This year's JVOAEJ winners

Here's an official announcement from the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) on the winners of this year's Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism.


JVOAEJ Winners Announced
Source: CMFR

THE PHILIPPINE Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and VERA Files won the top prizes in the 20th Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ) for works published in 2008.

The results of the competition were announced during the annual JVOAEJ ceremonies at the AIM Conference Center Manila on June 25. The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) has been the administrative and technical secretariat of the JVOAEJ since 1990.

Read more here.

The best Philippine investigative and explanatory reports of 2008

The country's best investigative and explanatory reports published last year will be recognized this coming June 25 by the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ), one of the most prestigious journalism awards in the Philippines. (Disclosure: I work for the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility/CMFR which administers the awards.)

Last June 11, CMFR announced this year's JVOAEJ finalists. This is the 20th year of JVOAEJ.

‘Political killings not official but an intended policy’
By Nikko Dizon, Jocelyn R. Uy and Leila B. Salaverria
Editor: Fernando del Mundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
May 9-12, 2008

Guns with silencers are not usually issued to soldiers. So when a Scout Ranger officer got one, he knew what it was for.

'The procurement of this kind of firearms is just for special ops,' he says of clandestine operations that critics of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration claim to have resulted in hundreds of extrajudicial executions.

The officer, who requested anonymity for obvious reasons, says his unit received the guns three years ago, along with an “order of battle” listing the names of state enemies for “neutralization.”

US Subprime crisis: Why we should worry
By Des Ferriols
The Philippine Star
October 11-14, 2008

Someone in Wyoming is having a hard time paying for the house he bought years ago, so much so that last year, some bank took it from him.

Suddenly, that faceless man’s personal crisis is bringing down giants most people here have not heard about – Lehman Brothers, Washington Mutual, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Before we know it, the spiraling crisis is scuttling across the Atlantic and crawling up our shores from Ground Zero thousands of kilometers away.

The question is this: how did that man’s problem end up being our problem too? If the US government is already bailing out its financial system, why do we still have a problem?

A policy of betrayal
By Miriam Grace Go
abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak
Published in The Philippine Star on March 15-17, 2008

Since coming to power in 2001, the Arroyo administration has committed a series of acts geared toward compromising Philippine territorial interests in favor of China.

This was made possible through the agreement for joint marine seismic undertaking (JMSU) that the Philippines signed with China through their national oil corporations on Sept. 1, 2004. (Vietnam was an afterthought. It protested, and was therefore accommodated through a tripartite JMSU pact signed on March 14, 2005.)

Our investigation shows that in exchange for conceding territorial waters, the Arroyo administration, in the last seven years, agreed to receive padded loans from China. Critics say this is a betrayal of public trust.

Aid inflow sparks scandals for GMA, debt woes for RP
By Roel Landingin
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
Published in The Philippine Star on February 11-13, 2008

Foreign aid inflows to the Philippines are soaring to their highest levels in about six years, but the availability of more money for government projects has not made life any easier for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Filipino taxpayers.

Indeed, the latest controversy to rock her seven-year reign stems from the sharp surge in official development assistance (ODA) from China, an emerging economic behemoth, and the Philippines’s growing inability to impose its procurement policies and procedures on ODA projects.

A six-month study of project documents by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) also showed that seven of 10 projects reviewed fall short of economic benefits promised, even after completion and roll-out.

Squatters and the city
By Cherry Ann T. Lim and Rene H. Martel
Editor: Cherry Ann T. Lim
Sun.Star Cebu August 11-14, 2008

The many faces of bribery
By Aries Rufo
abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak
Published in The Philippine Star on September 11-13, 2008

Every Christmas season, a controversial taipan plays Santa to a number of justices in the Court of Appeals. With the help of two retired CA justices, he would distribute gift checks to the magistrates who would graciously accept the harmless offering. Or so it seems.

It would have been a simple act of generosity were it not for the fact that the taipan has a string of pending cases in various courts. He knows how to cultivate goodwill to ensure that his business thrives.

