The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) commemorated two decades of championing biodiversity conservation with a milestone celebration on September 25, 2025. The event, “Harmony for Biodiversity: The 20th Anniversary of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity,” gathered government leaders, conservation advocates, media professionals, and partner organizations from across Southeast Asia to recognize their contributions to biodiversity conservation and sustainability.

On behalf of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC), President Therese San Diego Torres received the Certificate of Recognition from ACB. Past collaborations include the first ASEAN-wide Photo Contest on Biodiversity (2009), managed by AIJC to highlight ASEAN’s rich biodiversity and raise regional awareness through photography, and the ASEAN Champions of Biodiversity (2010–2011), a recognition program that promoted leadership and public engagement in biodiversity conservation, with AIJC providing project management and technical support.

Dr. Jerome L. Montemayor, ACB Executive Director, said the recognition signifies the opportunity to renew the partnership between ACB and the Institute.

The honorees also included the New Zealand Embassy in Manila, represented by H.E. Ambassador Catherine McIntosh; CORA Philippines, represented by its Founder and Executive Director Antoinette Taus; as well as veteran journalist and documentarist Howie Severino.

Established in 2005, ACB is an intergovernmental organization that fosters cooperation among the 10 ASEAN Member States and global partners to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainability.

The members of P-Pop group 1st One—Ace, Max, Alpha, Joker, J and Jayson—led the cultural event, “Mapping the Story of the Filipino Through P-Pop,” at the Philippine Embassy in Singapore, home of Sentro Rizal Singapore, on September 26, 2025.

1st One, which had earlier been named a cultural partner and bearer of the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map, met with Philippine Ambassador to Singapore H.E. Medardo G. Macaraig and engaged with Filipino youth and members of the Filipino community in Singapore for a talk on Filipino culture, history, and creativity.

The group talked about P-Pop and how their latest single, “MYV (Map Your Vibe),” was inspired by the historic Murillo Velarde 1734 Map, the “Mother of All Philippine Maps.” They shared that the map serves as a reminder of Filipino roots and a guide for charting one’s journey.

In an interview with News5, Ambassador Macaraig highlighted the significance of the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map in Philippine history and commended 1st One for drawing inspiration from it in their music. He noted that presenting history through P-Pop offers a refreshing approach, demonstrating that history can indeed be fused with entertainment.

1st One graced the event ahead of their performance at Music Matters Live, a music festival that brings together artists from the Asia Pacific region.

The embassy event was a collaboration between the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC), the Philippine Embassy in Singapore, Sentro Rizal Singapore, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Black Star Entertainment, and 1st One. It was also part of the Embassy’s celebration of Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month (MANA Mo) and Philippine Creative Industries Month.

The Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) conducted the inaugural Executive Program on Public Communication, which culminated in an in-person presentation on August 13, 2025, at Privato Hotel in Quezon City.

“Public communication is about building trust, fostering dialogue, and shaping narratives that move communities forward,” said AIJC President Therese San Diego Torres. “Public expectations are shifting, and in a world of rapid information flow and rising demands for transparency and authenticity, we need to be flexible in how we connect with people.”

Torres added that with people’s preferences evolving faster than ever, communicators must listen closely to how stakeholders seek and respond to information, and adapt their strategies and choice of channels to ensure messages remain clear and relevant.

The executive program consisted of four modules and ran for eight weeks, covering the following topics: Essentials of Communication, Issues Management and Crisis Communication, Communication Planning, and Crafting Messages for Public Communication.

Torres also highlighted the importance of effective public communication in bringing people together and helping fulfill their basic rights.

Among the finishers of the executive program were Himamaylan Vice Mayor Justin Gatuslao, and key officers of the City of Malabon, namely: Jaycellyn Batarilan, Aaron Homer Dioquino, Edison Enriquez, and Jerico Joshua Kahulugan.

For Batarilan, who sits as chief of the administrative division of the Malabon City Government’s City Housing and Urban Development Department, the program has been “an enriching experience.”

“The course deepened my understanding of how clear, timely, and audience-centered messaging builds trust between government and the public. I gained practical skills in strategic communication planning, crisis response, and crafting messages that resonate with a diverse audience,” said Batarilan.

