Hail the 2015 Metrobank Foundation Journalists of the Year

MANILA, Philippines – The Metrobank Foundation Inc. (MBFI), together with Probe Media Foundation Inc. (PMFI), announces the winners of the 2015 Search for Journalists of the Year (JOY). With the theme, “Shaping the Nation through Powerful Stories”, the search honors Filipino journalists from print, television, radio and online media whose excellent stories have contributed to positive social change and whose work influences and develops their audiences towards constructive growth.

The search for JOY follows the same tradition of MBFI in recognizing excellence among outstanding public servants such as the Search for Outstanding Teachers (SOT); Country’s Outstanding Police Officers in Service (COPS); The Outstanding Philippine Soldiers (TOPS); and the Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE).

The three winners each received a cash prize of P300,000 and the Pamukaw medallion designed by Metrobank Foundation Prize for Achievement in Sculpture (MPAS) awardee Jun Vicaldo during the formal awarding ceremony held on Oct. 22, 2015. They will also be conferred the title Metrobank Foundation Fellows in Journalism, which gives them the opportunity to share their expertise and experience through the conduct of lectures before identified audiences in Metro Manila and other regions of the country.

Meanwhile, PMFI president Cheche Lazaro expressed her gratitude on the collaboration with MBFI on the JOY Search and the significance of the Fellowship in Journalism.

The search is conducted every two years. In the first edition of the JOY Search in 2013, awarded were Jarius Bondoc of The Philippine STAR, Malou Mangahas of PCIJ, and Jiggy Manicad of GMA Network. Back in 2001, MBFI partnered with the Asian Institute for Journalism and Communication in the conduct of the Search for Outstanding Journalists (SOJ). Recipients were Sheila Coronel (print), Jessica Soho (broadcast) and the late Armando Malay Sr. (Distinguished Leadership in Journalism).