Quedancor swine program another fertilizer scam
By VERA Files
Published in BusinessMirror on September 2 and 4, 2008, Malaya and The Manila Times on September 1-3, 2008 and Philippines Graphic on September 15, 22 and 29, 2008

Aura Dew Escanlar was all set to take the nursing board examinations that December of 2004 when she decided instead to put up a piggery.

What changed her mind was an offer from the Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corp. (Quedancor). Called “the poor man’s financing institution,” the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) credit guarantee arm was giving out loans in the form of piglets and feeds, with a buy-back scheme that assured borrowers some income.

Escanlar then used her parents’ savings to build pigpens and buy piglets, and signed up for the Quedancor Swine Program (QSP). Less than a year later, Escanlar lost almost everything. The income from the buy-back scheme was always delayed, and the feeds came late or were not delivered at all. After 50 of her piglets died, Escanlar stormed the Quedancor regional office here. “You have turned my farm into a graveyard,” she told Quedancor employees.

Less than 10 people in plot; 5 core, 5 others 'in the know'
By Fe Zamora
Philippine Daily Inquirer August 21-27, 2008

An hour after former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. was shot dead on Aug. 21, 1983, a military agent verbally reported to his unit commander his assignment of monitoring the tarmac of the Manila International Airport.

After listening to the report, the commander said: “O, who was there?” The agent replied: “Si Colonel Abadilla po, sir.”

The unit commander did not ask further questions. He knew Rolando Abadilla, chief of the Metropolitan Command (Metrocom) Intelligence and Security Group of the then Philippine Constabulary (now the Philippine National Police). They had coordinated with each other on several operations. They understood the culture of their job. An officer does not show up in any place if he had no business being there. In their kind of work, there were no coincidences.

"To focus attention and encourage reporting on the urgent issues of human rights, the environment, and governance and corruption, the JVOAEJ awards this year still scanned both investigative and explanatory articles on these three topics, but added a fourth theme, the economic and financial crisis," CMFR said in its announcement.

This will be the thirteenth year that the Canadian Embassy will award the Marshall McLuhan Prize, a travel study tour of Canada to one of the winners.

CMFR will hold the awards and the Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar on Thursday, June 25, 2009 at the SGV Hall, 3/F AIM Conference Center Manila (Benavidez cor. Trasierra Sts., Legaspi Village, Makati City). The seminar will be held at 9:30 AM. The awards ceremony will follow at 11:30 a.m.

The first JVOAEJ were given in 1990 to honor the late Jaime V. Ongpin, who was secretary of finance during the Aquino administration and press freedom advocate. For more information about this year's JVOAEJ, please click here. For additional information, please click here.

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On a personal note, this is my first post after a long blog hiatus (again). I hope the change in the layout and the need to update the links (I'm still not finished copying here the links from the old template, sorry) will persuade me to blog more often.

Who's going to win the JVOAEJ this year?

Just before I go to other things, let me point you to RG Cruz and Filipino Voices to update what I last posted. I'll try to find time in the near future to discuss issues related to the abduction. But for now, let me just post here an announcement on the upcoming Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism:

Winners in Ongpin Awards Known By June 26
Source: Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility

The best investigative and explanatory reports published in 2007 will be named on June 26 from among ten finalists during the 19th Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence on Journalism (JVOAEJ), the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) which administers the awards has announced.

