Last September 28, 2024, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu hosted the first-ever biennial Cebu Metropolitan Catholic Mass Media Congress (CMCMMC) with the theme “Look after him” (Luke 10:35) at the Treasure’s Hall, IC3.
Opening Mass and Program
The day started with a Holy Mass presided over by Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma. With him were Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Midyphil Billones, Boac Bishop Marcelino Antonio “Junie” M. Maralit, Jr. (Chair of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Communications), and other visiting priests from participating dioceses.
In his homily, Archbishop Palma encouraged the participants to reflect on the theme from the parable of the good Samaritan and urged them to live out the Christian principle of caring for others.
“Just as the Samaritan crossed boundaries knowing that he may not be kababayan; the challenge to care for the stranger [and] the invitation to care for those who [are in] need transcends division,” he expressed.
After the Mass, more than 300 lay and religious participants from the following arch/dioceses were warmly welcomed by emcees, Fr. Samuel Mary Leidel, CSJ, and Rian Manlinguez:
• Archdiocese of Cebu
• Diocese of Dumaguete
• Diocese of Tagbilaran
• Diocese of Talibon
• Diocese of Maasin
• Diocese of Mati
• Archdiocese of Zamboanga
Plenary Talk, Panel Sessions, and Panel Discussion
The event continued with a keynote address by Bishop Maralit, followed by informative plenary talks from media veterans Ms. Kara David-Cancio and Atty. Carine Asutilla-Lapid.
In his keynote address, Bishop Maralit, Jr. highlighted that values and authenticity bring meaning to our actions as missionaries. Moreover, Ms. Kara David-Cancio also underscored in her talk titled, “Church Journalism and Media Literacy,” the power of storytelling and its influence on the readers’ lives.
“May pakiusap lang ako….. Pwede po ba kung magkukuwento tayo, hindi lang po totoo, pero we prioritize empathy over sympathy,” she added.
Participants also had the opportunity to engage in panel discussions featuring experts in media, social media, and visual storytelling:
• Ms. Jill Anoba-Yap | Storytelling through Video
• Rev. Fr. Bonnin Olivar | The Power of Photography
• Ms. Jessa Chrisna Marie Agua-Ylanan | Captivating Social Media Captions
• Ms. Mharlee Cabalquinto | Graphic Design: Branding and Visual Storytelling
• Fr. Vhen Jesus Fernandez | Social Media Management
In the afternoon, Atty. Carine Asutilla-Lapid anchored her talk, “Media Ethics and Social Responsibility,” on the Congress’ theme as she encouraged the participants to deliver their mission with journalistic integrity.
Afterwards, Ms. Jill Anoba-Yap opened the panel discussion as she emphasized that it is a blessing to be able to have “a mind to be trained to be creative to be an artist of our own.”
Focusing on visual storytelling through photography, Rev. Fr. Bonnin Olivar highlighted that photographs “speak to the heart” and that the talent to capture stories through lenses should be used to share God’s love to the broader community.
“Inig capture nato, ibutang gayod na sa atong hunahuna nga we are just instruments,” he stated, emphasizing the importance of humility in one’s service.
Moreover, Ms. Jessa Chrisna Marie Agua-Ylanan continued the panel discussion with her talk on caption writing, through which we provide context on what happened.
“And by God’s grace, that’s how we achieve the engagement we’re aiming for,” she furthered.
To talk more about visual storytelling through graphic designing, Ms. Mharlee Cabalquinto put emphasis that, as the first principle of design, it is important to have a balanced graphic design.
“Any element that you’re gonna import into your art board or page carries a visual weight,” she stated.
Wrapping up the panel discussion, Rev. Fr. Vhen Jesus Fernandez, then, tackled the importance of knowing our audience as we share the Good News.
“Let us always remember “social” in social media. We cannot expect people to engage in our content if all we do is publish or share content. We want them to know that we are active creators. As they say, ‘content is king, but interaction is the queen,’” he expressed.
Later in the day, Fr. Edward Dantis, SSP (Creative Director of the Society of St. Paul’s Social Media Apostolate), led a focused group discussion where participants shared their experiences as social media ministers.
Closing Ceremonies and Cultural Night
After a day of insights and reflection, participants received their Certificates of Participation as representatives of their respective arch/dioceses. Rev. Fr. Junel Fuentes (Assistant Director of the Cebu Archdiocesan Digital Communications Ministry) then initiated the call to action by calling the representatives of various arch/diocesan social communication organizations to press the Commitment Button.
The ceremonial pressing of the Commitment Button symbolizes the pledge of the participating social communicators to actively engage in the Church’s mission. It represents their commitment to spreading the Gospel message through modern means and ensuring that this congress becomes more than just an event but a movement.
After dinner was the Cultural Night featuring performances from Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and two plays by Teatro de San Pedro Calungsod, entitled “Paghurnal Panahon sa Tingpugas” (Labor in the Time of Sowing) and “Sa Kahamugaway o Kapig-ot” (For Richer and For Poorer). These one-act plays were written and directed by Msgr. Agustin “Ting” Ancajas, Chairman of the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission on Social Communications.
A big thank you to everyone who made this event a success! Let’s continue being authentic voices of faith in the digital world.