THE FLAME, the student publication of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters (Artlets), dominated the 10th UST National Campus Journalism Awards (UNCJA), winning in all three categories of the campus literary derby organized by the Varsitarian

Entries from The Flame were the lone winners in the In-Depth Report and the Editorial categories. Its submission to the Feature category also won alongside that of FEU Advocate of Far Eastern University (FEU) Manila. 

The Best In-Depth Report was “From Streets to Sheets: Motorcycle Drivers Turn to Sex Work Amid Hard Times” by Zoe Aguinaldo, Jianzen Deananeas, Joss Gabriel Oliveros, and Ma. Alyanna Selda of The Flame.

It reports the growing phenomenon of motorcycle taxi drivers offering sexual services to passengers as a means of survival,  a practice exposed on television by GMA Network’s Jessica Soho in 2022.

Fatima Baduria and Bless Aubrey Ogerio of The Flame won Best Editorial for “Token Directive, Token Statement,” which criticizes the removal of the EDSA People Power Revolution from the 2024 national holidays.

Two publications tied for Best Feature. FEU Advocate’s Eunhice Corpuz and Mark Vincent Durano earned the award for “From the Middle to the Orient: Olive Trees Resprout in ‘Little Gaza,’” which explores the situation of Filipino-Palestinians in “little Gaza” in Quezon City.

Also winning Best Feature was Ma. Alyanna R. Selda of The Flame, who was recognized for “Through Sticks and Strings: Pinoy Puppeteers Struggle to Survive Post-Lockdown,” which follows Ricky, a puppeteer in Intramuros, as he navigates the challenges of the pandemic.

The winners were selected from nearly 400 entries submitted by over 70 student publications nationwide and screened by the UST Department of Journalism. Each winning publication received P20,000, a trophy, and a certificate.

Meanwhile, four entries were granted a Special Jury Citation, given to compelling entries that covered important campus issues and also made an impact on the national level.

Victoria Mareposque of The Benildean, the official student publication of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, received a Special Jury Citation in the In-Depth category for her entry “Bridging the gap: Integration of PWD employees in the workplace.” 

Roselle Ochobillo of The Communicator, the official student publication of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines’s College of Communication, earned a Special Jury Citation in the Editorial category for her piece “Hustisyang Nakaangkla sa mga Naghaharing-uri.” The story delves into the Philippine justice system’s bias toward the ruling elite. 

Special Jury Citations in the Feature category were awarded to two publications. “5 Shots, One Mother, and a Newfound Crusade” by Karl Patrick Wilfred Suyat of KRISIS (UP Journalism Club) tells the story of a mother’s journey of grief and activism after her son was killed during the Duterte administration’s drug war.

Also earning a Special Jury Citation in Feature was “Tilling the Land: Women Farmers of Tayabas” by Zaki Dayrit and Josiah Tomas of The Guidon (Ateneo de Manila University). It highlights the struggles and resilience of women farmers in Tayabas and sheds light on systemic inequalities.

Publications that earned a Special Jury Citation were given P10,000 each and a certificate.

The panel of judges is composed of Philstar.com chief editor Camille Diola, OneNews.PH assistant editor and UP journalism instructor Janvic Mateo, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Manuel Mogato, Asian Center for Journalism Executive Director and VERA Files co-founder Luz Rimban, and PhilStar Life columnist Joel Pablo Salud. 

The 10th UNCJA winners were announced during the fellowship night of the 26th Inkblots, the annual campus journalism fellowship organized by the Varsitarian, held on Jan. 12 at the lobby of the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building.

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