This year’s finalists are:

Palace document shows gov’t plan to neutralize Left
Norman Bordadora and Michael Lim Ubac
Philippine Daily Inquirer
July 16-17, 2007

The road to Italy
Gemma Luz Corotan
Newsbreak
September-December 2007

Inside PCGG 21 years later
Fernando del Mundo, Margaux C. Ortiz, Jerry Esplanada and Daxim L. Lucas
with reports from TJ Burgonio and Lawrence de Guzman
Philippine Daily Inquirer
February 22-25, 2007

Environmentalists to govt: Manage garbage, don’t promote landfills, dumps
Nora O. Gamolo
The Manila Times
October 28-29, October 31-November 1, 2007

Trapped in a web of lives
Glenda M. Gloria
Newsbreak
December 2007-February 2008

Garci was here
Miriam Grace A. Go
Newsbreak
July-September 2007

The battle for Manila’s gateway
Roel Landingin
Newsbreak
September-December 2007

Bridging the digital gap
Allison Lopez, Riza Olchondra, Juliet Labog-Javellana with reports from
Julie S. Alipala
Chief: Fernando del Mundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
December 27-29, 2007

Malansang balak ng Hapon sa Pilipinas
Soliman A. Santos and Kenneth Roland A. Guda
Pinoy Weekly
October 17-23, 2007

What’s swimming in your soup?
Prime Sarmiento
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
Published in Malaya, November 27-28, 2007

To focus attention and encourage reporting on the urgent issues of human rights, the environment, and governance and corruption, the JVOAEJ awards this year scanned both investigative and explanatory articles on these three topics.

For more information, click here. As seats are limited this year, please contact CMFR (+63 2 894-1326/894-1314) to confirm your attendance.

Established in 1990, the JVOAEJ has become one of the most prestigious journalism awards in the Philippines.

Prestigious awards for Filipino journalists focuses on corruption, human rights and environment

Let me just make a quick post before I start another busy day today.

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), administrative and technical secretariat of the prestigious Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ), has announced changes in this year's awards.

The 2008 JVOAEJ will focus on corruption/governance, human rights and environmental issues "in recognition of the urgency of encouraging journalistic excellence in addressing corruption/governance, human rights and environmental issues."

2008 Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Award focuses on corruption, human rights and environment
Source: CMFR

The 2008 Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ) will focus on corruption/governance, human rights and environmental issues.

This was among the changes announced in the country's most prestigious journalism awards by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), which administers the JVOAEJ.

CMFR Executive Director Melinda de Jesus said the changes are being introduced in recognition of the urgency of encouraging journalistic excellence in addressing corruption/ governance, human rights and environmental issues.

The country has been rocked by one corruption scandal after another, even as the human rights situation and environmental degradation have worsened.

Read more here.

CMFR is still accepting nominations for this year's awards until April 25. CMFR conducts an independent scan of Manila-based publications and the nomination process is not a requirement for consideration. For more details, click here.

Dog-tired but happy

I am simply dog-tired today but I'll leave after watching Cheche Lazaro's Media in Focus episode today, where today's winners of the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism and officers of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility are guests. Nice.

Congratulations to this year's winners. And thank you to all those who attended this year's ceremonies (More than 700 came--the biggest in JVOAEJ history!). Thank you and hope to see you guys again next year.

Inquirer, Star, Newsbreak and Philippine Graphic grab top JVOAEJ prizes
Source: Freedom Watch

For more information on the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ), please contact the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility at any of the following numbers: 894-1314/894-1326.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Philippine Star, Newsbreak, and Philippine Graphic won the top awards in the 18th Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ) for works published in 2006 during ceremonies held at the AIM Conference Center Manila on June 28. Since 1990, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) has been the administrative and technical secretariat of the JVOAEJ.

The first JVOAEJ was launched in 1990 to honor the late Jaime V. Ongpin who was secretary of finance during the Aquino administration. A press freedom advocate, Ongpin was involved in the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship and was instrumental in harnessing public support for the restoration of democracy.

As in the previous year, reports published by daily newspapers were judged separately from those published by non-dailies. There were thus two sets of first, second, and third prizes for the investigative and explanatory categories.

The first prize winners in the daily and non-daily division of the investigative and the explanatory category each received a cash prize of P70,000 and a plaque.

Read more here.

The stage is set for tomorrow's D-Day

And the stage is set for the 18th Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism tomorrow. As I wrote before, this year really looks exciting with new names in the list of finalists, plus the trusted old ones in the profession. Can't wait to know the winners tomorrow.

