Rappler’s Vitug among QC Gawad Parangal awardees

MANILA, Philippines – Metro Manila’s largest and most populous city honored Rappler editor-at-large Marites Dañguilan Vitug and 11 other residents with the first-ever Manuel L. Quezon Gawad Parangal on Sunday, October 12.

Dubbed the “grandest conferment” given by the city to individuals and institutions, the Manuel L. Quezon Gawad Parangal salutes the recipients for their achievements which have contributed to the history of Quezon City.

Vitug was cited for her exemplary accomplishment in the field of investigative journalism, where she uncovered corruption and politics in the Supreme Court through her books Shadow of Doubt and Hour Before Dawn, which won a National Book Award in 2013.

The award-giving body also cited Vitug’s journalism experience as editor of Newsbreak magazine, a trailblazer in Philippine investigative journalism. 

Vitug is co-founder and former board member of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), as well as the president of the Journalism for Nation and Building Foundation.

This year, she was recipient of a research fellowship at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Kyoto University, where she spent 6 months in Japan to work on the topic “Reducing Inequality in the Philippines.”

Other recipients of the award were the following:

1. Nora Aunor, award-winning actress
2. Lilia De Lima, Trade Undersecretary
3. Benjamin Diokno, former Budget Secretary
4. Paquito Ochoa, Executive Secretary
5. Susan Ople, former Labor Undersecretary
6. Ramon P. Ramos, national artist
7. Ma. Lourdes Sereno, Supreme Court Chief Justice
8. Howie Severino, journalist, GMA News
9. Rogelio Singson, Public Works Secretary
10. Raul Sunico, Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) President
11. Tony Tan Caktiong, Jollibee Corporation CEO and Founder

The award-giving body also conferred citations on the following institutions:

1. Kamuning Bakery, Quezon City’s pioneer bakery
2. Pankgat Kawayayan, a unique youth orchestra and bamboo ensemble
3. Quezon City High School, the city’s first public secondary school
4. Quirino Memorial Medical Center, the leading government tertiary medical center in the city
5. Veterans Memorial Medical Center, the city’s oustanding public institution for 2014

Quezon City celebrated its 75th founding anniversary on the same day it awarded the 12 individuals and 5 institutions. The conferment was named after the late Manuel L. Quezon, the country’s second president in history. – Rappler.com