A Media Festival Celebrating Free Expression and Democracy
as Foundation and Fuel to the Philippine Creative Economy
AUGUST 23-24, 2024
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN, QUEZON CITY
DAY 1, August 23 | |||
GIMENEZ THEATER | GIMENEZ GALLERY | ALDABA THEATER | |
8:00 to 9:00 a.m. | Registration | ||
9:00 to 9:10 a.m. | National Anthem and Invocation Quezon City Performing Arts Development Foundation Preliminaries and Introduction of Convenors Atom Araullo, Fyt Media Co-founder and President | ||
9:10 to 9:15 a.m. | Welcome Remarks President Angelo ‘Jijil’ Jimenez University of the Philippines | ||
9:15 to 9:20 a.m. | Welcome Remarks Hon. Mayor Joy Belmonte Quezon City | ||
9:20 to 9:40 a.m. | Opening Keynote: Kara David Chair, Department of Journalism, UP College of Mass Communication; and GMA News To be introduced by Roby Alampay, Founder and Chairman of PumaPodcast | ||
9:40 to 10:20 a.m. | Celebrating Free Expression, Democracy and the Creative Economy Why are we here? QC Mayor Joy Belmonte, UP President Jijil Jimenez, Probe Founder Cheche Lazaro, award-winning filmmaker Mark Meilly, and Drag Race Philippines Season 3 contender and content creator Your Tita Baby discuss the importance not only of creatives and storytellers to our economy, but of democracy and free expression as foundation and fuel to every Filipino’s individual and collective aspirations. Discussion to be moderated by journalist and PumaPodcast founder Roby Alampay | ||
10:20 to 11:20 a.m. | Understanding the Filipino: As audience, consumer, citizen What drives and inspires Filipinos? Data-driven insights from across creative industries. DDB Creative Director and Ms. Universe Philippines Creative Head Paolo Arevalo, DAKILA and Active Vista Director Leni Velasco, Youthled Chief of Party Ching Jorge, and Ticket2Me Founder Darwin Mariano take part in a facilitated “insighting session” to help establish some baseline understanding of our people and communities. To be facilitated by Marie Pascual and Diane Chua, DDB | ||
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | When We Tell Stories Together: Understanding and telling the story of BARMM - beyond the headlines Creatives, not just media, are urgently needed for one of the most important chapters in BARMM, Mindanao, and Philippine history. Bobby Timonera, Editor in Chief, MindaNews; Faydiyah Akmad-Alfonso, Bangsamoro Multimedia Network; Chef Miguel Cabel Moreno, owner of Palm Grill Restaurant (accredited by the Department of Tourism for serving authentic cuisine from Southern Mindanao); and Anak Datu producer-director and former CCP Director Chris Millado. Moderator: Ed Lingao, TV5 and One News Anchor | When We Tell Stories Together: Food for Filipino Aspirations …. And the (Inevitable) Politics of Eating: The food industry is also part of the Creative Economy. But it’s not just about restaurants and bars and cafes, but about the entire value chain, from farms to tables and homes across the economic spectrum of our country. Chefs Waya Araos, Lao Castillo, and food pantry champion Patreng Non say that if you are aware of the history and story of our food, you will be aware of the story, struggles, and aspirations of our people as well, and everything it takes for them to survive and thrive. Moderator: Chef Gelo Guison | Tum-Fact! Fact-Checking is not just for journalists Probe and Vera Files will walk us through basic fact-checking methods and accessible tools that students and citizens can use to debunk falsehoods. They will zoom in on identifying visual clues, spotting red flags in social media accounts and websites, and using reverse image searching to verify information they encounter online. Quezon City PIO Head Bert Apostol will zero in on climate disinformation and how an all-of-society approach is needed to combat it. |
12:20 to 1:20 p.m. | LUNCH | ||
GIMENEZ THEATER | GIMENEZ GALLERY | ALDABA THEATER | |
1:30 to 1:50 p.m. | The Power of Sing-along-ing: Behind Piliin Mo ang Pilipinas, Bro, Ikaw Ang Star ng Pasko, Just Love, and all those hit jingles from ABS-CBN is the legend of Robert Labayen, head of ABS-CBN Creative Communications Management. He shares not only tips and tricks for making catchy tunes, but also what he’s learned through his decades of hearing Filipinos singing, humming, and dancing along to his compositions—in the best and the worst of times. | ||
