‘Welcome to the PCIJ family’: At 35, PCIJ continues to expand network of investigative journalists

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This is the full text of the Welcome Remarks of PCIJ Executive Director Carmela Fonbuena at the Third National Conference on Investigative Journalism

Magandang umaga po. On behalf of PCIJ, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, welcome to the Third National Conference on Investigative Journalism or what we like to call “IJcon.” 

After months of planning and preparations, we are beyond thrilled to finally see you all here, gathered at the ballroom of the Novotel Manila Araneta City, where PCIJ’s very first investigative journalism conference was also held in 2019. 

There are more than 100 of us here today — journalists and communicators; civil society representatives; and members of the academe, students and professors alike. There are 44 participants from the National Capital Region, 26 from the rest of Luzon, 14 from the Visayas, and 16 from Mindanao.

These numbers do not include the almost 50 journalists and experts we’ve invited to speak in three plenary sessions and in four sets or a total of 12 breakout sessions over the next three days. 

They also do not include the participants on Zoom and those who are watching us on the livestream. 

Veteran journalist Howie Severino takes a selfie with fellow speakers and participants at the Third National Conference on Investigative Journalism. Severino is the chairman of the PCIJ Board of Editors.

You were all selected to participate based on one general criteria: You believe investigative journalism is important for a well functioning democracy. 

Your positive response to our invitation is a source of inspiration and hope to us at PCIJ. It is a testament to your continued faith in investigative journalism and your commitment to work alongside the PCIJ community and network to pursue investigative journalism. 

We also opened the conference to applicants and immediately we received over a hundred applications. 

From these applications, we brought to the conference a rookie reporter covering social issues in her community who said she is eager to learn more about writing and gathering information for investigative reporting. She said she wants to know how she can improve her practice.

We also brought to the conference a community journalist saying producing investigative journalism is his long held dream but he felt he lacked the necessary knowledge and skills. This is his first investigative journalism conference.

When you come to think about it, this is what PCIJ has always been about. PCIJ is a small organization if we count the less than a dozen employees or the two dozens or so editorial consultants and fellows who work together to produce pcij’s investigative reports over a year.

But PCIJ’s strength lies in this network — across the Philippines and across Southeast Asia. It lies in the fellows who despite their busy schedules say yes when called to make time to train aspiring investigative journalists. 

It lies in the community that doesn’t hesitate to support our colleagues under attack; the student volunteers who are willing and eager to perform various roles to help PCIJ run the conference. Thank you. 

PCIJ’s strength also lies in our allies in the civil society, the academe, and in the government who support our practice, and who agree to collaborate when called upon to share their expertise and resources so investigative journalists can do their work.

Over a hundred journalists and members of the civil society and the academe gathered for PCIJ’s Third National Conference on Investigative Journalism. Photo by Cindy Aquino

PCIJ celebrates its 35^th year this year. Cheers to 35 years. It has been 35 years of network building since it was founded in 1989 by Sheila Coronel, Malou Mangahas, Howie Severino, Marites Vitug, and others. The greats we’ve always looked up to.

Our profession is confronting enormous challenges, new and persistent, not least of which are technology, artificial, and violence against our members. We will be discussing these and more over the next three days. 

As long as there is fight left in us, as long as our network continues to work together, investigative journalism will continue to be the country’s conscience, exposing corruption and abuse in our society, shining a light on underreported issues, demanding for accountability in government and in the private sector. 

Investigative journalism will flourish. Democracy will prevail.

We welcome you to the Third National Conference on Investigative Journalism. We hope you will learn techniques that will improve your practice back home. 

We welcome you to the PCIJ family. This is our shared commitment and burden.

Good morning.