Dated: 27 November 2007
Singapore and the Philippines today entered into a media co-operation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to spur greater collaborations between the two countries in the fields of media policy and information exchange, training and human resource development, co-production and mutual exchanges.
The agreement was signed by Dr Tan Chin Nam, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts and Chairman, Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), and Mr Ignacio R. Bunye, Press Secretary, Philippines Office of the Press Secretary. The signing took place on the sidelines of the Asia Media Festival (AMF) 2007, the region’s premier media content market hosted by MDA.
The media co-operation MOU comes at a time when the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries are forging closer economic, political and community ties. Earlier this month, the region witnessed the launch of the ASEAN Media Portal (www.aseanmedia.net), an online platform that showcases and facilitates the exchange of cultural information and media content among member states. Other than the Philippines, Singapore has also sealed media co-operation MOUs with three other ASEAN countries, namely Brunei, Indonesia and Thailand.
“The world is witnessing an unprecedented interest in Asian culture and media content. There is thus great potential and promise for ASEAN nations to leverage our collective culture capital for the regional and global markets. We are therefore delighted to strengthen ties with the Philippines through this MOU, which will generate new growth opportunities for our media enterprises to work with their Philippines counterparts and jointly develop compelling content and services for the world market, “said Dr Tan.
“With the signing of the MOU between the Philippines and Singapore, we hope to further broaden through the media our understanding of the workings of these two countries. This is consistent with our continued efforts of building bridges to peoples and nations,” said Press Secretary Bunye.
A number of companies from both countries have indicated interest to collaborate in the areas of TV, film, games and animation. Recently, Singapore’s game studio Boomzap and Manila-based studio Flipside Games successfully launched a PC-based casual game Hoyle's Enchanted Puzzles. The game is published by United States’ Encore, Inc and is slated for digital and retail distribution in the United States and worldwide.
More collaborations are believed to be in the pipeline as industry players converge in Singapore for the AMF. The Philippines’ Creative Media and Film Society led by Ms Imee Marcos, will be participating in the AMF Country Showcase on 29 November, a one-day networking platform hosted by MDA aimed at facilitating financing and co-production opportunities between Singapore and visiting country delegations.
About Media Development Authority of Singapore
Formed in 2003, the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) plays a vital role in transforming Singapore into a Global Media City and positioning it at the forefront of the digital media age. MDA spearheads initiatives that promote developments in film, video, television, radio, publishing, music, games, animation, media services and Interactive Digital Media. At the same time, in ensuring clear and consistent regulatory policies and guidelines, MDA helps to foster a pro-business environment for industry players and increase media choices for consumers. For more information, visit
www.mda.gov.sg.
About Office of the Press Secretary of the Philippines
The Office of the Press Secretary is the primary policy planning, programming and coordinating entity of government for the conduct of a relevant and effective information and communications program. Its greater role is to develop people's understanding of government policies and programs as well as enhance public support and trust for such.
About Asia Media Festival 2007
The Asia Media Festival (AMF) 2007 is a media fiesta, held from 14 November to 4 December 2007, comprising events for both trade professionals and consumers. Hosted by the Media Development Authority (MDA), the Festival offers opportunities for the media industry to share best practices, forge strong business networks and foster international collaborations under its line-up of premier trade events, namely: Promax BDA Asia, Asia Factual Forum, Media Financing Forum, Asia Television Forum, Asia Film Market &Conference, Asia Animation Conference, Asian Festival of 1st Films, Apollo Awards and Asian Television Awards. Running parallel to the trade events is MediAction!, an outreach initiative organised by MDA to inspire the general public to discover the benefits and possibilities that media can offer for work, learning and play. More information on AMF 2007 can be found at
www.asiamediafestival.com.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Chia Pei Siang (Ms)
Manager, Communications
Media Development Authority
Tel. : +65 6837 9010
Email :
chia_pei_siang@imda.gov.sg
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