Nominations for UP Gawad Plaridel 2013 now accepted

THE UNIVERSITY of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UPCMC) is now accepting nominations for its ninth Gawad Plaridel. Deadline for nominations is March 30. The annual award recognizes Filipino media practitioners who excel in any of the media (print, radio, film, television and new media) and have performed with the highest level of professional integrity in the interest of public service.

For 2013, the award will be given to an outstanding print/online/community journalist. The winner will be announced in May.

Eligible for the awards are all living Filipino individuals who have excelled in the print media as a reporter, editor, columnist, editorial writer or publisher. Aside from their probity and integrity, they must have produced a body of work marked by excellence and social relevance and must have achievements recognized nationally and/or internationally.

Individuals and institutions may nominate. Institutions include media corporations, professional media associations, media advocacy groups, educational institutions, cultural foundations and nongovernment organizations.

Previous nominees may still be considered for this year’s award. All current full-time faculty and staff of the UPCMC are disqualified.

The award is named after Marcelo H. del Pilar, the selfless propagandist known as Plaridel, whose stewardship of the reformist newspaper La Solidaridad helped crystallize nationalist sentiments and ignite libertarian ideas in the 1890s.

Like Plaridel, the awardee must believe in the vision of a Philippine society that is egalitarian, participative and progressive; and in media that are socially responsible, critical and vigilant, liberative and transformative and free and independent.

The Gawad Plaridel is given in July in commemoration of Del Pilar’s death anniversary. The recipient will receive a trophy designed by National Artist Napoleon Abueva and will deliver the Plaridel Lecture, addressing issues relevant to the state and practice of Philippine media.

Nomination forms and award guidelines are available at the UPCMC Office of Extension and External Relations. Call 920-6864 for details.