PH PNA, Did You Know That Your Greatest Challenge Is A Stone’s Throw Away From You? DA!

According to itself, the Philippine News Agency, PNA, is the official news agency of the Philippine government[1]. PNA celebrates March its 47^th year of founding by President Ferdinand “FM” Marcos on 01 March 1973. Severino Samonte shares on Facebook the link to the article by PNA journalist Lade Jean Kabagani 03 March 2020, “Bigger, Bolder Reforms For PNA As It Turns 47[2],” also sharing that he, Mr Samonte, “helped put into the cradle upon its birth… in one of the second floor rooms of the National Press Club of the Philippines in Intramuros, Manila.” Thanks, Mr Samonte. 

Today, as it describes itself, PNA is “a web-based newswire service of the Philippine government[3]” under the supervision of the News and Information Bureau of the Presidential Communications Office. Yes, Ms Lade says, “(PNA) has vowed to sustain reforms to ensure the delivery of timely and accurate information to the public.” She also says PNA Executive Editor Luis Morente says:

The agency will continue to improve its newswriting standards and expand its network to provide objective, balanced and relevant news to Filipinos. We want the public to read stories that matter to them, stories that are up-to-date and we will continue coming up with feature articles that inspire change for our countrymen.

As a self-styled & self-taught PH science journalist in the last 45 years, I see in those words of Mr Morente much promise.

But what Mr Morente is talking about is not a big-enough challenge. The PNA’s biggest challenge is a stone’s throw away from where he sits!

The PNA headquarters is on the 2^nd floor of the Philippine Information Agency building along Visayas Avenue in Quezon City. At the corner of Visayas Avenue and Elliptical Road sits the headquarters of the Department of Agriculture, DA, and:

Agriculture is the biggest journalist’s story in the Philippines today!

I already said that last month as much – See my earlier essay, “Agriculture Today Is The Biggest Media Challenge – How Can Journalists Cultivate Fertile Minds?[4]” (27 February 2020, The Wizard Of Os). Now then, PNA would be doing its biggest service to the nation if Executive Editor Luis Morente talked with Secretary of Agriculture/DA Chief William Dar/Manong Willie about how PNA online can help DA on the field promote Philippine agriculture so that, ultimately, Gross Domestic Prosperity, GDP², will result from vigorous national growth in farms and fields so that farmers will liberate themselves from poverty and stay out there!

Helping not simply reduce but eliminate entirely poverty among farmers would be the Biggest, Boldest Reform for PNA ever!

Prosperity must be shared by the poor, or it is not gross prosperity at all, only gross!

(I suggest PNA should now be brainstorming about all this. If they have no idea, they can invite me for a free half-day journalists’ public brainstorming session. frankahilario@gmail.com)

Yes. Then, Mr Samonte, you and I can look eagerly forward to the Golden Anniversary of the PNA on 01 March 2023!@517

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_News_Agency

[2] https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1095347?fbclid=IwAR2zHd-eDVz81Wyh1zbnGIPmF3b18cDTR4lO4W0s1YWbu4mFZechIJejQCA

[3] https://www.pna.gov.ph/

[4] https://ithewizardofos.blogspot.com/2020/02/agriculture-today-is-biggest-media.html