MANILA, Philippines, May 21, 2010— As build-up to the September 17-19 Special Edition Stand Up, Take Action Campaign to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Probe Media Foundation, Inc. partnered with the United Nations Millennium Campaign to launch the “Search for the Philippines’ MDG Warriors.”

“As a UN Millennium Campaign partner, Probe is taking a more positive approach to helping promote the MDGs. We are doing this by searching for inspiring people and organizations, and by encouraging students to tell their stories to the public,” said veteran broadcast journalist Cheche Lazaro, President of Probe.

Probe has been committed to helping create a deeper understanding and appreciation of social issues by producing stories that move the hearts and capture the minds of viewers. By involving students, Probe also hopes to discover a fresh generation of talented broadcast journalists and ‘documentarists.’

This two-part competition involves a nationwide search for individuals or organizations whose selfless work and commitment to public service have produced a great positive impact on any of the MDGs, and a contest for college students to produce a documentary about the winning MDG warriors.

“We are aiming to discover a new breed of heroes,” Lazaro said. “We believe that while the government has the primary responsibility of working to achieve the MDGs, we, as a country, can get there faster and easier if we all take a stand and get ourselves actively involved.”

According to Minar Pimple, UN Millennium Campaign Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, “By honoring these individuals and organizations, we encourage others to make their own contribution for the accelerated achievement of the MDGs. At the same time, this is one way of putting the pressure on government leaders to deliver on their MDG commitment, especially as we commemorate the 10th year of the Millennium Declaration.”

By signing the Millennium Declaration of 2000, 189 world leaders committed to achieving eight Millennium Development Goals anchored on eradicating extreme poverty by 2015. These are:
1) end extreme poverty and hunger;
2) achieve universal education;
3) promote gender equality;
4) reduce child mortality;
5) improve maternal health;
6) combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases;
7) ensure environmental sustainability and
8 ) develop a global partnership for development.

The Stand Up Campaign, a yearly global mobilization aimed at reminding government leaders of their MDG commitment, is special this year because it is happening right before the MDG Summit to be held in New York in September. At the Summit, world leaders will be asked to present their MDG Breakthrough Plans for the accelerated achievement of the MDGs by 2015.

Nomination for the Search for the Philippines’ MDG Warriors opens on May 25, 2010, and will run until June 30, 2010, at 11:00 P.M. Anyone who is of legal age by June 30, 2010, can nominate any individual or organization that has impacted the society by working to achieve the MDGs, provided the nominee has not been previously awarded by any national or international award-giving body. The nomination form can be downloaded from, www.probetv.com (click here). Self-nominations will not be accepted.

Seven finalists representing each of the seven (MDG 1-7)   focus MDGs of the Campaign in the Philippines, will be chosen to receive cash prizes and special awards. From these finalists, a special committee will determine the grand winner, who will be awarded with a study tour abroad.

To find out more about the Search for the Philippines’ MDG Warriors, download the competition guidelines (click here).

What is one thing that has become a natural instinct for us nowadays?

Making sure we do not leave home without  our  cellphone.

There was a time when all we were concerned about was not missing an important call when our cellphones rang.  Today, with technology constantly upgraded, we have  cellphones that can take pictures, shoot video and upload our shots to the internet seconds after we have pressed the stop button on our phones.

No need to bring film to be processed, no need to ask someone to air our story.  We have become citizen-journalists with the freedom to choose what story to tell, when and from where we find something with an interesting story to tell.

Big, bulky cameras and the long tedious process of crafting a story has now been reduced making it accessible to anyone who has a keen eye, a genuine interest in news as it happens where you are and most importantly I think, a commitment to seek the truth, verify and be fair to all concerned.

With the elections just days away, we are faced with the challenge of observing and recording a first in our country and in Asia.  The automated election process needs to be watched carefully.  This is the first time since 1907 that the “mano-mano” way of counting our vote will be replaced by machines that will do the count for us.

Let’s be active participants. Make a difference by participating. Be a citizen-journalist.

— Cheche

(you can upload your videos about the campaign, elections or just about anything that affects you on probetv.com, click here.)