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bagel

May 2nd, 2005, 09:30 AM

Marked for Death

CPJ identifies 'Most Murderous Countries for Journalists'

New York, May 2 2005—Murder is the leading cause of job-related deaths
among journalists worldwide, and the Philippines is the most murderous
country of all, a new analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists
has found. Iraq, Colombia, Bangladesh, and Russia round out CPJ's list
of the "Most Murderous Countries for Journalists."

In issuing its analysis to mark World Press Freedom Day, May 3, CPJ
called murder with impunity the most urgent threat facing journalists
worldwide. CPJ studied more than five years of death records beginning
January 1, 2000, and found that the vast majority of journalists
killed on duty did not die in crossfire or while covering dangerous
assignments. Instead, 121 of the 190 journalists who died on duty
worldwide since 2000 were hunted down and murdered in retaliation for
their work.

In more than 85 percent of these slayings, CPJ found, the killers have
gone unpunished. The five Most Murderous Countries have the worst
records. Of the 58 murders in those nations, all have been committed
with impunity. Alleged gunmen have been arrested and charged in a
small handful of cases, but no charges have ever been brought against
those who directed the killings.

"By failing to investigate and punish the killers, the governments in
these five countries embolden all those who seek to silence the press
through violence," CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper said. "The
violence becomes self-perpetuating and the free flow of information is
cut off."

Other patterns emerged in CPJ's analysis:

o In most cases, journalists were murdered in retaliation
for reporting on government corruption, crime, drug trafficking, or
the activities of rebel groups.
o Time and again, murders were reported in the same lawless
regions—such as Mindanao in the Philippines and Khulna in Bangladesh.
o Even in war zones such as Iraq, journalists were
frequently targeted in reprisal for their work.
o Many of the slain journalists were overtly threatened
beforehand, illustrating the brazen nature of their killers.
o And the five Most Murderous Countries stand well apart
from the rest of the world. Together, they account for nearly half of
the murder toll since 2000. (See attached "Facts at a Glance.")

"The problem is enormous, but not intractable," Cooper said.
"Governments must recognize what's at stake is not only justice for
those murdered but also the collective right of society to be
informed. Journalists cannot do their jobs in a climate of violence
and impunity. Governments, particularly those in the five most
murderous countries, must devote the resources and exercise the will
to solve these crimes."

Here are summaries of the Most Murderous Countries:

Philippines
In the Philippines, 18 journalists have been slain for their work
since 2000. All had reported on government and police corruption, drug
dealing, and the activities of crime syndicates.

Many were rural radio commentators or reporters who were ambushed in
drive-by assassinations. Philippine journalists attribute the violence
to a nationwide breakdown in law and order, the wide circulation of
illegal arms, and the failure to convict a single person in the
murders.

The Philippine victims include Edgar Damalerio, the managing editor of
the weekly newspaper Zamboanga Scribe and a commentator on DXKP radio
station in Pagadian City—a violent port on the southern island of
Mindanao. Damalerio, who was known for denouncing corruption, was
gunned down on a crowded street across from the local police station
in May 2002. The trial of one suspect, a former police officer, could
begin this year. Damalerio is among six journalists murdered since
2000 in Mindanao, a region rife with crime and lawlessness.

Iraq
In Iraq, crossfire is the leading cause of death among journalists.
But even in this war zone, 13 of the 41 work-related deaths were
murders, CPJ found. More than half of those murdered were Iraqi
journalists who were targeted by insurgents because of their
affiliation—real or perceived—with coalition forces, foreign
organizations, or political entities.

Several of the slain journalists had been threatened beforehand. Dina
Mohammed Hassan, an Iraqi reporter for the local Arabic-language
television station Al-Hurriya, had received three letters warning her
to stop working for the broadcaster. In October 2004, she was killed
in a drive-by shooting in front of her Baghdad residence.

Two of the victims had been held hostage by armed groups. Italian
journalist Enzo Baldoni was murdered in August 2004 by kidnappers from
a militant group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq.

Colombia
Eleven journalists have been murdered since 2000 in Colombia, where
reporting on drugs, paramilitary organizations, and local corruption
has placed reporters at great risk.

All of the journalists murdered in the last five years reported on at
least one of these topics; at least eight received death threats and
warnings before being gunned down. Here, too, these murders took place
in regions of extreme lawlessness, with competing groups fighting for
territorial control.

Radio Meridiano-70 in the town of Arauca lost two journalists in less
than a year to assassination. Gunmen killed host Luis Eduardo Alfonso
as he arrived at work one morning in March 2003, just weeks after he
had been threatened by members of a right-wing paramilitary army. The
previous June, paramilitary gunmen shot and killed the owner of Radio
Meridiano-70, Efraín Varela Noriega. Varela had alerted listeners to
the presence of paramilitary fighters in the region days before he was
killed.

Bangladesh
Nine journalists have been slain in Bangladesh since 2000—eight in the
lawless southwestern Khulna district, which is rife with criminal
gangs, outlawed political groups, and drug traffickers. Seven received
death threats beforehand.

Bangladesh has long been a violent place for journalists; they are
routinely beaten, harassed, and threatened while carrying out their
work. A CPJ delegation traveled to Bangladesh last year to urge the
government to prosecute those responsible.

Manik Saha, a veteran correspondent with the daily New Age and a
contributor to the BBC's Bengali-language service, was brutally
murdered in January 2004 when assailants threw a bomb at his rickshaw
in Khulna. The underground leftist group Janajuddha claimed
responsibility for the killing. Saha, who had received several death
threats, was known for his bold reporting on the Khulna region's
criminal gangs, drug traffickers, and Maoist insurgents.

Russia
In Russia, contract-style killings pose a grave threat to journalists.
CPJ found that at least seven journalists died in contract-style
slayings in direct reprisal for their work; it continues to
investigate the motives in four other contract killings that may have
been related to the victims' journalism.

Most of the victims were print journalists investigating organized
crime and government corruption, while a few were broadcast
journalists who had criticized the policies of influential local
politicians. A politicized criminal justice system, crippled by
corruption and mismanagement, has perpetuated a climate of impunity in
Russia.

Paul Klebnikov, the editor of Forbes Russia, was gunned down on a
Moscow street outside his office in July 2004. An American of Russian
descent, Klebnikov had written a number of books and articles on
Russia's shadowy business tycoons, organized crime, and the conflict
in Chechnya. In February, Belarusian authorities extradited two ethnic
Chechens—identified as suspects in the murder—to Russia

Click here for a list of journalists slain in the five Most Murderous Countries:
http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/2005/murderous_05/murderous_05.html

See attached "Facts at a Glance."

The Committee to Protect Journalists is a non-partisan, nonprofit
organization dedicated to defending press freedom worldwide. For more
information, visit www.cpj.org.

Marked for Death
Facts at a glance

The Five Most Murderous Countries:

1. Philippines
2. Iraq
3. Colombia
4. Bangladesh
5. Russia

Murders worldwide since January 1, 2000:
· 121

Deaths overall since January 1, 2000:
· 190

Percentage of deaths that are murders:
· 64

Slayings in the Most Murderous Countries:
· 58

Percentage of slayings worldwide that occurred in the Most Murderous Countries:
· 48

Percentage of murders solved worldwide:
· 14 percent

Murders solved in the Most Murderous Countries:
· 0

--

***********************************************************************
NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES
www.nujp.org
105-A Scout Castor Street (near Morato Avenue)
Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (+632) 4117768
Email: info@nujp.org
***********************************************************************

Are you a journalist under threat?
Report it to NUJP's Threat Hotline: (+63) 916-7512522
or email it to threat@nujp.org
********************************************************
"There can be no press freedom if journalists
exist in conditions of corruption, poverty or fear."
********************************************************

bagel

May 2nd, 2005, 09:33 AM

For a country which values its free press, there doesn't seem to be much done in protecting it from violence.

bagel

May 2nd, 2005, 10:07 AM

More intimidation? Here's a columnist's viewpoint on media intimidation. So the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines was named an "enemy of the state" by the armed forces. That's one way to silence critique. What I don't understand is that also named in the same list of enemies of the state is the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Phlippines. Is anybody who is speaking out for social justice now on the communist watch list?

VANTAGE POINT

KNOWING THE ENEMY

By Luis V. Teodoro

THE National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) is
understandably alarmed. A military Power Point presentation
entitled "Know Your Enemy" includes NUJP in its list of groups that
supposedly comprise the "legal machinery" of the Communist Party of
the Philippines (CPP). Besides NUJP, the presentation also puts the
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) in the same
category.

NUJP says it heard about the presentation last December from
someone who sat through it, but its officers saw an actual copy only
last week. Journalists who somehow managed to sit through the
briefing say it was meant for field intelligence officers, and that
the source seems to be ISAFP (Intelligence Service of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines).

Apparently, however, the intelligence boys, as usual, have been
sloppy in keeping secrets. Not only did some journalists manage to
see the presentation, the militant fisherfolk organization
Pamalakaya seems to have gotten hold of a copy too.

Pamalakaya has confirmed that both NUJP and PCIJ are indeed
identified as NUJP said, but also revealed that the same briefing
lists as part of the CPP "legal machinery" the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Association of Major
Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP), as well as an
alphabet soup of political, sectoral, student, farmers', teachers',
women's and party-list groups.

NUJP says its inclusion in the AFP "state enemies" list would be
laughable if journalists were not being killed like flies, and if
some suspected killers of journalists were not from state security
forces.

NUJP has issued a statement demanding an explanation from President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the AFP Chief of Staff. NUJP wants to
know if "Knowing Your Enemy" represents official policy. If not, it
says, the President and the AFP should issue a categorical statement
to that effect, "investigate the authorsŠ, order a stop to the smear
campaign, and educate them (the authors) on the basic concepts of
democracy."

I'm afraid NUJP is asking for the impossible by demanding that the
military educate its ranks on the basics of democracy. The
inalienable right to dissent as a democratic necessity is at the core
of the idea of press freedom. But it is a concept totally alien to
the security forces (the police and the military primarily) of this
country.

These institutions were created during the early US colonial period
as instruments for the suppression of the remnant forces of the 1986
Revolution and of the social unrest bred by an unjust society. Their
members were steeped in the defense of the US colonial order for 50
years, and of neo-colonial Philippines in the succeeding 50.

The police and the military leadership can no more conceive of
dissent as a democratic right than it can imagine a world in which
generals with P30,000 monthly salaries can't afford a condo in New
York, or a P20 million Corinthian Gardens mansion.

What, for example, could be the reason for NUJP and PCIJ's being so
listed? I suspect that it's plainly and simply because NUJP members
include journalists critical of the government. But there's also
NUJP's outrage over the government's failure to solve (in the sense
of punishing the guilty) any of the killings of journalists since
1986, most specially the 28 (out of 66) killed since 2001, when the
Arroyo government began. In PCIJ's case it could be its continuing
campaign against corruption, which has targeted high government
officials whether civilian or military.

In short, both groups have ended up in the AFP list because, in
keeping with the journalistic commitment to truth-telling, they
refuse to swallow the illusion that all's well in the land of our
nightmares. Dissent and critical thought equals rebellion/subversion.

One can see the same twisted logic behind the inclusion in the AFP
enemies' list of the CBCP and the AMRSP, both religious groups that
at various times have protested Philippine support for the US attack
on Iraq, and lately, the killing of political activists in Tarlac by
the military. What's laughable is that while there may be
progressive nuns, priests and bishops in both groups' ranks, there is
no doubt that they're overwhelmingly composed of conservative and
anti-communist church people.

No such nuancing, it may be argued, is possible in the case of the
political and sectoral groups that supposedly comprise the "legal
machinery" of the CPP. But it is also true that the groups so named
are all legal organizations. The briefing itself accuses them of
being part of the "legal machinery" of the CPP.

The CPP itself, government officials from Mrs. Arroyo to military and
police spokespersons have been reminding us, is a legal organization,
there being no law that bans it, and its being in rebellion an issue
no court has yet resolved. To emphasize this point, Malacanang only
last week urged the CPP-led New People's Army to lay down its arms,
and for the CPP to fight for its programs in the legal sphere.

But not only is there this campaign to demonize various groups as CPP
fronts and to justify the use of violence against them, there are
also all those killings of political activists who're members of the
same legal organizations named in the AFP briefing. Apparently a
group can be legal, but at the same time fair game for demonization
and assassination, a fact that makes legality meaningless.

In the Philippines, however, the worst scoundrels are heroes, white
is black, good bad, right wrong, legal illegal-- and those who
pretend to be fighting the enemies of the state are democracy's own
worst foes.

What does legal mean, then, in this mad setting? Like dissent,
democracy, due process, free elections, honest governance, and human
rights, has the term also lost all meaning in the vocabulary of
this country's government and its law enforcement agencies?

#####

Skyblade

May 3rd, 2005, 12:01 AM

For a country which values its free press, there doesn't seem to be much done in protecting it from violence.
Ain't it the truth.... :wallbash:

Lili

May 3rd, 2005, 05:23 AM

It is deplorable to hear such news about the Philippines. Here we are in our discussions trying to prop up the country's image before the world and touting the democratic ideals of our nation, only to realize that the so-called vanguards of these freedoms -- the military and the media -- are victimizing one and are being victimized by the other. We adamantly claim that we are not a warzone, we bridle at people asking if it is safe in our country and yet, we are slapped into reality that this thing is allowed to happen. This is not the type of image that we would want. It hearkens back the era of martial rule when any form of dissent, be it by the media or by the public, was muzzled by the barrel of a gun. It is such a vicious attack on the civil liberties that is supposedly enshrined in our Constitution and the freedoms upon which a republican state and democratic nation is built. We rely on the media to inform us and the military to protect us. Both are important components of our civil society to ensure access to information, proper governance, peace, order and progress. What is now being exposed in this analysis is such a bitter pill to swallow. But perhaps it is this type of national embarassment and international scrutiny that would propel the nation, its citizenry and most importantly, the government to be more vigilant in seeing to it that the rights of civilians remain protected and the fundamental rights under the Constitution such as freedom of expression, of the press, of the right to know and be informed, the right to life, liberty, well-being, safety and protection under the laws remain untrammelled by those who wield power and weapons under the rule of fear, feudal politics and corruption, which should not be tolerated or countenanced any longer.

bustero

May 3rd, 2005, 05:50 AM

It would be interesting to weigh those statistics with the total amount of working journalists. The Philippines is one of the most media soaked countries in the world. We have more than our fair share of journalist as compared to most other countries. As an absolute number this would have more journalist open to being victimized.

It's also hard not to point out the fact that many "journalist" are politicians in the making or paid by politicians. One just has to point out how many media personalities we have in senate to see this. IT's a very strange situation. So while surely there are those who were gunned down because of their 'expose" and what not, others are very much politicaly related.

It's ironic actually that we're listed down as a country with poor press freedom because of this when the reverse is actually true. There is very little journalistic integrity and it's so easy to spin (hence the present administrations fondness for everything like it), things here. Anyone can say anything without any consequence (when was the last time a libel case prospered) and get crazy reports on everything on bordering on tsismis and yet there's still no press feedom.

Lili

May 3rd, 2005, 06:17 AM

It is also interesting to note that most of these victimized journalists are based in the provinces and rural areas. It is indicative that the remnants of feudal politics and warlordism are still in existence. The killings may have not been perpetrated by the military but by private armies or hired goons.

Politically motivated or not, there is just no excuse for the impunity by which those who resort to violence managed to get away with, no matter how inutile the enforcement of libel laws is.

ThisFire

May 3rd, 2005, 02:05 PM

This whole issue is an irony. And a mess.

coth

May 3rd, 2005, 03:48 PM

this press release is completely lmao

bagel

May 3rd, 2005, 04:53 PM

^^

I fail to see what's so funny. Can you explain?

coth

May 3rd, 2005, 05:07 PM

why not, to remember what was in USA a hundred years ago. their press release based on old stereotypes with substituted for explanations events.

for example. in 2004 in Russia was killed one journalist. and that was killed by islamic terrorists.

Lili

May 3rd, 2005, 05:44 PM

When you think about it and carefully analyse it, Coth may have a point. But let's not be dismissive or facetious about it (as to say lmao). The way this press release was presented was meant to sensationalize the issue and make it much more bigger than what it is. A case in point is the title of this press release "Most MURDEROUS Countries for Journalists", "Marked for Death" -- words that are so emotionally charged that it really jumps out and tugs at your emotions and sense of indignation. This is what happened to me. So, while there may be some basis in fact for these reports, there is also manipulation of the readers' reception of the message by highlighting or sensationalizing the bad while at the same time downplaying, if not omitting certain facts. As illustrated by Coth, in Russia, there were efforts to extradite the suspects of the killing and to prosecute them but it was lost as a small blurb in all those scathing statements. So, I guess a lesson learned here is to take everything with a grain of salt but not to be dismissive and apathetic about it.

bustero

May 5th, 2005, 06:03 AM

Fourth journalist slain in the Philippines this year
05/05 10:40:02 AM

ZAMBOANGA,(AFP) - A radio broadcaster in the southern Philippines has died after being shot five times in an ambush by unknown gunmen, becoming the fourth Filipino journalist to be killed this year, police said Thursday.