After the awards ceremonies in the morning, some of the winners and Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) executive director Melinda Quintos would later guest in Media in Focus, that program in ANC about media issues hosted by broadcast journalist Che-che Lazaro (who by the way is this year's UP Gawad Plaridel awardee). CMFR, the administrative and technical secretariat of the JVOAEJ since its inception in 1990, has again asked Lazaro this year to host the awarding ceremonies. So, please watch Media in Focus tomorrow.

CMFR is also launching its latest publication tomorrow at the event, the only refereed journalism journal in Southeast Asia. Wohoo!

CMFR publishes only refereed journal in SEAsia devoted to journalism
Source: CMFR

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) has published the only refereed journal in Southeast Asia devoted to journalism.

The Philippine Journalism Review (PJR), which previously appeared in magazine form, will be launched as a refereed journal during the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ) on Thursday, June 28, at the SGV Hall of the Asian Institute of Management Conference Center in Makati City.

A refereed journal is an academic publication the articles of which pass through a "double blind" review in which experts review articles for publication without knowing who wrote them, while the authors themselves do not know who reviewed their papers.

PJR ceased publication as a bimonthly in 2004, but a monthly monitor, PJR Reports, was published in the same year. In her foreword, CMFR Executive Director and PJR publisher Melinda Quintos de Jesus recalls that CMFR has always intended to republish PJR as a refereed journal together with PJR Reports (PJRR). PJR will initially be published annually, while PJRR will continue as a monthly.

Click here for more. Venus and I provided a bit of editorial support in the book's final pre-printing stages, so we were able to read the drafts before it was published. It's definitely a good read.

CMFR is bringing copies of the new PJR Journal, as well as its other publications like the PJR Reports tomorrow.

Just shows money isn't everything

Watch out for the June issue of the PJR Reports, which is going to be available this week. The issue focuses on how TV stations covered this year's elections -- including one which, in a very strange move, had comics as segment hosts and reporters and psychics as guest panelists on its elections day coverage. The June issue -- which also looks at the online coverage of the elections, media quick counts -- is also going to be available during the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism on June 28. So guys, please grab a copy.

Speaking of elections, if senatorial bets like Prospero Pichay Jr., Ralph Recto, and Michael Defensor are still wondering why they lost despite pouring in millions of pesos for political advertisements, here's an interesting piece from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism explaining why:

Missing the Massage
(Or why some big ad spenders lost)
by Jaileen Jimeno

MONEY CAN’T buy you love — or votes, as some politicians who spent big on ads have found out.

Indeed, only four of the 12 biggest spenders on ads for the recently concluded midterm elections have made it so far in the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) ‘Magic 12’ for the Senate. Two more from the list of those with deep pockets (as drawn up by the market research, information, and analysis company AC Nielsen) still have slim chances of sneaking into the Upper House at the last minute, but that means they spent a total of P242.9 million just to get to the bottom of the winners’ list.

Political and advertising experts say that’s because most of these candidates — or more accurately, their handlers — simply failed to come up with an effective campaign that would capture the imagination of voters. They forgot that the message, not money, is key to any campaign.

“You will see that many candidates did not study or plan their ads,” says Malou Tiquia, co-founder of Publicus, the only lobbying and political management firm in the country. “There was disconnect in communication framework and the product.” Tiquia handled the campaign of then senatorial candidate Mar Roxas in 2004. Roxas, who marketed himself via the popular ‘Mr. Palengke’ ads, topped the race.

Advertising producer Toto Espartero, who directed the ads of presidential candidate Eddie Villanueva in 2004, is more scathing in his review of the more recent batch of commercials for the 2007 candidates. He says of the ads, “Parang karnabal, walang laman, walang usapan tungkol sa mga isyu (They were carnivalesque. There was no content, no issues were discussed).”

