Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility in cooperation with the Open Society Foundation Media Program and the Ateneo De Manila University luckily invited CEU participants for the Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar. Fortunately, as one of the members of the CEU Communication Arts Society, I was given a chance to be part of this prestigious seminar.

The Marshal McLuhan Fellow was also presented. It was held last June 23, 2012 at the SGV Hall, 3/F Conference Center Manila, Benavidez corner Trasierra Sts., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

The seminar was all about COVERING CORRUPTION which was initiated by the invited panelists: 

Carolyn Arguillas Mind a News 

Dana Batnag Jiji Press, Manila Bureau 

Carla P. Gomez The Visayan Daily Star

Lynda Jumilla-Abalos ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation

Malou Mangahas Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism 

Jiggy Manicad GMA Network Inc. 

From left to right: Cristenebi Abanador, Justine Quing and CEU Journalism Professor Ms. Cynthia Santiago.

I was so fortunate that I had the chance to see Mr. Jiggy Manicad in person. 

By the way, JVOJS also invited different schools from Metro Manila like FEU, DLSU, ADMU and many more. 

The picture might be blurry but it was Ms. Malou Mangahas of PCIJ whom we got the chance to have a picture with. From the PCIJ blog, it says there that Ms. MALOU Mangahas is a veteran of Philippine journalism and multi-tasking. She edited the Philippine Collegian and later presided over the UP Student Council while working on a journalism degree, graduating cum laude.

Together with Mr. Christopher Jay Cortado and some of the journalism students of CEU.

After the talk about covering corruption, the presentation of the 2012 Marshall McLuhan Fellow was announced and it was the honorable Ms. Lynda-Jumilla Abalos who achieved the award.

At the end of the day, I realized so many things from the people I got to encounter with. There are many learnings and realizations which I was very into. If you are a journalist, there is no escaping the fact that it is very risky and at some point, so difficult. Imagine when you have to cover about corruption of some public officials, you have no choice but to do your job as a journalist, even if you know that there are eyes out there watching all your actions and in just a snap your life could be in danger. I learned that envelopmental journalism still exists. And I, as a future media practitioner and a potential broadcast journalist (I claim it. LOL), should resist temptation like receiving money on an envelope. Because at the end of day, be it a journalist or just an ordinary individual, CREDIBILITY MATTERS.