It's full steam ahead for PNA

By Pia Roces Morato

THE Philippine News Agency is once again being given the attention it so rightfully deserves as partnerships are being forged with different state news agencies around the world and rightfully so.

It is with sheer pride to witness first hand in this current administration, a credible state news agency standing firm as it represents itself within the nation and throughout the world.

It is rather surprising (or not) therefore, for Rappler to be in a state of caution rather than collaboration as the Philippines forges partnerships with state news agencies - particularly that of Russia's Sputnik.

The 21st century has proven how the world is within our reach and media has certainly been the key in helping nations forge fruitful collaborations. I can very well attest to how such partnerships have benefited the Philippines through the learning of a foreign language.

Having had the opportunity to once work at the Department of Education where we signed a valuable Memorandum of Agreement with the Kingdom of Spain, Instituto Cervantes and AECID (Spanish Cooperation Agency for International Development), we were not only able to bring back to the curriculum a language that was once considered a lingua franca but also, commit to partnerships in the areas of commerce, culture and disaster assistance.

In other words, there is more to gain in learning from each other in the hopes of strengthening global cooperation that benefits everyone involved.

While it is no secret that Rappler Holdings Corporation is in the thick of things as the  Department of Justice has found probable cause to charge them with tax evasion over the sale of its Philippine Depository Receipts to two foreign entities, it is probably in their best interest that they focus on settling their issues first rather than implying that a PNA partnership with Sputnik is a cause of concern with regard to sharing news and information especially when the focus is on news relevant to Filipinos.

Since its establishment in 1973, PNA has been regularly sharing news content with counterpart state news agencies in the ASEAN and Asia-Pacific region including Russia.

As state news agencies around the world continue to advance in the 21st century through mutual understanding and exchange, it is high time that the Philippines does the same. It is precisely why it is full steam ahead for the Philippine News Agency.