2:00 to 3:00 p.m. | How to be storytellers and content creatives for good Ethics and responsibility no longer sit exclusively with traditional media. But Mathilda Airlines, Your Tita Baby, and Probe remind, “With great power….” ECPAT Philippines will also give ethical guidelines for content creators when dealing with child subjects and preventing online abuse and exploitation of children. Moderator: Jen Aquino, Probe | Speed Dat(a)ing: Who says it’s hard to get data in the Philippines? Journalists, researchers, academics, and students are in for a feast of digitized information in this rapid-fire session. From government agencies, private think tanks, research groups, development agencies, and even ordinary citizens – come listen iin, take notes, and leave with loads of data – Digital, Free, and Available RIGHT NOW! Facilitator: Roby Alampay | MAKILAHOK Workshop Session: #LyfSaver - Reporting Verified and Actionable Information and Stories Before, During, and After Disasters This technical workshop led by Fyt Media delves into the critical role of accurate information and storytelling in disaster preparedness and response. Together with Project NOAH and the Quezon City Government, the workshop will equip young community leaders, science communicators, and volunteers with the skills to report verified and actionable information and how to leverage social media and other platforms before, during, and after disasters, ensuring that communities stay informed and resilient. |
3:10 to 4:20 p.m. | The State and Future of AI for Media, Storytellers and Creatives Data Scientist and Council on AI Research Head Erika Legara, Microsoft Head of Communications Josh Aquino, Former GMA News Online Chief and Nieman Fellow Jaemark Tordecilla discuss the most disruptive technology this century, and what it all already means for creatives and the Filipino audience. This session will also discuss the current and emerging copyright guidelines that all content producers need to bear in mind, especially when using AI. Moderator: Roby Alampay | Humor as Power And it’s always been true in the Philippines: from politics to advocating for truth and justice, representation and equality, cartoonists, humorists, and comedians have time and again stepped up when things need to be said. Ali Sangalang, Creative Director of Pinoy Meme Shirt Brand Linya-Linya, Drag Race Philippines Season 1 Contender Brigiding Aricheta, and Stand Up Comedian Issa Villaverde (@issaberds). Moderator: Carl Javier, PumaPodcast | Understanding and working with media, and government communicators What should you do in a media interview or when speaking before a crowd? Probe Productions and Probe Media Foundation will provide techniques for preparing mentally and physically for an interview or a public speaking engagement. This session will include lessons for dealing with different kinds of journalists, methods for controlling an interview, and tips on what to do in interview situations for TV, radio, print, or online/social media so that you can deliver your message effectively. |
4:30 to 5:45 p.m. | Gender bias in AI and the Digital World: How to fix it All the world’s digital platforms and content, and the AI, machine-learning, algorithms, and language models running the same – they have all been trained on decades and even centuries of gender-biased content. As in the real world, correction and representation in the virtual are powerful and necessary. Head of the inter-agency council on AI Research Erika Legara, and content creators Liz Lanuzo and Ceej Tantengco talk about how their own advocacies for representation in text, images, and digital content, need more, and more aware, allies. Moderator: Pola del Monte, @misschiefeditor | Creatives, trauma and recovery in Philippine Society UP President Jijil Jimenez has made wellness part of his core advocacies during his term. Artists and creatives are critical to any holistic program, not just for individuals, but also for societal recovery and resilience, say, in a disaster-prone country like the Philippines. Music therapist Althea Tolentino, UP College of Human Kinetics’ Dr. Albert Dimarucut, writer Patricia Evangelista, and CANVAS Director Gigo Alampay discuss how storytellers and creatives in music, literature, journalism, arts, and even sports are playing a role in everything from psychological first aid to mental health for stressed out individuals - all the way to communities traumatized by calamities, whether natural or man-made. Moderator: Divine Salvador, Director UP PsycServ, UP Department of Psychology | How do I connect with audiences? Amid news avoidance and decreased trust in the media, as well as deprioritization of news content by social media platforms, how can journalists and content producers make news and stories more engaging? PumaPodcast and Fyt share tips and practical tools that have worked for them in reaching and engaging their target audiences. |
5:45 to 6:00 p.m. | END OF DAY 1, ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR DAY 2 | END OF DAY 1, ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR DAY 2 | END OF DAY 1, ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR DAY 2 |
DAY 2, August 24 | |||
GIMENEZ THEATER | GIMENEZ GALLERY | ALDABA THEATER | |
9:00 to 9:10 a.m. | Recap of Day 1, Rundown of Day 2 | ||
9:10 to 9:30 a.m. | Action! How Civic Movements + Celebrity = Power YesPinoy Foundation and Aktor Chair Dingdong Dantes acknowledges the pivotal role celebrities can play to amplify advocacies and mobilize social action. Dingdong, a former National Youth Commission member and NDRRMC digital humanitarian, will share insights on how the power of platform and influence can be harnessed to mobilize the youth and communities, drive solidarity, and save lives. He will also present #LyfSaver, a disaster resilience and climate action community powered by UP Noah’s hazard maps, FYT’s crowdsourcing platform, and YesPinoy’s disaster response training program. | ||
