PCIJ wins in JVO journalism awards

THE PCIJ won the second and third prizes in the explanatory report category in the 18th Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ).

Vinia Mukherjee’s “Preparing for Disaster,” published in the March-June 2006 i Report, won the second prize in the non-daily division. The story, which focused on community disaster preparedness following the Ginsaugon landslide that killed hundreds, was cited for “providing Filipino readers the information they need to understand the complex issues that confront them; competently undertaking the often difficult research this crucial task requires.”

Another PCIJ report, “Incentives for the Rich Harm the Poor,” by Roel Landingin won the third prize in the non-daily division. The report, published in The Philippine Star, Business Mirror, Malaya, Manila Standard Today, and Sun Star Cebu in August 14-15, 2006, probed how tax incentives amounting to billions of pesos were being given to big companies that had need for them.

Landingin’s report was cited for being well-documented, “that for all the technical information it provides is able to explain to readers how tax incentives for the country’s conglomerates, by adding billions to shortfalls in tax collections, result in limited social services for the rest of the population.”

Multimedia Desk Head Alecks Pabico was also one of the finalists in the explanatory report category for his story on how the generics law, hailed as a landmark piece of legislation, suffered from years of lax implementation. The report, “New Rx Needed for Generics Movement,” was published in Malaya in September 28-28, 2006. Mukherjee’s story, “Tempest in a (Feeding) Bottle,” also made it to the list of finalists in the same category.

Another PCIJ Fellow, Tess Bacalla, was also among the finalists in the investigative report category in the non-daily division for her story, “Boys Town Wards Cry of Sexual Physical Abuse.” Published in The Philippine Star, The Manila Times, Malaya, and Sun Star Cebu in June 12-12, 2006, the report exposed the sexual molestation and physical abuse that was taking place at Boys Town in Marikina.

The JVO annual awards are organized by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, and given in honor of the late Jaime V. Ongpin who was finance secretary during the Aquino administration and a press freedom advocate, aims to “encourage the practice of in-depth journalism and the values of integrity and ethics in the profession.”

Below is the list of the 18th Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism finalists:

Explanatory Reporting Category

Daily Division

RP detergent industry struggles to stay afloat — First prize
Mary Ann Ll. Reyes
The Philippine Star
November 8-9, 2006

Guimaras oil spill — Second prize
PDI i-Team
Fernando del Mundo-Chief
Leila B. Salaverria and Tina Arceo-Dumlao with Dona Z. Pazzibugan, Carla P. Gomez, Margaux C. Ortiz, Tetch Torres and Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
October 23-25, 2006

Doing good in bad times — Third prize
Daxim L. Lucas and Clarissa S. Batino
Philippine Daily Inquirer
January 8-11, 2006

Change oil
Dave Llorito
BusinessMirror
April 27, 2006

Traffic: Time to count the costs
Paolo Joseph L. Lising with Iris Cecilia C. Gonzales and Kristine L. Alave
BusinessWorld
April 10-12, 2006

History is not teacher’s pet
Jonathan M. Hicap
The Manila Times
September 17-18, 2006

Non-Daily Division

Seeing red — First prize
Carmela Fonbuena
Newsbreak
July 3, 2006

Preparing for disaster — Second prize
Vinia M. Datinguinoo
Published in i Report on March-April, May-June 2006

Incentives for the rich harm the poor — Third prize
Roel Landingin
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
Published in The Philippine Star, BusinessMirror, Malaya ,
Manila Standard Today and Sun.Star Cebu on August 14-15, 2006

New Rx needed for generics movement
Alecks P. Pabico
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
Published in Malaya on September 27-28, 2006

Tempest in a (feeding) bottle
Vinia M. Datinguinoo
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
Published in Malaya on September 6-7, 2006

Divorce by religion
Aries Rufo
Newsbreak
August 20, 2006

Investigative Reporting Category

Daily Division

Untangling the RSBS mess — First prize
Fe Zamora
Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 13-16, 2006

Citrus farmers restive over mining project — Second prize
Melvin Gascon
Philippine Daily Inquirer
March 15, 2006

CSC reels from GMA prerogative to appoint execs
Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer
March 27-29, 2006

Appointments raise questions in land row
Felipe Salvosa II with Maria Eloisa I. Calderon
BusinessWorld
February 7-8, 2006

Non-Daily Division

Leyte sea roils from rape of WW2 ships — First prize
Inday Espina-Varona with Yvette Lee and Christine Mangulabnan
Philippine Graphic
October 23 and 30, 2006

Making money from making peace — Second prize
Aries Rufo
Newsbreak
July 31, 2006

The Romualdezes and Equitable Bank — Third prize
Lala Rimando with research by Evelyn Katigbak
Newsbreak
June 3, July 3, 17 and 31, 2006

Boys Town wards cry sexual, physical abuse
Tess Bacalla
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
Published in The Philippine Star, The Manila Times, Malaya and Sun.Star Cebu on June 12-13, 2006