Klien Cantoneros of DXAA radio was declared dead shortly before midnight Wednesday at a hospital in Dipolog city, hours after he was attacked, said Chief Superintendent Vidal Querol, the regional police chief.

"We have no suspects yet," Querol added.

The official said investigators are reviewing the tapes of radio programs hosted by the victim to determine if his radio commentary could have provided a motive for his murder.

"We have to know who were the subjects of Cantoneros' program as we were informed the victim was a hard-hitting commentator," Querol said.

Police said Cantoneros was the fourth journalist to be killed in the Philippines this year, on top of 13 killed in 2004.

The Paris-based industry watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in an annual report issued on Tuesday that the Philippines, along with Bangladesh, was among the world's most dangerous places for journalists.

Six Filipino journalists were killed by suspected hired killers last year, while seven others were slain in cases with unclear motives, it said.

Local politicians were the suspects in many of the cases, it said.

Lili

May 5th, 2005, 06:24 AM

Siyet! I think I'm gonna eat my words.

bagel

May 9th, 2005, 04:55 PM

Does anybody know what kind of newspapers or radio stations these are?

NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES
www.nujp.org

Press Statement
May 9, 2005

More Filipino journalists report death threats; broadcaster arrested

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) is
concerned about the death threats received by two journalists over the
weekend, as well as the arrest this morning of a radio broadcaster in
General Santos City.

On Friday and Saturday, Suzanne Salva, a 29-year-old reporter for Cebu
Daily News, received text messages on her phone warning her that she
would be killed. Salva suspects that one of her sources was behind the
death threats. The police are still investigating the incidents.

On Sunday, May 8, a man identified as Boyet Marcelo went to see San
Pablo City journalist Dodie Banzuela and allegedly threatened to kill
Banzuela. According to Banzuela, Marcelo is also a columnist of a
local paper who works at the Barangay Affairs Office at city hall.
Marcelo is identified with the camp of a San Pablo City mayor Vicente
Amante, who is the subject of a corruption complaint filed by Banzuela
and another journalist before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Today, Monday morning, police arrested Al Josol, the station manager
of DXMD, the station of Radio Mindanao Network in General Santos City.
Josol was hosting an early-morning radio show when the police arrived
and arrested him for libel. The complainant is Sarah Jane Manilay, the
wife of GenSan's city tourism officer. Josol is a correspondent of the
Mindanao Daily Mirror based in Davao City.

These incidents indicate just how dangerous the conditions under which
Filipino journalists operate. Aside from the continuous killings of
Filipino journalists, several of them face threats such as these every
day.

NUJP reiterates its position that the country's libel law should be
decriminalized because it is an affront to press freedom.

We call on the police, particularly the Task Force Newsman, to
thoroughly investigate the threats against Banzuela and Salva, which
came on the heels of the death threats reported by journalists John
Paul B. Tia, station manager of MBC-Aksyon Radyo in Iloilo City, by
Negros Defense Press Corps president and Visayan Daily Star reporter
Gilbert Bayoran and broadcaster Annie Calderon, and Louie Logarta of
the Daily Tribune broadsheet.

For reference:

INDAY ESPINA-VARONA
Chairperson

CARLOS H. CONDE
Secretary-General

--

***********************************************************************
NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES
www.nujp.org
105-A Scout Castor Street (near Morato Avenue)
Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (+632) 4117768
Email: info@nujp.org
***********************************************************************

Are you a journalist under threat?
Report it to NUJP's Threat Hotline: (+63) 916-7512522
or email it to threat@nujp.org
********************************************************
"There can be no press freedom if journalists
exist in conditions of corruption, poverty or fear."
********************************************************

renell

May 10th, 2005, 12:00 PM

But isn't the issue of press freedom different from press risking their lives in obviously dangerous areas? Isn't press freedom Marcos shutting down TV and radio, and muslim insurgents kidnapping and beheading them another thing? Or am I just too uninformed at the moment?

bagel

May 10th, 2005, 07:11 PM

Well... as members of the press, they can publish anything that they want. But because of issues of intimidation-- say you want to do an expose of a druglord who may or may not muster the resources to put a contract on your head --the press could be reluctant to do their duty. If the press exists as a group that heralds honesty and transparency in support of a free democracy, then they cannot do their work in conditions where they get killed for doing their job. So yes, legally, they are free. But in reality, they are not. What we have here are violent roadblocks to the excercise of press freedom. It is a kind of pre-emptive censorship. And when violence actually does happen (like in slayings of local journalists in the provinces for daring to report on ill actions by local politicians, police forces, or warlords) that is the ultimate censorship. The journalist's work is ultimately silenced because the journalist is killed. What stronger form of censorship is there than this?

Now we can say that it is the journalist's responsibility to be safe. But the fact is, these slayings are not being solved. The government is not doing what it can to protect these freedoms by prosecuting warlords, corrupt officials or corrupt police officers involved with the slayings. There is also a possibility (POSSIBILITY--- this doesn't imply guilt) that the government (at various levels) could also be involved in silencing its critics.

The second part of this comment is that the in many cases, the intimidating party in question can be the Armed Forces of the Philippines-- a part of the state. If they keep on branding press freedom groups like NUJP, PCIJ ( http://www.pcij.org ), etc. as "enemies of the state" that have "links to the communists" then they're effectively intimidating these groups from committing what they're supposed to do: investigate and report. The military is in essence calling the press terrorists for being the press. Now lest you think that perhaps PCIJ is really in cahoots with the communists, we don't know that. But they do espouse ideas like land reform and social justice, which the military rightists may associate with the communists.

Also targeted on the same list of "communist front" organizations is the Catholic Bishops Council of the Philippines (CBCP) and the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP). This was reported in the Inquirer http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php/?index=1&story_id=32706.

So yeah... Legally there is freedom of the press. But in reality, because of intimidation and violence from various government and non-government sources, there is less freedom than we think.

simply_me

May 11th, 2005, 04:11 AM

relative to these journalists killings, news said that press may be given right to carry arms... i don't think this will solve the issue... "ARMED PRESS PEOPLE"

bustero

May 18th, 2005, 08:20 AM

I think there is de facto press freedom in the Philippines. While there are theoretical roadblocks, The fact is you only have to read the newspaper, listen to tv and radio to know that this is the case. The ironic part is that decriminilizing libel is a joke as not a single case has actually prospered with this law. What actually exists is that everyone has something to say and the common tao is so wary and cynical that they believe nothing and only kurokuro.

There also needs to be some subtlety in analyzing this. Most of the journalist being murdered are in the province reporting local news. And it's most pr0bably the case that system ia being corrupted once again to prevent the murderes from being prosecuted. BUT this happens in many occupations as well. The fact is much more barangay policticians get killed in a year than journalist, but no reports and tracks that the PHilippines leads in public servants murder. AND they get solved with the same lack of speed and success. THere is no national policy or from Malacanang, to Provincial Governments or the Military to kill journalist and even the capability to execute such policy. The fact is they couldn't even prevent these murders if they wanted to as this is all local.

What stands out is that Media here in the Philippines is very similar to the lcoal senate, They are very self important considering themselves the only true guardian against tyranny, and corruption, hence are very keen to report on any attack on their fellow reporters. As I said earlier the rankings are not really accurate. We just have way more jouirnalist than most other countries. So it should be properly compared apples to apples if they really want to do this list properly. Otherwise it's the same sensatinoalistic, cheesy fast food reporting that is usually the standard here.

Lili

May 18th, 2005, 03:40 PM

So, what is ineffective here is the criminal justice system -- the s--l--o--w grind of the law. Whoever the victims are, be they journalists, politicians, clergy or the common tao, the violence and murders should not be allowed to happen with impunity.

dancethingy

July 19th, 2005, 04:48 PM

I wanted to start this thread because i was wondering if any of you know any good sources of journalism in the country.

I think something wrong happened while the country's press was developing. The press here is very sensationalist and very biased.

For example I don't get why almost every article i read mentions "arroyo has been under fire since june when tapes...." or "Arroyo has been accused of cheating...." These lines even appear in every business article i read for example. I know however, that "THE ISSUE" has something to do with business, but i hate it when article digress like that.

The Philippine Inquirer for example seems to almost want to favor choas by providing articles such as this http://news.inq7.net/top/index.php?index=1&story_id=44086 The polling of Metro Manila alone should not be significant for a NATIONAL newspaper. The polling itself seems illegitimate since in doesn't mention if it was done scientifically. Also, if Metro Manilans think that Lacson, Roces, and Estrada would make viable or good leaders, they are SERIOUSLY FUCKED UP.

There is so much irresponsible journalism going on. Also, why would some newspapers who were responsible for deposing most of the opposition now, like the Estrada family or Marcus family, be supporting them now? I just don't get it.

It would be nice to have sources that provide unbiased, objective, and responsible journalism.

I propose a list of those sources. Unfortunately, i don't know one yet.

sandrin

July 19th, 2005, 06:44 PM

Inquirer is a tabloid newspaper. Advertisers must now boycott them because their headlines tend to ruin the Philippine's image and economy further.The advertising fees being paid to them would only serve as a liability for the company. Who in the heck would event think of posting an add to a newspaper who's main intention is to ruin business on a massive scale.

dancethingy

July 19th, 2005, 06:56 PM

I knew it. There was something fishy about the inquirer for me since the day I got here. There something so Fox News-ish about it. I'm reading all the wrong shit.

Mango

July 21st, 2005, 06:28 PM

Taken from manilabulletin
What makes a good journalist?
By LEAH C. SALTERIO

Someone who has worked for the world’s largest network and has an illustrious and unparalleled track record in the local broadcasting industry can give a truthful answer to that question.

Maria Ressa, who brings her awardwinning 17-year experience in CNN to her new job as ABS-CBN news chief, has spent her professional life learning how to define journalism, live it and institutionalize it.

"I am passionate about journalism," Maria said. "I believe societies are made and broken by the quality of its journalists. In my job for CNN, I looked at myself as a conduit, and in every story, I realize I am bridging cultures. It’s not my job to judge people and events and customs. It’s my job to explain them. It’s about the whys."

Journalism was the topic which Maria discussed during the recent Economic Journalists’ Association of the Philippines (EJAP) forum, where she talked about "News Reporting: A Global Perspective."

Maria insists there is no such thing as an objective journalist. "That animal doesn’t exist," she maintained. "If someone tells you it’s possible to be objective, they’re lying or naïve. The best we can do is try to present a comprehensive, balanced perspective. A good journalist is someone who weaves together different perspectives and tries to give a complete picture. He also adds context and analysis – Why are we here? How did we get here? What’s the mood?"

Born in the Philippines, Maria moved to the United States with her family soon after Martial Law was declared. She grew up in New York, so the Philippines existed as a "vague, intriguing memory."

She was in her last year at Princeton University when People Power toppled a dictator. "I couldn’t afford to come back to Manila on my own – starving student then – so I did what all students do, I applied for a fellowship, the Fulbright. That would give me a year to understand the Philippines, I thought. My one-year fellowship turned into a life choice: I never returned to the United States. In 1987, I helped start a company called Probe Productions."

Before accepting the ABS-CBN post, Maria was CNN’s lead investigative reporter in Asia. In 1988, she was named CNN’s Manila Bureau chief and in 1995, she became CNN’s Jakarta Bureau chief, responsible for CNN’s coverage of Southeast Asia.

For nearly 18 years that she covered Southeast Asia for CNN, Maria was there at every historic event, not just in our region but also in North and South Asia. "I’ve lived through riots, beheadings and so much violence," she shared. "But I’ve also lived through some glorious moments, watching societies transition to democracy, seeing the resilience and goodness of human nature in the face of disasters. It has been a tremendous privilege – a chapter of my life I voluntarily closed at the end of last year because I felt it was time to come home."

Until she joined ABS-CBN at the start of the year, Maria attests the best and most fulfilling experience she had as a journalist was not with CNN – although there were many high points. It was Probe Productions, a company few outside the Philippines had even heard of, "because I felt we were doing what journalists are supposed to be doing. We created a company that lived our ideals."

Maria laments that international media has been dominated by a decidedly western perspective. She is referring to countries with the resources, with the networks which placed news on a high priority and invested in news-gathering. But companies like CNN, BBC, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, then got to determine the news. Inevitably, it’s filtered through their cultural lenses.

"There is a global marketplace of ideas out there, and one of the things I constantly lament is the noticeable absence of Asian and non-western perspectives," she observed. "As a journalist who has worked in different countries, I have seen first-hand how perception becomes reality, how moods and feelings – not facts – have shaped the world we live in.

"Those moods and feelings – if manipulated by someone ignorant of their effects – can topple the best-laid plans of any government. I’m not talking of hidden agendas or conspiracy theories. I’m talking about just plain ignorance and vested interest – of not being aware of how what you do fits into a bigger picture.

"That’s what happens when journalists don’t do their jobs well, when we play to the public or deadline pressures instead of being thorough and accountable, when we work like a pack instead of thinking and analyzing on our own. In television, when personalities and ratings become more important than the stories we cover."

Maria advises journalists "to push cynicism aside, remain open to all, listen and keep reminding yourself why you wanted to be a journalist. And above all, stay true to your ideals."

She hastens to remind, though, that journalists are only as good as their last story, and in order to get better, they have to practice the craft every day in order to create a sophisticated message. These are the skills Maria says she wants to pass on. With CNN, she learned the form, the style, how to use the medium.

"That is something you can pick up. It’s like learning the scales of the piano. You have to know technique before you can actually play, let alone, write music. So I encourage you to work on your skills. The message becomes more sophisticated as your skills level increases. That’s certainly what happened to me, but you have to benchmark yourself not just against local standards but against the higher ones set internationally.

Lastly, Maria imparts to journalists the essence of hard work. "Work hard, harder than anyone around you. That is the reason my perspective is different, the reason why I broke so many stories for CNN. When you do the news and you take it seriously, everything you do is part of it, helps define the news – after all, the best case studies are the ones you find when you’re living your life…

"Remind yourself of the power journalists hold and be humbled by it. Strive to be worthy of it. Journalists have tremendous power, and if you don’t think it through, you may be making decisions that will have incredible repercussions in a developing society like ours. Reality as we see it – and know it – is being crafted every day, every hour, every minute, by people like you and me. If we do our jobs well, we will have done our part in creating a better world."

Maria graduated from Princeton University and received a Fulbright Fellowship to attend graduate school at the University of the Philippines. Her recent awards include the Asian TV Award in 1999 for Indonesia, the SAIS-Novartis International Journalism Award in 2000 for East Timor, the Ferris Professorship of Journalism in 2001 and the National Headliner Award for Investigative Journalism and the TOYM Philippines in 2002.

In 2003, Maria received an Emmy nomination for "Terrorism: Al-Qaeda" in the category of Outstanding Investigative Journalism. In 2004, she received a Judges’ Citation from the US Overseas Press Club for best documentary, "Seeds of Terror." It is also the title of her book, published by Simon and Schuster in the United States. A groundbreaking investigation of Al-Qaeda’s links in Southeast Asia, the book became a bestseller in the Philippines after its first month of release.

dancethingy

July 22nd, 2005, 05:42 AM

Wow, thanks sooooooo much for that Mango.

I completely agree with her. The founding fathers of the United States placed so much importance on the role of the press, that it pains me to see it when the press becomes manipulated.

I believe that press was to be called the fourth estate. You know there are three branches in Government in the US and here in the Philippines. The three branches would watch each other in a checks and balance procedure. Well, the founding fathers never institutionalized it, but the fourth estate, which is the PRESS, is supposed to be THE FOURTH CHECK.

I think sometimes that journalism in this country is so irresponsible and undisciplined that they do their fare share of keeping our economy so stagnant. After all, what journalists put on our newspapers are what the rest of the world perceive to be what is going on in the hearts and minds of ALL Filipinos.

Maria Ressa is light at the end of our tunnel. I hope that she uses all in her pool of knowledge to establish a more credible source of information here in the Philippines. In other words, she needs to start a grassroots newspaper that would hopefully someday turn into a heralded national paper, the same way the New York Times is respected. I also think establishing a Philippine School of Journalism would be great. I don't know if UP has a program like it, but if they do, then they haven't produced enough to benefit the country.

