Xavier Ateneo senior DevCom students in partnership with The #SML Project, will hold the 4^th ECHO: Mindanao Young Communicators Congress on February 22 at Cinema 1, Centrio Ayala Mall, Cagayan de Oro City, with the theme “#INFOential: Digitalizing Advocacies”.

ECHO is a student-led congress that was started by Development Communication students in 2014. Now on its 4^th year, this year’s congress aims to not only gather undergraduate communication students in Mindanao, but also senior and junior high school students to take part in discussions to be led by invited speakers who have made significant impacts with their socially driven projects both online and offline.

“The congress aims to encourage the audience to start advocating for the social causes they believe in—may it be through big or small actions,” said ECHO 2019 project head Bianca Daamo.

“After the congress, we hope to see more #INFOential youth who would actively participate in positively using social media,” she added.

Three main topics by three speakers from all over the Philippines are expected to be discussed in the congress. Out of the Box (OOTB) Media Literacy Initiative—a SEC-registered non-profit, non-government youth organization that advances critical media literacy education in the Philippines”—co-founder Mr. Marlon Nombrado will be talking about “Creating Online Content for Social Good”. Online storytelling platform Qapwa’s project manager Ms. Angeli Monique Siladan will be talking about “Influencing Positivity Online through Advocacy Campaign”. Lastly, the co-founder of Mindanao Pride Mr. Hamilcar Chanjueco Jr. will be talking about “How to Advocate Online”. A panel discussion with the audience will ensue after the speakers’ talks.

The congress will be one of the major activities for the annual DevCom week celebration on February 18-23.