Think about it
RP is due for a big earthquake too
By Jun Velasco
THE whole world grieves at the tragedy that has befallen the Republic of Haiti since Thursday’s earthquake .
Conflicting reports say half a million died in the holocaust (PDI Jan.15) while Philippine Star placed it 100,000.
It’s a colossal tragedy.
It therefore strikes us as a form of bigotry that in time of disasters, our news dispatches would zero in on Filipino casualties. Why — are Haitians and other people of other countries not the same as Filipinos? Charity begins at home. But in perilous times such as what we have been lately going through – cyclones, floods, earthquakes, global warming, and the vaunted alignment of the planets – we should be treating one another as brothers and sisters.
You know in our Rotary Club in Quezon City, we have never stopped pricking the conscience of this privileged few to refocus their hearts and minds on the plight of the poor, the unfortunate and the victims of Mother Nature’s fury.
Like what we posited here a few columns back, the warnings of Prof. Jaime T. Licauco, a paranormal phenomena authority, should give us pause . . . from our less essential preoccupations.
We have always called on less frivolity in our daily lives. There’s less certainty in our lives like we used to teat as a walk in the park.
The 10-million black and mulatto Haitians were just like us during the attacks of Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. They deserve humanity’s compassion. In those harrowing days, country received various forms of assistance from all parts of the world. Tragedy is now Haiti’s turn. All the world should lend a hand to help the Caribbean people rise from the shattered pieces.
Since we could not all be in one place physically, we should not be deprived of the opportunity to show care, support, assistance of any form, prayers, and to us in media and civic circles, sear the hearts and conscience of the comfortable with articles, bridge peoples from all walks of life, lift those who are down and swap notes with everyone for collective joy.
It’s said that sorrow, when shared with a caring individual, loses its sting. Let us not relax our guard on disasters. Anytime, as Jimmy Licauco alerts us on the vaunted Dec. 12, 2010 alignment of the planets, disaster could strike. These are perilous and uncertain times. Tighten the bolts and huts of your houses.
A director of the UP National Institute of Geological Science (NIGS) Mahar Lagmay was quoted yesterday as saying, “I think we (in the Philippines) are due to a big one (earthquake). The strain on the fault is building up. So the probability of the fault moving and generating an earthquake is big.”
Pray that it won’t happen. But act we must for brothers and sisters in Haiti.
* * *
Letter writer Samira Gutoc said mouthful on her piece — a primer for journalists – we came across with yesterday.
“Columnists despite their right to opinion-making should take note of the 11-paragraph Philippine Journalist’s Code of Ethics which states, in part: “I shall not, in any manner, ridicule, cast aspersions on, or degrade any person by reason of sex, creed, religious belief, and political conviction, cultural ethnic origin.”
A research study called “Pride and Prejudice in News Media” for the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication set forth the following proposals to media organizations: Media ownership also needs to be democratized to facilitate access and participation even by marginalized groups and sectors. Community media should be encouraged and supported.
Programming should be made more interactive or two-way rather than Manila-centric, to facilitate exchange of perspectives, promote cultural understanding and appreciation and remove stereotyping.
Continuing education of journalists on Muslim (as well as on other cultural communities) culture and religion must be conducted. This may be organized by media companies themselves (through in-house seminars), industry associations (PPI and KBP), media NGOs and academic/training institutions. Non-government organizations may take the initiative in offering “editorial clinics” on Muslim coverage by arranging visits to editorial offices of print and broadcast media companies. Similarly, media companies owned and controlled by Muslims (albeit they are few) may organize lessons on the Christian faith.
Media accentuating “positive” stories on Muslims (or Mindanao) cannot be left to chance given existing traditional (western) news values. Media companies should adopt the policy of allotting “positive” stories, e.g. community initiatives to pursue peace and development, outstanding Muslims in various professions or vocations and scientific and technological innovations, among many possibilities.”
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