S&T feature/news reporting competition now accepting entries

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines – A Department of Science and Technology (DOST) research council here is now accepting entries in the S&T feature and news reporting competition it launched starting 2017.

The DOST-PCAARRD Ulat SIPAG Award was set in motion by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development to further popularize S&T Journalism in the country.

In a media-science community forum held at the PCAARRD office here recently, the council’s officials headed by acting executive director Reynaldo Ebora briefed members of the national and Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) media on the mechanics of the award.

PCAARRD Ulat SIPAG was crafted along the initiative of the Duterte administration’s S&T program.

Last July, at a science forum held here, Science Secretary Fortunato de la Peña echoed President Duterte’s S&T thrust thus: “The science initiative must be distributed to the regions, especially where food production needs to be improved, where industry needs to grow, and where innovation needs to be developed.”

De la Peña also said: “We, therefore, support PCAARRD’s Strategic Industry S&T Plan for Agriculture-Aquatic Growth (SIPAG) for the different commodities in crops, livestock, forestry, inland aquatic resources, marine research as well as the other environmental R&D initiatives.”

PCAARRD is the government sectoral council established in 1972 as the Philippine Council for Agricultural Research (PCAR) to coordinate, evaluate and monitor agriculture and natural resources research in the country.

In 2011, it was merged with the DOST-Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD) and renamed PCAARRD. Aside from its main mandate, it also allocates government and external funds for R&D and generates resources to sustain its programs.

PCAARRD also supports the National Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development and regional R&D consortia. The NAAN RRD is composed of research agencies under the government departments, state universities and colleges, and other R&D/S&T entities across the country.

The PCAARRD Ulat SIPAG award is open to print and broadcast media practitioners. It will be given every year to further boost PCAARRD’s initiative, which currently focuses on promoting SIPAG.

The award’s print media category will recognize the efforts of journalists in popularizing S&T/R&D articles in relation to PCAARRD’s priority concerns, primarily on the Industry Strategic Plans (ISPs).

It will be given to a professional media practitioner (PMP), or one who is employed, hired, or paid by a recognized newspaper and magazine, either in a permanent or part-time capacity. The PMP should be a practicing writer whose articles pertain to the agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources (AANR) sectors and are published in national, regional and local dailies, magazines and professional newsletters.

To qualify in the print category, a contestant should submit, among other requirements, three feature and three news articles published with byline within the preceding two years (January 2015 to February 2017).

The broadcast media category award is open to all broadcasters or radio programs in AM radio stations that have continually aired S&T information with AANR context, with emphasis on any of the ISPs.

The nominee must be a practicing radio broadcaster who has consistently broadcast S&T information relating to the AANR for at least two years immediately preceding the year of award.

Among the requirements in the broadcast media category are three sets of taped samples of broadcast programs of not less than 30-minute script.

Each of the first prize winners in the print and broadcast categories will receive a cash prize of P75,000 and a plaque; second prize in each category, P50,000 and a plaque; and third prize, P25,000 and a plaque.            

 The first PCAARRD Ulat SIPAG Award will be given to the winners during the DOST council’s anniversary celebration in June 2017.