THE media holds the power to empower the poor by delivering vital information that can help them escape the cycle of poverty and make informed choices for a better future.
This was the message of Fr. Keith Amodia to the media practitioners during the mass for the opening of the Cebu Press Freedom Week 2025 at Robinsons Galleria on Sunday, Sept. 21.
Amodia, who presided over the mass, said charity must be at the heart of every media practitioner’s work, especially when serving the poor with accurate information.
“Always speak the truth with love and charity, it is not enough that you have the truth, you always speak with charity because when these two, truth and charity, love should always prevail,” said Amodia.
The homily also highlighted the dangers of suppression, emphasizing that press freedom is vital for protecting the truth.
Amodia said knowledge is power, and those who possess it must use it responsibly.
“It’s not that you will be controlled by information or you will control people with information but rather you will use information to free the people, to help the poor. Because that is our calling, that is the calling that Jesus himself received and has passed on to us,” he added.
Activities
A singing competition among media members followed the mass. GMA’s Rutchelle Borbajo was proclaimed winner; The Freeman’s Iris Hazel Mascardo placed second; MyTV Cebu’s Gieperl Hann Largo placed third; while SunStar Cebu’s Kestrel Medalle and Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) Cebu’s Kenneth Remolano placed fourth and fifth, respectively.
The week-long celebration kicked off with the search for Mr. and Ms. Cebu Press Freedom 2025 at Bai Hotel in Mandaue City on Saturday, Sept. 20, where SunStar Cebu’s online editor Joshua Solano and KBP and SuperBalita Cebu correspondent Arvie Veloso won the titles.
In his winning answer, Solano emphasized that journalism is not only about reporting and that current issues like the flood control projects are “not mere stories, but lifelines for people in need.”
“Let us all remember that news does not only inform the mind, but it must also move the hearts to protect the people,” said Solano.
Veloso, during the question-and-answer portion, called on journalists to uphold responsibility in their reporting, stressing the importance of influencing others with truthful, ethical, and integrity-driven information.
SunStar Cebu’s Ms. Press Freedom representative Harmony Dela Cruz, meanwhile, placed as third runner-up.
The Cebu Press Freedom Week 2025 will culminate on Saturday, Sept. 27. /DPC