MANILA, Philippines—Three Philippine Daily Inquirer business reporters bagged awards for outstanding coverage at the 17th annual Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP)-Globe Telecoms Business Journalism Awards held at Makati Shangri-La on Friday night.

Doris Dumlao won the “Reporter of the Year” award for the banking beat for the fourth straight year, while Amy Remo was named “Reporter of the Year” for the agriculture beat.

Daxim Lucas won the “Feature Story of the Year” for his three-part special report on the P18-billion debt settlement between Philippine National Construction Co. and British Virgin Islands firm Radstock.

The report explored aspects of the deal that were allegedly disadvantageous to the government. The Supreme Court later issued a temporary restraining order on the transaction.

It was the eighth EJAP award received by Dumlao, who shared the citation for best coverage of the banking beat with Virgilio Vallecera of Business Mirror.

It was the fourth EJAP award for Lucas and the first for Remo, who received the award on her very first year in the agriculture beat.

The winners were chosen based on business and economic stories written and published in 2007.

Earlier this year, Remo won the Bright Leaf national award for “Best Agriculture News Story.”

Lucas and Remo are both graduates of Ateneo de Manila University. Lucas holds a degree in BS Management (1994), while Remo has a degree in AB Communications (2001). Dumlao graduated with a degree in Political Science (1994) at University of the Philippines-Diliman.

The trophies were handed out by Rodolfo Salalima, Globe Telecoms senior vice president, and Oscar Lopez, Benpres Holdings Corp. chair, who delivered the keynote speech with the theme “Building a Legacy” during the award ceremonies.

Other winners were Max de Leon of Business Mirror (trade and industry), Donnabelle Gatdula of Philippine Star (energy), Lovely Nica Lee of Businessworld (capital markets), Darwin Amojelar of Manila Times (telecommunications) and Cai Ordinario of Business Mirror (macroeconomics and public finance).

The annual EJAP-Globe Telecom Awards seeks to encourage the development of business journalism in the country by giving due recognition to reporters who have produced accurate, timely and relevant economic stories.

This year’s board of judges was chaired by Milwida Guevara, president of Synergeia Foundation and former finance undersecretary. Other judges were Ernest Leung, former finance secretary; Ronald Oliver Solis, former national telecommunications commissioner; Paul Joseph Garcia, ING Investment Management chief investment officer; Ric Pinca, Philippine Flour Millers Association executive director; Adrian Cristobal Jr., Intellectual Property Office director general; and Francis Saturnino Juan, Energy Regulatory Commission executive director.

Jessie Cabaluna, SGV & Co. partner, and her staff were responsible for tabulating scores of the judges.

Globe Telecoms has supported the EJAP awards for the last eight years.