The Inquirer has earned several finalist nominations in the 48th Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA), with its articles recognized for placing people’s experiences at the center of reporting under this year’s theme, ‘Preserving Human Voices and Faces.’
The finalist entries span special features, investigative reporting and news coverage, reflecting the newsroom’s commitment to telling stories that go beyond headlines and statistics to document the lives, struggles and experiences of people affected by some of the country’s most consequential issues.
‘Lives Lost Too Soon: Children Not Spared in Duterte Drug War’ by Kurt Dela Peña and ‘Where Priests Train for Battles of ‘Liberation” by Gillian Villanueva were among the finalists in the Best Special Feature category.
The drug war story moved beyond casualty figures to tell the stories of young victims whose lives were cut short during police operations, alleged vigilante-style killings and anti-drug raids. Meanwhile, the spiritual liberation story offered a rare look at Asia’s first Catholic exorcism center, exploring how the Catholic Church prepares priests for the ministry of exorcism, with a focus on spiritual discernment and pastoral care as priests respond to complex challenges faced by Filipino faithful.
For the Best Investigative Report category, Cristina Eloisa Baclig’s ‘Dead and Drowned: Cemeteries Vanish as Seas, Floods Rise’ examined a little-seen consequence of climate change and worsening flooding: the disappearance of cemeteries in vulnerable communities.
Focusing on Hagonoy, Bulacan, the report documented how rising waters, land subsidence and persistent flooding have transformed once-accessible burial grounds into submerged spaces, making it increasingly difficult for families to visit and honor their departed loved ones.
The Inquirer also secured finalist spots in the Best News Coverage category.
A two-part special report, ‘Debt service eats up biggest slice of budget pie’ and ‘PH debt stock projected to hit P19T by end of 2026,’ by Krixia Subingsubing, Nyah de Leon and Dexter Cabalza, with Inquirer Research, examined the country’s growing debt burden and how debt service consumes a significant portion of the national budget.
The series traced the legal and historical roots of the Philippines’ debt and examined what the growing obligation means for government spending and the resources available for public services.
Also recognized in the category was a series of reports from The Hague, Netherlands, by Kathleen de Villa covering the International Criminal Court proceedings involving former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The series included ‘ICC prosecutor shrugs off Duterte defense hitting media, witnesses,’ ‘From ICC press row: Du30 not in court ‘just feels wrong” and ‘When the drug war ‘Pieta’ reached The Hague.’
Through courtroom reporting, interviews and human-interest storytelling, the series documented the proceedings and the people surrounding a historic case before the ICC, giving readers an on-the-ground view of developments in The Hague.
Established in 1978 by the Catholic Church in the Philippines, the CMMA recognizes excellence in media that promotes truth, human dignity and Christian values. It honors media practitioners, artists, storytellers and content creators whose work promotes moral responsibility, social awareness and the common good.