■ Ofelia C. Empian
Baguio-based newspapers won awards during the 2023 Philippine Press Institute (PPI) Community Press Awards on April 25 at the Century Park Hotel in Manila.
The Baguio Midland Courier deskstaff member Hanna Lacsamana has been conferred the outstanding weekly community journalist under the inaugural Health Innovation and Collaboration Awards.
PPI has partnered with the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) for the Health Innovation and Collaboration Awards to honor “stories that promote the values and innovation in healthcare.”
Also winning in the new awards category is the Baguio Herald Express as the outstanding community newspaper for the weekly category, as well as the special award on best in photographs and stories on health.
Winner for the outstanding community newspaper for the daily category is the Daily Guardian while the outstanding national newspaper is the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The outstanding community journalists on health from the daily national newspaper are Patricia Mirasol of Business World and Pam Pastor of the PDI.
Baguio Chronicle, meanwhile, won the best in environmental reporting in the weekly category under the PPI community press awards.
The Midland Courier, a Hall of Famer in civic journalism awards, has qualified anew for the annual PPI awards but its copies for 2023 were not received on time for screening and evaluation for the awards.
International Labor Organization Project Coordinator Hussein Macarambon, representing Country Office Manila Director, ILO Khalid Hassan, has lauded the work of the community press for presenting informative stories in relation to migration.
Macarambon said the information received by the public from the media helps shape their decision-making especially in choosing to work abroad.
Winners in reporting on migration issues are Samar Weekly Express (weekly) and Panay News (daily).
Other winners of the community press awards are the Daily Guardian as outstanding community newspaper for the daily category; best in photojournalism were The Northern Forum (weekly) and Sun.Star Davao (daily); environmental reporting went to Sun.Star Davao (daily); and business and economic reporting went to the Central Mindanao Newswatch (weekly) and Panay News (daily).
Awarded as the best editorial page are the Metro Post (weekly) and Panay News (daily); best edited community newspaper went to Sunday Punch (weekly) and The Freeman (daily); and the newest award is the best news website that went to Palawan News (Luzon), Sun.Star Cebu (Visayas), and Mindanao Times (Mindanao).
The awards ceremony was also part of the 28th National Press Forum of the PPI dubbed “The Future of Newsrooms: The Viability of Print in an AI Era”, which includes the general membership assembly, annual conference community press awards, and learning exchange forum with support from Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC).
Also conducted was the inaugural “Think Pink Awards on Outstanding Stories on Breast Cancer” on April 24 supported by the PHAP and the Alliance & Partnerships for Patient Innovation & Solutions.
The PPI is the oldest organization of newspapers in the Philippines which celebrated its 60 years during the event.