The executive program was organized by the AIJC Professional Development Program.

Registration is open for the next offering of the Executive Program on Public Communication, which will begin in October 2025. Learn more about the program and how to register here: https://aijc.com.ph/executive-program-on-public-communication/

Therese San Diego Torres, President of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC), delivered a keynote presentation on the first day of the 3rd FRAMEwork Asia-Pacific Communication Conference held at Far Eastern University (FEU), Manila.

Held on September 11-12, 2025, the hybrid onsite and online conference brought together scholars, practitioners, and communication leaders from the Philippines, India, Indonesia, and Thailand, highlighting the power of collaboration in shaping the future of communication studies across the region.

Delivering her keynote presentation, “Informed Voices, Transformative Actions: Bridging gender issues and communication in the achievement of UN SDG 5,” Torres shared insights from a forthcoming UNESCO report on women and the media, noting progress since the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action—more women in journalism and leadership, gender desks and safety policies in newsrooms, and the amplifying power of digital platforms. She warned, however, of persistent gaps such as underrepresentation in top editorial roles, continuing harassment and abuse, and algorithm-driven amplification of misogynistic content.

Her recommendations called for inclusive storytelling, stronger safety standards, gender-responsive support systems and tech governance, and multistakeholder collaboration, so that “informed voices lead to transformative change in our institutions, our media, and our everyday lives.”

Torres was joined by Mr. Mark Lester Chico, President of the Philippine Association of Communication Educators (PACE), as responder. Dr. Roderick Evans Bartolome, FEU Department of Communication faculty member, was moderator.

During the event, FEU and AIJC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalize their partnership for future editions of the FRAMEwork conference. The next conference is scheduled for March 2026, and graduate school students, faculty members, and alumni of AIJC are invited to participate and contribute to this growing regional platform.

At the conference, Mr. Junephrey Ocampo of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, who is also a faculty member of AIJC, moderated the plenary session titled, “Changing Views and Communicative Ways on Masculinity.” He also presented his paper, “Raising a Gay Son in the Time of the Covid-19 Lockdowns,” which won third prize in the paper competition.

The FEU-AIJC partnership also celebrates a shared history. Dr. Rowena Capulong Reyes, FEU Vice President for Corporate Affairs and lead convener of the conference, is an alumna of AIJC.

In her closing remarks, Dr. Reyes cited the upcoming 2028 centennial celebration of FEU: “Hosting this conference is part of our journey towards our milestone of being 100, being brave

at 100, and our commitment to carry forward a legacy of—as our founder said—being able to help the nation transform.”

Reflecting on the key lessons and the theme of the conference, Dr. Reyes said, “If ‘No Gender Left Behind’ is to live beyond this conference, it must move us to action—not just to question norms, but to replace them with practices that honor merit, dignity, and humanity.”

It is noteworthy that the idea for AIJC—which started as the Asian Institute of Journalism (AIJ) in 1980—came from a group of educators including Dr. Nicanor Reyes, Jr., the eldest son of FEU founding president Dr. Nicanor Reyes, Sr.

Dr. Nicanor Reyes, Jr. served as a founding member of the AIJ Board of Trustees. He was FEU president from 1970 to 1985. This reflects a legacy of academic and professional synergy that continues to inspire new generations of communicators.

With this renewed partnership, the 3rd FRAMEwork Asia-Pacific Communication Conference celebrated academic excellence and set the stage for a stronger alliance between AIJC and FEU, ensuring that their shared commitment to advancing communication education and practice remains vibrant for years to come.

For updates on the March 2026 conference and participation details, interested AIJC graduate students, faculty, and alumni are encouraged to follow the FEU FRAMEwork Facebook page and the AIJC Facebook page.

The Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) congratulates P-Pop group 1st One on their new song, MYV or Map Your Vibe, which they debuted on the global stage at 2025 ROUND, the ASEAN-Korea Music Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 21.

The song deeply resonates with Filipinos’ identity as a people. As the song goes, “Walang paroroonan nang hindi alam sa’n nagmula. So don’t be scared. Map your vibe.” 1st One delivers a powerful anthem that reminds Filipinos that no matter how far they go globally, their roots remain an essential part of who they are.

