UNIQUE AWARD Associate publisher Juliet Labog Javellana receives the 2021 Pro Patria Journalism Award on behalf of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Daily Inquirer received the 2021 Pro Patria Journalism Award from the Rotary Club of Manila (RCM) “for its commitment of valuable resources for the protection of free expression and its resilience in disseminating fair and truthful information resulting in an informed and enlightened citizenry” during the challenging times.
The Inquirer was recognized for the “fearless and selfless use of its platform and facilities for constructive criticism of government policies and actions, and [for] encouraging adequate and competent scrutiny of private enterprise.’’
The paper was also honored for “promoting public and private sector collaboration in building a strong nation of healthy, peaceful, confident and dynamic people, all for the love of country,’’ according to the award citation.
This year’s RCM awards for the print and broadcast media feted institutions—instead of individuals—in recognition of their resilience amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Inquirer associate publisher Juliet Labog Javellana received the award on behalf of the 35-year-old newspaper that was founded a year before the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution.
Resilience initiatives
Javellana recognized the “unique and very meaningful” award, noting how the past year saw the business community, the media and Filipinos in general doing “nothing short of heroic’’ to survive the unprecedented challenges brought about by COVID-19.
To overcome the constraints on distribution due to the community quarantine, she said, the Inquirer aggressively promoted its digital newsstand, Inquirer Plus, for subscriptions to give readers continued access to accurate, responsible journalism especially during the health crisis.
“Our journalists continued to report on the government’s management of the pandemic [response] and produced special reports on other vital issues,’’ she said.
The Inquirer also started producing podcasts and webinars to reach a wider online audience, she added.
The company also launched Inquirer Project Rebound in partnership with 14 major organizations, a venue where economic stakeholders can share insights on how to steer various sectors on the road to recovery.
The country’s leading broadsheet also started the Inquirer News Initiative (INI), forging ties with regional newspapers across the nation to help community journalism survive the pandemic and the ensuing economic slump, which has so far forced the closure of 11 local publications.
“We recognize the value of community journalism in cultivating an informed electorate, accountable government and generally, a sense of place or community,’’ she said of INI, which is also implemented via the Inquirer Plus mobile app.
These initiatives, she said, were “not just for our self-survival but also to fulfill our role in a democracy—to provide our readers with accurate, timely and truthful information, to empower them to make good decisions about their lives and their country.”
Javellana thanked the Rotary Club of Manila for inspiring the Inquirer and other media organizations to soldier on, noting that “as we face a critical election year in the midst of the pandemic, the free and independent media will again be called upon to help the voters make critical decisions about our future as a nation.’’
‘Most credible’
The Inquirer was previously named by the RCM as Newspaper of the Year in 2019, 2010, 2004 and 1992, apart from earning dozens of awards for individual reporters, columnists and correspondents since 1987.
In 2020, the RCM cited the Inquirer as “undeniably the country’s most credible and influential newspaper.” “Not only is it the most read among all sectors and ages, it is also the country’s most trusted source of hard-hitting news and countless exposés,” it stressed.
Amado Valdez, a former chair of the Social Security System and former law school dean of the University of the East, chaired the 2021 RCM Awards committee, with Frank Evaristo as committee vice chair. Also handing out the awards at the program held online on June 17 were Farid Alain Schoucair, director of vocation services; and RCM president Robert Joseph.
Other Pro Patria awardees in the print media were the Philippine Star, Manila Bulletin, Manila Times, Manila Standard, Pahayagang Malaya, The Daily Tribune, Chinese Commercial News, Business Mirror and BizNews Asia Magazine.
For television, the awardees were GMA Network, TV5 Network, Eagle Broadcasting Corp. and CNN Philippines. The World Broadcasting Corp., Radyo Mo Nationwide (RMN) Network and Manila Broadcasting Co. (dzRH) received the awards for radio.