THE VARSITARIAN, the 93-year-old official student publication of the University of Santo Tomas, won six major journalism awards in the 4th Campus Press Awards of The Manila Times on Jan. 29.
The V’s editorial titled “Covid-19 — wages of Duterte’s treasonous pro-China policy” was named Best Editorial in the college level.
The editorial, published on Apr. 21, 2020, lashed out at President Duterte’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic and his reluctance to immediately impose travel restrictions on China, the source of the virus, during the disease’s early spread.
Former Varsitarian Filipino and Witness editor Joselle Czarina Dela Cruz won Best Column in Filipino for her piece titled “Sapat na ba ang kaalaman natin sa wikang Filipino?”
The column highlighted the importance of continuously nourishing and developing the Filipino and other local languages.
A ‘V’ special report, “V survey: 56% of professors ‘confident’ of teaching online this term,” bagged the Best News Story award.
The editorial cartoon for “Terrorist Anti-Terror law—Duterte’s declaration of martial law,” an editorial released on June 7, 2020, was the first runner up for the Best Editorial Cartoon award.
Former ‘V’ chief photographer Mary Jazmin Tabuena’s photo taken during a protest against the shutdown of ABS-CBN was first runner up for Best Photography award.
The Varsitarian website was named first runner up for the Best News Website among college publications.
The Aquinian, the official student publication of UST Junior High School, bagged Best News Website, Best Layout and Design, Best Sports Story and Best Features Story in both English and Filipino categories, Best News Story in Filipino category. It was hailed the Best Student Publication in the high school level.
Columnist Ricardo Saludo urged young journalists to strive to become factual, impartial and objective in the age of digital journalism.
“From the disturbing developments in our global media space, we need more than ever the factual, impartial, and objective journalist that I hope all these aspiring journalists will become,” Saludo said in his message.
The Manila Times Campus Press Awards is a nationwide competition organized by The Manila Times, the oldest existing English-language newspaper in the Philippines.
The awarding ceremony for the competition’s fourth edition was held online due to restrictions on in-person gatherings due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