9:40 to 10:40 a.m. | Titos and Titas on TikTok You can do it! In fact, you SHOULD do it - lean into the platforms and content formats where Filipinos (the youth especially) are. Atty. Chel Diokno, Mighty Magulang, and UP Econ prof JC Punongbayan impart insights, lessons, and some tips and tricks, from some of the unlikeliest “influencers” on how to meet the audience where they are (and no, it’s not just on Tiktok.) Moderator: Marc Logan | Cybersecurity and Digital Safety in the AI Age Microsoft Philippines’ Josh Aquino, Philippine Computer Emergency Response Team Coordinating Center (PHCERT) Director Albert Dela Cruz, Ateneo Asian Center for Journalism Executive Director Luz Rimban, and cybersecurity expert Bobby Soriano discuss security and safety in the digital space– and what new threats AI present, especially as we head into another election cycle. Moderator: John Nery, Rappler | LGU Best Practices on Information Dissemination and Successful Collaborations with the Creative Sector and the Media Moderator: Quezon City PAISD |
10:50 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. | Creative Investments: Models for supporting independent media, and for enabling a sustainable and reliable information ecosystem A creative economy needs money. It also needs reliable information. Private investor James Pacaba of Morningtide Capital Partners, PBSP Executive Director Elvin Ivan Uy, International Business Advisor Danny Yong, and Roby Alampay of IMS join in an all-of-society conversation on supporting and sustaining free, viable, truthful, and impactful media, and the larger information ecosystem society needs. Moderator: Quintin Pastrana | PLOT TWIST! The Power of Stories to Lead Conversations and Drive Change Come join an interactive session with Andrei Venal, J-mee Katanyag, and Marlon Rivera that will demonstrate how minds work - and how they can become stubborn, or how they can in fact change. To be facilitated by DAKILA Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism and the Philippine Theater Educational Association (PETA). | Avoiding News Avoidance: How to tell stories that empower How do journalists and content producers overcome the phenomenon of news avoidance while staying true to their watchdog role? Henrik Grunnet, award-winning Danish journalist and Senior Media Advisor of International Media Support, will discuss the constructive approach to journalism with Fyt Media |
1:30 to 2:50 p.m. | When We Tell Stories Together: An international Panel on Cross-sectoral collaborations for public interest content Journalists and organizations from other countries in Asia will demonstrate that stories are more engaging and powerful when the media works with other sectors. They will also showcase the impact of such collaborations. Jin Ding, Initium Lahiru Mudalige, Hari TV Sri Lanka Eva Danayanti, IMS Indonesia Adnan Rehmat, IMS Pakistan Moderator: Omar Rajarathnam, IMS Sri Lanka | Podcasting in the Philippines Join PumaPodcast CEO and host of “A Better Normal”, and and podcast hosts Stanley Chi of "Underpaid", Baus Rufo of “Beke Nemen”, and Myrza Sison of 'You Can Do This” as they discuss the rise of podcasts, their experience in creating them, and what gets them excited every time they turn on their mics. Moderator: Ceej Tantengco, PumaPodcast | Tips, Tricks, and Tools for Aspiring Content Creators Dr. Carlo Trinidad (@hellokidneymd), Riyan Portuguez (@yourmillennialpsych), and Lolita Lachica of Probe Productions will give pointers on accessible equipment, tools, and apps as well as tips and tricks for making engaging vlogs and other forms of content for social media. Moderator: Julie Nealega, Probe Archives |
2:50 to 3:00 | COFFEE BREAK | COFFEE BREAK | COFFEE BREAK |
3:00 to 4:00 p.m. | CLOSING PLENARY Creatives will save the Philippines! Creatives can help Filipinos design and perform their way out of every mess we’re in – from traffic to pollution, and even violence and corruption. Liza Diño-Seguerra, Quezon City Film Commission Landscape architect and urban reform champion Paolo Alcazaren, PGAA Creative Design Jeryc Garcia, Multimedia Arts Program, College of Saint Benilde | ||
4:00 to 4:15 p.m. | CLOSING CEREMONY | ||
6:00 to 8:00 p.m. | MAYOR AND UP PRESIDENT’S DINNER AT GIMENEZ GALLERY (** By invitation only: organizers, speakers, sponsors, friends) | ||
About the
MAKI+Fiesta is a two-day media festival celebrating free expression and democracy as the cornerstone of the Philippine creative economy. Taking place on August 23-24, 2024, at the University of the Philippines and in collaboration with the Quezon City Government, this festival aims to unite a vibrant community of artists, storytellers, creators, and innovators. With a dynamic lineup that includes keynotes, plenary sessions, workshops, seminars, networking opportunities, film screenings, art exhibits, and pop-up performances, MAKI+Fiesta highlights the vital role that creativity and democratic values play in driving societal and economic progress.
