Write or call us.
PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE
Room 206, B.F. Condominium Building
A. Soriano Ave., Intramuros, Manila
Tels. 5279632, 5274478 Fax 5273390
ppi1@mozcom.com

The Philippine Press Institute (PPI) is a non-stock, non-profit private organization duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission whose principal mandate is to defend press freedom and promote ethical standards for the professional development of the Filipino journalist.

Founded in 1964 and reactivated in 1987, it was rendered moribund during the martial law regime (1972 – 1986). July 3, 1986 marked the formal revival of the Institute when the reconstituted Board of Governors met for the first time. On June 8, 1987, it became an incorporation under Philippine laws.

Also known as the national association of newspapers, it represents the interests and concerns of the newspaper sector in media and in all forums. Its membership includes the major national and provincial daily/weekly newspapers in the country.

The institute conducts training programs and organizes educational activities for Filipino journalists, seeks to protect their rights and freedoms in the pursuit of their practice, creates and introduces opportunities for the development of the journalist as a practitioner.

The affairs of the institute are governed by a board of trustees that meets quarterly. The board is composed of publishers and editors of member-newspapers who are elected annually. The major newspapers that are represented in the board are The Philippine Star, Manila Standard Today, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Journal, Malaya Business Insight, and BusinessWorld.

Its past chairmen were Joaquin “Chino” Roces of The Manila Times, and Eugenio Lopez Jr. of The Manila Chronicle, and Raul Locsin of BusinessWorld.

It keeps a full-time secretariat led by the executive director for its daily operations. Past executive directors were Juan Mercado, Adlai Amor, Alice Villadolid, Isagani Yambot, Ermin Garcia Jr., Guillermo Santos and Jose Pavia.

Programs and Activities

With its local partners, the institute plans and implements regular seminars and workshops on writing, libel and ethics, newspaper management, and coverage of special interest activities, i.e. environment, business and economy, health, science and technology, children’s rights, women’s issues, ethnic conflicts, governance etc. It conducts a regular forum among editors and publishers on ethics and industry affairs.

PPI organizes the annual National Press Forum and General Membership Meeting. For fifteen years, this back-to-back event has gathered publishers and editors who represent the member-publications to discuss media issues and industry concerns. The first annual meeting was held in April 1988 at the historic Puerta Isabel in Intramuros. The first dual event was organized in April 1996. In 2008, the Institute opened the Forum by invitation to select non-members and non-media from the academe, business, government and civil society.

PPI oversees the management of the Annual Community Press Awards program which was launched in 1996 in partnership with The Coca-Cola Export Corporation (TCCEC). The program honors community newspapers which have demonstrated journalistic excellence in various categories such as editing, editorial page, science and environment reporting, business and economic reporting and photojournalism. The Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) serves as the project secretariat.

PPI supports media information and education activities of child-advocate agencies. It has organized press seminars and forums to support the causes on women and children under the auspices of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). It also a member of the communication committee of the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) which awards the Bright Child Outstanding News Features on Children.

It also trains future and aspiring journalists through the Scholastic Press Outreach Program which invites mass communication and journalism students to a seminar-workshop whose resource persons are respected print media practitioners.

In the past, it had the opportunity to work as project partner with the Embassy of the United States thru its Small Grants Program, The Asia Foundation, Ramon Magsaysay Foundation, Metrobank Foundation, International Center for Journalists, and the Bank of Philippine Islands for skills training of its members.

It also has a partnership with The Coca-Cola Export Corporation (TCCEC) on Building Better Communities Through Civic Journalism. Started in year 2002, the project has organized 25 seminar-workshops across the country. The three-year sustainability program includes upgrading of journalistic skills.

Membership Categories

Membership in the institute is by publication or organization. There are two categories of membership, namely: regular and associate. Regular membership is reserved for newspapers and newsmagazines published for general and commercial circulation while associate membership is granted to news organizations and publications other than newspapers, i.e. special interest magazines, news agencies, sectoral publications, scholastic publications, online and digital media, among others.

Linkages and Networking

The Philippine Press Council is composed of journalists and selected representatives from the legal profession, the business sector and the academe to protect and promote the news subject’s right to reply. It receives and acts on complaints against unfair practices of the press. The Editors’ Forum is a collegial body of senior editors of member newspapers that plan and implement activities to improve reportage of news events. It has expanded its membership to include a lawyer, an educator and a member of the civil society.

