Rappler reporter receives environmental journalism award

SINGAPORE – Rappler reporter Pia Ranada was named Merit Winner in the Young Environmental Journalist of the Year category of this year’s Asian Environmental Journalism Awards (AEJA).

She was among 3 Filipino journalists who won in separate categories in the 2014 AEJA, as announced during an awarding ceremony on Thursday, October 30 in Singapore.

Her featured body of work includes an investigative report on the Quezon City garbage disposal system, impact of sewage problems on health in Manila, illegal logging and forest fires in a Bulacan watershed and the effect of deteriorating oceans on small fisherfolk.

A story produced and shot by Fernando Garcia Sepe Jr from ABS-CBN News, “A Tale of Three Disasters,” was the over-all winner in the Coca-Cola Environmental Story of the Year category.

The multimedia piece compared experiences of victims in 3 major storms that ravaged different parts of the Philippines: Tropical Storm Sendong (international name Washi), Typhoon Pablo (Bopha) and Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

A photo of a boy nibbling on food while walking through a sea of plastic trash in Navotas City was the over-all winner in the CITIC Telecom International Environmental Photograph of the Year category. It was shot by Filipino photographer Eli Ritchie Tongo of European Pressphoto Agency.

The AEJA, now on its 3^rd year, accepted 150 entries from 21 countries this year – its biggest number of entries so far. Three winners in each category, including one over-all winner, were chosen from a shortlist.

Winners, through their reportage, tackled a variety of environmental issues impacting different parts of the Asian region.

News pieces tackled Singapore’s longest dry spell, transboundary haze, water and air pollution in China, forest and animal conservation issues in India and illegal logging in Cambodia, among others.

The awarding ceremony had as its guest of honor Singapore’s Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Grace Fu, who underlined the importance of environmental journalism during her speech.

“Media is vital in communicating the complete story on the environment, from issues that concern citizens, impacts of business practices, new scientific discoveries, government policies and regulations. Clear and objective articles on these issues will provide readers with current and accurate information which is so vital for a proper discourse on environmental issues,” she said.

The awards are given annually by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC), a non-government organization promoting environmental causes in Singapore.

Aside from journalism awards, they also accredit eco-friendly business establishments and products and names green champions and green schools.

Here is the full list of AEJA 2014 winners:

Lee Foundation Excellence in Environmental Reporting by a Media Organization

• Overall winner: Channel NewsAsia, Media Corp
• Merit winners: South China Morning Post, Caixin Media

Young Environmental Journalist of the Year

• Overall winner: Denise Hruby (Cambodia Daily)
• Merit winners: Pia Ranada (Rappler), Liu Hongqiao (China Dialogue)

Sky Creation Design Environmental Blogger of the Year

• Overall winner: Stella Paul (from Hyderbad, India)
• Merit winners: Anthony Quek (from Singapore), Neo Mei Lin (from Singapore)

CITIC Telecom International Environmental Photograph of the Year

• Overall winner: Eli Ritchie Tongo (European Pressphoto Agency)
• Merit winners: Douglas Ho (Lianhe Zaobao), Chaideer Mahyuddin (Agence France-Presse, Jakarta Bureau)

Coca-Cola Environmental Story of the Year

• Overall winner: Fernando Garcia Sepe Jr (ABS-CBN News)
• Merit winners: Akshai Jain (freelancer from Delhi, India), Zsombor Peter (Cambodia Daily)

CDL Environmental Journalist of the Year

• Overall winner: Tan Cheng Li (Malaysia Star)
• Merit winners: Ananda Banerjee (Mint), Amantha Perera (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

– Rappler.com