Jiggy Manicad: TOYM 2012 Awardee

CEBU, Philippines - Veteran broadcast journalist Rodrigo

‘Jiggy’ Manicad, Jr. is hailed as one of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in the Philippines of 2012 in a search facilitated by the Junior Chamber International (JCI), together with the TOYM Foundation, and the Gerry Roxas Foundation.

The prestigious award is given to young men and women aged 18-40 who have significantly contributed to the welfare of their countrymen, as well as to the improvement of their chosen fields through their selfless dedication to their profession.

For 17 years, Jiggy has fully devoted his skills, time, and effort to a field he believes could help him create change in his own little way—broadcast journalism. With very humble beginnings of living alongside the railroad tracks in Laguna, dedication and hard work got him through college and to where he is now—the realization of a dream he once had—that of being a journalist.

Not just an ordinary reporter, Jiggy has proven himself to be a correspondent who goes out of his way to bring to the public the information he rightly believes they deserve. Jiggy can well be remembered for his coverage of stories that made marks in the history of Philippine TV as these are both of utmost importance and life-threatening on his part.

Jiggy extensively covered stories like the EDSA II and EDSA III where he was hit by a rock thrown by one of the rallyists; the hunt for Osama Bin Laden in Jalalabad in Eastern Afghanistan in 2001; the War in Iraq in 2003; the funeral  of former US President Ronald Reagan plus the Filipino hostage crisis in Iraq and Dubai in 2004; the Al Qaeda bombing of London in 2005; the Hezbollah-Israel war in 2006; The Filipino exodus report in Syria/Lebanon in 2006; the first Filipino attempt to climb the summit of Mt. Everest in Nepal in 2006, which is considered as one of his most dangerous news coverage to date; the inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009; the Haiti earthquake coverage in 2010; and his most recent coverage of the canonization of St. Pedro Calungsod where he even anchored live from the Vatican.

Jiggy has also garnered a number of accolades for his investigative stories that became instrumental in the capture of notorious offenders and the expose of issues well-kept from public scrutiny. Among these are: the much-publicized kidnap-slay case of Betti Chua-Sy which led to the surrender of its four primary suspects; the rescue of Chinese kidnap victim Dominga Chu; the exclusive surrenders of Buhari Jamiri, one of the suspects in the beheading of 10 Marines in Basilan, and COMELEC Official Lintang Bedol, who was linked to the controversial 12-0 Maguindanao senatorial elections; the plight of OFWs in Malaysia doubling as drug couriers; the coverage of Marine Corporal Angelo Abeto’s story which raised discussions on the military’s incapacity to evacuate wounded soldiers from the battlefield; and the remarkable documentation of the miserable situation of the residents of Fuga Island.

Through time, Jiggy’s efforts have been recognized not only by local critics but also by various international award-giving institutions. His crucial coverage of the story “Corporal Abeto” bagged the Gold World Medal in the 2009 New York Film and TV Festivals (NYF) for the coverage of an ongoing story category. In the same year, NYF also awarded his story “Human Trafficking: The Asian Trail” a Bronze World Medal. Meanwhile, Jiggy’s investigative documentary “Lunok Droga” for Reporter’s Notebook won a Silver Screen Award from the 2009 US International Film and Video Festival.

Early this year, Jiggy has been given the following awards for his noteworthy dedication to his profession: COMGUILD Center for Journalism’s Hall of Fame award for the Best Television Reporter category for Reporter’s Notebook; Best Investigative Program Show Host from the Gandingan Broadcast Choice Awards of UP Los Baños; Best Documentary Host from Northwestern Samar State University; Outstanding Television Reporter for GMA News TV’s Quick Response team (QRT) from the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC); and a Plaque of Recognition from the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility-Marshall Mcluhan Awards held at the Asian Institute of Management.

Currently, Jiggy serves as a host to GMA-7’s multi-awarded investigative documentary program Reporter’s Notebook with fellow broadcast journalist Maki Pulido. During Saturdays and Sundays, he joins Pia Arcangel as they anchor the Network’s primetime newscast 24 Oras Weekend. He also banners GMA News TV’s 30-minute where it happens, as it happens newscast News TV QRT (Quick Response Team), apart from his responsibilities as Senior Producer for GMA News.

For Jiggy, it is his responsibility to remain passionate to the field he has chosen. He owes it to the public to bring them the information they rightfully deserve—no more, no less.