Quezon City, 22 November 2011. For contributing to public awareness and understanding on population and development, Lira Dalangin-Fernandez’ entry entitled, “Israeli organ traffickers bring business to RP; Organ harvest in Quezon province” was chosen as the Best Investigative Report at the recent 7th Annual Population and Development (PopDev) Media Awards.
Fernandez, MA Journalism alumna (2011) and Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter, wrote about the syndicate in the organ trafficking operation based in Israel and the use of fraudulent documentation to facilitate 12 transplants procedures in the Philippines.
The article also cites a report of 194 men in Quezon province in the Philippines who sold their kidney for an average fee of P112, 000 (Philippine Peso). The author worked on this investigative piece in her Investigative Reporting course (Journ 210) conducted by Luz Rimban.
A total of 404 entries were received, blinded for anonymity and initially evaluated by the Screening Committee composed of PLCPD, United Nations Population Fund, Commission on Population, Philippine Center for Photojournalism, Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, Philippine Center for Population and Development, Women’s Feature Service and the Phil. NGO Council on Population, Health and Welfare
The top five entries were then submitted to the Board of Judges for the Print and Online Category. The final line-up of winners was determined on 11 November 2011.
Her article was published on the Philippines Daily Inquirer website. on 4 October 2010. As a winner, Ms. Fernandez will receive a cash prize of P30, 000 (approximately USD 690), a trophy, and a plaque of recognition.
The PopDev Media Awards began in 2005 with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Ramon San Pascual, the Awards’ Executive Director said that through these Awards, an increasing number of media practitioners are able to appreciate the intrinsic link between population and human development and various socio-economic issues that impact on the quality of life of Filipinos.
Fernandez’ article is available at the ‘Recent Works’ section of the ACFJ website.
