www.liberal-philippines.com is the People's Choice

Proud winners: Eric Sobrepeña, web designer; Jonathan Malaya, editor in chief; and Angelico Mercader, art director.

Barely six months old, the Liberal Philippines website grabbed the People’s Choice Award in the Magazine and Zines category of the 6th Philippine Web Awards, the highly-awaited annual event that recognizes the country’s best websites and the people behind them.

The online version of the magazine bested the more established magazine websites on the net that included Candymag.com, the Inquirer’s YOU, and maARTE ezine.

Liberal Philippines was adjudged the most popular website among literary sites and print magazine’s online versions that may contain feature articles, fiction, poetry, interviews, and reviews.

The People’s Choice awards is given to the website that garners the most number of votes from the larger internet community. Voters sent in their choices either through the web awards website or through text messages.

Jonathan Malaya, Liberal Philippines editor in chief, thanked the general public for the resounding vote of confidence in the magazine. “This award gives us more reason to keep on improving, to keep on working, and to keep on dreaming.”

“The award somehow validates the reason for the magazine’s existence – to create a magazine for the Filipino people that is intelligent, relevant, and most importantly liberal,” he added.

More than 2,353 websites were nominated but only 42 awards where handed out during the awarding ceremonies at Onstage, Greenbelt I, last 6 November 2003. On hand to receive the awards were Malaya, website developer Eric Sobrepena, Art Director Gelix Mercader, Board Members Ronald Meinardus and John Coronel, Editorial Assistant Salao, and Miles Taus of the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung.