BusinessMirror’s ‘broader look at biotech draws recognition
Margust Dela Cerna | August 19, 2024
‘IF only science were accessible to farmers, sana hindi ganun kahirap ang buhay ng mga magsasaka [then maybe the lives of farmers wouldn’t be so hard].”
That was the late journalist Jose G. Burgos Jr. talking in the nineties, when he decided to embrace farming fulltime, and devoted his limited time as a journalist to one specialization: science journalism, specifically, biotechnology.
His widow Edith shared this recollection at the 13th Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotechnology Journalism on Thursday at the Agriculture Training Institute of the Department of Agriculture, reviving a prestigious awards search that had been sidelined by the pandemic.
Burgos Jr., who in year 2000 was named one of the 50 World Press Freedom Heroes of the 20th Century by the International Press Institute (IPI), had championed mainstreaming biotechnology into science journalism, another niche in the profession that for decades had languished behind politics, entertainment and crime among the media outlets.
Edith Burgos said his advocacy is, fortunately, bearing fruit now that he’s gone (he died of cancer in 2003), and expressed hope more journalists and media outlets would focus on biotechnology, given the existential threats from climate change and food insecurity.
BM among winners
BusinessMirror was inducted into the awards Hall of Fame for winning first place in the Institutional category, which honors newspapers that published the most number of articles on biotechnology, for five years.
For the Best News category, BM’s senior Senate reporter Butch Fernandez won second prize for his article, “Inefficiencies stunt growth of local corn sector–Villar.”
The first prize for the News category was won by Jasper Emmanuel Arcalas of the Philippine Star for his story, “CA ruling stops imports of Bt Talong, golden rice.” Louella Desiderio, also of the Star, bagged the third prize for the news category for her article, “Biz groups urge government to prioritize support for biotech crops.”
For the Features category, first prize went to the article “Stopping GMO crops may cause ‘more harm than good’—scientists” written by Jordeene Lagare and Kathleen De Villa of Philippine Daily Inquirer. Rainier Allan Ronda of the Philippine Star bagged second prize for his article “Scientists hit CA ruling vs Bt Eggplant, GMO”. The third prize winner of the same category was Alden Monzon for his article “Gov’t told: Genetically modified crops to feed population” published in the PDI.
In the Institutional category, which BM has ruled for five years, the Philippine Star received the second prize and PDI got the third prize.
This year’s Board of Judges were composed of Dr. Vivencio R. Mamaril, Technical Consultant of the Philippine Rubber Research Institute, Dr. Paul C. Limson, Director of the DA- Biotechnology Program Office and Dr. Rhodora R. Aldemita, Executive Director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications Inc. and Director, Global Knowledge Center on Biotechnology.
That was the late journalist Jose G. Burgos Jr. talking in the nineties, when he decided to embrace farming fulltime, and devoted his limited time as a journalist to one specialization: science journalism, specifically, biotechnology.
His widow Edith shared this recollection at the 13th Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotechnology Journalism on Thursday at the Agriculture Training Institute of the Department of Agriculture, reviving a prestigious awards search that had been sidelined by the pandemic.
Burgos Jr., who in year 2000 was named one of the 50 World Press Freedom Heroes of the 20th Century by the International Press Institute (IPI), had championed mainstreaming biotechnology into science journalism, another niche in the profession that for decades had languished behind politics, entertainment and crime among the media outlets.
Edith Burgos said his advocacy is, fortunately, bearing fruit now that he’s gone (he died of cancer in 2003), and expressed hope more journalists and media outlets would focus on biotechnology, given the existential threats from climate change and food insecurity.
BM among winners
BusinessMirror was inducted into the awards Hall of Fame for winning first place in the Institutional category, which honors newspapers that published the most number of articles on biotechnology, for five years.
For the Best News category, BM’s senior Senate reporter Butch Fernandez won second prize for his article, “Inefficiencies stunt growth of local corn sector–Villar.”
The first prize for the News category was won by Jasper Emmanuel Arcalas of the Philippine Star for his story, “CA ruling stops imports of Bt Talong, golden rice.” Louella Desiderio, also of the Star, bagged the third prize for the news category for her article, “Biz groups urge government to prioritize support for biotech crops.”
For the Features category, first prize went to the article “Stopping GMO crops may cause ‘more harm than good’—scientists” written by Jordeene Lagare and Kathleen De Villa of Philippine Daily Inquirer. Rainier Allan Ronda of the Philippine Star bagged second prize for his article “Scientists hit CA ruling vs Bt Eggplant, GMO”. The third prize winner of the same category was Alden Monzon for his article “Gov’t told: Genetically modified crops to feed population” published in the PDI.
In the Institutional category, which BM has ruled for five years, the Philippine Star received the second prize and PDI got the third prize.
This year’s Board of Judges were composed of Dr. Vivencio R. Mamaril, Technical Consultant of the Philippine Rubber Research Institute, Dr. Paul C. Limson, Director of the DA- Biotechnology Program Office and Dr. Rhodora R. Aldemita, Executive Director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications Inc. and Director, Global Knowledge Center on Biotechnology.
