The 1st Bantala UP Media Excellence Awards was held last March 23, 2022 at the Little Theater of the University of the Philippines Visayas in Iloilo City. This is the first award-giving body for mass media and communications in Western Visayas.
Bacolod Blogger Sigrid Lo bagged 3 awards in the digital media category namely, Story of the Year for Blog, In-Depth Report of the Year for Blog, and In-Depth Report of the Year for Social Media for her advocacy on COVID19 vaccination.
Special guests attending via Zoom were Maria Ressa, 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and co-founder and CEO of Rappler, and British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils.
Below is the complete list of winners in the 1st Bantala UPV Media Excellence Awards
- Story of the Year for Radio: Elena Pabiona
- In-Depth Report of the Year: Runelyn Rocio Jamolo
- Story of the Year for Print: Rhick Lars Vladimer Albay
- In-Depth Report of the Year for Print: Nestor Burgos Jr.
- Story of the Year for Blog: Maria Sigrid Lo
- In-Depth Report of the Year for Blog: Maria Sigrid Lo
- Story of the Year Award for Website: Jun Ariolo Aguirre
- In-Depth Report of the Year for Website: Nestor Burgos Jr.
- Story of the Year for Social Media: Ted Aldwin Ong
- In-Depth Report of the Year for Social Media: Maria Sigrid Lo
The late journalist and UPV alumnus Jose Jaime “Nonoy” Espina was also given a posthumous award for his exemplary life and work as a journalist. The award was received by his family. He was involved with the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines’ advocacy for press freedom and advancement of media protection and safety.
An award dedicated to the late journalist, the Nonoy Espina Journalism Award, was then given to Nestor Burgos, Jr., who has embodied what Espina fought for in the last three decades.
The Bantala UP Media Excellence Awards evaluates and recognizes the covering, writing, reporting, and publishing of news stories and events on different media platforms. The entries focused on the following issues:
- Deepening Participatory Democracy
- Protecting Human Rights
- Addressing Various Forms of Social and Cultural Marginalization
- Fighting Against Disinformation
The award uses the Hiligaynon word ‘bantala’, which refers to announcement, information, news, publication, or notification. As a verb, the word means to publish, inform, and advise.
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