Duterte signs law declaring Cebu Press Freedom Day

The bill declaring September 21 as Cebu Press Freedom Day was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on Oct. 30.

The days is also a special non-working holiday for Cebu and its highly urbanized cities as the celebration of Republic Act 11122 was passed in the Congress last July 26 last year and in the Senate on Sept. 3 this year.

The Cebu Federation of Beat Journalists (CFBJ) welcomes the development considering that Cebu's media practitioners have been celebrating the Press Freedom Week every third week of September for twenty years already.

“It is but fitting that a day is allocated for us who have been relentless in reporting the truth and now in fighting fake news,” said CFBJ President Mitchelle Palaubsanon.

In the whole country, only Cebu Province holds an activity where all journalists from different media outfits gather together to celebrate the freedom of the press and discuss its pressing issues.

“The Cebu media are competing with each other but at the end of the day, we are one big family. As shown in our week long celebration, no matter how fierce the competition, we are united,” she added.

The organization of legitimate journalists also views the new law as another motivation to provide better coverage for the public to know the truth.

“The Cebu Federation of Beat Journalists is grateful to the authors of this law who recognized Cebu media's effort in disseminating real news amidst disinformation and misinformation. In return, we remain committed with our sworn duty as journalists to report the truth and defend press freedom,” Palaubsanon expressed.

In Cebu, Press Freedom is usually celebrated on the third week of September. In the whole week, different activities are held including providing free seminars to students, search for the Mr. and Miss Press Freedom, sports tournaments, and group competitions. —