On responsible & responsive journalism

The typhoon season is back, and countless Filipinos in various parts of the country are once again fearing for their lives, afraid at the onset of every thunderstorm or a seemingly ceaseless downpour that conjures images of widespread havoc and suffering. These are painful memories of the devastation they barely survived during the past calamities that inundated their homes. While many may have moved on, repaired their homes and got their lives back in order, many still live with an indelible trauma that is constantly triggered by the possibility that it can — and possibly will — happen again.

Some of us are already used to seeing news reports on major roads getting submerged in knee to waist-deep floods after a sudden downpour. Those who watch the news in the safe and dry comfort of their homes shake their heads and pity those who are caught in the monstrous traffic as well as those they see wading in the murky flood water.

Unknown to them, there are also people who are starting to panic as they prepare their belongings and gather family members to evacuate their homes if the rain and flood do not show any sign of subsiding soon.

Times have changed and the rains of June are no longer considered a welcome respite from the searing heat of the just-concluded summer. When the rains start to fall, the typhoons are not far behind. And as we already know, even low pressure areas and monsoons are now feared for the heavy rains and possible devastation they bring. In 2012 alone, about 3.9 million Filipinos were forced to evacuate from their homes in different parts of the country. Out of those 3.9 million, 1.9 million were evacuees of Typhoon Pablo, which hit Eastern Mindanao and brought massive flooding and cyclone winds that devastated Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley and the surrounding provinces.

In its effort to harness the power of the media to help people in need, News5 trained its reporters and news crew to be part of Rescue5, a premier public service team that goes beyond delivering up-to-date news reports but also gets involved in actual rescue missions. Since Rescue5 was launched in March 2011, it has responded to 12 floods, four landslides, a volcanic eruption and numerous vehicular accidents and emergency situations, with more than a thousand individuals rescued.

According to TV5 public service head Sherryl Yao, Rescue5 is a pioneer in the Philippines (and as cited by CNN, probably the first in the world) in equipping reporters and cameramen in emergency medical service and other lifesaving skills.

“The Rescue5 members went through seven different types of rescue trainings conducted by rescue professionals in the Philippines. The Water Search and Rescue was one of the most rigorous courses they had to undergo. It was a military-grade training exercise given to soldiers being groomed for the elite Naval Special Operations Group of the Armed Forces. Before the rainy season sets in, the team undergoes refresher courses to prepare them for flood rescue operations. The company has also invested in rubber boats and rescue equipment vehicles, including a 4x4 ambulance,” Yao added.

On top of distributing relief goods to calamity victims, the Rescue5 team is well-equipped and skilled for actual emergency response. At the height of Typhoon Pedring in September 2011, Rescue5 went to affected areas and rescued people on the roofs of their houses. One of Rescue5’s most memorable rescue operations is when the team was able to save Dionisio Nepuscua, a liver cirrhosis patient who was trapped in his flooded home in Calasiao, Pangasinan during Typhoon Quiel in October 2011. The Rescue5 team braved the flood and managed to get him onboard their rubber boat and eventually to the hospital for immediate treatment.

After two years of such life-saving rescue missions, the Rescue5 team’s continuing emergency response efforts are now documented in a weekly public service reality show. Hosted by News5 news anchor and Rescue5 team leader Paolo Bediones, the program’s real tension and drama of saving lives can be seen every Saturday at 10:30 p.m. on TV5.

“We practice cause journalism, testing the lines between reporters and rescuers, between taking action and simply reporting on an issue,” said Yao, who is also the executive producer of the weekly Rescue5 show. “When we air stories, our reporters explain the rescue procedure and include safety tips, so that viewers learn what to do should they find themselves in the same situation.”

Aside from rescue operations during times of calamities, the Rescue5 team also responds to everyday emergencies. The Rescue5 hotline has been receiving calls from simple stomachaches to more serious medical emergencies. The hotline is manned by trained EMTs (emergency medical technicians) who also use a callback mechanism to validate calls and differentiate prank calls from real emergency situations. These EMTs are also prepared to do TV and radio reports of the cases they’ve handled.

Such is News5’s unstoppable effort to change the way news reporting is done in the country. With Rescue5 standing in the frontline of training and equipping news reporters to take real action in the course of delivering the latest news, News5 banners a new-brand of action journalism that is both responsible and responsive.