Help us keep the lights on

Some of my favorite neighborhood newsstands are gone. When I'm stuck in traffic, I notice that a lot of the vendors selling newspapers, cigarettes and candies have disappeared, too, replaced mostly by people begging for alms.

COVID-19 lockdowns have affected almost all industries but against this backdrop, most major dailies continued to churn out news and information. The men and women who put the newspapers to bed did not stop working, despite the risk of catching the virus, consistently responding to the call of duty to help keep the nation informed especially during this time as we face the worst catastrophe since World War II.

A cry for help

In a position paper, the United Print Media Group (UPMG) Philippines is seeking government support for the industry.

UPMG is a 20-year-old association composed of some of the major publishing companies producing major newspapers, tabloids, magazines and books in the country. It is seeking help to strengthen the pending Creative Industries Bill in Congress, which the group deems can still be improved to provide much needed support for our industry.

UPMG is particularly asking for VAT exemption on the purchase of paper and ink and on the sale of advertising services as this would greatly help the industry. It also proposes that income tax levied on print media publishers be reduced and a tax assistance package be provided to ease the financial burden being experienced by print media publishers.

Last March 26, 2021, the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act was signed into law which reduced the regular Corporate Income Tax for domestic corporations from 30 percent to 25 percent. But UPMG proposes that the current regular corporate income tax of 25 percent be reduced further to 15 percent for the print media industry.

"The print media is a vital industry, yet government support is severely lacking, ironic, considering that the government advocates for children to learn the value of reading. What better way to teach the value of reading than by giving them tangible material like a book, magazine, or newspaper and letting them read from it" UPMG said in its appeal.

Chronicler of history

Can we really imagine a world without newspapers or printed publications? How can we rely just on online media when the world wide web can be vulnerable to vicious cyber attacks, censorship and misinformation? How can information be passed on to generations if in the future, the internet becomes obsolete, suddenly shuts down and is replaced by something else? Ever since the invention of paper in A.D. 105 in China followed by the first movable type, and later on, the mechanized printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1439, print media has played a significant role in news and information dissemination.

"From the decrees of kings to news about townsfolk, the end of wars, the death of a prominent person, the rise and fall of nations, the print media was there to document it all. History as we know it, would not have been formed without the writings of not just historians but even simple writers and reporters as well...Print media is knowledge in physical form. That is why it is disheartening to see the state of print media nowadays," UPMG said.

Where is the government support?

And yet, from the Spanish era, the American-Filipino war, World Wars 1 and II, the Martial Law regime, Edsa 1 and 2, and now the COVID-19 pandemic, print media has always been there for the people to rely on for timely, accurate, and truthful information.

"We in the print media industry risk our lives for every news that we publish. Our writers, reporters, and photographers endure long hours of travel, lack of sleep, rain, even gunfire, and now COVID-19 just to bring news to the people.

While we would like to see our industry not just survive, but thrive and grow into something beautiful, we cannot do it alone. We need the government’s help and recognition of our vital role in the society," UPMG said.

The newspaper and print industry is considered one of the vanguards of democracy and a major pillar in nation-building. It's not just any other industry but one that has been helping chronicle this nation's triumphs and defeats; our hopes and travails; our dreams and nightmares and one that has been keeping citizens informed of what is happening in our constantly moving and turning world. I am mighty proud to be part of this industry and fervently hope to see it not just survive but thrive for generations and generations to come.

Iris Gonzales’ email address is [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at eyesgonzales.com