasting Jesus Christ.
“Kon mangita tag truth in social communications, it is not the data, like the one stored in AI systems. Truth is a person, the second person of the Blessed Trinity, nothing else but Jesus Christ. So, we broadcast Jesus Christ,” he furthered.
Msgr. Tan also shared a profound view of preaching the Gospel mirrored to camera modes – to switch from the “selfie” point of view or self-focused to “landscape” mode or others-oriented.
As the Archdiocesan Jubilee for Media and Social Communications came to a close, Archbishop Jose Palma presided over the Holy Mass at the Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod Multi-Purpose Hall, where he was joined by his private secretary Rev. Fr. Ronmarth Reysan Cabase and CACoSCo Chairman Msgr. Agustin V. Ancajas.
The good archbishop rooted his homily on the late Pope Francis’ message for the 59th World Day of Social Communications last January 24, themed “Share with gentleness the hope that is in your hearts (cf. 1 Pet 3:15-16).”
“My prayer is, we, who are communicators, let our communication be like the Word whose coming is life-building and community-forming. The Lord came that we may have life and that we build family, we build community. We build a society of peace, hope, and joy,” Archbishop Palma expressed.
To conclude the event, Msgr. Ancajas led the launching of the Stories of Hope and Communication Advocate Award during dinner and afterward, participants crowded the Blackbox Theater as the Teatro de San Pedro Calungsod stage their one-act play titled “Homecoming,” a retelling of the Prodigal Son that underscored the gravity of human imperfections rather than the rush to redeem oneself.