MALOLOS CITY—Four weekly and three daily regional publications have made it to the finalists’ circle in the 2011 Civic Journalism Community Press Awards of the Philippine Press Institute (PPI).
As this developed, the PPI announced that its two-day National Press Forum will be streamed live on the internet starting Monday while an addition award category on climate change and biodiversity will be launched Tuesday.
Ariel Sebellino, the PPI Executive director identified the finalists for weekly category as Mabuhay (Bulacan), Baguio Midland Courier (Baguio City), Edge Davao (Davao City) and The Mindanao Cross (Cotabato City).
For the daily category, Sun.Star Davao (Davao City), Sun.Star Cebu (Cebu City) and Sun.Star Pampanga (City of San Fernando) figured prominently in the screenings.
All seven community newspapers will be vying for excellence in six major categories: best in photojournalism, best in culture and arts reporting, best in science and environmental reporting, best in business and economic reporting, best editorial page, and best edited community newspaper.
The winners will be announced during the awards program on Tuesday night at Traders Hotel Manila during the 16th National Press Forum and Annual Membership Meeting of the Philippine Press Institute.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales will be the guest of honor and speaker for the 16th awards season, while President Benigno S. Aquino III will keynote the opening ceremonies of the conference with the theme “Media Accountability and Public Engagement.”
The management of the awards, cash prizes and trophies are being funded by The Coca-Cola Export Corporation (TCCEC) and the six newspaper-members of the Board such as Malaya, Philippine Daily Inquirer, BusinessWorld, The Philippine Star, Manila Standard Today, and the Journal Group.
The TCCEC is the major strategic partner of the PPI for its project on Building Better Communities Through Civic Journalism since 2002.
According to Sebellino, the hot issue of biodiversity and climate change will receive a much-needed public awareness boost when the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Agency for International Cooperation) or GIZ, and PPI launch the special award on “Best in Biodiversity and Climate Change Reporting.”
The launch of the special award will be announced at the press forum by Rolando Inciong, head of ACB’s Communication and Public Affairs.
“The relationship between biodiversity and climate change cannot be translated into a gut issue that the man on the street will understand without the help of media, especially the newspapers. GIZ and ACB recognize media’s significant role as a partner in demystifying biodiversity and promoting the link between biodiversity and climate change and highlighting their importance to humans,” Dr. Berthold Seibert, Project Manager of the ACB-GIZ Biodiversity and Climate Change Project, said.
Meanwhile, the PPI national press forum was broadcast live on the internet via video streaming.
Sebellino said that it is made possible by the Information Capital Technology Ventures (ICTV) which offered its services and technical resources for free.
