Melody Aguiba of the Manila Bulletin took home the top prize in the 3rd Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotech Journalism during rites at the Balay Kalinaw at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City last Thursday night.

The Biotechnology for Life Media and Advocacy Center (BMARC) sponsored the awards.

The Bulletin also received the top institutional award for publishing the most number of articles on biotechnology.

Aguiba won the top prize for her article "Filipino scientist secures patent for bioplastic." She took home P30,000.

Broadcast journalist Angelo Palmones, DZMM station manager and president of the Philippine Science Journalists Association of the Philippines Inc. (PSci Journ), was given a special citation for his outstanding and consistent commitment to popularizing biotechnology.

The Burgos biotech journalism awards were given out in partnership with the Samahang Plaridel, an organization of eminent and veteran journalists, and the PSciJourn, a group of science writers.

The board of judges was led by Rolando Estabillo, president of Samahang Plaridel and vice president for corporate communications of Philippine Airlines, as chairman.

Other members were Dr. Luis Rey Velasco, chancellor of the UP College in Los Baños, Laguna; Dr. Mariechel Navarro, manager of the Global Knowledge Center of Crop Biotechnology of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA); and Rosalie Ellasus, president of the Philippine Maize Federation.