23 April 2016, 12:00 am – THIS YEAR’S USTV Students’ Choice Awards held last April 21 at the Plaza Mayor highlighted the significant role of media in the upcoming national elections.
With the theme “Veritas in Caritate: The Youth Empowering the Family through Modern Media,” the 12th USTV awards introduced three new categories: the Students’ Choice of Public Announcement for the National Elections, Election Awareness Program, and Election Station ID. Top television network ABS-CBN won the three new categories for its “Halalan 2016” election coverage.
This year’s awards had 34 categories and 104 nominees, with 43 from GMA Channel 7 and GMA News TV, 42 from ABS-CBN, six from TV5 and four from CNN Philippines.
“All in one package, the USTV XII covers the essential facets of Thomasian student formation namely, socio-cultural, socio-political, and moral-spiritual,” Secretary General Fr. Winston F. Cabading, O.P. said in his opening remarks.
ABS-CBN dominated the awards night. It bagged the Students’ Choice of News Program for early evening newscast “TV Patrol.” Eleven shows won in the entertainment category, six in the student leaders’ choice category and six in the social media category. “Matanglawin: Justice for Pamana” got the award for Students’ Choice of Social Media Campaign for Environmental Protection.
GMA 7 meanwhile bagged the Students’ Choice of Public Affairs Program for “I-Witness.” Its “Dapat Tama” advocacy campaign was the Choice of Social Media Campaign for Socio-Political Development.
The network also won three awards in the student leaders’ choice category and three entertainment awards including the Choice of Variety Show (noontime variety show “Eat Bulaga”), which was received by on-screen tandem Wally Bayola and Jose Manalo dressed as the “Lolas.”
ABS-CBN’s Atom Araullo was the Students’ Choice of Social Media Personality while Maine Mendoza, half of the “AlDub” love team of “Eat Bulaga,” received the Special Citation for Social Media Phenomenon for AlDub.
Fastfood chain McDonald’s won the award for Choice of TV Commercial with its advertisement “Tatanda at Lilipas din Ako.”
The awards night featured performances by students of the Conservatory of Music, the UST Symphony Orchestra, and ABS-CBN artists Alex Gonzaga and Anne Curtis who won Student’s Choice of Reality/Game Show Host and Student’s Choice of Variety Show Host, respectively.
The change in the original title “USTv” to “USTV” signifies the Dominican motto “Veritas,” which means truth. Amierielle Anne A. Bulan, Ma. Czarina A. Fernandez and Ethan James M. Siat