So only Mango and Sandrin cares about this topic. How about the Philippine star or the Manila Bulletin? Are these newspapers meet the honorable standards of journalism? I've been reading Manila Bulletin and the paper itself seems to be fair.

bagel

July 22nd, 2005, 06:08 AM

I do not think that the Inquirer is a tabloid paper. On the contrary it is the newspaper of record in the Philippines and has been so since after the first People Power that catapulted Corazon Aquino into the presidency. The secret to the success of the Inquirer and its nearest rival the Star (rival in terms of editorial and journalistic practice and not circulation-- if circulation is counted, then I believe the Inquirer and the Manila Bulletin are neck and neck, but I'm going by numbers from at least 2 years ago) is the independence of the paper's editors.

I do believe that the press is there to act as a check on the government and on the businesses. For this reason, newspapers like the Standard and the Bulletin cannot sufficiently be called independent newspapers that serve the public good. To see how these papers operate, you need to look at the paper's leadership and the independence of its editorial staff and the business goals of the paper's owners. It has been noted that the owner of the Bulletin, Emilio Yap uses the paper as a way to further his own business interests, and since the Marcos regime, its editorial pages and journalistic practices have tended towards the safe side in that they are cautious in criticizing power players in Philippine politics.

Recent history shows that papers that have more independent news editors (by independent, I mean the lack of interference from ownership) have been targets by sitting governments. In 2000, the Gokongweis, then owners of the venerable Manila Times, whose paper's mission included an independent editorial staff were targets of the Estrada regime for their supposed "smearing" of the president. They called Erap the unwitting ninong of a corrupt business deal. For this, Erap sued them for libel and their ownership got pressured into reining in their editors and eventually sold out because this press business could endanger their other businesses. If you ask me, the Times board were doing what they were supposed to do: report on anomalies by the government and act as the fourth estate. I don't know if it's still the same today but shortly after the Gokongweis escaped the press business, Mark Jimenez, a close ally of Erap purchased the Times. I seriously doubt that their editors are as intrepid now as their editors were during the Estrada administration.

At around the same time, the other paper that had a similarly independent editorial group, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, were also doing their own investigations into the anomalous dealings of Erap. For this, Erap pressured his friends in the entertainment industry to instigate a boycott of the Inquirer. Advertising revenue from the entertainment industry disappeared and through this, the Inquirer stayed the course and kept on investigating the president. Back then they were called sensationalistic by the Erap regime, like their Manila Times counterparts. And yet no outrage came from supporters of the Lakas bloc back then.

Fast forward to today. Some people call the Inquirer a sensationalistic newspaper (the way the Times was called sensational in 1999-2000). But is it sensational or are they doing their job of acting as a check on abuses of power? Are they bringing to light the dark truths of politics or are they playing politics? Is being a "safe" paper also not playing politics? Is there a way to be a journalist and be non-political? I feel that the comparison between Fox News and Inquirer is incorrect. The Bulletin, and perhaps the current incarnation of the Times may be a more apt comparison to Fox news, particularly because in some of these newspapers, the line between the business interests of the owners and the sitting government can be more clearly seen. I suppose if you're the target of criticism, then you call your critics sensational. But what if your critics are simply doing what they are called upon to do as the fourth estate? Are the Star and the Inquirer doing anything different now than they were in 2001?

bagel

July 22nd, 2005, 06:16 AM

Here's an interesting article on the Philippine press. It examines the ownership and interests of the owners of the various newspapers. Because of the length, I will not post the article here.

Instead, a URL:

http://www.pcij.org/imag/PublicEye/lords.html

This article is about the state of the press around 2000.

Lili

July 22nd, 2005, 06:26 AM

Bravo Mike! That is a well-argued piece on the role of the fouth estate and the history/background of the leading newspapers in the Philippines.

Quote: Dancethingy: "It would be nice to have sources that provide unbiased, objective, and responsible journalism."

I doubt if there is such thing as unbiased and objective journalism nowadays. The presentation of news is always seen through the filters of the journalists' own subjective views and biases. Even the selection of what news to present will be based on what may be of interest to the readers. But perhaps we can still aspire for responsible journalism.

jbkayaker12

July 22nd, 2005, 08:18 AM

If you are interested in reading newspapers in the Philippines then check out Web Filipino (http://www.webfilipino.com). The Inquirer is not tabloid newspaper. It a fair and balanced newspaper. All you have to do is compare its content with the rest and you will see that it is a reliable source of information.

I find the Daily Tribune to be anti government, it seem like all its headlines are negative toward the current administration. It does not publish anything positive about the current administration and I am not even talking about what is going on currently, it has been this way for a long time now, I dont read it anymore.

dancethingy

July 22nd, 2005, 09:58 AM

The editors of a newspaper can be as independent as they want, but their integrity as good journalists can definitely influence the slant of their articles.

I guess i'm used to New York Times or Washington Post Journalism. I have doubts on the Inquirer because it never really tackles issues in a thorough investigation. I haven't read a long study from any journalist in the inquirer regarding social issues; infrastructure; international diplomatic and security issues; and absolutely no significant insight on any of the politicians in Congress. The New York Times's investigative work on the hundreds of tons of weapons lost by the US army when they invaded Iraq is a great example of giving the public something they don't know. The Chicago Tribune, which i deride, published a great five part series on the Chicago's evolving south side neighborhood (if any of you don't know, the place is like a war zone between the Chicago police department and the African American's that live in the area) and it's work like this that convinces you of a newspapers ability to delve into issues in order for their audience to gain insight. In all honesty, you can't gain insight from the Inquirer.

Like today, the Philippine star highlighted on their web site that the "opposition group" has formed a proposed "transition or government caretaker body" in the scenario that Arroyo and DeCastro will be replaced. That is the story now, but in the days that will follow, this so called transition government will not be deconstructed, analyzed, and evaluated by the paper that wrote the news. In other words, there is no follow up on the specifics.

Let's also take this article by the inquirer for example http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=1&story_id=44401

While Lacson is someone the inquirer should listen to and their reporting of his "rant" (as i believe it should be labeled) is good, the Inquirer has or will never really delve into some of the things that Lacson has "ranted" about. For example the Inquirer has not and probably will not explore:

- Factors worsening poverty in the country; several alternatives on how to relieve it; how the people can help; and what direction the current administration is taking to curve poverty among the masses.

- The state of the Nation's debt and where it is headed. Where is the administration taking this debt and what programs and steps are they taking to curb it

- The inquirer also has not written in EXTENSIVE detail the veracity of the
accusations of corruption being hurled at Arroyo. Has the paper attempted
to clarify exactly what the tapes say? I don't mean to just careen over the jueteng and wired tape issues, but i just don't see the paper writing stuff about it that the public really doesn't know.

- The paper also quotes this from Lacson,
"On the true state of health and hunger, Lacson said 56.9 percent of Filipino got less than 100 percent dietary energy requirement and 50 percent of the population had no health care access."

Now will the paper delve deeper into the social impact of lack of healthcare to 50% of Filipinos or lack of food? Will the paper someday write an extensive article regarding different ideas that could relieve such hardships? Will the paper elaborate on exactly what the President and PAST PRESIDENTS have done wrong regarding this issue? Will the paper cite any progress by the Arroyo administration on the issue?

PROBABLY NOT

There are lots of things a good newspaper can write about and the INQUIRER has focused on only one thing, and that is POLITICS. Why, because that is where the drama is! and that is what makes a tabloid newspaper, its ability to publish drama without taking sides instead of exploring more pressing issues.

The Inquirer to me, just reports whatever the opposition and the administration says and then the editors write their opinion about it. Their editorial board seems all anti-arroyo with no balance that favors the current administration. What fox news and inquirer have in common is that they scratch the surface of all the "news" going on. They also have the knack of reporting "rumors," and making them sound to be true. I like my news to factual.

I guess what i'm saying is that there is news reporting, but no REAL ANALYSIS or exploration of the issue being covered.

Boybaha, corporate ownership of the press is exactly the threat i HIGHLIGHTED in my earlier post. That is why I hope, Maria Ressa, will find the strenght and resources to start her own grassroots paper.

bustero

July 22nd, 2005, 10:30 AM

As I posted previously, in the inquirer website there are links to newsbreak which is weekly newspaper. I think the journalism standards there are higher. Of the local broadsheets, I think Business World has the highest standards. Then Star over inuirer. The bulletin is more like a newsletter, and the others have such a small circulation. I would classify the inquirer as very tabloidish if not an outrought tabloid, I will never forget the fact that they highlighted Chris Aquino getting married as a HEADLINE, (what news!) and then actually slink away with a quiet retraction. Also with the headless gory bodies, there's no doubt in my mind which is more important to them (journalism vs. business). fox fox fox fox

None of the local news agencies whether print or tv has the same levels as the NY times, the economist or the BBC. I do not accept the reason that we are a 3rd world nation. (afterall the international press is full of filipinos themselves)Nevertheless you take what you can get.

sandrin

July 22nd, 2005, 12:16 PM

Try to compare the headlines of the major Philippine Newspapers such as The Philippine Star, Manila Standard, Manila Bulletin, Business World, People's Journal, Abante, etc. Most of the Inquirer's headline is almost at par with tabloids like People's Journal and Abante. Oftentimes, the inquirer's headlines mislead the article body itself.

Advertisers particularly the Real Estate Industry must boycott them. The main reason why the Real estate companies post adds to the Inquirer is because of their popularity. But do you really think the audience will buy when all they see on the headlines is chaos. The inquirer scares away the potential real estate buyers. The advertising fee being paid by the companies only go into waste.

dancethingy

July 22nd, 2005, 05:18 PM

Thank you Bustero, the Business World will do for now.

jbkayaker12

July 22nd, 2005, 09:01 PM

I like the old set up of Busines World Online compared to their recent set up. In the past everything was in columns, easier to navigate and read, now it is a mess, have a look.

Business World Online (http://www.bworld.com.ph)

Mango

July 23rd, 2005, 04:01 AM

This is an interesting analysis from a respectable mediaman herself...
It shows how some media are guilty of "dagdag-bawas", too.
Get Real : The media and the lynch-mob mentality

First posted 11:40pm (Mla time) July 22, 2005
By Solita Collas- Monsod
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on page A12 of the July 23, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

I THINK I may have been one of the fiercest critics of President gloria Macapagal-Arroyo over the years, with my criticisms particularly focused on, but not limited to, her economic policy. I also admit that I may have imposed higher standards on her because she is an economist. But in any event, I would like to think that these criticisms were based on solid grounds rather than on conjectures and speculations. And they were definitely not partisan or ideological in motivation. The objective was always to look out for national rather than personal interests.

Which is why I want no part of what has to be called the lynch-mob mentality that has seemed to grip the nation, fed by, I am sorry to say, the media, which, more often than I am comfortable with, cannot seem to distinguish between generating news and reporting it. When that happens, a vicious cycle occurs: We generate our own excitement, then we panic because of it, and people get caught up in the hysteria, which then results in generating more excitement....

Take for example the June 27 nationwide broadcast where the President apologized for her lapse in judgment. Who was immediately asked to react? Certainly not the man-on-the-street. Tremendous emphasis was given to the opposition's reactions, starting with the jailed Joseph Estrada, which were predictably unfavorable; and much less emphasis (and I think column-inches or air-time analysis will bear this out) on the reaction of administration stalwarts, which were predictably favorable. Even more unfortunate, the "I am sorry" part of the President's statement was focused on, practically ignoring the rest.

Let's just follow one thread in that reaction pattern: Susan Roces on the basis of the President's statement and her (Ms Arroyo's) eyes, accused her of stealing the presidency -- not once, but twice -- and of insincerity. No one bothered to ask what in the Arroyo statement, or for that matter the tapes, could possibly have been the basis of that accusation. But it has caught hold of the public's imagination. Anecdotal evidence of this phenomenon: My upholsterer in Subic asked me what should happen now that President Arroyo had admitted that she cheated in order to win. Is it any wonder that a very large majority of the population want her to resign or be impeached?

And yet one recalls, the President made no such admission. But the opposition fanned the flames, repeating the accusation that she stole the elections with practically every breath they took. This was duly recorded by the media. And while I may be casting too much blame on a sector to which I belong, there were at most only feeble attempts to bring balance to the reporting.

Couldn't there have been at least an attempt to determine whether those conversations could have indeed resulted in stealing an election? Because if the attempt had been made, some timing inconsistencies would be revealed. The conversations took place from May 27, after all the Certificates of Canvass (COCs) were already in Congress. With all the security attendant to those COCs, not even a Houdini (much less a Virgilio Garcillano) would have been able to alter them to suit his evil purposes. The "dagdagan, dagdagan" [vote-padding] theory falls apart.

Couldn't there have been a brief review to remind ourselves of what transpired in the run-up to and the aftermath of the elections? Because if there had been one, the releases of the poll groups Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia at the time would show that Ms Arroyo had overtaken Fernando Poe Jr. in the polls and as of the week before the elections, the difference between them was statistically significant nationwide. While Metro Manila and Luzon and Mindanao could go either way, the lead in the Visayas was so commanding (57 percent Arroyo, 20 percent Poe) as to ensure her victory. Which is what happened.

Also, Bill Luz of the election watchdog group Namfrel was quoted as saying: "We didn't see enough electoral anomalies at the national level to have a material effect on the national results"-i.e., of course there was cheating (there always is, and this must be punished), but nobody stole an election.

And a year later, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), through Archbishop Fernando Capalla, said: "It is the view of the bishops that the results of the elections reflected the will of the Filipino people." Unfortunately, not much attention was given by the media to this statement.

And finally, amid all the furor over the latest survey results, surely it would not have been too much to report that in one survey (June 28-30), while 18 percent wanted resignation and 20 percent wanted status quo, 26 percent of those surveyed wanted more information. This was totally ignored.

Also ignored is that in the latest Social Weather Stations survey, 62 percent were in favor of a truth commission-which means that whether they wanted resignation or impeachment, they also wanted the facts. (Perhaps their cool heads struggling to overcome their warm hearts? There may be hope yet.)

Am I saying that media are in some way to blame for this lynch-mob mentality? Another bit of anecdotal evidence here: When asked what they thought would be the outcome of their demonstrations against Ms Arroyo, a spokesman said, "It depends -- on the media and the military." Not necessarily in that order, would be my guess.

But we must also blame ourselves. Surely it cannot have escaped our notice that most of those making the noise are also-rans and people with self-serving agendas. We should all refuse to be railroaded by these people who don't want facts to get in the way of their conclusions and their ambitions.

dancethingy

July 23rd, 2005, 01:58 PM

Solito Collas has said it all about how I feel about the media in this time of crisis. SHE HAS STATED IT ALL FOR ME.

dancethingy

July 25th, 2005, 12:27 PM

I thought you guys might want to read this

From the FRONT PAGES OF THE NEW YORK TIMES. WOW

Manila Journal
Editors Tackle Taboos With Girlish Glee

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By RAYMOND BONNER
Published: July 25, 2005
MANILA, July 22 - "I'm sorry, but I just can't control those girls." That is how one of this country's tycoons is said to deflect complaints about articles in Newsbreak, a magazine he founded.

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Lyn Rillon for The New York Times
The editors of Newsbreak, Marites Danguilan Vitug, left, and Glenda M. Gloria, at the magazine's offices.
"Those girls" are the women who edit and manage the magazine, which, with its spunk and spice, has more than demonstrated its independence from the privileged and powerful. Newsbreak has brought down a senator, set off an investigation into corruption in the military, and - most daring of all - exposed the fault lines inside this country's most influential institution: the Roman Catholic Church.

This month, with the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on the brink, "those girls" put out a special edition: an account of a meeting of the council of bishops, during which the papal nuncio told them - "scolded them," the magazine said - to stay out of politics.

What stunned most Filipinos, accustomed to the past involvement in politics by the church, was that the bishops neither endorsed Mrs. Arroyo, nor called for her resignation.

"Those girls" are the editor, Marites Danguilan Vitug, a 50-year-old with an infectious laugh that punctuates every conversation, and the managing editor, Glenda M. Gloria, just turned 40, a former senior editor at one of the country's major daily newspapers. Ten of Newsbreak's 14 senior editors and writers are women.

Since the end of Ferdinand E. Marcos' dictatorial rule in 1986, the Philippine press has been free. But being free doesn't necessarily mean being responsible, and the newspapers in this archipelago of 87 million people are as raucous as the politics.

Businesses in the region still pay journalists under the table, and powerful people routinely file libel suits that get favorable hearings. Such suits have nearly destroyed the high quality Indonesian magazine Tempo, which has worked with Newsbreak to report on Islam in Southeast Asia.

In Newsbreak's first issue - Jan. 24, 2001 - the editors advised readers: "The magazine's staff is composed of journalists who believe in honest, incisive, and spunky reportage." Few would doubt it has succeeded in that. The editors added, "We like to believe that good journalism sells." That is questionable here.

Newsbreak has barely 1,000 paid subscribers, and about 2,000 newsstand sales. But the subscriber list includes more than half of the Philippine Congress, and just about every embassy in Manila.

