MANILA — The Dumaguete MetroPost has again bested several established weekly newspapers in the Visayas, after having been chosen as the region’s lone finalist in four out of five categories in the Community Press Awards of the Philippine Press Institute to be held on May 24 in Manila.
The MetroPost has been chosen by an independent panel of judges as regional finalist for Best in Photojournalism, Best in Environmental Reporting, Best Editorial Page, and Best Edited Paper categories, and will compete with two other finalists from Luzon and Mindanao.
The awards program is being managed by the Asian Institute of Journalism & Communication, and supported by Nickel Asia Corp., PPI’s principal partner in its civic journalism programs.
NAC is also the major supporter of this year’s annual PPI conference. Other minor sponsors are the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., H2O Hotel, Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corp., Jetti Petroleum Inc., McDonald’s, and the City Government of Iligan in Northern Mindanao.
The Community Press Awards is one of the highlights of the PPI’s 21st National Press Forum which will be held on May 24-26.
The much-anticipated PPI forum will kick off on May 24 with a general assembly and meeting of PPI member-newspapers.
Themed ASEAN@50: Beyond the Headlines, the event coincides with the regional organization’s golden anniversary.
Former Ambassador Rosario Manalo, who has served as Philippine representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights and was Special Envoy of former President Ramos for the negotiations of the ASEAN Charter, will be the keynote speaker.
A highly accomplished and experienced diplomat, Manalo has been the country’s ambassador to various countries, including Belgium, France, and Sweden. In June 2016, Manalo won a seat in the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
A journalist from Myanmar will also grace PPI’s commemorative occasion as a guest speaker. Saw Yan Naing is a senior reporter at the Thailand-based The Irrawaddy. Saw, who belongs to the ethnic Karen minority, writes about human rights, political and social issues and ethnic conflicts in Myanmar. He is a recipient of regional and international fellowships, including the Southeast Asian Press Alliance Journalism Fellowship, Alfred Friendly Press Fellowship, and the East-West Center Jefferson Fellowship. He has been honored with a Certificate of Recognition for Courageous Journalism by the U.S.-based non-profit organization Power Mentor, which helps young people develop their leadership skills. (PPI)
