Manila Uncovered: A Journalist's Immersive Week on the Ground

Busy, hot, and at times exhilarating … and that was just crossing the street between the hotel and the conference venue.

The short commute - facilitated by gloved policemen striding into the stream of traffic - was surely the shortest journey we took as part of the six person of Asia New Zealand Foundation’s Asia Media Centre delegation to the 2024 East West Media Conference in June, spending a fast paced week in Manila among a group of top journos from across the rohe, followed by several expertly curated days of meetings, tours, and connections.

The bi-annual conference, this year dubbed “The Future of Facts”, saw hundreds of the region’s journalists, academics, and experts gather for three days in the country’s capital.

Artificial Intelligence, deep fakes, press freedom and the state of the industry featured heavily in the wide ranging programme, as we shared challenges common to the media globally, alongside others that were impossible to compare - journalists who spoke of violent repression, nuisance litigation, massive fines, and government surveillance.

Other highlights included University of the Philippines Diliman associate professor and Pulitzer AI accountability fellow Karol Ilagan laying out the history and context of the current zeitgeist, and a glimpse behind the scenes of her investigation into the opaque world of algorithmic pricing on ride sharing apps, University of San Diego associate professor Nikki Usher sounding a note of caution on the environmental impact of AI amid otherwise gung ho discussions on the need for newsrooms to embrace the technology, and renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle’s passionate keynote address on the role of journalism in communicating the critical interplay between protecting our blue planet and humanity’s very survival, especially poignant given the acute risk faced by this archipelago on the front lines of climate change. 

The Philippines has a particularly dynamic media landscape, along with one of the highest rates of social media consumption and internet use in the world, making it a fascinating place to examine issues that affect not just the industry, but democracy itself. 

The prevalence of disinformation - now aided and abetted by AI, demands on journalists to maintain an ‘always-on’ multi-platform presence, and the contradictions between the emphasis on press freedom - it's literally enshrined in the constitution -  and the reality for many on the ground are stark, given the country has been mired for decades in sometimes violent repression of journalists. 

Of the 117 Filipino journalists killed in the line of duty since 1996, 107 cases remain unresolved, according to Unesco figures. Human Rights Watch’s latest World Report notes ongoing attacks on journalists, including extrajudicial killings. The Committee to Protect Journalists lists the Philippines at eighth in its annual Global Impunity Index, one of half a dozen countries that have featured in every edition since the index’s inception nearly two decades ago. It sits at 134 of 180 countries on the Reporters without Borders Press Freedom Index. The Reuters Institute notes increasing ‘lawfare’ against journalists, including prolific use of the charge of cyber-libel, and researchers have tracked Denial of Service cyber attacks back to the Philippines military and government.

These issues captured global attention during a visit earlier this year by UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan. 

Khan reported the current administration appeared to be “more amiable toward the press” than the previous authoritarian government but urged sustained reform, pointing to ongoing “intimidation of critical voices”, including the practice of “red tagging”, where accusations of Communist Party involvement made against activists, journalists, academics and others can result in targeted campaigns of harassment, violence and even assassination. 

Condemned by local and international journalist and human rights groups, UN bodies and even the Philippines Supreme Court, Khan reported “clear evidence” of the tactic, and made recommendations to end it, including calling for the abolition of the controversial National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

It is also the home of Rappler, co-founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa, which has become a byword for press freedom and persistence. Just days ago, Rappler won the latest phase of its battle against a Duerte era shut down order, in a scathing Court of Appeal decision calling the shutdown “illegal” and a “grave abuse of discretion.” Meanwhile Ressa still faces a cumulative tally of a century in prison on charges ranging from tax evasion to defamation. 

It also felt a particularly timely moment for the trip - a recent visit by PM Luxon (the first by a New Zealand prime minister in 14 years) witnessed a convivial relationship developing between the leaders, and the two signed off on a number of bilateral agreements, pledging to upgrading diplomatic relationships by 2026, work on facilitating visas, harmonising qualifications, and better protection of Filipino workers, and a commitment to defence and security agreements.

Simultaneously, increasing tensions in the South China Sea - or the West Philippines Sea, as the country calls for Manila’s claimed exclusive economic zone, one of the most contested bodies of water on earth - created a swirling geopolitical vortex. Days before we arrived, tensions ratcheted up, after a Filipino sailor lost a finger during an armed high seas tussle with the Chinese Coast Guard. 

Even the tension surrounding what either was – or wasn’t, depending on who you believed - the final days of the landmark Sofitel Philippine Plaza hotel, saw the delegation at the centre of another unfolding story. The hotel’s plans to close caused controversy and a determined fight back by unions, who dismissed management’s claims of serious safety issues as a cover for union busting. Eventually, the high-profile campaign and calls for a senate probe resulted in a last-minute reprieve for the more than 1000 workers, with all of the union's demands met days after the iconic hotel closed.

Metro Manila had the worst traffic congestion of any city centre in the world in 2023 according to one index, and journeys sometimes reduced to a crawl, required constant renegotiation and rescheduling en route by our hosts, but the saving grace was the stimulating and frequently hilarious banter.

The post-conference schedule saw Asia Media Centre’s experience and connections shine, and the willingness of fellow journalists and presidential staff alike to meet and talk in occasionally disarmingly frank ways was a testament to the generosity of our hosts and the groundwork and relationship building of the trip’s organisers. 

We were welcomed to TV5, where we watched the filming of Güd Morning Kapatid, and toured the building. We spent time at the stunning Ayala Museum, taking in the collection of pre-colonial treasures, textiles, art and artefacts, as well as the famed dioramas, which provide a narrative retelling of scenes from the rich, complicated history of the country via 60 intricately carved scenes. 

At a visit to the Philippine Star, an English language daily with the largest print circulation nationwide, we met with legendary editor Amy Pamintuan, currently on bail from yet another cyber libel charge.

We dined with captains of industry, thought leaders and diplomats at the Official Residence of the New Zealand ambassador to the Philippines, took our places in the Presidential Press Briefing room at the Malacañang Palace to meet with the Presidential Communications team, toured the Presidential Museum and Bahay Ugnayan, a newly opened homage to the nation’s 17th president and scion of the Marcos dynasty, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr.

A sobering tour of the historic walled city of Intramuros, the grim dungeons of Fort Santiago, and Luneta or Rizal Park - dedicated to Philippine national hero Dr. José Rizal, held at the fort prior to his execution by the Spanish for his role inciting revolutionary fervour - brought home the horrors of the Battle of Manila, widely considered one of the most intense and devastating urban battles ever fought, killing more than 100,000 civilians.

The week in Manila offered an incredible glimpse into a vibrant country that stands at the crossroads of some of the most pressing issues facing the media today. As the home to New Zealand's second-largest migrant community and the fastest-growing economy in South-East Asia, the connections made, relationships formed, and insights gained during this visit will undoubtedly influence New Zealand's media coverage and perspectives moving forward.

-Asia Media Centre