Cash, GC from anti-envelopmental journalism campaign turned over to adopted community

CEBU CITY–Around P30,000 worth of cash and gift certificates were turned over to the council of Barangay Kamagayan by the Department of Journalism and Communication (DJC) on Valentine’s Day.

The cash turned-over to the Council were those received by the Journalism and Communication interns during their on-the-job training programs at their respective media outlets. The money will be used to support community-based initiatives in Barangay Kamagayan, an adopted community of DJC.

This action is the Department’s response against Envelopmental Journalism that has become a problem in the media industry. DJC Chair Dr. Nestor Godofredo Ramirez said that bribery has been considered as one of the barriers of those who are supposed to write and act as the watchdogs of the society.

DJC instituted in the internship manual that the interns must adhere to the Journalism Code of Ethics even if the media industry is laden with different forms of corruption. It has been DJC’s standard operating procedure (SOP) to have the interns immediately refuse any forms of gifts or cash. In the event of the other party refusing to accept it back, the interns are to accept the money and turn it over to the Department together with an incident report.

For almost five years, the No Envelope Please policy of the Department have remained clear on its goal of retaining the intern’s moral and social responsibility. The policy has become an intern’s starting point on applying the ethical practice of Journalism that they can look back later on when they enter the media industry.

Before Project Kadasig, the interns were free to choose any charitable institution where they could donate the money or gift checks they have received. The receipt, under the name of the institution or the person who gave the money, will then be returned to them to let them know that USJ-R interns do not accept any forms of bribery allowing them to hesitate from giving money in the future activities.

Project Kadasig is an initiative which aims to rebrand Junquera Street as a shoe repair and t-shirt printing district of Cebu City. It started in 2016. Now, it’s partners and initiatives have expanded leading to other sub-projects such as the Kamagayan Football Team and Kamagayan Community Radio.

When Project Kadasig came to be, the money the interns received were then collected and turned over to the Kamagayan Council which helps the Barangay be able to materialize the needs of the children in their sports and games that represents Barangay Kamagayan.

Dr. Ramirez highlighted that the Department plans on sustaining the advocacy against Envelopmental Journalism for the next years to come. He also emphasized that the Josenian interns did not only resist temptation and stood up with the Ethics of Journalism. Above all, they were able to practice Integrity, one of the components of USJ-R’s core values called I.N.S.P.I.R.E.

“They were able to show the public the value of being a true Josenian,” he said.

In behalf of the barangay council, Councilor Rico Ramirez of the Social Services Committee received the cash and gift certificates. Together with him were Barangay Treasurer Chong Garcia and Coach Aldwin Joseph Empaces of the Kamagayan Football Team.

Vice President for Administration Rev. Fr. Rouel M. Sia, OAR and Professor Karlon Rama also graced the activity. Also present during the ceremony were the DJC interns and the faculty members.