News

Sarihay in Focus: “Wildlife Sanctuary” by Ernie Peñaredondo

Posted on May 25, 2015

(Eleventh in an eleven-part series.)

Photo-journalist Ernie Peñaredondo’s featured image of Palawan’s thriving mangrove trees was selected as the winner of the first Sarihay Media Award for Best Photo Essay.

Peñaredondo’s photo appeared on the front page of the Philippine Star last August 2014.

The winning entry is part of a series of photos that Peñaredondo has entitled “Wildlife Sanctuary.” The image appeared prominently on the front page of the August 11, 2014 issue of the Philippine Star.

With the photo came the below caption:

A man stands on the roots of a mangrove tree in Barangay Sabang, Puerto Princesa City in Palawan. The mangrove trees, which are more than 30 feet tall, are considered among the tourist attractions in the area.

The towering mangrove trees of Sabang are indicative of the exceptional and still-thriving biodiversity of Palawan, one of the few remaining environmental havens in the Philippines.

Below are Peñaredondo’s photos comprising his “Wildlife Sanctuary.”

The winning image. (Ernie Peñaredondo)

(Ernie Peñaredondo)

(Ernie Peñaredondo)

(Ernie Peñaredondo)

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The Sarihay Media Awards was launched last February 2014 in recognition of the important role of the media in promoting awareness and better understanding of environmental and sustainable development issues among policymakers, decision makers, and the public. The campaign served as both acknowledgement and reward to those who deliver outstanding and responsible reportage of environmental news. The term "Sarihay" comes from the Filipino phrase, "Samu't Saring Buhay", which aptly describes biodiversity.