By Chessa Pae Faustino, StratCom Correspondent

Recognized for his expertise in environmental journalism, Mr. Edmar Delos Santos, Communication faculty member and MMSU alumnus, has been chosen by the Philippine Network of Environmental Journalists and Deutsche Welle (DW) Akademie to cover climate change topics at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) 29th Conference of the Parties (COP 29) from November 17 to 24 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Besting nine journalists, Mr. Delos Santos is one of two Filipino journalists who will publish articles related to local climate challenges and events at the conference. He will also join other media personalities from Timor-Leste, Indonesia, and the Philippines for the reporting fellowship.

This reporting fellowship follows the training project held in July 2024 titled “Let’s Talk Climate! Information and Communication on Climate Topics” by DW Akademie, Germany’s leading organization for international media development, which Germany’s Federal Foreign Office supports. 

During the training, climate challenges,  causes, consequences, and solutions were tackled to allow participants to enhance their skills and produce multimedia content useful in addressing these challenges. His documentary on the traditional salt-making industry in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte, was selected by DW Academie and PNEJ to support his participation at COP 29.

As a faculty member of the College of Arts and Sciences, Mr. Delos Santos finds significance in incorporating his experiences into his classes. He encourages his students to write relevant narratives addressing climate, environment, culture, the arts, and youth development.

Rappler, a leading Philippine online news website, will publish Mr Delos Santos’ articles for COP 29. Previously, his works have been published by reputable media news outlets like the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Philstar.com. He is also an information services correspondent of the MMSU Office for Strategic Communication.