Shortlist for 5th Globe Media Excellence Awards Visayas announced

Globe Telecom has announced the roster of shortlisted entries for the 2016 Globe Media Excellence Awards (GMEA) in Visayas. Eighty-seven (87) shortlisted entries were chosen from a total of 789 entries submitted by print, online and broadcast journalists, columnists, bloggers, and social media influencers from Cebu, Bacolod, and Iloilo.

Now on its 5th year, the GMEA continues to recognize excellence in journalism exemplified by members of the print, broadcast, online, and social media in Visayas and Mindanao. Globe first launched GMEA in Cebu and Davao in 2012 as part of its advocacy in supporting press freedom by honoring media practitioners who demonstrate excellence and professionalism in their field of work.

All submitted entries touched on any or a combination of the four (4) Sustainability Focus Areas: care for the environment, innate care for our people, positive societal impact, and digital nation.

This year's GMEA is anchored on the company’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as part of its advocacy to help create a Wonderful Philippines. “The critical role of media organizations and online communities in forming and shaping public opinion makes it imperative for technology organizations like Globe to encourage excellence in this field as we all aspire to effect societal change," Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications Yoly Crisanto said.

Various awards are at stake for different media practitioners. For print media, recognition shall be conferred to the reporter of the year for print, explanatory/investigative story of the year for print, columnist of the year, and photojournalist of the year. For broadcast media, awards will be given to the reporter of the year for radio, public affairs story of the year for radio, reporter of the year for television, and explanatory/investigative story of the year for television. Finally, for digital media, honors shall be granted to the blogger of the year, social media campaign of the year, social media advocate of the year, and the reporter of the year for online news portal.

Shortlisted for the Reporter of the Year for Print were Joey Gabieta for “Kenneth's battlecry: Tindog, Tacloban”; Nestor Burgos Jr. for “Semirara's cycle of tragedy, hope” (both from Philippine Daily Inquirer); Ador Mayol for “Wrinkled Hopes” (Cebu Daily News); Kristine Quintas for “Testimony moves IEC delegates” (The Freeman); Carla Gomez for “Sugar, drug smuggling increase as polls near”; Chrysee Samillano “Solar power project endorsement sought” (both from Visayan Daily Star); Marchel Espina for “Negros Occidental under state of calamity due to El Nino” (Sun.Star Bacolod); Glenda Sologastoa for “Excessive extraction: MGB warns of groundwater depletion” (Panay News); and Louine Conserva for “Priest mums on ‘treasure hunt’” (The Daily Guardian).

For Columnist of the Year, the following entrants were shortlisted: Atty. Gloria Ramos for “Basura pa more” (Cebu Daily News); Aven Piramide for “Cebu center of culture” (The Freeman); Bong Wenceslao for “DepEd's mother tongue and Cebuano” (Sun.Star Cebu); Besty Gazo for “Bringing excitement into our museums” (Sun.Star Bacolod); Carlos Leonardia for “Kindness”; Elsie Jolingan for “Goodbye, My Friends” (both from Visayan Daily Star); Sammy Julian for “Geopolitical complexities”; Ike Seneres for “Trees can supply five basic needs plus more”; and Julia Carreon-Lagoc for “Big 3 little words: ‘humane, just, fraternal’” (Panay News).

In the category Photojournalist of the Year, shortlisted were Tonee Despojo for “Demolition”; Ferdinand Edralin for “State of Emergency” (both from Cebu Daily News); Paul Jun Rosaroso for “Firefighter struggle” (The Freeman); Ronnie Baldonado for “Sweet Negros”; Andy Alvarez for “Rice farmers in Negros Occidental are being advised to take precautions against leptospirosis” (both from Visayan Daily Star); Ricky Alejo for “Comfort” (The Daily Guardian); Archie Rey Alipalo for “Ruins”; Guijo Duenas for “Pretty girls perform during the Hirinugyaw-Sugidadonay Festival of Calinog, Iloilo on Jan 31, 2016. The annual festival is a colorful showcase of the culture of the Panay-Bukidnon indigenous peoples”; and Joselito Villasis for “STOP THE DESECRATION! In front of the San Joaquin Camposanto, protesters call for an end to the defilement of the national cultural treasure” (Panay News).

Shortlisted for Explanatory Story for Print were Cherry Ann Lim for “Breaking child labor” (Sun.Star Cebu); Kristine Quintas and May Miasco for “K to 12: Are we ready for Senior High?” (The Freeman); Gilbert Bayoran for “Block farms in La Castellana unites two farmers' groups” (Visayan Daily Star); Leo Udtohan for “Rice bowl of Central Visayas is near empty”; Nestor Burgos Jr. and Carla Gomez for “One Negros: More than a convenience issue”; Nestor Burgos Jr. for “Taking the Visayas votes by strategy”; Nestor Burgos Jr. and Joey Gabieta for “P18.4B in ‘Yolanda’ emergency aid distributed late”; and Carmel Loise Matus and Nestor Burgos Jr. for “A costly proposition for integration” (Philippine Daily Inquirer).

