Congratulations to the Winners!!!

WINNERS of the 2007 Annual Community Press Awards

WEEKLY

Best in Photojournalism: Pampanga News
Best in Science and Environmental Reporting: Balikas
Best in Business and Economics Reporting: Baguio Midland Courier
Best Editorial Page: Metro Post
Best Edited Community Paper: Mabuhay

DAILY

Best in Photojournalism: Sun.Star Davao
Best in Science and Environmental Reporting: Sun.Star Davao
Best in Business and Economics Reporting: Cebu Daily News
Best Editorial Page: Sun.Star Davao
Best Edited Community Paper: Cebu Daily News

SPECIAL CITATION ON CIVIC JOURNALISM

Mabuhay
Sun.Star Cebu
Sun.Star Davao

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ABOUT THE WINNERS

WEEKLY








Best in Photojournalism
True to its being a weekly community paper, the Pampanga News creatively selected human interest photos that enhanced the newspaper as a whole. The pictures published were of remarkable quality in terms of content and composition. The captions were likewise brief and appropriate.





Best in Science and Environmental Reporting
Balikas publishes a wide range of environmental articles - features and news articles - covering local and international issues on biodiversity, pollution, use of natural resources, and global warming. The articles are well-researched, presenting data and varied opinions of stakeholders from government, civil society and local people.





Best in Business and Economics Reporting
The Baguio Midland Courier has a distinct business page. Business stories are not only limited to the business page but in other pages including the front page as well. Most business stories have local angles, ie local tourism, agriculture, mining industry, etc.








Best Editorial Page
Beyond the diversity of opinions in its editorial pages, the Metro Post performs in a commendable manner, as far as other aspects of opinion journalism are concerned, including quality of editing. Recognition of the paper's efforts in providing its readers with a variety of opinions from all walks of life, will hopefully inspire ever-higher standards of editorial excellence throughout the industry.





Best Edited Community Paper
Mabuhay deserves the award for best edited weekly paper for its straight-shooting writing style in a bilingual format. Mabuhay is clearly the runaway winner in the layout department.

DAILY




Best in Photojournalism
The pictures published in the newspaper aptly capture community life in the locality. Being a daily paper, its selection of photos was based on the newsworthiness of the event as depicted in the picture. Captions are brief and appropriate aiding the readers to appreciate the everyday activities and events in the area.




Best in Science and Environmental Reporting
Sun.Star Davao mainstreams environmental issues in headlines, relating them to health, sanitation, agriculture, local governance and tourism, and thus making the issues relevant to a wider coverage of readers. The articles are likewise well written in readable English.






Best in Business and Economics Reporting
Cebu Daily News has a distinct business page, and a mix of global, national and local business news. The paper also has regular business features or columns.





Best Editorial Page
This has been successfully accomplished by this newspaper in a sustained manner that reflects a variety of voices, representing various sectors in the community. The quality of writing and editing, the variety of topics and points of views, indicates a fluorishing civil society, a vibrant democratic civic and political culture.







Best Edited Community Paper
The Cebu Daily News deserves the award for best edited daily community paper for its breezy writing style that makes reading a leisurely exercise. It also has good graphics and well chosen photos. CDN's front page layout also has a cleaner "broadsheet" look that makes it more pleasing to the eye.

PPI BOARD May 2008

RESULTS OF PPI ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND ELECTIONS

CHAIRMAN: Amado P. Macasaet, Publisher, Malaya
VICE-CHAIRMAN: Isagani M. Yambot, Philippine Daily Inquirer
SECRETARY: Dalmacio Grafil, Trustee for Visayas
TREASURER: Antonio Katigbak, The Philippine Star

OTHER TRUSTEES

Trustee for Luzon: Quirino Alban, Makiling Journal
Trustee for Mindanao: Fr. Jonathan Domingo, OMI, The Mindanao Cross
Vergel Santos, BusinessWorld
Rogelio Salazar, Manila Standard Today
Augusto Villanueva, Journal Group of Publications
Juan Mercado, Press Foundation of Asia
Jose L. Pavia, Executive Director

OATHTAKING 2008. From L-R: Inducting Officer Atty. Midas Marquez, Amado Macasaet, Fr. Jonathan Domingo, OMI, Isagani Yambot, Augusto Villanueva, Quirino Alban, Dalmacio Grafil, Juan Mercado and Jose L. Pavia. (Not in picture: Antonio Katigbak, Rogelio Salazar, Vergel Santos). Photo by Kara Santos/PPI

DAY 1: PHOTOS

Governor Oscar Moreno of Misamis Oriental and Amado Macasaet, Chairman of PPI, cut the ribbon to formally open the Civic Journalism Special Exhibit at the 12th National Press Forum in Diamond Hotel, 27 May 2008.

Fr. Jonathan Domingo, OMI, publisher of Mindanao Cross, leads the ecumenical prayer in memory of slain journalists during the 12th National Press Forum. The Philippines is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. 71 journalists have been killed in the line of duty since 1986.













