Catholic radio network in Mindanao awarded for health reports

COTABATO CITY, Philippines -- Southern Mindanao’s oldest Catholic radio network bagged Thursday two prestigious journalism awards from a nationwide health reportage contest by the Department of Health and the Probe Media Productions.

Two entries from the Notre Dame Broadcasting Corp. (NDBC) here --- the Bangis ng Dengue, and the Cholera Outbreak --- were listed among 10 best health reports for 2013 from among 114 print and broadcast documentaries, in the Parangal sa mga Kwentong Kalusugang Pangkalahatan (PKKP) Awards.

The nationwide contest was PKKP’s first ever, as a joint initiative of the DOH and its partner, the Probe Media Productions, which aims to promote quality reportage on health issues and concerns besetting the country.

Malu Cadelina-Manar, writer and host of the NDBC’s in-depth documentaries, aired by stations dxND in Kidapawan City and dxMS here during weekends, received the PKKP awards for their two entries during Thursday’s awarding rites at a hotel in Intramuros, Manila.

The multi-awarded stations dxMS and dxND are two of the five NDBC radio stations in Mindanao owned by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) congregation, founded by 17th century French missionary Eugene de Mazenod, and whose pontifical base is in the Vatican City in Rome.

The OMI, which has been operating humanitarian and religious programs in Central Mindanao, and in the islands of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi even before the World War II, is engaged in media ministries propagating Muslim-Christian solidarity, environmental protection consciousness, effective governance by local government units, and respect for human rights.

Physician Ivan Escartin, executive director of the National Center for Health Promotions, said the 10 best health reports for this year were chosen from among 114 documentaries submitted by different television, radio and print media entities in different parts of the country.

The NDBC had  received earlier this year, six other national citations for broadcasting proficiency, among them different awards from the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, and the Red Cross.  John Unson