In a virtual repeat of last year, daily newspapers Sun.Star Davao of Davao City and Cebu Daily News of Cebu City won the most awards during the 2007 Annual Community Press Awards last May 29 at the Diamond Hotel Philippines. The event was under the auspices of the Philippine Press Institute (PPI), the national association of newspapers. Sun.Star Davao won three awards: best in photojournalism, best in science and environmental reporting and best editorial page. Cebu Daily News followed with two: best in business and economics reporting and best edited paper. Last year, Sun.Star Davao won best edited paper, while Cebu Daily News took home the prize for best editorial page.
Among the weekly publications, there were no multiple winners. Four were from Luzon and one from the Visayas.
Pampanga News of Mabacalat, Pampanga won best in photojournalism; Balikas of Lipa City for science and environmental reporting; Baguio Midland Courier of Baguio City for business and economics reporting; Mabuhay of Bulacan for best edited paper; and MetroPost of Dumaguete for best editorial page.
During the 12th awards ceremony, Mabuhay, Sun.Star Cebu and Sun.Star Davao were presented with citations for their contributions to and consistent practice of civic journalism from 2002 to 2007.
The awards program hosted by ANC host Tony Velasquez was the highlight of the PPI’s National Press Forum on Building Better Communities Through Civic Journalism. The three-day event gathered over 130 regional publishers, editors, reporters, members of the civil society, NGOs, officials from the government and business sectors, teachers and students to discuss media concerns such as the right of reply, human security act, safety of journalists, human development policies and libel cases. A press conference on impunity was also conducted by the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists and the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility in line with the Marlene Esperat Murder Case.
It was the grandest annual gathering in PPI history that introduced many novelties such as the showcase of the best practices on Civic Journalism by Sun.Star Cebu, Sun.Star Davao, Mabuhay, Balikas and Mindanao Times; the first-ever media bazaar which sold PPI-marked items, booths of sponsors and a raffle of corporate giveaways.
Many Institute members felt the conference was by far the best in recent years and noted how the opening ceremony through an ecumenical prayer in honor of slain journalists added a dignified bearing and significance to the entire proceedings.
The 2008 Membership Meeting was capped with the induction of the newly-elected PPI Board by Atty. Midas Marquez, the spokesperson of the Office of the Honorable Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Sworn into office were: Amado P. Macasaet (Malaya), chairman-president; Isagani M. Yambot (Philippine Daily Inquirer), vice-chairman; Dalmacio Grafil (Leyte Samar Daily Express), corporate secretary and trustee for Visayas; and trustees Quirino Alban (Makiling Journal, for Luzon), Fr. Jonathan Domingo, OMI (MIndanao Cross, for Mindanao), Augusto Villanueva (Journal Group of Publications), Juan Mercadao (Press Foundation of Asia), and Jose L. Pavia (executive director). Unable to make it were Vergel O Santos (BusinessWorld), Rogelio Salazar (Manila Standard Today) and Antonio Katigbak (The Philippine Star).
In a virtual repeat of last year, daily newspapers Sun.Star Davao of Davao City and Cebu Daily News of Cebu City won the most awards during the 2007 Annual Community Press Awards last May 29 at the Diamond Hotel Philippines. The event was under the auspices of the Philippine Press Institute (PPI), the national association of newspapers.