The United Print Media Group (UPMG) represents the business interests of the member-newspapers in the advertising industry. It also helps create marketing opportunities for member-community newspapers.

PPI and the Kapisanan ng Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) or the Association of Broadcasters of the Philippines have signed an agreement to cooperate and jointly address media concerns such as training, ethics, advocacy, technical, trade standards and government legislation.

It collaborates and shares technical resources where it can with other media organizations such as Probe Media Foundation, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Asian Institute for Journalism and Communication, Vera Files, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Center for Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University, and the Center for Community Journalism and Development.

It is one of the founders of the Council of Asian Press Institutes established in 1998 with other press institutes in Asia and the Pacific. PPI has been elected as the first standard bearer of this regional umbrella organization.

It is also one of the institutional members of the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists, along with KBP, CMFR, PCIJ and CCJD. Launched in January 2003, FFFJ was organized to address the numerous attacks against journalists and news organizations around the country.

Write or call us.
PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE
Room 206, B.F. Condominium Building
A. Soriano Ave., Intramuros, Manila
Tels. 5279632, 5274478 Fax 5273390
ppi1@mozcom.com

The first Press Council to be established in the Philippines was enacted by Republic Act Number 4363, on June 19, 1965.

The law states that newspapermen should elect members of a Press Council, which would promote a Code of Ethics for the Philippine press and the Council, and investigate any violation of the said Code.

In 1972, the Council was abolished with the proclamation of martial law. A year later, President Marcos formed the Media Advisory Council (MAC) through Presidential Decree 191.

The MAC was tasked to oversee the approval of operations of all forms of news media and to perform functions that are similar to the previous councils.

The MAC was short-lived, and was replaced by the Philippine Council for Print Media (PCPM) in 1974.

The Philippine Press Council was revived after Marcos’ ouster in 1987, notably through the efforts of three of the country’s well respected journalists – Vergel Santos, Raul Locsin, and Gerry Gil.
The restoration of the Press Council was a product of the Magsaysay Awardees Conference in 1992. The participants in the conference were the Ramon Magsaysay Awardees — Mochtar Lubis (1958) and B. George Verghese (1975) and a group of newspaper editors who talked about journalism ethics. They urged the PPI Board of Trustees to form a committee that would consider the establishment of a new Council.
In 1993, the current Philippine Press Council was formally founded by the Philippine Press Institute (PPI). Its members are editors of national newspapers represented of the PPI Board of Trustees.
In 1997, the Philippine Press Institute, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, and National Press Club adapted the Journalists’ Code of Ethics.
In 2001, the membership of the Council was extended to include representatives from the academic, business, and legal sectors.
[Additional reading: "The Press and the Public: Words, Not Guns, Please" by Gary Mariano. PJR Reports, June 2005, p. 8. Online: www.cmfr-phil.org/pjr-june2.htm]
Sanctions
If the Press Council upholds a complaint against a member publication, the respondent shall be required to print the complainant’s reply and the Press Council’s decision within a reasonable period.
If the respondent fails or refuses to comply, the other members of the Council who are themselves editors of their respective newspapers may opt to print the reply and the decision in their publications.
Likewise, the reply and decision shall be posted on the PPI website.
The PPI Board may further impose sanctions such as but not limited to fines, suspension or termination of membership to be imposed on PPI members who refuse to submit themselves to decisions of the Press Council. (See PPI resolution of Aug. 8, 2006)
Objectives

§ The PPC aims to uphold more responsible newspaper reporting especially among the PPI members. It promotes fair treatment of news subjects – the presentation of all sides of a story at once.
§ Through PPC and its activities, it is hoped that newspapers increase their credibility and decrease court action against journalists.
Philippine Press Council Composition

Originally, the Press Council was composed entirely of journalists who were editors of the nationally circulated broadsheets that were represented on the PPI Board of Trustees. In 2001 the Council invited non-journalists from academe, business, and the legal community. In 2005 the regional Trustees from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao also became members. The journalists are appointed by their publishers. In turn, they invite the sectoral members who serve a one-year term.

The Trustees automatically assume membership upon their election during the Philippine Press Institute annual membership meeting.

