Philippines
Media Environment | News Gathering | Practical Tips
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Media Environment
Formerly subject to rigorous censorship under Marcos, the Filipino press now enjoys broad freedoms, which are guaranteed under the 1987 constitution, and takes its watchdog role seriously. However, the Philippines is not a safe country in which to practice journalism. Since 1972, 144 journalists have been killed there — 28 of them after Gloria Arroyo came to power in 2001. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2006 the Philippines rivalled Afghanistan as Asia’s ‘deadliest nation for reporters’. The country’s latest victim, in December 2007, was outspoken radio broadcaster Ferdinand Lintuan, who was shot in his car by two men on motorcycles after leaving his radio station in Davao City.
In February 2007, there were signs that the government was taking a more heavy-handed approach to the media, with the laying of sedition charges against the publisher and two journalists of the Daily Tribune paper for expressing views that could ‘lead or stir up the people against lawful authorities’. The following month, the editor of the online publication Newsbreak was arrested on criminal libel charges, prompting a joint petition from a coalition of 600 journalists and 30 media freedom organisations calling for the decriminalisation of libel.
Libel suits are a common means of press control in the Philippines — Arroyo’s husband has taken similar action against 46 journalists.
In the post-Marcos era, traditional elites returned to power, especially in rural areas, and powerful family and business interests regained control of many media. Government corruption also worsened, and most observers consider that the rule of law has been weakened as a result. In the provinces, print and broadcast journalists are often the only challenge to local corruption. However, years of martial law under Marcos have eroded the professionalism of the media and severely politicised it. Corruption in the media is common and with salaries low, politicians and businesses are often able to buy favourable coverage.
All major newspapers are published in English — since US occupation, the language of commerce and politics — and often slide toward sensationalism. The most important newspapers are: the Manila Bulletin, Manila Times, Philippine Star, Philippine Daily Inquirer (www.inquirer.net), the Manila-based national The Daily Tribune and Business World. Newsbreak (www.newsbreak.com.ph) is an online news and current affairs magazine.
The Philippines Centre for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) is an independent media agency specialising in investigative reporting, while the Philippines News Agency is the state-run wire service.
A few large Manila-based free-to-air networks dominate the television spectrum, though many broadcast in regional languages. ABS-CBN and GMA Network are the main broadcasters, along with the government-run IBC. The Philippines has a comprehensive cable television system.
Many television networks also have an active radio presence. ABS-CBN, GMA Network and the Manila Broadcasting Company all run radio stations nationally, as does Radio Mindanao Network which controls more than 50 stations. The government-run Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS) has 31 stations nationwide, with a focus on news and public issues. In all, there are more than 700 FM and AM radio stations, most of them commercial.
News Gathering
Useful contacts for visiting journalists are the Philippine Information Agency, Quezon City, Metro Manila (tel: 2-921 7941; fax: 2-920 4347), and the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, Makati City, Metro Manila (tel 2-816 3168; fax: 2-816 0995).
Visas are normally issued for 3 weeks but can be extended without difficulty. A stay of longer than six months normally requires an AIDS test. The best currency exchange rates are in Manila. In remote areas, only the US dollar or the local currency, the piso, is recognised.
In the capital, Manila, and other large cities, journalists for the most part are able to work freely. But in more remote areas, such as Tacurong, in Sultan Kudarat province, lawlessness and a widespread culture of impunity have created a difficult environment for newsgathering.
Under Philippines law it is illegal to photograph official buildings for publication.
Given the country’s close political alignment with the US ‘war on terror’, and its own fight against Muslim separatists, the Philippines is considered to now carry a high threat to western visitors of terror attack, including kidnappings, particularly in Manila, Mindanao (including the Zamboanga peninsula and the Sulu archipelago) and Cebu province.
Since October 2006 a number of fatal bomb attacks have been carried out in Cotabato, Tacurong and Makilala, and there have been instances of terrorists kidnapping tourists from Manila as well as coastal and island resorts. Travellers have been advised to exercise caution when in high-risk areas and to avoid obvious targets such as places of worship, open markets, bars and clubs.
Practical Tips
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A series of shipping disasters in the 1980s boosted the popularity of air travel between islands so that, even with the proliferation of local airlines, booking is essential.
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If travelling overland, buses are preferable to the trains, which are slow and often unreliable. Manila has a wide range of accommodation.
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It is cheapest in Ermita, the tourist centre, though reasonable rates can be got elsewhere. Many luxury hotels offer 40 percent reductions off-season.
Contributor: Vaughan Yarwood
Latest update September 2008
