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Chit Estella Journalism awards focus on human rights reports

Published by Ellen on December 6, 2012

Congratulations to the winners in the 1st Chit Estella Journalism awards.

The awardees were Elizabeth Lolarga of the Philippine Daily Inquirer for her print story, “365 political prisoners go on hunger strike” and Ina Alleco Silverio of Bulatlat.com for her online story, “Three months after Sendong, Iligan residents still far from rebuilding their lives.”

The winners of the 1st Chit Estella Journalism Awards will be known Friday (Dec 7) in an event at the UP College of Mass Communications Auditorium that will also include a Memorial Lecture.

The Chit Estella Awards honor the best journalistic report on human rights in print and online, published between October 1, 2011 and October 1, 2012. Each awardee will be given a cash prize of P10,000 and a trophy.

This year’s finalists for online media are:

-Three months after Sendong, Iligan residents still far from rebuilding their lives by Ina Alleco Silverio

-Jonas Burgos, gentle and brave by Ronalyn Olea

-Privatization of government hospitals, further marginalizing the poor in the name of profit by Anne Marxze Umil

Ballet Manila’s Sinderela: poignant Elgar and dazzling Prokofiev

Published by Ellen on December 6, 2012

By Pablo A. Tariman,VERA Files

Stepmother and stepsisters with Sinderela

Ballet Manila has an interesting twin-bill for its holiday treat and with contrasting flavors at that.

It opened with an austere, if, poignant Sonata (choreographed by Osias Barroso) to the full music of Elgar’s Sonata in E Minor, Opus 82 for violin and piano. Providing live music is British violinist Robert Atchison with Russian pianist Olga Dudnik on the piano.

Sub-titled “Love’s Awakening With A Kiss,” Sonata is a complicated piece to interpret owing to the cerebral nature of the the music. But you actually warm up to both the music and the choreography as the story unfolds. Danced by Hana Oh and Harold Salgado with a corps de ballet, the Sonata wove its own magic when the music and the choreography found their common link. Salgado is a very competent partner and a very supportive one. A highly lyrical dancer with a luminous face is Hanna Oh whose subtle acting gave you a romantic clue as to what the piece is all about.

Aquino confirms appointment of Basilio as ambassador to China

Published by Ellen on December 5, 2012

President Aquino confirmed the appointment of Foreign Undersecretary for Policy, Erlinda Basilio as ambassador to China.

Following the is the transcript of the “ambush” interview”:

President Aquino Q: Sir, how soon will we name our next ambassador to China? Usec. (Erlinda) Basilio has been floated as a replacement.

PRESIDENT AQUINO: Well, as soon as we will submit her name to the Commission on Appointments. Once they confirm (her), therefore, we can seek the—the French term was ‘agrément’—parang the agreement for the designation of Usec. Basilio as our new ambassador to China.

Q: So you’re confirming it is Ambassador Basilio?

PRESIDENT AQUINO: Yes.

Erlinda Basilio expected to be named ambassador to China

Published by Ellen on December 3, 2012

Erlinda Basilio3 — Calm demeanor masks toughness

President Benigno S. Aquino III is expected to name Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda Basilio as ambassador to China, reliable sources at the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

Malacanang said last Friday the President would announce Monday the new ambassador to China who will replace Sonia Brady,71, who suffered a stroke in Beijing last August.

Malacanang, however, made no such announcement, preoccupied it was with monitoring typhoon “Pablo.”

DFA sources said Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario submitted to the President three names, all career officers, for the post that is considered the most challenging in Philippine foreign affairs today.

Basilio has always been in the list of candidates for ambassador to China after Aquino family friend Domingo Lee withdrew from the position he was nominated for (he was never confirmed by the Commission on Appointments) in the wake of the standoff at the Panatag shoal, also known as Scarborough shoal, 123 nautical miles off Zambales in Central Luzon. But she has made herself valuable as undersecretary for policy in the home office.

Preparing media for the 2013 elections

Published by Ellen on December 2, 2012

In six months, we will have the midterm national elections.

The May 13, 2013 elections will be the first national, automated, and synchronized (including the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao) elections under the Aquino administration.

VERA Files, a group composed of veteran journalists that produces in-depth articles on current issues and conducts training for journalists, last week held a training-seminar for 18 journalists from different parts of the country.

The training seminar was supported by the Embassy of Canada through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives. Benoit Girouard, second secretary in the Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Section of the Canadian Embassy, stressed the importance of a free, honest, responsible and independent media in a democracy.

Nakakalalake

Published by Ellen on December 2, 2012

Limang buhay ang nasira dahil lamang sa yabang.