The magazine was conceived in 2000, when two venture capitalists, members of the country's elite, unhappy with the superficiality, sensationalism and lack of balance in the coverage of the country's mainstream dailies, approached Ms. Vitug and Ms. Gloria.

The two women, both of whom studied at the London School of Economics, had just finished a book, "Under the Crescent Moon: Rebellion in Mindanao," about the rise of the Islamic movement, including the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, on the southern island of Mindanao.

It is a book that foreign diplomats here have on the shelf as essential reading about a region where the United States has had a military presence since 2002.

The men were thinking of a Web site. The women thought a weekly magazine would be better. (It is now biweekly, for lack of money, and many of the articles appear on the Web site of The Philippine Daily Inquirer - www.inq7.net.) The men insist on remaining behind the scenes and the episode about "those girls" was related by the women themselves.

The magazine's first major challenge to entrenched power was almost its demise.

In February 2003, the cover story was about a Catholic bishop, one of the country's most powerful, who had carried on an affair with a married woman and had fathered a child by her.

The magazine found the woman and interviewed her for three hours, unearthing details about the affair and documents in which the bishop, Crisostomo Yalung had acknowledged paternity.

In a country that is 80 percent Catholic, "un-Christian" was among the nicer epithets thrown at the editors. Ms. Gloria's mother, a staunch Catholic, told her daughter she disapproved.

Church leaders were furious, and under pressure, one member of the magazine's board resigned.

"We thought we wouldn't survive," Ms. Vitug recalled.

Instead, it was a turning point. "It put us on the map," Ms. Vitug said, with her laugh.

(The bishop left the country, and is believed to be in the United States, Ms. Gloria said.)

Four months later, the magazine ran another cover story about a bishop accused of out-of-town trysts and sexual harassment.

It has been equally uncompromising in looking at corruption in the military. One cover had the photograph of a general superimposed over a $100 bill. Using various property search services they found on the Internet, the reporters had discovered that the general owned a condominium in Trump Tower and other property in the United States. (The general is under house arrest as authorities investigate.)

The property searches cost $100, Ms. Gloria said - a not insignificant sum for the magazine, whose offices are four small rooms on the fifth floor of an apartment building.

It still gets some money from its wealthy founders, but as venture capitalists they had intended for the publication to support itself eventually rather than to continue to be subsidized.

Asked what magazines are the models for Newsbreak, Ms. Vitug said, "Vanity Fair" and "Mother Jones" - the former for covers that sell, and the latter because it raises money from foundations and even other governments.

For more reporting in Mindanao, the magazine has received $42,000 from the United States Institute of Peace, a Congressionally funded nonpartisan organization based in Washington that promotes the prevention and resolution of conflicts.

For a story about how federalism might work in the Philippines - currently, virtually all power in the sprawling archipelago resides in Manila, with little authority in the provinces - the editors approached the Swiss Embassy, which gave them $10,000.

The editors know they must pay more attention to getting subscribers and selling advertising.

But they don't want to stop being reporters themselves.

"When you're small, you have fun," Ms. Gloria said. "That's why we don't want to get too big."

sandrin

July 25th, 2005, 01:03 PM

So not only that the News break journalists accept payment to push the propaganda of the opposition and some businessmen but they also "extort" money to cook up a good story. I wonder how much Lacson pays them.

Lili

July 25th, 2005, 06:38 PM

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/25/international/asia/25filip.html?ex=1122955200&en=28d1fd5da03704e7&ei=5070&emc=eta1

Oops, sorry. Dancethingy already posted the actual article.

Mango

July 27th, 2005, 04:10 PM

Taken from the manila times

Tuesday, July 26, 2005
THINKING ALOUD
By Roberto Lazaro
Truth in journalism

Truth, whether in journalism or anywhere else, exists in two forms: (1) as it exists in the object where it inheres; (2) as it exists in the mind of the perceiver.

As it exists in an object, it is viewed as the objective truth, the truth in reality, e.g., the truth in an event as the event actually took place and in the way it actually happened.

The truth in the perceiver’s mind is how the perceiver sees it, depending on many personal factors in the individual. For the most part, it is a matter of personal conviction. Which is saying that a person’s knowledge of truth is a matter of his faith in his conviction. Therefore, when a journalist perceives the truth in his object, he has already taken sides without realizing that he is probably being subjective in so doing.

Truth may be difficult to establish because objectivity is difficult to establish, and objectivity is founded on truth, as truth is founded on objectivity. However, in spite of the subjective perception of the journalist, there is still the objective truth in real names, places, events, identities. These are what, after all, the readers want to read and learn, and for them, the news reports they read are expressions of the truth.

Truth in journalism is primary; all else takes a backseat. Therefore, respect for truth and for the right of the public to truth is the first duty of the journalist. Every bit of news and every bit of information he gives out must be inspired and propelled by truth, the underlying principle behind all communication. For without truth as the motivating force of human acts, a person cannot be truly and objectively free in his decisions, in his choices and in his courses of action.

Image, reputation, credibility, viability, profit or whatever, begins and ends with truth in news reporting. Profit begins with truth in reporting. Style, writing skills, flair, superior research would amount to nothing if the truth is slanted or altered in order to achieve dubious ends, e.g., to misinform, to cover-up anomalies in government, or to favor or to promote a specific interest at the expense of the public good.

Truth is a guiding principle and an ultimate end of the journalist. It is a guiding principle because it provides the journalist with the direction he should take along the path of objectivity. And it is an ultimate goal to which all journalistic must tend, but which can be achieved only if the journalist and his newspaper would abide by the imperatives of truth from which fairness and accuracy are drawn.

Truth is not just a powerful defense against seriously damaging falsehoods, e.g., black propaganda or libel but is also a powerful motivator. It motivates professional writers to expose wrong doings in and out of the government, in business and in other sectors of power and influence in society. It requires objectivity and accuracy. Otherwise, truth loses its value and the news becomes a worthless piece of scrap.

Truth in journalism is not an empty play of words but a straight-to-the-point reality, not hiding behind cloaks, but a head-on collision with hard facts. Truth is truth in all angles and no attempt to detract from it can be justified. Deadlines, competition for newsbreaks and the need to catch public attention are not excuses for inaccuracies, slanting or semantics.

Truth-telling in journalism starts with the sourcing of information. The sources of information of a journalist are all those to which his senses have access. In other words, the sources of truth for a journalist come through his sense perceptions. This is because nothing is captured by the intellect which is not first in. the senses. Every bit of information he gathers, and every idea created in his mind, comes through his senses: his visual sense (sight), his auditory sense (hearing), his olfactory sense (smell), his gustatory sense (taste), and his tactile/kinetic sense (touch).

The para-psychological senses (intuition, the sixth sense, the third eye, etc.) must not be used by the journalist in his search of truth in news reporting.

Truths-telling in the processing of a news story that takes place in the newsroom is the editor’s concern. If the field reporter is expected to be truthful, so is the editor who passes judgment on the newsworthiness and trustworthiness of the news submitted to his desk. There should be no biased copy reading, no clipping of factual statements, no alterations of facts or truthful intents of the writer, no misleading editorial euphemisms. Editorial cosmetics or window dressing of truth is journalistic anathema.

People deserve the truth; they must be given the truth.

sandrin

September 24th, 2005, 12:30 PM

The string of Builboards along EDSA is not only an eyesore but also an accident waiting to happen. Just recently, an MRT-3 Edsa operation was disrupted when the giant tarpaulin fell on the tracks causing millions of pesos in damages and inconvenience.
There was also a past incident where in a giant billboard fell on parked cars.
With strong winds brought by typhoons, the billboards become even more dangerous waiting for the next victim.

P50M demanded from ad firm for train accident

The Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRTC) will demand from billboard company Big Board Advertising some P50 million in compensation for revenue losses and property damages when its ripped tarpaulin fell on the tracks of Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) on EDSA and disrupted its operations Thursday.

This as the Senate vowed to conduct an inquiry into the proliferation of billboards in the metropolis on the dangers they pose to motorists, commuters and the public in general.

Mariano Gui, MRT-3 spokesman, said negotiations for the payment of damages will begin next week.

Payments should cover for the repair of a scraped middle-car train, its panthograph and airconditioning system, Mr. Gui said.

At about 10:45 a.m. Thursday, thousands of railway passengers were forced to take buses and jeepneys when MRT-3 operations were halted.

That morning, strong winds whipped the billboard tarpaulin of Big Board posted at HM Transport building between GMA Kamuning and Cubao stations of MRT-3. The tarpaulin cut off cantenary wires that supply power to the trains.

MRT-3 shuttles daily some 400,000 passengers to major business districts in Metro Manila. It is the cheapest form of land transport in the metropolis, charging between P10-P15 for a ride through 11 stations from North Avenue, Quezon City to Taft Avenue, Pasay City.

Fares for jeepneys are pegged at a minimum of P7.50 and buses at P9 for first four kilometers.

SENATE INQUIRY

Meanwhile, the Senate public works sub-committee will conduct a public hearing next week on billboards as a public nuisance.

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago went ballistic over the incident, saying Metro Manila mayors did not exercise their powers under the Civil Code and the National Building Code to regulate and even ban billboards.

"Metro Manila has become a billboard hell because of the unchecked corporate greed of private advertising firms. It is disappointing that Metro manila mayors turn a blind eye to these nuisances that pose a danger to public safety and to morality," she said in a statement.

Ms. Santiago, chair on the billboards sub-committee of the Senate public works committee, said she would urge the Justice department to move for the lifting of the preliminary injunction issued by a regional court against billboard removal operations of the Metro Manila Development Authority.

She also said the Solicitor General must sue the private advertising firm involved for at least P4 million in damages to the Metro Rail Transit-3.

Ms. Santiago said she found it strange for the court to issue a preliminary injuction against the removal of billboards, while the Civil Code permits the removal of public nuisances even without judicial proceedings.

She earlier filed a bill regulating billboards, including a ban in certain areas. However, no public hearing on the bill has been conducted as the Senate was concerned with bigger issues such as impeachment and the expanded value-added tax.

CODE OF ETHICs

Hugo Perez, immediate past president of the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP), told BusinessWorld in an interview that the Big Board Advertising was not a member of their organization.

"But we are trying our best to invite them so they can be regulated. We want to regulate the members of the industry. Unfortunately, [the incident] happened to them while they are not yet a member," he said.

He said that while key players of the industry were OAAP members, many venture into the outdoor advertising business without knowing the code of ethics of the business and regulations which apply to them. OAAP is a member of the Advertising Board of the Philippines which has industry self-regulatory functions.

He said that OAAP would be attend the Senate hearing.

"We want to participate in the deliberations. We have to discuss this in detail so that [senators] will know the repercussions of the bill," he said.

While the organization, he said, they welcome such proposals as this will benefit not only the industry but the general public, he said there were certain provisions in the bill which might not be applicable and viable for business.

These include certain provisions that require billboards to be built in specific locations, which he feared might make billboards not anymore an effective advertising tool.

Ms. Santiago also said the Civil Code must be amended, as it only authorizes district health officers to determine whether a billboard could be torn down without judicial proceedings. This as she noted that she had not heard of any health officer ordeing a billboard to be torn down. "Either they are not aware of this power or they have been bribed by the ad firms," she said.

She also noted that the National Building Code prohibits billboards that obstruct the view of official traffic signs, obstructs the natural view of the landscape or pose a traffic hazard, and that offend aesthetic and cultural values and traditions of Filipinos.

"Primary responsibility for implementing these provisions of the National Building Code lie with the city mayors. I would like to know why they have been remiss in this duty," she said.

richpol

September 24th, 2005, 12:37 PM

W/O billboards, main highways will look dull! ...

sandrin

September 24th, 2005, 12:53 PM

But there's alot of them visually polluting the highway and causing accidents as well.
I would rather see more greenery and lightpost than a string of ugly billboards.

richpol

September 24th, 2005, 01:15 PM

where exactly? i think billboards placed in the metro have "art" in them.. :D especially in c-5. they add effect to the otherwise dull place

sandrin

September 24th, 2005, 01:27 PM

C5 billboards are farther apart so it's not an eyesore yet. C5 must regulate the billboard mounting now to prevent the view from becoming a visual pollution.
It's the string of billboards along EDSA that makes the highway look unsightly.

dancethingy

September 24th, 2005, 01:47 PM

I agree with Sandrin, actually i would like to ban almost all those freakin billboards, no matter how hot those bench models are.

More greenery, more visually appealing. architecture, and creative ways to advertise.

ON a side note, i really love the new advertising campaign of Dove. I love that they feature women from all different spectrums of size, shape, and age. It's so positive what they're doing. It helps women be more confident and comfortable in their own shell. It makes me want to buy their stuff. In times when the unattainable cover girl is being forced as the "ideal" norm, its nice for dove to come back to Earth for most women

Sinjin P.

September 24th, 2005, 01:47 PM

Bench b/low Billboards are really an eyesore...Tempting...heheh... :D
plus the Folded n' Hung illegally low jeans.. and other bikini related billboards

daDJ

September 24th, 2005, 04:32 PM

Sinjin P.

September 24th, 2005, 04:40 PM

Billboards give character to a major thoroughfare or area. EDSA, SLEX, NLEX, Roxas Boulevard, Quiapo & Cubao without billboards would look boring. I really like those that light up at night. Very visually appealling - a feast to the eyes.

Yes, I even had seen an aerial view of South Superhighway at Bellevue hotel and it looked so vibrant with all those Billboards.

Lili

September 24th, 2005, 05:07 PM

But there's alot of them visually polluting the highway and causing accidents as well.
I would rather see more greenery and lightpost than a string of ugly billboards.

I agree with this @Sandrin. But I'd sooner find out how visually appealing those billboards are as claimed by some of you once I get there.

xDieselJockx

September 24th, 2005, 10:04 PM

I was curious about these Billboards also, there is just way too many of them around MM or I think even in Cebu.

bagel

September 24th, 2005, 10:14 PM

Actually, going back to something that Bustero posted at the beginning of the thread, the proliferation of billboards would probably be self-regulated by the market. If there is a demand on billboards, then the billboards will go up.

But I think that billboard real-estate owners and billboard selling companies would stand the gain from limits on billboard placements. Case in point. My sister used to work in "non-traditional media" for an international advertising firm. She chooses and buys space on billboards for advertising clients. So if Dove Lotion wants to advertise to a certain demographic, she chooses where to purchase adspace.

Now she tells me that the most expensive billboards in the United States runs along the California Highway 101 corridor. The reason for this is that billboards along this route are controlled by local laws. There is a very limited number of billboard space available, making the existing adspace fetch premium prices.

I would think that billboard leasing companies in the Philippines would benefit from controls on ad locations (at the expense of advertisers). If I owned billboards in the Philippines, I'd push for the control of billboard space as long as my existing boards are untouched.

Lili

September 24th, 2005, 11:30 PM

I wonder what happened to the handpainted billboards, those I think are works of art, not the digital photographed billboards you see everywhere.

Sinjin P.

September 25th, 2005, 08:54 AM

Billboards add beauty to our street thoroughfares but it would be more beautiful if lush greeneries were sprouting more... :)

bustero

September 25th, 2005, 04:37 PM

handpainted billboards di na uso. too expensive not as nice.

the most expensive (effective) billboards DO NOT displace greenery at all, if there is a patch of green there probably are not too many eyeballs there.

sandrin

September 25th, 2005, 05:42 PM

MMDA backs Miriam’s bill to remove billboards

Chairman Bayani Fernando of the Metro Manila Development Authority on Saturday expressed support for Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago’s move to remove huge advertising billboards in Metro Manila that did not conform with rules on construction and location.

Fernando said advertising billboards should comply with the government’s regulations.

"Our lawmakers need to formulate a law that will control these billboards being placed on roads to ensure the safety of the people and property," Fernando said.

The MMDA seeks to limit putting oversized and misplaced billboards in Metro Manila because they pose danger to motorists and pedestrians.

But owing to its limited power the MMDA only able to remove billboards along sidewalks and those that fell on the road.

Billboards put up by the Metro Rail Transit on its rail posts and station walls that distract the attention of drivers on EDSA could not be touched owing to a recent ruling of the Court of Appeals, preventing the MMDA from dismantling the advertisement displays of Trackworks Rail Transit Advertising Vending and Promotions Inc.

The appellate court said the MMDA’s act of dismantling the billboards of Trackworks has the "detestable effect" of trampling on the company’s right under the contract for advertising services, resulting to injustice.

In a resolution, Santiago sought for the removal of all billboards on the streets of Metro Manila that violated the Building Code.

She noted that the excessive and inadequately controlled proliferation of billboards visible from highways endangers the "uniqueness of our state and our communities and our scenic beauty."

She also sought for the regulation of all billboards in order to reduce traffic hazards, protect property values and the public.

Under Santiago’s bill, billboards should be set back at least 25 feet from any road or street and 1,000 feet away from any right-of-way, underpass, overpass, bridge or tunnel, and intersection.

