Philippine Information Agency Director-General Joe Torres, Jr. leads the country's delegation to the upcoming 16th Conference of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI). (Contributed photo)
"The Philippines continues to support the outcome documents of the SOMRI (Senior Officials' Meeting Responsible for Information) here in Vietnam this week, especially those geared to fight misinformation, disinformation, and fake news," Torres said, as he would be representing Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil during the high-level meeting scheduled on September 22, 2023 in the central city of Da Nang.
"These documents will be presented to the regional information ministers of ASEAN during their meeting also here in Vietnam this coming Friday," he added.
This regular gathering will bring together ministers, senior officials, and delegates from ASEAN member states, Timor-Leste as an observer, and three dialogue partner countries – Japan, the Republic of Korea, and China, to address the challenges and opportunities in the rapidly evolving field of communication and information.
This year's theme, "Media: From Information to Knowledge for a Resilient and Responsive ASEAN," highlights the role of information and media in building resilience.
“In an era of rapid change, communication is the bedrock upon which resilient societies are built,” Torres said.
“And we will address, as a united region, the challenges and opportunities that may come in the rapidly evolving field of media and information,” he added.
It can be recalled that on Tuesday, September 19, the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications organized an ASEAN regional forum aimed at addressing the issue of disinformation in the digital realm, as a side event of the 16th AMRI.
During the forum, participants engaged in discussions about collaborative efforts among ASEAN Member States to combat and counteract fake news and misinformation. The forum's agenda encompassed the formulation of recommendations for effective measures to combat these challenges, as well as the exchange of best practices drawn from various countries in the region and from news agencies. Additionally, the forum sought to foster cooperation both within ASEAN and between governments, localities in ASEAN member countries, and social media platforms operating in this domain.
In his address at the event, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam noted that since 2017, ASEAN has been actively discussing and initiating activities to increase public awareness about the detrimental effects of fake news. These initiatives have included educational programs, workshops for sharing policies, and awareness campaigns aimed at enhancing digital literacy among the public, and facilitating mutual learning among electronic information management agencies.
Moreover, in 2022, the 19th Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Officials Responsible for Information (SOMRI) officially endorsed the terms of reference to establish an ASEAN Task Force on Fake News.
However, Deputy Minister Lam acknowledged that these efforts have predominantly concentrated on the exchange of policies and experiences among government agencies. He said they have not yet expanded to encompass media organizations in their role of providing credible information, detecting and rectifying fake news, or research institutions and media outlets in their role as independent research and fact-checking units.
Lam said the forum aimed to establish an open platform for dialogue among government agencies, media entities, cross-border platforms, and relevant stakeholders. He emphasized that this initiative underscores ASEAN's dedication to mitigating the harm caused by fake news and its commitment to fostering a safe and reliable information space for its citizens. (PIA-NCR)