The 12th National Press Forum.

Delegates visit the exhibit area during the 12th National Press Forum. Exhibitors include: Abante/Abante Tonite, Art Association of the Philippines, BusinessWorld, Journal Group, Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Central Affirmative, Media Sports Club, Malaya, NAPOCOR, Prosource, PhilamLife, Philippine Star, Pilipino Star, and Women's Feature Service (WFS).

Students win raffle prizes from the Mindanao Times booth, one of the five community newspapers exhibiting their best practices on civic journalism at the 12th National Press Forum. The other publications are: Balikas, Mabuhay, Sun.Star Davao, and Sun.Star Cebu.

THE SUNSTAR TEAM (L-R): Michelle So (SunStar Cebu), Froilan Gallardo (SunStar Cagayan), Mayette Tabada (SunStar Cebu), Tessie Pana (Sunstar Davao), Stella Estremera (SunStar Davao), and Cheryl Lim (SunStar Cebu).

Students/campus journalists pose in the exhibit area after visiting the various booths at the 12th National Press Forum.

PPI to honor best newspapers in annual confab

The Philippine Press Institute (PPI), also known as the national association of newspapers, will honor the best weekly and daily regional newspapers in categories such as best in photojournalism, best in business reporting, best in science and environment reporting, best in editorial page, and best edited paper, as they take the limelight in the 2007 Annual Community Press Awards on May 29, 2008 at the Diamond Hotel Philippines. This is the highlight of the institute’s 12^th National Press Forum and 2008 Annual Membership Meeting from May 27 to 30, which will kick off with the opening of the exhibits on the first day.Publishers and editors of its member-newspapers will attend the four-day event to discuss, among other things, topics such as human security act, the bill on the right to information, the right of reply, the safety of journalists, and the conference theme “Building Better Communities Through Civic Journalism.

For the first time, the annual event opens its doors to non-PPI members. Journalism schools, media organizations, members of the diplomatic corps, government officials, NGOs and civil society groups have been invited to participate in some segments of the programs. A seminar on media accountability and ethics will be conducted for the scholastic press associations. An exhibit and a media bazaar will be added as new components to make the event more relevant and engaging. Special booths on Civic Journalism will underscore the best practices of some award-winning newspapers in the regions.

During the awards program, the best practices on Civic Journalism will be cited. The new awards logo and trophy design of the “PPI-Coca Cola Civic Journalism Community Press Awards” will also be unveiled. The Coca-Cola Export Corporation (TCCEC) will be PPI’s new partner in the awards program starting next year.

The Konrad Adenauer Foundation was the principal partner of the Institute since the first awards presentation in 1997 until 2005. It has always been supported by Malaya, Philippine Daily Inquirer, BusinessWorld, Journal Group of Publications, Manila Standard Today, and The Philippine Star which has provided the cash prizes and trophies since 2000.

The first and only one of its kind in the country, the annual awards program aims at raising the standards for responsible journalism in the countryside, seeks to honor news organizations not only for excellence in reportage and editorial content but also for their roles in their respective communities as development catalysts and chroniclers of events.

The regional newspapers which made it as finalists in this awards season are: (weekly) Mabuhay, Bulacan; Sunday Punch, Dagupan; Baguio Midland Courier, Baguio; Balikas, Lipa; Pampanga News, Angeles; and Metro Post, Dumaguete; and (daily) Cebu Daily News, Cebu; Sun.Star Davao, Davao; and Mindanao Times, Davao.

Past winners of the ‘best edited paper’ were Sun.Star Cebu, The Freeman, Mindanao Cross, Mindanao Mirror Bulletin, The Voice, Mindanao Bulletin, Mabuhay, Sunday Punch, Sun.Star Davao, Baguio Midland Courier, and Mindanao Daily Mirror. The Freeman and Sun.Star Cebu, both based in Cebu City, are the only daily newspapers that were elevated to the Hall of Fame in 2000. They garnered the most number of awards from 1997 to 1999.

This year’s board of judges is composed of PPI trustee and veteran journalist Augusto B.Villanueva, chief executive officer of Next Mobile, Inc. Mel V. Velarde, columnist and host of ANC’s The Explainer Manolo Quezon, director of the Research Management Office and faculty member of the College of Communication of Polytechnic University of the Philippines Professor Angelina R. Enriquez-Borican, and executive director of the Environmental Studies of Miriam College Dr. Donna Paz T. Reyes.

The PPI, established in 1964, is a non-stock and non-profit organization whose mandate is to defend press freedom and promote media ethics for the professional and skills development of journalists in the country by way of seminar-workshops and forums.

This milestone event is supported by NAPOCOR, UNILEVER, PAGCOR, SM, PHILAMLIFE, PLDT, KAFFE DE ORO, MICROSOFT, ROBINSONS, CHOWKING, DENTAL FIRST, PROSOURCE, ISLAND ROSE.NET and JOEL CRUZ SIGNATURE which provided some cash assistance to help defray costs and tokens for the PPI member-delegates.