Winners in 2008 Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotech Journalism awarded

THE reporters from Philippine Daily Inquirer and BusinessWorld topped the winners in the 2008 Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotech Journalism which awarding ceremonies was held on Thursday, November 27, at the Institute for Small-Scale Industries (ISSI) in the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.

Anselmo Roque of the Philippine Daily Inquirer bagged the first prize in the Best Feature Story category for his article "Carabao may be key to biofuel, says scientist", while Eric Dorente of BusinessWorld won the first prize in the Best News Story Category for his article "Biotech and GMO use on the rise in RP."

The Manila Bulletin, BusinessMirror and The Philippine Star won the first, second and third prizes, respectively, in the institutional category for supporting the information dissemination of biotech stories by printing the most number of such stories.

Melody Aguiba of Manila Bulletin was conferred the Hall of Fame award for having won the top prize in the J.Burgos biotechnology awards in the past three years.

Special citations were given to Sonny Tababa former Network Administrator  of Searca-Biotech Information Unit, and to Dr. Randy Hautea, Global Coordinator and SEAsia Center Director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) for effectively promoting biotechnology in their respective fields.

The other awardees for the Best Feature category are: Doreen Yu (Philippine Star), second place, for her article "Scientist of the Year: Baldomero M. Olivera discovers poisonous secrets;" and Emmanuel Libre Osorio (BusinessMirror), third place, for "The future in a grain: The Rice Profit Protocol prompts the birth of an innovative school." Two articles of Tessa Salazar of Philippine Daily Inquirer were among the finalists. They were "RP seas may hold key to cancer cure" and "4 MIT students eye 'malunggay' for fuel."

The other awardees for the Best News category are: Dennis Estopace (BusinessMirror), second place, for his story "Pinoy scientists speed up filing of US patents to secure their sea-snails studies;" and Jojo de Guzman (Malaya), third place, for "Rice that can withstand 2-week submergence developed." The finalists in this category are Conrad Cariño (Manila Times) for article "Coconut, 'malunggay' present golden opportunity to farmers;" and Danny  Calleja (BusinessMirror) for his "'Smart' biofuel crops now being promoted."

The winners in the Best Feature and Best News categories received cash prizes of P30,000, P20,000 and P10,000, for the first, second and third prizes, respectively, and plaques. Winners in the other categories received plaques.

Keynoting the ceremonies was foremost Filipino scientist Dr. William Padolina, the current deputy director general of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and former secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

The annual biotech journalism award, which started in 2005, was part of the celebration of the National Biotechnology Week from November 24 to 29.         

 This year's board of judges was composed of experts in biotechnology and communication, and from the academe. They are Dr. Patricio Faylon, executive director of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and National Resources (PCARRD) and the board of judges chairman; Dr. Gaudencio Petalcorin Jr., national president of Biotechnology Information and Organization Network (BIONet); Dr. Saturnina Halos, chairperson of the Department of Agriculture-Biotechnology Advisory Team; Rolly Estabillo, vice president for corporate communications of Philippine Airlines; and Angelo Palmones, president of Philippine Science Journalists Association of the Philippines Inc.(PSciJourn).

The 2008 Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotech Journalism was organized by the Biotech Media and Advocacy Resource Center (BMARC), a consortium that promotes the government's biotech program. BMARC is composed of the Department of Agriculture-Biotech Program Office, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources and Development (PCARRD-DOST), Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca), Biotech Coalition of the Philippines (BCP), and the J.Burgos Media Services Inc.

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