With the inaugural Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections scheduled for September 14, stakeholders have converged to address the escalating threat of digital misinformation in the region. On August 1, MindaNews hosted a pivotal consultation in Davao City, bringing together journalists, educators, and technical experts to establish a robust framework for information resilience. This initiative, titled “Beyond Fact-Checking,” aims to move past the traditional verification of facts to address the deeper, structural drivers of disinformation as the BARMM region approaches a critical political milestone.
At the core of this initiative is the newly developed BASIS framework—an acronym for Belief, Actor, System, Impact, and Strategy. Unlike conventional fact-checking, which often focuses solely on labeling claims as true or false, BASIS explores the psychological and systemic roots of why misinformation takes hold. Jill V. Palarca, training officer of the Mindanao Institute of Journalism (MIJ), emphasized that the framework seeks to uncover why people find certain narratives credible and why they feel compelled to defend them, acknowledging that information acceptance is often tied to identity and emotion rather than just raw data.
The project is spearheaded by Media Impact Philippines, a three-year media development endeavor supported by International Media Support, the European Union, and DANIDA. BARMM was selected as the pilot location due to its unique vulnerabilities, including rapid social media adoption, limited information literacy, and a history of sporadic violence. During the consultation, experts identified that these factors, combined with weak institutional communication, create a fertile ground for manipulative propaganda, especially as political parties struggle to explain the intricacies of the new parliamentary system to the electorate.
The urgency of the situation was highlighted by educators and policy advocates who noted that even those in positions of authority struggle to navigate the information landscape. Tessa Alison of the Madaris Volunteer Program pointed out that confusion between misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation is pervasive, even among teachers. This lack of clarity has tangible consequences, ranging from classroom cyberbullying to broader familial and community tensions. Similarly, Crisanto Cayon of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy expressed concern that political parties themselves lack the communication skills necessary to articulate their platforms within the parliamentary framework, leaving the public susceptible to influence operations.
To equip participants with practical tools, the consultation integrated diverse perspectives, including behavioral psychology and fictional narrative theory. Psychologist Randolph Reserva explored how themes of dignity, trust, and belonging drive the consumption of information, while technology experts introduced open-source intelligence and AI analysis to map how influence operations are conducted online. By combining these modern analytical techniques with community-led insights on language, culture, and local information networks, MindaNews aims to create a curriculum that is both technologically savvy and culturally resonant.
Looking ahead, the insights gathered from the September elections will serve as the foundation for refining the BASIS framework for a broader rollout. Following the pilot period, MindaNews plans to scale its counter-disinformation efforts to prepare for the 2028 national elections, treating Davao and the wider Mindanao region as primary focal points for intervention. By institutionalizing these strategies now, the project organizers hope to fortify the democratic process, ensuring that voters are empowered to navigate the complexities of digital political discourse with critical awareness and resilience.