philippines
In a scenario that is increasingly visual, video has become a powerful tool to challenge social and environmental injustice. But making change is not as simple as making a video. This is how APC member EngageMedia presents its newly launched Video for Change Impact Toolkit, an online resource that can help activists harness the power of video to advocate for issues as pressing as extrajudicial killings in the Philippines or the death penalty in Malaysia. The project, produced in partner...
We, the undersigned, view with extreme concern the unwarranted arrest of Rappler’s chief executive officer Maria Ressa on Wednesday, 13 February 2019, based on libel charges arising from a story published almost seven years ago by the online news site. These charges had initially been dismissed as baseless by the same public institution that is now instrumental in the prosecution of her case. We note that Ms. Ressa’s arrest was effected around 5:00 p.m., at the close of business hou...
After the arrest of Award-winning Philippine journalist and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, APC member Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) published the following statement (also published on their website). As of 14 February, Ressa has been freed on bail, a day after her arrest on charges of "cyber-libel" drew international condemnation. FMA denounces the arrest of Rapple...
Freedom of information – also referred to as the right to information – is the fundamental right of an individual to access information under the control or custody of the government. The United Nations General Assembly considers it as an integral part of the right of freedom of expression, which is enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). By its very nat...
I did not fly to Vanuatu for the 2018 Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF). But still, I participated in this year's APrIGF, albeit remotely. My organisation, the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA), together with the Internet Society (ISOC) Philippines Chapter and our Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), set up a remote hub for those who are i...
In March 2016, the Philippines made headlines when the personal data of around 55 million registered voters were leaked online. In the wake of the controversy, discussions on security and privacy resurfaced among legislators and the public. Among those taken up were relevant policy proposals, like the establishment of a national identification (ID) system. Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA...
More than two years into the campaign against illegal drugs started by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, accountability remains a problem. To address this issue, Ang Pangako, a website to help seek and demand accountability for extrajudicial killings, was launched during the Commission on Human Rights in April 2018. The website, created by APC member ...
What is big data? Given its name, does one define it simply in terms of size or quantity? If that’s the case, much of the excitement that surrounds it is overblown. History, after all, is teeming with evidence of humans dealing with generous amounts of data. That also means the concept is a dated one, merely resuscitated from relative obscurity. No. Big data goes beyond that—though volume r...
APC member in the Philippines Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) expresses grave concern over the decision of the Philippine authorities to shut down cell sites during huge festivities. The organisation calls for transparency regarding the guidelines used by authorities before resorting to signal jamming. As advocates of human rights and communication rights, FMA believes that human rights...
What have our readers liked most during this year that is coming to an end? Check these stories out if you haven't had a chance to read them yet! What do we want to accomplish in 2017? For years, the internet has had a transformative effect throughout the world. Despite the increasing curbs on freedoms and rights, APC will continue to work on promoting access to a free and open internet to impr...
Association for Progressive Communications (APC) 2019
Unless otherwise stated, content on the APC website is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)