Media barred from covering development forum

JOURNALISTS, most of whom from Davao, were barred from covering the Philippine Development Forum (PDF), which opened Monday at the Marco Polo in Davao City.

Business beat reporters, photographers and a television crew were instead herded to an adjacent room when the event started.

Several media persons were actually allowed to enter the hotel ballroom during the opening program, but were asked to leave the room when it was time for the plenary session.

DAVAO. Journalists are packed in a room waiting for information after they were barred from listening on after the opening session in Monday's Philippine Development Forum held at Marco Polo Hotel-Davao City. (King Rodriguez)

A media relations staff of the organizing Department of Finance (DOF), who requested anonymity, said that traditionally, PDFs are held behind closed doors with no journalists allowed during discussions.

The DOF staff said the PDF, by principle, is a venue where government and development partners are to meet in drafting governmental policies.

She said this is the very first time that members of the media were allowed to be at least within the premises of the forum.

The press people, she said, were allowed to enter the main hall only during the opening but not during the plenary session.

The staging of the PDF was a complete contrast of the 1st Mindanao Development Forum (MDF) where media and other interested parties were allowed to witness the entire one-day event last week.

The PDF aims to discuss the progress and challenges in sustaining high growth and promoting good governance that is being considered as one of the flagship program of the present administration in a bid to improve the lives of ordinary Filipinos.

The event also gathers all sectors of the society including high-ranking members and officials of the international development community, representatives from civil society, the academe and the private sector. (Jereco O. Paloma)