Billboards would also be off limits within 1,000 feet of any historic site, school, church, hospital, retirement or nursing home, cemetery, governmental building, Public Park, playground, recreation area, and convention center.

Meanwhile, vice chairman Cesar Lacuna of the MMDA said there is a need to have the materials used in billboards such as the tarpaulin to undergo inspection to determine its durability.

Lacuna suggested local government units particularly the engineering department to enforce the provisions of the National Building Code to get rid of illegal billboards in their areas while the proposed measure is being prepared at the Senate.

Fernando and Lacuna said the MMDA would be willing to provide help to the Senate in the crafting of the law and the immediate removal of billboards.

Santiago came up with the proposed measure a day after a torn-off tarpaulin from an advertising billboard landed on the MRT overhead cable wire, paralyzing its operation for eight hours.

The MRT management claimed it lost more that P5 million in revenues owing to the incident. Jefferson Antiporda

marites4

September 25th, 2005, 06:41 PM

yeah I really don't think a giant billboard about a subway sandwhich is artistic and attractive although it does benefit the Subway company by subliminal message to go to Subway but like MMda Bayani said it should be good for the majority and not the welfare of just a few.

Lili

September 25th, 2005, 10:47 PM

handpainted billboards di na uso. too expensive not as nice.

So these handpainted billboards are really a dying art. Sana kahit sa Recto or Quiapo, meron pa rin.

thomasian

September 28th, 2005, 10:59 AM

Dapat may government agency na nagko-control ng pagtatayo ng mga billboards. Delikado na minsan eh, kung hindi tao ang nababagsakan, kotse, minsan bahay, pero ang mas malala pati MRT nabagsakan kailan lang.

Pasaway na talaga ang mga billboards natin.

Eto, nakita ko sa blog ni Yoki.

----------------

...as i was traversing diosdado macapagal avenue on the way to help my dad who will be doing lipat-bahay for my nurse friend, cielo, (that's another story: she was almost hog-tied massacared last thursday)... a huge billboard fell in front of me, missing my car by the hair.
yes, BILLBOARD! it was the billboard of Hobbies of Asia, with the chicken wire fence falling with it. and of all cars... my car and with me driving. what are the chances of having a billboard crashing down on you... imagine the horror in front of me,seeing the huge crashing billboard. i thought it fell on my windshield. i swerved to the left but my front tire ran over the steel supports causing my right front tire to burst and on close inspection, even my mag wheels got pierced to the center.... how lucky can i get. i'm just too tired to write.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/eq_oddyssey/Image02.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/eq_oddyssey/Image03.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/eq_oddyssey/Image04.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/eq_oddyssey/Copy1ofImage01.jpg

YEP... THIS PIERCED MY TIRE AND MAGS... AND MY MUFFLER AS WELL...

everything in less than 24 hours... iba ka pag yoki ang name mo... bugbog sarado

hey can anyone see a huge "HIT ME!" SIGN ON MY FOREHEAD... i might have missed reading it, or was it written somewhere on my back... whew--- life...

tigidig14

September 28th, 2005, 04:00 PM

:lol:

Lili

September 28th, 2005, 07:11 PM

It was bound to happen. I'm amazed that Yoki guy can just laugh about it. That was dangerous. It could've caused him his life or others.

bagel

September 28th, 2005, 07:36 PM

I'm glad you weren't hurt. I don't want to seem litigious but maybe you should try to contact the billboard company owners and at least ask for compensation for your front tire. These things don't grow on trees. And if you were hurt, the billboard owner would have to be responsible for your well-being.

Edit: Oh I misunderstood. Yoki could've been hurt. Not only do we need to control where these billboards are located, but we also need to have real safety standards. Everytime I drive on Edsa by Guadalupe and I look at those super-tall billboards, I'm always afraid that a freak gust of wind would blow them down on the motorists below. I hope there are safety standards there.

ryanr

October 6th, 2005, 08:20 PM

Senate, mayors’ council tackle billboard blight
By Marvin Sy and Michael Punongbayan
The Philippine Star 10/07/2005

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago said yesterday she would ask President Arroyo to certify as urgent the proposed Anti-Billboard Blight bill, citing the danger this form of advertising poses to life and property.

As this developed, mayors of Metro Manila finally agreed to form a technical working group that will look into issues and concerns on billboards along major thoroughfares like EDSA and determine how they can be regulated.

The Senate hearing on the proposed Anti-Billboard Blight bill pushed through as scheduled yesterday although no Cabinet member showed up during the inquiry.

"Susulat ako kay Pangulong Arroyo at kay Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita. Napakalakas ng aking sentimiento kaya I will take the extraordinary step of requesting Malacañang to certify this bill as an urgent measure," Santiago said.

The senator said she was hoping to sponsor the bill before the plenary by the end of the month.

Absent during the hearing were Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., Interior and Local Government Secretary Angelo Reyes, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez and Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

Ebdane, Fernando and Reyes sent representatives. Joining them were representatives of the city governments of Makati and Quezon City.

Santiago said there was a need to limit the placement of billboards because they obstruct the scenery, block the view of motorists and pose dangers to life and property.

Senator Bong Revilla, chairman of the committee on public works, said the speedy passage of the bill would finally settle the issue of what agency was in charge of overseeing and regulating billboards.

"An anti-billboard bill with a national scope, but locally guided would augur well for the LGUs. We need general guidelines," Revilla said.

During the hearing, Consuelo Sison, of the QC Homeowners Association, objected to the "uglification of the metropolis caused by the proliferation of billboards in Metro Manila."

However, Frank Abueva, of the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP), put the blame on the lack of political will to ensure that billboards are regulated.

Abueva urged Santiago to create a technical working group to study the bill.

He pointed out that billboards have helped in increasing local and national revenue because the use of billboards — an alternative to the tri-media advertising — has grown into a multi-million industry.

Last Sept. 23, Santiago reiterated her call to regulate and punish owners and clients of billboard advertising offices after a billboard tarpaulin fell on a the power cable of an MRT-3 train in Cubao, causing an eight-hour disruption of service.

Santiago noted that Metro Manila mayors have enough powers under the Civil Code and the National Building Code to regulate and even ban certain billboards.

The senator chairs a subcommittee on billboards and signages under the public works committee.

"It is time to be tough on dangerous billboards. I will urge the justice secretary to move for the lifting of the preliminary injunction against billboard removal," she said.
End to confusion
Local chief executives who attended a special meeting with MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando yesterday said they believe a study of the dangers and other effects of commercial and advertising materials along major thoroughfares should be conducted.

The Metro Mayors’ Council (MMC) voted to form a body that will look into the problem so they can come up with plans and proposals on how specific concerns can be addressed.

Fernando said advertising companies and their contractors have been taking advantage of the "confusion" and "conflict" between the MMDA and local government units over the rules on putting up billboards.

"If we don’t act on this immediately, our streets will be full of billboards. And we’ve learned that many of these billboards have no permits," Fernando said.

Fernando said the technical working group, composed of representatives from Metro Manila’s cities and municipalities and the MMDA, would be given 45 days to study and assess the problem.

At present, local government units have authority over the issuance of construction permits and actual erection of billboards in public places.

Local officials from respective engineering departments are also the ones tasked to monitor and ensure that safety standards are followed.

Collapsing billboards and torn tarpaulins have become a major MMDA concern after the MRT incident in Cubao.

bustero

October 7th, 2005, 05:21 AM

What Yoki hit was not a billboard per se but signage. That's probably not covered by the city engineers office in the same way.

Definitely there are standards. In fact the structural consideration for these things is the same as billboards, in other words the engineer has the same culpability and responsibility for the the collapsed billboard on edsa and the collapsed building in Binondo.

kiretoce

October 26th, 2005, 07:25 PM

Bump! :colgate:

================================================================

41% of Pinoys think news in RP media "purely negative."
The Philippine Star 10/27/2005

Nearly half of Filipinos are critical of the Philippine media, saying that most of the news reported is negative and counterproductive, according to an opinion survey.

Forty-one percent of 1,200 surveyed nationwide by respected pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) agreed that "often, news on television, on radio and in newspapers (is) purely negative and… no longer helping the country," while 29 percent disagreed. Twenty-eight percent were undecided.

Metro Manila — where most media organizations in the country are based — is the most critical, with 47 percent reporting its effects to be negative, followed by the rest of Luzon with 44 percent.

Thirty-three percent and 38 percent of Filipinos in the Visayas and Mindanao, respectively, gave critical responses in the survey.

SWS deputy manager Gerardo Sandoval said the opinion survey question was a so-called "rider question" posed by AMA Education System and was included in the SWS’ quarterly polling.

"We have included some items from AMA in our regular third quarter SWS survey report," he said.

Sandoval said they included nine questions from AMA in their August 26 to September 5 survey. He could not cite the poll questions in detail.

AMA is owned by special envoy Amable Aguiluz, an adviser of President Arroyo.

Johnny Ramos, AMA Education System vice president, said his company is a subscriber to SWS and they asked the survey firm to include some of the group’s questions in the latest SWS poll.

"Normally, our surveys refer to institutions, our understanding of the community and we also have rider questions to understand the political or economic climate in the country," Ramos told The STAR.

Ramos denied the questions were meant to help the Arroyo administration counter opposition-led moves to force the President from office over allegations that she cheated in last year’s presidential election.

"I don’t think so. We do this quarterly on economic, political questions but I don’t think this is related to that," he said.

In a separate statement, AMA explained that part of its subscription contract with SWS "allows it to generate specific survey items dealing with the technology-education industry and with the political climate."

In the same statement, AMA disclosed that the SWS survey found that 37 percent of Filipinos believe that "the opposition does not have a clear plan for the country. Its only objective is to bring down the current administration."

Twenty-eight percent disagreed with this statement while 31 percent were undecided.

sugarboy

November 1st, 2005, 02:00 PM

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Virtualtour%20EDSA%20NB/edsa5nb0010.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Virtualtour%20EDSA%20NB/edsa5nb0020.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Virtualtour%20EDSA%20NB/edsa5nb0030.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Virtualtour%20EDSA%20NB/edsa5nb0040.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Virtualtour%20EDSA%20NB/edsa5nb0050.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Virtualtour%20EDSA%20NB/edsa5nb0060.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Virtualtour%20EDSA%20NB/edsa5nb0061.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Virtualtour%20EDSA%20NB/edsa5nb0090.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Virtualtour%20EDSA%20NB/edsa5nb0092.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Virtualtour%20EDSA%20NB/edsa5nb0095.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Virtualtour%20EDSA%20NB/edsa5nb0097.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Virtualtour%20EDSA%20NB/edsa5nb0100.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Virtualtour%20EDSA%20NB/edsa5nb0120.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Virtualtour%20EDSA%20NB/edsa5nb0140.jpg

slerz

November 1st, 2005, 02:20 PM

I like the 2nd to the last Sugarboy.....................................that ^ billboard...LoL

thomasian

November 1st, 2005, 02:25 PM

Anong sabi dun sa billboard ng Sogo sa last pic? Free ___ Parking?
Pasaway talaga mga powerlines oh.

kiretoce

November 1st, 2005, 02:39 PM

^^ I'm guessing it says: "Free Garage Parking." :colgate:

thomasian

November 1st, 2005, 02:53 PM

You mean parang regular room yung rate pero in-upgrade nila sa Garage room for the same price?

slerz

November 1st, 2005, 02:54 PM

^^ I'm guessing it says: "Free Garage Parking." :colgate:

Yup, exactly... free parking for my shoes... thats what I mean...:D

tigidig14

November 1st, 2005, 03:43 PM

bustero

November 1st, 2005, 04:16 PM

The largest billboard in the Philippines stares at me everyday. The whole side of ASB twin towers infront of SM megamall has been covered by this really big board you can see for kilometers around. It's freaky. Pang halloween. When you walk around at night it's floating there earily because it stands out as the brightest thing at night in the area. Background with the night sky, quite a sight to see actually. It's not a billboard per se as it's an announcement for the st. francis square tiange. Pretty good Ad must be at least 300 feet tall.

Lili

November 1st, 2005, 04:33 PM

^ Picture please.

pau_p1

November 2nd, 2005, 01:39 AM

here's the billboard bustero is saying...i could see this every night from my window...

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid192/p31e8e588f37d2336add5964dd7c2b360/f1b6a792.jpg

slerz

November 2nd, 2005, 02:39 AM

here's the billboard bustero is saying...i could see this every night from my window...

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid192/p31e8e588f37d2336add5964dd7c2b360/f1b6a792.jpg

oh! kinda scary specially when there's a storm...

bustero

November 2nd, 2005, 06:08 AM

Man you should see this , this thing is so huge and ang liwanag , di ba Pau Pi, Parang Multo nagflofloat sa kadiliman.

pau_p1

November 2nd, 2005, 06:11 AM

yup... that's the only bright thing in the dark Ortigas area at night... hehehe.... and it's so bright that it seems that it is the only thing lighted on the whole Ortigas area...

tigidig14

November 2nd, 2005, 06:32 AM

^so what does it say. franc and sanggol. what !!! im damn lost

bagel

November 2nd, 2005, 06:33 AM

Is it annoying? Do you have to draw your curtains closed to sleep?

pau_p1

November 2nd, 2005, 06:50 AM

nope.. it's quite far from us... so it's not that bright to disturb our sleep... but it is the brightest thing in that area...

bagel

November 2nd, 2005, 07:05 AM

I can almost hear the residents of Wack-Wack trying to figure out who to call to complain about the brightness.

Sinjin P.

November 2nd, 2005, 07:16 AM

about how many billboards are there in the whole stretch of EDSA? :D

pau_p1

November 2nd, 2005, 07:28 AM

hmmmm.... from Monumento to the SM Mall of Asia?..... hhmmm... I'd guess it is roughly a hundred or even more.... Kris Aquino's billboards for different products is about 15 already if I'm not mistaken on both sides of the avenue... from her adds on whitening soap, clothing, the Gateway Mall, etc...

Sinjin P.

November 2nd, 2005, 08:10 AM

Kris Aquino also endorsed Metro Gaisano, huh. And she's endorsing Gateway Mall too. Anyway, Metro is a department store and supermarket and Gateway's a mall so there isn't any double endorsement for a category of products/services. :)

daDJ

November 2nd, 2005, 08:22 AM

yup... that's the only bright thing in the dark Ortigas area at night... hehehe.... and it's so bright that it seems that it is the only thing lighted on the whole Ortigas area...

the effect is amazing as seen from a distance. i was driving along sheridan street one night and i noticed an illumination from a distance. i don't know what it is or where it is but the brightness is such that it illuminates even when you're at the opposite side. i thought there was a big event or something but to my surprise and amazement, it was the st. francis ad. but i like it though. maliwanag as compared to the bleakness of the night.

bustero

November 2nd, 2005, 08:48 AM

I actually have no problem with it ,nice effect, and now I'm sure sa liwanag wala nang muging doon at nka shades ang guards and parking lot attendants sa gabi, it's kinda nice meyo eerie nga lang. It has the same effect of shang (if you're near that side of wackwack) parang lumulutang iyung ilaw. hehe

100 billboards , si kris aquino lang iyon

add heart and maybe another 100 haha

perhaps the more interesting question is sino pinakamadaming billboard on edsa + south superhighway? si heart, sharon, kris, kristine or claudine.

daDJ

November 2nd, 2005, 08:53 AM

i think it's kris aquino. her rise to stardom is phenomenal. remember pido dida? and look at her now...

pau_p1

November 2nd, 2005, 09:13 AM

on EDSA.... Kris Aquino definitely shines.. hehehe.. at the area of Guadalupe, Kris has a billboard for Belo, Leonardo's bags, and Bench if I'm not mistaken.. she has a big one near the corner of Quezon Ave for Bench and another for Leonardo again.. she has another Gateway Mall billboard near Paragon Tower... and that is only at the southbound side of EDSA... I forgot the others... oh in Cubao she has one for Gateway Mall and one for Kissa papaya soap...

yeah.. no matter how controversial she gets.. advertisers just love to get her.. to promote anything... and well.. she is anyways the second biggest showbix taxpayer next to Ate Shawi.. hehehe...

bagel

November 2nd, 2005, 09:27 AM

I (heart) Heart. I would like for there to be more Heart billboards.

Ayoko makita ang mukha ni Kris. Nakakainis siya panoorin sa TV.

pau_p1

November 2nd, 2005, 09:30 AM

hahahah... well.. even in TV Kris is in many commercials... from San Miguel Pale Pilsen to her new detergent product....

bagel

November 2nd, 2005, 09:45 AM

And to think, when she was just a teenager that showed up at political rallies after her father was assasinated, we used to say "How cute! What a smart girl!"

pau_p1

November 2nd, 2005, 10:05 AM

yeahh... and now.. she's too much of a socialite... been to alot of controversies... and she creates herself an image of being sexy... after her Belo operations... in her commercial for SMBeer para syang bold star hehehee....

