The Philippine Media and Information Literacy Landscape: An Overview

This is the third installment of the State of the Media and Information Literacy in the Philippines series. This article uncovers the socio-economic, cultural, and technological barriers hindering Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in the country, and explores effective solutions to promote digital literacy and critical thinking.

The previous article tackled how Media and Information Literacy (MIL) education faces an uphill battle on how to make it accessible to several students regardless of their geographic location and their socio-economic status in the Philippines.These obstacles are due to several barriers such as socio-economic and cultural factors. They limit the widespread adoption and effectiveness of MIL education. 

These issues have to be addressed to ensure that the critical thinking and responsible media consumption of Filipino students are upskilled. It is MIL education that builds a well-informed and empowered citizenry.

Socio-Economic Barriers

Poverty

This is probably one of the most significant obstacles to MIL access in the Philippines. Since a larger portion of the population lives below the poverty line, many families cannot afford essential digital devices or internet connectivity. As a result, students from low-income families are at a disadvantage that they are unable to practice and develop MIL skills, which are increasingly necessary in today’s digital world.