AT a recent reception in his residence, Ambassador of the United Kingdom Daniel Pruce stepped into a simulated TV broadcast studio. Simultaneous with intro music, his image appeared in an LCD monitor, then began to perform a stand-upper—enunciating his speech in commendable and almost flawless Filipino.
“Inilunsad ng British Embassy-Manila noong Pebrero 2019 ang Media Freedom campaign. Layunin nito na ipagtanggol ang kalayaan sa pamamahayag [The British Embassy-Manila launched in February 2019 the Media Freedom Campaign. It aimed to defend the freedom of speech and expression.],” went his opening spiel, which encapsulated his report, before an appreciative audience comprised of members from Manila-based media organizations.
Pruce explained the efforts of the embassy a year ago in upholding media freedom in the Philippines. He said that they have touched base and coordinated for the said purpose with numerous entities, which are either in agreement with its goals or otherwise—government officials, media organizations, journalists, the academe and schools, among other institutions.
The embassy, he said, conducted caravans and media tours to better understand the pulse and sentiments of stakeholders of the country’s media freedom.
“Isang karangalan din na makatrabaho namin ang mga [civil society organization] partners para sa kanilang pagtataguyod ng media freedom sa iba’t ibang paraan [We take pride in being able to work with civil society organization partners, as they uphold media freedom in various ways],” the British diplomat went on to say.
The campaign for media freedom, he said, is conducted by the British government not only in the Philippines, but in other parts of the world, as well.
The envoy then delivered his extro, “Ang kalayaan ng media ay ang ating kalayaan. Ito po si Daniel Pruce, nag-uulat. [Freedom in media is our freedom. This is Daniel Pruce, reporting.],” which elicited thunderous applause from those in attendance.
Joint defense meet
IN a quick huddle with the reporters on-hand, Pruce said that the Philippines and the United Kingdom are set to hold a joint defense committee meeting in March.
The envoy confirmed that representatives from the National Defense Department and the UK’s Ministry of Defense are expected to deliberate about the possibility of a joint military exercise.
“The discussion in March is part of a regular sequence that we have established through our MOU [memorandum of understanding] which we agreed in December 2017,” Pruce explained. “We are working within those parameters to take forward these training exchanges and greater cooperation between our forces.”
Malacañang earlier said Manila is open to forging military deals with other nations like the UK, following its decision to abrogate the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States.
Pruce declined to comment on the said issue, but for the part of the UK, he underscored its “very close and developing relationship” with the Philippines on defense and security issues.
“We will continue to talk about ways in the period ahead where we can deepen and develop further that cooperation,” he confirmed.
The MOU on Defense Cooperation signed between the Philippines and the UK has opened up possibilities for training exchanges and cooperation between the two nations’ forces.
Northern exposure, education
SOME days before, Pruce visited Ilocos Norte in a bid to strengthen ties with the Ilocano community.
The UK envoy convened with Ilocos Norte Gov. Matthew Joseph Manotoc on February 7, at the Provincial Capitol, and then proceeded to the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Batac City to discuss with students and teachers about the British government’s program on transnational education.
Next month, the British Embassy-Manila is co-organizing “Study World UK 2020” in Manila to provide equal opportunities for Filipinos to study in the British Isles, and to create more opportunities for Philippine universities to unlock joint research projects, broaden curricula, access new resource materials, and foster exchanges for both students and faculty members.
In a media interview, Pruce said he takes pride in his government’s contribution to global education.
“We are working in collaboration with Philippine universities to promote scholarship grants with UK universities,” he stated.
Pruce said the state-run MMSU is also partnering with the Ateneo de Manila University and the British Geological Survey to study the effects of climate change on groundwater resources, or the availability of water and possible consequences of flood and drought.
The British envoy also visited the Bislak River in Vintar, Ilocos Norte for its flood-control system project.
Led by the University of Glasgow and the University of the Philippines, the Bislak River covering the municipalities of Vintar and Bacarra in Ilocos Norte is being studied particularly its characteristics to better understand possible flood scenarios, and enable the two towns to be better prepared for any water-related risks.
It was the first time Pruce was able to visit the province since he assumed office as British representative to Manila, in August 2017. He promised to come back to further strengthen friendly relations and stronger collaboration in areas both beneficial to the UK and the Philippines.
Mike Policarpio, with reports from Joyce Ann Rocamora and Leilanie Adriano/PNA
Image credits: British Embassy-Manila FB Page