This song was inspired by the historic Murillo Velarde 1734 Map, the country’s first scientific map known as the “Mother of all Philippine Maps.”

Mr. Mel V. Velarde, Chairman of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC), donated an original Murillo Velarde 1734 Map to the Philippine government upon acquiring it from a Sotheby’s auction in London. The map played an important role in the country’s legal victory in the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling on the West Philippine Sea. It serves as a tool for understanding the nation’s maritime rights.

This month, 1st One was named cultural partner and bearer of the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map, as part of the campaign titled, “Mapa Natin, Kwento Natin.”

As part of their new role, 1st One members Ace, Max, Alpha, J, Joker, and Jason turned over a commemorative map to Sentro Rizal Kuala Lumpur at the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia where Consul General Roussel Reyes formally received the map on June 21.

Produced by Spanish Jesuit priest Pedro Murillo Velarde with two Filipinos, Francisco Suarez and Nicolas dela Cruz Bagay, the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map is currently on display at the Permanent Gallery of the National Library of the Philippines.

Gender Justice in Focus at 2025 Media Freedom Reception of British Embassy Manila

In a speech at the Media Freedom Reception of British Embassy Manila, Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) President Therese San Diego Torres spoke about the gendered experiences of women journalists, underscoring the urgent need for safety, equity, and support within the media industry. Torres also highlighted the recent collaborations of the British Embassy with AIJC and the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) Philippines in the areas of journalist safety and media freedom.

Yasmin Mapua Tang, Executive Director of Probe Media Foundation Inc., and Emmanuele Marie Parra, Programme Officer for Asia at TrustLaw, Thomson Reuters Foundation, also shared about the launch of their project with the British Embassy, “A Media Practitioner’s Guide to Criminal Defamation in Southeast Asia.”

The British Embassy Manila hosted its annual Media Freedom Reception on May 14, 2025 at the official residence of British Ambassador Laure Beaufils, as part of the month-long commemoration of World Press Freedom Day.

Now on her fourth and final year as ambassador, Ambassador Beaufils warmly welcomed guests from the diplomatic corps, media, civil society, and academic institutions, continuing a tradition she has upheld throughout her tenure. The event served as a platform to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to defending media freedom and protecting journalists, particularly in challenging environments.

Below is a copy of the speech delivered by Torres.

_________________________________________________________________________

Gendered Experiences of Women Journalists

Presented by

Therese San Diego Torres

Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication/International Association of Women in Radio and Television

2025 Media Freedom Reception of the British Embassy Manila

May 14, 2025

Good evening, Your Excellency Ambassador Laure Beaufils, esteemed colleagues from the diplomatic community, the media, and civil society, fellow advocates for media freedom.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak on the gendered experiences of women journalists.

Women journalists hold some of the most powerful positions in our democracy: they tell stories that matter, they hold power to account, and they amplify people’s voices. But we know that in the Philippines, as in many parts of the world, this power comes at a cost.

For women in journalism, the daily work of seeking truth and informing the public is too often burdened by subtle yet insidious forms of bias. These microaggressions—the casual sexism, the undermining comments, the assumptions based on gender rather than competence—may chip away at women’s confidence, diminish authority, and undermine their ability to work effectively. These are constant reminders that despite their qualifications and dedication, women are often viewed through a gendered lens first. This reality shapes women’s interactions, influences how expertise is valued, and creates an uneven playing field in the pursuit of information.

In addition to these subtle attacks, there are blatant physical and online forms of intimidation, threats, and abuse against women journalists, as revealed in qualitative research conducted by the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication or AIJC in 2021 and the International Association of Women in Radio and Television or IAWRT Philippines in 2021 and 2024, as well as a 2024 exploratory research on the situation of Filipino women journalists conducted by the Asian Center for Journalism (ACFJ) and the Ateneo de Manila University Department of Communication. In the study by ACFJ and Ateneo last year, the results revealed that among the 129 women journalists surveyed, the majority had experienced physical intimidation, threats, or abuse—and only 10% reported not having encountered such attacks. Meanwhile, 74% reported experiencing online intimidation, threats, and abuse.  

