Journalists enjoined to participate in the 2nd Annual PopDev Media Awards

By MARIVIC A. ALCOBER, (PIA 8)
September 28, 2006

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte – The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. (PLCPD), together with the United Nations Population Fund, invites print journalists to participate in the 2nd PopDev Media Awards.

It was learned from Maida Ojeda of PLCPD that the PopDev Media Awards aims to pay tribute to media practitioners nationwide who have produced, written and reported responsible and exemplary news and feature articles on population and development in print during the year. The Awards also aims to encourage the media to actively examine population and development issues as social issues that affect the country’s development and to heighten public awareness and knowledge on population and development issues.

The categories for the Media Awards are: Best investigative/interpretative report; Best reportage, wherein bodies of work or series of spot news coverage will be included; and Best opinion/editorial piece.

Submitted entries must feature either of the following population and development issues:  population and education; population and health services; population, economic growth and poverty; reproductive health and rights; family planning; and population, reproductive health policy and governance.  Other issues may also include migration; population ageing; population, housing and urban development; population and environment; sustainable development; and population and food security.

Unlike the first year of the awards, Ojeda bared, when only three winners were chosen from all over the country, this year’s search now goes regional. Winners for each category will be chosen from Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, thus totaling to 12 winners.  For exemplary stories published online or via wire agencies will be given citations.

All entries, Ojeda added, must have been published within the period October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006. The deadline for submission of entries will be on October 13, 2006, while the awarding ceremonies will be held in Manila on December. All transportation and accommodation expenses of winners will be shouldered by the PLCPD.