PCIJ wins 2006 PopDev media awards

PCIJ Fellow Cheryl Chan was awarded Best in Investigative Writing for the National Capital Region Category of this year’s Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation Inc. (PLCPD) and the United Nations Population Fund‘s Second Annual PopDev Media Awards.

Her article, “Perils of Generation Sex,” also won first prize in the explanatory category in the non-daily division of the 2006 Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism. Chan’s story, published in the September 2005 issue of i Report, looked into the growing number of Filipino youths suffering from sexually transmitted infections.

Vinia Datinguinoo, meanwhile, received a citation for Best in Online Reportage Writing for her series of stories for this blog: “Quezon Gets New Environment Chief; Battle to Save Sierra Madre Continues;” “Study Finds Little Sustainable Management of Philippine Forests;” and “Sierra Madre Activists Laud DENR Raids on Illegal Loggers.”

Alecks Pabico, PCIJ’s Multimedia Desk head, also received a citation for Best in Online Opinion Writing. His blog entry, “Not Just Putting a Roof Over People’s Heads,” described the living conditions of thousands of families in the Southville Housing Project, the government’s resettlement area for families displaced by the North Rail-South Rail Linkage Project.

Winners in the three categories — Best Investigative/Interpretative Report, Best Reportage, and Best Opinion/Editorial Piece — were chosen from Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Twelve winners were chosen this year.

In the first First PopDev Media Awards in 2005, only three winners were chosen; PCIJ Fellow Jaileen Jimeno received the Best Investigative Report Award for her two-part series on public access to modern family planning methods.

Over 200 entries were submitted for this year’s awards. The stories were initially evaluated by screening committees for Luzon and National Capital Region, Visayas, and Mindanao. The final list of winners was drawn up by the Board of Judges, composed of Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, Gabriela party-list Rep. Liza Maza, UP College of Mass Communication Prof. Luis Teodoro, UP Population Institute’s Dr. Corazon Raymundo, Manila Bulletin columnist Julie Yap-Daza, Atty. Rene Soriano of the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines, and Philippine Press Institute’s Ariel Sebellino.

The awarding ceremonies will be held on December 12, 2006 at Plaza Ibarra in Quezon City.