Mercedes Abad, one of Pulse Asia’s analysts and head of TNS Global, a market information firm, says resonance, believability, and relevance should be the guiding principles in a political campaign. But these were not the only factors absent in most of the big spenders’ commercials. So, too, were, sound planning, accurate reading of voters’ aspirations, and respect for the intellect of the public at large, say experts.

Tiquia says that the lack of planning in particular was why several candidates dumped ads and changed slogans in the middle of the campaign. Tags and taglines that seemingly had no leg to stand on in terms of history and identification with the candidate were used liberally — and, it turns out, disastrously.

Read more here.

JVOAEJ finalists named; Invitation to attend awards on June 28

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility

in cooperation with

The Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Government of Norway

The Asia Foundation with support from the United States Agency for International Development

and

Ateneo de Manila University


invites you to


The Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar

and

The Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism


Thursday, June 28, 2007


Seminar will begin at 9:30 AM
Awards will be announced at 11:30 AM

SGV Hall
3/F AIM Conference Center Manila
Benavidez cor. Trasierra Sts.
Legaspi Village, Makati City


A cocktail lunch will be served
RSVP Carol or Lara
(63 2) 894-1314/894-1326/840-0889

Tension's up as countdown begins

This year's Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ) looks really exciting. Whoo. I can very much feel the tension in the air nowadays as the D-Day approaches. And not because the journalists attending don't know what to wear.

Hope to see you guys on June 28th. If meeting and and sharing views with some of the country's best print journalists present in the affair doesn't appeal to you, then maybe the sumptuous cocktail food and drinks would. For more information about the JVOAEJ and if you have plans of attending, just leave me a message either in the comments or in my shoutbox.

JVOAEJ Winners to be announced on June 28
Source: Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility

The winners of the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism (JVOAEJ) for works published in 2006 will be known on June 28 (Thursday) during a program to be held at the AIM Conference Center Manila at Benavidez corner Trasierra Sts., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

The Center for Media Freedom & Responsibility (CMFR) has organized the awards program since 1990. This year, program sponsors include the Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Norway, The Asia Foundation with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Ateneo de Manila University.

The awards ceremony will follow the Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar which starts at 9:30 AM. As has been the practice since 1995, selected finalists participate in a panel discussion about their articles and take questions from the audience of mostly journalism faculty and students.

As in the previous year, reports published by daily newspapers were judged separately from those published by non-dailies. Thus, there are two sets of first, second and third prizes for both investigative and explanatory categories.

In the explanatory category, there are six finalists from the dailies and six from the non-dailies competing for the top prizes, while there are four finalists in each division in the investigative category.

The first-prize winner in each category will receive P70,000.00; the second-prize winner, P40,000.00; and the third, P20,000.00 Finalists will each receive P10,000.00.

The winners of the top prizes and the finalists will also receive a plaque.

This is the 11th year that the Canadian Embassy will award the Marshall McLuhan Prize, a travel study tour of Canada, to a finalist in the investigative journalism category. And for the fifth time, the Australian Embassy will present the Australian Ambassador’s Award, an observation tour of Australia, to the finalist in the explanatory category.

The first JVOAEJ were given in 1990 to honor the late Jaime V. Ongpin, who was secretary of finance during the Aquino administration. A press freedom advocate, Ongpin was involved in the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship and was instrumental in harnessing public support for the restoration of democracy in the Philippines.

FOLLOWING IS THE LIST OF JVOAEJ FINALISTS FOR COMPETITION YEAR 2006 (in no particular order):

Explanatory Reporting Category

Daily Division

Change oil
Dave Llorito
BusinessMirror
April 27, 2006

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

Guimaras oil spill
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

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

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


Non-Daily Division


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

Seeing red
Carmela Fonbuena
Newsbreak
July 3, 2006

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

Incentives for the rich harm the poor
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

Divorce by religion
Aries Rufo
Newsbreak
August 20, 2006

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

Investigative Reporting Category

Daily Division

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

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

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

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

Non-Daily Division

The Romualdezes and Equitable Bank
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

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

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