Sinjin P.

November 2nd, 2005, 10:09 AM

I am a big fan of Kris Aquino. :D

sugarboy

November 2nd, 2005, 10:47 AM

nope.. it's quite far from us... so it's not that bright to disturb our sleep... but it is the brightest thing in that area...

you live in wack-wack pau?

slerz

November 2nd, 2005, 12:32 PM

I like Jris Aquino sometimes but sometimes not...on & off :)

dudz

November 2nd, 2005, 03:34 PM

kiretoce

November 2nd, 2005, 03:36 PM

this is how it looks like from the fort...
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/bgc/tiange_ad.jpg

It does look eerie against the darkness....yet I'm drawn to it like a moth to a flame....bzzzzt! (drops dead) :colgate:

dudz

November 2nd, 2005, 04:03 PM

:haha: well, that's the goal, kimber...to draw attention! hope not just eyes but also wallets:D

pau_p1

November 3rd, 2005, 02:14 AM

you live in wack-wack pau?

I wish I do.. hehehe.... I stay with my aunt in the residential area of Mandaluyong on the other side of Wack Wack... on the side of Producers' Market and California Gardens... just in the area... heheeh...

marites4

November 3rd, 2005, 02:17 AM

I am a big fan of Kris Aquino. :D
why? uuuhh .
She is so in your face. her voice her demeanor her published sex life. It's overbearing .

bustero

November 3rd, 2005, 04:27 AM

That area behind producers is highway hills! I still remember when it was a nice place to move to , to enjoy the cool breeze this was in the 60's even early 70's walang tao ! EDSA was still highway 54 and hilly naman ang area, this hilly portion goes all the way to mandaluyong/sanjuan border (addition hills) where it crescents in little baguio, san juan. Very sosy place before the war to have weekend house and some portions like where channel 13 is , is so high you can actually see manila bay , hence you have roads called seaview.

hehe Now this area is not only congested but also full of billboards along shaw and wilson. (Well in wilson it's more like signage but huge ones!)

ryanr

November 3rd, 2005, 04:29 AM

It does look eerie against the darkness....yet I'm drawn to it like a moth to a flame....bzzzzt! (drops dead) :colgate:

:rofl: its so bright!

Sinjin P.

November 4th, 2005, 04:39 AM

BILLBOARDS OF SHAME: Cebu City plans to expose
establishments that overprice

TO fight greed in the marketplace, try using shame.

That's the idea behind the Cebu City government's plan to curb overpricing.

City Administrator Francisco "Bimbo" Fernandez said he was instructed by the mayor to launch a "shame campaign" to discourage traders from unfairly taking advantage of the new expanded value-added tax law (EVAT) which took effect Nov. 1.

Since the city's Price Monitoring Council has no legal mandate to file cases against price manipulators, said Fernandez, the city government will put up billboards in five sites. The names of stores and business owners caught overcharging their merchandise will be posted there for all to see.

The city government yesterday opened a "hotline" for consumers to call to report unreasonable increases in prices in stores or wet markets. The public can call telephone number 253-9904 during office hours.

During yesterday's meeting of the Price Monitoring Council, planning officer Paul Villarete asked fellow members whether the council has the mandate to regulate the price increases and penalize those who go over.

The answer was no.

Because of this, Fernandez said Mayor Tomas Osmeña ordered him to devise a "shame campaign" to apply "moral pressure" on traders to be responsible businessmen and responsive to consumer needs.

Since Philippine trade laws have been liberalized and allow private businesses to determine the price of goods in a free marketplace, there are no established "price ceilings" for goods, only suggested retail prices.

Fernandez said what the council can do is monitor pricing and encourage traders not to increase rates beyond that suggested by manufacturers.

Mayor Osmeña, in a separate interview, said that if businessmen would not heed the appeal for restraint, the city government would put up its own trading center and offer basic commodities at cheaper prices.

Monitoring

Villarete, during the meeting, said that to monitor prices effectively, a clear reference point was needed.

He suggested that the council ask the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) for data on expected price changes with the implementation of the EVAT.

A representative from the Department of Agriculture told the council that one uptown supermarket changed the prices of its displayed items right after the EVAT took effect on Nov. 1.

She said one consumer reported that shoppers were not able to buy some goods on display because no price tags were placed on them.

Fernandez said the incident was a clear violation of the price tag law since the items were obviously old stocks not yet covered by EVAT. He said consumers should report similar incidents through the hotline so the city could take action.

The E-VAT law subjects a 10% consumer tax on a wider list of goods and services that now includes petroleum products, electric power, airline and shipping fares, and professional services of doctors and lawyers.

The price of rice and processed goods is supposed to rise two percent to three percent only because of the power and fuel used to manufacture and transport them, said government officials earlier.

By January 2006, EVAT rate will be 12 percent. Corporate income tax is also higher at 35 percent, up from 32 percent under the new law.

----
Hmm...Nice plan!?!? :D

sista

November 4th, 2005, 04:40 AM

sugarboy

November 5th, 2005, 09:36 AM

sugarboy

November 5th, 2005, 09:39 AM

I wish I do.. hehehe.... I stay with my aunt in the residential area of Mandaluyong on the other side of Wack Wack... on the side of Producers' Market and California Gardens... just in the area... heheeh...

what do you do for work?...or studying ka pa lang ba?

pau_p1

November 7th, 2005, 06:10 AM

what do you do for work?...or studying ka pa lang ba?

I'm an Applications Systems Engineer of Fujitsu... :D mas murang makitira than to rent kasi.. heheheh...:D

yup.. I'm staying in the Highway Hills area... :D

tigidig14

November 7th, 2005, 07:09 AM

^gr8 job, pautang
ka-bday pala kita matanda ka lang ng tatlong taon

Mango

November 7th, 2005, 07:12 AM

SC junks MMDA’s bid to dismantle billboards, banners on MRT-3
By Jose Rodel Clapano
The Philippine Star 11/07/2005

The Supreme Court (SC) has junked the Metro Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) bid to dismantle commercial billboards, signage and banners at the MRT-3 along EDSA.

In a decision penned by Justice Consuelo Ynares-Santiago, the High Court’s first division affirmed the ruling of the Court of Appeals and the Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) granting the injunction sought by Trackworks Rail Transit Advertising Vending and promotions Inc.

Trackworks filed on March 2002 a petition seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the MMDA’s implementation of regulation 96-009, which provides the dismantling of indiscriminate displays and commercial advertisements in MRT-3’s stations, railway structures and in its 73 train cars.

The SC said Trackworks has sufficiently established a right to be protected by a writ of injunction because of the violation of its exclusive rights that the MRT Corp. Ltd. granted when the parties signed a contract for advertising services on Oct. 27, 1998.

The CA ruled that the billboards and signage were not indiscriminately posted but was sanctioned by a contract.

The SC also gave credence to the argument of Trackworks that MMDA cannot validly prohibit the installation of commercial ads on the basis of its regulation alone because it neither has legislative nor police power.

In dismissing MMDA’s motion for reconsideration, the SC said it is not enough that petitioner invoke public interest in dismantling the billboards because this does not justify the non-observance of settled rules and its agreement with MRTC.

The MMDA maintained though that the installation of commercial billboards and signages along MRT carriageway pursuant to the contract with MRTC is illegal and improper.

tigidig14

November 7th, 2005, 07:16 AM

^ah that sucks, thats what some people been straing most of the time in the train otherwise it will be dull

pau_p1

November 7th, 2005, 09:11 AM

^gr8 job, pautang
ka-bday pala kita matanda ka lang ng tatlong taon

hahahah... aba... pang3 ka nang naencounter ko na kabday ko ahh.. hehehehe...

le Reine

November 7th, 2005, 09:44 AM

Haaay...The petition was junked. I really hate billboards especially the ones along EDSA and near the MRT. Because I'm one of the passengers that were stranded because of a substandard tarpaulin that fell on the wires of the train. I missed my class because of that! Grrr...

sista

November 7th, 2005, 01:46 PM

sugarboy

December 4th, 2005, 02:50 PM

What do you guys have to say about Mayor Binay's electronic billboard erected in the Guadalupe Park?

bustero

December 4th, 2005, 04:51 PM

marites4

December 4th, 2005, 05:00 PM

Binay that egoist obstructionist pig

mysaong03

December 4th, 2005, 09:34 PM

^^ make that monkey!!! unggoy!! aswang!

Lili

December 4th, 2005, 10:13 PM

It's illegal but the mmda can't seem to put it down, binay is just ignoring their calls essentially saying it's a makati project, although it's obviously a money making one... of course there are many rumours about whose project it actually belongs too.

What is the basis of it being illegal? Is there a law or public policy prohibiting it?

SC junks MMDA’s bid to dismantle billboards, banners on MRT-3
By Jose Rodel Clapano
The Philippine Star 11/07/2005

The Supreme Court (SC) has junked the Metro Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) bid to dismantle commercial billboards, signage and banners at the MRT-3 along EDSA.

In a decision penned by Justice Consuelo Ynares-Santiago, the High Court’s first division affirmed the ruling of the Court of Appeals and the Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) granting the injunction sought by Trackworks Rail Transit Advertising Vending and promotions Inc.

Trackworks filed on March 2002 a petition seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the MMDA’s implementation of regulation 96-009, which provides the dismantling of indiscriminate displays and commercial advertisements in MRT-3’s stations, railway structures and in its 73 train cars.

The SC said Trackworks has sufficiently established a right to be protected by a writ of injunction because of the violation of its exclusive rights that the MRT Corp. Ltd. granted when the parties signed a contract for advertising services on Oct. 27, 1998.

The CA ruled that the billboards and signage were not indiscriminately posted but was sanctioned by a contract.

The SC also gave credence to the argument of Trackworks that MMDA cannot validly prohibit the installation of commercial ads on the basis of its regulation alone because it neither has legislative nor police power.

In dismissing MMDA’s motion for reconsideration, the SC said it is not enough that petitioner invoke public interest in dismantling the billboards because this does not justify the non-observance of settled rules and its agreement with MRTC.

The MMDA maintained though that the installation of commercial billboards and signages along MRT carriageway pursuant to the contract with MRTC is illegal and improper.

First of all, I'd like to know what is the mandate for the creation of MMDA and what is its power in relation to local governments. If its role is merely administrative and regulatory without law-making and "police powers", then the Supreme Court rightly junked the MMDA regulation. Only the state can exercise police power to act on behalf of the people to promote their health and safety. This power is vested in the local government and on a higher level, the executive of the State (i.e. the President of the Philippines). In order to enforce any regulation, the rule or law should come from an executive order issued by the president, that is, if the Mayor's office or city council will not issue a local law regulating those billboards. I doubt if Congress should even delve into the matter and issue a law prohibiting billboards. It might be questioned as being in restraint of trade and commerce. The MMDA is in a hard place at this time despite popular clamor to regulate those billboards because there are contracts to honor. The president should intervene if they need to put more teeth into these regulations and the local mayor refuses to cooperate.

sugarboy

December 4th, 2005, 10:30 PM

It's illegal but the mmda can't seem to put it down, binay is just ignoring their calls essentially saying it's a makati project, although it's obviously a money making one... of course there are many rumours about whose project it actually belongs too.

indeed the mmda will have a hard time putting it down. i guess we will have to wait for the passage of sen. miriam santiago's senate bill 1714 for that to be struck down. even then, i don't think that will be given up easily.

Lili

December 5th, 2005, 02:45 AM

^^ Yes, if that Bill gets passed, then definitely, implementing rules on billboard regulation will find support in that law and any issue as to the validity of regulations will be put to rest. I'm sure interest groups are lobbying right now to block that bill.

bustero

December 5th, 2005, 04:12 AM

There actually regulation from both local and mmda offices regarding putting up billboards. One of them has nothing to do with aesthetics or safety but plaing common sense and is actually supported by the billboard association. And it 's this, no billboard is supposed to be set up within 100 meters (or something like this can't remember the exact number sounds right though) of another billboard, the reason is that it will block the othe billboard! If it flat along the Road like a signage it can be ignored as it will have no bearing on the visibility of the next billboard but in the case of makati and the carranz superbillboard, they put it up so close that it blocks the lower levels of the billboard. If there was no regulation every tom dick and harry could just keep blocking each other out in front till there was nothing to see so even the billboard industry supports it. So you actually need to get an mmda clearance for this but in Makati's case they're saying it's not a billboard essentiall (it's a public advisory tv with some ads) and it's a government project so it's not subject to these limiting regulations , besides as lili pointed out above, mmda has no power over the local authorities for most part so too bad.

I think the new bill will not touch this billboard given makati's position as they maintain nga that it's not a plain billboard but a public service (the public must service binay's sons mercedes benz amortization... ooops he pays in cash pala), I would think even with a law regulating this , they would just say sue me.

The ironic part is that tv billboard ads have not done so well and the jimenezes who had the last jumbotron along edsa took it out as it was not a very good return.

Manila-X

January 6th, 2006, 08:21 AM

I rather see flashing neon than those billboards! Just like back in the mid 90s :)

thomasian

January 6th, 2006, 08:29 AM

Neon billboards are not that bad. They can be made to look modern with a little creativity. IMO, the metro would look better with a mix of Neon and tarp billboards.

Manila-X

January 6th, 2006, 10:37 AM

Neon billboards are not that bad. They can be made to look modern with a little creativity. IMO, the metro would look better with a mix of Neon and tarp billboards.

The thing is, I mostly saw large neon signs when I was in Manila back in the mid-90s, especially in Edsa. But later on, they replaced it with photographic billboards. Though there are a few neon signs left like the Pro Life in Magallanes and of course, The Lucky Me, close to Guadalupe :)

sugarboy

January 6th, 2006, 10:52 AM

billboards...billboards...billboards

click : http://oohresource.multiply.com

OtAkAw

January 6th, 2006, 02:24 PM

I think Billboards are boon if they were to be placed accordingly. It worked well for Times Square, why not in MM?

Askal82

January 6th, 2006, 03:21 PM

^^ I think they should make it trendy looking if theyre gonna put billboards or neon signs like Shibuya in Tokyo.

OtAkAw

January 6th, 2006, 04:25 PM

^^ Yeah, integrate them properly and put them in the right places where there is alot of pedestrian traffic. It would also help if they add LCD screens and decrease the size of billboards.

kiretoce

January 6th, 2006, 04:30 PM

I like how they personalized ads like that in the movie Minority Report, are we seeing the potential future in billboard advertising?

renell

January 8th, 2006, 03:10 AM

well advertising will become a lot of lucrative and clever. Those neon lights definately have more appeal and attract more eyes so perhaps we'll see them in the near future, if not they're already appearing. Also in Europe they had rent-a-cars that had advertising in it. Aren't some taxis in Manila sporting those ad spaces on the top of their roofs? Maybe jeepneys will take in advertising money to beef up their income.

All of these things will kill, or decrease the amount of the "ugly ads". Advertising can be clever and useful without being enormously big and fugly

sugarboy

January 30th, 2006, 04:41 AM

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/cafelupe/11-inch-x-8.gif

Askal82

January 30th, 2006, 04:52 AM

Ewwww! We have so much advertising already and its getting uglier.

sugarboy

January 30th, 2006, 05:06 AM

I wonder what the unit-owners of GA have to say about this. Can they actually protest the installation of such? I remember that the residents of Pioneer Highlands protested the renaming of the building into Globe Telecom Tower.

ryanr

January 30th, 2006, 06:48 AM

Ough...my eyes! my eyes!!:eek: Thats just ridiculous...GA Tower admin didnt want owners to install split type airconditioners because they said it looks ugly, then they install a gaint billboard instead? :|

marites4

January 30th, 2006, 07:53 AM

it looks like a giant graffiti on the building. That's a shame to hide the beauty of the building underneath .

Dvorak

January 31st, 2006, 01:03 PM

ey.. i passed by the FBGC today.. and from the flyover.. wala na yung AD sa GA.. i don't know if they removed it permanently na??

sugarboy

January 31st, 2006, 03:55 PM

mayor boyet gonzales called the attention of the billboard supplier because apparently he (the billboard supplier) had erected the sign without securing the proper permits from mandaluyong city. the billboard will be back soon.

