by Emma C. Tabalanza

City of San Fernando, Pampanga (21 October) -- The Philippine Legislators' Committee on Population and Development, Inc. (PLCPD) in collaboration with the Population and Development Strategies (PDS) cluster of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) sixth (6th) Country Programme has launched the nationwide First Annual PopDev Media Awards in the Philippines.

The PDS cluster is composed of the Commission on Population (POPCOM), Employers' Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Forum for Family Planning and Development, and Philippine NGO Council for Population, Health and Welfare (PNGOC).

The said award aims to give recognition to the exemplary investigative reports and support to the family planning program of the country by any media practitioner in the Philippines. The said competition is open to all print journalists nationwide

Interested applicants may send entries for the following categories : best investigative/interpretative report; best reportage including a body of work; and best opinion or editorial piece. Articles submitted must have been published within the period October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2005.

Submitted pieces must feature any of the following population and development issues: population and education; population and health services; population, economic growth and poverty; reproductive health and rights; family planning; population, reproductive health policy and governance; migration; population ageing; population, housing and urban development; population and environment; sustainable development; population and food security.

Entries must be submitted to the PLCPD Secretariat by mail or through e-mail not later that October 28, 2005, at 25 Matiyaga Street, Barangay Central, Quezon City E-mail : plcpd@skyinet.net.

Entries sent by mail must be printed on legal size bond paper with the date/s and name of publication and sealed in a brown envelope together with the completed application form. Application form may be downloaded at www.plcpdfound.org.

Interested applicants may send as many entries in a chosen category, materials using local dialects must be accompanied with a translation of the material in Tagalog or English. Deadline for submission of entries is on October 28, 2005. Only entries that comply with the set rules and regulations shall qualify for the final judging and the decision of the board of judges shall be final

Furthermore, the PLCPD shall have the rights to use winning entries in information dissemination or education campaigns with due credit given to the respective entries used.

Only one grand winner per category will be chosen to receive the following prizes: cash prize, trophy and study trip to UNFPA project areas in the Philippines. The producers of exemplary TV and radio programs/coverage that wil be chosen shall receive trophies and citations.