Senate OKs on 3rd reading bill declaring August 30 Nat’l Press Freedom Day

The Senate on Monday approved a bill declaring August 30 of every year as National Press Freedom Day.

Senators passed Senate Bill 670 in honor of Marcelo H. del Pilar, considered the father of Philippine Journalism, with 19 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and no abstention.

Del Pilar was born on August 30, 1850.

Under the bill, the National Press Freedom Day would be a working holiday.

The measure will direct all government agencies, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, government-owned and controlled corporations, local government units as well as the private sector, to allot sufficient time for their employees to participate in any related activities to be conducted within their respective offices on National Press Freedom Day.

SB 670 will direct the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), in consultation with the Office of the President (OP), government and private media organizations, to lead public and private educational institutions in organizing activities that will raise awareness on the importance of the press, their rights, and social responsibilities, including information on the elimination of all forms of violence against the press.

In June 2021, the House of Representatives approved SB 670’s counterpart measure. — DVM, GMA News