OtAkAw

January 31st, 2006, 04:41 PM

Ewwww! We have so much advertising already and its getting uglier.
For me it's OK kasi medyo susyal naman yung brand pero kung let's say Advan yan. Hell no!

thomasian

February 1st, 2006, 07:45 AM

aranetacoliseum

February 1st, 2006, 03:24 PM

NO for billboard sa G.A!!

sugarboy

February 1st, 2006, 03:44 PM

It's okay din for me because it's a source of money for the association, pero they should have a rule that the design and color scheme of the add should complement GA Tower's Exterior paint para hindi naman nagka-clash yung colors nung billboard at ung tower. Pangit kasi na peach yung tower tapos biglang lalagyan ng black na black na billboard, and duming tingnan diba? Saka dapat classy yung pagkakadesign (at yung product) nung ad para hindi nakaka-baba ng value nung condo. Imaginine mo na lang kung maglalagay sila ng billboard ng "Chuva-chuchu tsinenelas, ang tsinelas na astig.", walang ka-class class diba, pero kung tipong para sa Louis Vuitton, Kenneth Cole, Ferragamo or Prada yung ad... sosyal!!! Hindi nakaka-degrade. :D

are you sure that the money goes to the association? i think the homeowners/unitowners should ask who actually entered into a contract with the billboard operator. did that person have the authority to enter into a contract with the billboard operator as supported by a board reso? and if indeed there was a board reso which dictated that a contract may be entered into with the billboard operator, which board actually has rights to lease out the space? the board of the unit owners association? or the board of the developers?

sugarboy

February 4th, 2006, 01:38 AM

How sharp is the Pinoy in the realm of Advertising, Media, and Marketing?

This thread delves into the highly glamorous (but possibly overrated) world of Philippine advertising.

We start off this thread with an article from Media, the recognized trade journal in the AP region for the advertising industry.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Skyscrapers/admediamark2.jpg

marites4

February 4th, 2006, 01:56 AM

some filipino tv commercials are hilarious

Skyblade

February 4th, 2006, 02:48 AM

It's great to see a thread dedicated to Philippine advertising! :D Does anyone have any links to pages where I am able to find some Pinoy TV commercials?

Here's some links to the some I know (some of these aren't made by Philippine agencies but nevertheless...):

Cebu Pacific
You Above All - 15 second spot (http://219.78.77.228:8080/ad00/cebu.mov)
Grandparents (http://www.cebupacificair.com/aboutus/ads/GRANDP30S.WMV)
Airbus (http://www.cebupacificair.com/aboutus/ads/tvc-final.wmv)
(felt like an early b-day present to find out the new Cebu Pacific website had a couple commercials. :D

Philippine Airlines
Shining Through (1987) (http://219.78.77.228:8080/ad80/prshiningthrough.mov)
Shining Through - Cebu (1987) (http://219.78.77.228:8080/ad80/philippinescebu.mov)

PLDT
One made by Visionary Pictures (http://visionarypictures.com/MovPLDT.html)
They also have "Keeping You In Touch", a 1994 ad in Night of the Adeaters (http://www.adeater.com).

kennethologist

February 4th, 2006, 06:18 AM

course ko to!

sugarboy

February 4th, 2006, 07:54 AM

course ko to!

you should hang around this thread more often then. how do you envision yourself down the line mbassyambassador? working in an agency?

sugarboy

February 4th, 2006, 07:56 AM

Skyblade

February 4th, 2006, 04:33 PM

i have a number of filipino commercials on my hard drive. will find a way to upload them remotely for everyone to access. just want to warn y'all, these are 8-12MB on average per 30sec spot.
A couple free sites I know off the bat are YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/) and Putfile (http://putfile.com/). Hope this helps.

vanoy2000

February 4th, 2006, 07:40 PM

talking about commercials, my favorite one that i couldn't get tired of watching was the one made by ryan cayabyab for sarsi way back in late 80's. does somebody remember this?

normandb

February 4th, 2006, 09:34 PM

Matrix
http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/6452/matrix2qb.gif

sugarboy

February 4th, 2006, 11:03 PM

THE METROPOLIS
Battle of the Billboards

They're big, bold, and not quite beautiful. They can also be a health and environmental hazard, but so far, no one is policing billboards.

by CHARLENE DY

http://pcij.org/i-report/4/edsa-billboards.jpg

BILLBOARD BOOM. The mushrooming of billboards along Edsa has resulted in the obliteration of the natural city skyline.

THEY’RE BIG and bold, but Metro Manila’s billboards aren’t exactly beautiful, at least not to everyone. These days one billboard has caught the city’s attention, and few have had nice words for it just yet. One irate motorist even called up a radio station to ask, “Can I do anything about the fact that when you’re going south on Edsa on the Guadalupe Bridge, there’s a big moving screen, and it’s glaring, even distracting, and might cause traffic accidents?” The radio host’s reply: “Well, I think it’s owned by the city of Makati.”

It turns out the electronic billboard in question is only a “joint venture” between the city of Makati and Dream Advertising, which owns it. Dream Advertising, with the help of Korean partners, brought LED (light emitting diode) technology recently to Manila. Since the billboard was put up this year, it has attracted controversy along with ad placements. Motorists have griped about its brightness, billboard suppliers complain that it blocks the advertisements behind it, environmentalists dislike that its foundation was built on a former public park. It also turns out that it went up after Makati’s local government had already issued a memorandum prohibiting any billboard permits to be granted until a new set of ordinances—the Makati City Billboard Masterplan—takes effect.

Makati City Building Inspector Ruel Almazan says the plans for the billboard had been submitted before the memorandum was issued, which was why it was able to clinch a permit. He also says the billboard had been a donation to the city. Engineer Annabelle Maniego, meanwhile, says that there had been a special resolution granted for the LED, adding that the display is “supposed to be for Makati City programs.”

On the same day that she says this, however, among the billboard’s 10- or 15- second spots is a commercial of a golden chicken patty plopping onto a lettuce-topped bun. It’s an ad for KFC, which doesn’t seem to have anything to do with Makati City programs. To Dream executives, there is no question that the billboard is commercial, but its association with Makati City has caused a great deal of confusion, both for commuters and, it seems, for city officials.

In any case, the questions surrounding the electronic billboard make it an ideal poster child—or problem child—for the ongoing billboard debate, which is admittedly getting to be more one-sided as each day passes: just about everyone has something bad to say about them. Just about everyone, however, also believes there’s profit to be made (and being made) in those giant signs.

Not that there’s anything bad about commerce per se. People like environmentalist Odette Alcantara, however, say that the resulting mushrooming of billboards is an ethical issue, in part because they mar the natural city skyline. Alcantara is the convener of the Anti-Billboard Coalition or ABC, a group of about 30 motorists, journalists, lawyers, greenies, and other concerned citizens. “I want to make it clear,” she announces. “I’m not against billboards. I’m against billboards in the wrong place. I’m anti-space abuse.” For Alcantara, the billboard boom infringes on public space: the open air, the landscape, things she feels belong to everyone, not just outdoor-media suppliers and advertising agencies. She also says, “They are traffic hazards. They supplant the road signs!” There are also issues regarding aesthetics, offensive content, and structural safety.

These can be difficult to quantify. No studies have been conducted that show whether traffic accidents are caused by billboards, for instance, and offensiveness is subjective. While one viewer may see a billboard of a bare-chested hunk in low-riding denims as lascivious, another might consider it the highlight of her—or his—daily commute.

In 2003, the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP) also commissioned a study that showed only three percent of media viewers in Metro Manila had totally “negative” responses to billboards. Alcantara, however, says numbers are irrelevant. “You don’t win (the debate) with statistics,” she says. “I want it discussed on a moral high ground. This is essentially a moral issue, an abuse of power.”

MONEY MACHINES
Again, for the cynical, all these can really be boiled down to that simple fact of life: money. Or as media consultant Lloyd Tronco puts it, the current billboard explosion has roots in changes in market demographics, improved technology, and competitive prices.

Tronco points out that billboards can connect easily with target markets because “more people are mobile nowadays,” referring to the increasing number of commuters and more time spent outside of the house. There has also been the advent of digital printing, which has allowed billboards to be printed cheaply and quickly on tarpaulin, a resilient, element-friendly material. Lately, billboards have been getting pocket-friendly are as well. According to Carlo Llave, OAAP chairman and president of media supplier Fourth Dimension, they fetched P200 per square-foot in 1989, when they were first introduced in the country. The peso was still something like 26 to the U.S. dollar then. Today, tarpaulin billboards cost only P14 per square foot.

In contrast, “rates are skyrocketing” for other media (radio, TV, print) advertising, says Joel Callao, president of outdoor-media supplier MediaPool. For instance, a 3,000-square-foot billboard on a major route like Edsa would cost about P200,000 per month. A full-color, full-page ad in a major daily newspaper would cost approximately P250,000 on a weekday, and P300,000 on weekends. A 30-second primetime slot on a major local channel, meanwhile, would run about P180,000.

Advertisers aren’t the only ones who profit from billboards’ affordable rates. Obviously so do media suppliers, who are the actual billboard builders and maintainers; numerous landowners also benefit from renting out their property.

So money is really being made, lots of it in fact, although trying to keep track of just how much the outdoor-advertising industry is raking in can be thorny, since there is no system for measuring the budgets and revenues of those connected with it. But Callao suggests that if one assumes that the leading firms, such as United Neon, Carranz, and his own MediaPool, gross some P5 million each per month, the collective yearly revenues for the industry’s top ten earners could reach P600 million a year. There are about 60 other smaller billboard suppliers within the OAAP, many of whom earn approximately P2 million a month, and countless other media suppliers that aren’t affiliated with the association. Add all the numbers, and the total take of the industry could be more than P2 billion a year.

WIN-WIN IN MAKATI?
If only money were everything. In the case of the electronic billboard, where a single ad account can mean revenues of as much as P445,000 a month, the company that constructed and maintains it says it has an everybody-wins arrangement with the city government. “It’s an information drive with the city of Makati,” says Dream Advertising managing director Tim Orbos. “We provide the infrastructure, operation, and expenses. We get the right to advertise and in return, we provide free advertisement for them.” That includes having the city’s website address printed underneath the billboard.

Orbos says Makati’s information materials “are still raw,” but that eventually, 30 percent of the billboard’s content will be set aside for the city’s announcements. The rest would be purely commercial. Already, Dream has snagged an exclusive contract with broadcast big boy GMA-7, which is why the electronic billboard has lately been flashing ads for the network’s Koreanovela “Sassy Girl,” along with those for other shows. Orbos also hastens to add that the commercial spots may include “socially relevant messages” from the likes of the United Nations, which will enjoy discounted rates.

The electronic billboard operates from six a.m. to midnight. Its viewing screen measures 11.5 x 7 meters or 866.5 sq. ft, although its total size is about 12.5 x 8.5 meters or 1,143.5 sq. ft. That makes it the largest full-color LED billboard in the Philippines, although there have been bigger traditional billboards. Recently its brightness has been toned down in response to motorists’ complaints. But neither Dream Advertising nor Makati City looks willing to reduce its size or relocate it, as other billboard suppliers are hoping would happen, since its strategic placement, has obscured the billboards behind it. That prime location, however, allow it to be viewed by “4.5 million eyeballs” a day, and that excludes the eyeballs of MRT commuters.

QUESTIONS ABOUT SAFETY
At least no one is hyperventilating yet about it being possibly unsafe, structurally speaking. In pre-tarpaulin days, when billboards were made out of painted galvanized sheets pieced together on wooden and metal frames, people harped about the tendency of such signs to topple over during an earthquake, or for a particularly nasty typhoon to tear the sheets off their frames and have them flying about, ready to scalp some hapless passerby.

The tarpaulin billboard was supposed to be relatively free of similar worries. But then in mid-September, the edge of one such sign, located somewhere between the MRT Cubao and Kamuning stations, ripped and went unfixed by the media supplier Big Board, in violation of building code regulations. Three days after, strong winds tore the tarpaulin completely free from its frame and then carried it far enough to get snagged on the power cable of an oncoming train. As it dragged on the line, it caught fire, disrupting MRT operations for eight hours, or the equivalent of P4 million in lost revenues. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but there were a lot of frayed nerves among MRT officials and commuters alike.

For legislators, structural safety is the most crucial billboard issue. Most billboard legislation is based on the National Building Code, whose guidelines are vague at best. In drafting Bill 1714 or the Billboard Blight Act, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago tried to address this shortcoming as well as the fact that, at present, local governments rely too heavily on the outdoor-advertising industry to self-regulate.

Defensor-Santiago’s bill offers specifications on distance from roadways, intersections, and traffic lights, number of billboards allowed within a given area, and restrictions on size (such as, “No billboard shall exceed 300 square feet in total surface display area”), with the intent of maintaining safety. The bill also seeks to be applied to all streets, not just national roads, meaning it would supersede the authority of both the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and local governments. “What we’re doing here,” says Camille Sevilla, legislative staff officer for Defensor-Santiago, “is giving national standard that will make it mandatory for local public officials to follow. We’re setting standards for safety, structure.”

Media consultant Tronco says some regulations the senator is asking for are “excessive” and “not feasible,” for example, billboard sizes that are too small, which might result more accidents due to motorists’ inability to read the print. The OAAP’s position paper on the bill is somewhat more diplomatic. While it takes issue with Santiago’s characterization of the billboard industry as a “blight,” it agreed with many of the proposal’s criticisms about current billboard legislation, adding that there was much “confusion as to which government agency” implements which laws.

ILLICIT “MAGIC”
Still, even MediaPool’s Callao says that the industry needs to be more rigorous in self-regulation. “Because of high consumerism in the Philippines,” he says, “we (the ad industry) tend to neglect our social responsibilities as long as it will favor ‘my brand’…We have to regulate ourselves, we have to not respond to competition. Some of our members, even if they know it’s illegal, they will still go for it (erecting billboards).”

This is largely why, say other industry insiders who decline to be identified, a common practice nowadays is to post smaller billboards on street lamps and pedestrian overpasses, even though section 2001 of the National Building Code prohibits outdoor advertisement on “street furniture” on any national roads. The insiders add that personnel and officials of national government agencies and local governments often benefit financially from such legal indiscretions, to the tune of several hundred million pesos a year. (One DPWH architect refers to such arrangements as “hocus-pocus.”)

Back at the Makati City Hall, a rummage through billboard records with Almazan, who is responsible for checking billboards for permits and is authorized to demolish those without proper paperwork, yields these statistics: of 149 billboards, 69 have permits, 72 do not, and eight await verification. It’s clear laws are being ignored; since February 2004, Almazan has demolished 59 billboards.

In the meantime, Dream Advertising is dreaming up more electronic billboards for Metro Manila. Orbos says the benefits of having such billboards include “real-time” value, since the displays can easily be altered to accommodate, say, urgent public announcements. He says his company is planning more joint ventures with other local governments. So far, five have shown interest.

Charlene Dy has worked in Hong Kong, New York, Massachusetts, and most recently in Shanghai, where she was a columnist, restaurant critic, and magazine editor.

ivanc

February 5th, 2006, 07:10 AM

Lili

February 5th, 2006, 05:26 PM

talking about commercials, my favorite one that i couldn't get tired of watching was the one made by ryan cayabyab for sarsi way back in late 80's. does somebody remember this?

Can you please remind me of the details?

Lili

February 5th, 2006, 05:27 PM

I think one of the more effective advertisements are those that appeal to the "Filipinoness" of Filipinos just like those San Miguel ads of FPJ before. Those were very effective.

Skyblade

February 6th, 2006, 04:03 AM

hello mga bai, need help.

do you know where we can download "More than the usual" ads/video, not the long one, just the 30-sec clips type shown on TV (more than the usual high rise, more than the usual sidewalk....) ? thanks a lot!
I have them on my hard drive (had my brother email them for me yesterday) and I'll try to upload it when I get back from school.

normandb

February 6th, 2006, 04:28 AM

I have them on my hard drive (had my brother email them for me yesterday) and I'll try to upload it when I get back from school.

yan ba yong may background na puro ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.....ha ha ha? pahinig din ako kasi ang nasa akin yong 16B (5min. video) www.geocities.com/ncbmandy

kyle@1008

February 6th, 2006, 08:08 AM

what about famous advertising qoutes;

like Jollibee's " nawawala si jennifer"
or alice dixon's " I can feel it"
or del monte's " pass the ketchup please louise:"

Lili

February 6th, 2006, 08:52 AM

^ wow, memories.

sugarboy

February 6th, 2006, 11:59 AM

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Skyscrapers/admediamark3.jpg

sugarboy

February 6th, 2006, 12:05 PM

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Skyscrapers/admediamark4.jpg

sugarboy

February 6th, 2006, 12:14 PM

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Skyscrapers/admediamark5.jpg

Skyblade

February 6th, 2006, 02:26 PM

yan ba yong may background na puro ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.....ha ha ha? pahinig din ako kasi ang nasa akin yong 16B (5min. video) www.geocities.com/ncbmandy
Yes it is the original Wow Philippines ads. Indeed the 5 minute one is pretty awesome nevertheless. :D I'll again try to upload those ones as well when I have the chance.

sandrin

February 6th, 2006, 06:22 PM

I get my advertising and marketing info here:

www.marketingpower.com
www.adage.com

ivanc

February 7th, 2006, 05:45 AM

Yes it is the original Wow Philippines ads. Indeed the 5 minute one is pretty awesome nevertheless. :D I'll again try to upload those ones as well when I have the chance.

these are the 30-sec clips?? can't wait... thanks!

mhe-ann

February 7th, 2006, 05:56 AM

I think one of the more effective advertisements are those that appeal to the "Filipinoness" of Filipinos just like those San Miguel ads of FPJ before. Those were very effective.
hmm.. I love that commercial. I think 1999 un. Kahit Kailan, Kaibigan. :D
flinstones - "why are you wearing mother shoes?..."
head&shoulders - "mamatay !@# sa inggit" - vanessa del bianco
Sprite - "I love you Piolo" - Tony Gonzaga
astig din un mga commercial ng Pepsi (Filipino version) na "Don't worry, there's no sugar".

dudz

February 13th, 2006, 03:52 PM

no wonder billboards are having a 'contest' of their own. here is the rexona giant billboard in guadalupe. touted to be the first live billboard and also the largest in the country, the billboard will serve as stage for live performances including about 30 men who will jump from the billboard some using ropes (others i don't know) every friday night at 7pm starting feb 17. look at the size of that...

