The Philippine Center For Investigative Journalism will on Wednesday be presented with Agence France-Presse 's prestigious Kate Webb Award for its outstanding contributions to press freedom.

The Kate Webb award is for local reporters or media organisations in the Asia Pacific who have produced exceptional work in dangerous or difficult circumstances, or have demonstrated moral or physical courage while reporting.

It carries prize money of 5,000 euros (RM22,330), which will be used by the PCIJ to conduct a training programme for Filipino journalists on how to safely conduct investigative reporting in dangerous environments.

NONE At an awards ceremony due to be held in Manila on Wednesday night, AFP Asia Pacific director Eric Wishart and Webb's relatives were to commend the PCIJ for its fearless investigative reporting over two decades.

The Philippines is the world's deadliest country for journalists, and the dangers for reporters were highlighted last year with the massacre of 57 people, including 32 media workers, in the southern province of Maguindanao.

"The PCIJ has been a beacon of press freedom in the Philippines and deserves to be a source of inspiration for all of us who believe that journalists should shine a light in all the dark corners of our societies, whether it pleases those concerned or not," Wishart was due to say in a speech at the ceremony.

Toiling under dangerous circumstances

PCIJ executive director Malou Mangahas said her team wanted to also recognise all media workers in the Philippines who toiled under dangerous circumstances.

"We are most humbled and fully inspired by this award and the legacy of Ms Kate Webb," Mangahas said.

"We accept it in honour of over a hundred Filipino journalists, including 32 in Maguindanao, who have been killed for bringing to light the evils of corruption, political dynasties and bad governance."

The PCIJ is the second winner of the annual prize, which was created in memory of Webb after she died of cancer in 2007 at the age of 64.

New Zealand-born Webb was one of the finest correspondents to have worked for AFP and earned a reputation while covering the biggest events in the Asia Pacific as a brave and compassionate reporter.

The AFP Foundation, a non-profit organisation created to promote higher standards of journalism worldwide, and the Webb family administer the award.

- AFP