Prof. YVONNE CHUA: Winner, “Ninoy & Cory Aquino Fellowship Award for Journalism”

Prof. YVONNE CHUA: Winner, “Ninoy & Cory Aquino Fellowship Award for Journalism”

Prof. Yvonne Chua won this year’s “Ninoy and Cory Aquino Fellowship Award for Journalism”.

Here’s the news article on it (www.abs-cbnnews.com, thanks, Ricci, for sharing this): “…Yvonne Chua, a trustee of VERA Files and journalism educator, was cited for the “depth and breadth of her work” as a journalist.

“Her award-winning articles helped expose discrepancies in textbook procurement in public schools, lack of accountability and transparency in government institutions, and unexplained wealth of former senior officials,” the US Embassy citation stated.

“The award is given by the US embassy and the Ninoy Aquino Foundation to individuals who excel in journalism and public service.

“The embassy said Chua has co-authored and edited several books related to investigative journalism. She also trains a new generation of journalists in advancing government accountability, working as part-time assistant professor at the University of the Philippines.

“ “Freedom of the press is in no better shape. Cases of libel, a crime in this country, have been brought against members of the profession, many of these unjustifiably. Our work as watchdogs has been hindered by increasing restrictions placed on the flow of information. And we mourn the deaths of far too many journalists murdered in the course of their work,” said Chua.

“Chua, who began her journalism career in 1981 under Marcos’ Martial Law, urged her colleagues to continue doing their role well.

“ “Let not our commitment to truth, a free press, good governance, and democracy ever waver,” she said.

“The United States embassy and the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation award individuals who excel in journalism and public service. xxx” (from http://www.abs-cbnnews.com)

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Since it’s straight news, what you read are the highlights of her career. Here’s probably a fuller version. Early this year, the Department had the unequalled pleasure of reviewing her body of work for a memo for tenure which the Department, our Dean, the College, the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and the U.P. Diliman Academic Personnel and Fellowship Committe agreed with (tenure), here are excerpts from that memo which summarizes her brilliant career:

Excerpts: February 2, 2010. “xxx having exemplarily fulfilled the requirements for tenure when she authored and published the award-winning investigative report “Quedancor swine program another fertilizer scam” (together with Luz Rimban and Diosa Labiste published in Septermber 2008.) This investigative report won First Prize of the prestigious Jaime V. Ongpin Award for Investigative Journalism last June 25, 2009, bringing honor and pride to the Department xxx. The three-part report… won the highest distinction in the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for being “a thoroughly documented and meaningful report, a substantial contribution to the urgent necessity to understand the link between the country’s continuing poverty and corruption, and which manages to hold reader attention while provoking thought as well as outrage.” (JVO citation, 2009.)

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Even as Prof. Chua was elevated to the Hall of Fame of the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards in 2005, the investigative report was awarded the highest prize for its excellent research and methodical presentation and was formally received by one of its authors who was not yet a Hall-of-Famer.

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Prof. Chua has been handling the core subjects for which the Department is known for: Investigative Journalism (J105), The Newsroom (J121) and Newsreporting (J102)

(video uploaded by verafiles)

Not all who can practise can teach; not all practising journalists have the ability to impart and pass on their knowledge and skills; not many are able to teach Investigative Journalism, Newspaper-management, or Newsreporting; and only Prof. Chua has been able to teach these courses in a way that has nurtured students into promising journalists, even winning recognition early on in their budding careers, under her guidance and mentoring. Her SET (Students’ Evaluation of Teaching) scores through the years quantify how consistently outstanding her teaching performance has been: (chart of her high SET scores)

In addition, Prof. Chua has been a Department pioneer in the use of the University Virtual Learning Environment, constantly inspiring her students to be always on the cutting edge of the new media.

Thus, Prof. Chua has eminently fulfilled the requirements for teaching performance, for tenure.

Prof. Chua has been constantly conducting research, and writing and publishing articles on journalism studies and the journalism profession from 2007 to 2009, even winning the National Book Award in 2008.

