Let me start by thanking everyone who came here to participate in the first #AllMediaPH event under the Duterte administration. Today’s event shows a gathering of the countries influential personalities from the institutional media, to public relations and communications and now to the social media that had been successful in developing a new generation of readers and reactors.

The purpose of this event is to present to you for consultation, a draft social media policy that takes into account of various interest groups and stakeholders in the coverage of Malacañang events. As a media practitioner myself, and one who likes to tinker with the vast possibilities of technology in the internet, I have seen the evolution of blogging for instance from the personal and private interests, to political and social concerns.

Today, bloggers are very passionate about making their positions known on certain issues. As a result, they are able to inspire a following that can go up as high as 400,000 to 4 million. Things can be so heated up in the bloggers sphere or twitter or facebook, we have seen this in last year’s election with the triumph of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. This new medium, the social media, has indeed changed the political discourse. Early this month, in a meeting with the group of bloggers and social media supporters the President gave the green light to their request of access to cover Palace events.
This however is not a Philippine phenomenon, in 2005 Garrett Graff was the first blogger give an access to attend the daily press at the White House Press Briefing Room. Here in the Philippines, I have been vocal about wanting to allow social media personalities to witness and cover for themselves some of the administration’s events that would be of interest to the general public. At the same time, I recognize the seasoned experience of mainstream media whose duty is to report the news accurately and fairly especially with the proliferation of fake news in social media. With the many problems that beset the country from illegal drugs to criminality, to corruption, as President Rodrigo Roa Duterte likes to point out all forms of media are tasked to let the public know what is going on. Not from any groups, self or selfish interest, but for the common good and the general welfare of the Filipinos.

Today, let us put on hold our differences and listen to the different opinions of our resource person and I wish everyone a fruitful and productive discussion. Magandang hapon po at mabuhay po tayong lahat. (applause)

###