Closure follows Gawad Plaridel award for founder Melinda Quintos-de Jesus.
Media watchdog Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility will close on Sept. 30 after nearly 40 years of operations, it announced on Friday, Sept. 18.
In a statement, the non-profit said funding challenges have affected its operations in recent years.
“Philippine and international funding support has sustained the work of CMFR; but multiple factors have affected the funding environment, making it difficult for CMFR to secure the necessary funds for its operations,” it said.
Journalism professionals have long looked to CMFR for its citation of excellent news reportage during key national events, as well as its callouts of reports that missed the mark.
The group also organizes the Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar, which brings together journalists who made significant contributions for the year and gathers their insights on the future of the industry. CMFR has organized the seminar since 1990, including the awarding of the Marshall McLuhan Fellowship for outstanding journalists in partnership with the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines.
The closure comes as CMFR founder Melinda Quintos de Jesus is set to receive the University of the Philippines’ Gawad Plaridel on Nov. 24 for being the “conscience of Philippine media.”
The UP Gawad Plaridel is awarded to media practitioners who exemplify integrity, excellence, and public service, with recipients deliberated by a panel of senior UP faculty and industry veterans. Previous awardees include Nora Aunor, Vilma Santos-Recto, Kidlat Tahimik, Ricky Lee, Eugenia Apostol, and Tina Monzon-Palma.
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