MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. (PLCPD) and the United Nations’ Population Fund (UNFPA), through its 6th Country Programme, once again recognized the importance of information dissemination in their advocacy on population.

Members of the media were cited during the holding of the 6th Annual Population and Development Media Awards on Tuesday, November 30, 2010.

The undertaking was first organized in 2005 to pay tribute to outstanding media practitioners who have helped disseminate relevant information on population and development through their coverage of these vital issues and events.

For this year, a reporter and two photo journalists from the Manila Bulletin bagged separate major awards for their contributions to the advocacy being pushed by the PLCPD and UNFPA on population.

For the Print and Online Category under the “Best News Reportage” group, Merlina Hernando Malipot emerged as the “winner” for her relevant articles titled “All systems go for Sex Ed in high school,” “DepEd pressed to cancel reproductive health plan,” and “Bishops call for revising teaching module on sex education.”

Photographer Kriz John C. Rosales came out as the victorious under the Photojournalism Category of its “Best Single Photo” group for his entry “A Mother.”

While Michael Varcas emerged as runner up in the same category and group for his photo titled “Only Hope.”

The citation also aims to encourage the media to continue examine population and development concerns as social issues that impact on the country’s development and the quality of life of Filipinos.

The ceremony for this year’s Awards was held on Tuesday, November 30, 2010, at the Gateway Suites, Gateway Mall in Cubao, Quezon City.

Now on its 6th year, the PopDev Media Awards once again recognized print and online, broadcast, and photo journalists nationwide who have produced exemplary works on these issues from September, 2009 to August, 2010.