The following investigative reports authored by Prof. Yvonne Chua led to institutional reforms, government investigation of anomalies, and higher public awareness of the nature of governance in our country:

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS FROM 2007-2009

AFP Modernization Drive series

• AFP modernization drive sputters, Philippine Daily Inquirer, page 1, Jan 8, 2007

• Favored suppliers bag AFP deals, Philippine Daily Inquirer, page 1, Jan 9, 2007

• RP peacekeepers dealt ‘unkindest cut of all,’ Philippine Daily Inquirer, page 1, Jan 10, 2007

The Basilan massacre of Marines by the Abu Sayyaf, series

• (Bannered in the Philippine Daily Inquirer) Radio error did Marines in, Philippine Daily Inquirer, page 1, Aug 3, 2007

• (Bannered in the Philippine Daily Inquirer) Sacked Marine colonel confirms withdrawal of air support, Philippine Daily Inquirer, page 1, Aug 25, 2007

RP Claim on Spratlys, series

• 6 RP-occupied islands covered in Spratlys deals, Malaya, Tribune, Abante, gmanews.tv, page 1, March 10, 2008

• Arroyo neglect, government infighting jeopardize RP territorial claim, Malaya, Tribune, BusinessMirror, Philippine Star, gmanews.tv, March 24, 2008

• RP in last-minute scramble to beat UN deadline, Malaya, Tribune, BusinessMirror, Philippine Star, gmanews.tv, March 25, 2008

• Palace, lawmakers eye four baseline options, April 10, Graphic magazine

Texbook Fund Mess, series

• New DepEd book violates one-China policy, June 3, Malaya, Page 1; Manila Times, Page 1; Graphic, gmanews.tv, Sun Star Cebu, Page 1; BusinessMirror (Perspective)

• DepEd adopts Textbook Walk, June 4, Malaya, Page 1; Manila Times, Page 1; Philippine Star, Page 1; Graphic; gmanews.tv; Sun Star Cebu, Page 1; BusinessMirror (Perspective)

• Education for All goals unlikely to be met, June 30, Malaya

• More flaws in P5B loan bared, Sept 3, Malaya, Page 1; Manila Times, Page 1; Graphic; gmanews.tv; BusinessMirror ( Perspective)

• Inequalities in RP education, Dec 1, Inquirer, Page 1; Manila Times, Page 1; gmanews.tv; BusinessMirror, Page 1

• (Online video report) Reporter, DepEd textbook violates one-China policy, June 3, VERA Files (http://verafiles.org)

The Award-winning “Quedancor Swine Program Fund Scam” as stated

• Quedancor swine program another fertilizer fund scam, Sept 1, Malaya, Page 1; Manila Times, Page 1; Graphic; gmanews.tv; BusinessMirror ( Perspective)

• Politicians dip hands into Quedancor funds, Sept 2, Malaya, Page 1; Manila Times, Page 1; Graphic; gmanews.tv; BusinessMirror ( Perspective)

Drug Trafficking series

• As shabu prices rise, Ecstasy use up, Jan 19, Malaya, Page 1; Manila Times, Page 1 banner; BusinessWorld, Page 1; gmanews.tv; Graphic

• Interagency feuding weakens anti-drug campaign, Jan 20, Malaya, Page 1; Manila Times, Page 1 banner; BusinessWorld, Page 1; gmanews.tv; Graphic

• Prosecution flaws blog down fight vs drugs, Feb 16, Malaya, Page 1; Manila Times, Page 1; gmanews.tv

• Dealing with human trafficking, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Talk of the Town, Aug 19, 2007

• World Bank tags ‘key corruption risks’ in RP road projects, Feb 9, VERA Files (http://verafiles.org)

• Mancao links Aquino to Dacer slaying, March 16, VERA Files

• RP tops list of unsolved journalist murders among democracies, March 23, VERA Files

• (Online video report) Co-producer, Marcelino denies snubbing NBI, Jan 13, VERA Files

Explanatory Articles 2007-2009

• Heroes of Press Freedom:The Father and Sons Yuyitung, PJR Reports, May 2007

• Chinese-Language Newspapers: Marching to the Drumbeat of History, PJR Reports, May 2007

• India’s poor his news beat of choice (feature on RM awardee, Indian journalist P. Sainath), Philippine Daily Inquirer, page 1, Aug 15, 2007

So brilliant is her career that her entire body of work from 1997-2006:

