SUNSTAR Baguio with two other weekly papers from the city will vie for top honors in today’s 2016 Civic Journalism Community Press Awards.

The only daily newspaper in the Cordillera region, SunStar is nominated in three categories in the 21st National Press Forum of the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) themed “ASEAN@50: Beyond the Headlines,” the event coincides with the regional organization’s golden anniversary.

There are 14 community newspapers are vying for awards in five major categories namely, best in photojournalism, best in environmental reporting, best in business and economic reporting, best editorial page, and best edited paper.

SunStar Baguio will gun for the top honors in the daily category with Cebu Daily News, Edge Davao, The Freeman, Sun.Star Bacolod, Mindanao Daily Mirror, and Sun.Star Pampanga.

Nominees for the weekly category are Baguio Chronicle, Metro Post, Davao Catholic Herald, Baguio Midland Courier, The Mindanao Cross, The Negros Chronicle, and Mindanao Observer in the weekly category.

The awards program is being managed by the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) and supported by Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC), PPI's principal partner in its civic journalism programs.

NAC is also the major supporter of this year’s annual PPI conference.

Other minor sponsors are the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., H2O Hotel, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Jetti Petroleum, Inc., McDonald's, Philippine Veterans Bank, Land Bank of the Philippines, and the City Government of Iligan in Northern Mindanao.