Nice B. Briol / Saint Louis College-Cebu
BROADCAST journalist Kara David and actress-content creator Ivana Alawi were named co-winners of the Best Host for Public Service award at the inaugural Famas Broadcast Arts Awards, honoring excellence in digital broadcast content.
David and Alawi shared the award under the Television and New Media category, edging out fellow nominees veteran broadcasters Jessica Soho and Vicky Morales, Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Rueda-Acosta and physician Dr. Edinell Calvario.
The joint win sparked debate on social media, with some users questioning whether a veteran broadcast journalist and a digital content creator should be judged under the same public-service standard, given the different scale, format and journalistic rigor typically associated with each platform.
David addressed the discussion during her July 29 appearance on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, where she defended the value of diverse platforms in reaching and serving the public.
“Nirerespeto ko ‘yung iba’t ibang platforms at natutuwa ako na maraming iba’t ibang tao na gumagamit ng kapangyarihan ng storytelling para makatulong sa iba... Sana lang ‘pag nag-public service talaga tayo, it’s really for the public [and] not for ourselves,” David said.
(I respect the different platforms and I’m happy that many different people are using the power of storytelling to help others... I just hope that when we really do public service, it’s really for the public and not for ourselves.)
She acknowledged the distinction between her work and Alawi’s, noting that media personalities now reach audiences through markedly different channels. “I acknowledge na iba-iba tayo ng platform. So iba yung platform ni Ivana, iba yung platform ko, iba yung platform ng iba’t ibang tao,” she said.
(I acknowledge that we each have different platforms. So Ivana’s platform is different, my platform is different and different people have different platforms.)
Despite the differing approaches, David’s grounding in broadcast journalism and public affairs reporting and Alawi’s public-service efforts through digital content, Famas placed both under a single category built around the use of media to serve the public.
The shared award reflects a broader shift in Philippine media, where television and online platforms increasingly compete for and share the same public-service space, even as debate continues over whether traditional and digital storytelling should be measured by the same yardstick.