Journalism Review Archives

Philstar.com points to legislative delays caused by Senate shakeup

CHEERS TO Philstar.com for reporting how sudden changes in Senate leadership disrupted schedules for legislative activities and delayed discussions on important bills and proposals.

Under fire and in the dark: Media coverage of the Senate lockdown fiasco and the hunt for a fugitive senator

FROM MAY 11 to 14, 2026, chaos transformed the Philippine Senate into a theater for a first-ever occurrence in the country’s political history—the physical and institutional meltdown of the upper chamber of Congress. Wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa...

High cost of electricity: Rappler decodes disinformation targeting 4Ps

CHEERS TO Rappler’s data-driven report for exposing the coordinated disinformation campaign targeting beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Published on May 5, Christa Escudero dismantled the viral narrative that blamed the country’s poorest for rising electricity costs due to the "lifeline rate subsidy" program (LRSP).

The narrative war and dehumanization of “Toboso 19”

ON APRIL 19, 2026, the 79th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army reported a "series of encounters" in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental, that ended with a count of 19 fatalities. The state swiftly delivered the narrative of a 12-hour gunfight with the New People’s Army (NPA).

Media highlights local government pushback on Boracay bridge

A BRIDGE linking the town of Malay in Aklan province to Boracay will ease land travel for the countless travelers who visit the famed beaches of the island. But opposition to the project may color the public reaction.

A record win for workers

CHEERS TO ABS-CBN News and Bulatlat for reporting on the plight of Kowloon House employees who went on a six-day strike after three years of negotiations with business owners.

Media expose teachers’ “cycle of debt” trapping Filipino teachers

CHEERS TO the media reports for looking into the problem of debt that has hounded teachers in the past, once again calling attention to what has been a perennial problem for many of the country’s educators.

DILG Safer Cities: Reports flag human rights concerns

CHEERS to the news organizations that flagged the potential violations of citizens’ constitutional rights in the implementation of the Safer Cities program initiated by the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Presidential health: When private becomes public

PRESIDENT FERDINAND Marcos Jr. was hospitalized for diverticulitis on January 21 this year. On January 22, Claire Castro, Palace Press Officer, said the president was discharged on the same day and returned to Malacañang. Media reports said that on the day he was in hospital, the president was represented...

Community journalist RJ Ledesma among 19 killed in Negros military operation

CMFR/PHILIPPINES — Community journalist RJ Ledesma was killed during a military operation in Toboso, Negros Occidental, on April 19, 2026.