BusinessWorld wins Business News Source of the Year award

BUSINESSWORLD, the country’s oldest business news daily, was named Business News Source of the Year at the 35^th Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP)-Ayala Business Journalism Awards on Friday.

Senior Reporter Justine Irish D. Tabile received the award for Trade Reporter of the Year. She covered the Trade beat for over two years and is now assigned to the Finance and Macroeconomy beats. This is her second Reporter of the Year award, having won in 2024 for the Telecommunications and Transport category.

Ashley Erika O. Jose was named Reporter of the Year for the Telecommunications and Transportation category, while Sheldeen Joy Talavera received the Reporter of the Year Award for Energy. Ms. Jose and Ms. Talavera have been covering their respective beats for three years.

BusinessWorld last won the Business News Source of the Year award in 2024.

Other awardees include Jasper Arcalas from The Philippine Star (Agriculture and Mining), Niña Myka Pauline Arceo from Manila Times (Banking and Macroeconomy), Derco Rosal from Manila Bulletin (Finance), VG Cabuag from BusinessMirror (Capital Markets) and Lorenz Marasigan from BusinessMirror (Feature Story of the Year).

Reporters were judged based on the content and style of their work.

EJAP also introduced a special Photo of the Year category. Neil Jerome Morales of Bloomberg News won the top prize, while Darwin Amojelar of Manila Standard and Mr. Marasigan were named runners-up.

The board of judges was chaired by Synergeia Foundation Chief Executive Officer and former Finance Undersecretary Milwida M. Guevara.

The board also included former Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima, former Energy Undersecretary Ina Magpale-Asirit, former Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran, former Finance Assistant Secretary Ma. Teresa S. Habitan, former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairperson Teresita J. Herbosa, LGTON Law Partner Andre C. Palacios, Former Deputy National Statistician Romeo S. Recide, and Astris Finance Country Representative Michael Arthur C. Sagcal.

In his keynote speech, Ayala Corp. Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said businesses should help keep journalism accessible to the public.

“Filipinos need authentic channels where these pieces of information are presented in a way that are easy to understand and guide their decision making,” he said.

Businesses should also be open to accepting scrutiny, Mr. Zobel said.

“Journalists need room to ask difficult questions and reach independent conclusions, while businesses need to engage substantively.”

EJAP, the umbrella organization of business journalists in the country, handed out the awards in partnership with the Ayala Group. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz