S&T Awards

Guidelines as of February 1, 2021

The Ulat SIPAG Awards, which are given annually, seek to further boost the Council’s branding initiative, which currently focuses on promoting the Strategic Industry [S&T] Program for Agri-Aqua Growth (SIPAG). Unlike its predecessor, the PCARRD Professional Media Award (PPMA), Ulat SIPAG, by nomenclature, makes the award more plain folk and parallel with the other three awards given during the PCAARRD anniversary: the Pantas, Tanglaw, and Ugnay, which are all Tagalog words.

Mechanics

A. Recipients

            National Print  

            The Ulat SIPAG Awards (Print Category) shall recognize the effort of private professional media practitioners (PPMP) in popularizing science and technology articles in relation to PCAARRD’s priority concerns, primarily the Industry Strategic Industry S&T Programs (ISPs) in national print publications and their online counterparts. 

            The published articles of the PPMP should focus on a particular technology or commodity in the ISPs and can create awareness and interest on research and development (R&D) and technology transfer programs and projects as well as the services being provided by PCAARRD and its allied agencies in the National Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Network (NAARRDN). The article may be of any length and should have only one byline.  

            A PPMP for the print category is one who assists PCAARRD in its advocacy efforts through print and is employed/hired/paid by a recognized national print publication, either on a part-time or permanent capacity. The PPMP shall be a practicing writer whose articles pertain to agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources (AANR) sectors and are published in national dailies and magazines.

            This category is by invitation only as DOST-PCAARRD will be the one to identify the nominees based on the Council’s regular monitoring of print and online publications. The nominees will be selected based on the number of articles published, the corresponding media value, and the relevance of each topic to DOST-PCAARRD’s ISPs and technologies.

The selected nominees’ articles will then be judged based on relevance, quality, depth, and corresponding media value.

            For this category, the Council will monitor articles of the PPMP within the preceding year of the submission of entries. DOST-PCAARRD will be requesting readers’ feedback, updated advertising rates, and additional documents from the identified nominees, if needed.

            Regional Print

            The award shall be open to all professional print media practitioners in the private sector writing for print publications that is only circulated in a particular region. This category shall recognize the efforts of public and private print media practitioners in the region in popularizing accomplishments of PCAARRD’s ISPs. Public PPMPs are those PPMPs in the region, including Information Officers in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) who are contributing to private regional newspapers.

            Broadcast (National and Regional)

            The regional broadcast category covers radio broadcasting stations airing in the regions. It will also recognize Information Officers in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) contributing to private broadcast stations in the region.

The award shall be open to all broadcasters of radio programs in AM radio stations (including those that are online and that have AM counterpart) and in FM radio stations, and TV radio or Teleradyo programs that have an online counterpart. These broadcast programs must have continually aired AANR S&T-related information, with emphasis on any of the PCAARRD ISPs.

            The program must have written/produced plugs for radio, television, and online that must be aired in an interview format.

            The nominee must be a practicing radio broadcaster from a private broadcasting firm, and has consistently broadcasted AANR S&T topics for at least one year immediately preceding the year of award. He or she should be the main host of the program.

 
B. Submission of Entries

            All nominations must be addressed to the Executive Director, PCAARRD, Los Baños, Laguna, on or before June 1 of the awarding year. Articles published or broadcast programs aired should be within June 1, 2020 and June 1, 2021. Entries must be submitted in three sets and accompanied by the following:

            Print (Regional)

• Nomination of the page editor/publisher
• Application/acceptance of the nominee
• At least three news articles or two feature articles published with byline within the preceding year
• Feedback letters from listeners/viewers such as letters or e-mails of inquiry about the information or technology, screenshot of positive comment or inquiry on Facebook, or recorded feedback. Physical letters should be certified by the publication company.
• Advertising rate of the print publication.

            Broadcast (both National and Regional)

• Nomination of the manager or any appropriate officer of the broadcasting company   
• Background description of the radio program
• Certification of airing
• Summary outline of program formats employed in the program  
• At least two recorded whole broadcast program, which should be at least 30 minutes long
• Feedback letters from listeners/viewers such as letters or e-mails of inquiry about the information or technology, screenshot of positive comment or inquiry on Facebook, or recorded feedback. Physical letters should be certified by the broadcast station.

C. Selection Process

            Evaluation will be done initially by the PCAARRD Internal Screening Committees (PISC) composed of three (3) selected TIKAS members for each of the category; then by an External Screening Committee (ESC) composed of at least one researcher/ scientist, one educator, and one media practitioner for the print, regional print, broadcast, and government media categories.  

The PISCs will choose the top five entries for each category and will submit its shortlist of finalists to the ESC for its final evaluation and ranking on or before the last working day of June of the awarding year. The decision of the ESC, which is final and irrevocable, shall be presented to the Directors’ Council and the Governing Council for concurrence and conferment.           

D. Criteria

            Entries should include three straight news and three feature articles, which shall be rated by both the PISC and the ESC according to the following criteria: 

PRINT (NATIONAL AND REGIONAL)

There will be two separate criteria for news and feature articles. If the nominee submits both news and feature articles, the total score will be 50% of the news articles and 50% of the feature articles.

News article

            Note: Any tie shall be decided in terms of the total media value.

Feature article

BROADCAST

            A minimum score of 85% is herein set for both print and broadcast categories for entitlement to the award.

E. Prizes (for each category) 

National – Print and Broadcast

First place                   P 75,000 and a plaque                                          

Second place              P 50,000 and a plaque

Third place                  P 25,000 and a plaque   

Regional - Print and Broadcast

First place                   P 50,000 and a plaque

Second place              P 30,000 and a plaque

Third place                  P 20,000 and a plaque

 
F. Hall of Fame Awardee

             A Hall of Fame Awardee is one who has won first place five times in one category, but not necessarily consecutive. Instead of the first prize, the awardee shall receive P 200,000 and a trophy.