PUP hosts JSAP National Conference 2025, promotes sustainable development reporting

Centered on journalism’s role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Journalism Studies Association of the Philippines (JSAP) National Conference 2025 gathered students, educators, and media practitioners on December 9, at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines’ (PUP) Bulwagang Balagtas.

Organized by the PUP Department of Journalism (DOJ) in collaboration with the JSAP board members and partner institutions, the conference carried the theme “Journalism for a Sustainable Future: Reporting the SDGs, Uncovering the Challenges,” bringing together journalism students from various universities and institutions. 

The event was attended by participants from PUP, University of the Philippines (UP), including UP Baguio and Cebu, University of Santo Tomas (UST), and other schools across the Luzon region. 

A roster of esteemed speakers was invited, encompassed by keynote speaker Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Acting Secretary Dave Gomez, Manila Standard managing editor Joyce Pañares, TV5 Network newscaster Jiggy Manicad, and Rappler Community lead Pia Ranada.

Throughout the conference, participants engaged in dialogues and parallel discussions that accentuated journalism’s power to influence social change and promote the United Nations’ (UN) 17 SDGs.  

Data gaps as a threat to SDGs reporting, public trust

PCO Chief of Staff Conrado Generoso stood on stage as the representative of Sec. Gomez, discussing the essence of credible information and reporting of SDGs to help in achieving the sustainable development the country needed.

Despite the technological advancements and the abundance of information available today, Generoso emphasized that the Philippines continues to face significant data gaps that hinder accurate SDGs reporting. He stressed that these gaps affect not just statistics, but also public confidence. 

“The availability of complete, accurate, and updated data is crucial not only in reporting progress in the achievement of SDGs, but more importantly, in gaining public trust and engagement,” he said. 

Generoso also discussed the challenges of misinformation on social media, explaining that when people cannot distinguish between real journalism and coordinated disinformation, important stories fail to reach the public.   

SDGs reporting vs. challenges

Opening the plenary discussion, Pañares pointed out reasons that push lifestyle reporting to become silent when it comes to climate reporting and shared some tips to make serious issues like this interesting and catchy to read—a way to integrate lifestyle reporting techniques in reporting environmental topics.

“Know your intended audience, identify solutions when possible, and use good visuals. A climate change story goes beyond the climate,” Pañares explained.

Meanwhile, Manicad raised concerns about the country’s food security, mentioning the country’s increasing heavy reliance on imports from neighboring countries in Asia, and the vulnerability this creates during global disruptions. He also tackled the country’s climate readiness as it remains highly exposed to natural disasters and extreme weather events. 

Manicad urged students to see themselves as agents of change despite life complexities, noting that for journalists, the true drive lies in telling accurate stories. 

“Yung dapat role ninyo para maging maayos yung mundo, eh magiging parati na tingin natin dyan, very complex. You should always think positively na kayo yung magdadala ng change.” 

Moreover, Ranada offered a peek inside Rappler’s movement in the investigative journalism sphere: what they do, how they do it, and in what way they want to reach the engagement of the community.

“We're interviewing sources, we're doing follow-up reports, and you can see them all dun sa Tik Tok. So, we do the reports and we try to show them where the audience is,” Ranada shared.

She also emphasized the importance of community collaboration when it comes to supporting independent journalism free of influence from big companies or political sectors, noting that sustaining it is expensive and requires a network of different sectors who value and advocate for it. 

After the plenary session ended, a quick roundtable discussion followed as the speakers answered questions from the students including the recent talks about the controversial “500-peso noche buena” topic circling around the country.

All the audience and presenters were delegated into five parallel sessions after the lunch break. The sessions include three paper presentation sessions tackling different topics and two special lecture sessions headed by the Photojournalists Center of the Philippines (PCP) and PressOne.PH respectively.

The three parallel sessions featured paper presentations of students from various universities including PUP fresh graduates, covering topics on democracy and disinformation, ethical and sustainable journalism, and digital disruptions in the future of news. 

Meanwhile, PCP spearheaded a mini photo essay workshop and a presentation of the Top 9 winners of the competition posted earlier. Lastly, PressOne.PH's special session revolved around digital investigation and the dangerous impact of internet manipulation and deception.

Merit for the “Father of Barefoot Journalism”

Another highlight of the event is the awarding of JSAP’s Gawad Parangal to Ben Domingo Jr., a member of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Technical Committee in Journalism and a seasoned journalism professor.

This award is in recognition of Domingo’s unfaltering dedication to journalism education and his community-based output that puts a spotlight on the issues faced by the country. 

Domingo has a long list of history in teaching and in practice wherein he was known to pioneer the community-focused approach, hence the epithet “Ama ng Peryodismong Yapak.”

The program was closed after JSAP President Felipe Salvosa II announced University of the Philippines (UP) as the host school for the JSAP National Conference 2026.

The JSAP National Conference is an annual event orchestrated by the JSAP organization and its partner universities that serves as a platform to tackle the ever-changing landscape of media and communication.  Article: Joanna Martinez and Rica Labbao

Graphics: Jan Mike Cabangin