The online attacks on women journalists covering the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte is just the most recent example of the vulnerability of women journalists. While reporting on Duterte’s ICC arrest, two women journalists—Mariz Umali and Gretchen Ho—became targets of vicious personal attacks, many of which carried distinctly gendered undertones. The insults focused on their appearance and personal lives rather than the substance of their reporting. This reflects a broader pattern: women journalists, especially in the public eye, often face a level of scrutiny that is uniquely personal, gendered, and abusive.

Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a 26-year-old journalist who has been imprisoned since 2020 on trumped-up terrorism charges for her human rights reporting, is another painful example of how state pressure can silence critical women’s voices.

In AIJC and IAWRT’s qualitative research, we found that women persist and do not stop reporting in the face of attacks, but this does not mean that these experiences do not bring emotional distress and a chilling effect on the media.  

IAWRT Philippines, WeMove of ACFJ, MMSP, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, and AIJC are just a few of the movements and organizations that have organized efforts to address the challenges women journalists face in the country.

Tonight, we recognize the efforts supported by the British Embassy:

1. The Safety Conference for Women Journalists, implemented by IAWRT Philippines earlier this year, 2025, and the
2. Capacity Building for Journalists in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) implemented by AIJC, from 2023 to 2024.

These initiatives create vital spaces for dialogue, discussion, and preparedness through training in physical, digital, and psychosocial safety.

Such efforts also raise participants’ awareness of what threats, intimidation, and abuse look like, as we have found that there are those who struggle to recognize these behaviors—and may even inadvertently contribute to their perpetuation or enable the perpetrators.

Who are these perpetrators? The same people have been identified in the studies by AIJC, IAWRT, and ACFJ and Ateneo mentioned earlier: news sources, government officials, men in uniform, and superiors and colleagues in the media.  

In IAWRT’s most recent study in 2024, we noted that some perpetrators maintain their standing in society despite blatant acts of misconduct or abuse, simply because they are seen as respected figures in their communities—father figures, brother figures. We need to challenge these perceptions and hold individuals accountable, regardless of how they are socially perceived, to ensure that reputation is not used as a shield for abuse.

In IAWRT’s most recent findings from the Safety Conference supported by the British Embassy, one of the most important lessons we learned is that in certain cultural contexts, speaking out about harassment or abuse is not always the way to protect women journalists who have been wronged. In fact, it can do the opposite. There are deeply rooted cultural sensitivities that must be respected—where going public may not only endanger the survivor but also expose their families and even entire clans to shame or retaliation.  

Thus, there is a need for nuanced understanding of local customs and beliefs, a need to become more conscious about how we approach support: to listen first, understand local contexts deeply, and work collaboratively to design interventions that do not unintentionally cause further harm. Protection must be holistic, culturally aware, survivor-centered, and collaborative.

Moreover, the genuine enthusiasm and strong engagement from participants reminded us of the urgent need to invest in the next generation—particularly students and young women journalists, who are often among the most vulnerable. Studies by IAWRT, ACFJ and Ateneo have shown that the youngest women in the newsroom—the newbies—typically experience harassment. For many, it’s almost like a harsh initiation into the job. The conference showed us that when we engage them, when we mentor them, when we listen to them—we lay the groundwork for a more resilient, more inclusive press.

Last month, the Movement for Media Safety Philippines (MMSP) led the drafting of the 2025 Media Electoral Agenda, and one of the 10 points emphasized the need to address gender-based attacks against journalists. According to the agenda, “Holding perpetrators of gender-based attacks will ensure that journalists can freely report without prejudice to their gender.”

Moreover, on behalf of the MMSP, AIJC, IAWRT, and fellow advocates of safety of women journalists, we call for the following:

1. Continue to call for the release of Frenchie Mae Cumpio.
2. Foster media environments that actively champion inclusivity and respect, where the contributions of women journalists are valued, and their voices are amplified without fear of gender-based attacks.
3. Ensure that international and local legal frameworks and diplomatic efforts consider the specific vulnerabilities of women journalists in the context of their work.

Continue supporting and conducting research and engaging in dialogues to better understand these issues and shift attitudes, so that the deeply ingrained belief that abuse is just part of the job—and that it’s normal to turn a blind eye—can be dismantled. This is how we ensure that the next generation of journalists, regardless of gender, won’t have to endure such mistreatment, and that respect becomes the standard, not the exception.