By Joann Villanueva/PNA
BANGKOK, Thailand — A long-standing friendship just got a bit stronger after officials of the Philippines and Thailand on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for greater information and media cooperation.
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar and Minister Kobsak Pootrakool, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office of the Kingdom of Thailand, signed the pact at the Government House.
In his speech during the signing ceremony, Andanar said technology has allowed for faster dissemination of information through media and other platforms.
The signing of the MOU, he said, is a vital event as the ASEAN continues to evolve and its members strengthen their partnership.
“This was made possible because of the individual and collective strength of the member countries of the ASEAN that has evolved over the length of half a century; and the steady growth of this regional group has been, and still is, fundamentally grounded on the exchanges of relevant information and data through media dissemination,” Andanar said.
He said information relayed through the various forms of media has allowed the public to be updated on developments around the world.
He stressed his gratefulness to the Thai government for its collaborative efforts with the Philippines, citing that “the awareness, the understanding, and the knowledge that proceed from this endeavor underline the honored values we both uphold, in the profession of journalism and public relations.”
“We are likewise presented with the challenge, to best ourselves in the application of advanced technology, even as we face the pervasive threats of false, fake and fabricated news,” he added.
Minister Pootrakool, in his speech, cited continued technological innovations as the main factor for faster dissemination of information.
He cited the need for both Thailand and the Philippines to maximize the potential benefits for greater information exchange and media coordination that suddenly opened up with the signing of the MOU.
