THIRTY-FOUR journalists and news outfits won awards and recognition during the 1st Eastern Visayas Media Awards at the Leyte Part Hotel and Resort in Tacloban City Saturday, April 27.
The board of judges were composed of Palo Archdiocese spokesperson Fr. Chris Arthur Militante, Prof. Ladylyn Mangada of the University of the Philippines-Visayas Tacloban Campus (UPVTC), and veteran editor Rolex Elmido.
“It was a beautiful showcase of unity among journalists in Eastern Visayas. Congratulations to the winners; they deserve the accolades,” said Elmido while lauding the newly-formed Eastern Visayas Media Without Borders for organizing the event.
“The event was an affirmation that media practitioners in the region are working hard to sustain professionalism and credibility in their career,” said Elmido, former regional editor of The Freeman now regional editor of online news site Manila Express.com.
Gracing the event was Assistant Secretary Ramon Cualoping III of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) on behalf of Secretary Martin Andanar.
The winners are the following:
Best News Program of the Year (Radio)
-- Balitang Bayan (dyVL Aksyon Radyo) for comprehensive, insightful and resourceful news coverage with accuracy, objectivity and fairness in its radio broadcasts.
Best News Program of the Year (TV)
-- TV Patrol Eastern Visayas (ABS-CBN) for comprehensive, insightful and resourceful news coverage with accuracy, objectivity and fairness in its television broadcasts.
Best Radio Reporter (Male)
-- Rani Llosa Arcenas for outstanding presentation and delivery, via broadcast, fair and credible news to the public.
Best Radio Reporter (Female)
-- Sarah May Guiuan Artiaga for outstanding presentation and delivery, via broadcast, fair and credible news to the public.
Best Television Reporter (Male)
-- Don Leandrew Tiu for outstanding presentation and delivery, via broadcast, fair and credible news to the public.
Best Television Reporter (Female)
-- Jenette Fariola-Ruedas (ABS-CBN) for outstanding presentation and delivery, via broadcast, fair and credible news to the public.
Best Commentary Program (Broadcast)
-- Bombohanay Bigtime (Bombo Radyo) for outstanding and comprehensive platform for commentaries on current affairs that enhance dialogue with all sectors towards clarity of the issues at hand.
Best Commentator (Broadcast)
-- Eduard Sanagan (RMN Tacloban) for outstanding, compelling and insightful commentaries on various issues, effectively drawing engagement from the public and the eventual uncovering of the truth.
Best Radio Newscaster of the Year
-- Francisca Salazar Custodio (dyVL Aksyon Radyo) for outstanding delivery, courageous and fair dissemination of news, sustaining the standards in broadcast journalism (radio).
Best TV Newscaster of the Year (Male)
-- Ranulfo Candila Docdocan for outstanding delivery, courageous and fair dissemination of news, sustaining the standards in broadcast journalism (TV).
Best TV Newscaster of the Year (Female)
-- Boots Palconite Buena (PRTV 12) for outstanding delivery, courageous and fair dissemination of news, sustaining the standards in broadcast journalism (TV).
Best Television Cameraman
-- Ariel Soledad Masas for outstanding creativity in videography that, in itself, tells the true and factual story of the news and the newsmakers, while upholding responsible journalism.
Best News Writer of the Year
-- Joey A. Gabieta (Philippine Daily Inquirer) for excellence in news writing, resourcefulness in breaking news, and ingenious ability to extract top stories that land in the national front pages.
Best Regional Correspondent for National News
-- Ronald O. Reyes (The Manila Standard) and Robert Dejon (Philippine Daily Inquirer) for excellence in news writing, resourcefulness in breaking news, and ingenious ability to extract top stories that land in the national front pages.
Best News Correspondent for National Online Site
-- Jasmin Bonifacio (Rappler) for excellence in writing, resourcefulness in breaking news, and ingenious ability to extract top stories that merit a space in national online platform.
Best Feature Story Writer
-- Elmer Villablanca Recuerdo (Business Mirror) for excellence in feature writing with dramatic flair and comprehensive depiction of issues and topics affecting various sectors of the society.
Best Newspaper of the Year (Regional)
-- Leyte Samar Daily Express for excellence in writing and editing articles, and disseminating varied and accurate contents of regional scope while sustaining responsible journalism.
Best Community Paper (Regional)
-- Sunday Punch for excellence in writing and editing community articles and accurate contents of regional scope while sustaining responsible journalism.
Best Newspaper of the Year (Provincial)
-- Southern Leyte Times for excellence in writing and editing articles, and disseminating varied and accurate contents of provincial scope while sustaining responsible journalism.
Best Community Paper (Provincial)
-- Northern Samar Tribune for excellence in writing and editing articles, and disseminating varied and accurate contents of provincial scope while sustaining responsible journalism.
Best News Platform of the Year (Online)
-- Calbayog Journal for excellence in writing and editing, and providing broad and varied contents that are disseminated with accuracy and objectivity in social media platform.
Best Newspaper Editor
-- Lalaine Marcos for excellence in language and effective communication, while safeguarding accuracy and fairness in editing contents and published articles.
Best Photojournalist
-- Rommel L. Rutor (dyMS Aksyon Radyo) for outstanding photos that effectively tell a story by itself, or support as facts to a written and published news, without bias and malicious portrayal.
Best Development News Writer
-- Sarwell Q. Meniano (Philippine News Agency) excellent and comprehensive writing and presentation of articles that give life and purpose to projects and programs intended for development and benefits of the society.
Best Public Information Officer (Government)
-- Rogelette T. Urgel (PDEA) for outstanding efforts in providing data and government information to private media practitioners for development communication and upholding of the freedom of information law.
Best Public Information Officer (Private)
-- Bambie Q. Capulong (National Grid Corporation of the Philippines) for outstanding efforts in providing data and information to the media with as partner in community development and public service.
Best Media Personality of the Year (Male)
-- Mark O. Morallos (IBC-6) for outstanding service and performance in the advancement of press freedom, demonstrating exceptional professionalism in journalism that encourages responsible journalists.
Best Media Personality of the Year (Female)
-- Louie Quebec (dyVL Aksyon Radyo) for outstanding service and performance in the advancement of press freedom, demonstrating exceptional professionalism in journalism that encourages responsible journalists.
Best News Stringer (TV)
-- Fred Ecleo Padernos (GMA 7) for excellence in reporting/writing, resourcefulness in breaking news, and ingenious ability to extract top stories that merit a space in national online platform.
Best Radio Community Program (Provincial)
-- Pulso san Nortehanon for comprehensive, insightful and resourceful news coverage with accuracy, objectivity and fairness in its radio broadcasts.
Best Male Reporter (Provincial)
-- Yul P. Dela Cruz (dySM Aksyon Radyo) for comprehensive, insightful and resourceful news coverage with accuracy, objectivity and fairness in its television broadcasts.
Best Female Reporter (Provincial)
-- Jayne G. Bantayan (dySM Aksyon Radyo) for comprehensive, insightful and resourceful news coverage with accuracy, objectivity and fairness in its television broadcasts.
Best Disc Jockey of the Year (Female)
-- Janine T. Royo (94.3 MOR) for comprehensive, insightful and resourceful news and entertainment with accuracy and objectivity in its broadcasts.
Best Disc Jockey of the Year (Male)
-- Kay Bathala H. Santos (91.1 Love Radio) for comprehensive, insightful and resourceful news and entertainment with accuracy and objectivity in its broadcasts.
Lifetime Achievement Awards
-- Maria Lourdes Palencia, Kaugop Radio, and Francesa Custodio, DyVL-Aksyon Radyo. (SunStar Philippines)