FOR nine years now, Davao City's print media community had been conducting the Davao Media Freedom Day to primarily commemorate the Ampatuan Massacre which is one of the most violent journalist-related deaths in the Philippines.
Yet, some of you reading this may still be in high school back then, contemplating on what course to take in college.
The panic and worry of parents whose children plan to take Journalism or Mass Communication in college after the Ampatuan Massacre had really affected the number of enrolling students the following years, at least in some areas in Mindanao. But with a roomful of Communication and Journalism major students during the 9th Davao Media Freedom Day Thursday, November 22, at the Holy Cross of Davao Audio Visual Room, it really actually says a lot to how the need for information and the interest to tell stories may be arising again.
We never forget the gruesome incident nine years ago. That's why we continue to conduct this forum, hoping to further strengthen the foundation and the interest of future journalists to venture and continue with the craft.
Like what has been reiterated in the forum, the stories of the masses await to be written by these young aspiring journalists.
Nine years had taught us a lot. Nine years improved the media industry in the Philippines. What happened in Maguindanao will not silence us journalists to continue doing what we are expected to do -- to continue being the voice of the masses, and to tell the stories that the people need to hear about. Question is, are we up for the challenge?
We are of course thankful to the colleges and universities that annually send their students to attend this Davao Media Freedom forum. We are grateful to Holy Cross of Davao for being more than accommodating and helpful to make the event possible.