Another year, another award

MANILA, Philippines - Since the year 2000, Ford Group Philippines (FGP) has been staging the Henry Ford Awards (HFA), which aims to salute excellence in automotive journalism in the country. Last week, FGP celebrated its 10th HFA by honoring 13 members of the Philippine media corps for their outstanding work and contributions to automotive journalism. This year’s Henry Ford Awards, themed Chronicling the History of Change, celebrates a decade of automotive journalism in the Philippines and the critical role that automotive journalists play in both chronicling and driving the industry’s evolution.

Former Philippine STAR Business Motoring section editor Junep Ocampo figured prominently in the winner’s circle as his entry in the Environment Conservation and Safety category won for the Philippine STAR yet another HFA trophy. The entry, entitled Licensed to Kill, is an in-depth look at how the local bus industry has become a breeding ground for apathy and recklessness. At once timely, relevant and eye-opening, it’s the kind of groundbreaking article that has earned for this broadsheet its reputation for journalistic excellence. With the win, Ocampo has kept The Philippine STAR’s win streak alive. The Philippine STAR is the only media outfit with representation in the HFA’s winner’s circle in every year since the awards were staged.

Other winners were: Ardie Lopez for best Automotive Test Drive/Automotive Event Feature Story, Vince Pornelos for best Motoring Column, AutoExtreme for best Automotive Television Feature, TurboTime for best Automotive Radio Feature, Vernon Sarne for best Automotive Online Feature, Francis TJ Ochoa for best Motorsports Feature Story, and Alanah Torralba for best Published Photograph. Several other special awards were handed out as well.

Our congratulations go out to Junep, our colleagues in the motoring media and to Ford Group Philippines for another year of excellence in automotive journalism.