The Philippines and the United States are in talks for a possible collaboration to counter misinformation from foreign actors as Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo noted that "alternate realities" are sometimes drowning out the truth, particularly with regards to the West Philippine Sea.
During the 2024 International Media Conference, Manalo said on Wednesday, June 26, that the two countries "are set to work together against misinformation and are discussing a possible Memorandum of Cooperation on Countering Foreign Information Manipulation."
There will also be the Philippines-US Cyber Dialogue next month, which is happening for the first time.
"Technology, as we all know, is a double-edged sword and we must maximize its benefits while preventing its abuses," Manalo said as he highlighted the importance of collaborating against misinformation.
He said the Philippines truly believes that the "media has a key role to play not only in informing and entertaining, but also in shaping public opinion, challenging societal norms and fostering meaningful dialogue."
"It is a gargantuan task, indeed. But as I look around this room and see our best journalists and media personalities, I am confident that you are up to the challenge. And you may rest assured that we in government are your partners in this endeavor," he added.
West Philippine Sea
Manalo cited the press' importance in reporting events, and its work has helped in putting the spotlight on developments in the West Philippine Sea.
The media's role is important as "for far too long, the narrative surrounding the West Philippine Sea has been obscured by disinformation, coupled with attacks against our government’s IT infrastructure," he said.
"Your reporting has highlighted our country’s efforts to push back against illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions in our own waters," Manalo said.
On the other hand, the country's top diplomat lamented about a false narrative, which actually came from China, that is painting the West Philippine Sea as merely a stage for Great Power rivalry in the region.
He said that such "reductionist view muddles our understanding of the complex situation on the ground."
It also "detracts from the real crux of the issue: that a country is choosing to ignore international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral Award, and the legitimate rights and interests of coastal states, such as the Philippines."
Other partnerships
Aside from the US, the Philippines is working with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to fight misinformation as the regional bloc "is fully cognizant that the rapid digitalization of communication platforms has invariably led to the uptick of fake news, digital hate, and extremist views," among others.
"In this regard, we have tasked our Senior Officials Responsible for Information to, among others, develop and execute sustainable and future-proof strategies that adapt to and leverage digital transformation; implement evidence-based strategic communications plans, mechanisms, tools and best practices to enable them to continue delivering accurate and timely information to citizens; and to pursue strategic collaboration to leverage the transformative power of media and nurture a culture of critical thinking and lifelong learning," he said.
"Our Senior Officials were also tasked to mainstream the role of the information and media sector to support the whole-of-ASEAN response to emerging global challenges such as disaster management, climate change and environmental concerns, health emergencies, cybersecurity, and other issues pertaining to human and sustainable development," he added.
Manalo also said that the Philippines will lead an ASEAN Forum on Raising Media and Information Literacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, where government, academe, and media representatives from all the ASEAN Member States will discuss strategies to promote media and information literacy in an AI-driven information landscape.