CEBU, Philippines – Media practitioners in Cebu gathered Saturday night at Bayfront Hotel to officially cap off the whole week full of activities in line with the celebration of Press Freedom.
The observance of the 21st Cebu Press Freedom Week 2015 ended with dinner, live band performances, and “Dubsmash”-inspired presentations among members of the Cebu Federation of Beat Journalists (CFBJ).
The presentations of the groups have been an annual competition to culminate the Press Freedom week in Cebu.
This year, LENS, the photographers’ group, bagged the first place in the beat contest and won P10,000 after they dubbed the life story of a photographer.
The City Hall Association of Reporters (CHARM), who performed like they were on television, ranked second with the prize of P8,000, while the Capitol Association of Reporters in Tri-Media (CART), who enacted Philippine teleseryes, placed third with a prize of P5,000.
Other participating beat organizations were the Defense and PNP Press Corps (DEPP); Sports Correspondents and Reporters (SCORE); Media Alliance for Law, Liberty, Equality and Truth (MALLET); Regional Journalists in Cebu (REJOICE); Media in Cebu South (MICS), and Cebu Economic Journalists Association (CEJA) and Entertainment Group (E GROUP).
The Association of Reporters in Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu for Integrity Truth and Equality (ARMALITE) were not able to perform in this year’s beat competition.
CFBJ is the biggest legitimate media organization in southern Philippines and is composed of eleven media beat organizations.
The closing fellowship party was sponsored by San Miguel Corporation, KEPCO-SPC Power Corporation, GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation, and Johndorf Ventures Corporation. —/ATO (FREEMAN)