PDI reporters earn recognition from CMFR, DA biotech program

RECOGNITIONS (L-R) Alden Monzon, Jordeene Lagare and Kathleen de Villa receive their trophies after winning in the 2024 Jose G. Burgos Biotech Journalism Award in this photo taken on Nov. 21. —Grig C. Montegrande

MANILA, Philippines — Reporters of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) were recognized for their work in two separate events this week.

Jane Bautista made it as one of the panelists in the 34th Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar (JVOJS), while Kathleen de Villa, Jordeene Lagare and Alden Monzon were among the winners at the 2024 Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotechnology Journalism.

Organized by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), this year’s JVOJS recognized five journalists from print and online media platforms for the quality of their work in the context of best practice and media ethics, and featured them in a panel discussion on current issues affecting the media and its autonomy.

READ: Inquirer business reporters bag 2 Ejap awards

The annual event recognizes media practitioners who have produced exemplary work in the past year, with senior journalists of the CMFR’s board of trustees deciding who will be the panelists for the prestigious seminar.

Bautista, who covers the judiciary and justice beat for the Inquirer, was part of the panel alongside Kurt de la Peña of Inquirer.net, Christina Chi of Philstar.com, and Jairo Bolledo and Pia Ranada of Rappler.

Jane Bautista of the Inquirer and Kurt de la Peña of Inquirer.net were also recognized by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility for their work in the context of best practice and media ethics. —Grig C. Montegrande

Doing it not for fame

“We were on the lookout for journalists who reported for the good of public interest, not for their career, not for their promotion, not for their fame,” said CMFR executive director Melinda de Jesus, during the event on Tuesday held at the AIM Conference Center Manila in Makati City.

De Jesus noted that Bautista’s body of work included “stories on the shift to distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges of returning to face-to-face education, and environmental issues like air and plastic pollution due to climate change and land reclamation.”

Promoting biotech

Prior to covering the justice beat, Bautista reported on the education and environment sectors. She joined the Inquirer in 2019.

In another nod to journalism work, three PDI reporters on Thursday were also recognized at the 2024 Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotechnology Journalism.

The annual award, established in 2005, recognizes the contribution of journalists to scientific inquiry and encourages the media to be an active partner in promoting biotechnology.

Inquirer’s news reporter De Villa, alongside business reporter Lagare, took home the first prize in the best feature story category for their article “Stopping GMO crops may cause ‘more harm than good’—scientists,” published in the paper’s April 27 issue.

Monzon, also a business reporter for the Inquirer, won the third prize in the same category with his story, “Gov’t told: Genetically modified crops to feed population,” published on May 6.

Institutional effort

The newspaper also placed third in the institutional category for publishing six articles on biotechnology from Aug. 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024.

Winners took home trophies and cash prizes of P30,000 (first prize), P20,000 (second) and P10,000 (third).

The awards committee was headed by Edita Burgos, wife of the late journalist Jose Burgos Jr., the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Biotechnology Program office, Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines and Advocacy House for Grassroots Communication and Development Asia Inc.