THE UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas emerged as the top-performing institution in the student division of the 48th Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) after securing 12 finalist spots across nine categories.
The finalists for the awards were announced by the CMMA on Facebook on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
In the Best Student Public Service Print Ad category, Thomasians captured five finalist berths. The shortlisted entries include “Ang Huling Baon” by Janina Bernadine Olivera, “Seen-Zone” by Mac Jay Pacursa and “The Most Valuable Bag” by Rachel Louise Sabanpan.
Joining them are “Bata at Baha,” created by Levie Julianne Martin, a culture section writer of The Flame, Bran Rafael Gregore, Chelsi Buenaventura and MC Jewel Velasquez and “Are You Human?,” produced by Janelah Valerie Robles, Samyela Chievle Monceda, Maxine Beatrix Nocom and The Flame sports writer Joshua Louis Sumanghid.
UST likewise posted a strong showing in the Best Student Public Service Radio Ad category as it clinched four finalist spots.
These entries include Pacursa’s “Ano, Tara?,” Maia Janelle Tungol’s “Halimuyak” and Wackine Izzy Lopez’s “Hagdan.” Martin, Gregore, Buenaventura and Velasquez‘s group earned another spot in the broadcast category for their production “Ready Ka Na Ba?”
In the Best Student Public Service Television Ad category, two Thomasian works advanced to the finals, namely “Pinned” by Lopez and “Recipe for the Disaster” by Charlize Katrianna Caldoza.
Completing the university’s 12-entry haul is Inter Nos, the official student publication of the UST Faculty of Sacred Theology. It was named a finalist in the Best Student Organ category.
Thomasians also secured finalist slots outside the student division. Journalism faculty member Paterno Esmaquel II was named a finalist for the Best Vlog Award under the social media category for “The Religion Reporter.”
The in-depth report “A feast without a catch: Why fishing is no longer Angono’s economic lifeblood,” by Journalism juniors Luisa Arranz, Kristine Concepcion, Neona Dela Cruz, Macie Maniquis, Kyanne Reyes and Renuel Novero, emerged as a finalist for Best Investigative Report under the print category. The piece was published by the UST Journalism Lab through its partnership with Philstar.com.
The article “Smaller pandesal, costlier ‘tasty’ bakers find right mix to cope with war effects,” by Loise Van Bantolo, Krsna Kshatriya Annika Parado and Rain Katrina Tolentino is also a finalist under the Best News Coverage category. Another output of the Journalism Lab, the piece came out in The Philippines Star newspaper.
Cristina Eloisa Baclig, a Journalism alumna and former The Flame writer, is also a finalist for the in-depth category for her piece titled “Dead and drowned: cemeteries vanish as seas, flood rise.”
UST led all academic institutions in the student division, followed by Our Lady of Caysasay with five finalists, Lyceum of the Philippines University with four and De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde with three.
Founded by the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin in 1978, the CMMA annually honors mass media works that uphold Christian values and human dignity across seven major divisions, namely student, social media, advertising, music, print, radio and television. F
