SUNSTAR Davao's social media strategist and editor Ace June Rell S. Perez is the Mindanao winner of this year's Sinag Awards which was held at Seda Hotel in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig yesterday morning, December 11, 2019.
Perez also won the same award in 2016.
Sinag is a financial literacy journalism award brought by Sun Life, which main objectives are to encourage the media to promote financial literacy among Filipinos and to enable them to be a catalyst of change for a future-ready Philippines.
This year's Sinag saw three SunStar Davao editors among the nominees namely, Jennie P. Arado, Reuel John F. Lumawag, and Perez.
Perez has been writing financial education/literacy-related stories since the beginning of his jounalism career in 2015 and he vows to continue doing it because he knows that many Filipinos struggle not because they earn less but because of their ignorance on saving.
"The journey to financial freedom is not easy, it is something I also struggle to achieve. I'm hoping more Filipinos will give importance to financial education," he said in a Facebook messenger interview.
Benedict Sison, chief executive officer (CEO) and country head of Sun Life Financial Philippines, hopes that more journalists will promote financial literacy for the benefit of the people.
"Sometimes you struggle to see the impact of the work that you do as sometimes it becomes a routine you go through every day. But know that we deeply appreciate. We hope you continue to push for the truth, share knowledge that will benefit Filipinos and contribute in helping country rise to its full potentials. May you never get tired to be champions of financial literacy," he said.
Aside from Perez other winners include Kervin Huang of Far Eastern University, Manila, Gabrielle George Cendana of St. John's Cathedral School, Dagupan City, and Jey Mart Cuyag of the University of Science and Technology, Cagayan de Oro for the Student edition.
Andre Mikhail Obierez of Palawan Daily News and Hannah Lacsamana of Baguio Midland Courier, won for the Visayas and Luzon, respectively.
Sun Life will celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2020 in the Philippines.