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MANILA, Philippines – Various media groups and artists are organizing several activities to celebrate World Press Freedom Day on Friday, May 3.
These events are being organized against the backdrop of attacks on press freedom, which have escalated in the Philippines in recent months.
Here is the list of activities for Friday:
- 9 am: The Freedom for Media, Freedom for All coalition will hold a forum about the state of Philippine media. It will be held at B Hotel, Scout Rallos Street, Quezon City.
- 9 am to 11 pm: There will be a free online screening of Portraits of Mosquito Press, a documentary by JL Burgos.
- 10 am: Altermidya is organizing a protest at the Department of National Defense, Camp Aguinaldo.
- 5:30 pm to 7 pm: Active Vista, Dakila, and EngageMedia are launching the Video for Change Impact Toolkit at UP Cine Adarna Videotheque.
- 6 pm to 10 pm: Altermidya, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Rappler, and LODI will hold the "Freedom Festival Jam" concert at Eton Centris Walk. Performers include Tubaw, General Strike, Pasada, Kilusan Stepsisters, MusikangBayan, bands from the AtTheBank MNL production house, and more.
Rappler alone faces a total of 11 complaints and cases, which it maintains are part of a pattern of harassment by the government.
Most recently, several news organizations, including Rappler, Vera Files, and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, were linked to a so-called "Duterte ouster matrix." These groups have said that the allegations against them are false.
Amid the threats against journalists, the Philippines slid one spot in the 2019 World Press Freedom Index, ranking 134th out of 180 countries. – Rappler.com