MANILA, Philippines — Veteran broadcast journalist Jessica Soho will receive this year's Gawad Plaridel from the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.
The UP CMC, which is also Soho's alma mater, named her as the recipient of the UP Gawad Plaridel 2018 under the outstanding journalist category.
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"Ms. Soho, a veteran broadcast journalist, is cited for her pioneering work in broadcast investigative journalism and for her insightful and courageous coverage of Philippine and world news," the college said in a statement.
The college noted that Soho is the most awarded broadcast journalist in Philippine history with 253 local awards and 32 international awards so far.
"She is the first Filipina recipient of the highly acclaimed George Foster Peabody Award for her documentaries on the illegal trade of kidneys and the harrowing plight of Filipino boxers and is also a 6-time recipient of the 'Most Trusted News Presenter' award of Readers Digest Asia," it added.
Soho currently hosts the weekly news magazine program "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho" on GMA News and newscast State of the Nation with Jessica Soho on GMA News TV.
UP President Danilo Concepcion and UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan will present the award to Soho on August 29 at the UP Film Center.
The award comes with a trophy sculpted by the late national artist Napoleon Abueva.
The annual UP Gawad Plaridel is the sole award in the UP system conferred to outstanding media practitioners in the country.
The recognition is given to Filipino media practitioners who have excelled, whether in journalism, broadcast-radio and television, film and new media, and performed with professional integrity in the interest of public service.
Previous recipients of the UP Gawad Plaridel recipients were Eugenia Duran-Apostol (2004, journalism), Vilma Santos (2005, film), Fidela “Tiya Dely” Magpayo (2006, radio), Cecilia “Cheche” Lazaro (2007, television), Pachico Seares (2008, community journalism), Kidlat Tahimik (2009, independent film), Eloisa “Lola Sela” Canlas (2011, radio), Florence “Rosa Rosal” Danon-Gayda (2012, television), Jose “Pete” Lacaba (2013, journalism), Nora “Nora Aunor” Villamayor (2014, transmedia), Ricardo “Ricky” Lee (2015, film), Francisca “Babes” Custodio (2016, radio) and Tina Monson-Palma (broadcast-TV, 2017).
Established by the UP CMC, the award was named after Marcelo del Pilar, who was one of the pillars of reformist newspaper La Solidaridad in the 1890s.
"Like Plaridel, the recipient of the award must believe in a vision of a Philippine society that is egalitarian, participative and progressive, and in media that is socially responsible, critical and vigilant, liberative and transformative, and free and independent," the UP CMC said. — Patricia Lourdes Viray