7th Annual Population and Development Media Awards - Winners Revealed

The Annual Population and Development Media Awards was conceived by the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc (PLCPD) in 2005 to pay tribute to outstanding and responsible journalism on population and development.

As a policy advocacy organization since 1989, PLCPD recognized the important role of media in promoting awareness on population, reproductive health, and other human development issues among legislators and the public.  PLCPD believes that news media has the power to influence the opinions and views of policymakers and the public on these concerns.

Through the years, PLCPD has engaged the members of national and local media, forging partnerships and educating them, to stimulate and sustain their proactive coverage of policy issues on population and human development.  These interactions contributed in the dramatic increase in the amount and quality of discussions of these issues in the mass media.

Already on its 7th year, the PopDev Media Awards has gained its status as a credible award giving body as shown by the continuing increase of entries received nationwide. It has been instrumental not just in recognizing exemplary works on population and development but also in encouraging the media to continue to examine these issues.

This year PLCPD slated its awarding ceremony of the 7^th Annual Population and Development Media Awards on November 29, 2011 at Grand Ballroom, Eastwood Richmonde Hotel, Eastwood City in Quezon City.

The event was hosted by former Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla and Mrs. Pia Arroyo-Magalona and was attended by media organizations, members of Congress, government officials, non-government organizations, business groups, and representatives from the international development community. One of the guests of the said event is the Asia's Diamond Soul Siren Nina.

Among this year’s winners is Mark Pere Madrona who received the Best Text Blog Award. The Best Text Blog and the Best Photoblog award (which no one won) falls under the Citizen Media category. This year marks the first time Citizen Media was elevated as a main category, alongside Photojournalism, Print and Online, and Broadcast categories. This is in recognition of the increasing role social media is playing in shaping public opinion. Mark's series of blogs tackling human trafficking, migration, and premarital pregnancies, and sex education earned this recognition. Here are those:

From Maguindanao to Taguig: The Story of ‘Kaisha’

Andi Eigenmann and the rising number of premarital pregnancies in the country

Why are there too many premarital pregnancies in Pinas?

If parents and teachers won’t educate children about sex, who will?

Saudization means fewer overseas work opportunities for Filipinos

Other awardees include GMA-7's REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK, RH Bill: Sagot o Salot Special as Best TV Documentary, Front Row of GMA News TV as a Runner-Up, RH Bill: The Grand Debate Special (GMA News) as Best Talk Show Program, GMA News Online as 2nd Placer in Best Feature Story, Bawal ang Pasaway kay Maring Winnie: K+12 Education (GMA News TV) as Runner-Up for Best in Magazine Talk Show and Patricia Evangelista as Best Opinion Piece for “Method to Madness” – Philippine Daily Inquirer).

The board of judges for the citizen media category is composed of former New York Times correspondent and freelance journalist Carlos Conde (chair), UP Professor Dr. Grace Cruz (from the Population Institute), Rene Bartolo (PDMA Hall of Fame Awardee), Rep. Antonio Tinio from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, and Rep. Teodoro Baguilat of Benguet.

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