“Nakakalalake.” Yan ang sabi ng pulis ng dahilan ng pagpatay sa isang Amerikanong Marines, si GeorgeAnikow, 41 taong gulang ng apat na lalaki na nakilalang sina Jose Alfonzo Abastillas, 24; Crispin Chong Dela Paz, 28; Osric Malabanan Cabrera, 27; at Galicano Salas Datu III,22.

Konting sagutan. Ang nagpainit ng ulo talaga ng apat ay ang pagtapik ni Anikow ng kanilang sasakyan na silver na Volvo. (Ano ba ang sa Volvo na naging brutal ang nakasakay kapag ito ay natapik? Di ba Volvo na berde ang kotse ni Robert Blair Carabuena, ang nambugbug sa MMDA traffic aide na si Saturnino Fabros? Di ba ang pagtapik din ni Fabros ng kanya nagwala si Carabuena?)

Nakakulong na ngayon itong apat. Murder ang kaso ng mga ito. Makalaya man sila balang araw, nagkawindang-windang na ang kanilang buhay. Kababata pa nila. Nakapag-aral at may kaya. Ito si Datu, nag-aaral pa sa La Salle.

Dahil lamang sa gustong patunayan ang pagkalalake. Ano ba yung “nakalalake.”

Maguindanao massacre on our mind

Published by Ellen on November 25, 2012

Cagayan de Oro from Froilan Gallardo — The media community in Cagayan de Oro. Photo from Froilan Gallardo’s FB

The 2009 Maguindanao massacre and the sad fact that justice continues to elude the victims were foremost in the minds of the delegates to the 9th Spectrum Fellowship National Campus Journalism conference held at Mambukal resort in Negros Occidental.

The Spectrum is the official student media corps of the University of St La Salle. There were about 60 participants in the conference coming not only from De La Salle but also from Far Eastern University, University of Sto. Tomas and University of San Agustin in Iloilo City.

They had an interesting range of topics. I came on the second day (Friday) and I caught up with the lectures of Ernie Sarmiento, formerly chief photographer of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, on photojournalism ethics, Philippine Star columnist Cito Beltran on opinion writing, GMA-7 (Iloilo)’s Rexcel Sorza on social media ethics, and RA Rivera on connecting through video.

PH should face up to the reality ‘When China rules the world’

Published by Ellen on November 22, 2012

Martin Jacques and Sen. Alan Cayetano, one of the sponsors of the forum.

While President Aquino was making waves in the summit of Asean leaders and their dialogue partners in Cambodia with his statement urging the United States to speak up on the South China Sea conflict which was anathema to China, visiting journalist and China expert, Martin Jacques, was telling a rapt audience at the Manila Intercon, “I don’t think it would serve the Philippine well to think that the United States will help” in the territorial conflict with China.

“I am not arguing that the Philippines give up its claims, but a way has to be found to deal with these questions, a way that does not involve derailing or poisoining its relationship with China because it will not get anywhere,” he said.

Jacques is the author of the 2009 bestseller, When China Rules the World, which asserts that “by 2027 China will overtake the United States as the world’s largest economy, and by 2050 its economy will be twice as large as that of the United States.”

Aquino living up to the role of U.S. dummy

Published by Ellen on November 20, 2012

Aquino in Cambodia for asean summit — Aquino in 2012 Asean and dialogue partners summit in Cambodia

In a United States-written script, President Aquino performed his role very well as the American dummy in Southeast Asia at the 21st Asean summit in Cambodia.

In a speech before leaders belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the group’s dialogue partners that included the United States and China, Aquino urged the U.S. to be involved in the South China Sea dispute.

Parts of the speech:“It is especially vital to have the world’s largest national economy involved in the discussions considering the interconnectedness of our current milieu…

“Each one of our nations has a stake in the stability of Southeast Asia. The United States understands this and, for this reason, has chosen to work with us to ensure the peace and continuous advancement of our region.”

The Inquirer reported that Aquino said the US presence at the Asean summits “adds a special dimension to our regional discussions particularly on issues that have far-reaching political and economic implications.”

Aquino berating media is becoming boring

Published by Ellen on November 15, 2012

3rd SonaB — Berating media has become a habit for Aquino.

Why am I not surprised that the Freedom of Information bill in the House of Representatives has been declared dead in the 15th Congress by press freedom advocates?

Simple: President Aquino does not support it.

Despite the fact that he was product of media hype, he does not understand the role of media in governance and in strengthening democracy. Although he said when he was campaigning for the presidency in 2010 that he was going to support the FOI bill, he never included it among his administration’s priority measures.

Look back to his statements the past two years:

In Oct. 2011, before Southeast Asian leaders, Aquino said: “You know, having a freedom of information act sounds so good and noble but at the same time—I think you’ll notice that here in this country—there’s a tendency of getting information and not really utilizing it for the proper purposes.”

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