The festival is a collaborative effort led by the Quezon City Government in partnership with the University of the Philippines, International Media Support, and three prominent independent media organizations: Probe Productions, FYT Media, and PumaPodcast.
Together, these partners—QC, UP, IMS, Probe, FYT, and PumaPodcast—have curated a rich and diverse program designed to engage a broad audience invested in media, performing and visual arts, cultural and heritage promotion, public and private communications, food, fashion, and other creative sectors.
This partnership aims to deepen the understanding of free expression and democracy as essential drivers of a thriving creative economy. MAKI+Fiesta showcases the incredible talents within the creative sector while encouraging collaboration and active participation to inspire positive change.
When and where will the festival take place?
The festival will be held on August 23-24, 2024, at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. Sessions will be held across three venues: The IBG-KAL Gimenez Theater, the adjacent Gimenez Gallery, and the Aldaba Theater. All these facilities are within 200 meters of each other along Magsaysay Avenue in UP Diliman. (Gimenez Theater and Gimenez Gallery, where registration opens at 8:30AM on August 23, is right across the street from the Molave Residence Hall.)
What can I expect from MAKI+Fiesta?
MAKI+Fiesta will feature a diverse range of activities including keynotes, plenary sessions, workshops, seminars, networking opportunities, and pop-up performances.
What are the main themes of the festival?
Free Expression and Democracy:
Discussions on the importance of free expression and democratic values in fostering a vibrant creative economy.
Creative Economy:
Insights into how creativity drives economic growth and innovation.
Technology and Innovation:
Exploring the impact of AI, data, and emerging technologies on the creative industries.
Collaborative Creativity:
Encouraging cross-sectoral collaborations to drive social and economic progress.
Ethics and Responsibility:
Addressing the ethical considerations in content creation and storytelling.
These themes are reflected along three main tracks of our programmed sessions:
MAKI+Balita / MAKI+Alam
Truth-based information, storytelling, and content creation; discussing impact and potentials, but also ethics and shared responsibilities .
MAKI+Hightech
AI, Disinformation, evolving platforms, new tools and systems affecting all creative sectors
MAKI+Collab
When we tell stories together, across all our sectors, communities, and industries as content creatives, there is no limit to the impact and good we can envision.
Why is the festival called "MAKI+Fiesta"?
Why is it important to celebrate free expression and democracy?
What makes this festival unique?
MAKI+Fiesta stands out for its focus on the intersection of creativity, democracy, and innovation. It aims to engage a wide audience, particularly the youth, and foster a sense of stakeholdership in their rights and the creative economy. The festival's collaborative approach, combining the efforts of various sectors and disciplines, makes it a groundbreaking event.
"MAKI+Fiesta" is a nod to the University of the Philippines' tradition of activism ("Makibaka!"), updated to reflect a more open, innovative, and constructive engagement with today's Filipino youth. The "+Fiesta" signifies the diverse activities and community engagement opportunities the festival offers.
Free expression and democracy are essential pillars of a strong and vibrant creative economy. They enable artists and creators to freely express their ideas, innovate, and contribute to societal progress. Celebrating these values helps to ensure a healthy, dynamic, and inclusive creative sector.
MAKIKI+Fiesta?
Check out the UP Diliman Jeepney Map and Activity Map!
