GMANews.TV story about abortion wins PopDev Media top prize

A GMANews.TV enterprise report about the abortion industry thriving just outside the nation's most famous church bagged the prize for Best Feature Story in the annual Population and Development (PopDev) Media Awards. Quiapo Church battles abortion in front yard," was produced by GMANews.TV special correspondent Stephanie Dychiu and was first published on this website in October last year. The awards, sponsored by the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD), recognizes excellent journalism work on population and development issues. GMANews.TV won two awards this year. The other was Runner-up in the photo essay category for “Displaced by Ondoy, dazed evacuees still dare to dream," by GMANews.TV photo editor Joe Galvez, published on this site in the wake of Typhoon Ondoy. The photos featured newly displaced flood victims in their evacuation centers. Vivid detail Dychiu’s report described in vivid detail how the immediate vicinity of Quiapo church became a bustling marketplace for a wide range of abortifacients, including the notorious drug Cytotec.

“I think the story’s topic is very relevant. Tackling abortion in front of the Quiapo Church is enterprising, not to mention controversial," Rom Dongeto of the PLCPD Center for Information Communication and Capacity Building said in a phone interview on Wednesday. Dongeto, one of the members of the PLCPD Secretariat Committee which took charge of the awards, likewise said that the Dychiu story enjoyed an edge in its multi-sourcing, deriving information from the police, Church officials, vendors and buyers of the illegal substances. The story laid bare the irony of an abortion industry virtually on the doorstep of abortion's greatest foe, the Catholic church. Dychiu reported that hawkers targeted young women visiting the church to pray for guidance. Last year, GMANews.TV won three POPDEV Media Awards, two of them by GMA News reporter Claire Delfin for stories she produced for the site. (See: GMANews.TV bags 3 PopDev Media awards) Below is the complete list of winners of this year’s PopDev Media Awards, who were handed their trophies on Tuesday night: Print and Online Category Best Feature or Magazine Article: Winner – Stephanie Dychiu, GMANews.TV (“Quiapo Church battles abortion in front yard") Runner-up – Donna Demetillo, Women’s Feature Service (“Young, Poor and Tricked into the Sex Trade") Best News Reportage: Winner – Merlinda Hernando-Malipot, Manila Bulletin Runner-up – Imelda Abaño, BusinessMirror Best Investigative Report: Winner – Roel Landingin, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (“Alarm bells for May 10 elections? Sharp spike in Maguindanao, ARMM population a big riddle") Runner-up – John Alliage Morales, Philippine Graphic Magazine (“No breaking glass floor of drug prices") Best Opinion or Editorial Piece: Winner – Fr. John J. Carroll S.J., Philippine Daily Inquirer (“Enough of Demographic Terrorism: Let’s Talk") Runner-up – Juan Mercado, Sun.Star Cebu (“Three Inevitables") Broadcast Category Best TV Documentary: Winner – Karen Davila, The Correspondents- ABS-CBN Broadcasting Network (“Napabayaang Sinapupunan") Runner-up – Abner Mercado, The Correspondents- ABS-CBN Broadcasting Network (“Agaw Buhay") Best Magazine Program or Talk Show: Winner – Marielle Gaceta-Catbagan, Salamat Dok- ABS-CBN Broadcasting Network (“Family Planning Options") Runner-up – Marielle Gaceta-Catbagan, Salamat Dok- ABS-CBN Broadcasting Network (“Father’s Role in Family Planning") Photojournalism Category Best Photo Essay: Winner – Buck Pago, Bulatlat.com (“Overpopulation in the Philippines and the Need for an RH Law") Runner-up – Joe Galvez, GMANews.TV (“Displaced by Ondoy, dazed evacuees still dare to dream") Best Single Photo: Winner – Kriz John Rosales, Manila Bulletin (“A Mother") Runner-up – Michael Varcas, Manila Bulletin and Tempo (“Only Hope") —JV/HS, GMANews.TV