CEBU – The 14th Cebu Press Freedom Week celebration opened yesterday with a parade participated in by members of the Cebu media from Cebu Business Park to the Cebu Provincial Capitol.
The parade was participated in by employees from The FREEMAN, this year’s lead convenor; Sun Star Daily; Cebu Daily News; and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), the organization of the people in radio and television.
At the Capitol Social Hall as mass was celebrated by Fr. Aloysius Lopez Cartagenas.
In his homily, Cartagenas cited the importance about being the voice of truth for the members of the media.
He also recognized the efforts of the Cebu media in striving hard to seek for the truth and let it be known to the greater public “…behind their skill and competence, I see the sincere efforts to perfect truth-telling,” Cartagena said.
“As long as there are people who persevere to report an injustice or violation of human dignity, people who search for answers to issues that matter and who search for people that will make it happen, the truth can continue to set us free,” the priest said.
The Cebu Press Freedom week is celebrated around this time of the year.
It is timed with the commemoration of the declaration of Martial Law on the 21st day of September 1972.
Martial Law put the entire country under military rule which deprived the media of the freedom to disseminate information.
Several activities are lined up for this year’s celebration including a series of fora and other similar activities that will focus on issues concerning press freedom. — Jessica Ann Pareja/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)