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/e9b0f77d.jpg

and the GA Tower billboard...the nike ad is gone though.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/imagesaver1206/a8ae65b4.jpg

Askal82

February 13th, 2006, 03:58 PM

Is there any regulations at all with regards to placing billboards. Sa totoo lang, nakakairita tingnan if you see them densely placed from one end to another - a cluster of billboards Damn, ang sarap ipa demolish.

dudz

February 13th, 2006, 04:31 PM

none yet, louie. that's why they're popping out along almost all major highways/streets. but sen mirriam santiago is sponsoring a bill that will do just that and more. here's part of the news article posted by sugarboy regarding the bill...

For legislators, structural safety is the most crucial billboard issue. Most billboard legislation is based on the National Building Code, whose guidelines are vague at best. In drafting Bill 1714 or the Billboard Blight Act, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago tried to address this shortcoming as well as the fact that, at present, local governments rely too heavily on the outdoor-advertising industry to self-regulate.

Defensor-Santiago’s bill offers specifications on distance from roadways, intersections, and traffic lights, number of billboards allowed within a given area, and restrictions on size (such as, “No billboard shall exceed 300 square feet in total surface display area”), with the intent of maintaining safety. The bill also seeks to be applied to all streets, not just national roads, meaning it would supersede the authority of both the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and local governments. “What we’re doing here,” says Camille Sevilla, legislative staff officer for Defensor-Santiago, “is giving national standard that will make it mandatory for local public officials to follow. We’re setting standards for safety, structure.”

there are even four sided billboards at the corner of south luzon expressway and edsa.

Askal82

February 13th, 2006, 04:58 PM

Oo nga naman, safety issue din yan. Some billboards with crafty and catchy taglines or images does grab attention and can distract you on the road. Its time to regulate them. Let's cross our fingers for Miriam's bill to pass through.

bustero

February 14th, 2006, 04:27 AM

Well I've always liked them, I thing they add color to drab grey and mostly dark places. I agree that there should be clearer regulation though too many loopholes.

sugarboy

February 16th, 2006, 10:40 PM

is it really that bad to work for an advertising agency? hmm
i worked at one before but i stayed for only a week cause they kept making me do production work

not at all. i think work in an agency is fun and exciting. it's just that when the load piles up, the fun is surely squeezed out of you. haven't you noticed, hollywood has produced so many movies about burnt-out advertising execs?

hey Matt, if you don't mind, I'll repost this in the Philippine Advertising, Marketing and Media thread. Let's continue the discussion there. I'll tell you why.

sugarboy

February 16th, 2006, 10:44 PM

Okay, now that we've moved here, I opened up this thread to help those who are students of marketing, media, and advertising get a broader glimpse of the industry. The plight of Philippine colleges for the moment is that 90% of the professors teaching advertising in mass communications courses are really non-practitioners (or have never had agency experience at all).

Hope this thread helps out in whatever way it can. :)

Matteo

February 16th, 2006, 11:04 PM

sugarboy, you know this gal www.bauzon.ph?
i think her work is awesome.

someone posted those PAL ads up there.
i also like the one with gary v singing babalik ka rin, that one was good imo

i also like bench and penshoppe commercials, very cutting edge

sugarboy

February 16th, 2006, 11:14 PM

i don't know cynthia bauzon but i've seen her site before and i think her work is cool. by the way, the agency she worked for (BBDO) is usually the runaway winner for Best in Creative during the the Agency of the Year Awards.

just something to keep things in perspective though since you did mention that you wanted to have your own agency someday....sure there's a lot of money in advertising....there's more money though in the media side of advertising than there is in creative :)

sugarboy

February 16th, 2006, 11:15 PM

maybe WANCH knows cynthia bauzon. he's done some work with BBDO.

Matteo

February 16th, 2006, 11:24 PM

Matteo

February 17th, 2006, 01:22 AM

delete

sugarboy

February 17th, 2006, 04:15 AM

what do you mean when you say in the media side

what i meant was, advertisers usually spend about 20 to 30% of the budget in producing the ad but spend the rest on placing/airing it. as an agency, the commissions recur every time the ad is aired/placed.

in actuality, the advertising agency actually started as "space brokers" for newspapers. the creative side was just injected as additional service. really though, the core business of advertising is in brokering media space and airtime.

one can have the best creative output on a 30 second TVC but if the media guys screw up the placement where the target audience is not watching, the entire effort turns out to be a waste of money. :)

sugarboy

February 21st, 2006, 11:51 AM

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Skyscrapers/554dc7fc.jpg

sugarboy

February 21st, 2006, 12:01 PM

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/avenidalasalle/Skyscrapers/f9b4c518.jpg

Askal82

February 21st, 2006, 10:42 PM

^^ That's a cool ad!!

JudeD

February 22nd, 2006, 07:06 AM

WOWOWEE: TV AND THE PERILS OF PEDDLING DREAMS

<http://www.pcij.org/blog/?p=593>

TONIGHT I spoke at the induction of the new officers of the Association of Accredited
Advertising Agencies or 4As. Some of the country's top ad executives were there. I talked about the frustrations of journalists like myself with network programming. To my surprise, many of them agreed with me.

This is what I said:

Perhaps it is fortuitous that I should be here before you tonight, five days after the tragedy at Ultra, a tragedy that has generated a lot of soul-searching in the sector to which I belong, the mass media. Like many of you here, I have followed the tragedy on television * the same medium, ironically enough, that brought more than 40,000 people to a sports stadium in the hope of being entertained and of becoming instant millionaires. Their hopes, as we all know, were crushed that day. Seventy-four died in a stampede on Saturday morning * all but three of them, women; most of them, elderly. The tragedy was heartbreaking. It was senseless. But it was also waiting to happen.

I will not go into the details of what went wrong and who was immediately responsible. The authorities are already doing that. What I'd like to talk about is how and why something like this could happen and how this relates to the state of our media, the problems of our society and the governance of our nation, the topic which I had
been asked to address tonight. What made the "Wowowee" disaster possible? And how does "Wowowee" connect to the other ills that plague our country?

No doubt, as many commentators have said in the last few days, underlying it all is poverty - the misery and despair that haunt the poor every day, whether or not disaster strikes. One of the greatest failings of our democracy has been its failure to address mass poverty. That failure was demonstrated vividly, tragically, at Ultra last Saturday.

The timing couldn't be more sobering. *The tragedy took place three weeks before we
celebrate the 20th anniversary of People Power. The sad reality is this: Since Marcos fell in 1986, poverty levels have remained pretty much the same * about 30 to 40 percent of our population. The absolute numbers, however, have risen as our population has about doubled since then. And for the most part, the poor have
remained poor, regardless of whether it is Marcos, Cory, Ramos, Erap or Gloria who sits in Malacanang.

While democracy may have failed the poor, it was a blessing for the media. The mass media were one of the greatest beneficiaries of Edsa. The removal of constraints on both media content and media ownership that democracy made possible allowed media companies, especially those in television, to grow phenomenally and to do something never before possible -* reach an audience in nearly every barrio, every hill and
coast on this archipelago. Because of democracy, the media have never been as powerful or as rich as they are now.

This is particularly true of television. The emergence of TV as a truly mass medium is one of the great changes that took place after 1986. Today, as you know, nearly 90 percent of all households have access to a TV set. Since the 1990s, television has replaced radio as the dominant mass medium. In poor households, the TV is on as long as 16 to 18 hours a day. It seems families spend more time watching TV than doing
anything else together, or doing anything else, period. The TV viewing hours are also probably longest in the poorest households, if only because the poor cannot afford other forms of entertainment, whether it is watching movies or DVDs, or going out malling.

Television, because of its reach, has also become the most efficient medium for selling products. As all of you in this room know, nothing beats TV in terms of eyeballs. It is for this reason that it gets a whopping 75 percent of all advertising revenues. Last weekend, at the annual Media Nation Summit, AC Nielsen told us that advertising billings last year totaled P113 billion, a tenth of our national budget. While we
were told that these figures were based on published ad rates, the amount is still
staggering and makes television one of the most profitable sectors of the economy.

I don't have to tell you that the competition in television is so intense that it was considered a major feat for Media Nation to get the top executives of the top two networks together in one room to talk. The competition is most acute in the entertainment programs, particularly those aired during the noontime and primetime hours.
Networks invest time, money, talent so they could produce the programs that will get the eyeballs to their channels during those peak hours. The eyeballs, after all, translate into ratings and ratings translate into advertising money.

At the Media Nation conference, we were told that advertisers want efficiency. The emergence of ever more efficient accurate ways to determine what viewers actually watch has made the measurement of TV ratings an ever more precise, although by no means infallible, science. With ratings as a tool, advertisers can get more bang
for their buck, so to speak. In fact, AC Nielsen told us that TV ad revenues were growing at about 20 to 30 percent every year. It said that the channeling of so much money to television was a consequence partly of the emergence of more
sophisticated technology to measure ratings. With ratings as their guide, advertisers can tell which programs can best sell their products *whether it is shampoo, corned beef or cellphone services.

In the end, therefore, TV network executives shape their programming so advertisers can sell their products more efficiently. The needs of advertisers to sell products and of TV networks to get the ratings so they could get the ads feed on each other. They are mutually reinforcing. And we all know the consequences: Market efficiency seldom translates to quality programming. The result of the race for ratings are programs like
"Wowowee," which are marketed relentlessly to an audience of mostly poor people. Shows like these offer a way out of poverty through the magic, the razzmatazz of television. Never mind hard work or social reforms. The key lies in the luck in the draw, the promise of salvation provided by a celebrity entertainer. Is it any wonder that the
following of TV programs like "Wowowee" resembles that of a messianic cult? And isn't Willlie Revillame some sort of messiah of the idiot box?

It cannot be said that the networks are clueless about the power of television, although they may not have fathomed the depths of people's desperation. Free TV reaches out to the 80 percent of Filipino households who comprise the D and E, the poorest social strata. These households make up the bulk of the Filipino consumers and advertisers understandably want their attention. True, the Filipinos in this strata * or any other social class, for that matter * can be undisciplined and unmanageable.
But network television also cannot be completely oblivious to the perils of peddling dreams to the multitudes who lead brutish lives and would therefore cling * stubbornly, impervious to the well-being of others * to the most tenuous of hopes offered by games of chance.

The reality that the networks seem not to see is that that the range of programming on primetime TV, which is watched by millions of poor Filipinos, does not suffice. The range of programs is very narrow, consisting of game shows, telenovelas, fantaseryes, gag shows and reality programs. While some of these are very good and provide quality entertainment, the truth is that most of them are produced for no other reason that that they will rate. There are almost no programs on prime time television that provide for values formation, education, information, much less empowerment. Thus, the viewers are stuck in the "Wowowee" and "Big Brother" mode.
Television provides them escape without also providing them the tools to navigate in a harsh and complex world.

Many of the most cynical responses that came in the aftermath of the "Wowowee" tragedy, like those about TV treating people like they were throwing meat to a pack of wolves, may be undeserved. But the cynicism in general is fed by the popular perception of television as being interested primarily in ratings and profits than anything else.

During the Media Nation summit, we saw that even those working for TV themselves are not exactly happy about the state of the industry in which they labor. Indeed, the Ultra disaster has made them articulate their own questions of how complicit TV has been in perpetuating a state of affairs that is far from satisfactory, far from just, but very profitable for television.

I quote from a comment to a blog made by a TV journalist:

"It's like this," he writes, "the poorer people get, the less they can afford to watch movies, eat out, and do other things that require more than a few pesos. But it doesn't cost anything to sit in front of a TV and watch grandiose escapist productions. Economic stagnation thus tends to enlarge audience share for anything free. Larger
audiences mean higher ratings, which are translated into higher ad rates and revenues. And it seems no matter how hard up the Pinoy gets, he will still buy shampoo that is advertised ubiquitously. It may not be in free TV's best interest if everyone suddenly attained a decent standard of living, because that would come with options like cable, web surfing, and paid entertainment."

In a private email, this same journalist, whose professionalism and talent I have great respect for, wrote to me to say: "The TV industry is not monolithic. Journalists, like those who attended Media Nation, are engaged in an uphill struggle against the entertainment gods who wave glowing spreadsheets and Nielsen ratings in our faces."

I realize that this may be the wrong audience and the wrong occasion to say these things. I am sure many of you were fervently wishing, we should have gotten Manny Pacquiao to speak instead. But this TV journalist friend of mine told me that I
should take advantage of this opportunity because it may never come again. You will not invite me again after this, but forgive me for abusing your hospitality to articulate the frustrations and the agonies of people like this journalist, people like myself, who have labored long and hard in the fields of journalism, but who find our efforts continuously snowed under by how powerful and rich the entertainment side of media has become.

I am not saying that Philippine television should be like the BBC or that TV fare should be so elevated that it is beyond the reach of the masses, or so serious that it bores all of us to tears. I am saying that free TV should offer a more varied fare * there is room for fantasy and escapism, but there should be room as well, especially on prime time, for intelligent entertainment and public affairs programming that helps explain to people why they are poor and what they can realistically do about poverty and the other problems of the country. There should be ample room in television for programs that
relate to their audiences not just as consumers of the products peddled by advertisers but as citizens who need to be informed and enlightened.

Democracy and good governance depend on an informed citizenry. Democracy will work only if citizens are aware of the issues they have to confront. They can vote wisely only if informed of the quality of the candidates and the parties standing for office. Television is the most powerful information medium in the country today.
If it fails, our democracy fails as well. It is therefore our collective duty to make sure that television does its job. We often forget that TV networks use air waves that belong to the public and should therefore not be run like any other business. Their public character imbues them with responsibilities other than making money for their shareholders. We have to constantly remind the TV gods of this, and I assure you that there are enough people employed by the networks who are dying for the chance to make good television.

Advertising is a powerful medium. And while its main goal is to sell products, it cannot be oblivious to the greater state of the nation. Whether we acknowledge it or not, the mass media, advertising included, are not just a business. They are the most powerful communication and educational tools in the country today. The media's influence and their prestige dwarf that of other institutions, whether it is the Church, the schools, or even government. Schoolchildren may find it difficult to memorize the "Panatang
Makabayan" but they can all sing the "Pinoy Big Brother" song and mimic Ricky Reyes in the shampoo ad.

All of us in the media, advertising included, wield such immense power. We cannot shirk the responsibility to use that power well. Otherwise, we will only, all of us, sink lower. The rabid competition for ratings that exists today will lead us nowhere but down. I do not see how the ratings war, the way it is fought now, will raise
the bar of programming. We have to think out of the box, think perhaps beyond ratings.

After all, the risk of using parameters other than ratings is not oblivion or bankruptcy, it only means making less money. Even if both the advertisers and the networks pay less heed to ratings, they will still survive, they will all make money still * perhaps not as much as they do now * but they will. I know that I should be addressing this message to the network gods, but then I also know they will listen to you more than they will to me.

I have been told that in the past, advertisers shunned programs that rated well but which they found distasteful, like Channel 7's "Out," which ridiculed gay men and women didn't want their products associated with, like Channel 7's "Out," a program on gay men and women. The advertisers have also put their foot down on other issues of
taste and sensibility, thereby reining in the abuses of some of high-rating programs. I am aware of the many good efforts many of you have undertaken to use the power of advertising for the social good. We need more efforts like these.
We all need to work harder to bring about better programming, better television * television that provides more than escape, television that enriches, enlightens and empowers.

Thanks to "Wowowee." this is a time for soul searching. The moment may not come again. We don't have to wait for the next tragedy to grapple with hard questions of where we are headed as media professionals, as an industry, as a nation.

We live in this same beloved but benighted country, the same flawed democracy. As individuals and as industries, we have interests to promote, but in the end, we share one nation, one fate.

Good evening to all of you.