Asia Society hosts forum on government, media, citizen action in an open society

Manila, Philippines — Below is a press release from Asia Society.

On Monday, December 5, Asia Society and the International Center for Innovation, Transformation and Excellence in Governance (INCITEGov) will host Transparency 5.0: From Theory to Action, a multi-sectoral forum on harnessing modern mediums to effect positive change at a time when the roles and relationships of government, media, and citizens are evolving in an increasingly open society. The event will feature a roster of speakers and panelists that includes representatives from government and major TV and online news outlets. The forum begins at 1 pm at Fuller Hall at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati. 

The panel discussions will illustrate the information age relationships of society: government, media, and the citizenry, and tackle critical issues involved in achieving an ideal interaction among these three participants.

“The very first panel is about the reality of Open Government. We look forward to hearing directly about the government’s plans on how to make openness even more useful for the Filipino people, especially with President Duterte recently signing the Executive Order on Freedom of Information,” said Suyin Lee, Executive Director of Asia Society. 

“The panel promises to be very interesting,” says Owen Franks, moderator of the second panel and Executive Producer at Bloomberg TV Philippines. “There are fundamental questions that we—as an increasingly interconnected world—need to answer, as well as terms that are asking to be redefined. Who is the media anymore? How do we deal with an increasingly blurry middle ground between facts, opinions, and even fake news? Asia Society has put together an interesting group of people, and I myself am excited about how the conversation will turn out,” said Franks.

Glenda Gloria, managing editor of Rappler, the Philippines’ social news network and the moderator of the panel discussion about citizen participation in the age of social media, added: “Individuals are more powerful now than ever before. Technology has equipped them not only with instant answers to complex questions, but also with the means to amplify their own voices and become influencers. How do we channel this into a force for good? What can citizens do better with the tools at their fingertips? We need to have more serious discussions about these issues.” 

Attendees will also hear keynote speeches from Senator Bam Aquino, Southeast Asian public affairs consultant and commentator Karim Raslan, and Facebook’s Elizabeth Hernandez, Head of Public Policy in APAC. 

Transparency 5.0: From Theory to Action is the fifth in Asia Society and INCITEGov’s series of Transparency Forums that have tracked the path of openness and transparency in government and society over the past five years. Admission is Php 500, with a discounted rate of Php 300 for students. Interested participants can register online at http://tf5.eventbrite.com/. 

This forum is made possible through its sponsor, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, and with the support of Asian Institute of Management and GMA Network. Media partners include ABS-CBN News Channel, Rappler, BusinessWorld, CNN Philippines, Eagle Broadcasting Corporation, Malaya Business Insight, Manila Bulletin, and DZUP 1602. – Rappler.com