Author, Robbed: An Investigation on Corruption in Philippine Education, 1999 (Winner, National Book Award for Journalism); Co-author, The Rulemakers: How the Wealthy and Well-born Dominate Congress, 2004 and re-issued 2007 (Winner, National Book Award for Journalism); Co-author, Armando J. Malay: A Guardian of Memory, 2002 (Finalist, National Book Award for Biography); Co-author and Editor, The Electronic Trail: Computer-assisted Research and Reporting in the Philippines, 1997 (Finalist, National Book Award for Journalism); Co-author and Editor, Staying Alive: Safety for Journalists, 2nd Edition, 2006; Editor, three titles in the six-title Safe Sex and the Media in Southeast Asia (Cambodia: “Sex Without Substance”; Indonesia: “Riding the Paradox”; Thailand: “Covering the Condom Nation”), 2004; Editor, Uncovering the Beat: The Real-world Guide to Reporting on Government, 1997 (Finalist, National Book Award for Journalism); Co-editor, Tsinoy: The Story of the Chinese in Philippine Life, 2005 (Finalist, National Book Award for History); Co-editor and chapter writer, The PCIJ Guide to Government, 2003 (Finalist, National Book Award for Journalism); Chapter Writer, “How Independent was the Coverage of the 2004 Elections?” in Cockfight, Horserace, Boxing Match: Why Elections are Covered as Sport, 2004; Chapter Writer, “Measuring Governance and Corruption” and “Investigating Procurement” in Investigative Corruption: A Do-It-Yourself Guide, 2002 (Winner, National Book Award for Journalism); Chapter Writer, “Philippines: The Power of an Informed Citizenry” in The Right to Know: Access to Information in Southeast Asia, 2001; Chapter Writer, “Local Fiscal Administration” in Investigating Local Governments, 2000; Chapter Writer, “Gatekeeper”, corruption at the Bureau of Immigration, in Pork and Other Perks: Corruption and Governance in the Philippines, 1998 (Winner, National Book Award for Journalism); Chapter Writer, “The Media as Marketplace: Results of a Survey on Media Corruption” in News for Sale, 1998 (Finalist, National Book Award for Journalism).

and unparalleled distinction and awards:

Hall of Fame, Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Investigative Journalism, awarded in 2005, for winning the first prize three times in five years: (1) 1st prize, 2004 Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Investigative Journalism for the two-part report “An Expensive—and Unaccountable—Legislature”; (2) 1st prize, 2000 Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Investigative Journalism for the investigative series on President Joseph Estrada’s unexplained wealth; (3)1st prize, 1999 Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Investigative Journalism for the three-part investigative report “As much as 65% of textbook funds go to bribes”; 2nd prize, 2004 Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Explanatory Journalism for her I magazine article “Much Ado about Numbers”; Finalist, 2004 Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Investigative Journalism for the two-part investigative report “Pork is a Political, not a Development Tool”; Finalist, 2003 Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Investigative Journalism for the two-part investigative report “Cleanup at DepEd central office, but corruption in field offices remain”;Finalist, 1998 Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Investigative Journalism for the three-part investigative report “DECS plagued by ‘ghost’ deliveries”; Finalist, 2002 Siemens Awards for Information and Communication Technology Reporting for her I magazine article “E-procurement”; Jose Rizal Award for Excellence in Journalism, 2002, award given to Chinese Filipinos who excel in their field.

was recognized by the University as equivalent to a “graduate or professional degree” when she was appointed as Assistant Professor 3 in 2005 by U.P. Diliman Chancellor Sergio S. Cao based on the records and justification submitted by the College and the Department.

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Prof. Chua finished the course work leading to an M.A. in Public Management, on time, while teaching a full load and winning awards, with a running average of 1.31 (magna cum laude standing).

Prof. Chua has continuously and relentlessly pursued this path of academic and professional excellence with the following:

(ENUMERATED BUT TOO MANY TO MENTION IN THE BLOG POST)

Can journalism, research, book writing, the teaching of journalism, the pursuit of higher studies, and the mentoring of journalism students and graduates, make a difference in elevating academic standards and in improving the lives of our countrymen? Prof. Yvonne Chua’s academic and professional pursuit, her investigative reports, mentoring abilities, and ground-breaking research has set a new benchmark for academic excellence in the Department and, on the national stage, has changed the way people view their leaders – becoming more watchful and empowered with the knowledge that they can change their destiny when they work for and demand better governance.

Based on all the foregoing, it is with deep pride that we hereby recommend Prof. Yvonne T. Chua for tenure, etc.

DEPARTMENT ACADEMIC PERSONNEL COMMITTEE

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just thought i’d share with you our thoughts on her…