Joselle Czarina S. Dela Cruz
CLARK, Pampanga—Everyone has a fair share of the proliferation of fake news on social media; a simple click, comment, and share could cause a wildfire of misinformation or disinformation.
Thus, a big challenge was laid out to the journalists during the regional media workshop on fake news and illicit cigarettes last Nov. 8 at the QuestPlus Conference Center in Clark, Pampanga.
Media’s role in society was severely missed in a time of fake news, said Philippine Tobacco Institute President (PTI) and Former Congressman Jerico “Koko” Nograles.
“Ang problema is ‘yong mga illegitimate media, especially the ones na online using fake accounts. That’s a given. Unregulated sila,” Nograles said.
Nograles also pointed out that the social media sites were also complicit in the spread of fake news.
“Ultimo printing press, puwedeng idamay. Pero, ang Facebook, hindi? Dahil lang nag-click agree ka. May disclaimer lahat ng user, we are not held liable by the views of these people. Wala rin namang nagbasa no’n, terms and conditions,” Nograles said.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Assistant Secretary Wheng Hidalgo stressed that the government cannot handle the problem alone.
“Partners po tayo. Media and the public… Kung wala naman pong maniniwala, walang tatangkilik doon sa balita na ‘yon,” Hidalgo said.
“Hindi po siya ganoon kadali na kasi ang dami nating kailangan i-check,” Hidalgo added.
Hidalgo said there is also a problem in the content posted by vloggers on social media.
“Walang nagche-check ng mga vlog nila… we are very much different from vloggers. Tayo noon, inaral nating mabuti maging journalist, ang hirap maging journalist… Ngayon, anybody claims to be a journalist,” Hidalgo said.
Jose Torres Jr., media and information literacy advocate, said journalists should focus on the online consumers to prevent the spread of fake news.
“[S]a social media, doon ‘yong laban, e. Kung tayo ay mananatili sa telebisyon at radyo, habang sila ay nasa social media, doon din natin sila labanan… Ang maganda po sa atin ngayon ay ‘yong ine-encourage po ‘yong media information literacy,” Torres said.
Torres said in the advent of new media, going back to the basics of journalism is a must.
“[L]ahat po tayo, we write for the Filipino people… ‘wag tayong mamimili ng audience… magsulat po tayo sa lahat kasi wala namang pinipili ‘yong mga platform ngayon,” Torres said.
The fight against fake news is one of the pressing challenges in the Philippines, even in the 2016 and 2022 general elections, and during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Journalists from different media outlets in Central Luzon attended the workshop titled, “Media in the Time of Fakes.”
It was organized by the National Press Club, and supported by the PTI.
Illicit cigarettes, lesser evil than drugs?
According to latest data from PTI, Mindanao is still the epicenter of illicit tobacco trade in the Philippines with 51% of cigarettes sold.
Illicit tobacco includes contraband (smuggled), counterfeit (infringement), and illicit whites (transshipment.
Most of these illicit tobacco were from Malaysia and Indonesia, transported mainly by sea and distributed by land.
Nograles said 178 illicit brands were identified since 2018 and 60% were found in the said region.
“[K]ung hindi po tayo mag-whole of nation approach diyan, at pabayaan lang natin ‘yong problema, aakyat pa ‘yong numero,” Nograles said.
Nograles said two factors were considered in the prevalence of illicit cigarettes: price and availability.
“Sa price, hindi naman natin puwedeng sabihan ang gobyerno na tigilan mo ‘yong pagta-tax,” Nograles said.
“The fact na it is available, availability ‘yong issue. Kapag pinasukan na kasi ‘yan ng illegal, parang droga, mahirap na rin ‘yan tanggalin… Kapag nag-normalize ‘yan, parang cancer, nai-infect na ‘yong surroundings,” Nograles added.
Cigarette consumers were looking for a cheaper alternative, said National Tobacco Administration (NTA) Department Manager Atty. Robert Ambros.
“‘Yon ang advantage ng illicit, mas mura siya, mas pina-patronize. Ang nagiging effect nito, wala na masyadong nabibiling legal na tobacco,” Ambros said.
Based on the latest report of NTA, local farmers are suffering with an estimated between P60 billion and P100B annual losses due to the rampant illicit tobacco trade in the country.
There’s a downward trend to the legal volume of tobacco with the widespread presence of illicit cigarettes, said Ambros.
Ambros stressed that this is not just a problem in the tobacco industry but “a whole country’s concern.”
“Fighting illicit trade would be a very important aspect dito sa pag-develop natin ng economy. Kung mapo-protektahan natin ang legitimate industry, lahat tayo makikinabang,” Ambros said.
54% of the PhilHealth budget came from the Tobacco excise tax, Nograles mentioned.
In 2022, Tobacco excise tax dropped by 16 percent from P160.55 to P134.87 billion despite the additional P5 pesos from 2021.
Nograles warned the illegal traders of the Republic Act No. 12022 or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, which prohibits selling and importing illegal tobacco products.
“Preso ka, kapag nahuli ka, non-bailable. Lahat ng mga kasama diyan, from the tracker, from barangay captain, damay. Lahat ng mga ‘yan,” Nograles said.
Nograles and Ambros appealed for the help of the media in raising awareness about this problem that threatens the national economy.
Joselle Czarina S. Dela Cruz
