Ms. and Mr. Cebu Press Freedom 2013

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu’s media practitioners heartily cheered on their bets to the search for Ms. and Mr. Cebu Press Freedom, held Saturday night at the Highlights Bar of Harolds Hotel. Hosted by Jude Bacalso, the event also featured performances by Michael Pio Catupay, Briana Lopez and GMA-7 talents Gwen Zamora and Luis Alandy. 

In the final Q&A, Miss Cebu Press Freedom winner Jessa Chrisna Marie Agua was asked whether she thought social media was a threat or of help to press freedom. The 27-year-old City Hall beat reporter replied, “The digital age has given way to citizen journalism. Aside from professional journalists like us, ordinary citizens can share information not just within the country, but to the world-wide web. It has given them the power to voice out their opinion in certain matters. There are instances where we pick out tweets and other online comments, and then ‘storify’ these gathered opinion. I don’t think social media is a threat to professional journalism. In fact, I think it actually helps us.”

Mr. Cebu Press Freedom 2013 winner, Sunstar Cebu soft pages writer Luis Quibranza III was queried on how important freedom of information is in the role of a journalist in social transformation, to which he answered, “I believe that the Freedom of Information bill allows journalists to be more free, flexible and to optimize their work and skills in doing what they do best, which is reporting facts, and eventually, social transformation will just follow. ” – (BANAT NEWS)