Access muted at the ASEAN chairship kickoff

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February 26, 2026 | 12:00am

Notes on the beat

MANILA, Philippines — Feb. 24 was a significant day for the Philippines as it formally kicked off its Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) chairship.

For its opening salvo, the ASEAN Editors and Economic Opinion Leaders Forum 2026 was held at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati to officially mark the start of events lined up for the year as the Philippines aims to steer the region in navigating geopolitical tensions, trade uncertainty and other global shifts.

Ahead of the event, a media advisory provided by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) set conditions for media coverage: only cameramen would be allowed inside the venue, while reporters should remain in a designated holding room and monitor proceedings via livestream.

During the event itself, cameramen were allowed inside the ballroom for photo opportunities, but were then asked to stay at the holding room when the program was about to start.

But as Trade Secretary Cristina Roque delivered her opening remarks, the livestream lost the audio feed. Reporters in the holding room, who wanted to hear about the Philippines’ priorities or focus areas for its ASEAN chairship, immediately called the attention of the organizing staff.

The audio feed was restored right after and was loud and clear during the performance by singer Jed Madela.

The performance was followed by Finance Secretary Frederick Go’s speech and once again, the livestream lost the audio feed. This went on during his entire speech.

Some reporters questioned why media were invited to the event if they have to stay in the holding room and would not be able to hear what the trade and finance secretaries had to say.

Copies of Roque and Go’s speeches, which were inaudible during the livestream, were provided to the media by the organizing staff following requests.

When asked for an explanation for the inaudible audio feed during the two Cabinet secretaries’ speeches, Roque told The STAR that it was due to a technical issue.

“Not intentional, for sure. Our apologies for that,” she said.

This is not the first time that media access was limited at a government-organized forum.

During the Big, Bold Reforms forum for investors held earlier this year, media were also not allowed inside the venue.

As the Philippines prepares to lead the region in a rapidly changing and complex global environment, clear media access will be crucial in delivering the government’s agenda and message to stakeholders.