PNA’s blooper: Pineapple firm’s logo used for DOLE

MANILA, Philippines - Does PNA now stand for Pineapple News Agency?

This was the question posed by netizens after the state-run Philippine News Agency (PNA) committed another blunder by using the logo of Dole Philippines, known for producing pineapples, instead of the logo of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The mistake happened on Friday night when the PNA released a story on the pay rules released by DOLE for the holidays in 2018. But instead of using the logo of the labor department, the news agency used the logo of the food company.

PNA immediately corrected the mistake, but not before it was captured and shared online.

The agency also issued a statement apologizing for the error.

“In an effort to ensure that all stories are accompanied by a photo, the staff inadvertently attached the wrong photo rather than the logo of the Department of Labor and Employment. It was a careless act on the PNA editorial staff,” PNA said.

“Rest assured appropriate action is being taken in pursuit of the delivery of accurate information to our readers. Our apologies,” it added.

Friday night’s blunder is the latest in a series of oversights on the part of the PNA under the Presidential Communications and Operations Office (PCOO).

Last week, the PNA was criticized for publishing an editorial of the Chinese news agency Xinhua which called the arbitration ruling won by the Philippines “ill-founded.”

PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar said they are investigating the incident.

The PNA also previously issued an apology after it released reports with erroneous content.

One report mistakenly used a photo of soldiers in Vietnam as supplement to a story about the ongoing siege in Marawi City.

Another article misreported the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review of a Philippine human rights situation before the United Nations Human Rights Council.

“While there have been lapses in our judgment, it has never been the policy of PNA to tolerate erroneous report, and it has certainly never been our intention to sow misinformation, much less share what is termed nowadays as fake news,” the PNA said in its earlier apology.

“We regret that these mistakes have cast doubt on our integrity as a news agency. Rest assured we have dealt with our erring personnel and that we are reviewing our procedures on reportage as we continue to uphold our commitment to deliver accurate and balanced news reports to the Filipino people and the world,” it added.