ANTIPOLO CITY — ABS-CBN News’s Campus Patrol kicked off its university and college tour at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Antipolo on Saturday. 

The initiative, in collaboration with ABS-CBN’s Integrated News Events and Partnerships (INEP) and the citizen journalism platform Bayan Mo, i-Patrol Mo (BMPM), aims to enhance media literacy among students. 

Francis Toral, ABS-CBN Integrated News chief, emphasized the importance of the project in letting the youth know how journalists continue to serve and how they can discern through disinformation. 

“Campus Patrol is our way of reaching out to a younger audience. They are the future of our nation, the next generation, and it is crucial to engage them in the process of delivering accurate news and information,” she said. 

Students learned about storytelling formats such as documentaries and mobile journalism, as well as fact checking and content creation. 

Speaking at the event were news anchor Karen Davila, ABS-CBN Chief of Reporters Jeff Canoy, Head of Patrol ng Pilipino Anjo Bagaoisan, BMPM campaign and training officer Dabet Panelo, ABS-CBN resident meteorologist Ariel Rojas, and TikTok influencer Mona Magno-Veluz, also known as Mighty Magulang. 

Davila expressed her excitement to impart insights from her decades as a journalist. 

“It’s rewarding to engage on the ground with students. They are the game changers of the future. Understanding media literacy can significantly impact their actions, supporting press freedom and the news industry,” she said. 

Benildeans also participated in the Reporter’s Challenge, where they experienced reading news from a teleprompter.

The entire production was managed by Communication students of De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, Antipolo Campus, showcasing their skills in event production.

Student director Mark Lentejas shared his experience, “It has been a great opportunity to work with ABS-CBN and professionals like Karen Davila and Anjo Bagaoisan. It’s an honor to collaborate with them on this event.”

Campus Patrol plans to visit various campuses across the country, aiming to reach a wider audience and further promote media literacy among the youth.