BACOLOD City – Councilor Wilson Gamboa, Jr.’s proposed ordinance declares the third day of May as Bacolod City’s annual “Press Freedom Day.”
He hopes it will be passed on third and final reading soon, as it was approved on its second reading last week.
The proposed ordinance adheres to the principles advocated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) “World Press Freedom Day.”
According to UNESCO, World Press Freedom Day is observed and celebrated every May 3 annually to remind governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics, part of the ordinance cited.
UNESCO added that World Press Freedom Day is a day of support for media who are often targets of censorship and oppression, while also being a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the pursuit of a story.
The ordinance will provide for the creation of a committee chaired by the city mayor as the chief executive to handle the planning, preparation and celebration of the May 3 “Press Freedom Day” – along with a committee to be composed of the Sangguniang Panlungsod chairman on committee on communications and energy, as vice chairman; and its members: chairman of the SP committee on laws, ordinances and good government, the city Public Information Officer (PIO), a representative from the Public Information Agency (PIA), a representative from the City Tourism Office, a Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) authorized representative, a representative from the Negros Press Club and representative from the local bloggers.
The proposed ordinance likewise provided that the Local Government of Bacolod through the PIO shall organize and initiate symposia, fora, social, sports, cultural activities and other events as they deem applicable and relevant for the media to have a memorable and colorful celebration of the “Press Freedom Day.”
Gamboa said the freedom of the press is a constitutionally-guaranteed right and is enshrined in Section 4 Article Ill of the Constitution, which explicitly provides that “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.”/PN