Shortlisted for Reporter of the Year for Radio category were Astra Zina Logarta for “New Home for Yolanda Victims” (DYHP); Rene Borromeo for “Coal-fired Power Plant sa Sawang Calero gibsaura sa konseho sa dakbayan sa Sugbo taliwala sa pagsupak sa katawhan” (DYLA); Rowena Capistrano for “Magtutudlo wala mobiya sa iyang mga tinun-an bisan nalakip na kasunog iyang panimalay” (DYRF); Joel Franco for “Mga mangunguma dapat indi magpadaso-daso nga magtanum sang humay kun wala sang pondo nga tubig” (DYRI); Runelyn Jamolo for “Bayanihan kontra maternal deaths” (DYLL); Albert Giner for “Ang mga iskwater nga taga-ciudad”; Jemlo Victosa for “Palangabuhian sang mga nagapanginhas sa Brgy. Banago apektado sang pagleak sang oil depot”; Agnes Apostol for “Turon with Love” (DYHB).

For Public Affairs Story for Radio, entrants who were shortlisted were Atty. Ruphil Bañoc for “Basura Bayloan og Grocery/Recycling of Waste Materials” (DYHP); Serge Santillan and Jeony Bigay for “Ginapatindog nga poultry ginareklamo wala sang permit, makahalit sa mga pumuluyo sang isa ka hacienda sa Silay City (Part one)” (DYHB); and Elena Pabiona for Interview with Dondi Alikpala on Drought Responde and Supply-Demand Management in Planning in Iloilo forum (DYLL).

Shortlisted for Reporter for Television were Lesley Vestil for “Libud Suroy”; Jinky Rosit for “El Nino sa Sugbo” (both from TV5 Cebu); Alan Domingo for “Homeless CICC” (GMA7 Cebu); Yasmin Dormido for “NPA Releases RPA-ABB Captive”; and Jose Marty Go for “48MW Solar Power Plant Inaugurated in Manapla” (both from ABS-CBN Bacolod).

For the Explanatory Story for Television category, the shortlisted entrants were Jinky Rosit for “Guns and goons” (TV5 Cebu); and Alan Domingo for “Krisis sa tubig” (GMA7 Cebu).

For the digital categories, the shortlisted entrants for the Reporter for Online News Portal category were Ador Mayol for “Shining through the haze”; Santino Bunachita for “ONLINE PETITION: Cebu Ocean Park project draws flak” (both from Cebu Daily News); Nickolas Earl Tubo for “El Niño, a weather phenomenon” (Sun.Star Network Exchange); Marchel Espina for “Negrenses urged to wear masks, stay home after Kanlaon ash eruption” (Rappler); Carla Gomez for “Biggest solar farm in SE Asia game changer for Neg. Occ.”; Keith Brandon Cari-an for “120,000 Negros kids to be immunized” (both from Visayan Daily Star); Perla Lena for “Guimaras takes pride of its first Aeta registered nurse” (Philippine News Agency); Raymart Escopel for “How much do young people save and spend?”; and Merianne Ereneta for “Where's the promised water?” (both from Panay News).

For Blogger of the Year, shortlisted entrants were Claire Algarme for “Charitable Institutions to Visit in Bacolod”; Glady Reyes for “Rise Up For Rice! What Ordinary Negrenses Can Do to Help the Rice Industry”; Maria Sigrid Lo for “Food Safety: Top Concern for Bacolod Restaurants”; Gloria Moralidad for “The Modern Kerida: Extramarital Affairs in the New Iloilo”; Spencer Ravago for “The Right To Abstain, or 4 Reasons Why You DON'T Have to Vote”; Joseph Batcagan for “From wizards to cosmo: a 21st century Ilonggo story on business and survival”; Nancy Cudis-Ucag for “The Extraordinary Tales of Some Trees”; Christian Literatus for “Bisdak Explorer's Top 10 Free Travel Apps For Your Next Adventure”; and Janine Ella Anongos for “Blog Branding Series: Elements of Blogging.”

For the Social Media Campaign category, shortlisted were Maria Sigrid Lo for “Bacolod Needs More Plants in Commercial Areas”; Stephen Kenneth Eliserio for “National Cleanup Day of Let's do it! Philippines in Negros Island and Western Visayas”; Apolinario Carino for “Save Mt. Talinis Movement”; Gloria Moralidad for “Traveling Tales x SM City Iloilo”; Global Shapers Cebu for “The Dream Campaign”; Youth for a Livable Cebu for “Save Our Rivers Campaign”; and SugbuPH for “5-day #ExperienceCebu Photo Challenge”.

Shortlisted for the Social Media Advocate category were Joyce Torrefranca for the post “I got inspired by a kid: Daniel Cabrera”; Mark Anthony Razonable for “The picture behind every pictures”;Elgeniel Nangit for “Sirao”; Glady Reyes for “Sidewalk ginhimo parkingan?”; Maria Sigrid Lo for “Where to Eat: List of Bacolod Home-Grown Restaurants”; Jojo Vito for “LET'S PROMOTE BACOLOD CITY, LIKE AND SHARE!”; Jesa Christine Tamayo for “DPI Photo Race 2015 Highlights”; Leon Manolo Taclino for “The Philippines' bet and Iloilo's very own Angelia Gabrena Ong was named Miss Earth 2015”; and Raoul Danniel Manuel for “Ganito po kami sa UP.”

The participants were allowed to submit up to six entries which were published or aired between May 2015 to April 2016.  The Awards Night for the Globe Media Excellence Awards Visayas will be held on September 22, 2016 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City as part of the Cebu Press Freedom Week festivities.