MANILA — Panay News, Western Visayas’ leading daily, strengthened its standing as one of the country’s leading community newspapers by capturing two major awards at the 2025 Philippine Press Institute (PPI) Community Press Awards, including the coveted Best Edited Community Newspaper distinction.
The Iloilo-based newspaper was also named Best in Environmental Reporting during the awards ceremony held June 4 at the Lucky Chinatown Hotel, while earning finalist honors in the Best in Economic Reporting category, underscoring its excellence across multiple areas of journalism.
The awards were received on behalf of the publication by Panay News‘ Daniel Fajardo II, and Marketing Manager Leah Lyn Fajardo.
The latest recognition comes just weeks after Panay News celebrated its 45th anniversary, adding another milestone to the newspaper’s long record of serving communities across Western Visayas through credible, impactful and community-centered journalism.
In bestowing the Best Edited Community Newspaper award, PPI said Panay News demonstrated excellence in coverage, content, writing and editing, as well as consistency in producing quality journalism that empowers communities to understand and act on issues affecting them.
For the Best in Environmental Reporting award, meanwhile, PPI recognized Panay News for its sustained and effective coverage of environmental concerns while promoting environmental literacy and helping readers better understand emerging ecological challenges.
In a statement, Panay News thanked the Philippine Press Institute for its continued support of community journalism and efforts to strengthen public discourse.
“These accolades reinforce our unwavering vow to deliver thoughtful, fearless, and relevant journalism,” the publication said.
Panay News also dedicated the achievement to its readers, partners, advertisers and subscribers, whose trust and support have helped sustain the newspaper’s mission of delivering credible and impactful news to communities in Western Visayas and beyond.
The recognition places Panay News among the country’s most respected community newspapers and highlights its continuing commitment to journalism that informs, engages and serves the public.
At last year’s PPI Community Press Awards, Panay News was awarded Best Editorial Page for the second consecutive year.
The PPI, in its citation, lauded the paper’s editorials as “persistent, well-written, and to-the-point,” highlighting their role in not only celebrating local and regional gains in economic growth, culture, education, and good governance but also in calling out institutional neglect, public service failures, and issues in infrastructure and accountability.
Aside from the editorial page recognition, Panay News was also among last year’s finalists for Best News Website for Visayas, reflecting its evolving presence online and its continued investment in digital journalism to reach a broader and younger audience.
In 2024, aside from Best Editorial Page, Panay News was also cited as Best in Reporting on Migration Issues, and Best in Business and Economic Reporting.
The PPI Community Press Awards aims to raise the standards of provincial reporting, editorial writing, photojournalism, and digital innovation among member publications.
Panay News was founded in April 7, 1981 by Daniel “Danny” G. Fajardo and spouse Maria Santillian Fajardo to further expand the frontiers of press freedom in the region.
Panay News’ double victory at the 2026 PPI Community Awards came in the heels of its Top IP Provincial News Award last month from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines. The region’s leading daily newspaper received the honor at the Gawad Yamang Isip Awards in recognition of its sustained and impactful reporting on intellectual property and innovation issues in Western Visayas.
The Gawad Yamang Isip Awards is considered the country’s highest distinction for intellectual property advocacy./PN
