PPI marks 50th year with two-day fete

Screengrab from www.philpressinstitute.com

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Press Institute, also known as the association of Philippine newspapers, will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a two-day commemorative event slated to unfold on May 1 at the Traders Hotel in Manila.

Former President Fidel V. Ramos will be the keynote speaker for the 18the season of the Civic Journalism Community Press Awards.

Dubbed “PPI@50 and Beyond,” this year’s PPI golden anniversary theme calls to mind the national newspaper association’s collective and individual feats as well as the enormous challenges facing the Philippine press, a statement issued by PPI said.

The spate of journalist killings that continues to alarm both local and international media groups and human rights advocates, newspaper viability in the increasingly digital era, the much-anticipated passage of the long-overdue Freedom of Information bill, and poor media compensation and working conditions alongside the need to professionalize the journalists ranks are some of the issues that continue to hound members of the press, particularly those working in communities.

“As PPI head for the past 12 months or so, I’ve had the privilege of touching base with some media colleagues all over the country,” says PPI chairman-president Atty. Jesus Dureza. Yet, the concurrent Mindanao Times publisher has also seen “that the challenges affecting the media have remained the same.”

It is against this backdrop that the PPI marks “its half-century milestone, mindful that the Philippine press must continue to perform its role in upholding press freedom and providing the public with verified, accurate and truthful information that is so vital to democracy,” says the newspaper association in a statement.

Toward this end, the PPI has forged strategic partnerships (and strengthened existing ones) with select development and corporate institutions to implement vital media projects in the coming months. The PPI’s upcoming initiatives resulting from these partnerships will be formally launched during its 50th anniversary celebration. It is also set to begin this year the promotion of the organization of regional press councils as public redress mechanisms.

2013 Civic Journalism Awards

While the PPI is well aware of the issues confronting the media, particularly at the community level, it continues to recognize the outstanding contributions of the community press to the reconstruction of public life where ordinary folk have a strong voice in local affairs.

The Civic Journalism Community Press Awards, launched in 1996 and conferred annually on outstanding community newspapers, will be one of the highlights of the upcoming PPI anniversary celebration. The PPI’s institutional partnership, initially with Konrad Adenauer Foundation and currently with Coca-Cola Philippines, has made this undertaking possible.

This year’s awards program will see daily and weekly newspaper finalists from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao vying for the coveted top prize in each of the following categories:
Best Reporting on Disasters (Special Coke Bayanihan Award)
Best in Culture, Arts and History Reporting
Best in Photojournalism
Best in Environmental Reporting
Best in Business and Economic Reporting
Best Editorial Page
Best Edited Paper

The finalists are:  (Daily) Sun.Star Baguio, Sun.Star Cebu, Cebu Daily News, The Visayan Daily Star, Edge Davao, Sun.Star Davao, Mindanao Gold Star Daily, (Weekly) Baguio Chronicle, Baguio Midland Courier, Mabuhay, The Bohol Chronicle, Metro Post, The Mindanao Cross and BusinessWeek Mindanao.

The criteria for judging include how the competing newspapers served as catalyst for community action during the year under review (2013) and coverage of issues that are relevant to community life and aspirations. Finalists will receive Plaques of Merit.  Winners will receive cash prizes and special trophies

The two-day event will also mark this year’s annual PPI members’ assembly, which will bring together representatives from least 50 newspaper members from across the country. The annual membership meeting and launch of new partnership programs with Holcim Philippines, Plan International, Coca-Cola FEMSA, Nickel Asia Corporation and Eon will take place on May 2, the culmination of the two-day PPI golden anniversary gathering.

The 50th Anniversary is being supported by Coca-Cola Philippines as principal partner, Malaya, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Standard Today, The Philippine Star, Journal Group, and BusinessWorld.  It is sponsored in part by Nickel Asia Corporation, PLDT, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Metrobank Foundation, First Philippine Holdings Corporation, SM Investments, PhilHealth, UNILAB, SM Retail, Land Bank of the Philippines, and Traders Hotel Manila.