THE ANNUAL USTv Students’ Choice Awards is marking its first decade with a focus on recognizing television programs and personalities that promote Filipino and Christian values.
In the USTv Awards kick-off party at Plaza Mayor last Nov. 21, Student Organizations Coordinating Council President Jan Michael Borja urged Thomasians to continue being critical audiences to encourage television networks to produce values-laden programs.
“Bilang tagapagtaguyod ng kinabukasan ng ating bansa, pati na rin ng industriya ng media, nagtagumpay ang USTv sa pagbibigay ng kapangyarihan sa mga kabataan ngayon sa pamamagitan ng kritikal na panunuri nito,” Borja said in his opening remarks.
The number of awards to be given in the 10th USTv was reduced to 24 from 33 last year to make the award-giving body more “television-centered” and to avoid overlapping of categories, he said. Best full-length film, best music video, and best music personality were among the categories removed.
Lopez-owned ABS-CBN, which dominated the previous USTv awards, led this year’s list of nominees with a total of 40 nominations. GMA Network garnered 17 nods, while sister network GMA News TV had four. Manny Pangilinan’s TV5 got five nominations, while UNTV of the “Ang Dating Daan” sect earned one.
The 10th USTv aims to gather at least 25,000 votes. Voting officially started after the kick-off party and will continue until Jan. 3, 2014. Thomasians may vote online or through their mobile phones via eLeap.
Television personalities from UNTV, GMA Network, TV5, and ABS-CBN graced the kick-off party.
New trophy
Aside from major changes in the categories, the 10th USTv will unveil a new trophy during its awards night on Feb. 20, 2014 at the Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The original trophy, designed by former College of Fine Arts and Design Dean Jaime de los Santos, depicts an open cable wire used in the transmission of images and sounds to the television screen. Three crystal-like cylinders of different sizes – blue, red and green – sit on top.
The 10th edition of the USTv will retain De los Santos’s design, with the addition of Catholic emblems on top of each cylinder. The rose of the Blessed Mother will be placed on top of the blue cylinder, while the Dominican Cross will be on top of the green cylinder. The sun, which symbolizes St. Thomas Aquinas, will be embedded on top of the red cylinder.
The three cylinders, with the three emblems, also symbolize the three core values of the University.
