DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 19 August) – The Mindanao Institute of Journalism (MIJ), supported by the International Media Support (IMS), launched a three-year project that seeks to harness the capacity of journalists and media organizations covering the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Dr. Jose Jowel Canuday, MIJ president and chief executive officer, said the media trainings to support independent journalists in Mindanao will be organized under the project dubbed “Media Impact Philippines: Safeguarding and Strengthening Local and National Media in the Public Interest.”
“This project is a new terrain that may open doors toward sustained independent journalism in Mindanao, one that may extend beyond our lifetime. It is trying to make a dent in Mindanao. This training is part of sowing the seeds of the Journalism Academy in Mindanao,” Canuday said in a statement on Monday.
The objectives of the project include capacitating media practitioners in producing public interest contents, professionalizing local media, and promoting the institutionalization of safety mechanisms for journalists, particularly in conflict-sensitive areas like the BARMM.
The concerns about the journalists’ preparedness and safety come to light as the first-ever Bangsamoro parliamentary election is set to take place in May 2025, as well as the challenges of reporting on the Bangsamoro after the elections. The Bangsamoro Parliament election will be held simultenously with the midterm national and local elections.
The election of an 80-member Bangsamoro Parliament marks a significant milestone in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, which the Philippine government signed with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on March 27, 2014 after 17 years of negotiations.
Since its creation in 2019, the BARMM is governed by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, an interim body dominated by MILF members.
Canuday emphasized that covering the BARMM elections should be done in the context of independent journalism, a practice exemplified by MindaNews, which serves as the news service arm of MIJ.
During the journalism trainings, Canuday said that MIJ will take the lead in the “discussions on building a free, resilient, and vibrant journalism practice in BARMM, while representatives from the Bangsamoro Information Office, media, and civil society will provide responses on the partnership and coordination efforts needed.”
Che de los Reyes, IMS country program manager, said the project “is a holistic and comprehensive approach to strengthen the information ecosystem in the BARMM.”
“It encompasses building an enabling environment that will sustain the production of public interest content and address disinformation so that the people of BARMM will have access to reliable and accurate information that will help them participate in public discourse,” she said.
The European Union (EU) and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) are supporting the implementation of this initiative.
Marco Gemmer, Head of the EU Delegation’s Cooperation Section, said the EU expresses its full support to human rights and democracy in the Philippines while emphasizing the role of “free press” in democracy.
“The project we just launched should help strengthen and safeguard journalists,” he said.
The launching was held in Cotabato City, the seat of government of the Bangsamoro region, with a three-day activity from August 16 to 18. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