BusinessWorld
Journal Group
Malaya
Manila Standard Today
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Philippine Star
Trustee from Luzon
Trustee from Visayas
Trustee from Mindanao
Academe
Business/Civil Society
Law

Rules of the Philippine Press Council
Relative to Complaints
Purpose —
These rules shall apply to complaints against mass-media entities that are members of the Philippine Press Institute and their personnel for the purpose of amicably settling the same without the intervention of courts and other government agencies.
Interpretation. — They shall be liberally construed in order to reconcile and satisfy the disputants, thereby aborting expensive and protracted litigation.
Prescription. — A person with a complaint about something in a PPI member-newspaper or journalist which he thinks breaks the Journalist’s Code of Ethics shall first write the editor of that publication about it as soon as possible.
In case he doesn’t get a reply or is not satisfied with the editor’s response, the complainant can write the Council. The complaint shall be filed with the Press Council no later than 60 days from the date of his original letter to the editor.
Requirement. — Before a complaint is given due course by the Philippine Press Council, the complainant must execute a waiver of other recourse, judicial or otherwise.
If there is a pending action in court or any administrative body relative to the subject matter of the complaint, the same shall be dismissed outright by the Council.
The complainant further agrees not to use the Council’s findings as a basis for litigation.
Where to file. — A complaint should be filed with or mailed to
The Secretariat
Philippine Press Institute
Room 308 BF Condominium
A. Soriano St.
Intramuros
1002 Manila
Action by the Secretariat. — Within 24 hours from the filing of the complaint, the Secretariat shall verify whether or not there is a related case pending before the courts or other administrative entities.
The Secretariat shall forward to the respondent publication
a copy of the complaint
a letter from the Council Chairman requiring a written reply from the newspaper within 72 hours.
Based on the respondent’s reply and the complaint, the Secretariat will decide on whether or not to elevate the case to the Council.
The respondent’s failure to reply on time will automatically forward the case to the Press Council.
Convening the Executive Meeting. — Upon receipt of a complaint, the Chair shall convene the Council, within a period of two days, to decide what action to pursue, taking into consideration the recommendation of the Chair.
If given due course. — If the committee decides to give due course to the complaint, the Chair shall refer the same to the person/entity complained against (“Respondent”) for comment, which comment should be filed within a period of five days from receipt of the complaint.
Failure to answer or comment. — If respondent fails to answer or make a comment on said complaint within the period set, the Council shall decide what course of action to take.
Conference. — If the Council finds the need to clarify some matters/points in the complaint and/or answer (comment), it shall schedule a conference or meeting with the disputants. The Council may delegate to the Chair the holding of such conference/meeting.
Report. — After a holistic appreciation of the complaint and the answer (comment), the Council shall render a decision.
Deadline. — The Council shall exert its best effort to resolve a case within 30 working days of its receipt. If it feels it cannot meet the deadline, the Council shall inform the parties, indicating the reason(s) therefor and the expected target date of resolution.
Decision. — A complaint may be upheld (wholly or in part) or rejected. In the event a complaint is upheld, the respondent publication shall publish the complainant’s reply and the Council’s decision.
Enforcement of decision. — The Council shall send a copy of its decision to the Philippine Press Institute Board of Trustees which shall enforce the same. In case the respondent fails to abide by the decision, the reply shall be printed in publications represented on the Council, as well as in those owned by or are members of the Press Institute.
The PPI Board of Trustees binds itself to all decisions of the Press Council relative to complaints. It may impose on publications that fail or refuse to comply with Council decisions sanctions including but not limited to a statement of censure, a fine, suspension or termination of membership.
Disputants informed of Council’s decision. — The complainant and respondent shall be furnished copies of the Council’s decision.
The Council, motu propio, may initiate an investigation after a two-thirds majority vote, into possible cases involving a breach of the Code of Ethics.
Requirements

A copy of the article(s) you are complaining about.
Evidence of your effort to seek redress from the publication concerned. (e.g. ignored letter of complaint, an exchange of letters, or any other form of communication between the complainant and publication suggesting its indifference or unjustifiable response).
A press statement that you wish to be published to constitute redress. Typed, double-spaced, not more than 500 words, and signed by the complainant.
* The complainant shall be notified once the Council has received the necessary documents.
By Postal Mail
Typewritten or printed on white letter-size paper.
The complaint form can be downloaded as a Word or PDF document
Online
If the article supporting your complaint is from a website, you may specify a direct URL link to the article, in the space provided in the complaint form.
You may also send it as an HTML attachment to an e-mail to ppi1@mozcom.com. Please write your name and the newspaper concerned as the subject (ex. Juan Dela Cruz, Philippine Star).
An e-mail confirmation will be sent to you upon the receipt of the complaint. You will also be informed about the status of the complaint.