AN ARTLETS graduate and former writer for The Flame was named the online category’s top winner at the Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 2025 for her reports that spotlighted the worsening impact of noncommunicable diseases in the country.
UST Journalism alumna Cristina Eloisa Baclig, now a data journalist for INQUIRER.net, clinched first place in the 2025 edition of the awards, where she submitted three reports focused on the cost of cardiovascular disease and the growing public health threats posed by hypertension and diabetes.
In her article “Breaking Hearts and the Bank: The Cost of Heart Attack, Stroke in PH,” Baclig tackled the health and financial burden of heart attacks and strokes in the Philippines, and how such conditions can lead to life-threatening complications and costly treatment that many Filipino families struggle to afford.
Meanwhile, “Hypertension: What to Know About the ‘Silent Killer,’” broke down why hypertension is called the “silent killer” and ways Filipinos can prevent or manage it through early detection and lifestyle changes.
Her third piece, “Diabetes: A Bitter Health Crisis for Filipinos,” focused on the increasing number of diabetes cases across the country, emphasizing the importance of awareness, prevention and early management, as cases continue to rise nationwide.
Other awardees in the online category were Puja Awasthi of The Week (India), who placed second, while Disha Shetty of Health Policy Watch and David Dizon of ABS-CBN News shared third place.
This year’s awards honored 125 recipients from 32 countries across various categories.
Baclig obtained her bachelor’s degree in Journalism at the University in 2018 and previously served as a features writer for The Flame.
The Thomasian journalist was also a recipient of awards from the Think Pink Awards and the Bright Leaf Agricultural Journalism Awards for her coverage of cancer and vaping.
Established in 2017, the Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards is an international journalism award program that distinguishes media works from Africa, Asia and Latin America and raises awareness on public health and social issues to make complex medical topics more accessible to the public.
The Merck Foundation is the philanthropic arm of science firm Merck KGaA, Germany, dedicated to improving health and well-being by supporting better access to quality healthcare, addressing infertility stigma and advancing girls’ education. F
