ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS ELECT NEW OFFICERS

A multi-awarded environmental journalist has been chosen as the new president of the Philippine Environmental Journalists, Inc. 

Imelda V. Abano was elected during the general assembly held at the Astoria Plaza in Ortigas Business District, Pasig City. 

Abano is an environmental journalist for 12 years now. She is the first Filipino to receive the Developing Asia Journalist of the Year Award, given by the Asian Development Bank Institute in 2009 for her climate change stories. She is also the Asian Winner of the Global Awards on Environmental Reporting by Reuters and IUCN in Washington DC in 2002.

Elected vice-president was Alex Rey Pal. A veteran journalist, he has been in the media industry for 28 years now.

Among his many awards are Excellence in Environmental Reporting given in 1999 by the Asian Development Bank and the Asia Pacific Federation of Environmental Journalists and the Exemplary Environmental Stewardship Award given by the Save Tanong Strait Citizens’ Movement in 2008. He is the Editor- in- Chief of the Dumaguete-based “The MetroPost.”

Henrylito Tacio was elected as the secretary. Based from Davao, he specializes in writing science feature stories such as in medicine, agriculture, environment, and technology. He has received several national and international journalism awards, including the Hall of Fame in Science Reporting from the Philippine Press Institute and the Journalist of the Year Award from the Rotary Club of Manila, both awards in 1999.

Chosen treasurer was Delmar Cariño, who is a lawyer by profession but also works as journalist. Based in Baguio City, he has been writing about the environment, agriculture and culture of the Cordillera peoples and places for many years now.

The new board of trustees were Edgardo V. Espiritu, a photojournalist from Baguio City; Rhadyz Barcia, a photojournalist from Bicol region; Jun Aguirre, a journalist author of boracayislandupdate.blogspot.com and Marilou Guieb, a journalist writing for Business Mirror.

PNEJ is a non-governmental, non-profit and non-partisan media group. With the support from the U.S.-based Internews’ Earth Journalism Network, PNEJ was launched in Manila on June 5, 2010 (World Environment Day) to empower and enable journalists to improve the quality, accuracy, and intensity of environmental reporting in the Philippines.