(UST Journalism alumni Paolo Montecillo, fifth from the left, and Angela Celis-Mercurio, second from the right. Photo from Jeremaiah Opiniano’s Facebook account.)
October 26, 2015, 11:39p.m. – THREE Thomasian journalists were named “reporters of the year” during the 24th Business Journalism Awards of the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) and the Ayala Group of Companies last Oct. 23.
Angela Lorraine Celis-Mercurio of Malaya Business Insight was named best macroeconomy reporter for the third straight year while Paolo Montecillo of Philippine Daily Inquirer, the EJAP president, was named best finance reporter.
Veteran business reporter Lawrence Agcaoili was named telecommunications and transportation reporter of the year.
Journalism coordinator Jeremaiah Opiniano said UST alumni have proven that business and economic reporting could be a good career path. “Journalism students abhor business journalism. So, the [business journalism course] is less appreciated. But why do these alumni, and many others, try the business beat? There is a career in it,” Opiniano told the Varsitarian.
EJAP handed out Reporter of the Year trophies in Finance, Banking, Macroeconomy, Commodities (Agriculture and Mining), Energy, Infrastructure (Telecommunications and Transport), Trade and Investments, and Capital Markets.
Other winners in this year’s EJAP Awards were James Konstantin Galvez of Manila Times (Agriculture Reporter of the Year), Jimmy Calapati of Malaya Business Insight (Banking Reporter of the Year), Lenie Lectura of BusinessMirror (Energy Reporter of the Year), Doris Dumlao of Philippine Daily Inquirer (Capital Markets Reporter of the Year), the Philippine Star’s Louella Desiderio (Trade and Industry Reporter of the Year) and Iris Gonzales (Best Feature Article for Print Category), and Darwin Amojelar of Interaksyon (Best Feature Article for Online Category).
The board of judges included former Department of Finance undersecretary Milwida Guevara, Finance Assistant Secretary Maria Teresa Habitan, and Philippine Investor Relations Office Executive Director Editha Martin.
The winning journalistic works were selected based on content (60%) and style (40%). Scores were tabulated by accounting firm Punongbayan & Araullo.
Previous Thomasian winners in the annual EJAP awards include Alexis Douglas Romero and Richmond Mercurio, both of the Philippine Star.
EJAP is the main organization of business reporters, editors and publishers, with around 100 members from different news outfits. K.V. Baylon and J.P. Villanueva
