Who will be the winners in this year’s Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotech Journalism? Who will join the ranks of perennial winners Melody Aguiba of the Manila Bulletin and Rocel Felix formerly of the Philippine Star?

Now on its fourth year, the biotech awards recognize Filipino reporters who wrote exemplary news and feature stories on biotechnology in national dailies from August 2007 to July 2008.

This year’s awarding ceremonies will be held on November 27. Prizes of P30,000, P20,000 and P10,000 await the winners of the first, second and third prizes in the best news and best feature categories, respectively. They will also receive plaques.

Three newspapers which printed the most number of biotech stories will receive recognition as well.

This year’s panel of judges is composed of individuals who are experts in their respective fields in biotechnology and communication. They are Dr. Patricio Faylon, executive director of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and National Resources , the panel chairman; Dr. Gaudencio Petalcorin Jr., national president of Biotechnology Information and Organization Network; Dr. Saturnina Halos, chairperson of the Department of Agriculture-Biotechnology Advisory Team; Rolly Estabillo, vice president for corporate communications of Philippine Airlines; and Angelo Palmones, president of Philippine Science Journalists Association of the Philippines Inc.).

The articles which qualified in the awards were collected from among those monitored by the Biotech Media and Advocacy Resource Center (BMARC), a consortium that promotes the government’s biotech program. BMARC has been conducting the awards to help motivate and sustain the interest of media practitioners in disseminating biotech information.

BMARC is composed of the Department of Agriculture-Biotechnology Program Office, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, Biotech Coalition of the Philippines, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources and Development and the J. Burgos Media Services Inc.