TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte – The
2006 Eastern Visayas Mass Media Awards (EVMMA), the first and only awards
program of its kind in the region has been formally launched on December 10,
2005 at the Leyte Park Hotel in Tacloban City.
Media organizations from all
over the region converged on that significant day to witness the formal
opening of the call for submission of entries for the 25 categories to be
vied in June 2006.
A motorcade around Tacloban
City’s main thoroughfares sparked off initial interests from different print
and broadcast outlets who signified support and desire to be recognized for
their effort in bringing about responsible journalism in the
Eastern Visayas region.
The motorcade was followed
by a press conference at the Leyte Park Hotel where the organizers, Vantage
Inc. and Triad Media Ventures presented formally the different categories to
be vied including the general procedures and the criteria for the awards.
The EVMMA specifically seeks
to recognize outstanding achievements or body of works of mass media
practitioners in the Eastern Visayas region.
It is also aimed to uplift
the professional and personal conditions of mass media practitioners in the
region and to provide an impetus for the continuing professional growth of
the region’s mass media practitioners through focused capability building to
develop required competencies in their work.
Vantage, Inc. chairperson
Evelyn Acebedo who opened the call for submission of entries said the EVMMA
steering committee will receive bodies of work accomplished from July 2005
to February 2006 as official entries with a slated deadline of submission on
February 28, 2006.
The awards is divided into
two categories recognizing print journalism and the broadcast media with the
following awards: (FOR PRINT) Best Editorial, Best Feature Writer, Best News
Writer/Reporter, Best Business Reporter, Investigative Reporter of the Year,
Best Business/Enterprise Reporter/Writer, Best Sports Reporter/Writer, Best
Entertainment Writer, Best Science and Technology Writer, Best Editorial
Cartoonist, Columnist of the Year, Best in Layout, Iluminado Lucente Print
Journalist of the Year Award and Best Publication of the Year; (FOR
BROADCAST, both radio and television) Best Editorial/News Analysis, Best
Field Reporter, Best Entertainment Program, Best Commentary Program, Best
Documentary, Best Investigative Reporter, Best News Program, Best
Newscaster, Ramon Noblejas Commentator of the Year Award, Francisco Aurillo,
Sr. Broadcast Journalist of the Year Award and Station of the Year.
A Lifetime Achievement Award
will be given to a journalist who has rendered meritorious in uplifting the
local media industry.
Vantage, Inc. Chair Evelyn Acebedo is assisted by Triad Media Ventures
Operations In-charge Mark Morallos as she declares the 2006 EVMMA awards
season open on December 10 at the Leyte Park Hotel in Tacloban City.