AROUND 250 campus journalists from Labogon National High School (LNHS) in Mandaue City participated in the school-based press conference held on Sept. 6, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. With the theme “Empowering Campus Journalists: Shaping the Future through Responsible Journalism,” the event provided an immersive platform for aspiring writers and broadcasters to sharpen their skills.
Organized by school paper advisers and teacher-coaches in English and Filipino, the event aimed to enhance students’ abilities in interviewing, news gathering and reporting, while fostering media literacy, communication skills and civic awareness. It also served as preparation for the upcoming campus journalism competitions in November.
During the opening program, Marvin Quilaquil, adviser of The Façade, introduced the resource speakers and judges, who were later assigned to lecture and evaluate students in their respective categories.
Notable speakers and judges included Atty. John Destacamento (copyreading, headline writing and column and editorial writing), Dr. Bryan Fernandez (news writing), Jhason James Rosell (photojournalism), Ramesh Rosillo (editorial cartooning), Laureen Jean Mondoñedo (science and technology writing), Catherine Toñacao (feature writing) and Luel Galarpe (sports writing). For the group category, lectures and judging were led by Decemay Padilla (radio broadcasting), Christopher Mahilum Jr. (TV broadcasting) and Jose Reginald Garigade (collaborative and online publishing).
The morning session featured lectures, followed by contests in the afternoon. Students competed across individual and group categories, showcasing their journalistic talents. Among the standout winners were Reinezme Sta. Maria (Grade 7) for copyreading, Strella Mae Germino (Grade 12) for feature writing and Jeane Therese Baguio (Grade 10) for photojournalism. In the group events, Best Team honors went to students from Grades 8 through 12 in collaborative desktop publishing, online publishing, radio and TV broadcasting.
Grade 8 student Sheena Kate Muñoz shared her experience: “I’ve learned many techniques in news writing, but the most important lesson is that journalism isn’t just a quirky sport — it’s a responsibility. We hold information in our hands and we’re tasked to tell stories that inform the public.”
LNHS head Erlinda Cuyos congratulated the organizers and highlighted the event’s impact: “This activity gave students valuable insights from external speakers and allowed them to demonstrate their growth and passion for responsible journalism.”
The school-based press conference is in line with Republic Act 7079, or the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, which promotes programs to enhance student journalistic skills and uphold the values of ethical and free journalism in schools.
Justino L. Mission Jr. / Labogon National High School