STAR bags 4 Rotary journalism awards

MANILA, Philippines — Three reporters and a columnist of The Philippine STAR were among the print, radio and broadcast journalists who received the prestigious Rotary Club of Manila (RCM) Centennial Journalism Awards yesterday.

Cited by RCM were columnist Boo Chanco as Newspaper Business Opinion Writer of the Year; finance reporter Mary Grace Padin as Newspaper Female Business Reporter of the Year; Cecille Suerte Felipe as Newspaper Female Reporter of the Year; and Paolo Romero as Newspaper Male Reporter of the Year.

TV5 host Cito Beltran, who also writes a column for The STAR, was awarded as Television Male Broadcaster of the Year, while Gem Avancena of TV5 Davao was Regional Female Broadcaster of the Year.

TV5 was named Television Station of the Year. Chief executive officer Chot Reyes received the award.

The Freeman Cebu was cited as the Regional Newspaper of the Year while lawyer Josephus Jimenez, a columnist of the paper, was awarded Regional Male Opinion Writer of the Year.

RCM immediate past president Jimmie Policarpio, who chairs the journalism awards committee, said the selection of awardees went through a rigorous process where names of candidates from various clubs were submitted to the panel and deliberated upon by its members. 

A shortlist was then presented to the RCM general assembly for approval.

The RCM Journalism Awards project was started in 1966 and was later adopted as a perpetual participation of the 100-year-old club in the annual observance of National Press Week.

Other winners in the print category were: Rhona Goc-Ong-Villariasa of Sunstar Davao as Regional Female Reporter of the Year; Carmelito Francisco of Mindanao Times, Regional Male Reporter of the Year; Daxim Lucas of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Newspaper Male Business Reporter of the Year; Solita Collas-Monsod of PDI, Newspaper Female Opinion Writer of the Year; Fred Lobo of the Manila Bulletin, Newspaper Male Opinion Writer of the Year; Metro Society, Homegrown Luxury Magazine of the Year; Panorama of the Bulletin, Lifestyle Magazine of the Year; Business Mirror, Business Newspaper of the Year; and PDI, Newspaper of the Year.

For television, radio and online news media: George Cariño of ABS-CBN, Television Male Reporter of the Year; Joy Roa of ANC, Television Lifestyle Program of the Year for Asia Air Safari; Susan Enriquez of GMA 7, Television Female Broadcaster of the Year; Tina Panganiban-Perez of GMA 7, Television Female Reporter of the Year; Ali Sotto of dzBB, Radio Female Broadcaster of the Year; Joel Reyes Zobel of dzBB, Radio Male Broadcaster of the Year; Grace Mariano of dzXL, Radio Female Reporter of the Year; Raymund Dadpaas of dzRH, Radio Male Reporter of the Year; Radio Public Service Program of the Year DZRH Damdaming Bayan, host Cezar Chavez; dzRH, Radio Station of the Year; Junior Ortiz Digamon of Brigada News FM, Regional Male Broadcaster of the Year; and RMN DXDC in Davao, Regional Radio Station of the Year.

Special Centennial Awards Photo Journalist of the Year was given to Eloisa Lopez of the United Catholic News Agency while Antonio Lopez, president/publisher Biz News Asia Philippines Inc. was awarded Journalist of the Year.