Modequillo, Cimagala bag CAMMA awards

CEBU, Philippines - The Freeman’s Archie Modequillo won the Best Feature Writing award while Fr. Roy Cimagala won Best in Column Writing in last night’s 14th Cebu Archdiocesan Mass Media Awards at the Grand Convention Center.

The Freeman’s sister publication Banat also won in the Best News Writing and Special Reports categories.

Elly Bolonos won in best news writing while Edwin Ian Melecio won in Best Special Reports.

Cebu Daily News won in Best Editorial Writing and Best in Editorial Cartooning. Sun Star won Best in News Writing and Best in Special Reports.

The Best in Radio Commentary, News Program, Development Program, Public Affairs, Talk Show and radio plugs all went to dySS Super Radyo.

ABS-CBN network won the Best in News Program, News Magazine, TV Game Show, Magazine Show and Soap Opera.

Winners received Plaques of Recognition and congratulations from the Cebu Catholic community who has seen their efforts in promoting a culture of responsible media in Cebu.

This year’s theme for CAMMA is “New Technologies, new relationship: Promoting a culture of respect, dialogue and friendship.”

In his message, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal J. Vidal, who founded the CAMMA, said that the awards are testaments of the good work that media practitioners, organizations as well as citizen journalists have been doing to uphold the highest standard of professionalism and responsible social communication.

Vidal added that through the CAMMA, media will always be reminded that they play a great role in molding the community as powerful and influential social builders.

He added that the inevitable evolution of media in the coming of new technologies such as internet and short message sending have made the world smaller that everyone could communicate in just a second.

Amidst the modernization, Vidal noted that social networking, which is a form of online communication, is being abused especially by the youth.

The power to regulate these channels for communication lies in the media and also within one’s self he said because, “technology is only a means but the decision to use it remains in our hands.”

Vidal believes that technology can be used and should be used to promote common good and not the other way around.

The Archdiocese of Cebu also recognized their media partners which include the Cebu Catholic Television Network, dyRF, Daughters of Saint Paul, Lungsuranon the official newsletter of the archdiocese of Cebu, the University of the Philippines and Press Secretary Cerge Remonde. —/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)